The first block is done and
four more of the little hats are embroidered and ready to be made into blocks. After they're together I will do some decorative stitching (by machine I am thinking) and add some lace and buttons and maybe some ribbon and beads. I love the pretty, pastel colors. Will see how this turns out. (Click to enlarge)
I am so happy to have the ac running again - the power has been off for probably 8 hours or more and just came back on a little while ago. The house stayed pretty cool and while it was light it's not so bad. However, when darkness falls - there is absolutely nothing you can do. I had to run to Walgreen's and get some batteries for a flashlight - the pretty smelling candles were just too much. 
I am quilting my posie quilt now - it's about half done. Not adding a border, just binding it in a little dotted fabric that I am using as the background. I think this will hang in my dining area. Should finish quilting it today or tomorrow. (Click to enlarge)
This is one of my favorite books of all time that I have in my collection. It is from 1981 and I still adore the beautiful string piecing and embellishment done on the clothing .
I had almost forgotten about this book until I started looking at references for crazy quilting and there it was tucked in with those.
Aren't these just as sweet as can be?
More cute illustrations.
The little girl in the picture is Valori Wells, Jean's daughter, who is well known in the quilting world today, also.
Another UFO that belongs to me!! I did this in the early 80's and never finished it. It is almost finished! Needed the lace (which is hanging there), embellishment, hemming and a closure for the yoke. The fabric is the wonderful velour we could get back then that washed like a dream. I loved that stuff.
The back of the yoke. Cannot imagine why I never finished it - but it is still in pristine condition. Maybe I will - or maybe Sher or one of the girls will. What have you got tucked away? (Click to enlarge)
Some time ago - maybe a year - I found these very sweet little girl at Vicki's great blog http://tozzscorner.blogspot.com/ and I downloaded them. Earlier this summer, I got them out and traced five of them on some cream Kona cotton for embroidering. I had also sent away for some different embroidery thread and ordered this pretty variegated floss which I decided to use for the little hat girls.
A little while ago I was searching through my fabric and found this absolutely perfect paisley to go with the stitcheries. Vicki had done hers in kind of a crazy quilt layout and I think that is what I will do. It will be a small piece but I think it will be a nice one. I will do five altogether - in the hoop is the fourth and hanging outside the hoop is the fifth. One that isn't shown is finished and on the back of one of the pieces of fabric. I inadvertently traced it on the wrong side. They go quickly. Thanks, Vicki, for the darling patterns. Will post progress on this neat little project. (Click to enlarge)
This is a pretty, simple flower alphabet that is meant for embroidery. Unfortunately, it is only the first half - but, if the letters you need are there, you may want to save it. I think you could also turn some of them into ones that are missing - turn the B into a P, the D into an O, etc. Just a thought.
You might like to right click and save as to put it in your files. When I was a kid, my dad used to go "uptown" to Chillicothe and bring back the Chicago Trib on Sunday. I adored the funny papers and especially when they had a Brenda Starr (or other) paper doll. I am going to do some surfing and find some of the old comic strips from back then. One that I think of is Katzenjammer Kids - Hans and Fritz. (Click to enlarge)
My little teacups wallhanging is actually all quilted now with most of the buttons sewn on the sashing squares and ready to be trimmed and binded. Probably will get it ready for binding today. (Click to enlarge)
My friend, Julie, http://justtickety-boo.blogspot.com/, has taken classes from http://greenpaper.typepad.com/green/ and is making a "gluebook" entirely from paper. It looks like so much fun and she is doing a great job in putting her book together. She asked me earlier if she could use a picture of Ray and me in our square dancing outfits that I had posted on one of my blogs. Here is the page that she did - you might want to check out her blog and also the blog that is having the class and look at all the cool things. She and I will be continuing to do a monthly exchange and it will be vintage tags to be put on a ring for a book. Julie has already done one and has it posted - it is gorgeous. I have my work cut out for me - think this will be lots of fun.
More of the old embroidery patterns I found in the box of items I purchased at an auction west of Chillicothe in the 1980's. The baskets are so pretty and can be done either multi-colored or as redwork in any color. Enjoy! (Click to enlarge then right click and save as)
Earlier in the month, I sent an order to Hancocks of Paducah and ordered some - what else? - fabric including these three charm packs. They are all really pretty, but I just love the Bliss and hope to get some more of that line. Not sure what I will do with them, but charm packs are enough to make tote bags or tablerunners or small wall hangings. Moda fabrics are my favorite!
Then I have been doing some embroideries of flapper age girls in hats. Found some drawings on line and hopefully can turn them into a cute wallhanging.
This one is almost finished. I plan to do two or three more to go with these two pretty little gals. I also bought myself a birthday present in the form of a lightbox which I really love. It is so much easier tracing patterns with the box. 
Featured this morning on Fashion Friday is my husband's mother, Clemie, when she was a young girl. It seems that she has been for an outing in the country and is posing on an old fallen tree limb that looks as if it is near a wire fence. She wears a dark jacket that has a large button and it is worn over a pretty white blouse. For her walk in the country she is wearing trousers and high button shoes and carries her hat in her hand. (Click to enlarge)
I was lamenting the fact that I did not have one of our entire family on my Sony and, lo and behold, here is one taken by a girlfriend of Molly's and it is good of all. Norah and Chad, my daughter, Sherry, daughter-in-law Ann and my son Bill, Molly in front, Doug, Hannah, Barclay, my son-in-law and the old hag. Fine picture of us. And just a little item of interest or maybe not - I had my first pedicure with all the rest of the girls and it was pretty darned nice! Only took almost 82 years old to get one!
On Saturday, I acquired a second new grandson when Molly and Doug were married in Portland, Oregon, at a beautiful wedding held at the Cheatham Hall in the World Forestry Center. A good time was had by everyone attending the ceremony and the reception was under the huge tent outside where little white lights twinkled when darkness fell. There was a band that Doug's uncle and his cousin had and they were really good. Doug is from a large family and probably the lion's share of the guests were family. Quite a few little ones there plus his three young nephews were in the wedding party. Henry and Dawson were ring bearers and candle lighters and the older boy was an usher. Doug's sister officiated at the ceremony. You can see Christine, his sister, in the picture below when you enlarge it along with two of her boys that were in the party, her husband to the right, and Doug's brother to the left.
Here is the beautiful bride, Molly, with her maid and matron of honor, Hannah and Norah. Gosh, I adore these three girls! Molly just glowed. And her dress was just so beautiful - a heavy lace and I don't know what it is called. Maybe someone can tell me. The little one did the hair. Weather in Portland turned hot about Wednesday and the wedding was Saturday and still hot. However, they have very low humidity so that makes such a difference. All in all, what a fun time we all had. I have been draggy today but will bounce back to being a little less draggy, my usual condition.
Molly and Doug! Next Saturday, August 14, they will be married in Portland, OR, and we will all be there. Those of us here will leave in the morning and the rest of the family will leave on Wednesday from Chicago and from Kansas City. We are all ready to celebrate this wonderful occasion and to welcome Doug into our family - as Molly will be welcomed into his. You can be sure I will have a couple of pictures to post when I return.
How do you like my luggage tag? Before I got this from a friend of mine who is in quilt guild, I relied on the hot pink yarn doodad that I tied on the handle. Thanks, Stephanie, I love it! Now, between the two pieces, you can spot my suitcase as soon as it gets on the turntable.
Just about packed! See you next week. 
Thought you might to see what the little girl in the foregoing post looks like today - her Uncle Bill just sent me a picture taken this afternoon with his I Phone of Norah all ready to go to the wedding of her husband's younger sister in Kansas City. She looks stunning in her lovely black strapless knee length dress and very cute strappy heels. Her dress is accented with a beautiful necklace and I'll bet there are some earrings someplace under her pretty, long dark hair. She still has those sparkly dark eyes and pretty smile! (Click to enlarge)
This beautiful bloom is on a plant that sprouted from a seed right in the corner of the patio against the house. Whether it was last year or the year before that I had this plant I can't remember for sure. It was in one of my containers and evidently dropped one of it's seeds and the seed decided to grow this year. The plant is prettier than the one that was in the container. I thought it was a weed at first but just let it grow and am so glad I did. Don't know the name of it but it is a big blossom and the leaves are soft and fuzzy.
Here is a picture of how my mandevilla is doing now. Tons of buds on it and it is growing so tall. 
Another "free" flower. Portulaca from a hanging basket dropped a seed into a crack on the patio (or the rain washed it there) and now there is a pretty little plant growing from the crack. I am sure if you would try to get one to grow there on purpose, it would never happen. I don't have the heart to pull it! (Click to enlarge)
