Last UFO and Retreat!

 I finished my last UFO for 2024 in August before going to the Missouri Star Retreat in Hamilton.  I had made a list of all of my unfinished projects at the beginning of the year.  I have done this for the last few years, but this is the first time I got everything on the list completed.  Last year I worked really hard and got all but one completed.  That made it possible to get everything done this year.  I took the quilt to Hamilton with me to photograph it there since it was a Missouri Star pattern called Solstice.

This quilt was also part of my goal to work on curved seams in 2024.  I was really happy with how it turned out.

While at the retreat, I also pieced another Missouri Star pattern with curved seams called River Path.

I pieced the center at the retreat and then added the black border when I got back home.  I was really happy with how this turned out.  I love the striped binding as well.  This hung in the quilt show and now it's headed to Sarah's house to hang there.

I also pieced the blocks for a quilt called Marbled Cheesecake while at the retreat.  This one is now waiting to be quilted.

Another person from Florida who was at the retreat shared this quilt that she had pieced.  

We got to tour the quilt museum in Hamilton.  This was the most unusual quilt.  You had to stand across the room to see Einstein.

One of the workshops at the retreat was for this quilt called Into the Woods.  I pieced the entire thing at the retreat.  I love this quilt.  The sample quilt was made in Christmas flannels, but I went with a fall vibe.

I got it quilted and finished in time for the quilt show.

I did a mystery project at the retreat.  It was this table runner.  I made one in patriotic fabrics and one in fall fabrics.  

The retreat was fun and I'm really glad I did it.  

Christi

Cats, kittens, birds, chickens!

Last Monday, we got a call from one of my piano students.  The hubs took the call and brought the phone to me in the basement.............she had found a little kitten and it needed a home.  Well, of course, Christi's house for wayward cats opened it's doors (I figure the Hubs had a chance to say no thanks and not even tell me about the call).  So this little gal arrived at our house that evening.

Beware the Ides of March

I can't believe we are already to the middle of the month!  I was working with some basket weavers this past weekend and commented on the Ides of March and they had no idea where the phrase came from.  My inner English teacher sprang to life and had to impart some literary wisdom about the famous quote from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.  So now we are all on the lookout for "bad" things happening.

NOT bad things............

 Andi's basket is turning out beautifully........she has added the leather handles and has it ready to rim.

PIP!! (projects in progress)

Not as much sewing got done this weekend because we started working on 4-H basket projects

This is Andi.  She is working on a large basket that will have black leather side handles.  We both loved the base which was filled in with filler spokes.

She actually got much further than this, I just didn't get a photo.  We spent quite a lot of time designing the color pattern she will weave up the sides.

Cats and Quilts!

Why do those 2 things just seem to go together?  Cici informed me that her photo didn't make it into last week's blog, so I'm making sure to get her in this week.

Apparently she is keeping this quilt that I was putting binding on from slipping to the floor.  It's so nice that she can help out this way.  Mom made this one and I got it back from being quilted  and put the binding on for her.  She'll get it this next weekend............all finished!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all!  I made DH homemade angel food cake (Great Aunt Mildred's recipe) this afternoon and fixed fresh strawberries to go with it.  I also did some chocolate covered strawberries!  We have a quilt guild meeting tomorrow night, so I'm planning to take DH out to eat Mexican prior to the meeting.  I invited him to the meeting since it's Valentine's Day, but he declined.

Romance is in the air.  DD came home this weekend to try on her maid of honor dress for a wedding she's in on March 4th.  I had to alter it a little and wanted her to try it on before I clipped curves, etc.  Now I need to hem the slip she's wearing.  We also practiced a hairstyle.

Happy New Year!!!

Where to begin?????

Christmas and its many activities has come and gone and 2017 is here!  I did start a new job at the chiropractor's office, but discovered that it just wasn't going to work.  While I really enjoyed the work, I was experiencing lots of foot pain (have had foot trouble before, but not for a long time) from standing from 8-6 every day.  So, I gave notice and am now currently staying at home this week.  I may be returning to work part time at the Martin Community Center.  In the meantime, I'm gearing up for piano lessons to start next week, both at MVC where I will have 2 students and here at home, where I may have as many as 9.  

In early December, David and I participated in Journey to Bethlehem, a joint effort put on by 2 local churches.  The set design was amazing.

I was the village basket weaver.  Here is my station.

Over 400 visitors came to Bethlehem (they all had to register for the census), and it was a busy night.  I got 3 baskets woven to the rim stage that evening.

Sweet & Savory

Where has the month gone?????

I can't believe we are midway through November, Thanksgiving is on our doorstep, and Christmas will be here before we know it.  Fall is my favorite time of year because it is all about chillier temps (I'm still waiting for those), fall colors and leaves falling (still waiting for the leaves to fall), comfort foods, and making Christmas gifts!

Here is a basket I recently finished.........

This will be a Christmas gift.  The pattern has instructions for a set of 4 nested baskets. This is the largest.  I have everything ready to do the others, if I can find the time.  It has a round wood base and a rolled Gretchen rim.  It had been awhile since I did this rim treatment.  Here is what it looks like at the beginning of weaving the rim.....

Kind of messy looking..........so much fun to bring order into chaos!  Hard to believe it's the same basket.

Happy Birthday Harry Potter!

Okay, so I'm a day late in wishing Harry a Happy Birthday, but I was too busy reading this...

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Can't believe how hot it is this afternoon.  I managed to stay inside as much as possible, only ventured out to check on DD's rabbits.  I did make a trip to Walmart for groceries and decided that peach salsa sounded good, so picked up stuff for that.  DH helped do the chopping and dicing (he thinks is an Iron Chef).  

I can't believe it has taken me this long to get back to my blog.  I think part of the issue is that I plan to blog in the evening at the end of the day to share what I did that day, but by the evening, I'm too tired to put it into words.  I truly am a morning person.  

A lot has happened since my last post.  I have spent some time working with 4-H young ladies on baskets for their visual arts projects to show at the fair in July.  Danielle and Ashlyn have completed baskets that are even stained and ready to go.  Hannah P and Hannah A have their baskets going well and will probably finish in one more session, and my DD has one basket finished (not stained), and another ready to rim.  I'll take some pics the next time they are here.  And Nichole, a past 4-H'er has visited to get an antler basket started.  She made 2 last year and donated one to a silent auction to benefit Western Heritage Shooting Sports, and is doing another to donate this year.  She was here with her mom for a couple of hours one evening getting her basket started (Mom was busy cutting leather, pillow ticking, and burlap into strips for her to weave into her basket).  When we had it sufficiently going to where she could take it home to work on, we started talking about sewing.  I showed her my projects and my sewing machines.  

This is Lucy (named for DH's grandmother Lucille who owned the machine).  She is a Singer 15-91 and sews beautifully.  

This is Bitsy.  She's my Singer Featherweight and goes to all the retreats and classes with me.  She sews a great stitch and is much quieter than Lucy.  Nichole was fascinated with Bitsy (loved the spool pin doily), and might have to find one of these to take to college.

This is my "modern" machine, a Viking 230.  It seems so funny to call it modern when it's older than my DD.  It doesn't have a name, and I should probably work on that.  We've spent lots of hours together sewing.  

I also have a serger (notice it sitting on the floor in the picture above).  We have never been the best of friends.  Lucy is my favorite machine to sew on, even if she is a little loud.  I almost had another machine.  My aunt decided to give me my grandmother's sewing machine.  It wasn't a singer, and didn't work.  DH and I looked her over carefully, and decided that she wasn't worth the investment it would take to get her running (weren't sure if that was even possible).  We did salvage the cabinet (Lucy sits in it).  If I had been able to save her, she would have been called Ethel (after my grandmother), and I would have had Lucy and Ethel hanging out in my sewing room!  Can you imagine the fun!  We didn't just throw Ethel out though, she was repurposed into a gift for my mom to use in her living room of her new house.

If I do get another new "old" machine, I think I would really like a hand crank machine.  I've tried one and got along well with it.  However, family members readily ask me, "How many sewing machines can you sew on at one time?"

I have yet to come up with a really good answer for that one!