Thursday, June 25, 2015

When Jupiter Aligns With Mars

 Yesterday was just one of those days.
No, no, not a bad day,
but a day where things went perfectly.

One of my favorite songs in 1969
was by the 5th Dimension,
Aquarius, Let the Sunshine In.
Anyone remember that?




 "When the moon is in the seventh house
And Jupiter aligns with Mars
And peace will guide the planets
And love will steer the stars"

It was a rockin' good day.
Everything was perfectly aligned.
I had a beautiful start
Photo by Jessica Redente Wolfe
when one of my favorite helpers came to play.
Then in the afternoon I simply
seemed to flow from one project to another
in a perfect rhythm.

I finished hand quilting
Mountmellick.

I had already made the binding and
decided there was no reason to wait sewing it on.


Oh, my gosh.
I'm so close to being done with this
mystery quilt designed by Di Ford 
that started in 2014.

The planets stayed aligned
and I knew there was no better time
to start the free embroidery pattern, "3 Cheers", that
 Crabapple Hill had published last week.
I decided to enlarge the pattern and 
will probably make it into a pillow.

It's a sweet design that reminds me of
simpler times of decorating our bikes and riding them
in the 4th of July parades back home
in Michigan where I grew up.

Meg's pattern shares
a successful way of using crayons
with your embroidery.
First, heavily color the areas 
that you're going to color with white crayon
and then add the colored crayons on top.  It makes the 
wax and colors smoother when
you use the iron to melt it into the fabric.

Also a reminder 
you have today and tomorrow 
to leave a comment in my post
Why?
Because you could win
one of these awesome fabric baskets
to help me celebrate.
 
 Everyone needs a basket
and one of these could be yours.

The day ended with a summer music concert
over at Colorado State University.
 It was simply a day to 
"Let the Sunshine In."


Until Next Time-

Monday, June 22, 2015

Happy Birthday To You Too!

 I had a birthday last week.

It was one of those birthdays!
A big one.

It's the birthday where the government sends 
you a red, white and blue card.
And now you're
in the health care system along with
all the other baby boomers.

But who cares when you have
this kind of lovin'
In order to soften the blow
just have a party.
 Chantilly Cake from Whole Foods

I also need you to help me celebrate.
I have a couple of gifts I'd like 
to share with three of my fantastic blog readers.

Remember all those baskets I 
was sewing?
Well, one of them could be yours.


Happy Birthday #1


Happy Birthday #2

Happy Birthday #3

Just leave a comment 
sharing what's your favorite 
birthday dessert or favorite way to celebrate
and your name will go into the drawing.
Running Man will be randomly drawing three names,
#1 = basket #1
#2 = basket #2
#3 = basket #3
this coming Friday, June 26th at
the end of the day.

Make sure you leave an email
if you're a no reply blogger.

Nothing could be sweeter

than spending this special time
with those who love you the most.


Until Next Time-

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Influnced by Linda Brannock

 Recently I became aware that 
quilt designer and Moda fabric designer,
 Linda Brannock,
had passed away.
Barbara Brackman had written a 
nice blog tribute to Linda and her
contributions to the quilting world.

I never had the opportunity to take a class
from Linda or meet her,
but her designs and fabrics
have influenced my quilts over the years

Snowbound, 1990
When she and Gerry Kimmel and Jan Patek
published their book, Snowbound, in 1989
I was hooked.

Snowbound was a class that I taught many
times at my local quilt shop.
 Everyone always enjoyed adding details to 
 the children to make the quilt their own.
 It was an incredibly fun quilt to make.

Her primitive look was so refreshing
and casual.
It was so new at the time.

 Stars Within Hearts
1991
 
The aged colors and fabric patterns gave a warmth
and mellowed look
to all her design.


Lone Cabin
1994

The puzzle type or asymmetrical composition of the blocks
almost seemed revolutionary for a sampler.


Scrappy was also a key component.  Old quilting 
rules were abandoned.  Matchy was not necessary.
The more fabrics, the merrier.

 Jonah
1993

Looking at these quilts today
the scrappiness is
pretty conservative in comparison to
what people do today.


Hand applique seemed to be her preferred method
to achieve the slightly
more primitive look.


Quilters were always encouraged in her books
to create our very own one-of-a-kind quilt.

My girls always thought Jonah resembled
Running Man and he did, kind of,
 minus the grey at the time.

 Pepper, Kitty
1995

Plaids, strips, and prints all got used together
with these friendly Halloween kitties.


I've always loved her folk art style and

it has and will continue to
be a special part of my quilting journey.

Thanks, Linda.

Until Next Time-

Monday, June 15, 2015

Babies At Our House

 We've become parents again.

What?#!

Take a look at this Smilebox
and see what we've been enjoying.
Some of the pictures are a bit fuzzy.
We tried to keep our distance.
Enjoy!

 
Click to play this Smilebox slideshow
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 Until Next Time-

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Sewing On the Move

 I discovered on our recent road trip
 that I was able to sew while riding in the car.

Now to many of you, you're thinking, what's the big deal,
but for me this is revolutionary.

I've never been able to do anything in the car
except look forward and
 try not to be a back seat driver.

For the past several years though, while flying,
I've been wearing these wrist sea-bands.

They work by applying pressure to the
acupuncture point on the wrists
that control motion sickness.

I've always been hesitant to try them
and then sew in the car.
I didn't want to ruin a good road trip,
but this time I thought, what the heck,
and Eureka!
  I could actually stitch while moving.

And look what I was able to finish.
I was able to applique all the leaves in the last
vine border to this quilt.
It's the quilt I made
 using the swapped nine patch blocks
that Barb had organize a while back.

 I couldn't believe what I was able to do.

Granted,
it was only when it was highway driving,
but it felt so good to be able to
use that time in a productive way.
I'm sure hoping that it will work again.
I feel so liberated!

Until Next Time-

Friday, June 5, 2015

Watch Out for the Snail

 When we lived in California
a long time ago,
we would sometimes find hundreds of snails

crossing our driveway in the evening.
It would be rather creepy.
So I don't have an enduring love affair with snails.

But over the weekend,
Running Man was practicing his welding skills and
made the cutest snail for the garden.

No slime left behind by this one.
Thank goodness.
This achatinoidea is about 2 feet tall.

 Quirky, for sure, but cute just the same.
Until Next time

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Wonderul and Unique

 Oh, give me a home
where the buffalo roam


 And the geysers spout water all day,

Where Old Faithful displays
a consistent hot water spray

And the grizzles might frighten you away.
(sung to the tune of Home on the Range)

Running Man and I have been traveling again.
This time we headed north into Wyoming to
visit Teton National Park

 and, of course,
Yellowstone National Park


with beautiful 

gorgeous scenery everywhere.

Yellowstone was established in 1872
as America's first national park

Around each curve there is
scenery more breathtaking


 and more unusual
than before.

We stayed at the Snow Lodge which is next door 
to the 
 Grande Dame,

the Old Faithful Inn,
which opened in 1904.

 Here's the lobby, with its massive 4 sided fireplace

and if you look up
there's even a tree house.

We had a great time.


(note the winter coats)

Hope your travels take you someplace wonderful and unique.


Until Next Time-