January, 2013 Getting It Done

Midnight will be the start of a new year. In the new year, I plan to participate in the 2013 "Getting It Done" at the Patchwork Times website. On the last day of the month we are to list four things we would like to get done during the next month.

For January 2013 I have listed five items I hope to complete:

• Machine quilt Brenda's quilt
• Complete Easy Street pieced top
• Piece and quilt the NY Sit & Sew QOV quilt 
• Complete black & white Nancy Crow class project (this will fulfill my Crossing Borders challenge for January).
• Pine Tree table runner 

Hop over to Patchwork Times to see what others have decided to work on:
http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/12/31/january-2013-getting-it-done/

Have a "Quilty" New Year!!

Beth

Last Stash Report for 2012

Used since last report:        0.00 yards
Used year to Date:              80.545 yards

Added since last report:     25.75 yards
Added Year to Date:           101.375 yards

Net Used for 2012:             -20.83 yards

Well, I did not end the year in the black but I think I didn't do just too bad compared to other years. "Thousands of Bolts" web site did me in with the great prices. Most of the fabrics that I purchased are designated for projects, not just impulse buying.  Course, if I had completely completed more projects so I could count the yardage used, they would have put me in the black. Oh well, that should help me in 2013!!  LOL

The white with the squiggles, is three yards of an extra wide fabric for the back of my "Dotty Dresden Plate" quilt. The red is five yards of a wonderful Moda Bella Solid that I wanted for several of Bonnie Hunter's quilts that are in the planning stage. I added the white on black dots and black on white dots (not shown) for another quilt using dots. I thought the blue would work for my "Blue Ridge Beauty" but --  does't do the trick.. It will work great for a future QOV quilt since it has a generic design

.

I have completed all parts for Easy Street and am impatiently waiting for the next step.

Hop over and check out the rest of the stash reporters at Patchwork Times: 

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/12/29/stash-report-week-52-2012/

Beth

Journal Focus

Another Christmas has passed and soon a new year will arrive. It has been a fun year of starting a blog and following other blogs. It has also been so easy to spend a lot of time looking at so many wonderful blogs that are on the internet. Now it is time for me to get back to my original purpose of blogging. I have not done a very good job of keeping a journal or diary of my quilting journey or of taking pictures of early quilts. When I have tried hand writing a journal, it ends up being messy with erasing and scribbling, which drives me batty!!  ;>)  Writing on the computer is so much easier. I can just delete if it gets too messy and rewrite.  LOL

The first quilt that I am going to feature is one that I made 30+ years ago. It is a crazy patch, foundation pieced on old pieces of sheets, had a polyester batting, flannel backing, tied, and is queen size. Some of the fabrics are from my Grandmother and were probably from the 30's. They did not stand up to the constant use this quilt had. The quilt is getting quite raggedy and the polyester batting has migrated out until there is no longer any batting left in it. My children liked looking at this quilt as they were growing up because it featured fabrics from clothing that I made for them, as well as, myself. There is even fabric from maternity tops that I wore. Some fabric scraps were also from a local sewing factory where they sewed sleepwear.

I really enjoy seeing new quilters using many of the old techniques but I also love many of the new ideas that are being presented. Since many quilters are now going green, they are also bringing back many of the old practices.

My mother-in-law was practicing going green long before anyone knew what that was. Being raised in the depression I am sure had a huge impact on her. She used to bring home the old wool suits left over from the church rummage sales. She would then take them all apart, hand wash the wool, and sew them into either crazy patch or log cabin quilts. The quilts were warm and heavy. Some had feather stitching on them. My husband still remembers the weight of the quilts that he slept under while he was growing up, especially since there was no heat in the upstairs bedrooms during the cold Minnesota winters.

My mother-in-law's quilts saved my life (at least I firmly believe this). When my husband and I were engaged, I used to come up from Minneapolis to the farm on the weekends. I slept on the fold-down couch in the living room. During an extremely cold weekend (30 degrees F. below zero), the front door to the living room blew open. The heat always died down during the night in the wood furnace, so it would get very cold in the house and was even more cold with the door open. Since I was cold, I just burrowed down under those wool quilts a little further and went back to sleep. Sometime during the morning when my mother-in-law got up, she closed the door, and started the wood furnace. Then she packed jars of warm water around me to warm me up. I never woke up for any of this activity. Hypothermia may have already started to set in but all those wool quilts piled on me I firmly believe saved me. This happened 45 years ago. This incident started my appreciation for quilts. I am only sorry that I do not have one of those old wool quilts.

The end of every year starts a thought process of what do I want to accomplish in the coming year. The last year did not have a strong focus and I ended up going in a lot of different directions. UFO's will be part of my focus, but I would like to focus also on the challenges that our contemporary quilt group, Crossing Borders, has identified for the coming year. Stash reduction is also a focus. Well, still thinking!!

Beth

Design Wall Monday

I am so impatiently waiting for my copy of  Victoria Findlay Wolfe's book "15 MINUTES OF PLAY". I received a card and a note from Victoria today, informing me that C&T will be sending me a copy. Since I have been following her blog for a while, it is doubly thrilling to win her book. Yippee!!!!

Well, my Dotty Dresden Plate quilt has progressed to the last border. Oh sigh --- I had to go buy some fabric for the last border. Originally, it was going to be a pieced border alternating between white on black, and black on white with dresden plates in the corners. It just did not look right, so Iaid it out with just a black on white fabric and it looked much better. The two black borders with the colorful squares has been sewn on since this picture was taken (the quilt is folded in quarters since it is so large). I found a white on black fabric that repeats one of the fabrics used in the background of the dresden blocks and will work very well for the outer border. Now I just need to cut the border pieces and sew them on. It is such a happy quilt but quite large. 

Easy Street is progressing quite nicely. I have completed part two, have half of part three sewn, and all of part four cut. We have Sew-Sew Monday at a quilt shop in St. Cloud and I hope to catch up with all the parts. Can't wait for part five!!  Getting a little impatient and I should be doing other things. 

We will be having our family Christmas on Sunday, so I need to get the shopping, cooking, and cleaning done. Oh how we set ourselves up!!  Procrastination has done it's job so well again. LOL

Check out Judy's Patchwork Times,  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/12/17/design-wall-december-17-2012/ to see what others are working on.

Merry Christmas to all!!

Beth

Stash Report

Used since last report:        4.15 yards
Used year to Date:              80.545 yards

Added since last report:     6.92 yards
Added Year to Date:           75.625 yards

Net Used for 2012:               4.92 yards

WooHoo!!! I am still in the black and hopefully I will be able to end the year in the black. Course, there are all those sales that come up for New Years!!!  Guess we will just have to wait and see. Maybe I'll get a large size quilt quilted and bound, then I will be able to report a large number of yards used --- then I can add to my stash and still be in the black. Sounds like a plan to me --  Very very big grin.  ;>)

If I reported yarn, I used a couple of skeins making a Christmas present. I managed to actually start and finish a knit project in one month. Wow --- that is a record and should be marked on the calendar. The project is a circular cowl scarf that can be worn around the neck like a necklace or pulled up over the head like a hood in cold weather and the yarn is so nice and soft. I think I need to knit one for myself. The colors are much prettier in person and the pattern is lovely.

My youngest granddaughter, Hannah, had a birthday this month and I made her some pillowcases. She likes blue and purple and it would have been nice if I could have found a cute novelty fabric in those colors. I hope she likes the fabric I used. The colors in the pillowcases are close to the colors being used in Bonnie Hunter's "Easy Street" mystery. I have a sneaking hunch that the Easy Street quilt will make a great graduation quilt for Hannah.

Finally finished a table runner for my daughter, Natalie, and her husband for a housewarming gift. They moved last May and the top was completed at Spring retreat, but I didn't get it quilted until now. Is that procrastination or what ???? The pattern is by a good friend of mine. It is a long table runner - 70" and the colors are perfect for Natalie and Norm's house.

Last Sunday, my youngest daughter, Brenda, had a cookie party. Due to the incoming snow storm, I traveled down to Minneapolis on Saturday. Good thing because I would not have been able to drive the distance on Sunday. The party was a lot of fun and I met two more of her friends.. Due to the all the snow, there were only six of us all totaled. Brenda coordinates all the baking recipes and supplies and others contribute some money, snacks and/or drink. 

Jason is decorating the lemon bells and Sarah Jo (in the background and below) is making pretzel sticks dipped in chocolate and Heath brickle. They are called "Crack Sticks" and are extremely addicting.  (I love Brenda's blue cabinet in the back. She bought it just this fall and it is adorable in her condo.) 

Sarah Pierce is mixing up pumpkin cookies and Bart is holding down the fort in between cookie jobs. I did not get a picture of Brenda - Duh!!

The freeways on Monday were horrible coming out of Minneapolis and most of the rest of the way home. The snow had built up into rough ice conditions and some of the crazy drivers didn't help the situation.  Since it was the first large snowfall of the season (over 12"), people have not been practicing their winter driving skills. Oh well!! I just took my time and left plenty of space between me and the vehicle ahead of me. When I arrived home, it was so beautiful and a regular winter wonderland. I love winter (except for some of the driving).

Hop over and check out the rest of the stash reporters at Patchwork Times: 

http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/12/16/stash-report-week-50-2012/

Beth

I'm A Winner

Wow!!  I just found out that I have won a copy of Victoria Findlay Wolfe's book "15 MINUTES OF PLAY". That is absolutely awesome. I never win anything in drawings, so it is great to win something that I will actually enjoy. Thank you Victoria!

Beth

Easy Street

Yaaaaa!  Finished pressing my 4-patches during Quilt Cam on Sunday afternoon. I even have six extra blocks. Do we have any guesses of where these will be used???

Check out Quiltville to see how the others are doing:    http://quiltville.blogspot.ca/2012/11/easy-street-monday-link-up-1.html

Beth

Stash Report

Used since last report:        0.00 yards
Used year to Date:              76.395 yards

Added since last report:     0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:           68.705 yards

Net Used for 2012:               7.69 yards

No additions or deletions!!  Sigh!!  Projects do need to be completed before Christmas, so hopefully some stash reduction will soon take place. Time to also work on the UFO list for 2013. I was not too successful this year. Too many large projects on the list. For 2013, I have put small projects on the list as well as some large ones. Hopefully I will be more successful next year at reducing some of the many, many, many UFO's around the house. (For all you Turtles out there who are worried about how long it takes you before you get some projects done -- I know that I have UFO's that are so OLD, they have grown mold and hopefully disintegrated into "time and space" never to be seen again! VBG

I am working on the mystery, Easy Street, by Bonnie K. Hunter. These mysteries are just too much fun not to take part. This is the second mystery of hers that I have participated in. Last year we did Orca Bay. The top is pieced but I have yet to quilt it. 

Chain piecing 2" strips for Easy Street

Chain piecing the two-patches into 4-patches.  After pressing, they are so cute!!

Pressing all those 192 4-patches

Yes, yes -- I have the 4-patches for Easy Street all sewn!!! Just need to finish pressing (while watching Bonnie on QuiltCam this afternoon at   http://quiltville.blogspot.com/.   Hopefully, I can keep up this year. 

Hop over and check out the rest of the stash reporters at Patchwork Times: http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/11/25/stash-report-week-47-2012/

Beth

Stash Report

Used since last report:        0.00 yards
Used year to Date:              76.395 yards

Added since last report:     4.59 yards
Added Year to Date:           68.705 yards

Net Used for 2012:               7.69 yards

Since I was not completely happy with the gray fabric I had bought last week for the Easy Street Mystery I added a different gray fabric that I like much better. The first fabric will not go to waste!!  LOL I think I will use it to piece the backing for the Dotty Dresden Plate quilt I am currently working on. Of course, I just  had to "enhance" my white with black fabrics while in the quilt shoop!!! VBG 

The gap is starting to close between used and added. Guess I had better get my "buns" in gear and finish quilting some items so that fabric used can get reported.  LOL

Hop over to Judy's "Patchwork Times" to see how others are doing with their stash report: http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/11/11/stash-report-week-45-2012/

 Beth

Design Wall Monday

Dotty Dresden Plate

While on retreat, I machine appliqued the plates onto their background squares. It was fun to see the reaction from the other quilters at the retreat. It is just such a fun cheerful quilt and can't wait to finish it.

 

When I got home from the retreat, the blocks were squared up to 16 1/2 inches and then sewn together. Now it is time for borders.

 

 

Also, while on retreat I worked on Bonnie Hunter's "Blue Ridge Beauty." Only have 51 more four-patches to sew. Would you believe I ran out of enough cut strips to finish sewing the four-patches?? Here I thought I was well prepared for this retreat. All the pieces are in the Wal-Mart cake carrier that was discussed on Bonnie's site. I love these carriers. It holds all the pieces for a large quilt with room to spare.

 

Getting ready for Bonnie's "Easy Street" mystery, has kept me busy for the last day. Here are most of the fabris that have been pulled. Can you feel the excitement building?? November 23 can't come too soon.

 

Check out http://quiltville.blogspot.com/p/easy-street-mystery.html to see what all the excitement is about.

 

 

I still need to finish pulling my white with black fabrics. The fabrics look so fun together.

 

Check out Judy's Patchwork Times, http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/11/05/design-wall-monday-november-5-2012/ to see what others are working on.

Beth

 

 

Stash Report

Used since last report:      0.00 yards
Used year to Date:            76.395 yards

Added since last report:    5.50 yards
Added Year to Date:        64.115 yards

Net Used for 2012:          12.28 yards

I went shopping this afternoon for fabrics to add to Bonnie Hunter's new mystery, Easy Street, that will start on November 23. The shop was having a 30% off sale, so of course, that justifies the purchase - Right?  Even though I shopped mostly my stash, of course, I needed additions. VBG!!!
This is what I had. The stripe had the perfect colors, so I used it to pull my colors together. Not sure I will be able to use it, but sometimes even I am surprised what I find when I shop my own stash. LOL

. 

This is what I added.

This is what the collection looks like when all put together. I will be pulling more white with black prints. Not concerned about them because I have plenty.

I did buy a couple of other fat quarters - "just because!"

Last weekend, friends and I were on a great retreat. It started out a little rocky because the heat did not work in the lodge where we were to sleep. Finally they found the problem and the place heated up very quickly, but all of us scrambled for any extra blankets or quilts we had in our vehicles. Quilters are always prepared!!!  The lodge where we slept was very nice.

Here are pictures of our sewing area. That is my friend, Mary, waving from way in the back. The sewing area was in a different building from the sleeping area, but it was nice to step outside and get some fresh air. We shared the sewing area with scrapbookers. There is a large screen on the one end and they show fun "chick flick" movies. Also, we did not have to cook. So besides the dedicated sewing time. there were no chores and lots of visiting. 

Darlene finished a cute Christmas "flimsie." 

Mary finished the binding on this quilt. It is for donation to one our guild service projects.

I finished the machine applique of the Dresden Plates at retreat and worked on Bonnie Hunter's "Blue Ridge Beauty." Would you believe that I again did not have enough fabric to finish sewing all the components? This quilt top was started at spring retreat. Maybe next spring, it will get done.

Hope over to Judy's "Patchwork Times" to see how others are doing with their stash report.  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/11/04/stash-report-week-44-2012/

Beth

Design Wall Monday

WooHoo!!!!  I am getting ready to go to retreat.  Lots of friends, no cooking, no cleaning, and only going to work on my own projects. WHAT MORE COULD A GAL ASK FOR????

I have all of my Dresden Plate blocks ready for applique and I absolutely love it. My friend, Maureen, was here today and thought it was awesome and she usually only likes more traditional projects. So I guess it is going to pass the muster. This project is going on retreat with me.

The other projects that I am taking with me is a diamond string pieced quilt (great mindless sewing), Scrappy Bargello & Blue Ridge Beauty by Bonnie K. Hunter. The WalMart cake carriers are great for organizing all the pieces and fabric for each project. Hopefully this will be enough projects to keep me busy. At the spring retreat, I almost ran out of projects to work on. Couldn't believe this would ever happen, so "YES" it is possible to not have enough along to work on. LOL Have to make sure that never happens again, especially when I am so well supplied with UFO's. (Very, very big grin)

Well, hopefully there will be a lot of progress to show next Monday. Until then, to see what others are doing, hop over to Judy's Patchwork Times: http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/10/22/design-wall-october-22-2012/

Beth

Stash Report

No change to report!!!       VBG

Used since last report:      0.00 yards
Used year to Date:            76.395 yards

Added since last report:    0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:        58.615 yards

Net Used for 2012:           17.78 yards

Next week I go on retreat at Bug-Bee Hive. Isn't that a fun name? It is a very nice facility and they feed us. That is  one of the best features because I do not have to do cooking or cleanup. Yaaaaaa!!!!  I also like that we just work on our own projects because I do not need anymore UFO's started. In fact, I plan to work on two of my items on the 2012 UFO list while there. It is amazing how much sewing is done at retreat. I know I am terrible about remembering to take pictures, so I will try very hard to remember to take some. 

Hop over to Patchwork Times and see what others have on their stash report- http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/10/21/stash-report-week-42-2012/

Beth

Design Wall Monday

The last week has been an uneventful sewing week. The first week of every month has a majority of my club meetings and then not a lot is happening for the rest of the month. This month our quilt guild actually meets on the second Thursday, instead of the first Thursday, due to a scheduling conflict at the church. It is nice when the events are spread out over the month.

There was no stash report on Sunday, since there was not change, but I have been working on two quilts. One is actually on my UFO list and one is a new project -- "I just had to do it project!!!"   Very big grin ;>)

The quilt on the left, I designed a couple of years ago and just never finished it. It is called, "Black, White, and Bright." All of the red and black sections are pieced, I still have the white, black and colored nine-patch to finish piecing.

I saw a picture someplace for a dresden plate done with dotted fabrics and I "just had to do one!"  One-third of the plates are pieced and ready to be appliqued onto the backgrounds. I have another one-third of the plates ready to be pieced. The points are a great TV project since they are the most tedious part of doing the plates. I hope to have all of the plates pieced this week and then they can be placed onto their background squares. Since I have a retreat at the end of this month, I plan to do the machine applique at the retreat. Of course, there will be a few other projects taken along. After all, I don't want to run short of things to do!  LOL

Hop over to Patchwork Times and see what others have on their design wall - http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/10/08/design-wall-monday-october-8-2012/

Beth

Stash Report

Again ---- NO Change

The last few weeks have not had a lot happening in the sewing room. No additions or deletions to the stash.

Used since last report:      0.00 yards
Used year to Date:            76.395 yards

Added since last report:    0.00 yards
Added Year to Date:        58.615 yards

Net Used for 2012:           17.78 yards

Oh well!! I did get the bedroom painted, cleaned, and rearranged. Relatives had come to visit. Finished machine quilting a quilt for my friend Mary. Cut and sent off my swap strips for October. Made a trip to Fargo ND for a quilt show and a "Tables du Jour" luncheon. My daughter, Natalie, decorates two tables each year for the luncheon and it is too much fun to miss.

Natalie with one of her decorated tables

Last Monday was a sewing day with my friend Maureen. She sewed half-square triangles that people have given her and I sewed on these blocks that have been in my UFO pile for a while.

Since Monday, I have had a terrible cold. Even my Zicam did not alleviate the symptoms. When I have a cold I have learned not to sew because I make just too many mistakes and then have to "unsew". Today I finally feel human. 

While I have had this cold, I have enjoyed the view out the window at all the wonderful fall colors.

Since not a lot happening to my stash, you will want to jump over to Judy's Patchwork Times and check out how others are doing.  

  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/09/30/stash-report-week-39-2012/   

Beth

Stash Report

No change to the stash!!!  VBG

It has been another one of those weeks when a lot has not been happening in the sewing arena but it has been a fun week. Haven't enhanced or deducted from the stash.

On Tuesday, bowling started and then after bowling I went to machine embroidery club. After club, my friend, Maureen, and I went over to another friend, Mary,  for coffee and to see her sewing area. I just knew that she would have a very organized area and she does!!  Mary has very little stash and everything else is organized in nice pretty boxes. Her ironing station has a dresser for storage under it. Every thing is nice neat. Too bad a little of that wouldn't rub off on me.  LOL

Mary asked me to quilt a charity quilt and I do have it loaded on the frame and have made several passes but haven't finished quilting it. I am only quilting an all-over design on it.

On Wednesday, I went for my back treatment and physical theraply. Since it is 100 miles round trip for my treatments, it seems like it spoils the whole day. At least I am down to only one trip per week, and my back is getting better.

Friday, my hubby and I decided to do a day road trip to northern Minnesota. Due to road construction, we had to take a back route and I thought it was very nice but hubby always likes the freeway. LOL  Seems like sometimes he just gets to driving and forgets to take the time to smell the roses.

My Hummingbirds are feeding like crazy. I imagine one of these days they will be gone until next year. Think I need to put up another feeder next year.  They are so much fun to watch.

Hop over to Patchwork Times and check out how others are progressing. http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/09/09/stash-report-week-36-2012/

 Beth

Design Wall Monday

September is here and it is time to get back into quilting mode. This summer I have not done a lot of sewing of any kind but as the cool fall weather starts to settle in, I get more energetic. The trees are already starting to turn colors and lose their leaves. The Hummingbirds are feeding in a frenzy, so I suppose my little buddies will soon be gone. They are so much fun to watch, especially since they are right outside my sewing room window.

This is the first time I have put something on "Design Wall Monday." I thought I would share since I had so much fun collecting more dots for my "Dotty" Dresden Plate quilt and I have a sample block ready to be appliqued. All of the black and white background squares have been cut and have been assigned their designated locations. I used both dotty and geometric for the background squares.

Most of the 600 blades have been cut. Thought I would wait until the majority of the blocks are done before cutting the last 30 blades, that way I will be able to see what fabrics need to be added. I think I will wait to start machine appliqueing these down, as they may move around onto different background squares.

 

Most of the stack of dotty fabrics were in my stash, other than the ones I reported in my stash report. All of the black and white fabrics were from my stash but it doesn't seem like I made a dent even though I will be using over five yards.

 

This is what the leftover stack of dotty fabrics still looks like. These are only the ones that I used, not the ones that I didn't use!!  ;>)  Have to admit that after working for eight years in a very large quilt shop, my stash grew a lot in that time. My fabric 401K is quite extensive.  (Very large Grin!!!)

 

 Check out what others are doing at Judy's Patchwork Times:  http://www.patchworktimes.com/2012/09/03/design-wall-monday-september-3-2012/

 

Beth

Stash Report

Used since last report:      0.00 yards
Used year to Date:            76.395 yards

Added since last report:     4.625 yards
Added Year to Date:        58.615yards

Net Used for 2012:           17.78yards

This week all will power flew out the window. I did a very nice job of "Stash Enhancement." Honestly ---- I only went into the quilt shops looking for a few dot fabrics with light background for a "dotty" dresden plate quilt on black and white prints that I plan to make. I was only going to get a couple of FQ's. Well, at the first shop I only found these:

Since I was not completely happy with the four FQ's I found, I then proceeded onto the next quilt shop. Wow, they had a lot of wonderful dot fabrics with light background and I just couldn't resist them. I did put some back. Aren't the following fun??? Notice I did break down and buy several that did not fit the criteria of light background.

This little fat eight just looked so cute and lonely I had to buy that as well.

The amount of fabric that is needed for all the blades of the dresden plates is approximately five yards. Notice - I bought 4 5/8th yards. I do not even want to mention how many dot fabrics I already had. Once I started going through my overly generous supply of fabrics, it was amazing how many dot fabrics were already part of the stash. The stack is quite tall.  :>)   How many quilts can I make using dot fabrics?? Ideas!!

 



I do have a quilt loaded on the frame for machine quilting, but since it is a charity quilt that I am quilting for a friend, I do not get any credit for fabric used or donated.

 

Make sure you stop by Judy's website, http://www.patchworktimes.com/, to see how others have been doing.

Beth

 

Stash Report, B-Day Party & Retreat

Used since last report:                   0.00  yards
Used year to Date:                       76.395 yards

Added since last report:                 2.875 yards
Added Year to Date:                   53.99 yards

Net Used for 2012:                        22.405 yards

It has been a month since my last report. My-O-My, where has time gone? This summer has flown by so fast.

I signed up for a washed strip swap of reds on Quiltville swaps and of course I had to add some fabrics just to make a nice assortment. They were on sale, so I feel completely justified. LOL

While I was waiting for these lovely fabrics to be cut, I spotted some cute fat-eights. My will power faded and I bought these cute ones!!!! They even had them folded so enticingly.  

When I wasn't buying fabric, we had some family events over the last couple of weeks. My Mother-in-Law celebrated her 100th Birthday. She looks pretty good for being 100 years young. Sixteen of the family members from Alaska came down for her birthday, as well as, some from California, Missouri, Arizona, and Utah. This picture is of my family. We were missing four of the grandchildren.

From left to right: Brenda (my youngest daughter), Wayne (my hubby), Me, Byron (my oldest child), Hannah (Byron's daughter), Natalie (middle child), and Norman (Natalie's hubby). In the front is my Mother-in-Law, Pearl. 

This last week, four friends and I were on a retreat. We had a lot of fun and it is always a good time to get some projects done. 

Darlene finished this cute little barn quilt top. There were a few unkind words used while she was sewing it. LOL  The directions were horrible but she managed to get it done. Doesn't she have the cutest smile?

I worked on some calendar table runners. This watermelon one is all ready to be stitched around. A runner for January has been started also and most of the appliques have been cut out. Retreat was a good time to do tedious tracing and cutting of appliques because we talked, ate, sewed, talked, and ate some more.

Beth