Winter Wonderland in Georgia

We started having snow Christmas night about 10:00pm and it snowed all night and into the next morning. Fortunately we had our family Christmas lunch at 12:00 noon Christmas day and after eating and opening presents everybody agreed they needed to return home as soon as possible in anticipation of the coming snow.
It was just beautiful coming down with large flakes and covering everything in a mystical white veil. Another reminder of the the beauty of our earth that God has created for us to enjoy. And another thank you that we are retired and did not have to get out this morning to go to work. Today the wind is blowing strongly and another cold, cold day. But warming up later this week.

A good day to be quilt making.

Love this Quilt

I love this quilt. The blocks were made for several years and then stored away. When I found fabric for the sashing and borders it took on a wonderful color scheme that I loved. But it now has a home with our youngest daughter and I know it will be loved and used.

I am Thankful

Thanksgiving 2010
November 25, 2010

I am THANKFUL

1. For grandparents and an aunt who loved me unconditionally, had Godly values and high moral standards. Without them my life could have been very differently.
2. For being born in America and most especially for being born and reared in the South.
3. For the First Baptist Church and Broadmoor Baptist Church in Jackson, MS who shaped my bible beliefs and helped shape my life here on earth and my life after death.
4. For the man who came into my life when I was a very young person and who chose me to be his wife. He has been here for 54 years and has loved me, protected me and laughed with me through it all.
5. For the four bright and shinning stars given to us. They have been my life and they have exceeded every expectation I have ever had for them. All have succeeded in life.
6. For the eight grandchildren those bright and shinning stars have given to us to spoil, love and brag on. All of them have been a blessing to our family.
7. For those two little great grand-sons who continue our family.
8. For allowing me to grow up on a farm and for the safety it provided for a shy little girl.
9. For allowing me to grow up in the best of times.
10. For giving me a hobby that I love and the joy it gives me to share with others.
11. For giving me good health.
12. For inheriting my grandfathers thick gray hair.
13. For always having a warm place to sleep in the winter and a cool place to sleep in the summer.
14. For always having enough food to eat.
15. For helping me to have a career and the “smarts” to participate in their savings program.
16. For helping me be able to retire early.
17. For friends.
18. For the love of books.
19. For my two sisters.
20. For sending us to Jefferson, GA to retire.

Stack and Whack Quilt

This is a picture of my one and only Stack and Whack quilt that I will ever make. I had always wanted to make one of these quilts. As I started this quilt I was so excited and by the end of sewing the pieces together all I could think of was getting to the end. My daughter loved this quilt so it has found a resting place in her home. Too much fabric, too many triangles and just rather boring sewing it together. But it did turn out to be a pretty quilt and I am glad it is happy at my daughters.

What I did Today

For years my Sweetman could do anything. He could change diapers, fold diapers, feed babies, entertain kids, haul carloads of kids to ballfields, coach, cheer them on, provide everything a child needs and still love his wife and take care of her. The yard was his domain and I stayed out of it except to suggest where I wanted something planted. But now he has health issues and just can't do what he use to. I love working in the yard and consider it a great way to get much needed exercise. So today I headed for the yard early this morning. This is what I have cut away and hauled to the curb to be picked up on Monday. The one thing he will not let me do is use his chain saw. Darn, I know I could do it! So he did come out late this afternoon and with his foam knee pad on the ground he was able to cut away some very think hedges for me. My superman! I cut back my knockout roses and shaped up some other shrubs. And there is still more to do. There is still lots of sawdust from where we had the trees cut down and I need to get it spread. And I am still fighting that darn English Ivy that I spray with roundup everytime I walk by it.

New Project

I have started purchasing fabrics for a new project. The request was to make it bright and modern. Today at the Georgia Quilt Expo I picked up these fabric and a pattern that I think will be perfect.

Speaking of the Quilt Expo, you could tell that we are in an economy slump. A large majority of the quilts on display were small art quilts. Regardless of the size I think all of them were winners. And many of vendors that we have seen at different quilting functions in the pass were not there this year. Hopefully things will turn around the economy and next years Expo will be even better than this years.

Quilts and Quiltmakers

This is a block with sashing that I am using in a new quilt that I am in the process of making. And I have been thinking seriously about my passion for quiltmaking. I am slowly realizing that not all people like or enjoy quilts. To some they are "old fashion" and do not fit into their decorating scheme. To others they are loved and cherished and the more piled on a bed the happier they are. So the question is how do you decide who gets the quilts you are making. I don't have an answer, yet. So if you are my family or friend and see a quilt in my house or workroom and you would really like to have it, let me know. And if you are not interested in a quilt for your house, just don't accept one if it is offered to you. And to my seven grandsons, my quilts are not being made to take on hunting trips or change the oil in your car. They are made with love for all of my family and friends to enjoy.

The dear deer are not so dear any longer!

We have lived in our home almost 10 years and never had a problem with the deer. But this summer they have found us! The hosta plants on the backside of the house have been tasty tidbits for them. Note, they just took out the tops.

Our home is in a subdivision but backs up to a farm. Even with an electric fence the sweet deer managed to find hosta plants in our subdivision. Apparently they went from house to house enjoying the hosta plants in the subdivision as most all of the hosta plants of my neighbors were eaten also.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

Do you remember The Andy Griffith show with Jim Nabors. One of his favorite sayings was "Surprise, surprise, surprise"
Well let me tell you about my wonderful surprise! My birthday was August 16. Our oldest daughter had called the week before and invited Sweetman and me out for lunch on Saturday at Olive Garden. Nice birthday gift! The Thursday night before that Saturday I was sitting in our sitting room watching TV and doing a little hand quilting when I had a telephone call from my Mississippi sister, Pat. We were just chatting away and she asked the strangest question; what are you doing and which room are you in. Just then the door bell started ringing. I loudly asked Sweetman to answer the door. He did and there stood two ladies asking for me. So Sweetman being a sweetie asked "Are you from the church?" The said no. He then asked if they were from one of my quilting groups. And about that time my sister Pat just ran into the house and my baby sister from Texas, Edwina, was trying to get Sweetman to be quiet long enough for her to tell him who they were. I heard Sweetman say "She is going to have a heart attack". Then I looked up and there stood this woman in the doorway of the sitting room and I did not recognized her at first. Then I did and I almost did have a heart attack. I had not seen my sisters in almost seven years. Yet, we email and talk most every week. They had driven from Mississippi to help celebrate my birthday. What wonderful, sweet sisters I have.
We celebrated all weekend and they graciously treated all of my Georgia family to lunch at Olive Garden on Saturday. This is a birthday that will be remembered forever. All of my children and grans called to wish me a special birthday and I loved every minute. I am one of the luckiest ladies in the world to have such a loving and caring family.

Fig Preserves

A friend brought us a small bag of fresh figs yesterday. Neither of us eat figs except as fig preserves. Last night I washed the figs and then added sugar for them to sit overnight. Then this morning I started the cooking process. This is what I ended up with. Of course, Sweetman wanted biscuits for lunch so he could start eating on them today. But we decided we would not open a jar until after the first frost of the season. If you have fresh figs send them my way!

Baptist Fan Quilting Pattern

Are you a hand quilter? Have you ever wondered how to quilt using the Baptist Fan pattern? Bonnie Hunter over on the Quiltville blog, www.quiltville.blogspot.com, has a great tutorial on how to quilt the Baptist fan. Go to http://quiltville.blogspot.com/2010/05/questions-on-fans.html or go to her blog and scroll down on the right and click on the Baptist Fan tutorial.

Friendships

When we first married I worked and Sweetman went to collage. Then he went to work and I stayed home for eleven years and took care of our four sweet blessings. When baby boy was eighteen months there were career changes for Sweetman and I returned to work for a few years. Returned home for about a year and then decided to return to the work force. And for almost twenty five years I worked for a major corporation and enjoyed every minute of my career. With a career, a husband and four sweet blessings I had no time left to develop real friendships. But when we retired and moved to our small town my life changed. I had the time and energy to connect with some wonderful people and started developing friendships that I consider to be real gifts. This group of friends are from the Nicholson Quilt Group that meet on Tuesday mornings. The quilts hanging on the walls were made by the leader of this group "Miss Susan". You want to have fun and laughs, join a quilt group.

The Sewing Room

There has been lots of activity in the sewing room the past few weeks. I have spent lots of my time at home and really enjoyed getting some of my UFO finished or close to being finished.
The Pinwheel is one of two pinwheel quilt tops that I am working on. The pastel colored fabric came from the stash and had been in the stash for a very long time.
The Dresden Plate are fabrics that I had been collecting for the past few years.
The third quilt is a quilt our Jefferson Library group has been working on to give to library for a wallhanging in the media room.

Fabric Gift

This fabric was given to our Monday Methodist Quilting group along with a pattern. So I pieced and quilted this cute quilt for them to raffle off. Blues and yellows are great colors for a bright quilt.

Spring is Here

Spring is really here. These are some snapshots of a few of the iris that are growing in our yard. I love the spring! Now I want to go to the Iris-Daylilly farm and purchase more iris while they are in bloom.

Left Over Blocks

When I was making a quilt I call my red double star quilt, I had a number of left over blocks. I had made these blocks thinking they would go into the red star quilt but they just didn't work out. So I took the blocks and made this small quilt. And it really does look nice on the end of the bed where the double star quilt is being used. It is a nice quilt to get under for an afternoon nap. Hope you enjoy.

Fabric Resolution

I have been sewing over 40 years and making quilts for over 20 years. I have purchased many fabrics over these years! So I have made a decision to start cutting some of my "unwanted" and "what was I thinking when I purchased that fabric" into 2 inch wide strips. From these strips I am going to start making log cabin quilts. In the past week I took some left over scrapes and made a 9 patch quilt. When I have completed this quilt it will measure about 70 x 90---and all from left over scrapes. I am really excited about turning out as many quilt tops as possible this year. What are you doing with your scrapes. I would love to hear from you.

Snow in Georgia February 12 2010

We had a very large snow in Georgia on Friday. And more is expected tonight. We usually do not have this much snow but it has been a very strange winter in our area. It was beautiful and today most of it will be gone as the temperture is in the fifties. But while it was on the ground it was just beautiful.

How Much Longer?

How much long can winter last? I am tired of the cold and rain.

Don't you love this beautiful quince bloom? I'm dreaming of an early spring, please, please, please. Beautiful spring pictures can be seen over at Southern Lagniappe's blog which you can access from my blog list.

Southern Matriarch Give Away

If you go over to http://southernmatriarch.blogspot.com/ blog you will see these beautiful quilted coathangers that are being given away. So go over and enter and enjoy her delightful blog. Don't you love her baby outfit?

Vacuum Cleaners

Sorry, no picture today. But I want to vent on vaccum cleaners. Why did they go to bagless cleaners? They are so messy! And oh those poor people who have asthma, how do they handle cleaning them out. And why is a HEPA filter needed. Why not a washable filter. And why do HEPA filters cost enought to go out and enjoy lunch?

I am on my third cleaner in less than ten years. One of those I did break myself! But now the one I am using is slowly going bad. So I am looking for a replacement. But who sells a cleaner with a throw away bag?

I do not need a $500 cleaner. I want something that has a long cord, will do a great suction and light weight so I can handle it if I have to carry it upstairs.

Not too much to ask So if you have a recommendation, please post it on my blog.
I need help!

Happy Quilting (when I am not cleaning out the dumb cleaner)

What is on your Design Wall?

On my design wall are blocks that I am working on from the quilt book Be Attitudes by Nancy Halvorsen. All of the blocks are sewn and now I am doing the fusible applique and machine blanket stitch on the blocks. So what is on your design wall? What are you working on at the beginning of a new year?

To all of my blog friends I wish you a very Happy New Year.