Playing Ketchup

Every so often I just need a day with friends

and to play catch-up.

Some dear friends came to Catch-Up Day, 2010.

Norma and Liz

Becky and Me

Debbie came too.  I just didn't get a picture.

What did we do?

We attempted to get caught on projects.

Norma finished two and Becky finished one!!!

I finished binding my latest quilt this evening.

We were all pretty successful.

Sorry to say that Debbie and Liz had to leave early for work.

What do you serve for lunch on Catch-Up Day?

Hot Dogs, of course.

with

ketchup...

mustard and pickle relish too.

Just Right

My day was great and it ended on a perfect note.

Until Next Time-Kyle

Fabulous Friday

For today:

Looking Out My Window: The rose bushes on the patio are in full bloom.  It's going to be the perfect very warm summers day.
 

My Weekend Plans Include: Spray painting a new "old" wrought iron plant stand I picked up at the antique show last weekend.  It needs a bit of loving.

I’m Reading: The Time Traveler's Wife  by Audrey Niffenegger
 

Movie Marquee: The Medici's, the Godfathers of the Renaissance and Downhill Racer

Something Quiltie: I've got my flannel quilt basted and ready to machine quilt.  I enjoy machine quilting some of my own quilts as long as they aren't too big. By keeping my designs simple, I'm able to do a pretty good job.  I'd love to be able to try quilting on a long arm quilting  machine, but I'm afraid I would love it.

I’m Thinking About: I am really looking forward to the weekend of the 4th.  My sweet Kate will be flying in from Florida.  I can't wait!

One of My Favorite Things: I love to look at old family photos.  I just recently found an old box of slides.  They need to be cleaned up and then I'll get some prints made.  Some of them are pretty faded and are almost gone.  It makes me feel sad.

What I’m Planning: I'm planning a Catch-Up Quilt Day for my friends this Monday.  Everyone is to bring a project they want to get caught up on, enjoy a day of friendship and grilled hot dogs served with Ketchup or mustard.

What’s For Dinner: Fish Tacos.

A Favorite Photo: 

 Do you think my mom was worried about me drowning?

Until Next Time-Kyle

Hangin' With Friends

We all need friends.

We don't have to think or look alike to be friends.

When Quilting Buddies Get Together There's

Good Food

Good Conversation!

Wonderful Friendships

Until Next Time-Kyle

Flannel In the Summer?

Here's what not to do in the summer.

Do not start making a flannel quilt.

I've had a pile of flannel sitting in my quilt room for months.

I started cutting rectangles that were 4 1/2 inchesby 6 1/2 inches.

Why that size?

It just worked with the scraps I had.

I sewed the rectangles together in strips.

And then connected the pieced strips together 

with sashing.

Pretty easy.

The width of my sashing strips were based on the amount of fabric I had.

This pattern is based on the "Chinese Coins" pattern.

I had made a smaller version earlier this spring.

Be careful to line up the rectangles from

one row to the other.

It's one of the few times that I use pins.

Add some borders.

I'm not done yet.

I'm going to add some applique on the outside border.

Just to jazz it up a bit.

I'll show you later.

Warning: Do not attempt working with flannel in the summer

if you 

suffer from sudden flashes of intense heat. 

It could be deadly!

Until Next Time-Kyle

Celebrate Summer

Today is June 21.  

That means it's officially the 1st day of summer. 

It's when there's equal daylight and night.

What's fun to do on this day?

 According to legend,
you are only able to balance an egg
on it's end on the Venial Equinox.

Tah Dah!
No trick photography.

 There isn't really a lot of science behind this or
real evidence that it's about the pull of gravity being equal from the sun,
or the fact, that you may be able to do this on another day.

That was fun.
Life's about giving things a try.

Until Next Time-Kyle

Family and Friends

Family and friends can be great source of encouragement when birthdays come around.

I had a great birthday weekend.  
It wasn't so bad turning XX.

Ed and I went exploring at the Old Glory Antique Show in Denver. 

 There was stuff older than me. 

I even brought home a few new treasures.

My girls kept birthday traditions alive.

Elizabeth, Me, Jessica

And we even created a few new experiences.

We became a Rock Band Family with the help of Wii.

 Elizabeth and Martin

Don 

Jessica and Ed doing the vocals

It was great to do things with people who love me.

Our weekend together made me think.

Life isn't made up of days and years, 

but rather 

what you do with that time.

That's what's important.

Until Next Time-Kyle

Some Birthday Advice

Authorities say brain cells may shrink, but they don't necessarily die. Frankly, I am cheered by the fact that something is shrinking. I'd be even more thrilled if what was shrinking affected my dress size, but you can't have everything.
Erma Bombeck

It Finally Came

It's Here.

I'm glad

Now I don't have to worry about it.

Until Next Time-Kyle

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow.

The weekend was wet, cold and gray.

It was a stay inside kind of day.

Sweatshirts, socks, and slippers.

Chili, hot tea and chocolate.

The only ones having fun seemed to be

"The Boys of Summer"

They didn't seem to mind the rain.

 I guess we should learn to enjoy
what ever comes our way.

Until Next Time-Kyle

Fabulous Friday

For today:

Looking Out My Window:  Ed had been busy doing a lot of small jobs around the outside of the house.  Each year we accomplish a few more little details.  Now he would like to build a landscaped path from the house to the lake. Not a small project.

My Weekend Plans Include: The weather is not suppose to be very nice so I plan on mostly doing inside things.  Hopefully, I'll get some sewing done.

I’m Reading:  I just started Whiter Than Snow, by Sandra Dallas.
 

Movie Marquee: On tap is A Gentleman's Game and the Last Legion.

Something Quiltie: Yesterday at the store we had our monthly club meeting of "Stashbusters".  It's a group of quilters all trying to use some of the fabric stash we have accumulated during our quilting life.  It's a meeting full of ideas, suggestions, motivation and enthusiasm.  Quilters are always so willing to share.  I'm one of the facilitators, and I always glean so much from all of the other women who faithfully come. I have more ideas and fabric than I can ever use in a lifetime.  Even so  I'm going to have fun trying.

I’m Thinking About: How important it is to stay positive.  Turning my struggles and problems into challenging situations, keeping things in perspective, and looking at the big picture.  Life is too short to get bogged down in the negative.

One of My Favorite Things: I enjoy watching the Food Network Channel and now the new Cooking Channel.  Fun and Yummy.

What I’m Planning: One of the jobs I'd like to get done is taking that huge pile of recipes clipped from magazines or off the internet and sorting them out and filing them in some workable system.  It's a bit out of control and not very efficient.

What’s For Dinner: One of the recipes from the pile is Lemon Pasta with Roasted Shrimp.  *It also uses some shrimp from the freezer!

A Favorite Photo: 

 

 1973

This is where Ed took his new bride to set up housekeeping.

Until Next Time-Kyle

37 Years Ago

Happy Anniversary, Ed.

Picture slideshow personalized with Smilebox Until Next Time-Kyle

Get a New Perspective

Sometimes it's so easy to get in a rut. 

What do you do to get inspired?

  How do you become more creative?  

One way might be to look at things in a new way.

Get a new perspective.

But usually we tend to look at things the same ol' way.

It's easier to take the same path day after day.

It's good to change the view once in a while to

see things differently.

Is it time for something new this week?

Until Next Time-Kyle

Fabulous Friday

For today:

Looking Out My Window: There's a flotilla of geese silently gliding by.  I thinking they're checking to see if Ed is gone so it will be OK to come up on the grass.

My Weekend Plans Include: A bit of this and a bit of that. Whatever I do though, I'm staying home.

I’m Reading:  The Help, by Katheryn Stockett
 

Movie Marquee: I'm still watching the first season of The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. This weekend from Netflix there's Brian Regan Standing Up and Up in the Air.  Last week I watched the Ultimate Gift.  Put it on your list. It's great!

Something Quiltie: One of my favorite types of quilts are two color quilts.  I have made several, red and white, blue and white, and pink and white.  It's hard to limit yourself to only two fabrics or even to only two colors. They are a classic, graphic, bold and beautiful.

I’m Thinking About: How important it is to be kind and patient with yourself and with others.

One of My Favorite Things: is to saunter in the neighborhood in the evenings and check on what's happening with the neighbors.

What I’m Planning: I am part of the Food Network.  I am either on Iron Chef or the program Chopped.  Last weekend we went exploring into the depths of the freezers.  The challenge now is to plan meals around  the secret ingredient that were discovered hiding in the back, and  buried under unidentifiable foil wrapped packages.  The challenge is to use up.  It's amazing what can be forgotten in there.

What’s For Dinner: Well, you know whatever it is, it's coming from the freezer. ..Butternut Squash Soup.

A Favorite Photo:

June, 1986

Aren't they cute?

I made the dresses and used a shadowed applique technique for the front.

Until Next Time-Kyle

June Show and Tell

I love looking through my quilts to find ones to share each month.

June is the beginning of summer and has some special calendar dates.

This 30's butterfly quilt is a picture of the lazy days of summer.

I bought this quilt about 15 years ago at a garage sale.

It is well loved, very soft, and many of the fabrics are shredding,

but the quilting is lovely and the fabrics are fun.

The butterflies are funky and chunky.

One special date in June is my anniversary.  

June 9th, 1973

To celebrate our 25th anniversary I completed this quilt.

The Single Wedding Ring, 1998

This quilt began as a group project with a quilt group I 

belonged to, "The Wild Geese Quilters".

Each month a member gave the group a block to construct.  

At the next meeting we would bring the block back and 

she would do something exciting with them.

 I gave everyone this block to do.

Group projects came always be a challenge.

Everyone's interpretation of a quarter inch can be slightly different.

With a bit of tweaking, I got the blocks together.

It may be hard to see the quilting, but I hand quilted the whole thing!

Lots of feathers and grid lines.

Another date that comes up in June, is my birthday.

About 12 years ago in another quilt group called "the Pinheads",

  we began a wonderful tradition

of making a "Happy 50th Birthday Quilt" for

each member as they celebrate their special birthday.

This is my birthday quilt. 2000

The block is called the crow's feet.

We have used the same block patter for eveyone's quilt.

My quilt has a contemporary look with the red, black, and white colors,

but the fabrics themselves are reproductions and shirtings.

 Right up my alley.

 It was a wonderful gift from some very special friends.

We have used the same pattern for everyone's quilt, which has made it fun.

We have one more birthday to celebrate, Julie!

 Quilts are a great reminder of special events and friendships.

Until Next Time-Kyle