Lake Time/Daniel's 18th Birthday

The weather was predicted to be so warm we decided to go up to the lake on Saturday afternoon after I got home from our mini sewing bee. Cathy S. & I got quilte a lot accomplished and enjoyed lunch with Roberta and Connie in between their customers.  John had been up at the Hunting Camp with his brother, Al, and he got home shotly after I did.

We had breakfast out on the porch this morning (about 11AM) and then went out in the boat for awhile.  John fished for Crappie but they weren't biting.  He caught a nice bass and some small perch.  Later in the afternoon he threw out some stale crackers and the gulls were all over them.

Today is our grandson, Daniel's 18th birthday. We know he is having a great time celebrating with his cousin, Hannah in Philadelphia. Looking forward to summer when we can have a G&P party with all the cousins out on our porch up here.


Tommorw is Table of Grace at church.  We will be serving Chicken Casserole, Garden Peas, Fruit Salad and Chocolate Cookie Sheet Cake and Ice Cream.

Quilting Progress

Another 3 hours spent quilting and I have about 1/2 the quilt quilted.
I have been trying several similar weights of threads on top and in the bobbin. Today, I found another spool of Bottom Line by Superior Threads in a light cream color. It looks so much better than either of the threads I used.
I then switched back to using the same thread in a dark gold in the top. You have to use a smaller needle(70)when using Bottom Line in the top or it frays somewhat.
I also liked the looks of a cone of Essential Pro in "Meadow" that I ordered from Connecting Threads.

John and I went to see King's Speech this afternoon (it is as good as everyone says).  We were headed to Outback for dinner ( I wanted their lettuce wedge salad) but rather than drive across town we decided to stop at Lone Star in K'dale as they serve a similar salad.  One hour wait! Ditto for Chilis and Applebee's lot was full.  All you can eat buffet at Wang's Bistro in Zebulon  - yeh that's what we ended up with.

Back to Whistle Stop tomorrow - our regular bee meeting was cancelled as most of out members are at the Hampton Show - so we're having a mini get together there.

Six Hours of Quilting

Today I started quilting a large scrap quilt that I call "Pink Eye". I made the top late last fall after I saw one like it on a blog. I can't remember the name of it right now but will look it up for reference.

For the backing, I used an old quilt top that I started back in the 80's. (More about that at a later date).

Since I'm not overly thrilled with either, I'm using it to try and teach myself to do an allover feather design. After about six hours, I probably have a little less than 1/4 of the quilt quilted. The back is all on the bias. I added a border all around to make it large enough. The border seems a little wavy in a couple of places. I hope I don't get into too much trouble with tucks on the back.

I'll probably need a couple of Advil tonight.

Looking forward to quilting with friends at Whistle Stop tomorrow.

Quilt # 193 - from the Archives

No quilting going on around here this week. We have rearranged the sewing room and that leads to sorting, discovering forgotten projects, tossing a few things, etc.

This is a 64 x 80" spider web quilt made with a variety of reds as the background. I completed it in March 2005. It lives with John's cousin Doris and her husband Carl at their cabin in St. Regis Falls, NY. They have spent their summers there for almost 50 years. And we have enjoyed lots of good times with them there

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The Best things in Life are Free

When I woke this morning at 2AM, I thought it was dawn the moonlight was so bright, shining down through the branches of a large oak tree. The first thing I wanted to do was capture a picture of it but I knew You were looking at that same captivating moon. When I went back to bed (pretty much awake now as my batteries had been partially recharged.)

I remembered walking home from the movies on a summer evening in the 40's with my older sister and brother. The moon was full that night - we had just seen the movie with June Allyson (I think) singing "The moon belongs to everyone, the best things in life are free. The stars belong to everyone they gleam there for you and me. The flowers in spring, the robins that sing. The sunbeams that shine, they're yours, they're mine and Love can come to anyone, the best things in life are free!"

As I looked again at that big oak tree with the moon shining through the spreading branches I thought of a family tree. So whether we are in Altamont, Arkport, Lake Gaston, or Oxford, Sarasota,or Audobon, we are connected by our memories, as well as our ancestors. And we,along with all our children and grandchildren, represented by the branches, are looking up at that same moon created by God, along with the stars, the sun and His Son. Created for you and for me.

Yes, The Best Things in Life are Free!

Lake Time

We spent a couple of days at the lake and came home this morning as I had Womans Club at noon. We hadn't stayed overnight since November so we did a few chores, swaped out our old TV from home for our older TV up there and enjoyed the rest of the wonderful warm day!
I always have a few crafts, the puzzles from the Sunday paper, lots of magazines to catch up on (I always read the quilty ones at home first) or sewing that I can work on up there as it is VERY quiet.

Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow------

This morning's snow wasn't enough to keep our Thursday sewing group home today. Four of us get together two Thursdays a month at Whistle Stop Quilt Shop in Cary. Connie W. moved her shop from Selma, NC to Cary in December. She has done a great job arranging the displays. The shop is very attractive and well stocked. We enjoy meeting in her classroom. It is lots of fun to sew, chat, visit with customers who wander back to the classroom, snack, have a little show and tell and check out the new fabrics in the shop.
The tree quilt was made by Connie H. I just love it! I know I need to make one of these.

Quilts in Waiting!

Five of these six quits were layered today.

I usually, but not always, try to make a backing for a quilt as soon as I finish pieceing the top. Sometimes I go ahead and make the binding too if I know what I am going to use. A couple of the quilts pictured here had to wait until I found an appropriate backing fabric. The one with the light colored backing is a Dresden Plate that I finished late last year. I had been looking for a light colored fabric for it and finally found something last week.

The one above it is a two-sided quilt and the one below is a flannel backing for a quilt called Fractured.

The blue is an Arrow Star and the red is a one piece quilt to be donated to Safe Child.

On top is a Crown of Thorns wall hanging that has been waiting and waiting for quilting.

Now for some quilting!

Quilt #141 - From the Archives

Millennium Compass - 81 x 92"

I began drafting and paper piecing the blocks from instructions in an article in Quilter's Newsletter Magazine during the big snow storm (20") in North Carolina in January 2000.

In Feb. my husband had a day surgery that turned into a nightmare. We spent most of that year in and out of the hospital and ended up having 17 surgeries. He was released from visiting nurse care on December 23rd. He still suffers the consequences without complaint and we thank God that he can do as well as he does.

Back to the quilt - I drew the borders and pieced them in 2001 and quilted it in 2002. It won a blue ribbon at the Capital Quilter's Guild Show in 2002 and a pink ribbon at the NC State Fair in October 2002.

Quilt # 173 - from The Archives

This 72 x 90" scrapaholic quilt was made and donated to our church, WUMC, as a silent auction item for their 1st annual Community Day in 2003.

What I know as the Scrapaholic Pattern was taught me by a friend, Judee L., when I was a member of Three Rivers Quilt Guild in Albemarle, NC. It is a very versatile pattern and can be arrange many ways, similar to the Log Cabin Block. Judee is a very talented quilter who inspired me with her wonderful quilts and folk art patterns.

Busy Week - A Little Sewing

Monday being the last day of the month, was Table of Grace at our church. We serve a meal open to the community at no charge. My friend, Margie and I shop for groceries in the morning, have a slice of pizza at Sam's and meet back at church with Ella, Janice and Mary Jean at 1PM. We cook and are ready to serve the meal at 6. We had Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, broccoli and carrots, rolls, chocolate cake (donated by Sally)and ice cream. Other members come in and help with serving and clean up. We have music and a short message from our pastor. I love TOG day!

I left early to enjoy my birthday gift from Carole. (Thanks Again, Carole!) She took me to see Lang Lang at the NC symphony. We had seen Lang Lang's performance at Meymandi Concert Hall back in 2003 when he was just 20. Both were outstanding and he got the longest standing ovation I have witnessed there. (Unless you count when my grand kids, Shane & Hannah graduated from Raleigh Charter HS - just kidding of course)

Tues.& Wed. dedicated to medical stuff (John's tests) and fabric cutting.

Thurs. Connie H. called and we went to Wish Upon A Quilt - She was for Cat in the Hat and I got 3 more Kaffe Fassett fat quarters to go in the Dresden Plate I started this week and looked for a backgound to use with it. Since I don't have a huge amount of Kaffe Fassett fabrics, I added a bunch of other fabrics I already had. Sew I will see how it goes.

Today was TV shopping - John has been contemplating,comparing and checking for a few months- Panasonic Viera won out!