Time Marches On...

...and waits for no one. We spent this past weekend in a lovely setting, securely nestled in the mountains of North Carolina. It was idyllic. We celebrated 50 years of marriage on Saturday!

It all hardly seems possible and yet here we are; blessed beyond measure and truly grateful for each and every day. In case we needed any further reminders of how fleeting time can be, earlier last week both Gregory and Lucy Ann received eighth grade diplomas; high school is next, how can that be?!

Time: fleeting, finite and precious. Someone once said, while describing raising children; "the days are long but the years are short". This is true in every aspect. We look back today with thankfulness, all the while keeping our eyes focused on what is yet to come; thanking God for each and every beautiful day!

Life is Good!

In Like A Lion?

How did your March kick-off? Did it come in like a lion? Ours was chilly and rainy but not too cold to nip the abundant daffodils who are joyfully showing off right now. I'm participating in two blocks-of-the month currently. This one, left, is part of the Barn Star class from the book by Shelley Cavanna.

My fabric choices are from the Dry-brush Essentials line by Wilmington Fabrics. I wanted my stars to look actual barn stars; I'm not following the color suggestions in the book.

The first two blocks are huge; twenty four inches square, both of these.

This is the second 2024 block-of-the month. Lemoyne Stars w/ Variations. Twelve inch blocks. So far I'm caught up and plan to stay that way or, even better, work ahead as time allows. Last year I abandoned both BOMs that I was participating in after I broke my wrist at the end of August; I had always intended to pick them back up but it didn't happen. My plan now is to work backwards and complete those too. But, the question is this: if I am working backward on those and ahead on the current blocks at the same time, am I actually making any forward progress, or standing still? 

My Winter Winds quilt is under the needle currently. I just love this pantograph!

In an effort to USE my ages-old serger I did an overedge stitch on the entire perimeter of this quilt top before loading it onto Snowbird for quilting. I can't believe what a difference this made as far as keeping the edges neat and straight! I may do this to all my tops moving forward, it really didn't take much time at all and I can already see how much cleaner binding this will be when I get to that stage. A win-win! To stay seasonally appropriate my goal is to finish this one up before the quickly-approaching first day of spring! Fingers crossed! SEW, what are your plans for this coming month?

On March 1st my parents celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary! What a blessing. 

I found this treasure last week too, Mom and Dad leaving on their honeymoon. 

Mom says it was snowing to beat the band on that 1952 evening in Massachusetts. 💗

Although it didn't exactly greet us here with lion-like weather to begin the month

it is March and we know to expect the unexpected. 

Life is Good!

. 

It's March...

... and it's coming in like a lamb here today; what's the weather like where you are? Up at my Mom and Dad's in New Hampshire they're buried under snow with more forecast to fall on Saturday. My Dad loves it but my Mom has had enough already! Speaking of my parents, today is their 71st wedding anniversary! 

This picture was taken a while ago, but you can see how cute they are! Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

The rest of this post is going to be one of massive catch-up; there's a lot less time devoted here with a new puppy in the house, but I'm going to try to do better this month. I was lucky enough to go on a weekend retreat at this fabulous facility a few weeks ago. 

I got all of these string pieced blocks done while there and am auditioning inner borders, that's as far as I've gotten; this beauty remains on the design wall while other sewing is going on. 

I covered a kneeler cushion for church, there was a big strip of high density foam rubber to trim up for this job. 

As you can see, the hunk that fell on the floor, the excess, was immediately claimed! "What, for me? Oh, yes, I like it, it's very comfy!" He used it for a couple of days to rest on, I'll need to make a cover for this soon as he began a little nibbling of the corners and I've taken it up until I can get to that task. He'll be delighted to get it back. 

I've got five blocks done for the Cream and Sugar BOM, these measure 20" square.

I quilted up the above two quilts for friends, they were both great quilts to work on; bright and happy!

Again, that hunk o' foam was well loved during naptimes under the longarm while I worked.

Sometimes when I can't find Augie I catch him hiding right in the basket with his toys!

Yes, this catch-up post was one that's gone straight to the dogs! Augie is 21 weeks old today, he just completed a six week course on Puppy Manners and Socialization and will  start Beginner One Obedience Training in April; wish us luck!

 

Take time to smell the flowers today, wherever you are! 

I'll be back again soon. 

Life is Good!

What God Has Joined...

March 1, 1952; seventy years today! 

This is what love, commitment and honoring one's vows looks like.

"what therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." - Mark 10:9

Amen! 

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

Every Quilt Tells A Story

Back in the spring our daughter-in-law's father asked me if I could help him; he wanted to make a quilt to give to his wife to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their first date. Naturally, the first question I asked was "when's the anniversary?" He told me that it was in mid-November. "Sure", I said, "there's plenty of time, be thinking about what you'd like, design-wise". Since then, off and on, we'd gotten together to discuss his ideas. He knew that he wanted fifty hearts and it was his idea to vary the sizes. From the beginning of the project, once the design and the colors (our daughter-in-law suggested that her Mama's favorite colors were ocean shades) were decided upon, he was very hands-on. He did all of the initial pressing, cutting out and placement. 

All of the outside hearts were appliqued into place by machine, I did lend a hand and applique the large background heart into position, the remaining hearts were then machine appliqued on top. He came out one day and stitched the borders on. The top was done! All of this was, of course, top secret! He's a golfer and it's not unusual for him to be gone for large chunks of the day. And so, the quilt studio became his "golf course"! Thank goodness his wife doesn't have a tracker on his phone. 😉

We made an executive decision to piece the remaining fabrics from the top for the backing.

At long last, it was loaded onto Snowbird and this golfer became a longarm quilter!

The proud quilter and his almost-finished anniversary gift for his beloved. The smile says it all!

He chose an ambitious pantograph for his first-ever quilting job; his work reflects complete dedication!

I received this photograph last Saturday morning! His wife was absolutely delighted with this gift of love and is using it frequently. She told me on Sunday that she'd napped under it already! I just know that every dream she has under this 'Quilt of Hearts' will come true, how could it be any other way?

Yes, every quilt has a story and this is one that's full to overflowing with love!

💗

Life is Good!

Pumping Up The Volume

After getting the Star Flower quilt all quilted and the binding attached, I needed a bit more color saturation to brighten the day. I dug deep into my bin of 4.5" square scraps and after a quick pass through the die cutter I set to work on this scrappy hexagon quilt. It's vibrant and fun. I have half of it pieced as it's shown here on the design wall. It will measure 56" X 72" at completion, containing 280 bright/medium/dark scraps out of the bin. Yay! Waste not, want not! 

So, here's the Star Flower quilt with the binding all basted in place for this evening's hand work. I love this quilt! There's so much to love: the softness, the "Puddles" quilting design, the ultimate binding choice (after load of auditions and consultations!), the pop of color on the backing, the fact that this one has been YEARS in the making! I'm claiming this one and keeping it forever.

Here is a sampling of the binding fabrics up for their audition.  Ultimately, I chose the one on the right.

Once the selection was finally decided upon, it was applied for stitching- a first view of the backing.

Another month has passed and a new one's begun. I'm SO READY for the warmer spring days. A dear friend gave me this Quiltfolk calendar at Christmastime. It hangs right over me desk space in the sewing room and where look at it every day. This month's photograph depicts a stack of stitched squares with this explanation: "my mother, who's battling dementia, finds familiarity in taking stitches on small squares of linen, filling them with circles, sweet meandering lines and and tiny hearts, forming new memories for herself and for her family." 💗

March 1st is my parents' wedding anniversary, this year they've celebrated 69 wonderful years! 💗💗

Star Flower is all ready to curl up under. As winter slips into spring I'm to celebrating with brighter, louder colors! For me, that means back to the scrap bins; I've got well over a hundred more hexagons to cut, that might just make a dent! 😉 Maybe. 

Life is Good!

Forty One-derful Years!

From this day forward... 

Forty one years later and we're still eating cake.

I don't mean to brag, but this is the truth: my veil still fits exactly as it did in 1975!

Life is Good!