London Process

Look at me having fun!

Today was a fine day!!  All the family drama put aside... time to remember that I , too, have a life.

  Starting with last night, Mr.O'Quilts and I did an early dinner out...out...out...perfect! Portofino's...Thank u Drenna!  

Today, I went to the Guild sit and sew.  There were hardly 10 people there which made for a super relaxing day.  I worked on my London Olympic's quilt with the cuts that Marie brought home for me from her London visit.  Today I made all the four patches!! 

 I worked on some of the lattice for my Granny squares,

 Then started the middle strips on a number of patches for my Chevron string quilt.

Made a few new friends and relaxed...wonderful! 

Sharing below my cool find at Hancock's fabric store.  This past Wednesday I showed up for the Wendover solid sale.  I needed white and I love this Hancock's Wendover white even better than Kona white. 

 Of course, they also had a "blowout" sale.  I saw this print below for $3 a yard and thought it would be great as a backing of a hospital cuddle quilt.  At the cutting table the lady said that it had been marked wrong...It was really 79 cents a yard...wooooohoooo....that and my 15% off senior discount (on the first and third Wednesdays of the month)...made for a pretty grand deal.  I bought some Mary Ellen's Best Press with my 40% off Hobby Lobby coupon plus the 15% off...and I must say that I was happy on Wednesday too.

Springs Industries in Fort Mill, SC had a big sale last weekend and I did not know about it.  Usually one of the Guilds posts it but I seem to have missed it...sad...a missed chance...maybe next year. (U know that there is never enough fabric opportunities!!!)

Happy Mother's Day and such

Happy Mother's Day Mom...I enjoyed sitting in the sun with you this morning.  I am so grateful.  Ninety two seems to suit you:)

Mother's Day reminds me of my grandmother too.  She was born in 1896 and she died in 1996 clear minded and clever as always..  She always lived with us, cooking for us, inspiring us and making memories.  When she died, I found among her things binders of untried clipped recipes.  I dumped them.  Now, here I am, two generations removed,  with my own big bag of clipped recipes....

No more.  I am trying them out and putting the ones I like into my Evernote.  My quilting tutes are there as well.  I am reducing clutter and when I bite the dust..my relatives will just have to push the delete button on my computer!  Tonight I have a new stew cooking away in Grandma's old caste iron pot.

As for my Mother's Day...three grandchildren finding a baby turtle and taking it back to the creek to find its  own Mommy, with Granddaddy, was the best!!

Back to quilting...always back to quilting.

These blocks now have their name, Granny squares.  The great tute is from Bee in my bonnet.  Memory  help came from friends at.....Smazoochie  and  Patchwork daily desire.  Thank u both sooo much..  My foggy mind must come from the concussion..certainly could not be from age...sigh...

.In the peace of the evening, I have been playing around with the blocks...What do you all think???

A wonderful Mother's Day here in Charlotte.

The party and such...

I made a laminated changing pad for Sherry's grandmother party...So excited to find adorable Cat in the Hat fabric here at the Fat Quarter shop.  One yard purchase made two changing pads.  The key to sewing with laminate is to spray baste the layers together...I self bound.  It was done in about 45 min.

How can Sherry be old enough to be a grandma?????

Looking around my sewing room I took out a project box.  Sure enough, inside a project box was a project....WOW...  I do remember how easy these blocks were and the old name..Album block.  But the new name and the tutorial source is so lost.  If anyone can help me..please do.   ooo Thx...here it is from :  Bee in My Bonnet

The grandchildren had a great time with free fun at our house yesterday taking turns going down the hill.

Irish twins having a snack.

 And Pat Bravo  xxoo    Here we go again....Bijoux.  Art Gallery Fabrics.  I love you Pat Bravo.

My Happy Life

Tiggy is no Milito...but...at 10 years old,  he is trying to fill the gap.  He is a Carnegie Mellon cat, brought home on an airplane by my dear daughter when she was in college.  Here sleeps Tiggy with me...My daughter is hiking on the Italian Riviera....sigh..

 A tree in our yard...I think it is older than I am...that brings some comfort..ha!

 Irises...from the days when I thought that fabric was not enough.  I went nuts on mail order Irises...now they grow  without my help.  Just being beautiful on their own.

 Cherry tomatoes in the front garden amongst the weeds.  Mr. O'Quilts is spraying for deer.

 On this...again..rainy day in Charlotte...my joy and I have fun.....My Ibuproben, my diet Coke, my Pandora, my cool and awesome Janome and red and white strips found whilst cleaning my mess.

 I know that red and white is so last year..but I love it.  Thought I would try out this tute from Rachel.  I see that I need to watch the slant direction.  I used the computer paper that I had on hand...8.5 by 11...and am just having fun..and using my scraps.

I drew a line on 8 papers one diagonal and on 8 the other way, glued the center strip on the line..and now..4 are done..

Money bags (not my mother) lol

Remember when I made my grandson this candy wrapper tute money pouch from an M&M bag and chalk fabric from here?

Well, some of the Easter eggs came in this bag...so my granddaughter got one too:)

Hello Kitty fabric from JoAnn's for the inside lining.

And as she gets earning her money and writing...she too, can add up the money she has.

We have done it for years...Making new fabric from scraps...the pioneer women who needed to make do, Gwen Marston and the liberated quilts and now, Victoria.  I think that the 15 Min of play with Victoria is such a great idea..so doable.

A few more pix here of dear ol' ma...Joe Nicholson singing Happy Birthday wearing the funky bday glasses that my sister found.

Mom resting up before the big shindig...

Sam's Club has been making my mother's birthday cakes for 11 years now...yum!

Guess who is 92..............

Happy 92nd Birthday to my dear ol' Ma!!!  Cinco de Mayo!!!!

 So, now Mother...which picture did you say I should post on my blog??  Oh, both of them... At 92, whatever you want!!  I love you so....xxoo

The cake is ordered...the party is soon, but I can see you have started without me:)

Friday Fun

During the worst of my concussion recovery last fall, I was feeling really sorry for self.  So, I asked a friend to pick up an IKEA sewing machine for me.  Anything sewing is just the panacea, isn't it!!  Unfortunately, the machine was a lemon.   Mr.O'Quilts and I took a ride yesterday to return it.  This resulted in a lovely orange IKEA store debit card for $69 immediately burning a hole in my pocket...hmmm   Sharing here... pictures of my finds...

 Very large orange polkadots..

 Of course, I didn't catch my breath before taking part in the  Fat Quarter Shop Sale.  I am a dot lover...

My mother has been loosing a lot of friends lately.  She thinks that these little coin purses make good bereavement gifts.  I am whipping them out  like potholders.  Somehow, they do make folks happy.  I cut these out last night and made them up today.

Rainy Day Stuff

Today I finished the project for the children's feeling group.  For confidentiality purposes, their names and drawings are faced away and I am showing the back.  Still it is fun.  The pix are quilted and self bound.  The top is folded over with some extra fabric, raw edged,  and sewn down with a decorative stitch.  This is a fast way to make the casing for the dowel...Thank u Jean!!  Yarn makes the hangers for the dowels.  I will be mailing them off soon.  My Encore Azaleas in the back were on the discount shelf at Lowes...years ago...

This is really the best explanation for the alternatives for Google Reader that I have seen...

Enjoy....  Alternatives to Google Reader, by Sewcalgal

Have once again been enjoying...Bridget's Butternut Squash recipe.  Thank u Bridget.

And this is a hoot....This studio of Calder...ha...makes me feel so right at home with the best!

 Calder Studio, Roxbury, CT, 1963. Photographer Pedro Guerrero.  A big thanks to Mary Elizabeth for this encouraging photo!!!!

Gifts of Kindness

When my girl decided that her friends in Ireland might want a cat food bag, or two...I put out to my friends a request for some.  Look what Jane brought in to the water class last week...One for me and one for my Em...Polar Bears on a dog food bag....Jane, you are just too cool!  I made this one up just now on this rainy Carolina day.

 You know about the "lemon" thing that life dishes out once in awhile???...Sigh...Well only a quilter finds "lemonade" in fabric:)  Look how my dear sister and MP cheered me up!!!  Folding fabric is a give of love.

 And Jean....

 Of course, I too had to get into the act with some Lizzy House Pearl Bracelets on sale the other day at Fabric.com....an extra coupon from Retailmenot sweetened the deal.

My gratitude list.....Family, Friends and Fabric.......

Finished By the Hairs of my Chinny Chin Chin!

Just finished my one patch...ok, nine patch/one patch....Just in time to link it  up to Crazy Mom's Finish it up Friday....instead of Saturday(:

Practicing my free-motion quilting...calling mine the wildflower design...as each one is wild and different...ha ha, just like me... Now, Esther's are perfect!!!  I am only an Esther wannabee:)

Saving the beautiful backings no more...

Learning the technique to our family's wonderful Irish Soda Bread...passing it all down to the next generation.

Then there is more fun stuff....

Navy and Yellow  and I love this blogpost too from Victoria and of course....the best of all...episode 4, the last episode of the Great British Sewing Bee