Table of Grace

Margie, Mary Jean, me and Janice (also Ella taking picture) in the kitchen yesterday. It was cool and rainy outside, a good day for baking cakes and cooking. Sally, Carole and Randi came later to help serve and clean up.  We had ham, pinto beans, biscuits and pineapple upside-down cake to nourish our bodies.

Pastor Tawney, Scott, who led our worship and was our speaker, and the praise team were there to nourish our souls.  God is good!

Another Busy Week Ahead

After lunch and the Sudoku puzzle, I decided to get a jump start on the week.

I washed the aprons that I had brought home from church Wed. evening.  Our kitchen has 36 black aprons and it seemed like they were all in need of washing. (The men had a pancake supper a few weeks back - 'nuf said).  I did 15 last week and Margie and I divided the remaining ones to wash.  They are embroidered with the Methodist logo and WUM in red. They are wash and wear but the ties do tend to get tangled.

We will be using them tomorrow as we will be cooking Ham, Pinto Beans, Biscuits and Pineapple Upside Down Cake for Table of Grace.  Wednesday we will make Pot Roast with Potatoes and Carrots, Marinated Slaw, biscuits and Strawberry Trifle for our Evening Lenten Program.

Tuesday is my last teaching installment of Machine Quilting Basics in the evening.

Thursday is a tenative trip to Lindarella's Quilt Shop in Southern Pines with Sally, Connie &  Cathy.

Friday perhaps my sister Janet and BIL, Neil, will stop by for a few days before they return to NYS after their stay in Myrtle Beach.

 While the laundry was going, I sewed the blue blocks together and layered it for quilting, It is 38 x 44".
















I also layered this cute panel with the animals that Connie picked up for me in Goldsboro last spring.

This is the first pre- print I have ever used most of them I just don't care for.  I used the coordinating print for the backing.
Then I did the donation quilt from the Cheep talk fabrics started March 3. 
Now I need to go to bed!

Outside My Kitchen Window

This afternoon when I got home from bee, a misty rain was just starting to fall.  This camellia is at it's peak.  It  is variety 'Shiro Chan', a Mother's Day gift from Kathy & Tracey 15 years ago. I enjoy seeing it outside my kitchen window each morning.  I cut lots of blossoms from it to decorate the tables for the Community Lenten Lunch at WUMC this past Wednesday.

We got a lot accomplished at Bee today.  Our goal was to make 100 - 9" Capital T blocks.  I think there were 17 of us and we completed a total of 64 blocks.  Mary volunteered to set them together when we get the others finished. Cathy Smith organized a really fun give away with neat gifts and door prizes. She spent a lot of time getting it organized and we all appreciate it. Thanks Cathy.

We also presented Steve M., our host, with a beautiful wall hanging and a wooden hanger for the office. 

There was show and tell and a great covered dish lunch.  I didn't take pictures. Lots of fun by all.  What better way for quilters to light up a cold, dreary Saturday than to sew with friends.

Leaf Blocks, Blue Blocks & Banner

 

 Today I finished appliqueing and sewing all the blocks that I had cut for this quilt.  The next step is to make the sashing and sew all the center blocks together.  This is not how they will be arranged, I just wanted to see them together.

Yesterday while Sally, Connie and I were sewing at Whistle Stop, Sally helped me pick out fabrics for the sashing and borders.  Connie W. (shop owner) had put a 20% off coupon in the Capital Quilter's Newsletter so that was very nice. 

                                                                                    

I need to make a couple of baby quilts for boys. 

several more blue prints have been cut into blocks.

I used all the yellow, cream and very light green solids that I had on hand for the sashing.  Maybe I'll take them with me tomorrow when our Undercover Bee meets.

The Bee is collectively making a Capital T block quilt in fall colors.  We will be making the blocks tomorrow.  The completed quilt will be given to the empoyees of the Architect's Firm where we meet.  Their charity of choice is Ronald McDonald House in Chapel Hill and they will use it to raise funds. 

We are having an all day bee so I am  going to make a Fresh Apple Salad to take for lunch.

Lastly, today I made this banner for a little boy who is being baptized on Palm Sunday morning.  He is two years old. 

Our church presents each child with a prayer shawl/blanket and a banner at their baptism.  I like making the banners - this is the first time I've used the hearts and leaves design.

Rain predicted for the weekend - yea!

Quilt # 104 - from the Archives

Glad Tidings - a quilt I made in 1999.  It is my own design using angels from various sources.  I was drawn to the folk art style after seeing some work by a friend, Judee L. from Richfield, NC.  It is machine appliqued and hand quilted. It is 50 x 60". It was awarded a red ribbon at the NC State Fair in 1999 and earned a white ribbon at the Capitol Quilters Guild show in 2002.  One of the comments on the judges sheet was that it could use more quilting in the borders.

I was surprised that no one commented at a family party today that I still had my "Christmas time" quilt up.

Tomorrow is a free day so I hope to get some sewing done.

I did sew a little on Saturday up at the lake.  Mostly we fished, read and enjoyed the warm sunny days.  John caught some nice crappie and bream.  I read 2 books and caught 2 blue catfish.  Life is good.

Cool and Breezy

The weather at Myrtle Beach was cool and breezy last week  but we had a wonderful time visiting with my sister and BIL.  My sister plyed us with lots of good cooking and we played games, read and shopped.

Hope the rest of their month will be just a little warmer for them.

We didn't venture to the outdoor pool this year although there was one lady that jumped in each day. BRR!

Tuesday, I taught a class in basic machine quilting (1 of 3) at Ladybug Quilt Shop in Knightdale, my first time teaching anything in years. Wed. was Community Lenten Lunch at church and then cooking a meal  to serve before  our evening  Lenten program. Today was work at the Food Pantry and tonight we have Capital Quilters Guild. Tomorrow - Take a break at the lake and enjoy the 80 degrees the weatherman is promising.

Happy Day - Pat

Pink Eye/Pieced Squares - Finished

I started this post in Feb. but here it is March 4th. I have no clue if one can change dates.
This afternoon, I took the quilt outside and hung it on the deck for a picture.  It is 84" square. I finally remembered the blog where I saw the quilt.  http://www.imagingermonkey.blogspot.com/  It was in October 2010 so you'll have to check her archives. Wow - looking at the picture I see I have one of the border blocks upside down. oh well.

The back pattern, "Pieced Squares", was in the 1984 Edition of Lady's Circle Editor's Choice Patchwork Quilts. There was a color picture on one page.The directions consisited of one paragraph, a square for the pattern and a diagram of a block. I started the blocks in the late 80's. I don't even recall when I sewed the sashing on them and partially sewed them together. Last year when I was cleaning up and rearragning, I was going to toss it. When I layed it on the bed it just need one long seam left to sew. So I sewed it! 

I brought in and tossed it in the washer and it is in the dryer as we speak - so to speak!

Picked out some batiks and made a couple of these blocks.  The pattern is in an old issue of Quiltmaker (10/2002) called Turning Leaves.  I am planning to make the sofa size which just needs 24 leaves.  I cut out the squares, leaf pieces, and squares of heat and bond.  I'm going to machine applique them. I'll look for a border fabric when I go shopping with my sister next week.

Found this camellia hiding out on the north side of the house.  It is really out of sync - usually blossoms late in spring.  I brought it inside to enjoy!Happy Weekend!

Quilt for Safe Child

A very simple quilt with all the pieces cut the same size to make an 8" block. With borders it measures 54" square. I used the left over blocks to enlarge the backing fabric. Yesterday, I washed and dryed it and I will donate it to SafeChild at our guild meeting this month.

I started the blocks for this quilt Saturday and finished the top today.  It is 49" square.  The blocks are a 5" square bordered on 2 sides with  sets of 1 and 1/2" strips. The fabric is a fat quarter packet(Cheep Talk) that I ordered from Connecting Threads just before Christmas. Very reasonable but the fabric seems to have lower thread count than what you get at quilt shops. I made a backing from a flannel kids print and binding for it. It will go to Quilts for Kids at Guild when finished.

 

I also made a backing  from a light blue flannel with a base ball print and binding for the Plaid Veterans Quilt top that I made last month.

And after 41/2 hours Tuesday, and 5 more hours Wednesday I finished quilting PinkEye. Sewed on the binding this morning first thing.  Maybe tomorrow I'll get a chance to get a picture of the entire quilt. Stay tuned.