Sneak Peaks at Quiltmaking

 Last Saturday was our monthly quilt-together for our Victory Prayer Quilts group at church.  It was a busy day because it was also Prom Day for Sweet Teen.  Here's what happened on the quilting front:

 I began piecing these at our quilt group a month or two ago.  Then I couldn't remember how I had planned to set them together....So I started something new....

 These were in our fabric stash at church.  Since we are in need of more quilts with a masculine flavor, I began piecing snowballs.

 I just finished ironing this third set this morning.  I'm hoping I'll have enough of the grape leaves print for a border.

 I chose another of Judy's quilts to bring home for quilting.  I am so appreciative of the fact that she has it layered and ready for quilting.

 I also have these three pieces of batik from Kokopelli Quilts/Southwest Decoratives to use in an upcoming block exchange with my Treadle On group.  I just can't decide if they are a neutral or a focus fabric.  Maybe I'll know after they are washed. (These southwestern batiks were dyed especially for Kokopelli Quilts.  Lovely fabrics; available in more colorways than I chose.)

Sweet Teen is in Washington, DC competing with her team/representing New Mexico in the We, The People competition.  She'll also get to do some sightseeing.  So, I'm trying to concentrate on quiltmaking this weekend since there has been so little time for that.  I have a little less than four weeks until the school year is over, so I'm trying to work efficiently and not get stressed by all the end of the school year stuff special ed teachers have to do.  I'm not being terribly successful with the "Stay Calm and Carry On" aspects.  Also, we still have to make college decisions.  Quiltmaking seems like wise therapy.

Happy quiltmaking....

More Landmarks in Life

This girl dressed up for Senior Prom--held in the big city (relatively speaking) this year.  No, I didn't get to see her dressed like this--a friend's mom did take pictures.  And Sweet Teen did try to take one with her phone and send it to me--it never came, although her phone insisted hours later that it was still sending!

Next landmark--very early morning rising so she can board a plane at 5:30 a.m. to go visit a college in Mt. Vernon, Iowa--just over 1,000 miles from home.  Then later this week, barely hours after she returns from Iowa, she'll board another plane, this time for Washington, DC so her high school civics class can take part in the national We The People competition, because they won the state competition.

Of course, I'll be hoping to get some sleep to make up for the early risings!  Also hoping to finish some cutting and piecing of prayer quilts that I worked on when our church's prayer quilt ministry met Saturday morning. I'm pretty sure that in just a few months I'm going to be struggling to keep my mind off missing this girl!

Happy quiltmaking.....

What Was On the Bed - Again

Here's what was on the bed last week:

 This is a very simple Double Nine Patch--in the traditional sense of the title.  This one is set with alternating plain blocks.
Beginning quilters need to be aware that we can make really nice quilts from simple designs.  Furthermore, if we love the quilting part,  those simple quilts can become truly spectacular!

 Yes, it says it was finished in 1990....but it was begun several years earlier.

 One of the fun things about making this quilt was all the color changes in the quilting.

I also enjoyed the double diagonal lines in the background--inspired by quilting in antique quilts. 

 Also signed with a monogram...used to replace the hearts that are the other blocks.

 I also changed the color of the hand quilting thread from block to block. 

 Back then I used Mettler 100% cotton hand quilting thread.

These are a couple of vintage pillowcases with hand crocheted lace.  I found them somewhere as singles.

I'm thinking there are two main reasons for so many single pillow cases that have survived.  One is that sometimes women started making a pair and just never finished the second. The other reason is that one wore out faster than the other.  I know that on the farm, my dad's pillowcase always wore out faster than my mom's.  She said it was because  he did so much welding that there were always chemicals left in his hair, and over time they caused the fibers to deteriorate faster....I'm guessing there may well have been a lot of truth in that!

Happy quiltmaking....

She's All Grown Up....How Fleeting Are the Years!

Much too quickly, she's grown up!

 About 13 or 14 months old--dressed in the emperor's yellow...

 At three (or shortly before) in David Cleary's garden, where birds would walk right up to her.

I love this one, but in most of those against the black background her gorgeous hair and the black just melted together.

This is one of her favorites.

My baby sister, Katherine, is a photographer near Houston, TX; but that's way too far away, so we went to Portrait Innovations in Albuquerque.  We had a wonderful photographer, and we had our photographs about a half hour after her sitting.

It's hard for me not to get tearful looking at these.  I'm so grateful God matched us and that she is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside.

Happy quiltmaking.....