Shirley Anne’s Heart

I got lots done today in my quilty world (even despite the fact that my cats were extremely helpful!)  Don’t cats just LOVE to be in the middle of quilting projects!!!

LOG CABIN - COURTHOUSE STEPS ONLINE SWAP BLOCKS

I am in an online block exchange - a monthly decentalized log cabin swap - and for July our block is COURTHOUSE STEPS with a red center…..so I finished my 12 blocks today!  It always feels good to get something accomplished ahead of time……

….and this was no small feat given that I had to share my cutting mat with my feline friend, Cuddles TINKERBELLE….she not only lounged on my cutting mat but she also decided to chew up a pen (that is better than eating pins, which she has also tried to do!)

FRED’S QUILT - WINDMILLS AT NIGHT - FIRST IDEA

My younger brother, Fred, finally told me what colors that he wanted for his quilt.  He chose browns, greys and blues - so I got together some fabric and after looking through MILLIONS of pattern books and online patterns, I found a pattern that I decided would be perfect -  from the QUILTS OF THIMBLECREEK series - Windmills at Night by Donna Heppler.

I have learned to make a sample block (rather than to cut material for an entire quilt) and so I carefully cut and labeled enough PARTS for one block….again with the help of my kitties who decided to nap on my cutting mat! (When I MOVED my cutting mat to the floor - the cats MOVED WITH ME - making this ONE BLOCK took a long time! :))

Another reason that it took so long was that there were several ERRORS in the pattern…..there was an insert in the front of the book with corrections - but I didn’t think to look for an error notice….  So I had to figure out the correct cutting instructions on my own (thankfully I did it right - a real miracle!  :):))  And TA DA….here is the first (and last WINDMILL BLOCK.)  I actuallly LOVE THIS BLOCK but it was challenging to get all of the points going in the right direction (and for someone who is spatially challenged this would have ended up on my LIST OF NOT SO FAVORITE THINGS.  Thankfully my brother doesn’t read my blog, because if he saw this block he would probably like it…..:)

FRED’S QUILT - BOXY STARS - SECOND IDEA

 I wanted to make Bonnie K. Hunter’s BOXY STARS QUILT with the online group starting July 1st - and so I said, ‘SELF, why not make it with Fred’s colors!”  And so I made a BOXY STAR BLOCK - and I really like it…..SO FRED’S BOXY STARS  is a GO!  I love making these blocks.

I made the next block using some blue material from my nephew, Joey’s undershorts.  He is 16 and he would probably be less than thrilled to know this tidbit of INFO was being made public - TEE HEE.  Joey is Fred’s son - so I thought that it would be great fun to include this block in his quilt.

I enjoyed making these stars so much - that I made three today!

EGG MONEY QUILT

I am taking a six-month class (taught by Susan) at THE QUILTERS CORNER starting July 20 - we are making one of Eleanor Burns’ Egg Money Quilts.  It is going to be a great class - lots of fun.  I am going to use 30’s repro fabric……and I had lots of fun selecting the fabrics today…….here they are! 

BINDING

My intention was to cut binding for another quilt tonight too - the quilt is back from Val (my long arm quilter) at A NEEDLE RUNS THROUGH IT - and since I was on such a roll, I decided to do that too….but alas, Cuddles decided to sit on the material…….maybe when I finish writing on my blog, she will have moved on!

OR NOT…. 

Tags: Cats and Dogs Furry People, EGG MONEY QUILT, Fred's BOXY STARS, Quilt Block Exchange by drsao
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I am happy to say that I have finished my Thimbleberry’s Club assignment for this month!  It is nice to have a SMALL ASSIGNMENT - I love marking these things off my TO DO LIST!

Today I spent the entire day with the VIRGINIA SCRAPPERS having a wonderful time sewing!  I met some new friends and missed some old friends (SHEDDY AND CARMEN.)

Look at this “antique” Birthing Quilt that Peggy brought.  Isn’t it wonderful!  It is so intricate and it looks like the original quilter made it PILLOWCASE STYLE.  (I had a lovely picture of Peggy too - but somehow my program has decided to cut her head off……….oh how I wish that I had a techie brain - I would fix it!) 

At least I only cut off the top of Nancy’s head - she made this very cute purse and matching billfold….the billfold has lots of very cool compartments……I loved it!  Nancy also made this wonderful wall hanging - all today!

Patsy was working on putting the finishing touches (ala binding) on her Circles and Melons quilt.  I LOVE THE FABRICS that she used.  I have never done any circular piecing and HOPEFULLY  I can get into her class July 12!

I actually took a picture of the entire REDWORK QUILT OF ANTIQUE SEWING MACHINES but it came out blurry - too bad!  But I did get a corner of it (THANKFULLY) with Linda’s smiling face…..aren’t quilters just some of the happiest folks around!  Linda embroidered these sewing machine blocks BY HAND!  Such an inspiration!

And last but not least - here is the HELLO KITTY QUEEN - look at that cute little green Hello Kitty sewing machine!  She added the Hello Kitty Stickers too!

It was a good day for Susan (at the Quilter’s Corners) today - two more people at our table signed up for the EGG MONEY QUILT CLASS starting July 20….it is going to be lots of fun! (There is nothing like word of mouth advertising!) 

Today I finished the binding on my ALL THE RAGE QUILT for my grandangel Harry.  Since binding is my least favorite part of quilting, it is more fun to do it with friends.

I also spent some time working on my Grandmother’s Flower Garden Quilt.  The hexagons look a bit off color - that is because the papers are still there - showing through.  I have been using old business cards and magazine subscriptions cards to cut the hexagons….it is now kind of fun to do the English paper piecing task - more fun than just sewing around plain old card stock.  It was a good day!

Tags: All The Rage Quilt, Future Quilt Inspiration, Grandmother's Flower Garden, Quilts Completed in 2008, Thimbleberries, Virginia Scrappers by drsao
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Our nine months are almost up for our BIRTH OF A SAMPLER QUILT (class taught by Sherry Whitfield at “The Quilter’s Corner.”   Sherry designed this - and I am pretty impressed.  

I must say that I was a bit apprehensive about making a 20 inch bargello border…..but I plunged right in.   It takes eleven 2 1/2 inch strips each of ten fabrics……this is going to be a spectacular (and very large) quilt!

I think I had strips of fabric draped across every chair in sight!  It took awhile to get all of these strips sewn together - making sure that the seams were all going in the same direction!  Actually it was pretty easy - but at the same time it was not really exciting…..lots of sewing in a straight line…..I am afraid to do the math……..11 x 10…..x (this is hard on the brain!)  It is better not to count!  AND….it helps to have TIVO!!

After cutting all of the pieces into different widths it was time to sew - dropping each new column down by 1/2 block.  I was so excited to get one “wave” finished!  And then two…..

And in between Grandangel Sarah’s swim meet and practice, and Vacation Bible School, I managed to get one side of the barbello border on….THREE CHEERS!!!!!!!  I really like it.  One down - three sides to go.  Then I make four large star corners - and it is a quilt!!!!  :)

Tags: Birth of a Sampler Quilt, Quilts in Progress by drsao
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A lot has happened since my last post.  If you aren’t family, you may want to scroll down quickly - past all of the family events - to see the beautiful MISSOURI QUILTS that I saw on my trip!

TRIP TO MISSOURI

If you are family - then you might like to see some highlights of my recent trip to MISSOURI.  I got a new camera and lived up to my name of CRAZY PICTURE LADY……enjoy.

My cousin died and I went back to the Midwest to be with my family.  While it was a sad occasion, it was also a time to make beautiful new memories and renew my connection with my familial roots.

MY BROTHER, FRED, AND FAMILY - AND AN UP AND COMING PRIEST

I stayed with my brother, Fred, and sister-in-law, Elaine, and my two nephews Eric and Joey.  Here they are outside The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in KC where mass was said for nephew, Adam Johnson.  It is a beautiful cathedral - with a gold dome - located in downtown K.C.  This is a picture of it from a distance - love that dome!  Inside the cathedral it is truly breathtakingly beautiful…….I have never seen such wonderful stain glass windows. I wanted to take a picture, but wasn’t sure if that was an acceptable behavior!

This is Adam, with his sister, Lisa, and mom, Diane.  Adam left for Italy where he will be studying in the Vatacan to become a priest (over the next five to six years.) 

You are seeing this correctly, the FUTURE PRIEST is taking his sister’s PINK SUITCASE with him on a trip to CA to visit the missions there!

FATHER’S DAY

I had the unexpected pleasure of spending Father’s Day with my parents!  We celebrated a late Mother’s Day too!

SONY FAMILY PICNIC

And I went to Lake Jacomo for a SONY FAMILY PICNIC….I hadn’t been to this lake since I was a senior in high school celebrating prom night!  Elaine and I are enjoying the festivities and good food  (Missouri style corn on the cob and fried chicken.)

I will never forget this day because my brother, Fred, accidentally went into the ladies room and when we ran into each other in there he thought that HIS SISTER HAD GONE INTO THE MEN’S ROOM! 

Well, as FRED EXPLAINED, at a certain angle and with sun in your eyes, a WOMEN’S sign looks a lot like a MEN’S sign!  After this, my brother wore a hat and sun glasses to hide his identity!  Why?  Because ANOTHER WOMAN ran into Fred in there too and SHE THOUGHT that SHE was in the men’s room and my brother PROMISED not to tell (in sign language.)  We laughed a lot about this.

GREEN CITY, MISSOURI

We drove to Green City, MO…..and enjoyed the lucious rolling green pastures along the way to my cousin, Janie’s house.  The third picture below of the yard with the DINNER BELL in the foreground is my cousin Janie’s backyard….and the next one is of my cousin Betty’s backyard!  These country YARDS go on forever and ever!  Quite impressive for a city slicker like me!

And this is my grandma’s old house - it used to be SO BIG!!! 

And this is the old family GREEN CITY METHODIST CHURCH right outside the TOWN SQUARE!  I imagine that not too many people have heard of Green City, MO, but it is a charming town that holds many wonderful childhood memories for me - population 668.