I sewed today

I got to sew today! Nancy mentioned a website on her blog several months ago... www.peachquilting.com. I HAD to check it out and found this Log Cabin Wreath pattern. The only fabrics I bought were the 2 outer borders. The rest came from stash. I am going to add some buttons as ornaments and a large gold wreath once I get it completed. I got the top pieced today and now I need to go upstairs and see if I have something large enough to back it. I don't have many large pieces in stash, so completion may have to wait. I felt great to do just what I wanted to do today. Tomorrow will be for housework and laundry. Today was for me. I will post again when I get it completed. Now to go pick up my mess from today.

Okay, Okay, I'm SHAMED!

I know I've been lost in space for a while, but since Ashley won her crown, we have been on a whirlwind. We've taken "queen" pictures (after I spent 13 hours one day making their formal and fun banners - I finished at 1 am the morning of pictures), done her festival, complete with parade, throwing beads and cups imprinted with her name and title on them.

Last weekend, she and her teen queen debuted as visiting queens, representing the Boucherie Festival. In November, they have 2 pageants to attend on the 18th, and one with day events on the 27th. Ashley gives up her "teen" crown on the 12th and crowns that successor. We have to complete her application for Queen of Queens pageant by December 1. Then on to finding the perfect dress and interview suit for her to wear there. It's gonna be a busy few months.

I haven't gotten to get even close to my sewing machine since I finished the banners. Work has been horrendus. I did sit in my room last weekend and pet some fabric and drool over some bagged up projects I have. Nancy alluded to my computer problems on her blog.... My new work laptop that I just got in May before I went to visit her had a hard drive crash. Sorry, I didn't talk to you last night, baby girl, but I was intent on getting my hard drive loaded,, since they shipped me a "blank piece of paper". I managed to get everything set up on it, except 3 drivers I couldn't get to load. I called our IS folks out today and they got 2 fixed, but still can't get my wireless working. They're gonna try again tomorrow. Told them that was essential.... I can't work in my lounge chair at home without wireless... Besides, I have to fight the princess for the computer at home in the evenings.

Sorry, I haven't made the rounds of the blogs lately, but I really have had no spare time. I hope to do a little sewing this weekend. We found out that many auditoriums that these pageants are held in are freezing. My girls almost froze their buns off in their little strapless formals. Many of the more experienced queens had blankets and throws with them to wrap up in. So I am going to have to make the girls throws in their festival colors to keep them warm when they travel. I might even try my hand again at the dreaded "A" word and applique the pig from Ashley's cape onto the throws. We'll see how adventurous I get.

No pictures tonight, but maybe this weekend. I have high hopes for this weekend. No pageants, no grandkids (I hope), hubby out of town hunting, daughter at a friends..... Just me and my son. And he probably will be home only to sleep. Sounds like heaven.

I Get to SEW!!!

Looks like I will get to sit and sew tonight and this weekend. Unfortunately, it will not be on quilting but on new banners for my new queen and her teen queen. We went and picked out the fabrics and trim last night. Now I have to get them made and find someone to do the embroidery really quickly, because they want to have them to take their queen pictures next weekend.

This will be the formal banners. It is a pink "mink" and will have black trim around the banner. It will be embroidered with their festival title on the front and their first name on the back, probably in black thread. It will be worn in the Boucherie Parade, when she is presented at the festival and to pageants she attends as a visiting queen.

This will be their "fun" banner that they will wear when they travel to pageants that have day events for the exiting queen and to their festival. It of course has pigs on it and will again be embroidered in black with their festival title on the front and their first name on the back. It will have pink satin ruffles around it.

I will hopefully get these done this weekend and to an embroidery shop (already got the phone book out and have the name of 5 places in town to call today to check prices and turn-around times) for them to take pictures. They want to have their queen cards printed before the first big pageant they will represent their titles at on October 9, and definitely before their festival on October 13, 14, 15.

Got to go to work now. Will visit with ya'll soon and make the rounds.

We have a new Queen

Join me in welcoming the newest member of the weekend rhinestone sisters... the newly crowned 2006 Miss Boucherie Festival Queen, AKA, my special daughter, Ashley. She really outdid herself tonight. 2 of 3 judges scored her straight 10's and the 3rd scored her 2 10's and a 9.5. She was confident, worked the judges, excelled in interview. She also won prettiest hair, smile, photogenic and fashion. She will ride in the festival parade and reign over the festival. Then on to a year of attending pageants and festivals as a visiting queen. She already has invitations to answer.

These are her first pictures for her scrapbook that will be on display next year when she gives up this crown. My husband was at the camp (opening day of teal season stops for nothing) and we called him and told him we have to go shopping for a new pageant gown, since she will now compete against all the state queens for the title of Queen of Queens. While I doubt she stands any chance of winning that crown, due to her young age, it is the chance of a lifetime. So, Mom and Dad will be eating tuna sandwiches between now and February to provide that opportunity to her.

Poor baby, we got home and hauled her dress crown, sceptar, Mantle and Train and all the gift bags the visiting queens brought her in the house and ordered supper. While I was out picking up supper, she got a call from her boyfriend that he was in a bad automobile accident on his way to see her. He was only about 1 mile from our home when he got hit. She is at the emergency room with him now awaiting xrays of knees, ankles and ribs. She is distraught. I hate that he is hurt and hate that her "special" day was disrupted. I am exhausted and am going to go to bed and wait to hear that he is okay and she is safely on her way home. I'll keep him in my prayers tonight.

Just a quick post to let ya'll know I survived survey, it was not as bad as expected although things got really tense Tuesday. Had to catch up on the work not done Monday and Tuesday the rest of the week. DD is doing a pageant tonight so I will be working on completing the handwork on the secret project Nancy and I are working on and hope to get the borders on tomorrow so I can post. It's 8 a.m. and time to rock and roll. Interview is in 2 hours and is 45 minutes from home. Then on to hair and makeup and back to the Lions Club for 4 pm so she can get dressed and I can sew her into her dress.... SUCH fun.

Your Brain is 73% Female, 27% Male

Your brain leans female You think with your heart, not your head Sweet and considerate, you are a giver But you're tough enough not to let anyone take advantage of you!

What Gender Is Your Brain?

Just a quick post to let ya'll know I'll be out of pocket for a couple of days. I am the Director of Nursing for a large home health agency and the state surveyors are in the building for their annual survey (they are about 2 months early, but better now than the week before Thanksgiving like last year and the week before Christmas the year before). It is 10:30 pm and I am just getting home. Gonna eat a sandwich and fall face first in my bed to start this merry-go-round again in the morning. If all goes well, they should be gone tomorrow (this is a minisurvey), then I can catch up on all the work not getting done now for waiting on them hand and foot (hope there are no surveyors on the ring, if so, sorry). Hopefully by the end of the week, I will get to post the pictures of the latest family quilt and the current projects I am working on. Til then, I'm thinking of all of you in the spare minutes I have, wishing is were time to retire and sit at home and quilt all day.

Your Prayers are Appreciated

It's been a wild 2 weeks. A rushing trip to Mississippi to deal with a sick father, a surprise visit from my favorite sister (okay, okay, I know she's my ONLY sister, but she's still my favorite), wonderful retail therapy topped by a return home to the responsiblities of wife, mother and JOB. I haven't had time to visit any of your blogs yet, but maybe this weekend (I'm on cal this weekend, so I don't know what that will bring). I have gotten home late every night since I got home. The day I got home, I logged in only long enough to read Nancy's blogs from while I was gone. It was torture being away from the internet for 8 days. Reading the comments on Nancy's blog and all your well wishes and prayers when I returned really lifted the load I was feeling. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are a wonderfully, special group of friends.

Nancy spoke of the old family quilts we retrieved from Mama's while we were there. I will get pictures this weekend and post the one I brought home with me. Not much quilty going on here right now, but Nancy and I have a special project we are working on that we will share when it is completed. Nancy, I should complete mine this weekend. Almost done with the leaves, then only the words to complete. Then the borders. LADIES, when this is completed and posted, I will be asking for help with suggestions for quilting. That's all I'll say about that right now.

Gonna try to catch a couple of sites before I have to turn into a pumpkin. This household gets started about 5:15 am, so I can't be up too late. I have to have my beauty sleep.

MY Prized Possession

This is MY most prized possession. My maternal grandmother made this quilt for me before I got married. I think she thought I needed something to keep me warm at night, since I was almost 25 before I got married.

It has been well loved and used. It has frayed almost all the way around. There are stitches that have popped and is in a great state of disrepair. It drives my husband nuts that we drag it around the house and snuggle under it still. He thinks it should be put away and admired from afar.

Granny made quilts for utility. They were meant to be used. And it is in her honor that I continue to USE this quilt. One day I will spread it out on the kitchen table and do what I can to repair the loose patches and holes in it, but until that day, it will continue to be used. It provides not only warmth, but comfort when it is needed most.

I remember my grandmother beginning to teach me to embroider when I was about 6 years old. Pillowcases, if I remember correctly. I remember her cutting out cardboard templates and patiently cutting out quilts, one piece at a time. The only pair of scissors I ever remember her using looked to be a pair of barber-style scissors. The only sewing machine she ever had was an old Singer treadle machine, that had a motor added to it. Nancy is in possession of that sewing machine.

Granny was my favorite grandparent. She was simple, country folk. She lived in a TINY 3 bedroom Jim Walter house that she and her children chopped cotton to buy. She was SO proud of that house. Now this house had ONE heater in it, and that was in the living room. So winter nights were spent under PILES of quilts on the bed. I grew so used to the weight of the quilts on the bed, that to this day I sleep under a blanket or quilt year round (I'm also the cold natured one in the family).

Granny, like my mother, was one of the most generous and non-judgemental people I have ever known. She, like Mama, accepted people as they were without reservation. Although, my mother and I became great friends as adults, we had a very tempetuous relationship during my teen years. I would threaten to go live with Granny weekly, it seemed. When we really needed a break from each other, I would go stay with her for a few days. We would just sit and talk, and soon I was back home where I really belonged. She was a very special lady and raised my mother to be the same. I miss the ability to walk in that back door at home and say, "I'm tired and discouraged. Please, mother me."

You know they say what goes around, comes around. My teenage daughter and I at times have the same type relationship that Mama and I did. I draw strength from the memories of my adult relationship with Mama, and pray, that Ashley and I will have the same strong tie when she grows up. 

What a Heritage We Share

Since little progress is being made on the sewing front around here, thought I would share some of my and Nancy's rich quilting heritage with you. This quilt is one of 4 that was passed down from my paternal grandmother family that dates to the Civil War. When our mother died, my daughter brought this home with her as one of Memaw's treasures.
This quilt has been a favorite of mine for years. It has never been completed. Again this quilt was passed down from my fathers side of the family. Nancy is the real historian and could tell you which great-aunt made it. Mama was going to finish it - she got as far as sewing the blocks to a sheet and basting it together. ONE day, I am going to hand quilt this one.



Nancy has referred to the only quilt Mama ever finished. This is the quilt she made my son, Scott for his first birthday. This is his my valued possession. She literally finished it right before his party. It is also responsible for Scott's first independent steps. See, he picked up an empty spool of thread, and thinking he was holding on to something, walked across the room!

There is one more quilt I have to share. Somehow Picassa did not import it, so I will go back and get it and post it.... 

Officially OLD Now

Guess you all know by now, I am officially half a century old! I have nothing really quilty to report. I have been busy for the last week splitting my time between work and playing pageant mom. She brought home Miss Congeniality and 4th runner up. Not bad for her 2nd "Miss" Pageant.

I did find time to load my birthday present from Nancy, but really haven't had time to play. Hopefully, I will get to this weekend. A friend at work gave me the Better Home and Gardens 501 Quilt Blocks for my birthday. Now I really have lots to look at before I go to sleep. Think I'll have to do a sampler soon. May even tackle some hand applique after I finish my blocks for the Fons and Porter Challenge. I hope to work on it this week. Not off to a great start - I haven't gotten home early enough to do much more than eat and go to sleep. School started yesterday, so I am back to getting up at 5:30 am to get the princess off to school (although the last 2 days she has beat me and been up at 5:00 - I refuse to get up any earlier - maybe she's finally growing up????)

Hopefully, I will have some quilty pictures to post in a day or so. I'm going to try to make the rounds of the ring now. I really haven't had time to do more that visit a couple and haven't even left comments. Please forgive me, I know how much I appreciate and look forward to comments. I will do better.

Back to the Beginning

Most of you know by now that the resurgence of my interest in quilting stems from my sister, Nancy's, masterpieces. I thought I would take you back in time to my first "quilty" project. At this time (circa 1997ish), I could not find any value in making quilts. If you needed to keep warm, go to the store and buy a blanket. While I treasured the quilt my grandmother made me, I could not see myself sitting to make a quilt.

Now you see, at that point in my life, I was VERY career driven. My job was my life, even above my family. I however LOVE fabric and colors and challenges. I was staying with my mom and dad (can I tell you how much I treasure that adult time with them before their health began to fail and I became the caregiver...) and traveling home to be with DH and DS and DD about every 4 to 6 weeks. As I said that was a different place and time in my life. Mom and dad had gone out of town for Labor Day weekend. Nancy and her husband still lived by mom and dad in the home we grew up in. Nancy and I had a long weekend off together and decided to play.

Now like I said I like a challenge. No easy beginner projects for me. And the project had to have meaning (explanation later). We got up in the sewing room, and started going through fabrics, some of hers, some of mom's. I don't remember if we actually bought any fabrics for this project.
We spent hours picking fabrics, and cutting out 1" squares of fabric (see, I was crazy even back then). This is the result of our marathon sewing weekend.....


Like I said earlier, the project had to have meaning. At this time in my life, I travelled constantly. Did not know what city I would be in next, and some weeks had to figure out what city I was in when I woke up in the morning. So, the Trip Around the World represented my travels at that time.

Now, even as driven as I was, I still cherished time at home, so...........




Here is home, my first paper pieced object. and we manufactured the fabric surrounding it from different fabrics that caught my eye. So you can see, there WAS a time in my life that brights spoke to me as loudly as Civil War repros and 30's repros do to me now.

Now Laurie Ann asked in my last post where we found the patterns for the 3" blocks and if they had to be hand pieced. The Fons and Porter website has some patterns drafted to 3" in the information about the contest. The rest I drafted from 12" down to 3" from the lastest issue of Sampler Quilts (ps I sent Nancy a copy of the magazine with her fabrics so she would not have to break her no quilt purchases this month). They do not have to be hand pieced, that was my choice. Nancy may do her's on the machine or by hand, that is her choice. We're just having fun and poking fun at each others choices. DH needs me to burn some pictures to CD for him, so guess I'll go do my good wife imitation...

Questions Answered

Thanks for the comments to my last 2 posts. I think this is going to be a blast. Nancy may never speak to me again, but I think, eventually, she will forgive me.

I will post pictures of the progress on my set of blocks. It is Nancy's choice if she wants to share or keep me in suspense.

The quilt will be 5 rows of 5 blocks, so if we decide no sashing or borders, it will be 15"x15".

I have spent my quiet time this morning (translation: everyone else in the house is still sleeping) cutting out blocks. I have 5 more cut out in snack sized baggies with the name of the block written on the outside for reference, so I have 1/2 of my set of blocks cut out ready to assemble. I will get Nancy's share of the fabrics in the mail Monday and eagerly await the arrival of her fabric choices so I can start cutting miniscule pieces again.

The biggest problem I had with hand piecing last night is that the eye on small needles is SO small I can barely tread it anymore. Does anyone know of a brand of needles that is fine enough for hand piecing ( I'm piecing with neutral silk thread) with an eye large enough for MATURE women to see it? I had stopped sewing a couple of years ago when I could no longer thread the machine without frustration. Thank God, my new machine has a built-in threader, or I may not have decided to begin quilting.

Well, the biggest native (DH) is up, so I guess it is time to begin the weekly chores. Will try to cut more blocks between loads of laundry and playing helpmate - he is cooking again today, which means I play fetch all day. But beef tips in gravy for the freezer is needed. The grocery had them on sale, B1G1 last weekend so I bought a couple of large packs to cook for the freezer. Oh well, other than fetching for his, I will give him something to do to feel he is making a contribution to the family. It has been hard on him having only one function hand. It is getting better, but he is a long way from well. He tried to shoulder his shotgun this morning and realized he will not be ready for opening day of dove season on September 2. We will hope for the best, and be glad for what we have.

First Block Completed

Here's 3" block #1 - A Friendship Star. Not bad for never having hand pieced anything, much less 1 1/2" blocks and HSTs.

Got all my fabrics split and ready to put in the mail Monday to Nancy. Will work on cutting out several blocks tomorrow for take-alongs this week to do while at pageant practice. 

Mostly for Nancy

My sister, Nancy and I are going to participate in the Fons and Porter Quilt Together contest. We thought it would be fun to do something "quilty" together, even though we live far apart. Okay, I confess, it was my idea, and she is going along to amuse me. See, the quilt is made up of 25 different 3" blocks. Then, I decided I wanted to use 30's prints to get them out of my system. So, she upped the ante and said she'd do 30's, but we were going to do 2 quilts, one in my choice of 12 30's prints with a light background, and one in HER choice of 12 brights with a black background. We will each select 12 blocks and make one of each - 30's and brights. Then we each will select 1 other block for the last one. We will be left with 2 quilts that we each had a part in making. This picture is the 12 fabrics and background fabric that made the cut for my quilt. There are also 8 solids that coordinat that I may or may not send. That would break the rule of 12 fabrics with one background.

These are the orphans that I purchased that did not make the cut. They were SOOOOOOOOOO upset about being left out, that the first picture was blurry and I had to retake it. It was almost as if they were crying. Some of them I really like, but I was limited to 12. And I wanted 12 DIFFERENT prints and ones that had other fabrics that blended well.

Nancy, I'm ready to start selecting patterns whenever you are. I can cut out some blocks to hand piece to take with me the next couple of weekends. Otherwise I will not get much quilting done for the next 2 weekends.

We have pageant practices Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights. We will spend Friday getting nails, feet and brows tamed. Then Saturday the pageant activities begin at 9:30 am with interviews. Then on to hair and makeup. The pageant begins at 7:30 pm and the queen and court are honored at a gala at one of the local Country Clubs afterwards. So the day is going to be long for me with much "hurry up and wait" time that I can hand piece blocks.

The following weekend, I will be out of town doing the in-law thing to celebrate my MIL and my birthdays. I would like to be able to take some blocks to hand piece to calm my nerves for both events.

I will get the fabrics cut and in the mail the first of next week. Please don't forget to put my box of "stuff" in the mail. I will need it to begin resizing complex blocks to 3". 

Progress Reports

I am thrilled to be a member of the Stash Quilts Ring. I haven't posted since I found out Friday night, because I thought I should have somthing new and quilty to post for my first members post. I sewed all day yesterday and most of the morning today. This is what I have accomplished this weekend....


This is the center of the quilt I have been working on. I have most of the blocks pieced for the sides. Only 40 more to go until all is ready to be put together. I am really pleased with the progress so far. Think I did okay, I didn't lose too many points.







The princess has had her nose out of whack because I quit working on her quilt. So I decided today to work on it. I have 4 of 12 rows completed and assembled. I have the remainder of the midtone rows completed, only have 4 more light rows to complete and then borders. It is HUGE. It is going to end up "bedspread" sized for her queen bed. It is draped over the end of our queen sized bed now. I'm liking it again now that I have several rows assembled and can really see what it is going to look like.


My husband had an accident at work a month ago. A 7" grinder got away from him, and tore his left arm up. He had several tendons severed. His splint came off Wednesday. He likes to cook on Sundays, so guess who has to be his left hand these days??? He is starting ribs and sausage on the grill and is getting ready to make barbequed shrimp. I am going to make Crawfish Etoufee for my daughter as soon as the crawfish tails finish defrosting. I guess I am done sewing for today. Gotta play helpmate the rest of the day. I'll try to make the rounds of the ring this afternoon.

The AGONY of defeat

Gotta go to work today. No new car, no new house, and worst of all no twin quilt shops for me and my sister. Boo Hoo............ Another busted bubble. Off I go to THAT place...................

Dream Time

Tonight is the lottery drawing. I just know I have the winning ticket. 135 million dollars!!!!!!!!!! Tomorrow morning I will wake up early, call in to work and head to the lottery office. I will then go home, call my mortgage company and auto finance company and get the payouts on those bills and put them in the mail. Then I head to the Jaguar dealership to pickup my new car - I think I'll get a convertible, then to the Chevrolet Dealership to get that truck Brent has wanted for years. Now on to the real estate agents office to find me a piece of property to put a new house on, one with 2 master suites, one for me and DH and one for DD. Of course, it must have a HUGE sewing room with built in everything one could hope for.

That might take all day, so I guess the best will have to wait for Friday.......... Back to the real estate office. I must purchase 2 buildings, one in my home town and one in my sister, Nancy's. There will be 2 new quilt shops opening, one for each of us. We can each stock only the fabrics we like - and believe me, there would be few like fabrics in each. We do have different, but diverse tastes (Nancy - 30's prints are speaking to me loudly right now, maybe for the 3" blocks). There is absolutely nothing Nancy and I would rather do is be able to stroke and pet fabrics all day. And to get to make money at the same time???? Heck, with $137 million dollars, who cares if we make money, as long as we have fun. Nan, we may need David to develop the web page for our internet business, so tell him he is not left out of the plans. Brent can do the negotiating, he's good at that, he'll get us good prices on everthing.

Well, I guess that is enough of fantasy land. I think I will go pet some fabric, and maybe even sew some seams while I am at it. Got to get some projects completed, I have others SCREAMING at me...

Is it time to retire yet?

How do ya'll find time to work, watch kids, keep a house, cook, maintain blogs, visit blogs, post comments and still be able to quilt. You must be sacrificing sleep time, because I just can't figure it out. If I spend time posting, I can't sew. If I spend time "visiting" and "commenting" I can't sew. If I sew, I can't maintain the blog, visit and comment. Must be either the JOB or the sleep that is getting in the way. Would much rather give up the JOB and sit and quilt, blog and visit, but my family and I have gotten into this really bad habit of liking to sleep inside in the air conditioning and eating regular meals. Then there is the 17 year old that thinks if it doesn't come from Hollister (THANK GOD she works there), Ambercrombie or Victoria's Secret it cannot be put on her body. Think I can get her part time jobs at Ambercrombie and Vickie's Place to defray some costs???? Then throw into the mix that she is a varsity cheerleader and does pageants............


But this too shall pass. In 2 years, my darling Ashley will be a part-time resident, which means one less to cook for and clean up after; less laundry etc. She won't want mom around for pageants or shopping sprees as often. Guess I had better enjoy this time in my life, because it will be gone so soon and not return again. She made varsity cheerleader this year and was so proud. I made her this quilt to take to cheer camp. If you use a little poetic license the snail's trails look like pom poms. Her school colors are of course black and gold and her team is the Gators - hence the alligator fabric for the border and backing. She took a fabric marker with her and had all her teammates autograph the yellow blocks, so she has a true treasure to remember her first year on the varsity squad. I had a blast making it and MOST of my corners line up.

Had a hard day at work today, so I think I'll "visit" a while and go to bed.

Teaser - Part 2

Okay here is a picture of four rows of the center of the quilt. The fabric on the left is the inner border and the one on the right will be the outer border. Just can't get away from the black. It really does have all the other colors in it and I just had to have my bit of black.

Nancy, you may recognize some of the fabrics on this side of the Cotton Theory Table Runner from class last week. I believe some of them have lived at your house for YEARS.......... and some of them probably lived at Mama's longer than that.


This is actually the front side. It was made from fabrics that did not make the final cut for the Quirtain. It will match my Black and White dishes for everyday use.

All I have left to do is decide on the fabrics for the binding and manufacture that. Still thinking on that one. I may choose fabrics that are in the runner or decide on totally different fabrics. Figured I'd think on that one till this weekend. I may set it on my desk and put a different fabric on it each day to see what speaks to me loudest.

On a different note, this is the crown my daughter Ashely will compete for at state if she wins the local Sugar Queen Pageant in 3 weeks. She has already claimed it as hers.