Shirley Anne’s Heart

Posted By drsao on January 11, 2009

We had a delightful time at our Winter Luncheon – at Becky’s Tea Cafe in Powhatan, VA.  I had the best chicken panini sandwich ever (I was nice and saved half of my sandwich for my DH – however I wasn’t totally altruistic.  I wanted to have room for the hazelnut cheesecake.  I saved half of that for DH too.  🙂  I don’t want to forget to mention the HAPPY TEA (cinnamon and apple.)  It was both pretty and aromatic.  It tasted great too.  We got to choose the tea cup that we wanted to drink out of.  I really enjoyed that part!

Now for the FUN PART.  We were supposed to create hats – if we wanted to (and if we didn’t want to, there was an ample supply of tea party hats there for us to select and wear….sound like fun?  Yes, it WAS!)

Every MADE UP HAT had a story.  My hat was named SILVER BELLES (that was the name of our quilting group that created the orphan quilt blocks.)  In the spirit of  Bonnie Hunter’s inspiration for us to REUSE and  RECYCLE  my hat was ONCE LOVED prior to my acquisition.  I got it at the Powhatan Antique Store.  I also decrated the hat with Christmas ribbons, flowers and bells….all silver, of course.  It was quite a lot of fun.  Catherine is holding my hat in one of the pictures so that you can see the back of it.  (With cats in the family, it is a miracle that the hat survived long enough to make it to the luncheon!)

I wish that I could remember all of the hat stories – but I do remember that Nancy used Christmas poinsettias on a man’s straw hat – and Colleen LOVES Sun Bonnet Sue Quilts – hence her very cute sun bonnet.  Catherine collects EVERYTHING – and she wore one of her antique WORKING sewing machines.  Michelle actually made her entire hat with the help of her children and it was lovely!  Merci made her gorgeous white fabric flowers that she had placed on her black hat – she looked like a fashion model….really.  There she was – so elegant and wonderful, and I was lucky to have my clothes on right side out!  🙂 LOL  I am known by some of my friends (and mostly by my family)  as a fashion disaster.

I thought all of the hats were creative and wonderful.  By popular vote, Michelle won the hat decorating contest.  Her children helped her make her hat – you will love it – look below for all of the pictures!  We had to turn our backs so that the vote could take place – and that is how I came to take a picture of the cute little lace cafe curtains.

Merci made a wonderful poem to THANK our long arm quilters, Sara, Nancy, and Karen, for quilting all of the baby quilts that we donated.  SHE MADE GOLD LONG ARMS for them.  That was such a wonderful and creative gesture.   I wish that I would have taken a picture of the poem….but somehow that didn’t get accomplished!

We had a wonderful time and were showered with gifts – it is so much fun to have creative friends.

Here are the pictures of us at the tea party – wearing our hats!  ENJOY!

Category: Country Piecemakers, Jan Luncheon 09 | 1 Comment »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on January 11, 2009

Did the Country Piecemakers of Powhatan, VA  have fun Saturday or what?  We had SO MUCH FUN that I am going to have to break this into several posts!  Ready, set, GO!

We had a special guest on Saturday – Debbie, the Editor of QUILT MAGAZINE came – and she got to join in the fun at our meeting – and she also got in on the HAT FUN at our Tea Party – Winter Luncheon – but that will be in another post!  🙂  Back to QUILT MAGAZINE – two of our LONG ARM QUILTERS – THE SCRAPPY SISTERS, Sara and Nancy (also president of the Country Piecemakers Quilt Guild) had MORE THAN ONE QUILT in the latest edition.  What accomplished QUILTERS they are.  CONGRATULATIONS SARA AND NANCY….it is so nice to have famous folks in our midst!  Thank you to Debbie for bringing us each a copy of the latest QUILT MAGAZINE.  That was so nice!

Catherine and Sandie showed us our new BLOCK OF THE MONTH project!  Our first one has to include YO YO’s – and it was EVER SO NICE of Sara to wear a vest made of YO YO’s to show us.  This year the BOM will be individualized and we can create and express ourselves with each block – this one is going to be FUN!  Thank you Catherine and Sandie for choosing such an individualized and creative project.  I can’t wait to start mine!

We also announced the beginning of our BROWN BAG QUILT EXCHANGE which will start in February – however, some people elected to start THIS MONTH – they get to be in the BONUS ROUND!  Again – MORE FUN IN STORE FOR ALL OF US WHO WANT TO PLAY!  Each month we take home someone else’s BROWN BAG and add a block to it.  Oh, the possibilities.  I don’t know yet  what I will do, but when I decide, I will post it.  It is additionally exciting because we won’t see our blocks again until the exchange has ended.  🙂 I love surprises…..sometimes!  🙂

Note the pictures of all of the baby quilts that we are donating to the NIC  – they are beautiful!  Cindy won the award for making the most baby quilts in 2009.  Great Job Cindy!

One of the most exciting parts of the meeting, for me, was seeing the quilts that we CREATED OUT OF ORPHAN BLOCKS at our December meeting.  They are just AMAZING and we decided to make  the orphan block quilts again this year as part of our community service project!   They will go to Madeline’s House and we can start giving Colleen our orphan blocks now!  SO….baby quilts for the NIC at Johnston Willis Hospital (I hope that is right)  and orphan block quilts for Madeline’s House (refuge for abused mothers and their children.)

Finally we had our gift exchange…….enjoy the pictures!  And remember to click on each picture for a larger view!  Two clicks gives you a screen size picture!

Category: Country Piecemakers, Jan 09, Quilt Guild | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on January 8, 2009

 

I guess you are going to  want to know what Hannay Fay is doing and why her picture is on my blog…..so, I will tell you…..Hannah Fay is helping me get the quilting pattern printouts OUT OF THE COMPUTER!!!!  Why am I printing out new patterns?

 

Remember when I reported that Sheddy is going to start a new quilt every day this year?  Well, she showed me a pattern that she is going to do and I just couldn’t help myself – I am going to have to do it too!  It is a free block of the month – in case anyone is interested.  Here is the first block for January – from Bunny Hill!  Isn’t it just TOOOOOO CUTE.  The link for the Bunny Hill Blog is right under the picture – just in case anyone else is interested!

http://bunnyhill.blogspot.com/2009/01/free-block-of-month.html

 I sometimes wonder what we did before we had computers and printers in our homes………I would feel so lost without them…..and e-mail…..I rarely talk on the phone anymore since I have e-mail.  The nice thing about e-mail is that it is so convenient…..and there are no time parameters about the hours when it is appropriate to communicate!!!!

In my spare time I have been doing a bit of sewing .. so here is my SHOW AND TELL for this week – not a lot because I have been working a bit too!  🙂

THIMBLEBERRIES 2009

Here is my first block (and the three filler blocks) for Janaury.  I am making the traditional colorway for my Thimbleberries 2009 Club.  I think it is cute!  I did this FIRST because this year we are getting $5 Thimblebucks each month for doing our homework….LOL.  I have to GET RICH for the end of the year auction!

 

MODA SELVAGES

This month we made two blocks – sometimes known as the CARD TRICK BLOCK….and like always we made a filler block.  I LOVE those little 1 1/2″ squares in the filler block!    The fabric choices this month are interesting.

 

 

 

Powhatan Quilters Paper Pieced Star Block – ROUND ROBIN?

I put a little border on my paper pieced star block that we learned how to do Monday….I think it is so cheerful.  I may just use this for my 12″ center for our Round Robin Quilt……and I cannot say another thing about this – or show any more pictures for SEVEN MONTHS – because it is going to be a BIG HUSH HUSH SECRET.  Yes, I think this will be my block – I like it!  HM….I guess this isn’t going to be a great surprise for the others!  (Speaking of “OTHERS” – this season’s LOST series will be starting soon!)

 

DOUBLE DELIGHT

I am making Bonnie K. Hunter’s Double Delight Mystery Quilt – and here is an example of my CLUE #1 Blocks.  I think this will be in her next quilt book.  If anyone is interested, the free pattern is on Bonnie’s Website at www.quiltville.com.

 

I really like all of the little pieces that Bonnie uses in her quilts.  They are not quickies – but they are sure worth it when you see the end-product.

 

STAY TUNED FOR THE SPIDER WEB QUILT

I am enrolled in Bonnie Hunter’s workshop, January 17,  in Harrisburg, VA.  I am reallly looking forward to this.  Margaret and Catherine are going too.  SO…..maybe sometime this year we will all have beautiful SPIDER WEB QUILTS to display.  I think I will make mine with a black background – doesn’t that sound SPIDERY!!!

The Shenandoah Valley Quilt Guild was so nice – they are letting us NON-MEMBERS join in the fun!  I got a place in the workshop in the NICK OF TIME……there were only two places left when I sent my check in!  WHEW!

BTW – the SPIDER WEB QUILT PATTERN is also available – free – on Bonnie’s quiltville website.

 

STAY TUNED FOR MY HAT

I decorated my hat for the winter luncheon of the Country Piecemakers Quilt Guild this Saturday – and I AM SO WANTING TO POST A PICTURE….but this is a contest, you know, so I had better wait and show a picture of the hat AFTER SATURDAY…..but stay tuned……and BTW, this is the first hat that I have ever decorated, LIKE THIS ANYWAY!  LOL  Wait until you see it!  🙂

AMERICAN GIRL – KIT

And….I KNOW that this is OFF TOPIC for QUILTY SHOW AND TELLS, but when I saw my grandangel Sarah’s American Girl Doll, Kit, wearing this nightgown,  I just HAD to take a picture.   Ginger, did you notice that Kit is using your American Girl Desk?

I am now OFFICIALLY putting all of my friends on alert for a CHICKS RULE nightgown……Let me know if you see one in an adult size (maybe I will learn how to use my embroidery function on my sewing machine and make a nightgown with a chicken on it)……..hmmmmm…..I can just visualize it – a bunch of quilty friends having a pajama party – wearing CHICKS RULE NIGHTGOWNS  – maybe even making a chicken quilt.  LOL. 

MOVIE RECOMMENDATION

While I am OFF TOPIC I might as well mention that I have added something to my LIST OF FAVORITE THINGS.  Marla loaned me the movie “AUGUST RUSH” and I have watched it twice already – and yes, I cried both times.  It didn’t always get the best of reviews – but then, sometimes those are my FAVORITE MOVIES.  I LOVE IT…….RECOMMEND IT……THUMBS UP……ELBOWS BACK.   🙂

Category: August Rush, Cats and Dogs Furry People, Double Delight, Future Quilt Inspiration, Life Comments, Moda Selvages 08, My Favorite Things, Thimbleberries 09, Thimbleberries Club | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on January 5, 2009

The Powhatan Quilters had a great time today sewing in the library – and after we admired Catherine’s JACKET OF WONDERS and Karen’s beautiful nativity peiced quilt,  Merci taught us to make paper-pieced stars!  I took lots of pictures so that I can remind myself of all of the important steps!  It was really a lot of fun. Take a peek at  our sewing fun!  And NOTE that Sheddy got her HALF-STAR block together and it is beautiful.  I love paper piecing and if you use the right kind of paper and small stitches, the paper just peels right off.  GREAT FUN!  Be sure to Double Click on the pictures to see the ENTIRE THING – and for a SPECIAL mini-lesson on how to cut the right sized piece of fabric for your paper piecing, double click on Sheddy’s picture!

Besides learning to make paper-pieced stars, we decided to have a Paper Bag Round Robin – I am excited and a tiny bit scared – goodness I hope that I am good enough to do this!  🙂  We each start by  making a 12″ center block and we put it into a brown grocery store paper bag – then the next person takes the bag and adds a border…..and we won’t see our “QUILT” until about 10 borders later.  This is really exciting.  I guess we really have PIGS now – Projects in Grocery Sacks!  🙂

Oh yes, we are doing a Powhatan Quilter’s Mystery Quilt too.   I can’t wait to start!!!  It is a GOOD THING!

While I am talking about good things – I LOVE Sheddy’s resolution for 2009.  You know how many of us PROMISE OURSELVES that we won’t buy any new fabric this year – or that we will finish our unfinished quilts before starting new ones – or in my case, I will finish one each time that I start one……LISTEN TO SHEDDY’S.  She is going to START ONE EACH DAY OF THE YEAR.  Don’t you just LOVE IT!

Category: Posies, Quilts in Progress | No Comments »
Tags:

Posted By drsao on January 5, 2009

My grandangel was reciting the HOT WHEELS COMMERCIAL  before he could talk….do you know the one…..HOT WHEELS, BEAT THAT!

That was what I was thinking when I saw Catherine’s jacket today – NO ONE CAN BEAT THIS ONE!

Well wait until you see my pictures of Catherine’s jacket!  She saw my post about Norma’s “AMAZING” jacket which reminded her of the one that she made……OH MY – I am in a state of “WONDERMENT.”  This jacket is beyond the scope of my vocabulary.  I am devoting this WHOLE POST to the jacket…..you could play I SPY with this jacket for hours…..buttons, crystals, beads, watches, feathers, STAMPING, and I can’t even begin to recite all of the artistic skills that it took to make this jacket. 

Did I mention that it is quilted?  And that there are at least TWO ANTIQUE WATCHES on it?

And to think that this jacket started out life as a sweatshirt.  YEAH CATHERINE……I think that I can safely say that you are the winner of the JACKET contest……can anyone out there beat this one.  I think not!  🙂

 

Category: Catherine's Quilted Jacket, Future Quilt Inspiration | 2 Comments »
Tags: