Garden Trellis

I started this top in early July.  It is from a book called Modern Bee by Lindsay Conner that I borrowed from our local library.  It had quilt a few quilts that I liked in it.

It was the end of July before I sewed on it again. I sewed quite a few quarter blocks at our July Bee.

lots of blocks to press

lots of blocks to trim

Last week I sewed the quarter  blocks together and then into rows.  This week I was determined to finish a couple of projects that just need a little more sewing. SO..........................

Now I have a finished 62 x 75" quilt top.  I think the name of the pattern in the book was Trellis Crossroads.

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In addition to trimming all those blocks  - I did lots of trimming on the overgrown azaleas on the north side of the house.  They are the tall Formosa variety - they were all white when we planted them years ago but somehow a few years back we have one pink one in the midst of them. I always think I will mark it when it is in blossom and take it out but I always forget so it's safe and I've gotten used to it,

 

It two cart loads of trimmings for each bush.  They look pretty skimpy now but in a couple of years they will be big and bushy again.

Nine patch Snowball - Reversible

This is a quilt I made in 2009.  One side is a nine patch and the other is what I call a nine patch snowball. I pieced it at the lake using a box of 3" squares that had been sitting around forever. 

It is surprising that 2 quilt tops can be made from a shoe box of fabric squares. 

I don't intentionally cut 3" squares anymore and was glad to finally use them up - they just don't work easily with other sizes.  

Now I just cut 3.5, 2.5 and 2" strips and squares from leftover fabrics.

This was quilted on my domestic sewing machine and is 75 by 90".  

Molly was over the other day and she was helping me go through some quilts that were stored in a closet.  I was looking for a quilt for one of my nieces and since she sews and has made a couple of quilts herself, she was glad to look at them.

She really liked this one. She will be spending the next four or five years in New York State at RPI doing graduate studies, so I figured it need  to go with her.

Another Birthday and Something Wild in My Flower garden

Something Wild in My Flower Garden  75 x 90"

I made this quilt in 1999.  It was one of the first quilts that I made using a pattern that I had drafted myself.  The border was adapted from one in a book by Jinny Beyers.  The name is reflective from the rattlesnake pattern idea.  It is machine quilted.  It won a blue ribbon and a special award for color at the Capitol Quilters show in 2000 and a Gold Needle award and white ribbon at the 2000 NC State Fair.

I gave it to Shelly who celebrated her 50th this year.

We celebrated a little early with a girl party. dinner at David's Noodle Bar then back to Tracey's for GiGi's cupcakes, as she was going to be in Bora Bora on the big day. (Pretty hard to take)

Grand Girls

 Had to add this one as Molly had already ditched us for another party!

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I need to get back to doing some sewing  - haven't sewed a stitch since I got home from NYS - except for a little sewing at the Saturday Bee.

Table of Grace - July and a Bonanza

Danny - always comes to help us at serving time. We made baked spaghetti, fruit salad, Italian bread and four different cakes.

Sue - welcoming the last of the line - which means we eat soon. 

The Bonanza

Last month, the church office called to ask me if we could use some ground beef for Table of Grace.

Our church also has a food pantry and sometimes receives food that has been declined by a restaurant or store usually because it wasn't what they ordered or more than they ordered.  The food pantry had no way of repackaging the meat safely so it came to us. 

Yes  - of course - I answered

We were given 140 pounds of ground beef - so we will be making all our menus with ground beef included in the main course until it is gone.

Again God is Good!

Good Birthday News

Before I left for New York, my friends Annie May and Joyce, took me out to lunch to celebrate my birthday and thank me for rides to doctor and hospital visits.  Annie drives around here in our little town but doesn't drive in Raleigh.  Annie and I are in Woman's Club together and in the same Sunday School Class. 

They also had marvelous news to share.

Joyce and Annie are sisters.  Last September while Joyce was here in the states visiting Annie she became ill and was diagnosed with cancer. She has just finished her treatments and has received notice that they were successful. 

 She will remain in the states for awhile longer to regain her strength before she returns home to Sierra Leonne.

God is Good!

Sister Time

Barb, our chauffeur of the day, with Joe Crow, (our great nephew makes decoys out of styrofoam packing material as a hobby - Barb adopted this one) riding shotgun.

Janet, picking our the doughnuts of the day at Wegmanns.

Loon Lake - Laf-a-Lot Restaurant

Spent a week and a half at my sister's in western NYS.  My sister Barb came out for a few days too.

We had a great time catching up, playing cards, relaxing and visiting some of our favorite restaurants,

Billie Shue's, the Sunrise Diner, the Laf-a-Lot and the Chat a While.  

Cute Joke

The Psychiatrist vs. The Bartender

Ever since I was a child, I've always had a fear of someone under my bed at night.

So I went to a shrink and told him: “I've got problems. Every time I go to bed I think there's somebody under it. I'm scared. I think I'm going crazy.”

“Just put yourself in my hands for one year, said the shrink. Come talk to me three times a week and we should be able to get rid of those fears.”

“How much do you charge?”

“Eighty dollars per visit,” replied the doctor.

“I'll sleep on it,” I said.

Six months later the doctor met me on the street. “Why didn't you come to see me about those fears you were having?” He asked.

“Well, Eighty bucks a visit, three times a week for a year, is $12,480.00. A bartender cured me for $10.00. I was so happy to have saved all that money that I went and bought me a new pickup truck.”

“Is that so?” With a bit of an attitude he said, “and how, may I ask, did a bartender cure you?”

“He told me to cut the legs off the bed. Ain't nobody under there now.”

It's always better to get a second opinion.

Shop Sample

This was a pattern that Joyce found on All People Quilt.  She picked out the fabric and helped cut it out.  I sewed it and she offered it as a class that I taught.

It was an excellent pattern to use to teach Y seams.

It was a very different pattern than I usually choose so it was also good for me to refresh my skills.  Sometimes it's good to stretch your horizons.

The pattern was easy to follow and went together nicely.

I really like the paisley border.  The quilt is quilt small. But a nice size for a wall hanging.