A Bummer

I'm pouting again! Today when I was over to the Carriage House for the setting up of our quilt show that starts tomorrow, I took over one hundred pictures. My camera usually takes wonderful shots. When I transferred them to my computer, I was so disappointed! Most of them were fuzzy and not pretty at all.

I did come up with some good ones - maybe thirty or so. However, something was out of whack. I actually think it may have been the battery and I had another one in my purse but it still showed on the screen that there was still power in it. It took a while for the shutter to snap some of the time so maybe that was it. However, here is a little representation of what went on today. Above, the room all ready for the quilts.

As the quilts were checked in, they were put in the appropriate piles on the floor awaiting the keen eyes and flawless placement by Janna, who has been directing the hanging of the quilts ever since we have had our shows. Janna has a knack for putting things together in such a pleasing way!

As she looked through the quilts, they were taken to the area where they would hang. This looks jumbled, but no quilts were harmed in this step!

Another very important area is our bazaar! Tons of great stuff - the girls made things to sell, brought books, magazines and FABRIC. Here is Amanda, our youngest member and a sweetie, going through the fabric bundles and getting like priced bags together. She had a buddy helping her, too, and I am so sorry I can't remember her name. Don't forget I am old!!

Now, girls, since I am not going to be at the show this weekend, please take your cameras and take more pictures if you would. Somehow we can get them on my computer so we will have a better record than what I ended up with. It's better than nothing, but there are so many beautiful quilts there. I am hoping my camera works better for the weekend with my family! (Click to enlarge)

All Done with "Wild Flowers"

It's all quilted and bound now and will be in the quilt show this weekend. I need to spritz it with water where I marked some of the quilting lines with the blue pen. Decided "Wild Flowers" was a good name for it. Today I printed out four labels for quilts going to our show and will sew them on this evening. Usually I like to do some cute ones but these are pretty plain. They get the job done, however. I plan to be spending all day helping out setting up our show then take pictures for the quilt blog. We always have such pretty quilts - a good group of quilters. (Click to enlarge)

From a Plastic Bin in the Basement

In the basement again this past weekend and got out a big old plastic bin that contains unfinished projects--it's been a long, long time since I checked it out. This top was in there. It is one that I worked on at one of the first retreats I after I joined our guild. I actually had all this fabric in my stash and I do just love all the old prints. Wish I had more of them. Wouldn't it make a great hexagon quilt? I even have a backing pieced for this and I will have it quilted by one of the gals in our guild who has a long arm. It's not a full bed size - but would make a cozy couch quilt.

Next up--two pillow tops.

These are the same fabrics as the quilt on my bed. I did these a long time ago and that is some of my first machine quilting. It is not very good, but I did it in invisible thread so doesn't look too bad. Now, why don't I finish those. It would be so easy. I will leave them where I can see them and maybe get that done as they would look pretty on the bed.

And yet another quilt about the size of the first one. I had lots of fabric that looked mottled and pastel so did this one. I started machine quilting it but it was a hassle. However, there is too much done to rip out so maybe I will try and work on it more now that I am more comfortable doing it. Yet another one! This time a watercolor. Started handquilting this one and that is definitely not going to be finished by hand quilting. So I could machine quilt this little thing quite easily now and may just do that. I found a couple of other smaller ufo's which I will post later. One day I will get into the chest in the bedroom where I have two very large, very old quilts that are handquilted and unfinished. OMG, shame on me! Tell me I'm not the only one with these things squirreled away! (Click to enlarge)

A Tisket A Tasket

This little quilt is now all quilted, bound and only lacking a few buttons for the embellishments. It is ready for our guild's quilt show next weekend.

Here is the back--decided to piece it and I think that worked out just fine. I had a lot of the charm squares left and cut more to make enough.

I am happy with the way the quilting went.

The girl that designed this block of the month has another one going. So far, I am just saving the patterns which are for snowmen. The blocks are sweet and quite simple so I might do them later on. (Click to enlarge)

Fashion Friday

This was taken in 1976 on the occasion of my 30th high school reunion in Chillicothe, Illinois.
Ray and I were dressed up to go to the banquet on Saturday night. Ray is looking handsome in his light colored leisure suit and dark printed shirt. He had quite a few leisure suits and wore them to work all the time. I am dressed in a green and white knit long skirted dress with a great white necklace and earrings. Still have those! And look how close to God I was with my high hair. I think I mentioned the saying that was on an old picture stating "The higher the hair, the closer to God". I think I qualify for that quote. This would have been taken about the time I first got into quilting. Long, long ago.

Some Odds and Ends

Q2, our guild, is having it's annual show weekend after this and this year one of the features will be a blind auction. I will be donating this wallhanging for the auction. I don't think I have posted a picture of it so here it is. This is actually the second one I did like this and I'm sure most of you will recognize that it came from a book that was out a few years ago and which I can't remember who wrote it. Lovely book, though, and a fun quilt to do. This is all oriental prints which I love.

We also have a bazaar which is absolutely widely popular with our attendees. It has really done a lot to augment our bank account. Magazines, books and fabric are very well received. I spent a lot of the weekend in the basement going through my stash and bagging up some of it. Of course, I didn't make too much of a dent in what I have but at least will get some of it to a new home. If I have to use up all my fabric before I leave this earth, I should make it to at least 150!

I have also been finishing up two wallhangings that I started last year and will have in the show. When they are done, I will post their pictures. I am sewing the little button embellishments on Tisket A Tasket and finishing the quilting on the one with the bright appliqued flowers.

And isn't this absolutely gorgeous? The colors are electric and I love the oranges, pinks, hot pinks - sooooo pretty. I had a call from the local florist Monday morning saying they had a delivery for me and would I be home. I would be home - but it wasn't my birthday - no holiday - who would be sending me flowers? When they came they were from Bill and Ann, my son and his wife, with love for Mother's Day a little early. I called to let them know how gorgeous they were, but no one was home. Later, Bill called me. The reason they sent them early was they were close to being able to get free airline tickets and decided they would send the flowers to qualify for their tickets. I love it! And I love them, too. Took pictures of the bouquet and sent them one so they could see how pretty they are. Now you can enjoy seeing them, too.

(Click to enlarge)

A Postcard

A couple of days ago, I added my blog's name to a list on Beth's blog http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/ and didn't realize actually what the list was for. Actually if you signed up, you should post a postcard on your own blog which I didn't do. So, Beth, I am posting this cute little old card that was actually sent to my husband by his Aunt Ella way back in 1929 when he was three years old. Aunt Ella was a very prim and proper looking lady and she had a special way to do her makeup - but first you younger girls should know that rouge (or blush as it's called now) came in small compact like cases with a little round flat puff. Aunt Ella would take the little puff and rub it on the rouge then round and round on each cheek in a circle the size of a silver dollar or a little larger. I don't think anyone would have ever been able to tell her she should tone it down, even her two daughters who were very classy.

So if I sign up for anymore lists, I will know what to do. And, Beth, I enjoy your blog and love the name of it!

Some of My Projects

This wallhanging has been hanging on the wall on the basement since last summer or fall and I finally put the quilt sandwich together and have been quilting on it. I feel so much more comfortable with my machine quilting now and wish I had worked harder at it ten years ago or more. However, better late than never. The setting triangles will be quilted as the one shown above and I still have to figure out what I will do for the 3 inch border which I feel should be some sort of straight lines, also.

Don't know if I will be able to do this one or not. Want to make a cross stitch sampler and this is 28 to the inch linen which is done by working over two threads making it 14. Well, I guess my eyes aren't quite as good as they used to be as I see when it is enlarged that there are some pretty obvious goofs. I may order some fabric that is not quite as irregular as linen even though linen is so beautiful. I have always loved samplers and ordered a pattern, fabric and floss from a place on the web. They certainly filled the order quickly.

And, my granny squares are done. I ended up putting two rows of the white around each one which I like a lot. I have started putting them together, then will put a row of dc all around the entire afghan and maybe a picot in the center dc of each set.

So I am getting a few projects finished and almost finished. (Click to enlarge)

Fashion Friday

Here is Nan, my mom, modeling what to wear when you are sitting before a bed of beautiful iris most likely in Glen Oak Park, one of the Pearces' favorite places to spend leisure time on weekends. She is clad in a simple dark suit and white blouse with a frilly collar but sans the usual stylish hat she most always wore when all dolled up. This is another photo that I think is very pretty of my mom. (Click to enlarge)

An Awesome Old Quilt

Tuesday evening was our monthly quilt guild meeting and our program was given by a very nice woman, Krista, from Rosebush, Michigan, on Women of the Civil War and their quilts. She brought with her many quilts as examples of what women were making back then and examples of other old quilts that were of a later date.


This quilt was my favorite of those shown. What great butterflies - pieced - and so many delightful fabrics used. The pretty gal on the right holding the quilt is Jewels of http://justtickety-boo.blogspot.com/ If you should want to check out more of the quilts she brought, click on the little duck on the sidebar and it will take you to our guild blog, Pass the Tiara.

I took some closeups of the quilt and thought you might enjoy seeing them.

The border is a little out of the ordinary - it looks patriotic and is ruffled.

One more picture of the butterflies. Charming! (Click to enlarge)

The Cake is Gone

The last two weekends, I have baked cakes from scratch. I usually don't make that many in two years or more. I made a red velvet cake for dessert for Easter dinner. That cake has been a tradition in our family at birthdays and special gatherings for forty or so years and everyone loves it. Then this Sunday I went over to my daughter's to have dinner with her and Barc who just turned 61! Last year on his 60th, we were all together in Portland to celebate but this was a much quieter year. I told Sher I would make a cake - and I made a chocolate sheet cake which I hadn't made in a long, long time. It's a great recipe - sometimes called Texas sheetcake and probably many other names for it. By the time you get the frosting on it, we're talking three sticks of butter in the entire recipe. Of course, it's a great tasting cake!!!! Anything with that much butter is yummy!

There being only three of us for that cake, I brought a sizable chunk home in my pan (Sher got out of washing it that way!) and I was going to freeze it. Did I? No. And, I am ashamed to say, I just finished eating it so now it is no longer drawing me to the kitchen to cut off a little piece. Do you suppose if you just cut off a little piece about an inch by three inches that reduces the calories a lot? Only if you only do that maybe twice a day. And last week I had some of the red cake which seemed to evaporate also.
I do console myself that I am getting so old that I should eat pretty much what I want (not go overboard, though!) and not be on a perpetual diet. Food does taste different as you age, but what tastes good tastes really good - like cake! It's the same with housework anymore, I have become so good at not worrying about things being dustfree and shiny. What is important is to feel good for which I thank the good Lord and to enjoy life, my family, and the things I do.

In case you would like to try this cake, I just scanned the recipe from the cookbook I made in '96.

You will need to (click to enlarge) the recipe to read it. I should have put it in larger. There is one thing I want to add and that is the size of the pan. I use what I think is called a jelly roll plan which is quite large and has a raised side all around. I think it would be great to use the large cake pan - 10 x 13 or whatever size that is and bake it longer. Don't use just a regular cookie sheet like I have mentioned in the recipe. Or you can always look it up on the internet and see what they say. Isn't the internet wonderful for recipes?

Storybook Challenge Ready to Go

All quilted, bound and ready to go to the quilt show. Guild meets this coming Tuesday evening and all the challenge quilts and round robins will be revealed. Always lots of fun - we have such talented quilters in our group.

A little closeup of part of the piece. The colors don't appear as rich as they really are actually. It was fun to do this little thing. (Click to enlarge)

Fashion Friday

I almost did it again - forgot that it was Friday. OMG, a week flies by so quickly anymore - I cannot believe it. These two ladies are not all dressed up like the ladies that came before us, but we don't look too bad. I am with my sister, Jo, who has come over to Ft. Madison from Chillicothe to visit on a Sunday. Both of us are dressed in pants and blouses with nothing outstanding about our attire. About the time we moved our family away from the home town, Jo had started losing weight. I hadn't seen her for quite a while (back then it seemed like there was such a long distance between the towns and now it's nothing) and when I did, I could hardly believe how different and how wonderful she looked. She never did gain her weight back and was always a classy looking lady. I miss her - she left us way too early. You can see the hill in our back yard with the inevitable clothesline and our cinderblock fireplace. We used to do a lot of burning - everyone did. The little fellow coming up the hill is Bill, our son. Must have been a warm day in the spring judging from the fact that there weren't many leaves to be seen on the trees across the creek. (Click to enlarge)

My Library Grows

More applique books - and two more on the way. When you can get such good prices and free shipping it's so nice to add books that have caught your eye. I know I have told you that I order from http://www.connectingthreads.com/ a lot and have been for years. There is free shipping on orders over $50 and they have great prices. Plus, you can look at pages inside the books and that often reverses your decision that you want to buy that particular book. Of course, it also can really make you want it more. I also order batting from them when they have it on sale. I have done a little ordering at Amazon and have two books coming from them.

Then there are my books of my blogs. I am so happy with them and, so far, this is what I have. Funoldhag has been ordered in three parts - from the start in May of 2008 until the end of the year. Then I ordered the first six months of 2009 and the last six months of 2009. Pieces of the Past was started sometime in the middle of 2009 so I have that until the end of December. From now on as long as I am blogging, I will order each of them every six months. Someday, if my family wishes, they can have more copies made for anyone who would like to have them. Doing a blog takes time, but it is time that is thoroughly enjoyable and I am so glad I started.

Now I had better go get things for my depleted larder - that is not any fun at all!! I'd rather be blogging or quilting. (Click to enlarge)

From my Needlepoint Days

In one of the big plastic storage boxes in the basement, I found a big box which contained many skeins of needlepoint yarn. I was not too neat with my floss and yarn then and and have not mended my ways. This project as from 1979. I was totally into needlepoint and made many, many pillows pictures, vests, etc. Quilting was new to me at that time and had not taken over my life yet.

This picture was in an issue of McCall's Needleworks and Crafts Fall 1979 issue. I was fascinated by all the flowers, trees and really great house. It actually is done in embroidery and not needlepoint, but I figured I could adapt it. I don't remember how I got the markings on the canvas - whether I did it or had my son draw a picture and then I traced it on the canvas. Regardless, you just needed the shape and form of the objects since the stitches would give the dimension and texture.

In this picture you can see how I was laying the garden in. Earlier in my blog, I posted a picture of a needlepoint similar to this that I had done in the same manner. However, this one is a lot more ambitious than the earlier one.

This little bunch of flowers looks kind of neat, I think. I really loved doing this and don't know why I set it aside. Probably the quilting was taking over.

Two more little unfinished flower clusters. The top one is part of a path in the picture.

Evergreen trees by the porch - there were going to be more of those. Even more flowers and a climbing rose.

I had already signed it.

The birdbath in front of a wall covered with vining flowers.

I really like the hollyhocks - the whole picture would have been quite pretty if it had been finished. Just thought you might enjoy seeing one of my UFO's. I don't think I am the only one who has projects tucked away unfinished - seems to be a common thing for people who love to create things. One day other folks will be thrilled to find all the old things hidden away. (Click to enlarge)