Happy Birthday Skinny Sister...

When the family was together for Thanksgiving, we celebrated a few birthdays.  Originally, I had planned to give Jeanne the red 3 button shawl, but Eva Kay fell in love with it.  Then I started a blue shawl for Jeanne, but she made repeated comments about a pink and brown Civil War Repro quilt I had recently finished so I thought maybe that would be a nice surprise.  So...

I think she liked it.  There were tears.

Happy Birthday Jeanne!

Quilt Away...

I had the chance to run away from reality again this month and go quilt with my Iowa friends {Theresa & Company}.  We met at Fern Hill, just out side of New Glarus, Wisconsin. 

Here is a little glimpse of what went on {mixed with intermittent hilarity, belly laughs and an occasional tear from laughter by Jackie}.

We arrived late Thursday afternoon, settled in, had a lovely dinner prepared mainly by Theresa {altho I was supposed to be helping}, and then sewed into the wee hours {2 am}. 

On Friday, my sister Jeanne and her BFF Angie came up for the day. Jeanne worked on some embroidery and crocheted 2 scarves.  She also kept the room entertained with her tales all slightly or possibly more than slightly embellished.  There is a stage for that woman somewhere!

Remember the art quilts Angie did for her girls?  Well, the boys quilts were quilted and ready for binding.  They are so cute and very special.

Here is the quilt Jackies worked on ALL weekend.  Dawn and Mary worked on one too.  It is beautiful, but it was a lot of work.

Mary also worked on this reproduction Gee's Bend quilt.  Isn't it neat?!

Diedre was working on this woolies flannel quilt with an applique circle center.  I love it! 

I worked on this quilt the first 2 days.  I painstakingly (according to Jackie) cut it out and pieced it.  I was having a problem focusing...okay???  Too much fun in the room!  These blocks are on a design wall in this picture, and didn't actually leave the premises sewn together.

I did finish this quilt top in about 4 hours.  Jackie convinced me to cut more than one fat quater at a time... so I  cut 5!  A total running with scissors move on my part I must say!  Fun quilt to make.  The patten is called Boxed Blessings.

There were many more quilts...I just didn't get pictures.  Theresa finished 2 quilts by noon on Friday!  I guess the camera didn't come out until later.  We had fun... I'd drop everything and do it again at a moments notice.

Just Must Say...

Happy Veterans Day!

Thank a veteran today... and everyday!

Binding Schminding...

I just finished binding this cute quilt I made for Lisa {Charlie's German friend} for Christmas. You saw the top when I finished it, but now it is complete... sans label.  Amy Butler brights and Mark Lipinski white = yummy! Once again, the photo doesn't do the quilt justice.

Here is a wallhanging I made a while back.  It is ready to have the binding hand sewn. 

I LOVE this quilt. It has been ready for binding for a LONG time.

Sewing on black binding is a MAJOR drag with my 40 something eyes.

True Confessions  The main part of this quilt is a big piece of cheater fabric with 2 nice borders added on. I love the quilting Juna did for me. Non-quilters will be none the wiser.

I have 6 more quilts in the Need Binding stack.

     Sew on,

Prince Charles...

My son Charlie has H1N1 and he missed the past week of school. The poor kid is worn-out and has beaten a path from his bed to the couch. He has recently shown signs of getting better. His fever has let up, and he is managing to eat a little.  And I am VERY thankful things are looking up.

We did see a smile out of him yesterday. Here is the background on that…

On October 8th, the husb, and I (both U of Iowa alumni) traveled to Iowa City, Iowa with Charlie for an arranged college visit. Oh, yeah... it was homecoming weekend and the Hawkeyes were playing Michigan… at night.

Charlie saw no reason to visit Iowa. He really had decided to stay in Indiana for college. Nonetheless, on Friday we attended an admissions overview, took a campus walking tour (the weather was beautiful), and toured a residence hall. By the end of the day, he had fallen in love with the place. Let’s face it… it’s in his blood.

On Saturday morning we got up, and true to Iowa weather, it began snowing. Yes people… it was October 10th.

By tailgate time it was dry, the sun was out, but it was chilly. And by the time the game started, it was 28 degrees! BRRRRR! But the game was fun - really fun and Iowa managed to beat Michigan and pull off a homecoming win.

Back to yesterday… Charlie received his acceptance letter from Iowa and a National Scholar Award.  Now that cheered him up and made his Hawkeye parents proud.

Welcome November...

So long October!

You went by so fast, I almost missed you!

Still we managed to have a little fun... didn't we?

And there were a few finished projects....

3 Button Shawl originally intended for skinny sister's b-day... until Eva Kay spotted it.

Cute little pumpkin hat for my niece Emerson.  Emphasis on little... my bro says it fit her like a yarmulke...any chance young Catholic girls will start wearing pumpkin skullcaps during prayer and religious study?

Luckily I also made her this cute poncho.  Now I just need to get it in the mail before the snow flies!

This very bright quilt is going off to the magnificent Juna for quilting.  I am also sending a t-shirt quilt for my nephew.  My skinny sister gave me the t-shirts 18 months ago - sew glad to get that project out of the sewing room! 

This is another stack of goodies I'm working on.  I put the top together, but decided I need 2 more blocks to finish it off. 

So Welcome November!  Only 7 more weeks until Christmas and we have a lot to do before then!