January 6th - Old Christmas!

I took some time this afternoon to cut some blue and tan blocks for a Veteran's Quilt Kit.  It will be nice to have something ready to sew on at Bee meetings, etc.

It is a real simple star design with sashing that I can add as I make the blocks.  I cut enough for 20 blocks that finish at 12" with sashing.  It will make a quilt that is 51" X 63''.
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My little hill of shirt fabrics is growing.  John's sister brought me 14 shirts last week.  I have most of them laundered and cut.  She was in Pittsburgh so finding orange shirts was relatively easy!

Got in just a little more sewing on my version of the Bonnie Hunter Mystery quilt.  I am a little over half way done and I have another row sewn and ready to be pressed.

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Christmas is put away  at our house for the most part. John took out the tree today. When I was a child, my family usually took our tree down on Old Christmas!  Of course we didn't put our tree up until the week before Christmas.  January 6 was John's Mom's birthday so we always had a reason to celebrate on Old Christmas while she was living. 

I have been sorting and filing 3 years worth of documents. I usually do this dreaded chore along with the other dreaded chore (TAXES)  each year but I have been pretty slack the past two years.  Time to bite the bullet!  I just have 6 months more to go. Yea!

It has been something to occupy our minds as we have been waiting to hear the results of John's biopsy last week. Looks like we will have to wait a little longer.  Hopefully no news is good news.

Mystery Quilt Progress - Step 8 - The Finish!

I got up fairly early yesterday so I could check out the reveal of the Orca Bay Mystery quilt at http://quiltville.blogspot.com/ .  I really love the design and managed to sew part of a row before I went to Chapel Hill with Connie, Sally and Cathy.  I used lots of spray starch to tame all the seams.

We had a great time shopping at the annual sale (I only bought 7yds.) at Thimble Pleasures and then ate a late lunch at the Weathervane over at Southern Seasons. ( Butternut Squash Soup and Chicken Salad  - It was a real treat.)

This morning I sewed a few more blocks and this was the result as I stuck them up on the wall.  Something looked a little off  - I have already sewn two black units wrong. RATS! Time for the seam ripper.  I thought about waiting to do it later but TA DA!

I got a little confused for awhile as I started making rows looking at the actual quilt - then as I looked at the diagram it took me awhile to realize she had her photo bottom side up.  Now I see!
 Even though it is on the wall crooked and I don't show the whole strip, I do have one double row finished.  I left my little year round sewing tree in the picture as it matches with the top being a little curved in the other direction.

No more sewing tonight - I plan to undecorate the big tree.  John took down the outside decorations while I was off gadding yesterday. 

Mystery Quilt Progress - Step 7

This afternoon I finished all the sewing for step 7 and all the dog ears have been trimmed.  They are ready for the last step.  I don't know if I will sew at all tomorrow. Connie, Cathy, Sally and I are going to the Annual New Years Day sale at Thimble Pleasures in Chapel Hill.  We leave here about noon to be in Chapel Hill at 1PM when the store opens.  They have 35% off all fabric! Yea!

Game Day Fun - Miniature Ping Pong and Catan

Thursday, we had lunch together and a few games before all the teens departed for other activities.

 

John and I went to see War Horse yesterday afternoon.  It was great.  I could do without the graphic war scenes but at least the language wasn't peppered with four letter words.  We had planned to eat at Outback in Smithfield but you would have thought we were in some big metropolis by the looks of the line at 6:45PM.  We went to the Hibachi instead.  John likes their buffet and I like their grill.  They also have quilt a sushi selection. 

That was our New Year celebration - we are enjoying the quiet at home tonight.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Jim

James O. Hodge  August 2010

My brother in law Jim went to live with his heavenly Father today. 

Jim loved his family, his farm and was a fan of the Atlanta Braves.  I don't think he missed very many of their televised games. He was respected as a successful businessman and dairy farmer.  Jim was firm in his beliefs and he treated everyone fairly. 

He loved to visit with whoever dropped by.

 

The whole family loved to come and spend time at Barb and Jim's farm.  The kids loved learning first-hand about dairy farming, haying, milking etc.

 I'm so glad that he and my sister were able to share over 51 years together. 

 What I loved most about Jim was that he treated everyone equally and no matter how he felt he always had a welcoming smile. 

A wonderful husband, father, grandfather -

you'll live on in our memories.

'

Patriotic Four Patch/ Small World

I made this quilt top at Connie's yesterday.  I found a plastic shoebox with 54 blocks already made so I only needed to add 2 more.  Now I have a top that measures 56 x 64" which will be great for a quilt to take to the Veteran's Hospital in Durham.  We had a great time and Connie fed us the most amazing baked spaghetti.

Even better she gave me some to take to John so I didn't have to cook.

The little stars are leftovers  from my Christmas Folk Art wall hanging shown here.

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There is lots of construction going on at the hospital.  Yesterday as John and I were leaving the hospital after his pre-tests, we got turned around and used the front entrance rather than way we entered.  Coming up that hall was an old friend and quilter that I hadn't seen in several years.  She works at the hospital and normally is in the MRI unit but had a class that morning.    It was so nice to see Pam. Gave me a warm fuzzy all day!

This morning, we were up before the crack of dawn as John had to be at the hospital at 5:45AM. After the procedure, when they called me to recovery - we had a pleasant surprise.  One of the nurses John had back in 2000 had seen his name and came back to visit with us.  Laura was so wonderful to him.  I remember she brought him an angel pin and put it on his hospital gown; she would pray with and for him when he needed it.  It was just so good to see her.  She had also called another of his nurses, Lanelle, that still works there. She was on vacation but we here from her every Christmas still. 

Then I saw another nurse I knew from 2000, Jeanne, she is also a member of the Raleigh guild.

They sent me to pick up the car and I saw another friend and quilter, Peggy L., who's husband was just getting checked in for a procedure.  Small small world!

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Tomorrow is game day with the grandkids! Then John's sister and BIL will stop in for the night on their way back to Florida.

Maybe, if I get up real early, I can sew the last nine Ohio Star blocks for the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt so I can be up to date for Friday.

Mystery Quilt Step 6 - Oops!

I can't believe that I actually have 25 blocks done considering all the Christmas festivities in the middle of it.  I do love the looks of them.  Hope I can follow through and finish them before Friday.  I actually need to finish before

Thursday as we are having a family game day. I think that's doable as I may get a few more done tonight.  Be sure to check out the details of the mystery quilt at http://quiltville.blogspot.com/

Tomorrow I'm sewing with Sally and Connie.  I'm taking my featherweight to sew with so I won't sew on these blocks.  (I did done all the sewing for this quilt on the Bernina).   Maybe I'll work on the disappearing nine patch. 

Oops!

This isn't the first one I have sewn wrong! Time for some more unsewing.

 Need to get out in the sewing room and get my things together for tomorrow. John has an early morning appt. in Raleigh (pre-tests for a procedure on Wed.)

Table of Grace - A week early

Our Church, Wendell United Methodist, serves a meal open to the public at no charge, on the last Monday of each month at 6PM.  We have a praise team that leads us in song and our pastor has a short devotion.  We are generally finished between 7:15 and 7:30.

Alta Ruth, Margie, Janice & Ella

We have been cooking meals for TOG for six years and we always have a good time together.  We never know how many people we'll have but it seems to work out.  We have never completely ran out of food and if we have extra we make plates and send it home with our guests. The Lord provides!

This month we made a Turkey Pasta Casserole with broccoli and carrots, peaches and cottage cheese, foccacia bread, and we had Christmas cookies for dessert.

Margie, Janice, Ella and I cook and Alta Ruth comes to help us serve beverages.  Pat Br., Henry, Aaron, Jackie and Wayne helped serve and clean up too.

We had a smaller group with the change of date and the busy-ness of the season.  But it was enjoyed just as much.