The Test of Time

Once a month, our church hosts a gathering for Young Women/Mothers to socialize, study God's word and enjoy snacks. I've been helping out with the children during these times (seriously believing that I get the best end of the deal!); playing games and supervising outdoor play. I've been digging deep into the game closet at home for new(!) different and exciting ways to occupy their time and satisfy their curiosity. Yesterday was the day; there were just two boys, brothers, 5 and 7 years old. I had brought two vintage games with me which were both a rousing success! The youngest especially loved Booby-Trap. The many-times-repaired outer boxes indicate that these particular games were manufactured in 1965; almost 60 years ago!  In these current days where smart technology moves at breakneck speed in an attempt to make our lives easier and more efficient there's really something quite affirming and heart-warming about the fact that children can still be entertained by simple games.

In fact, on the playground, later in the morning, 

these brothers reveled in collecting acorns together; 

certainly another activity that's survived the test of time!

You can't help but smile at that.

Life is Good!

All About Family - Cornfields and Collages

We've been on the road; a quick, and sad, trip to western Illinois to say good-bye to my husband's favorite cousin who lost her battle with both kidney disease and cancer a week ago. Thanks to one and all who prayed for her; she is now at peace in her heavenly home. As heartbroken as we were it was wonderful, as always, to reconnect with family that we haven't seen for far too long. I love this picture of my husband and Kathy from twenty-five years ago. They always had fun together. Our trip out and back was uneventful, thank goodness; there were storms all around us both coming and going! 

We saw a lot of empty cornfields and farmland that remains, frustratingly for the farmers, too wet to plant. 

Back at home: work continues at home on my new perennial garden. There's very little that's blooming yet, I hope to update this picture with one full of color very soon! 

The babies are getting ready to fledge, I would guess in the next couple of days. Yesterday I checked inside the nesting box but didn't take a picture. The box opens from the side and the babies are so big now, and so crammed inside there, that I was fearful if I opened it wide enough to take a photo they would topple out! They are distinctive now in their markings, fully feathered and NOISY!

Speaking of babies growing-- these are just a sampling from a photo shoot of our son's family a few weeks ago. I think each and every shot is wonderful, the photographer captured their personalities perfectly. Our son and daughter-in-law just celebrated their eleventh wedding anniversary, so hard to believe! Although their babies like to frequently test their own wings, these little ones are content to stay at home for at least a few years longer. Sigh. 😍

Life is Good!

"What's That?"

Anyone speaking to me has received fair warning!

"Wait, what was that you just said?"  My daughter-in-law has been printing up some new T-shirts for quilters and I have added two to my daily-wear wardrobe for spring. The first, pictured on the left, clearly expresses the reason you might just need to repeat yourself if the shirt's wearer has that distant, far-away look in their eyes. If you're a quilter you understand! 😉 This second one, below, clearly answers that oft-heard question: "what time is it?"  C'mon, you already know what time it is, that time never changes!
If you're interested in either one of these cute shirts, simply leave me a comment to that effect or email me. I will get you directly connected to the source for your very own, seriously super-soft, quilter's Ts. You'll love them.

Easter here was a glorious one! We spent the afternoon with these four precious children. Mason and Lucy Ann (above) traveled from the Capital City, here they are before church in their Sunday finery.

Lynnleigh (and all of her babies) and Gregory in their coordinated Easter outfits. Smiles all around on a very happy day. 

He is risen! He is risen indeed! 

May the joy of that empty tomb remain in your hearts today and always.

Alleluia!

Life is Good!

Cases For Smiles

There were lots of smiles yesterday afternoon at my LQS. These wonderful ladies gathered together for a few hours to stitch up bright and cheerful pillowcases for children hospitalized with cancer. We used this pattern included on the website Ryan's Case for Smiles. I am SEW grateful to my favorite quilt shop for donating space and supplies for this worthwhile project... just think of the smiles-to-come generated by this generous and loving act of kindness! 

Life is Good!

 

Hand-Cranked Sweetness

I'll bet you thought this post was going to be about homemade ice cream, didn't you? Nope. It's about this Singer model #20, hand crank operated, child's sewing machine. I don't exactly how old this one is, they were manufacured from the 1910 through 1975. I've had mine for quite some time and it's quite old. My husband gave it to me years ago, it was an antique at the time. I set it on a shelf and have displayed it over the years, I honestly never gave a thought to actually using it or even that it might stitch at all! It's only been recently, when Gregory's been visiting (he adores all things mechanical!) that he asked if he could really sew (with thread), as opposed to "air" sewing (turning the crank and running scraps under the presser foot that fall into a heap behind the machine). I got serious about researching the machine and investigating the possibility of actually bringing it back into functional mode. I never had an instruction manual for it, I had the original box that it came in and the clamp that attaches it to a table top, that's it. Luckily, I found a free download for the manual online and printed it out. I ordered some needles specifically for it, it takes a rather rare 24 X 1 needle. Mr. Goodneedle took a look at the mechanism underneath and made one simple adjustment and, just like that, we were off and stitching!

The machine has no bobbin; it makes a chain stitch, and a very nice one at that! In this photo you can see the stitch on the top side. I turned this practice piece upside down to show the chain stitch as it looks on the backside (as indicated by the arrow), it's a little thicker stitch underneath but equally pretty.  I am impressed by the engineering that went into this machine as well as the longevity, with NO maintenance whatsoever over the years that I have had it, for it to pick up and stitch so effortlessly this morning is a terrific testimony to a well built machine. It still could use an adjustable seam guide, I'll have to order one; it was an original attachment that screws down into a threaded hole in the bed and will be helpful when the grandchildren use it to keep the edges straight as they crank the fabric though.

I needed the assistance of additional lighting to thread the needle, I'm sure a child's eyes could handle that task easily without one. But, the thought occurred to me when I pulled out this flashlight, if we have a power outage in the future all is not lost... now I can still sew! 

Life is Good!

Resurrection Spray?

I never gave a lot of thought to what a four year old might think the purpose of an exterminator would be; I just assumed that Gregory understood they kept one's home free of bugs by the obvious method. Apparently he thinks that the bug man, by use of his magic spray, is able to perform the complete opposite!

Gregory spent the night with us on Saturday; when he came out of the bedroom yesterday morning he tenderly cradled a dead lady bug in his softly closed fist. "Nana", he said "you need to call the bug man, I think this lady bug is dead and it needs the spray"!  He gave it to me and I placed it on the bathroom vanity, I didn't want to traumatize him by pitching it in the waste basket. I caught him examining it a short time later... "it's still dead" he said, "you need to call the bug man now".

The sweet innocence of his heart, one that believes in a world where life can be restored through a well-placed squirt, is enough to melt my own. 

Life is Good!

Pillowcase Project

"Can you help the youth with a project to sew pillowcases that will be donated to the children's hospital?" she asked; "of course I can", I responded. I had no idea about the project or what I needed to know ahead of time to be of any assistance when our Director of Student Ministries posed the question to me a few weeks ago at church. All I knew was that whenever I have the opportunity to help children with any sewing project it is going to be fun! She sent me a link to this website and I tried out the pattern listed there... I was impressed! It didn't take me long to unearth a few pieces of fabric from the stash closet and stich up this example; the instructions were clear and the result was a well constructed, bright and cheerful pillowcase. The group gathered after worship service yesterday, fifteen children ranging in age from seven to ten years. For most of them it was their first time seated behind a sewing machine; their enthusiasm was contagious! They were excited about the fabrics that they had selected and brought, about sewing and about helping other children; it was a wonderful afternoon.

Check out the link and consider stitching up a pillowcase or two to brighten the day of hospitalized child with a life-threatening condition, it only takes a few minutes; look for a local chapter near you. I know I will sew up many more of these. Better yet, if you're given the chance to spend some time stitching with children, DO IT; it will be the best time you've spent... I promise!

Life is Good!

  

Joy

Yesterday was the third Sunday in Advent; "joy" is our Advent word of the week. The children of the congregation presented "The Signs of Christmas", a pageant, during the Sunday School hour. The final scene wasn't really that for these grandparents; I captured yet another mini-drama, an unscripted one, that unfolded at the very end, it is documented above. 

The joy of the season is reflected in the children. 

Life is Good!

Cooking Up Some Fun!

What's cooking? Despite what it looks like, this is NOT a colorful quilter's version of ravioli; no, it's a whole lot more fun than that! After stitching up game boards for classrooms and for gifts, over the years, I decided it was high time to have one to keep here at the house. This Tic-Tac-Toe game is for even the youngest of game players... no X's and O's to draw, just puffed-up little shapes to place on a quilted game board. Originally, I blogged about this when I made up an identical game for Mason, two years ago, you can read that story here.

This simple game board measures twelve inches square (the center portion is nine inches,
sectioned off into three inch squares) and the playing pieces are stuffed with poly-fil.
It's been placed into the toy basket in a designated low kitchen cabinet; where it waits
 to be discovered and will, hopefully, spur on lots of happy competition and hours of family fun.
Life is Good!

Twelve, And Counting...

It's that time of year again.  As graduations approach our Quilt Ministry gets busy assembling quilt tops for our high school graduates, fourteen in this graduating class; which means, I have twelve more to go. We've done the same style over the last six years: twelve large, solid color, rectangles pieced together and then recut and sewn back together in a fashion that yields a quilt top measuring 50" X 66", looking like this:

We back each one of the quilts with fleece, in a coordinating color, onto which I embroider our church logo, (see how important it was for me to locate that dongle?!) before they're returned to church for tying and tagging; these will  be presented on Youth Sunday in mid-May. When we know of a student's college of choice, with enough lead time, we make every attempt to match their quilt with that school's colors. The reason for the use of solid colors and this piecing scheme is no accident. Right before we began the graduation quilt project a small truckload of fabric samples was donated to our Quilt Ministry, these samples consisted entirely of heavyweight broadcloth in every color and shade imaginable; they were roughly cut into rectangles approximately 14" X 24" inches. We began using those, trimming them to an even 13" X 23" for consistency, and went from there; our pattern was developed based on what we had available. On this, the sixth year of using up these sample pieces, we are making a dent in that stash but it continues to yield what we need, with leftovers, certainly this has proved to be a "loaves and fishes" donation!  Working on quilt tops of that dimension with only twenty four pieces is the exact opposite of my current WIP*. As I plug away on "Mountain Day" (Twelve pieces in each six inch block) I have discovered this to be the perfect Leader-Ender project as I stitch on other projects, with deadlines, that rank a bit higher on the priority list.

"Mountain Day" (currently measuring 60" X 60", to be 60" X 84" at completion)
Right now, at this stage, there are twelve hundred pieces in the top.

Twelve is the word of the day, which reminds me of a cute story that I heard from a friend: she was buying eggs in the grocery store and had opened the carton to wiggle each one as a way of determining if any were cracked and stuck to the bottom of the carton. She noticed a young boy quietly watching her as she fingered each egg in it's little individual compartment; when she paused and looked up at him in acknowledgement, he said: "there are twelve" she smiled, and he added: "in each box!"

Life is Good!

*WIP- Work In Progress

Who's Been In My Studio?

I sat down to stitch together my blocks-of-the-month on Tuesday morning and after only a few seconds I realized that something was terribly wrong... my stitched seam was looped so loosely that it was easily pulled out with one finger. I was puzzled, momentarily, and then I remembered. Sweet little Lucy Ann had been "sewing" at Nana's machine last week. (The top tension had been dialed down to "0".) She loves to get out my "ribbon" (embroidery thread) and line them up (only the pink and  purple cones). I gave her a pair of children's scissors and she did some "trimming" for me too; I'm still vacuuming up thread snippets. I have high hopes for Lucy Ann sitting and sewing  for real. Right now I couldn't be happier that she likes to "pretend sew". At three years old I want her to have fun and enjoy playing with all of the equipment, that time will come, all too soon, when we will actually turn the machine on. Right now I just have to remember to check the dials and settings before I start. I've taught children basic sewing skills over the years and I always feel like I have accomplished a LOT when they use the proper names and stop referring to thread as "string" and a needle as " a pin"; my own granddaughter is the only one who's ever called thread "ribbon"! I may just have my work cut out for me this time, she'll keep Nana on her toes!

Life is Good!

Snow Day!

It was forecast to be a "big one"; we don't get a lot of those here in North Carolina but when the word comes down, we know what it takes to prepare for heavy snow. We had the necessary bread and milk and waited, eagerly, for Wednesday's snow to arrive. I answered the phone around 9 that morning to hear my daughter report that they were calling for an even-worse-than-snow event in the Capital City: ice; warnings were issued to prepare for long-term power outages. She decided to pack up the children and the dog and make a run for it... back home; they arrived around noon and the snow began shortly thereafter.

It snowed, and sleeted, and snowed again, until 4:00 PM on Thursday. We ended up with about a foot of snow when it was all said and done. Luckily, we never experienced any power outages... only this picture postcard scenery. We don't take this weather for granted here, we know it will all too soon be a memory.

Gregory and Lynnleigh joined their cousins at Nana and PawPaw's late Thursday afternoon for some excellent sledding and an impromptu pot-luck supper together. There's nothing quite like reliving the magic of snow through the happy eyes and ecstatic shrieks of children at play on sleds; they had a blast... and so did we!

Life is Good!

Friends

These are my daughter-in-law's pre-K students, she refers to them as her little friends. Here they are, proudly wrapped up in their very own nap blankets made for them by my friends! Some friends are stitching friends, they're from the Miss Bee Haven group: they stood in my studio and cut, sat at machines and sewed, or drove to my house and delivered finished blankets. Some local friends, and others from TN and OH (you know who you are!) donated fabric to this cause; these happy faces are everyone's reward! Friends helping friends, blessings all around, thank you!

Life is Good!

Fabric donations and fabulous stitching friends actually supplied three classrooms, only one is pictured here.

The Best Part

What's the best part of being a mature adult with grown children who now have families of their own and live elsewhere? Eating this for dinner on a Sunday evening! They'll never know...

Life is Good!

Memory Making

A curious little boy, a rainy morning and a
children's science museum...
a winning combination.

Life is Good!

Her First Quilt!

This is my neighbor, she wanted to make a quilt. She had lots and lots of worn-out blue jeans at her disposal. I loaned her a rotary cutter and a mat (after a quick safety lesson) a few months ago. She dropped by for show and tell yesterday afternoon! She's nine years old and sleeps under this warm and wonderful work of art every night. She's talking about making herself a matching pillow sham. Something tells me that her first quilt won't be her last.

Life is Good!