One more day...24 hours and counting....

I'm better than yesterday(less coughing and sneezing but still 'in' it) but not back to normal yet. But I am excited! Tomorrow is "D" day!! As in DD#1 and DH coming to switch the bedrooms for me. The big bed goes in the smaller room. That will now be my bedroom. Maybe(???) the twin bed coming in the big room, which is MY NEW STUDIO! I'm soooo excited. I have a cutting counter coming any day now, and it will sit on 36" kitchen cabinets. That's the height I need to cut comfortably. Then the organizing can begin in earnest. Shelves, cupboards, rolling carts, what ever I need..*VBS* Hurray!!!
In the meantime I came across these two patterns I had bought years back in Cannon Falls, MN. Both are
fusible web applique, and should go quickly. Especially the door banners as there is no need for softness. I traced off and cut out the autumn one last night. And since it was a kit, I don't even need to dig for scraps unless I want to.
With the snowmen, I think I will do the rectangle one for sure. Looks much more user friendly than the door topper. What usually keeps me from completing little projects like this, is that I obsess over them and worry about getting it to look right. Well, the heck with that. I'm going to pretend I have 'primative' tendencies and just have fun with it...and add my own touches. Both pictures should enlarge if you are curious.

Ebby is fine.....

I decided to call the vet's office and inquire what to look for is there was a problem with her food(that contamination recall). She only had the one symptom, tiredness, but I took her in anyway. I also took along the packages of what ingests daily, just in case. Lucky Ebby! Shewas checked over from stem to stern and is fine, except she's still overweight. Eyes, ears, heart, lungs, kidneys, tummy, teeth, everything got checked.
No explaination for the additional sleeping. Let it suffice to say, the 'ahhh hem' trip provided some stimulation, and she was up and about most of the afternoon and evening, and even looked for comfort in my lap(might just have been that darn temperature taking...LOL). So I'm to cut back her food a bit more, hid part of it and let her 'seek' it out, and see if I can get her to play more(exercise). End of story, Ebby's fine.....all's well that ends well. And then there is me........LOL
I'm definitely NOT fine. Marathon coughing, congested lungs, runny nose, sore throat, my ears hurt, I've coughed til I ache and now cold sweating. Soooo, I'm going to crawl into bed with my cough syrup, kleenex, eye drops, cough drops and a big glass of orange juice and see what's on cable today. Luckily, other than sewing and cleaning, I have nothing that needs doing. See ya later......I'll be under that crumb quilt if you need me.

Feelin' crumby.....

more ways than one, today. We have cool gray weather, I have caught a cold(or it has caught me), everybody is busy, moving, or in Paducha....darn! So think crumby...right? I did. My twin size mile a minute quilt hasn't been in use for about a year now. Not since I bought the queen sized bed. Yesterday seemed like a day I needed it's color, warmth and randomness. Being under it is like sifting through pebbles looking for flakes of gold, or gem stones. I didn't make this one with pieces as small as Tonya and Bonnie were using in their 'crumb' squares. I do like the variety you get if the
pieces are smaller, but it is a lot of piecing to get a 6.5" blocks with the really tiny bits. In these close ups you can see some small pieces. The bright yellow is 3/4" by 1 1/4"

In this block the brown triangle I added to get a square is about 1" on its straight edges.
As you can see Ebby has no doubts what quilts are for, whether I've gotten the bed made or not. We both slept with the MAM quilt last night. Me under it and her on top of it. The EB was on low under it, and we were both toasty warm.
She has been sleeping more than usual the past few days, I'm not quite sure what to make of that. In the past she followed me around most of the day. She pesters me to play with her, or just reclines on her haunches next to my chair. The sleeping started on Sunday, when she slept most of the day on the bed, same Monday and yesterday. We had a bit of a 'play' with the ribbon being trailed for her pouning pleasure this a.m. but then she came in, got on the bed and has been asleep ever since. She looks fine, is eating and drinking normally, coat still glossy and her eyes and nose are clear. She doesn't seem to hurt anywhere. I just don't know what to make of it. Should I call the vet and ask maybe????

Imagine my surprise.....

when I opened my Fat Quarter Shop newsletter and saw this quilt. It's a kit called Christmas Past Big Block Quilt kit, using the new line by Minick and Simpson. Also uses Moda's Jelly Rolls. What surprised me is how similar it is to

the WTIL top I made last year and sent off to Linda J at http://catsnqlts2.blogspot.com/ .

There are quite obvious differences, but I am going to consider it a variation on MY idea...LOL. And a good one!

My intent was to use up a bag of unwanted 2" X 5.5" strips, both dots and crayon colors. They has been cut as lattice for an I Spy quilt. I didn't like the look and went to something else. Since I still had about a yard of the yellow polka dots, it wasn't hard to cut 5.5" squares to set the little strip sets. I was pleased with the outcome, added a border to match one of the strips, and sent it off to Linda. I am NOT an awesome 'quilts' maker, nor am I a designer or one who comes up with creative, original ways to use old patterns. Thank goodness we have Tonya at http://lazygalquilting.blogspot.com/ and Bonnie at http://quiltville.blogspot.com/ to do that for us. Not to mention how often Linda J. takes blocks and finds a wonderful setting for them. And Judy at http://judylaquidara.blogspot.com/ creating new ways with old patterns and using stash..GO JUDY GO! But every once in awhile it's nice to see that something that occurs to me, also occurs to someone else and is marketable..*VBS* Fun, fun, fun....fun *VBS*

Earth Day 2007

For the beauty of the skies...I give gratitude daily. I stand firmly planted on the earth, and look heavenward. Such beauty and abundance is ours on our planetary home. These are sunrise pictures from a week ago. Already the sun
rises slightly further north, stretching towards the summer equinox and the longest day of our year. I am a time traveler, following the sun, the moon, the seasons.

Spring feels like it has been slow to arrive, but the impatience is all mine. It is only April, after all, and we often have snow on the ground, and lots of cold winds in April, even into May. This year seem to be an exception to that. Altho this isn't a beautiful picture, with so much dead turf remaining, the first greening of the grass has begun. One good rain, and the lawns will spring to life in verdant greens and gold, can't forget the dandilions.
I was thrilled this a.m. as I looked out the opened bedroom window and saw that the little shrubs outside are getting their first leaves. The blue is just the plant tag, no flowers for awhile and they will be yellow when they come...*VBS* For many years I planted a new tree each year on Earth day, but with a rental comes to 'no privilege' clause about
putting things in the ground. So I will honor the earth in other ways, cloth napkins, cloth shopping bags, recycling what I am able. Use it up, wear it out, make it do....or do without. I used to have a wall plaque that said "I wondered why somebody didn't do something. And then I realized I was somebody". Be earth friendly, go hug a tree *VBS* or plant one.

Quilts forgotten....

and remembered, arrived in my mail box this week. Maybe it is only me, but as the years pass by, and without pictures of every quilt I have made and quilted, I have begun to forget them. That speaks volumes if it matters to you, having a record of your quilting journey. DD#1 called last week to say she had found a box of pictures. They are pictures I told her she still had, but she swore she had returned them to me...ya, right! I was nice enough NOT to say "I told you so", she apologized and scanned 3 of them to me. In describing them she said "it's your Star quilt", and"the heart quilt you made for Joyce"(?????????) and one other for from Ireland. I thought and thought.." a heart quilt for Joyce(DD#1's birth mom)?...nope, I don't remember doing that. So she scanned them to me. And yes, NOW I remember making the heart table square for her to send Joyce for (Mother's Day or a birthday) some occasion. I also made the wreath quilt on the wall, but that one I remember making...LOL

When my friend Jean was first learning to quilt(from me) I told her to take pictures of ALL the quilts she makes, especially the ones she gives away. She asked if I had pictures of ALL the quilts I have made, and I said "no", I didn't know enough to do that the first several years...like 4 or 5 years, or more. All my children had quilts that I didn't get a picture of and dozens of baby quilts that went to DD's friends. Even with my first grandchild..I neglected to take a picture until a couple of years later. I still forget to take the snapshot of baby quilts I sell.

It must be a by-product of all the years of piecing and quilting that lie behind me, to cause such memory lapses. It can't possibly mean that I am getting older!! Can it????

This and that.....

and Thursday. Time goes so quickly.
Bits and pieces today. I've decided to post the pictures of the quilt that Tracey asked about. I don't know if she caught the post where I gave her the date they were posted, so here it is...the shoo-fly and plaids. The description is on the Nov. 15, 2006 post.
Busy day yesterday, some sewing, some moving of stuff from the small bedroom to what will soon be my studio. Some cleaning and then a late lunch with Betsy. She's finishing up a queen size top for her mom....in pinks and greens. Lets just say that pink is not her cup of tea..
Now on to the quilting. I have to admit to being curious about Bonnie's string diamonds. I thought I knew how to get a 60 degree diamond by folding paper, but wanted to check against Betsy's book. I'm so proud of my mathematically challenged self...I had it right!!!! I borrowed the book anyway...LOL, and the ruler. I think it is the Tri-Rec ruler. And I was on a 'fishing' mission for more wool felt(or something) to finish cutting the fish shapes for my DD#1's childhood fish picture re-create. We talked about what I'm going to use for background, and how hard it would be to hold just the background fabric and try to do a running stitch (or buttonhole) on the shapes. We concluded I needed a regular fabric(pacific blue) for the water(she had some to give me) and put that together with a batt and backing. Then do the funny little dot stitches that are all over the drawing. That should hold everthing in place so I can attach the fish.
So...what's on the sewing table???? Yet more burp cloths, bright broken dishes(Betsy exchange), scrappy broken dishes(donation quilt), homespun plaid squares, leader and ender 4.5" triangles being paired up, and now, possibly string diamonds. Should keep me busy!!

Sunshine....on a cloudy day...

snail mail guy was good to me yesterday *VBS* I received pictures taken on Easter Sunday from my daughter in law. This extremely handsome young man

is my first grandson. He turned 13 in December and looks more and more like his Dad. He isn't the one who first asked about my rug making, but he is the one who tried and 'got it'. He crocheted an entire round while he was here and was so proud of himself. I told him about men from years gone by, using a similar technique to make fishing nets. He immediately remembered seeing that in a recent movie...smart lad! My belief is that a new skill isn't a bad thing to add to your list. My DIL agrees, not so sure about his Dad. Altho he did then remember that he and all his sibling learned to latch hook on summer, and he made a football rug.

I looked at the young man. that sunday, and can hardly believe he is almost as tall as I am, and will be driving in less than 2 years. Seems to me like I was just playing patty cake and peek-a-boo with him. How can that be? I'm glad I'm wearing a t-shirt today, cause if it were a blouse, I'd be bustin' my buttons...*VBS*

Newer Cat ~ Older Orphans

Have you noticed that when I go on an amble or ramble, with my favorite things...words....I sometimes get lost? Yup. But with ambling that isn't a problem because 'to amble' is to wander with no destination in mind. I had a

destination yesterday, but I lost sight of it somewhere just beyond the 'a lots'.

So I'm back today to say what I didn't say yesterday.

I feel so privilged to have you gals read my blog and like what I say or what I show. And being 'tagged'(yup, not nominated, cause this Thinking Blogger thing is a 'meme')honors the heck right out of me. BUT...to received the 'award' part, you must follow the rules. I got so lost in what I was thinking about(including orphans) that I didn't finish my thought on that. I'm not ACTUALLY going to receive this award because I am not going to follow.. ....the rules: The participation rules are simple:
1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote (here is an alternative silver version if gold doesn't fit your blog).

Maybe it's not quite as much about site meters as I was willing to think. I could happily list blogs that I find inspirational...not because of their quilts, but because of the kind of person they are. Which is why I read their blogs. And I have no problem with mentioning blogs where I've found something you should take a look at, I just can't accept the format needed for his award.Probably we each have our own 'value' system for determining who we visit and who we don't. And that should be personal, not spelled out on a blog entry.

Borrowing words from Naomi Judd's new Sunday morning program on the Hallmark Channel, at Pieces from my scrapbag, "my door is always open, my heart is never closed, I will help if I can, and you are always wecome here."

And for Tracey(or is it Tracy) who asked about the quilt behind the little girls yesterday....you can find that full post, description of how the quilt came to be, and a couple of pictures at my Nov. 15, 2006 post. And yes, I will eventually learn(or figure out) how to connect you to that...LOL

Maverick-ness and Thinking Blogger Awards....

in that order. I have hesitated about a week , from saying anything about being 'tagged' as a Thinking Blogger. Tagged several times over the past week, by gals that I care about, respect and whose blogs I read. If not every day, at least often. And they are frequent reader of my blog. I feel extremely honored and humble that they find value in my words. Oh, the pictures too, but mostly the words I think *S*. Words are my friends. I love words. The roll off my tongue in loveliness like 'gollywog' and 'cove' and 'rising'. I like most words, but understand that foul language isn't my cup of tea unless it's the 'fowl' kind..*G* I also like chickens.. But....back to the
topic. I've hesitated because I don't read blogs to make me think. Thinking is often a result of what I have read on your blog. But I came there to visit YOU, to speak your name, to see what you are "up to" that day, to let you know I care that you are a part of blogland. I did not come to make the quilt you are making and if I do, it will be a scrappy version of myself, not you. The very bottom line regarding Pieces from my scrapbag is that it is MY BLOG. That means I speak MY truth, doubts, hopes, fears, dreams and
disappointments. You may get 'silly ol bear' at time, and Fantastic Finn at others. Sometimes no one is here but Sylvia and Finn is out playing. You'll get my Looney Tunes self and my Old Wise Woman self. And you'll get memories, lots and lots of them. Because I have a lot. And I think a lot, and process a lot.
And, in case you forgot, I like words....a lot!!(At this point my sister is saying"enough a lots"....LOL O.K. Pony Girl, I hear ya..*VBS* Back to the AWARD idea. We all realize that its dual
purpose(and less humanitarian side) is set those site counters clicking. Thats why one of the rules is you have to link back to the orginal Thinking Blog. You can do that from so many places now, in our quilting world, you don't need links here. I see a couple of others, like myself, aren't going to follow the rules. Did you REALLY think a maverick would follow rules set down my a mere man thinker?? Well, that part is up to you..*G* While you are reading my blog or my comments on yours, you can be sure that I'll tell you to make the quilts that 'move or inspire' you
your own way. I beliveto the core of my being... you need to make quilts that satify your heart. Make burp cloths the way I instucted(if you want to) but make your quilts your own way, not mine. Tonya R. has been wonderful in her tutorials and directions and help with learning to piece in a wonky manner. But I think I know Tonya well enough to say that she dosn't want you to make HER quilts. It's a work method that she offers us. Pick that up and go from there, if it's something that turns you on. And THAT is ALL I have to say about THAT!!!!!! And today's pictures? Yes, they've been on my blog during the 20 months and 850+ posts. But they 'came a callin' today because NOT one of them is part of anything anybody else showed me, or told me about or told me to do a certain way. They are EXACTLY what I wanted to do with those(leftover) blocks and fabrics. And recently, I realized(again, Tonya...I know...again) that I have been letting tunes from other drummers infilitrate my mind. Time to turn that OFF! So one more time, I humbly thank you, dear friends, for the many 'tags'. It's awesome! Hugs all around, Finn

S.O.S......

send help! Or in my case, "sort out stash". A bit more of yesterdays reveal. And this is just the big closet in the master bedroom. Is there more? Oh my! I'm
blushing with embarassment, but yes, there are also computer paper boxes with parts and pieces of yardages that need refolding and stacking.
I don't find these inexpesive shelves my DD got me to be what I really need. So I will be shopping for a better storage(for in the closet) system. And suggestions are greatly appreciated. I don't feelI use have open shelves out in this bigger room, I get lots of morning sun. Even the light from the north window will fade yardages. I'd be happy to put these shelves in the garage if I can

find something that works better. Maybe at Ikea?
I love the comments about the new project yesterday, hope some of you joined me in a 'play day'. Apparently I'm not the only one without a nice neat organized(like Patti..who is my idol in organization!), and that makes me feel much better. Some of the best advice I got was from Sio at http://scrapsandthreadtales.blogspot.com/ she said, "only one rule, clear a path to the sewing machine".....thanks Sio!! I went one step further and moved the machine to the nice cleared-off-dining room table...*VBS*

An Inconvenient truth.......

and one of my many secrets *VBS*, I'm NOT a disciplined person. It's not that discipline is unknown to me. Doing what you are told when you are a child is the shortest route to freedom. I comply but only enough to get to where I want to be. With my kids I used a "easy going style, with a no nonsense attitude". It
worked for the most part.
The inconvenient truth now is that I really! need to clean and re-organize my sewing room and stash. Horrible, terrible things have happened in my stash over the past year. I've resisted buying fabric and am using stash instead. BUT....I'm not putting things away neatly when I'm done. This pic is just a tiny peek at the mess I need to deal with.....and I will....soon! There is to be a major 'shift' in my spaces on April 28th *VBS* I've been trying to fit my quilting into the small bedroom of this town house since last April when I got new furniture. Let's just say, it can't be done...at least not by me. So the dependable kids, DD#1 and my favorite SIL are coming to 'do it'. I will give you more details in a future post...it's going to be awesome!! See Patti, you inspire me!!
And now, carefully dodging any and all discipline, I pulled out these FQ packs. I have 5 of them(homespuns) with 8 FQ's in each. I've decided on a project that calls for 6 different center colors, paired with a fabrics that you have 5/8th yd. of. I'm going to do this with parts of those 20 FQ's. I'm not being difficult, honest.
It's just that they only use 12 colors. When you cut your 5 center squares of each color, you always pair it with the
same contrasting fabric. That seems boring to me. These directions are from a Slash a Stash quilt by Susan Fuquay, 2003.
And here is what the first block looks like. I need 30 blocks for a 67" X 78" quilt. Once you get all the combo blocks made you stack them and cut through all of them at an irregular size. From the center, 2 parts will be 3.5" square, 1 smaller square and 2 rectangles. You re-shuffle them and sew them back together. It's NOT what I ought to be doing, or should be doing. But since the tulips and daffodils and grass are still far off on the horizon, I'm adding some post 'tax-time' color to my world...*VBS* Finn says "play day".

Lots of possibilities.........

just what a sewer and a quilter loves...possibilities! A selection of burp cloths. The finished size is 9.5"-10" wide, length 18 or 19". There are very few directions and no rules..*VBS* I make them from flannel, and it certainly doesn't have to be the HIGH end kind. I've been making these for about 6 years now, and find they make a nice baby shower gift. Or for the grandchild of a friend..*VBS* I usually make a dozen.
You need a fat quarter of soft flannel for each. I usually buy baby and kid flannel by the yard. You get 6 cloths from 1.5 yds. For the demo I used a left over half yard piece. Straighten your edges and then split the half yard on the fold line. You now have a piece that is about 20" wide by 18-19" long.
Fold right sides together and stitch around 3 sides if you are using a folded piece like this. If not, and you've mis-matched the two sides, which is neat for using up 9 & 10" left overs, then you would sew all 4 sides, leaving about a 3" opening somewhere so you can turn it right side out. Turn right side out and give it a shake.
Pick out the corners(you know what that means, right?) and then press the rectangle so it's smooth. Tuck in the little part where you've turned it. Top stitch around the 4 sides..LESS than the 1/4" seam or you won't catch the opening. No reason to close that by hand when the top stitch will do it for you. I make my stitching about 1/8" from the edge. You could use decorative stitching is you have that on your machine. Hearts or vines would look neat. Back to the ironing board, and fold in half across the 9" way. Press
really well so there is a crease. Then stitch from side to side across that 9". What that seam does is gives something that will rest well on your shoulder while you are burping baby. I've left a thread so you an see the stitching line across the blue ducks. It should enlarge if you need it to.
I do a batch of these at a time, it's easier to cut several rather than just one or two. I chain press them, and chain sew them, etc, etc, etc. OK..that's it for burp cloths!
Can someone tell me what I am suppose to put in that blank Link box below where we type our title???? Would that give me(?)you(?) a link back to somewhere?????

Internet magic....

and I get to see a picture of my new grandson *VBS* Color me happy! His mom and dad live almost 5 hours from here, and have a busy schedule. It's more driving than I am able to do at one time. But the hometown newpaper publishes pictures of the newborns unless asked no to...so I'm happy to be able to share Zander's first picture with all of you. I see they 'opted' out of Grant(middle name) and used Sara's Dad as a middle name..much better I think *VBS* He looks just like his 3 brothers at this age. I have a busy day today, with little time for the computer, but I am working on burp clothes to add to his package. I'll be back later with pictures and directions if you are interested in them. And probably even if you aren't..LOL *G*

This sweetie is Jean's grandson, holding the frog doll quilt I made him. I think it mostly is wrapped around Spiderman or his favorite truck, but he loves it. It has Disney's Taz on the back. Frogs and Tasmanian devils...just perfect..LOL

The Morning After.....

and the day has dawned clear, bright and very cool. My little corner of the world just before sun-up. I really like looking at this small stand of trees from day to day, watching the seasons unfold outside my window..*S* I had such a good
time with my oldest son's family yesterday. I rarely get just he and his wife and the 3 boys, and it was really a treat to have JUST them to talk to and enjoy. The boys are 13, 11 and 9 now, and what a lively crew they are. So involved in sports of all kinds, school, everything that happens in the world, everything that is going on. We all played Clue and then UNO and had a good time. A little later the youngest one asked me to show him how I make my rugs, and before you know it his big brother has taken the hook and is working on my newest rug....LOL He caught on very fast and his hands are just about the right size. Poor Tanner's hand are almost too small at 9. Nick crocheted an entire 'round' and was just thrilled (as was his mom). I feel that any skill you are able to try (and either master or understand) is a good addition to your life...you can't have too many skills. When they were young, ALL my five kids(2 girls, 3 boys) had latch hook projects to work when they choose. I think there might be some latch hooking in the DGS's future also.
And here's dear Ebby. She survived her first encounter with my grandchildren. None have been here since I got her in Sept. She has no clue that they now number 10...LOL
She was very skiddish and shy with them, but she did come out to see who was in her house. I have lots of leftovers in the frig and I think I'll be eating ham for quite awhile and also making some navy bean soup with the bone. The last picture is one that my

oldest DD did in Kdg. back about 1972. I have always liked it, as folk art, and have decided I can reproduce it in the wool felt quite easily. I think I will cut the same shapes and button hole them to a background. Haven't decided if it will be a small wall quilt or a pillow. But it's one of my next evening projects. A change from crocheting every evening..*VBS*
I didn't manage to mentioned it, but Grandson#10 was born about 8:30 on April 5th. He came screaming into the world weighing 8# 4 oz. and 21" long. He has a crew cut worth of hair, and they have named him Zander Grant. Definitely NOT a family name...LOL Such is life, I guess.

I must confess.....

I 'snitched' a milk chocolate easter egg from one of the Easter baskets today...*G*. Of course I did, how could I not? All I have to do is smell chocolate and I'm right there to see what might be available. And as I lick the milk chocolate from my fingers, my mind drifts back to Easters Past.This Easter Eve, is my 66th night before Easter. And my how they have changed over the years. *VBS*

Probably the most memorable Easter came on April 6th of 1947. My baby sister was born just as the sun came up that Easter morning. This year was her 60th birthday on the 6th of April... Happy Birthday Pony Girl..*VBS* This picture was taken March 28th, 1948. I was 7, and my little sister almost 1 yr. We all look so young and happy. No snow in this picture, and only light weight Easter clothes. And lucky me! Long white stockings for church instead of the brown cotton ones for everyday wear. New clothes at Easter was something that continued all of our childhood for us girls. There was a new dress of some sort every Easter, and usually they were frilly, ruffled, spring colored and unsuitable for everyday wear. It was like a sign of spring, those new Easter dresses in pastel colors. New shoes, sometimes a new coat for spring. As I grew old, a hat for church and eventually white gloves to complete the outfit.

The Easter bunny never missed us. We may have been a low income family, and one that charged groceries and rented from month to month, but there was always candy, a stuffed animal, maybe a basket... usually a basket, and sometime small toys like jacks or jump ropes, maybe a book or paper dolls. Easter was a special time. We rarely had other family members present for dinner, but it was almost always ham, potatoes, salad, a vegetable and probably a lemon merangie pie for dessert. The house wasn't decorated much, but the Easter Bunny found us anyway..*VBS* I remember the sharp smell of the vinegar being added to the cups of hot water, to set the dye we put in each cup. One year they added little wire holders to sit the egg in, supposedly guaranteed to keep the dye off your fingers...LOL. I remember the decals that we so carefully stuck on the eggs and tried to take off without smearing the design, and the little white wax crayon we used to print our names on the eggs.

My mom wasn't one to hide Easter eggs, a combination of too much work at the end of a long day, and the possibility we wouldn't find them all...oh my...the smell! But I don't feel I missed anything by not having hidden eggs. What we each got was OURS, and the amounts were very equal...nothing to squabble about who had more or most. The biggest challenge was seeing who could hold out the longest before biting the head off the big chocolate rabbit....LOL. I usually won! I always started with his tail or his back where it didn't show..*G*

I remember Easter grass going from a waxy paper shred, to cellaphane shred and eventually to the unshiny paper grass and then the tinsel kind. All in all, it didn't matter what kind of grass was in the basket, it was a mess!!! I feel that way to this day! But of course, you do 'it', cause otherwise it wouldn't be Easter.

As I married and had children the containers for the Easter bunny loot changed from my childhood ones. The goodies might be in a new wagon or doll buggy, or maybe a sandpail or cowboy hat. Almost anything to get away from the collection of baskets. In my husband's family, times were much harder, and once they got a basket, it remained theirs, and was put out empty year after year for the bunny to fill. Much bigger emphasis on the dyed eggs, and less on the candy ones in his family. I rather suspect that most of us carry on part of the traditions of the family we were raised in. Combining that with the memories of our spouse's family and it becomes what our children will carry forward with them.

I was amazed back at Christmas how many of us share a similar experience with christmas stocking containing an apply, orange, mixed nuts to be cracked and some kind of candy, as well as a toy or two...*VBS* I suspect the Easter traditions are similar also, for us born in the 30's, 40's, 50's, etc.

It's been quite a few years now since I have dyed Easter eggs, and I can't say I miss the mess or trying to get those eggs used up. But each Easter I find myself smiling at brightly colored eggs when I see them. Happy Easter Eve Everyone!!!

No April showers today....

after a week of May and June, we are back to February. Snow, lots of snow, fell in northern MN and WI last evening. Up to 10 or 11" up towards Duluth. All that is here in the Valley, is a trace. But we have a NW wind that is raging outside. My very least favorite thing...strong winds.
Giving you some more broken dishes today. This time from what I am collecting from Betsy. I wanted you to have some idea of how truly varied our fabric stashes are, and what kind of challenge this quilt will be. All of the first pic are from ones Betsy has made. They are 4.25"(about). Most are just fine, but that polka dot and red strip one looks small to me, so it may get used or it may not.

In this second picture(which should enlarge with a click) these blocks from Betsy are 5.75" Much larger than we are working with, but....it's fair game to use triangles or squares that are bigger or leftover from another project. It gets them used up and adds variety. I stuck 3 of the 4.25" ones in the bottom row so you can see the difference. Those 3 are of my making...*VBS* Cher, see you leftover zebras????*G* Yup, a little bit of you in there too...*VBS*
I'm tired today, both my eyes and my body. I usually am after a trip to a specialist, combination of distance and anxiety. My accountant called and my taxes are done, so I'll get that dealt with, and then perhaps sew some. The dilating is nearly all out of my pupils now, not quite...but close. I still need the sunglasses to stop some of the brightness. I should clean a little more today because I'm having lunch with a friend tomorrow. Have to get some groceries for Easter, etc. I found dried organic catnip in a ziplock at Target yesterday, and got a nice big pouch for Ebby....she was thrilled to pieces!!! I had gotten her one of the scratch boxes, which she completely ignores except for the catnip it contained. Once that was gone, nada...so much for scratch boxes. She likes her scratch pole the best. It's one of those wrapped in rope. Her new Petramalt from Hartz is Salmon favor and she is delighted with that! She's all curled up on the sheepskin in the hallway this morning, since the EB went cool once I was out of bed. She's not liking this return to winter temps at all. Can't say I blame her. Seems to be some sort of bad weather all across the USA lately. Well, world wide for that matter. I hope all of you are safe, warm, dry and finding happiness and peace in your valley. Hugs, Finn

Back home again....

and happy to be here..*VBS* The eye appointment went fine, the specialist could find nothing physically wrong or causing the pain. That really is good news. After so many eye surgeries on my left eye, I had to make sure the pain wasn't from something I was ignoring til it was too late. I have some new drops to try, 4 X a day and see if that makes any difference.
Today I'm giving you a couple of new broken dish blocks for Betsy, and my apology for not being clearer on my March 28th post. I suggested that cutting some squares for broken dishes while cutting scraps to size, might be a good idea. And while I did say cut the squares I 1/4" bigger than your desired block size, I also said that Betsy and I were cutting 'nickle' squares(5") and getting a 4.5" finished broken dishes. That's not accurate and I thank my new friend Carol, in TX, for emailing me and asking if she was wrong. God bless you Carol, for your kindness, but it was me. I hadn't a clue anyone was likely to do the size, expecting a 4.5" finished block. Also Betsy and I are pretty casual in our exchanges. If most of our blocks finish at 4.25(4 1/4") we'll just use them that way without sizing them. If you wanted a finished 4.5" block, you'd need to cut your squares 5 1/4". To Betsy and I, that extra 1/4" mark on the ruler is just a bother....LOL. Sorry about that, to anyone who took me at my word. I promise to be more careful when giving measurements...honest I will...*VBS*

Rainy Monday, yesterday's pictures and post #850

Kind of hard to believe I've post 850 times in 20 months of blogging...LOL. So........ as you can see from the first picture, WI is beginning to take on some 'green'...thank goodness. It will be weeks yet til we get flowers, but there is the promise. And then here are the two 'Cracker' block doll quilts for my friend Delores to give her granddaughters. I got those finished up.
The good news this week is that I will have company for dinner on Easter Sunday. When all your children have children, and that other set of relatives, it gets hard to bring them together very often. But my oldest son called, and he and his wife and 3 boys will be here to
help me celebrate...*VBS* So I've already begun the 'sprucing up' part of my preparations. I wish I was a person that had a place for everything and kept things where they belong, but I'm not. And it takes a major effort to 'de-clutter' and get ready for company...but I'm delighted to have them coming, so I won't complain.
By finishing up these two doll quilts, I have almost all of my Aunt Gracies type fabric used up. And doing the 9 patch/broken dishes baby quilt helped also. I'll be glad to see the end of the Aunt Gracies, altho the younger gals that I use it for, sure do love those pastel prints.
My stash has turned into a complete nightmare over the past couple of months, and I'm looking forward to jumping in, some rainy day, and just sorting,thinning out and getting it all neat and tidy again. It will probably take a full day!! I sort by color, but my oh my, I've really made a mess this time!!
Tomorrow is my early day trip to the Vitreo-Retina surgeons office again for a re-check on my left eye. I'm hoping to find out why I have such constant pain in that eye. It's time for some answers, if there are any to be had. DD#1 will be driving me into the Twin Cities as my eyes will get dilated, and that puts a nix on driving for a few hours. Plus, I'm nearly past the place I can comfortably drive in a metro area. Too many things to watch and 'see', and I don't feel I can 'see' fast enough anymore. I'm still ok to drive around here, thank goodness. Hope everyone had a good weekend, I'm off to do some cleaning and organizing and then write out the bills.

Greening, rain and doll quilts....

...and at this point, Blogger is having none of it...pictures that is..LOL. I've tried coming in through Picasa, Hello, and the regular posting format. So what the heck? I'll just write a Palm Sunday greeting and try to add pictures at the end.

We've had 2.5 days of steady rain, downpours at time, little to no thunder or lightening tho. The frost is out of the ground, and our grass is taking on a green tinge. When Betsy and I drove to the quilt store, the willow trees were shimmering with the promise of leaves coming fast. All around me are hill sides, part of the coulees and ridges left by the glacier. Off in the distance, the hills will take on what looks like 'green mist'. What it is, is the beginning of the leafing out process. And every spring if you watch you can see the hills go misty..*VBS* It's very lovely, but doesn't last long.
I've been busy working on the baby quilt, but also on two more doll quilts for a another friend, Delores. She has two granddaughters who have American Girl dolls. They have doll beds, but no quilts or blankets. I offered to make up a couple more of the Aunt Gracies prints in that Cracker pattern. I have the tops completed, but still need to back and machine quilt them. D. and I are getting together for lunch on Thursday, so I can deliver them then, just in time for Easter giving..*VBS*
Hard to believe that Easter is already upon us. I suppose it's partly that it is coming early, or seems early to me. Time has a way of getting away from me, but I'm not complaining...LOL. Retirement is the best time for that to happen. As long as I meet my obligations, all the time in the world is mine to use as I see fit.
Yesterday I spent part of the day working on a rug and watching the Hallmark Channel which ran an old version of Swiss Family Robinson. It was a hoot to watch the very young Russ Tamblyn in the role of Fritz. It was his teen age daughter that played the part of Joan in Joan of Arcadia(TV) a couple of years back. A good show, but one that lacked viewers and was canceled at the end of the second season. I tend to like shows that either educate, or stir my imagionation or enlightement. I rarely watch things that merely entertain.
I spent part of Thursday evening and part of Friday watching the 2 disc set of Gone With The Wind. It is ingredible what was accomplished by Selnick without the computer imaging and graphics that are used today. I don't spend much time thinking about the Civil War, and when I do, it's from a Northern perspective, since I'm born and raised in WI.
The last time I saw GWTW. was in a tiny, two bit theater in Cloverdale, Oregon. It's a very long movie, about 5.5 hours. I was 21 at the time. Watching it from this point in my life(late 60's) I have so much more understanding of the way the world works and doesn't work. I'm glad the nation stayed united at the end, but such a waste of time, human life and materials. And both sides so high handed in their convictions and intentions. I suppose mostly what I saw this time was human nature in action. Love, hate, loyality,friendship and cruelity all rolled into one saga. And so much judgement of people by each other. I suppose much the same as what the USA is involved in yet again. I guess there really is nothing new under the sun. All in all, I'm glad I spent the time watching it. The restored version is incredible in color and clarity. And it feels like an ole to the Old South, much like cowboy movies are to the old West. Made in 1938(if I got my Roman numerals right) is was almost a hundred years past the actual event, and of course just one person's view.