Away a While

If you've noticed that it's been a while since I posted, you're right. I was away for three weeks. On November 12 I flew to Kansas City to take care of and visit three of our grandies. Hubby joined me in KC, by car, and the we then drove to Austin, Texas for Thanksgiving. We returned home December 2.

You must forgive a little Nana indulgence as I post family pictures. While I like to blog, mostly to share quilt-y stuff, I occasionally like to put up a little personal news. That's so everything's included in the blog book I have printed each year. I've done this for several years now and look at it as sort of a diary - one that I hope my grandchildren and great-grandchildren will someday appreciate. I have my blog posts printed through Blog2Print.

So... the Kansas City Legoland saw me two days in a row, as I first took the 4 year-old grandson, and then the 3 year-old grandson. Since I had also done Legoland previously in September, I would have saved money by buying a season pass!

Tay, age 4

Aesa, age 3

Our 15 year-old granddaughter had her day too. What a sweetie, and so nice to hang out with! Here we were at Granite City for dinner.

me and Celina

A visit to KC isn't complete without at least one stop at our nephew, Evan's, pet store - Olathe Pet Shop. He's always ready to take most of the animals out of their cages to let children touch - snakes, lizards, scorpion, rabbits, and even a silky-furred chinchilla. Our grandsons love visiting!

Tay and a snake

Dan drove to Kansas City to join me, and together we took the boys to Cabela's. That was an eye-opening, first-time treat for all of us.

Tay and Aesa

And every time I'm in KC, I don't miss at least one occasion to spend time with my dear friend, Carla. Guess what we do? Ha! Go fabric shopping! Tammy at Marmalade Fabrics let us come by to check out her newest-in fabrics. That's a stack of Carolyn Friedlander's Botanics in Tammy's arms, and Carla's holding bolts of Anna Maria Horner's True Colors.

Tammy, Carla, me

Our daughter has a framed glass hanging in the entryway of their home. On it, she writes (with a dry erase marker) any funnies the kids come up with, and takes a picture of the child who said it. I had several occasions to jot down cute things. The laugh-out-loud one was this, said while mom and dad were both away on business. 

Nana: "It's so nice and quiet this morning." (The two boys had previously been very rowdy, so I said this as positive reinforcement for playing quietly.)

Aesa: "It's because Mommy's not here." (Let me tell you... Daddy rubbed that one in!)

Aesa

And in Austin, Texas...

From the patio deck of County Line on the Hill (restaurant). Great barbecue!

This is where we visited our recently-moved-from-Florida family.

Lyn, Austin, Brent

Austin, age 3-1/2

Dan, Austin, and Brent - three generations - on Mount Bonnell

In January, grandson #4 will arrive! More grandchildren means more traveling!

On a last personal note - hopefully the last medical concern for 2013! - I'm having a heart catheterization today, and stents put into both legs. After several months of testing (this is not related to my breast cancer drug, Arimidex), it's been determined that I have a 60 percent loss of blood flow in my left leg, and a 50 percent loss in my right. The docs are scratching their heads, because I have no risk factors for narrowing arteries in my legs. I have never smoked, don't have diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, I'm not overweight, and I'm active. Just another one of those "go figure" or "lucky me" medical diagnosis's, like breast cancer. There's no accounting for it.

My recovery is expected to take a week; in the meantime I expect to get to some sewing. So, my next post, for sure, will be about quilt-y stuff! Linda

Bags and Bee and BOM

Thanks to 31 of you who entered my giveaway for a copy of  Modern Baby Quilts. Number 31, was the winner - Sherry, who's a member of the Des Moines MQG. Congratulations, Sherry!

Have you heard of Operation Christmas Child? It's a shoebox-filling project to collect and send boxes of small gifts to children in other countries. Our church is supporting the effort, even sending 14 people from our church to help process boxes in Atlanta. We took two empty boxes for filling.

We could choose to fill boxes for a boy or girl, in one of three age ranges. We picked the 5 to 9 year-old group, one box for a boy and one box for a girl.

We've been told that book bags are a much-needed item, so it was fun to make these two with fabric from my stash. I adapted this tutorial, making small modifications to make sewing even faster.

For the boy, some essentials (bar soap, washcloths, toothbrush and toothpaste, lip balm, pencils and an eraser) and a couple just-for-fun things.

Likewise, for the girl. It's satisfying to help just a little bit, and know that we'll have helped put a smile on a child's face. We saw the video of what it's like when the boxes are distributed. It just makes you feel warm and squishy inside.

For the Mid-Century Modern Bee, our November Queen Bee, René requested four triangles to sew into a Spider Web block. Here's the tutorial we used. The only difference is that René doesn't want us to sew together the triangles. That's so she can mix them up once she receives pieces from all 12 of us.

These were a mess to make, but oh-so-much-fun! I pulled out several of my small pieces bins to press and cut strips 1" to 2" wide.

I could sew spider web blocks for hours... and probably still not make much of a dent in my scraps. René will be getting eight triangles from me. One of them includes this bit of flamingo. I guess that fabric has become sort of my identification, as I've included it in several bee blocks. 

Keeping up with the Bay Area Modern BOM, along with a few quilters from our Central Florida MQG, I made this 12-1/2" Pixel Strips block. It was easy to sew.

Lately, I've been adding to my fabric stash, for ease in sewing when the moods strikes, or so I rationalize it. I also now own a Quick Curve ruler, and can't wait to make the quilt that's in my head. That is, after finishing the Riley Blake Challenge, a Project Linus quilt, a new quilt design for students in my beginner quilting class, and a couple Christmas gifts! I bet your quilting list is as long as mine. Make me feel better and say, "Yes, my list is long too, Linda!"

Book Giveaway

My Swiss house guest is gone, and I miss the good times we shared, playing together every day. And now it's time to return to the sewing room.

Do you need to make a quilt for a baby? Or make a quilt that's a little larger, for a young child? Then, have I got the quilting book for you!

My quilter-friend Carla of Lollyquiltz and I know Shea Henderson of EmptyBobbinSewing who has a quilt design in Modern Baby. I was sent the book and asked to make a quilt from it - such an honor to be asked! It just so happens I need a boy quilt for another grandson who's due January 6.

So besides Shea's quilt in the book, there are also designs by:

Audrie Bidwell - BlueisBleu

Carolyn Friedlander - CarolynFriedlander

Melissa Corry - HappyQuiltingMelissa

Jen Eskridge - ReannaLilyDesigns

Sarah Flynn - FairyFaceDesigns

Dana Boldsyard - OldRedBarnCo

Amy Smart - Diary of a Quilter

Carrie Bloomston - SuchitySuch

Jake Finch - MamaMakesQuilts

Victoria Findlay Wolfe - BumbleBeans

Lindsey Rhodes - LRStitched

and Pippa Eccles Armbrester - PippaPatchwork

Yep a whole lotta talent, and a whole lotta patterns in one book!

back cover

If you'd like to see more of what's inside Modern Baby, look here at the Martingale site.

The design I chose to make is "Square Dance," by Lindsey Rhodes. I didn't exactly follow her layout though because I wanted to use this Robert Kaufman "Friendly Seas" print as the center focus of each shape. 

It was easy enough to refigure what amount of fabric I'd need to make the substitute. My pencilled notes are on the lower left side of the page. 

All the solid colors came from my stash, so I only needed to coordinate them with colors in the print.

Making the top was a piece of cake! Instructions were clearly written, and it was easy to sew.

It seems like I whipped this up in no time at all!

So far, the Square Dance quilt top measures 43" X 59-1/2" - a nice size for a baby growing to toddler. Lindsey's finished quilt is cross-hatched, but when I get to it, I'll be doing something different.

I give Modern Baby a big thumbs up for the variety of designs it includes, some of which I wouldn't hesitate to make in other colors to hang on a wall in my own home!

If you're in the US, and you'd like to win the book Modern Baby, leave a comment for a chance.

This giveaway is now closed.

Fractured Hexagons by Jen Eskridge

For a second chance at the book, visit Carla at Lollyquiltz to see her take on the Modern Baby "Fractured Hexagons" quilt, and then comment to enter her giveaway too!

Sorry, due to shipping costs, these giveaways are open only to residents of the US.

This giveaway is now closed.

Both our giveaways are open through Thursday, November 14.  Linda

Randomness and "Edith Week"

Here's a picture of a couple visitors to a Christian camp in Kinshuko, Iwate, Japan. A group of us made 101 quilts that were delivered to the camp for use on camp beds. The photo my friend sent just happens to include, in the background, two of the quilts I made! They're obviously not on beds, but I'm tickled to see they're being appreciated.

The green quilt on the left is all about my favorite Bible verse - the one from which I chose my blog name - with Psalm 92:12-13 hand-embroidered around a palm tree. "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, planted in the house of the Lord."

The quilt on the right centers on the church logo (Lutheran Church of Hope, West Des Moines, Iowa) hand-stitched in Sashiko. It's great to see these quilts in their environment.

My nephew was thoughtful to take a picture of his new baby girl, Reese, wrapped in the hexagon quilt I made for her. Looks like big brother, Tripp, is getting along well.

With Edith visiting from Switzerland, it's been a jam-packed "Edith Week." We've been on the go - most places by golf cart! 

Thankfully, she's been amenable to accompanying me to several commitments. One of those was the Lifelong Learning College Expo, an annual outdoor event to introduce the winter term catalog and give folks a chance to meet instructors. For five hours I sat at my First Time Quiltmaking table and happily answered questions from a steady stream of interested women. Afterward, we learned this was the largest turnout ever for the LLC Expo. The College even ran out of catalogs and had to send someone to get more!

It was really fun to talk to everyone who came past the table, but the best part was pointing out this.

We're cover girls! The photo I submitted from my first class of First Time Quiltmaking students was selected for the cover of the winter term catalog! Several of those students came by to say how excited they were, and I couldn't be happier. Now I'm really glad I admonished them to smile! I told them we were gunning to be cover girls, and it happened!

Edith has settled into our household like she's been here before, even though she's never visited me in Florida, and it's been five years since we've seen one another. Hogan is certainly comfortable with her, and likes the extra attention.

At an all day meeting of Bradenton Quilters, a chapter of Quilting Guild of The Villages, Edith shared  how she creates unique fabric for bags and wall hangings using scraps, threads, couched yarn, ribbon and other embellishments. Everyone was really receptive to her demonstration. 

Edith lives in a city not far from Steckborn, where Bernina sewing machines are built, and owns several models herself. So she had no difficulties figuring out what to do on my Bernina Aurora 440. In fact, she made it do things I've never done before! 

One particular item really intrigued everyone. This Bernina circular embroidery attachment that works on nearly any brand sewing machine, creating circular designs using only a sewing machine's decorative stitches. 

Confession here: I purchased this attachment when I visited Edith in Switzerland, in 2002... and I've never used it! But Edith did. Isn't this fabric pretty? It was made simply with scrap fabrics, quilted, and then embellished with decorative stitches in a variety of thread colors. This will make such a neat bag.

Edith's piece

I had a go with with good results too. With 180 decorative stitch options on my Bernina 440, (and the attachment works on my old Bernina 830 too!) I will definitely be using it again. 

my piece

As you can see, everyone at Bradenton Quilters was interested in her creativity. 

After learning how to create fabric, we taught everyone how to turn it into The Edith Bag. Here's where to find the tutorial. 

Check out Edith's blog post here, for her impressions of her day with Bradenton Quilters.

Edith and me

Other than this sewing day, not much is happening in my sewing room. But, in a couple evenings I've managed to make some blocks...

... and get them sewn together. 

Check back Monday to see more and take your chance at a giveaway!

As for me... well, in the vein of sticking with celebrating "Edith Week," we're off to spend a day at the beach before she heads back home! Linda 

Miscellaneous Monday

It's the usual variety of doin's around here.

After teaching a selvages workshop last week, I am on a selvages kick again. Another small bag pattern I've been wanting to make seemed like just the right selvages project. I've gotten no further than sewing selvages to the foundation bag shapes. The large piece is the bag body. The two small pieces are outside pockets. When it's finished, it will be fun to use because if I've learned anything about carrying a selvage bag (I already have two of them), they're a sure-fire conversation-starter.

I have four new LED lights in my sewing room. Since there was no overhead light, and the kind of light kit that could be added to the fan couldn't provide adequate illumination, this was the way to go. I was pleased that the electrician knew enough about the subject to understand my request for lighting that would let me to see the true colors of fabrics in my stash cabinet. These LEDs are 3500 kelvin; not the typical 3000 kelvin used elsewhere in a home. It means they emit a more natural, bluer color (less yellow). An added bonus is that LEDs don't produce heat (important in a west-facing room in Florida!) and because LEDs don't have bulbs, they're expected to last 30 years.

I know, I know. The room looks almost too clean. I had to give it a thorough cleaning after the electrician drilled holes in the ceiling, layering everything with drywall dust. The design wall is empty, awaiting my next great project. Ha!

This is a picture I took a few evenings ago from the front of our house. We face west, so it's the same view I have through the bay windows of my sewing room. We're blessed with some pretty spectacular sunsets. This one was exceptional.

On Wednesday I'm welcoming a house guest! Edith is a special quilter-friend, from Switzerland. She's coming to stay for ten days. We're old friends. She visited me three times before, the last time being in 2008 when we still lived in Iowa.

How Edith and I met is a pretty cool story, if I do say so. We met through the Internet, back in its early years - 1994. At the time I was working at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. The Internet first blossomed in colleges, and employees were encouraged to use this new technology. I found a quilting chat room called Kaffee Klatch, and while sharing brief conversations with quilters I "met" Edith, thinking I'd found someone with whom I could practice my rusty French. Instead, I learned she was from the German-speaking part of Switzerland (east), but with a common interest in quilting, we became fast friends. When I graduated in 2000 from Drake University (as an employee, I took advantage of the opportunity for a free education) with a journalism degree, my May celebration included a visit from Edith. I'll admit that we were both nervous about our first face-to-face meeting. After all, we were committed to her spending ten days with me! But we very quickly learned our fears were ungrounded.

2000 - R: Edith; L: me

Since our first meeting, I visited her in 2002. This is us in Ste Marie-Aux-Mines, France, attending the European Patchwork Meeting.

2002

Edith also visited in 2004 and 2008 with the last visit planned so we could attend the AQS show in Des Moines, where both of us had quilts juried into that show!

So for the next couple of weeks, the little sewing I expect to do will be on my Riley Blake Challenge piece. I'm hand appliquéing.

Speaking of hand appliqué... I regularly follow my Instagram feed, and I was excited to see pictures from quilters attending quilt market. Several of them were impressed with the hand-appliqué of one particular modern quilter who is doing what she calls "slow sewing" - Carolyn Friedlander. This is her modern hand appliqué piece.

I'm really interested to see what she's introducing to younger quilters. Is the latest trend heading toward hand appliqué? I'm also hoping my LQS will be stocking Carolyn's latest fabric line from Robert Kaufman: Botanics. Love it!

Also, as an admirer of Emma Jansen's designs, I'm hoping her new fabric line, the pretty Terra Australis, makes its way here too. I will always have special feelings for that country, having been able to visit and spend a total of four months there. Love the country; love Emma's patterns and fabric designs.

How nice to have so many quilty things, and a quilty person's visit, to anticipate! Linda