I'm Back

Back with more exciting day-by-day accounts of my life, witty stories, and outstanding pictures.

Well maybe just back with whatever I can find to record. It gets really hard to find something special in every day, and sometimes I don't. Other times, I do but just don't want to talk about it.

January is a hard month for me. I just don't do well in cold weather. There is this to remind me how spring smells.

I've spent several mornings the past 2 weeks working on Isley's quilt. The fun part is over, and now it's breath-holding time, hoping all those little squares line up enough to put together. Precision is not a word I think of when I think of my "skills," and for that reason I can't believe I like quilting so much. Because it takes it. If your seams are off just a millimeter, you pay for it when you start to put things together.

So first thing I did was join each square with 2 bindings. The pink one on the front I top-stitched with my machine. It's not as easy as it looks. Frankly, it's quite hard to stay right on the edge and not run off. Which I did a few times.


When that was done, I turned it to the other side and stitched the green bindings down. You can't do this on the machine because it would show on the pink side, and no one, even the most precise person, could match those seams. Each one had to be sewed by hand, which is kind of nice, but the hard thing is making each one exactly half an inch.


I finished those this morning and trimmed the edges off top and bottom and placed them on the floor. A miracle! Those green bindings all lined up, at least well enough to satisfy me. There are 4 more rows to go, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed they will come out even too.



When I transferred my pictures from my camera to my computer, I noticed that I had 43pictures. I got kind of excited until I remembered what they were.

OR-GAN-I-ZATION.

On several of the blogs I read, the people have been participating in an organization party-like thing where you link your pictures and show what you've done. There are a lot of them where they've turned a coat closet into an office or a craft closet or something to make good use of it.

I'm not sending in any pictures, but I thought it would be interesting (and keep me on track) if I started in the kitchen and took before and after pictures of the things I organize.

The most logical and needed project was the junk drawer. Here it is in all its glory. Where did all this stuff come from? Why do I always have candles and matches in my junk drawer? Maybe it goes back to the days when the children were home, and I would have to always go buy candles for some occasion. I've probably had these same ones for 10 years or more. And what has been cut with those scissors? Looks like gardening shears. Well maybe I have trimmed a few plants with them.


And after. Amazing what was in there that I don't need. The candles made the cut, but a lot of stuff got tossed or put in their correct places.

Working to the right, the gadget drawers. We don't cook too much or use these things a lot, so I'm not sure how they get into such a mess.

A little crowded but more able to find things. I like to do this because it reminds me of what I do have. In case I need to make melon balls any time soon or baste a turkey. Or cut shortening into flour. Right!

I did a few more drawers and a cabinet, but I'll wait until another day for that.

I'll leave with a few before pictures. I'm amazed at how much empty space I have in this kitchen. The storage is wonderful. I just need to organize it.

Then I can start bringing in fabric and craft supplies to fill the shelves! Like this one.

Last of the Quilting Pictures

I meant to get all the pictures up sooner, but I had a national championship to win first.

Not that I watched the game, of course.

I saw the winning field goal kicked while peeking through a crack in the door. TV sound off. Just part of the screen. When I saw a lot of people in orange and blue jumping and screaming, I figured out we had won.

WAR EAGLE.

Nice.

So on to pretty, less stressful things (to some people).

I was fascinated with these tiny little squares that Julie was making.




It turns out that I have the book that these patterns come from. It's called Underground Railroad. There's a nice story behind it, but I'm not sure of the details. It deals with hiding slaves during the Civil War and using various quilt patterns to convey messages. I'll learn more about it when I have more time.

I love sampler quilts because I get bored with doing the same thing over and over, but in the book I wasn't too thrilled with the way the duller greens, browns, and reds looked. Julie used some exciting colors, and it gave me a whole new perspective on it. Especially done in that small scale. Maybe I'll try it. One day.

I believe Judy did this one. It's the first one I saw completed, and it really brightened up the house.


Joan started - and finished - this quilt in a single day - maybe half a day. One minute she was unfolding the fabric, and in no time she was hanging it on the banister. I love the colors and how the stripes are perfect for the borders.

This was not done at the retreat but is just another example of Joan's talents.

According to Sherry's email:
I am sending a picture of quilt that Joan designed and pieced for the Houston Museum here in Chattanooga. She asked me to quilt it for her. There was a big picture of it and an article in the Sunday paper 2 weeks ago, because it is being auctioned off for the museum in Feb. I didn’t even know it was in the paper until a quilting friend called me and told me “your published in the paper”. David had to go dig the paper out of the trash.

Below are 2 quilts done by Michele. The first is from the pattern "Sweet and Simple," designed by Kathy who owns the quilt shop where Sherry works, Lavender Lime. Kathy was fun to be around, but she was on the road with her job most of the time and just dropped in from time to time. I appreciate her including Debby and me in the retreat.

I saw these blocks being done when I would go back and forth to the ironing board or cutting table. I believe they are quilted by built-in software in her machine.

It wasn't until I saw it all together up close that I realized how beautiful it was.

I love the colors and the fabric, which is maybe a cotton sateen, not the normal quilting cotton we usually see.

I did do a few blocks for Emily's quilt just to try out different combinations. These may or may not work, but at least I've broken the ice and started.

I have made a little progress on Isley's little quilt. I'm in the process of slowly hand sewing all those green binding strips down. Some are folded and pinned but not stitched, some are stitched, and some are not even folded at all. This is the slowest part. It also needs more pressing since being packed away to come home.
The back. Each row will be separated by more of the pink binding strips. Don't think it wasn't tricky to line up the name and make sure the ladybugs were all facing the same way on one side and then turn it over and have those strips meet in a certain pattern.
I can't imagine if I'd tried to match the fabrics.

It still makes me happy.

Speaking of happy - or content, I guess. Stella/Molly disturbed during her morning nap.

More Red Rooster Pictures

Remembering the good times. Southern Pecan coffee in my new cup and reading some of the recipes from the cookbook I got there. I will definitely be making some of the dishes in it.

The pictures below are some of the quilts and details of quilts that were already at the house. I missed a lot of them - there were so many - and every one just beautiful. We think most of them were made by the owner of the bed and breakfast, Jennifer.

Debby: Did she or didn't she produce this rooster quilt?


Now to the week's creations. When someone finished a quilt top, they would go upstairs and hang it over the railing for everyone to admire. Such a pretty sight.

I'll start off with Sherry's quilt since I know a little bit about it. I know that most of the fabric was William Morris and that it was beautiful. I know that she grumbled about being disappointed with the contrast of the white, but try as I could, I could never see the problem. At first, all I saw was this jumble of purple, white, and beige squares and triangles.
turn into this


and then those pieces into this.

In 2 days from start to finish.

This was done by Vicki (there are 2 Vicki's and I may not have the spelling correct, but I know who did which quilts). She also did this from the beginning in 2 days - or less.

And then went on to make this one. The turquoise circles and stripes.

Vista and Judy were making small quilts to use up their stash. I think they were going to be contributed to neonatal units or charities. Some lucky children will be happy to have these.

The other Vicki was working on her batik squares.



The border/sashing was just perfect for bringing them all together. I thought it looked like a stained glass window.

Mary Lu got busy and completed this cute froggy bag almost before I got unpacked.

I think these were from her table too, but I'll have to ask her for some updated pictures of them. Once I got the pictures home, it was hard to remember who was working on what. Looks interesting though. . .

There are more, believe it or not. I'm waiting on some identification and maybe some finished projects. Then I have to get started on my own things. I need more time.

And maybe another retreat!