Shirley Anne’s Heart

Posted By drsao on February 13, 2008

Word of the Day for Wednesday, February 13, 2008

perdurable \pur-DUR-uh-bul; pur-DYUR-\, adjective:

Very durable; lasting; continuing long.

Now when I saw this word this morning from dictionary.com my first thought was – I hope that MR. CLICKER’s popularity with the students that I substitute teach for is PERDURABLE, because he makes my day each day that I teach.

My SECOND thought was, why not just say LASTING or VERY DURABLE…..then I read the following, duh, if you are going to use ELABORATE words then PERDURABLE just fits right in…..look at the sentence below……WOW.  🙂

Have a COPACETIC day!

In her first book, Lisa See . . . tackles a family — her own — whose intricate genealogy, bravura entrepreneurship,

bitter adulteries and perdurable rivalries might have intimidated a lesser chronicler into euphemism.

— Elizabeth Tallent, “Chinese Roots”, New York Times, August 27, 1995

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Posted By drsao on February 12, 2008

Word of the Day for Tuesday, February 12, 2008

from www.dictionary.com

copacetic \koh-puh-SET-ik\, adjective:

Very satisfactory; fine.

I just know that this is going to be a COPACETIC day, rain or shine…..snow or sleet

Whatever I do today – I know it will be sweet!

MAKE IT A COPACETIC DAY (don’t you just LOVE that word?)

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Posted By drsao on February 11, 2008

I just got back from my very first ever Quilt Retreat  or as the hostess, Cathy, calls it – Quilt Camp, in Corolla, North Carolina.   I met such nice women who inspired me with their creativity and skills – I learned so much!  Thanks to all of the wonderful quilters who enriched my knowledge of quilting.  Quilters are the NICEST PEOPLE EVER……..and entertaining as well.

Here are some of my pictures……first, I just had to include my BELOVED Brother Duetta sewing machine that I purchased from The Quilter’s Corner in Midlothian, VA.  This is just the BEST MACHINE EVER IN THE WHOLE WORLD – I love it.  It does everything including threading my needle and cutting my thread – and if I were a skilled operator (like some of my many new BFF retreat folks) it would reveal spectacular embroidery and quilting feats.   Here is the table where I worked on the king-sized bed quilt that will be on my daughter and son-in-law’s bed this summer!

Christy, the owner of the “beach cottage,” brought THE BARON with her – and he was the ONLY MALE in the house.  What a special dog.  I fell in love with this Great Dane.  I have never seen such a quiet, lovable, well-mannered, beautiful dog.  In the picture, he is sitting on my new friend Claudette’s lap.  He sat on my lap too – just like that – he just BACKED UP AND SAT DOWN as if he were a tiny little cuddly lovable puppy……he certainly isn’t tiny or little, but he is certainly cuddly and lovable!  I think he charmed everyone there.  I know that I now REALLY REALLY REALLY WANT a Great Dane.  Who would have ever guessed that a dog of that size would be so gentle and mild-mannered?

Look at all of the beautiful quilts that were produced in only four days!  I have included only SOME of them. The first two are the GREAT BLOCKS quilts….I must make one of these!!!!  I enjoyed admiring the works from all of the talented quilters that were displayed on the railings for all to enjoy!  The red, white and black Snowball quilt (with me sitting on the corner) is what I worked on during the retreat….the foyer provided a wonderful place to put the quilts out for display!  There were table runners (Lynn), quilts in progress (Susan) and quilts that only existed in our dreams!  Claudette is working on a handpieced Grandmother’s Flower Garden quilt – and I can’t wait to get some 30’s fabrics to start my own!  There were MANY OTHER BEAUTIFUL QUILTS – too numerous to display here.

In addition to the quilting, there was time to enjoy each other’s culinary accomplishments.  My mother will be proud to hear that her Bubble Wreath did not turn out flat this time.  LOL  In addition to eating, we took pictures of each other……and of the sunset and sunrise.

The retreat left me relaxed and inspired – I am thankful for the memories.

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Posted By drsao on February 6, 2008

    I did it – I finished the top of the Scrappy Super Bowl 2008 Bargello Quilt that I made along with my new quiltville.com friends.  I am getting used to the scrappy look – it reminds me of the kinds of quilts that my Grandma Albertson used to make (back in the days when all quilts were pieced by hand.)  I used to have fun  finding  material leftover from our clothes in the quilts that she made….and now my grandangels are having fun looking at material left over from  quilts that I have made for them in my scrappy quilts.   It is also fun to use STASH that I have collected.

It was so exciting making this Bargello and I decided to try the braided border that Bonnie Hunter (Quiltville.com) suggested.  I love to learn new things.  It was easy and quick to make!  Cuddles TinkerBELLE loves the quilt and wouldn’t get off long enough for me to take a picture!  🙂 

Tomorrow it will go to my favorite long arm quilter, Valerie, at A NEEDLE RUNS THROUGH IT in Goochland, VA.  The back will be a pale blue and I am trying 108″ wide backing material for the first time.  How easy that is – no piecing at all!  The quilt measures 70″ x 85.5″ and will be a perfect lap sized quilt.

Valerie is also quilting my Carolina Crossroads Mystery Quilt for me!  I can’t wait to have both of them back and finished!

It is such a GOOD FEELING to finish something!  I am leaving for a four day quilt retreat on Friday – and hopefully I will have another UFO completed by the time that I come back (after four days on the beach in North Carolina, it might be hard to return to reality!)  🙂

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Posted By drsao on February 4, 2008

In January, I joined a group of 12 women who are participating in a decentralized block swap – the log cabin. 

The Log Cabin quilt has been around for many many years.  I understand that the dark fabrics represent the trials in life, in contrast to the light fabrics that represent the joys in life!  The red fabric in the block represents the home – and according to some, it represents the fireplace of the home – with the red replicating the warm glow of the fire that makes the home quite cozy and warm!  A balanced life must have both DARK and LIGHT moments – without the contrast one would not be able to see the beautiful LOG CABIN PATTERN OF LIFE!

I thought it would be fun to try a block exchange  – and I really love doing NEW THINGS, so I joined.  In January we made a log cabin block and all of the fabrics had to have spring flowers in it – with a red square in each block.  Here are the twelve scrappy spring flower log cabin blocks that I sent to the other quilters in the online block exchange.  (Click on the pictures to see a larger version.)

Here are the blocks that I received from the others in the online exchange.  It was really just SO MUCH FUN getting each block in the mail and seeing all of the different fabrics.  Each block is an 11 inch square.

 In February we made a circular log cabin block – the dark fabrics were 2 inches wide and the light fabrics were 1 1/2 inches wide – so the final block appears to have a dark circle in the center (when four blocks are put together.)  Again, each block is an 11 inch square.  (I have no clue what to do with these blocks, but I am assuming they can be put together in some kind of a log cabin sampler quilt – and possibly donated to a worthy cause.)

 I haven’t received any blocks so far (it is early in the month) but here are the 12 scrappy circular log cabin blocks that I made to send to others in the online block exchange for February. 

 Members in the group are from Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas, and Virginia……isn’t it a small world?  The internet has provided opportunities to network with folks who have common interests. 

Our grandmothers would have NEVER believed it if we would have told them that one day we would be exchanging quilt blocks with fellow quilters across the United States (and quilters who we had never met except in cyberspace!)  It is a wonderful world and a great time to live!

 In March we will make courthouse steps.  I have been referred to as an over-achiever; however, I haven’t sewn the March blocks yet.  🙂

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