A Fun Saturday

Before I start this post, I wanted to tell you that my phone rang about 8:00 this morning and I heard "Grandma?"  It was Hannah calling from Mozambique - what a wonderful start to my day!  She is sounding just absolutely enthusiastic, happy and is really settling in to her home away from home.  There will be a post sometime today so, if you are following her blog, check later.  I am anxious to read more from her.

Now for this picture that I have posted.  Yesterday I went with Stepanie, Kathy and Linda to Decker, Michigan, which is out on the thumb of the state to attend a seminar and trunk show that was by Edyta Sitar, a young  up and coming quilter who actually lives in Marshall, Michigan, which is in the southern part of the state.  The drive there early in the morning was rather hairy since we had had snow through the night and the roads weren't clear.  Stephanie did a great job getting us there and we arrived safe and sound. Edyta is a young woman is and her work is absolutely wonderful - her quilts are gorgeous and she has the cutest accent (Polish).  It was a joy listening to her and seeing her work.  Pictures cannot capture the actual beauty of her quilts. 

She was featured in this month's issue of American Patchwork and Quilting which features this very nice photo of her being a "fabric" angel.   I am so glad that our guild is fortunate to have booked her next  fall to teach a class.  You can certainly count me in!  If you ever get a chance to go to see her or take a class, I urge you to take advantage of it,  you will most certainly be glad you did.  And in addition to the good time listening to Edyta and looking at her beautiful work, the coffee cake, rolls and coffee beforehand were yummy and the luncheon was double yummy.  It was served by the women of the church and they have some mighty good cooks there.

You can't take a road trip and not stop at a quilt shop or two along the way.  I think that is actually against the rules of quilters.  We stopped at one in Marlette and one in Frankenmuth.  In Frankenmuth, I bought this book of Christmas redwork patterns.   One more stop was made to Miles of Stitches in Hemlock and we got there in the nick of time as they were closing.  Stephanie needed some wide backing for a quilt and she was able to get what she wanted so that was a good thing.

All in all, including three very fun companions and a beautiful snowfall most of the way home (which wasn't sticking on the highway) it added up to a very nice day.  (Click to enlarge)

Fashion Friday

This morning our models are the Moss sisters, Jane, Ann and Martha, along with their friend, Lana, who were in the Chillicothe Kiwanis Kids Day Parade on a Saturday morning in October of 1961.  Lana, Jane, and Ann were the three blind mice, and little Martha was the Farmer's Wife.

What a happy time for the girls.  I think it is pretty safe to say that their mom, Ruby, was probably the one who put together the costumes.   The mice all wear mice suits and big glasses with placards around their neck for identification.  Martha is wearing a pretty little plaid dress, apron and white bonnet.  They won first in Group Costumes.  Good job, girls.  (Click to enlarge)

Little Quilt

For the last couple of days, I have been working on a little quilt that I will give as a gift.  I found the idea at the Moda Bake Shop.  This uses charm squares and I had quite a few of those, plus parts of a layer cake (10 inch squares) which I cut up.  Lots of these fabrics are in my little Tisket a Tasket wallhanging that I did last year.  The polka dot yardage was something I had already along with the batting.  So, this little piece was made without a single trip to a quilt shop.  I do believe there are many more little quilts that could be made  from what is down in the basement.

The colors are lush and springy. I have it already to be bound and will take it to our sew day tomorrow to handstitch the binding to the back.  Machine quilted with stippling and wavy stitch lines in the borders.  (Click to enlarge)

Kaleidoscopes

Oh, so pretty!  My kaleidoscope program is amazing and comes up with some awesome kaleidoscopes.  I am posting four that I just did and all from the same little block which is the January block of my Tisket a Tasket wallhanging I did last year. 

Just by moving the box around you come up with such wonderful variations.  There are dozens of shapes that you can use.

This one takes in one of the sashings that I used.

Isn't this a sweet one?  I could play for hours with this software but I had better get my old self busy and attempt to get something done.  How could a person ever be bored?  (Click to enlarge these beauties!)

Wave Totebag

On Thursday of last week, I took the class for making a wave bag or totebag.  As noted in an earlier post, I left my homework until the last day and it took quite a bit of time but I did finally get most of it done.  I really do like the bag, shown above not finished yet, but I must say it was not a very relaxing project to make.   With all the bias binding, there is a lot of hand sewing.  The top of the bag was just handsewn in the sections that needed to be seamed together.  Should not take too long to finish that part.  This morning I put the bottom in the bag and that was a wrestling match.  It's in and the bias is sewn around and now needs to be handstitched down.  The handles will be a breeze.  I also have in mind to make some yoyo flowers or other fabric 3d flowers and leaves with maybe some covered buttons for centers to spice this up.  The great thing about this pattern is that there are four nice big pockets formed when you put the two identical bags one inside the other and stitch down the middle of the front and also the back.  Lots of room.  I have been  athinkin' about how to do away with the bottom hassle and figure that by making it four or five inches longer and then doing the sewing across the ends bit to make a flat bottom it would be so much easier.  I probably will give that a try since this looks like it might make a good totebag for a new mommy maybe in some Dr. Seuss fabric!  What do you think?  (Click to enlarge)

Fashion Friday

What is more fun than to find a princess outfit at a garage sale your grandparents' neighbor is having?  That is just what happened to Hannah when we went "shopping" next door.  She models her wonderful purchase here along with a tiara and star wand that Grandma found at the Dollar Store (the most enchanting store in the universe - Hannah's favorite destination).  The outfit is a lovely pink with a wonderful tulle overskirt.  As we sat on our front stoop the afternoon this photo was taken, Hannah looked up and said, "Grandma, won't people be surprised to see a princess sitting here?"  I am sure they were enchanted!  (Click to enlarge)

Waited til the Last Minute

I am getting so good at waiting until the last minute to work on things.  Tomorrow is a class to make a totebag and there is the homework of making two quilted pieces for the body of the bag.  I should have done that before but here I am working on it today.  I think I'll make it!  Better get back to the basement and press the second part I pieced and then get to quilting them.  Also have to round up all the stuff to take with me.  And my spacebar is sticking!  Woe is me!  Good thing is the sun is shining, the snow is melting, so it ain't all that bad!  And I actually kind of like the piece I am making - and am using fabric I had so didn't purchase any new.  Stay tuned. (Click to enlarge)