Thursday, January 31, 2013

The Beginning


I’ve been quilting since 1974 when I volunteered to help with a quilting demonstration at the fabric store I was working in.  I’d never tried it before, never had any interest in it at all…. 

And the rest of the story is my quilting history which I am now sharing with the www.  The Beginning can be seen at http://delawarequilts.com/MyQuilts/History/01.html   On that page are links to two quilt projects too!  

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Making my Quilting History


Tomorrow I will reveal page one of my quilting history.  Making that written history is almost as complicated as making the quilts themselves.  It would have been oh so much easier if I kept a written record as I went, but when I started who knew….

I started quilting in 1974 and consider myself lucky to still have my very first project.  It shows me how far I’ve come, and how truly quilt ignorant I was when I started, LOL!   I wish I had all the written records that may have gone along with my original projects. 

I do remember my first few projects.. I started with this infamous Lone Star wall hanging, what a mistake for a first project.  As soon as I realized I was over my head I asked for another project.  I started and finished, quilting and all, a log cabin baby quilt.  I seem to remember the strips were about 2 inches wide and the finished quilt was just a little less than 36 inches square because I know I didn’t piece the back.  Back then 100% cotton was 36 inches wide.  I did such a good job on that I was asked to try to make a few more samples before the demonstration, and I made two pillows.  I thought I still had them, but can’t find them right now.  I think one was a trip around the world and the other… well I don’t remember. And then one of the girls working in the shop announced she was expecting and I made her a churn dash baby quilt.  We used it for the demonstration and then gifted it to her. 

About a year later I decided to make a quilt for John and I, a log cabin because I really enjoyed making the first one.  I bought all of the fabrics, or so I thought, those very narrow 100% cottons that we got at the store.  I think I started it, I know I cut a lot of the fabric, but well…. I know I never finished the quilt, but instead bought one already made from a quilt shop in upper Vermont when up there on vacation one year.  It was made using the exact same fabrics I had purchased, so I used some of the fabric I had bought to make coordinating pillow shams, curtains, and even a dust ruffle for our bed. 

Putting together my history after that was a bit harder, a lot of it had to come from memory, and you know how that goes.  Looking at old family pictures helped a little, and figuring out where we were when something in the family happened helped some too.  Which baby was born when and where we were, what neighbors were into sewing, etc. 

While going through a photo album I found a written list of quilts which started with quilts #103 and 104.  Then in 2009 while trying to put together my UFO list I luckily found two old spread sheets dated 1997 and 1998.  Those were important years in my quilting history, the start of my internet quilting life, the Ocean Waves Quilt Guilt and Delaware Quilts and the Quilters Retreats. 

1997’s started with #113 Log Cabin in pinks and blues. That means in 1996 I had at least 112 finished quilts. 1997 was the year we first got a “new” computer, so the list of the 112, if there was one, was on the Commodore, which means it is long gone. Regardless the numbers were conflicting, so I had to do some more research. 

After a few months of going through photo albums, floppy disks of pictures and piles of quilts I finally had a fairly accurate and complete list of my quilts.  Then I decided to get as many actual pictures as I could.  And now I will share my history with the world wide web…. Or at least anyone who is interested in looking at it. 

Quilt number one was made in May of 1974, well started at least.  And since I am still hanging on and still sewing, my final quilt has yet to be made.  From the amount of stash I have, I have a lot more sewing to do, so stay tuned!

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

New Mystery Saturday!


If you like mysteries, a new one starts this weekend on the Mysteries For Relay Group.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MysteriesForRelay/ You can get in on it for just a $5 donation to Relay For Life.

Reads


I was excited when Jennifer Chiaverini’s  Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker came out, so far I have greatly enjoyed all of the books she has written.  However as I read the first few pages I had a feeling I’d read it before.  It didn’t take me long to realize that it was a kind of re-write of Elizabeth Keckley’s Behind the Scenes: Thirty Years a Slave and Four Years in the White House.  I tried hard to forget it was just a fictional version of the same book, but I just could not get into it.  The more I read the more disappointed I was. 

On a positive note I read The Window of Larkspur Inn by Lawana Blackwell and I absolutely loved it.  The story is great and so well written I could “see” the settings even though there were no pictures.  It’s a good clean romance with some ghostly excitement thrown in and was an easy and thoroughly enjoyable read. 

Now I need to decide which book to read next!

Friday, January 25, 2013

Recovering

I am still around, slowly recovering from this dreaded cold/flu/bronchitis which has affected me most of the month.  As always, it takes time to get over it, a lot of time, and what a waste of time it is.  When I barely have enough energy to get out of bed, I know better than to even think of sewing… but lately I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about just that. 

I remember the last time I did sew… at the Fall Retreats.  I did a lot of sewing that month, four weeks straight of sewing, shopping, sewing and enjoying the company of all the retreaters.  I finished a charity quilt, started a new creation and then stopped work on it when something went wrong with it, started another quilt and finished it, and started yet another quilt and then came home.  When I got home I cleaned both machines used on retreat, put away all of my projects and supplies and….   Well that’s it, I have not sewn a stitch since then. 

That doesn’t mean I haven’t been doing quilting stuff though.  I have my projects for each month ready to go on line right through September.  I have some fun projects lined up for everyone to enjoy and more lined up to do.  I’ve done some shopping, on line since I’ve hardly left the house at all, picking up some supplies for projects and charity quilts I want to do this year.  And I’ve finished writing up three new mystery projects for the Mysteries For Relay group. 

But I’m anxious to get back to the machine, but I need to feel better first…. cough, sneeze, blow… 

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Have stock in tissues?


If you do, thank me for your increased quarterly dividend… I’m still sniffling and going through tissues pretty speedily… just about as fast as my nose is dripping....

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Cold time...


I have my annual winter cold, runny nose, cough and a full case of the blahs.  Honestly I’m happy it’s here now and waited until our Christmases were over.  Many years I’ve been sick ringing in the New Year, and even on Christmas itself.  (Last year I had no voice at all on Christmas day and went downhill after that.)

So if I don’t post, don’t worry, I am just trying not to spread this nastiness.

Wednesday, January 09, 2013

Lots going on


Lots going on but nothing I can share yet, hopefully soon.  I’m healthy and happy, and except for the fact that I’m not sewing, too busy otherwise, all is well

Tuesday, January 08, 2013

What a day....


So yesterday… Not all bad and not all good.  It was one thing after another all day long.  First thing in the morning I sent an email which resulted in being reunited with a long lost family member.  One little email and perhaps a new relationship that is long overdue.  That was the good.   

Then I learned of the passing of a dear old quilting buddy.  Sadly we lost her years ago to Alzheimer’s but her final passing is still sad.  Then I learned of two friends who have family members recently diagnosed with the dreaded cancer.   One a young mother of two small children, the other a loved brother. 

And to end the day on a positive note a family member moved in a good direction, more details later. 

Today, who knows.  But isn’t that what makes life so interesting?

Monday, January 07, 2013

Family Christmas pictures

And a good time was had by all!

Taken January 6th, 2013 in Bethesda Maryland

Sunday, January 06, 2013

Merry Christmas


You may think it is done and over with, but we’re just having our Christmas today.  In this family it’s not Christmas until all six of us are in one place celebrating together.  Today’s the day!  And boy do we have LOTS to celebrate today!!!!!

Saturday, January 05, 2013

Thank you


Dankeschön Nicola S for your donation! 
Schönen Dank

Friday, January 04, 2013

Build Your Best Log Cabin


It’s no secret that the log cabin block is just one of my many favorites but I was surprised when Fons & Porter asked me to review their Build Your Best Log Cabin.  I was honored until other reviews started popping up all over blogdom, ok.... so I wasn’t the only one.  And I was honored, until I realized that “With your free download of Build Your Best Log Cabin, you'll become a member of the Fons & Porter online family.”  OK, so it was an advertisement.  Still, it was worth downloading and I was already a member of the online family anyway… I think. 
Regardless, I downloaded the booklet and started reading.  I enjoyed it a lot, some good history in it, some terrific diagrams in it.  Probably my favorites were all the setting diagrams, log cabins have endless settings and I think they showed them all.  There is also a handy block chart for those who like going a strip at a time… now I have something to reference when someone asks me about that, I don’t do one strip at a time. 

My favorite quilt was Ricky Tims’ Bears in Bertie’s Log Cabin and I think I might just have to make one! 

So if you like log cabin quilts do yourself a favor and download the book, it’s worth it! 
http://www.fonsandporter.com/landing/free-log-cabin-quilt-patterns
(And they really don’t send a lot of email so don’t worry about it!)

Thursday, January 03, 2013

New Mystery starts Feb 2nd


If you enjoy mysteries I offer a new mystery every six weeks or so on my Yahoo group Mysteries For Relay. I ask a $5 donation per mystery or $30 for a year's worth and as my way of thanking you for your donation give a new mystery. And if you don't like mysteries, you can just wait till I post the completed mystery pattern and have an un-mystery pattern.  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MysteriesForRelay/ (Please note that this is a fundraising project and no one may join the group until a donation is made.)

Our first mystery of the year will start February 2nd. If you like mysteries,
why not make a $5 donation and give the group a try.  
http://main.acsevents.org/goto/Marge.Gordon You will get a new mystery pattern, or a full pattern if you just want to wait for it, and make difference to someone fighting cancer.

Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Thank you


Thank you Nancy B for your donation!!

Thanks!


Thanks Irene P for your generous donation

My New Year’s resolutions

 
Yes I have them and will proudly display them here and even on facebook.
1. Finish some UFOs
2. Start some new UFOs
3. Be happy
Number one should be easy to accomplish, I just need to get to it.  I am starting the year with 41 UFOs.  Two I could almost call WIPs (Works In Progress) except I haven’t worked on them since November so to me that makes them UFOs.  Twenty-one of them need quilting or are at the quilters and one of them just needs binding put on… if I get all those done I’ll have over half finished! 

Number two is no problem at all.  If we had to list the quilts we want to make my list would be endless.  I have plenty of fabric too so supplies is not an issue.  Right now I just need to decide which one to do first.

But if I start a new one, then one of the old ones won’t get done… decisions decisions, LOL!
And for number three, I will do all I can do to be happy and stay happy.  I’m working on the healthy part of happy, lowering my prednisone very gradually and hoping this will be the year I can go off it forever.  And if not, well I’m mostly used to all the side effects and if staying on it keeps me happy and healthy, I’ll stay on it. 


Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Thank you

Thank you Dana A for your generous donation and kind words!

Happy 2013 everyone