Shirley Anne’s Heart

Posted By drsao on July 12, 2008

Today I attended my first Country Piecemakers Quilt Guild Meeting – in fact it was my first GUILD MEETING EVER….a milestone event.  I had a wonderful time and everyone was so nice.

I made it to Powhatan without getting lost – so right away I knew it was going to be a great day.  And indeed, the day just kept getting better and better!  I had NO IDEA I would be treated to a mid morning feast – as well as lunch (hosted by the HOSPITALITY COMMITTEE.)   It was absolutely WONDERFUL.

Lo and behold – one of the SCRAPPY SISTERS was the President.  I already knew Sara (who is FAMOUS for her long arm quilting cottage) but this is the first time that I had met her sister Nancy!

Everyone in the guild has made a SUNBONNET SUE quilt block to represent who they are……here are a couple of close ups.  Now the new kids, (Linda and me) need to make one!  (We also get to make a fancy fabric name tag – I need to get my brain in gear!)

I wish that I could have taken pictures of all of the SHOW AND TELL PROJECTS (that was really a lot of fun)…..I did get a couple of pics of the NIC (NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE) Quilts – some little babies are going to be very cozy.

Isn’t this a wonderful wall hanging?

and I love this one that Nancy made!

This was my LUCKY DAY because not only did I get to join the guild (there are now 39 members and the membership is temporarily closed at 40 because of space in the meeting room) but I also got to register for the GUILD’s QUILT RETREAT in Massanetta Springs, October 2- 5.  I am so excited – I even have a roommate – Karen!  It gets better – Karen even said that she would drive – and for someone who is majorly geographically challenged this was a major cause for celebration. 

After the guild meeting, Patsy taught us how to make a MELONS AND CURVES QUILT.

Look at Patsy’s quilt with crystals – wow, my grandmothers would have never believed that you could put iron-on crystals right on your quilt!  🙂  I think that I just might have to try this!  They iron on and stay on. 

It was really a lot of fun to make these blocks and the curves were not as difficult as I had imagined.  Here are my four blocks that I made today – and I am trying to decide WHICH way to set them together….any votes?  Decisions decisions!

Before we left, Catherine had a surprise…….now this SUPPOSEDLY is the TRUTH (everyone says it is true) – she has NEVER made a quilt before – she has woven fabric – see her holding her work of art…..

and I BELIEVE that she made this block out of her PAPER LUNCH NAPKIN—

BUT SHE HAS NEVER MADE A QUILT!

However she IS GOING TO MAKE HER FIRST ONE – A MELONS AND CURVES KING-SIZED QUILT…..this is her making her big announcement!

And notice the notebook that she is holding – made from jelly-roll strips (I think.)  Every member has one – and I got one today as my new member gift!  It is so nice!

After I left the Guild Meeting I actually did get lost (TWICE) – but that is OK because I got to see the HISTORICAL POWHATAN COURTHOUSE (and yes I took a picture but when I downloaded it, it had a fatal error!)  And there was also a FATAL DOWNLOAD ERROR on a picture of the HOLLYWOOD CHURCH and the beautiful country side (I figured I might as well enjoy myself while I was lost! I only wish my unplanned detour pictures would have downloaded onto my website – they are cute pictures because I can SEE them on my camera!)  🙂

Once I got back on the right road I found the POWHATAN ANTIQUE STORE.  I was thrilled because there was no one in the car to tell me that I couldn’t stop – SO I STOPPED!  Antiques are high up toward the top on my LIST OF FAVORITE THINGS!

And I didn’t leave without a very cute angel rag doll and some “country boxes!”

My husband loves ships and lighthouses – and so I found his Christmas – or birthday present – three framed lighthouse pictures at the antique shop.  (Can you believe the luck of this poor man to have his birthday fall on DEC. 26?)  I love the frames that the lighthouses are in too.  I am sure that he will like them – and I don’t have to worry about him seeing these pictures because DH doesn’t even KNOW that I have a blog!  🙂  SHHH!  🙂

THIS WHOLE DAY IS A GOOD THING! 

When I got home my DH had made FROM SCRATCH CORNBREAD – yum –

and I found a squishy in the mail – a log cabin block from my decentralized online LOG CABIN BLOCK SWAP friend from Missouri!  In July we made COURTHOUSE STEP BLOCKS to exchange.  This is really a lot of fun for me to get squishies in the mail!  (I also like to get presents in the mail from QVC – but that is another story!) 🙂

Since this has been a VERY GOOD DAY – I think I will go look on E-BAY for a P. Buckley Moss print.  Ever since I saw my friend Marla’s MOSS ART COLLECTION I can’t stop thinking about it.  So I just said, “SELF, that is what you are giving yourself for your birthday!”  Just out of curiousity, does anyone else do this?  I give myself a birthday, Christmas, AND a Mother’s Day present!  🙂 It makes me smile!

Category: Antiques, Country Piecemakers, July 08, Melons and Curves | No Comments »
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Posted By drsao on July 11, 2008

I enjoyed a fabulous day today with quilty friends, Marla and Ginger, in Shangri La (AKA Midlothian, VA.)  Marla is not only an accomplished quilter, but she is also a talented gardener and decorator.  LOOK AT MARLA’S FLOWERS – they remind me of an English Garden!  And isn’t the little white picket fence sweet!?

Just as I was catching my breath from the beauty of her flowers, I was escorted into the SHANGRI LA backyard (and not just any backyard but an official WILDLIFE BACKYARD HABITAT.)

Here the birds, bees, squirrels and chipmunks enjoy the waterfall and the greenery!  Doesn’t this scene just make you want to curl up with a good book!  I found the perfect reading bench in the corner.   As I said, SHANGRI LA!

We were lead through the gardens by Ray – our outside tour guide and creator of this backyard beauty!  Ray had some wonderful inside stories too – and the SHOW AND TELL was very entertaining – so much to see!  Look at this – the first dry chemical fire extinguisher!  And look at this lamp that Ray made (also as a matter of public record, if anything that even remotely resembles this lamp turns up missing, Ginger didn’t do it.)  🙂

      Ray has lots of awards and certificates – and look at those firemen helmets on the wall!  WOW!

But I must say, as impressive as these fire fighter memorabilia and civil war re-enactment momentos were (and they really were fascinating – for real) I was drawn to the quilting room.

I could seriously LIVE IN this room!  What’s NOT to like, angels, bears, antiques, stash, more stash, quilts, and LOOK AT THIS SINGER FEATHERWEIGHT! 

Marla’s SHOW AND TELL 

We are really impressed with this THYME TO WATER BLOCK!

Marla had made so many beautiful quilts….

The Rest of the House

All day today, I felt as if I were walking through an edition of COUNTRY LIVING magazine.  I love Marla’s collection of art work……dolls, bears, baskets and angels.  It was TOO MUCH FUN. 

JAKE AND DAISY

Aren’t these the cutest furry children.  Jake – the boy – is the tall one.  Daisy – the girl – is the short one.  They are SO CUTE.

The LUNCHEON

Now almost everyone that knows me KNOWS that I love Martha Stewart.  I seriously would like to be her friend.  LITTLE DID I KNOW that I have my own Martha Stewart.  LOOK AT THIS WELCOME DISH – Marla made such a fantastic luncheon for us.  It was like being at Martha Stewart’s house – as I would imagine it!  But with friends like Marla and Ginger, who needs Martha Stewart anyway! 

It was a lovely garden….a beautiful home….a wonderful luncheon…..and the company of friends was priceless.  As Martha Stewart would say – THIS IS A GOOD THING.  Marla’s backyard SHANGRI LA just went on my LIST OF FAVORITE THINGS.

It was a GREAT DAY!

Category: Cats and Dogs Furry People, Future Quilt Inspiration, My Favorite Things | No Comments »
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Posted By drsao on July 11, 2008

FABRIC STASHBUSTERS

Some of us have accumulated a wealth of fabric – known in the quilty world as our stash.  STASHBUSTER GROUPS are abundant in the online world of quilters trying to control their artistic impulses (aka buying fabric habit.)  Here is a new way to use up that collection…..invite in three wannabe fashion designers and have a DESIGNER PARTY FOR WEBKINZ RUNWAY FASHIONS.

First meet Kenzie and her WEBKINZ Frog – Freckles, dressed in an Asian print sundress with HOT PINK straps! 

Sarah designed a wonderful multi-piece fashion statement for her WEBKINZ puppy – PRINCESS and her WEBKINZ Kitty – Meredith (all in hot pink batiks.)   Leanna made a sleeping bag for her WEBKINZ Lion – Rory – and a wonderful designer sundress for her WEBKINZ Monkey – Bonnie.  Most of the MODELS ended up wearing HOT PINK – must be the WEBKINZ design fav.

TA DA – Stashbusting can be LOTS OF FUN!  Oreo CHIPPIE Cookie was delighted to find that a fabric container had been emptied…….and as cats often do, she had to check it out!

QUILTY SHOW AND TELL – QUILTER’S CORNER – BIRTH OF A SAMPLER CLASS

I was doing the happy dance while sharing my finished Birth of a Sampler Flimsy during class at QUILTER’S CORNER.  Here it is being held by Susan (she chose the Vintage Holiday fabric for me) and the quilt designer and teacher of the class, Sherry Whitford.  I am SO HAPPY TO SAY that this quilt – complete with 10 yards of fabric for the back – is ready for the LONG ARM process!

And my sincere APOLOGIES go to Nancy (fellow class mate and fabric consultant at QUILTER’S CORNER) for cutting her head off in this photo….sigh.  Her BIRTH OF A SAMPLER FLIMSY is so beautiful that I really just had to include it here – even with headless Nancy!

SWEETHEART QUILT

While I was at QUILTER’S CORNER I took a picture of the second quilt designed by Susan in the COZY QUILT SERIES.  I made the shop sample and I was so excited to see it hanging on the wall – it is available as a kit at the shop!  This is the SWEETHEART QUILT!

BEACH RETREAT QUILT

The first quilt that Susan designed for the COZY QUILT SERIES was BEACH RETREAT – and since I tested this pattern (and made a quilt just like this one) I just had to take a picture of it in the shop.  BEACH RETREAT is also availabe as a kit at QUILTER’S CORNER.

Shirley Anne’s Cotton Candy Snowball Quilt

I am so excited — this week I finished this quilt top (that I started in September 07 – but better late than never!)  This is the first scrappy quilt that I made entirely from STASH that I had on hand – no new fabric was purchased in the process of making this quilt.

I combined the snowball block with the nine-patch – and voila.  I really like the soft pinks, blues and yellows – and it reminded me of COTTON CANDY – hence the name (oh yes, my name is Shirley Anne.)  🙂

I took a close up picture of the border.  I saved the corners from the SNOWBALL BLOCKS and put four together to make MINI SNOWBALL BLOCKS.  I alternated the mini-snowball block with pink fabric blocks (with the exception of two snowball blocks sewn together in the center on the sides ) to make the border.  It was REALLY satisfying to be able to use these little corners that I used to throw into the scrap heap for ZANGIE CREATIONS.

Now in the tradition of making a quilt TOTALLY FROM STASH – I made the back of Shirley Anne’s Cotton Candy Snowball Quilt from 15 1/2″ square blocks with an outside border.  TA DA……I finished that today too.  It is a good feeling to get another UFO off my list (well almost – it still needs to get quilted and the binding put on – but somehow I FEEL like I have finished it at this point!)

Category: Beach Retreat Quilt, Birth of a Sampler, Cats and Dogs Furry People, SAO's Grandangels, Shirley Anne's Cotton Candy, Sweetheart | No Comments »
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Posted By drsao on July 7, 2008

Tomorrow is the LAST BIRTH OF A SAMPLER CLASS and I really really really wanted to get the top completed BEFORE class……but Cuddles kept impeding progress (she decided that SLEEPING on the pieces was a grand idea!)  How long can a cat nap last anyway?

I hung in there and I am PLEASED TO SAY that as of a few minutes ago, my BIRTH OF A SAMPLER QUILT TOP is finished – and it was indeed a nine-month project – and yes, it shared some similarities to labor…..LOL.  Actually I am so excited that I am inclined to send myself flowers (isn’t that what happens when you give birth?)

It is a HUMONGOUS BABY – 112″ x 112″ – but she is beautiful (all mother’s say this!) and I love the VINTAGE HOLIDAY fabrics.  Thanks to Susan of QUILTER’S CORNER for selecting the fabric for me (every time I see the little lavendar 1 1/2″ squares I will think of her….and thanks to Sherry Whitfield for designing the quilt and for teaching the class.

This is a close up of the corner…. 

While on the subject of GIVING BIRTH, a cute little mother finch hatched some baby birds in our hanging fern!  I think she had FOUR babies!  You can see her “purple/red” head poking out of the nest!

Now, don’t I wish the “good fairies” would sneak in during the night and sew together the pieces for the back of the Birth of a Sampler quilt!   When I get to this part I always “THINK” about HIRING someone to put the back together for me or put the binding on for me…..and then I think about how much that would cost……and in the end, I rally!  🙂

Category: Birth of a Sampler, Life Comments | 1 Comment »
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Posted By drsao on July 6, 2008

While many people were resting and recovering from 4th of July reveries, SAO and two friends had a SEW SEW DAY in Midlothian, VA! 

It was just too much fun. We sewed ALL DAY (except when we were eating!)  I thought SEW SEW DAY was kind of catchy – and you know quilters, we like to name things (our quilts, our retreats, our guilds, our groups……and I thought of SEW SEW SEWERS for a name of our “informal group” but that was a bit much and I wasn’t sure I wanted to BELONG to a group with that name!  :):)

We had the house to ourselves and we laughed as much as we sewed!  Marla is even laughing while she sews!  Or is that a grimace?  Actually Marla inspired me to work on my TYME TO WATER QUILT – – soon — and very soon.  🙂

And Ginger had SHOW AND TELL….she brought the sweetest quilt ever?  It reminds me of peppermint candy floating in a garden!  🙂  UNFORTUNATELY the picture I took had a FATAL ERROR (don’t you just love it when that happens!)  I think Ginger will be happy because she is a bit camera shy.  THE GOOD NEWS IS that the picture of the back came out great.  Valerie of A NEEDLE RUNS THROUGH IT quilted it – and the flowers are WONDERFUL.

Ginger’s BIG SHOW AND TELL is the book that she and her business partner wrote and recently published.  Ginger is an EXCELLENT retired elementary educator – and until recently she was a consultant for the CURIOUS GEORGE series. 

It is a WONDEFUL book with detailed and doable projects to be integrated into the classroom curriculum.  You can e-mail me if you are interested – I am not associated with the book – I am just an impressed educator (drsaowens@gmail.com).  Ginger is so passionate about education and engineering in the classroom that (in my opinion) she is practically GIVING this book away – only $20.

Our SEW SEW DAY looked a bit like a BROTHER’S SEWING MACHINE convention – look – we all three have the same BROTHER machines!!!!

I worked on my BIRTH OF A SAMPLER QUILT – hopefully I will get most of the last border on before class Tuesday!  I sewed LOTS AND LOTS of bargello strips!

ANOTHER FATAL ERROR PICTURE SHOULD HAVE GONE HERE!

We had a wonderful time and the weather was just perfect – we even were able to eat on the back porch!  I think the highlight of the day was Eleanor Burns. 

No, Eleanor Burns wasn’t ACTUALLY with us but we watched part of her DVD – EGG MONEY QUILTS and she is absolutely hysterical……even if you aren’t a quilter, the DVD is worth it…..5 hours of fun (and she really makes quilting relaxing and fun!)   You will love all of her APRONS!  My favorite part was the segment where Eleanor was stroking a LIVE TURKEY while another turkey pranced back and forth in front of the camera.  (You can get the video at QUILTER’S CORNER and there might be room in the EGG MONEY QUILT CLASS at Quilter’s Corner starting July 20 – and no, I don’t work for QC – I just love the place – even though up until now I have been calling it THE Quilter’s Corner and there is no THE in its name.)

Speaking of Quilter’s Corner – there is a big sale going on – 20% off all bolts of fabric – I just might HAVE to go shopping later today!

Enough of my PALAVER!  (I have a lot of fun with my DICTIONARY.COM word for the day e-mails – and sometimes those words just fit RIGHT IN!)  🙂

Word of the Day for Sunday, July 6, 2008
palaver \puh-LAV-uhr; puh-LAH-vur\, noun:

1. Idle talk

He is glad to palaver of his many adventures, as a boy will whistle after sundown in a wood.
— O. Henry, “The Man Higher Up”

Palaver derives from Late Latin parabola, “a proverb, a parable,” from Greek parabole, from paraballein, “to compare,” from para-, “beside” + ballein, “to throw.”

Category: Children's Engineering, DVD Recommendation, Quilt Retreat, SEW SEW DAY | 1 Comment »
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