April Showers

Several years ago, Linda Brannock designed this wonderful BOM.  I started it when I worked at the Liberty Quilt Shop, it made its way into a box, and of course it became another UFO.  It has always been one of my favorite primitive quilts, don't know why it never got finished. Linda said that she had always wanted a flower garden so that she could go out and pick a boquet of fresh cut flowers anytime.  I have visited her garden a few times, and it is amazing!  My hope is to have a yard full of flowers someday, too.  It is a work in progess, just like this quilt! Hopefully it will be completed sometime this summer.

I had more pics to upload, but blogger would not cooperate...oh well!  

Reflections from Mary at the cross

It is Good Friday, and I came across this lovely writing.  I have oftened wondered, as a mother, what it must have been like for Mary to see her son hanging on that cross.   This tells it so well.

Blessings to all of you and your family!

Refrigerator art

My 2 year old grandson came over to spend the day.  Jack had fun making an Easter chick to hang on the refrigerator....don't you love that cheesy grin?  My daughter had knee surgery a week ago, and she is still imoblized and it is a bit hard to run after a 2 year old on crutches!   Lots of physical therapy this week, so on my days off, I try to help out with driving her to the appointments and taking care of Jack.  So, not much sewing going on in the sewing room!

I did manage to finish a pillow that  Jan Patek offered on her website... I think this is the link for the pattern.  It was nice to do some hand-work and hand-quilting, although something is wrong with my right hand...lots of pain.  That's the other reason for no sewing or cutting in my sewing room... wahhh!

Thought I would let it get some rest and see if that helps, it is not an injury, just a pain that has been coming on for the last few months and has become much worse.  Arthiritis????  It really has me bummed out!  Guess I should go to the doctor, but that is usually a last resort for me....I just don't feel like they listen or try to figure out what is going on...guess I have to find the right one!

Last weekend, we took a much needed little trip...Spring Break!  We traveled to Nashville and Memphis.  After the show at the Grand Ole Opry, we took the back stage tour...as we were walking down the hall, Trace Adkins walked out of his dressing room.  Now that is one tall dude!  And I did not have my camera with me....wahhhh!  During the day, we went down Broadway and visited the Honky Tonks, listened to music....who knows, maybe we saw the next country superstar???  On to Memphis, to visit Graceland.  I was surprised at how ordinary Elvis's mansion is...and of course it is stuck in the 70's decor.  

Hopefully there will be some sewing room time soon!  I am so far behind on my Civil War blocks.

Off to do a bit of blog-hopping while Jack naps!

Summer Breeze

Can you tell what is on my mind?  Summer breezes!  I finished quilting this fresh, little quilt last week.  I had a box of Robin Pandolph fat quarters, just waiting for the right quilt to inspire me to use them.  When I saw this in Kim's book, Scrap-Basket Surprises....I knew I needed to make this one! 

And I finished hand-quilting my little "Garden Path" quilt!  This is from Lori Smith's wonderful book,  Fat Quarter Quilting. 

Have any of you made a weighted blanket?  My daughter has requested one for my 6 year old grandson.  I did see the article in American Patchwork and Quilting, and downloaded the free pattern.  Any tips any of you might have?  Also...we are heading to Nashville, Tennessee for a few days...any good quilt shops I should look for in the area?

Hope the sun is shining in your neighborhood!  Have not seen it for several days here!!!

Kitchen Sink

Do you ever have one of those quilts that you spend more time un-sewing, than actually sewing?  Well this was one of them! It had nothing to do with the instructions...it was just me!  Kim's instructions are great...don't know what my problem was, other than I was not as focused as I should be.   I decided to do as Kim Brackett suggests in her book, Scrap-Basket Surprises...challenge myself to use only scraps to make this quilt.  And I did.  In retrospect, I think I would like it better if my lights were more uniform...there are too many different shades.  Guess I do like a more controlled scrappy quilt!  I made a quick trip to the quilt shop and purchased the borders...some Jo Morton's Spice Chest.  It is aptly named "Kitchen Sink"!

After about 4 inches of snow on Monday, today was gorgeous!  It was 70 degrees, so I worked in my flower beds...so nice to see little bits of green poking through! 


Threading

Over the weekend, our 6 year old grand-daughter came to visit us. She was on Spring Break and headed to Des Moines to stay with grandparents. While she was here, I took her to the sewing room and we made a Silly Girl doll. Jordyn really was not that interested in sewing because she thinks she wants a ranch with lots of horses. But we got started and she decided that "threading" was fun and relaxing. She is a very talented little artist, hopefully she will find sewing as another way to express herself someday!

It is snowing today...big, wet, fluffy flakes...what's up with that? There is about 3 inches on the ground, but I would imagine it will be gone by tomorrow. Sounds like a pajama day to me... in the sewing room...what do you think?

Just One Star

Moda has a wonderful challenge....check it out...

Just One Star. 

    Mine is in the mail!