Shirley Anne’s Heart

Posted By drsao on June 27, 2010

 

Saturday was jam packed full of fun and frivolity……and several new things.

First we had a SCAVENGER HUNT……first clue – find breakfast.  NO, not at SUBWAY – even though we were there 10 minutes after they were SUPPOSED TO OPEN……so we did NOT build a better breakfast….

 

Stop two – not going to have breakfast here either…..not mentioning any names but the place that we did not have breakfast at  is NEXT DOOR to SUBWAY!  They were not necessarily SUPPOSED to be open – we were just hoping….

Have you heard the expression, third time’s the charm?  WELL the third place we went was a winner and a WONDERFUL winner at that.  Catherine and I had a quiche at Panera Bread…..Catherine had Spinach and Bacon and I had Spinach and Artichoke.  OH…..it was wonderful.  THAT WAS A FIRST FOR ME – I have never eaten breakfast at Panera Bread.  They have great unsweetened ice tea as well!  I put TABSCO and PEPPER on mine – heavenly.

Not only did I get to enjoy breakfast, but I also got to admire Catherine’s jewelry.  ADVANCED JEWELRY MAKING 501….maybe I will get there!

 

Then we went to the VA SCRAPPERS monthly meeting and it was so nice.  There were LOTS of folks there Saturday – many were quilters we hadn’t seen for awhile so it was very special (missed you, Sheddy!)  I didn’t take pictures this time – I thought it might be nice if I let my quilting friends work in peace without the camera flash interrupting the tranquilty.  There was a whole lof of creativity going on though and I was inspired.

I was VERY HAPPY to finish the binding on  my Carolina Christmas Poinsettia Quilt.  This is Bonnie Hunter’s CAROLINA CHRISTMAS QUILT – but with only the Poinsettia  Block.  I really DID ENJOY putting the binding on.  🙂  I enjoyed having it OUT of my binding chair and crossed off my LIST too.  (There will not be a picture of my binding chair because the stack is embarrassing – but, I will take a picture of an EMPTY chair…..soon.)

Category: Carolina Christmas Poinsettia, Carolina Christmas Star, CATHERINE, Life Comments, Pinwheels and Posies, Quilt Retreat, Quilts Finished in 2010, Virginia Scrappers | No Comments »
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Posted By drsao on June 25, 2010

Catherine and I had a SEW SEW DAY today – and it was packed full of lots of things.  And theoretically there was really not a lot of sewing going on.  🙂

First we had a SEW AND TELL bag event…….we wrapped and glued fabric around cording and then sewed the cord into the shape of a bag- all by hand.   This is reminiscent of the way baskets were woven by the Native Americans.   I really love the outcome!  We had started our bags on an earlier SEW SEW DAY and today we were just sharing the final outcome.  I worked on mine for parts of four or five days!

I really love how Catherine incorporated a long shoulder strap from the continuous strip of wrapped cording…..  Her entire bag is made from one long piece of cloth covered cording.

 Catherine has a reputation for being the Queen of mixed media embellishment.  I marvel at how she can put all of these fibers and beading into the mix with just the perfect blend of colors.  All of Catherine’s fabrics are batiks – good for this project because there is not a lot of fraying  of the raw edges of the cut fabric.

Catherine designed the special stitch for the bag too – it looks like basket weaving.  I like this so much better than the zig zag stitches by sewing machine that I have seen used in the past!

 

And now for my bag….  

My bag  is shorter than Catherine’s for two reasons.  First, into DAY 5 of this project, I suddenly got inspired to use the purse handles that I found at the Lancaster Quilt Show…..and so I needed a shorter bag for the proportion between the bag and the handles to look right. 

The Second reason that my bag is small is because I also had VERY SORE FINGERS from doing the hand sewing and pushing the needle through the cording….LOL.  I had also stuck myself (with the VERY LARGE needle) on multiple occasions, so a smaller bag was really something that I was motivated to go for!

I got the bright idea to EMBELLISH my bag with a pin that I got when we went to see the musical WICKED!    I used a pony tail elastic as the closure to hook around a big black button that I found in my collection of buttons.  This entire bag was made from stash items – no new purchases!

It seems like every bag that I have is black or red….HM….for me, guess it doesn’t take a lot of talent to choose the right fabric! 

As a matter of fact I used fabric that I had purchased but didn’t use  when I made a quilted tote bag  at a class  that I took  at Quilter’s Corner  three years ago!!!  Christine, does this look familiar?!!!  Goodness, maybe I need to branch out a bit…..but then maybe not….all of my clothes are black!  🙂

OK – to redeem myself – here is another SEW AND TELL – my progress on a Mystery Quilt led by Karen from Powhatan Quilters….it isn’t finished but the center part is together…..PINWHEELS AND POSIES……and I did use some of my 30’s Fabrics that I have been collecting.  I don’t know WHY but I have been saving it!!!  Do any of the rest of you buy fabric and then just LOOK at it and not want to USE IT!!!

After a wonderful lunch break – that included a TROPICAL SMOOTHIE for inspiration and a trip to Jo Ann’s to buy a couple of jewelry pliers…..we headed back to our SEW SEW activities.

Today we had a class in Jewelry Making 101….Catherine was the teacher and I was the student.  Catherine ended up doing most (ALL) of the work after she watched me string the same bead on upside down about four times in a row!!!  But I am now armed with the right pliers and some beading springs (not the correct term but it keeps all of your beading work from sliding off the wires before they are secured!) and I am looking forward to my future fun making jewelry.

I always feel so KLUTSY when I am trying to learn to do something new – and when the EXPERT is watching you and you just KNOW that deep inside they must be struggling to stifle a laugh – or two.

OK – so after LISTENING to SIL Greg repair the hole in the laundry room wall that he made while investigating a leak…..we made some progress…..that WE is figuratively speaking……Catherine is doing the work.  I am doing the observation.

Here is what I am proud to say is the product of Catherine’s jewelry making expertise…..and I was once again impressed with how she can look at a conglomeration of beads and know just how to arrange them into a work of art!  My mother would have been proud to see how some of her jewelry supplies were put to good use.  Catherine used round pliers to show me how to take a jewelry pin and twist it (form it) into a ring which attaches to a jumper cable ring and then to a clasp.  I think that I need to pay more attention to some of the terminology because it all doesn’t sound quite right to me as I write this.

 It really was a wonderful day and I feel more like myself than I have in a long time.  I really enjoy learning new things and it is inspirational to watch Catherine apply her magic touch to whatever project that she is working on.

And now I am going to go work on Clues 2 and 3 of Bonnie Hunter’s FIRST MYSTERY QUILT – Carolina Crossroads.  Yes I am making my SECOND ONE….just started it with some friends on the QUILTVILLE CHAT group!  I am naming this one CAROLINA CROSSROADS TOO! 

Category: Pinwheels and Posies, Posies, Quilt Retreat, Quilts in Progress, SEW SEW DAY, Sew Sew Days June 2010 | 2 Comments »
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Posted By drsao on June 21, 2010

Happy First Day of  SUMMER Everyone…..and to celebrate Catherine and I had a Sew Sew Day today. 

As always Catherine had creative SEW and TELLS….her sewing kit is amazing and you wouldn’t BELIEVE how many things Catherine has in this small case – EVERYTHING YOU COULD POSSIBLY NEED TO MAKE ANYTHING!

AND…..TA DA…..this is Catherine’s PORTFOLIO TOTE……a stiff carrier with internal elastic straps to hold very special works of art……stay tuned….

 Catherine finished her Challenge Quilt for WHAT QUILTING ADVENTURE HAS MEANT TO ME…..it is beyond words……the work that went into this embellishment is unbelievable.   Catherine not only DESIGNED the gate piece by piece, but she also printed it…..I could go on and on.  The gate opens…..look at the four layers of fusing that went into the super-imposed figures…..       I think this is surely going to be a winner.   The three artists featured in this mini quilt were folks that taught classes at QA and they have inspired and enriched Catherine’s creativity. 

 Catherine and I both worked on our TOTE BAGS that we are making by wrapping fabric around cording and then sewing it into a braided wonder!!  You may note that OREO THE CAT is snoozing nearby.  I don’t think that cat got very far from Catherine all day!  She CLAIMED Catherine’s tote bag as her own special napping mat.

 OH MY – Oreo loves Catherine….it is a wonder Catherine could get anything done with all of the adoration going on!  And we even took our CREATIVE ENDEAVORS upstairs to get away from Ruby – the dog – who also loves Catherine!!!

 And speaking of major distractions – Grandangel Cooper came in to introduce Catherine to the world of BAKUGAN and believe you me, it is not easy to understand.  Catherine and I were wondering where we could snatch a calculator to keep up with Cooper’s addition of his power, energy and SUPER Gs that went into winning.   I mean just keeping straight who has gear and who doesn’t is a major feat….     (Note how beautiful Catherine’s Tote Bag is – lying untouched in the foreground  in the picture below – Catherine only has so many hands you know!)

 After Cooper left the room, Catherine assured me that she had won the battle……I have my doubts……you should have seen Catherine’s eyes glassing over as Cooper explained the RULES to her!

It felt good to be a little creative today – it had been a whole month since I have had any creative juices flowing.  Who knows,  I might even do a bit of quilting tonight.  🙂

Category: CATHERINE, Quilt Retreat, SEW SEW DAY, Sew Sew Days June 2010 | 1 Comment »
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Posted By drsao on June 19, 2010

Happy Birthday Fred – you are a special part of our family

In fact, you mean the world to me.

Hey, look at this picture of the family posing on the bed

and NOTE that I named my GIRL Poodle Freddie after Fred!

 

You are really quite funny and neat

You even talk to birds on a Kansas City STREET!

 

 

I really think you are a shining star

even with your pens in your t-shirt – you are!

I hope this is a special Day

And that you have fun in every way!

 

Happy Birthday

Love,  your OLDER sister, sao

Category: Fred's Birthday, Life Comments, SAO's Family | No Comments »
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Posted By drsao on June 18, 2010

 

Happy Father’s Day to all of the fathers in my family..and to the fathers everywhere

….and we remember, with love, all of the fathers in heaven.

Daddy, you fell in love with Mother, married in 1943

and celebrated your 67th wedding anniversary with Mother on April 17, 2010.

What a wonderful role model and exemplary Father you have been, Daddy…

…we all love you and thank you for being our prototype for how a father should be.

 

And now for some pictures……..

 

Here you are in January, 2010 with “Peter Pan” Grandangel Joey –

Mother  named him Peter Pan so he would never grow up!

Joey with Daddy and Mother

 The result of this 67 year marriage –  FOUR KIDS – SEVEN GRANDANGELS – and ELEVEN GREAT GRANDANGELS.

…….just  scroll down to look how the family grew….

Here we are in Kansas City, Missouri in THE OLDEN DAYS – THE FOUR KIDS

Fred, Jim, sao and Dan

 

Fast forward to the future……..Here we are with Daddy and his FATHER’S DAY CHAIR (May 2010)

Happy Father’s Day to my Father and my Three Brothers

Here they all are on Father’s Day 20 years ago….where does that time go!  Some hair was lost along the way too.  🙂

Happy Father’s Day to my Husband Max

 Happy Father’s Day to my Son, Son-in-law, and Nephew

Without you I would have missed out on all of the fun of having my grandangels and grandniece and grandnephews!

Now COUNT ALL THESE FOLKS that are celebrating Father’s Day….all because of  my Daddy (and Mother)

 

Some of us on Mother's Birthday

 

Seven Grandchildren……

Eleven Great-Grandchildren… 

 

 

 

 

 

And on Father’s Day I am remembering the fathers in heaven……

My Grandma Albertson and Grandpa Albertson *J.B. Sr.

He  had a farm with real chickens – in real life …..not just the kind we have on our Farmville game. 

I remember him going out to gather the eggs…..and I remember riding to church with him in his pickup truck!

My Grandpa Orval Lyle

I used to love to go to the mountains in Colorado to visit. 

He gave me my first pet when I was three years old – a real chicken –

and we lived in the city – I will never forget CHICKIE JACK!

Chickie Jack was actually a rooster who woke up the CITY NEIGHBORS with his early morning crowing.  :):)

My Uncle Donald Albertson *on the far right in the picture below

 I remember being amazed when my uncle auctioned cattle – he could talk faster than anyone I ever heard…

..the only thing I ever understood was at the end when he shouted SOLD!

 

  What would we do without those special influences in our lives!  

Thank you to all of our fathers. 

Category: Father's Day, Life Comments, SAO's Family | 1 Comment »
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