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)
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)
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. 
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) 
Easter, 1956, back in Chillicothe, Illinois. I love this picture of our little kids - how happy can you be. Their beautiful smiles are so awesome - almost like they are laughing out loud. Maybe Mom or Dad said something funny.
Here they all ready to go to church and Sunday School in their Easter outfits. Over on Pieces of the Past there are two more pictures with their Easter bunnies along with the first one where their smiles are so big. It's another photo that needs to be in both blogs. I am so amazed that these lovely memories are fifty-four years ago. 
This morning I am posting a picture of what three lovely young girls wore on Easter Sunday in 1993. Molly Rose is looking just darling in her pretty blue and white print dress that buttons down the front. She wears a gold chain and a pretty white headband. Big sister Norah Lee looks lovely in her darker blue print dress with a gold chain as an accent, also. Standing in front is Hannah Alice looking cute as a button in a red dress with big white polka dots and it appears that she is wearing a white necklace, also. Topping her outfit is a big white hat with a turned back brim. A very pretty threesome, these granddaughters of mine. (Click to enlarge)
