Her Birthday----

Chelsey turned twenty on Thursday. The two radio stations in the college town she lives in announced every hour throughout the day. The entire city had to of known it was her birthday---- she ate it up…..


Wow… she’s twenty….no tears. It’s not what you lost it’s what you had. I loved the little girl….Managed the teenager…And completely adore her as an adult.

We celebrated last weekend, with a girl’s day out to Green Bay and Appleton. No quilt stores or department stores—except Kohls. We laughed about fun “on a budget”. Our first stop was a meat market. Only Chelsey would Reggae the “happy dance” over a Smoked Chicken and her own pound of beef brisket to take back to school. The market is huge and there were 30 people—literally ---in front of us--- but we picked out son-in-laws while we waited…..

Like her Mother—ruled by her stomach—we had lunch and started shopping. She had Christmas money left over and a ton of birthday money from relatives. Being the only grand-daughter on both sides of the family, she’s completely spoiled.

With dreams of having her own apartment this summer, we had our shopping focus. We purchased things for her bathroom, a shower curtain, rug, toothbrush holder. While she’s completely the “UP TOWN” girl, DNA proves without a doubt we have a link. The obsession with dishes(she’s picked out solid yellow ones), dishtowels, and cloth napkins is an undeniable link. She purchased some and I threw in a couple.

A great day—we sang in the car all the way home….

I sent her this for her birthday --- Telling her when she one day writes for the New York Times, or A Great American Novel she’ll remember me.

I did some sewing for her—that she’s coming home for today. I don’t know that I can picture her carrying the purse, but I definitely see it hanging on a hook in her apartment. The journal is a pattern from V and Co. I just made it an inch bigger than the directions and added batting for some quilting.

The fabric….I know Chelsey, while she appreciate my colors, has a style of her own. Looking in the quilt cabinet I seemed a little lean on her “colors”.   I had some Moda Faded Memories in a Miss Rosies Quilt Co. kit that I had saved for 3 years for a dream of making that “Southern” quilt my grandmother would have exactly made—colors and all. I looked at it. And Looked at it again. Time, a place shop and $$$ were all factors. I dove in and used the fabrics. The Pastel quilt would have to wait….it wasn’t even on the list anyway…

I think my Grandmother would have approved…….

Happy Birthday Chels----

Gratitudes….

Pups sleeping in until 7 am
Covered buttons
Chinese Takeout

Thank You-----

--- for the pattern below…

I had a fun coffee break, studying the photo and going over the instructions more than once. A friend from Lower Michigan sent it to me. I’ve tried emailing her again and again since Friday and Yahoo keeps sending her email back to me. I’ve even replied to emails she’s sent me and they come back. I finally decided this was the best way to get the message across. I never want it said that quilters are ungrateful. Many times, I've stated that I read more about quilting than actually using the needle and thread. But it’s all worth it…
The history lessons you learn,
the warm covers you make,
and the friends you meet along the way---
Denise keep in touch….I’d love to see photos of your progress….

Pinwheels

Thanks for checking on me….I’ve been busy. Life has been in the front seat lately.
But I have been quilting. It all started with a friend losing her father suddenly. How many times have I wanted to quilt something for someone to sit back and say, I don’t have time. I can’t get it done fast enough. Well, the familiar responses crept up again on this occasion.

But I took a different attitude this time. I told myself she’d have tons of people offering support at first. She’d probably need the quilted piece later--- after everyone else’s lives had gone back to normal and she was still there, without her Dad.

So I opened up the quilt cabinet and took out this and a couple of fat quarters, along with some muslin. I stitched away. I backed out on giving it to her two or three times. It wasn’t perfect…. Mistakes in it stood out like sore thumbs. But I continued on working on it daily for 15- 20 minutes a day.

The minute the binding was complete.

I stamped a card and left it along with hot chocolate mix on her doorstep. I knew if I kept it a minute longer, I feel like it wasn’t good enough to pass on. “ Just do it…. Melanie… just do it…” And it was done… no regrets.

I’d been to her house a few times, but for the life of me I could not tell you what colors her house was done in. I settled on red, thinking she could use the piece, Valentine’s Day, Independence Day, Summer, Christmas.

Karen found it when she got home and …loved it….
Stressing over nothing, I was.
It was worth it….

Gratitudes:
A gift that cost nothing but time – I even used scrap batting.
Working late, but learning new stuff
Don, that loves me.

Baskets of Blessings

Monday Morning --- early…I enjoyed another three day weekend…..the last one for a while.

I have a friend that just had double knee replacement surgery. She owns a florist, so something inside me just won’t let me send flowers to her. A neat lady, she’ll go to a nursing home for two weeks for extensive rehab. It’s close to work, so I plan on visiting her this evening. I spent the weekend quilting a couple of things for her.

The table runner is called Baskets of Blessings from This N That. And I used Kansas Trouble quilters, A Quilter’s Garden charm pack for the design. It’s a little darker than I would have hoped, but I think it will go well in her kitchen at home. The journal cover is made from Thimbleberrries fabric left over from another project. She’ll have something to make her lists on -- lists of projects to do when she gets home.

The label on the back is my favorite part. The fabric on the backing puckered just a bit, but no one will ever know because it is hidden under the label.

Gratitudes:

Good health over the holiday.

Warm covers at night

A Refrigerator stocked full of leftovers (No cooking after a hard day’s work…..

Happy New Year

My first completion for the New Year. I’m going to make a frame, but couldn’t wait to share. It was a free pattern I had printed off on a whim. I don’t remember the site, but it was drawn by Dolly Cook. A scrap of muslin and leftover batting backing made of a project that didn’t cost a dime. After it’s framed it’s going to stand on the corner of my hutch as a good reminder…..


Resolutions – I’ve got the usual, more exercise (mine has fallen out of the picture completely), less television, less food – especially the processed stuff that is not good for me.

Quilting – I’ve got great hopes. I want to do 4 donation projects. I’ve never done that before and the dawn of a new decade is a great time to start. I have 3 BOM projects that I want to complete from past years. They are all well on their way so this is an obtainable.

I’m taking my first quilting class this year, sort of….I’m learning how to punch needle with a friend at Primitive Gatherings. Lisa Bongean is teaching it. I’m really looking forward to it.

Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself……putting past sins behind you is one thing, but letting go of hurts from others is even better. Anger and hurt are heavy loads to carry, and frankly my shoulders grow weary. So make the New Year a time for fresh starts. Whether it’s that person that cuts in line at the store, or that family issue you are really working through… you owe it to yourself to find peace.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours... We're taking time out to count our many blessings.  Winter storms are on their way and we're all tucked in at home.

Christmas Gifts

I’d always said my job provided for my Sunday School class, my quilting and my kids going through college. Well, now it provides for everything else too. I’m not complaining--- quite the contrary, I’m incredibly grateful. While, Christmas may seem “leaner” I have complete faith it will be just as special.

Inside our church, we all have mail boxes with our names on them. Letters and memos from the church office and congregation are swapped back and forth and it says a ton in postage. A few Sundays ago a wad of bills with a note signed “the Rat Pack” appeared in our box. After the initial shock, I just sat back and thought about the gesture. Gratitude didn’t come close to how I felt. Also, thoughts of so many folks more deserving of this present crept into my head. I knew I couldn’t waste the money. So every year previously, I’ve purchased a hardcover book for each kid in my Sunday school class for a gift the season. I want them to love all the traditions of Christmas and still focus on Christ and the true meaning of the holiday. I used the funds to purchase this book for my kids and put the rest of the money back in the offering plate.

It can be a gift re-gifted to someone else….
Yesterday after “family” housecleaning…(Eric’s home), I went and worked in my Sunday school classroom an hour. When I got home the guys had grilled burgers. After the Mandatory afternoon Saturday naptime, the guys left for the movies and I danced down to my sewing machine. After 3 hours that include a snow shoe break with the pups—I came up with this gift for my Mom.

It was a free pattern from the Moda bake shop and fabric from my stash. If it weren’t for football games today—I might be down there making myself one. Great instructions --- easy. Now I have to pop it into the mail Monday with a prayer hoping it gets there my Christmas…..