The down slope of September...

yup....6 hours and 16 minutes, and it will be October! Are you ready???? I've stood on this down slope every September for 66 years *VBS* And I'm still thrilled and excited to know that TOMORROW is October. Guess that truly makes me an October child, right??The countdown to my birthday officially begins at 12:01 !

Michele at A Quilting Journey(see sidebar) tagged me for a 'me-me' of sorts. She has the explaination of what a me-me is on her blog. I settled for thinking it was self explainatory(i.e. the very word "me-me", must be about me *VBG* In this one you describe yourself via the spelling of your name. One word for each letter....LOL
So, are you ready for a double-dose? My Mom DIDN'T name me 'Finn', so I'll have to play fair and use that baptismal name: Sylvia Here goes:
S ~ sweet
Y ~ youthful
L ~ lovable
V ~ valient
I ~ intelligent
A ~ artistic

and also: Finn

F ~ fun
I ~ impish
N ~ nice
N ~ nusiance

And I get to tag YOU( X 5) to play along.....I tag Katie(in Michigan), Coleen(So.Africa),
Darcie(in N. Dakota..thanks for the storm on thursday!), Jenny(in Canada-Blogland),
Nadine(in Belgium). All these gals are on my sidebar..*VBS*

Let's stand up and cheer.....

for Ebony, it's her ONE YEAR anniversary today! I know, it seems like she's always been here. But trust me, there are many 'milestones' along the way,marking our first year together....bumpy but successful *VBS* The first year,in review: Ebony in her 'old' home...she was only there 6 months.
Ebby's first portrait...a good pose, now hold it!
Learning to be a 'quilt' cat...doing really well at this one! Watch out Wizard!
By spring, Ebby becomes my official consultant on all quilt block layouts... her stamp of approval given.
Ebby, travelin' cat. An official part of the Orphan Train, giving directions, counting the miles....home at last, an orphan no more *VBS* Hugs and purrs to all who have followed our journey through this first year *VBS*

Rainy night in Valley town....

The rains have come....again.After a gorgeous day, with sunshine and balmy breeze, we now have a thunderstorm and rain, again. I shopped all day...got new shoes and a few other goodies!! It was with a friend, and a lot of fun *VBS*
This is Johnny, whom his siblings called 'Nonny'...but then that's what he called himself...J's came later. This is the chicken and the egg story. I was hanging clothes, a daily occurance with 5 kids. It was spring. Nonny was following our little banty hen, Lamey around. She was called that because she had one crippled leg and walked on what would be our instep. As he would pick her up, she'd squawk and I'd tell him to set her down. After a few times of this, I finally said, "ok, you sit down and just hold her", thinking that would solve the problem. Well, about two minutes later, Nonny called out "look Mama", and held up the egg she had just laid in his lap. Great story, huh??? And it's a true story...I have the picture to prove it...*VBS* He was just past 4 years.
I had to show one pic of the letters again, and explain something. Sue in W. Wa is worried about what I might be going to write with these. She thinks(LOL!!!)that I have a plan(LOL!). Actually Sue, I am JUST making letters. There is NO plan. And this is how it works. I pick a scrap out of the box lid. Say, the black and white check. It's a bigger scrap...looks like a center for something. So I sew something on one side. OK..it could be a D, or a C, or, or, or??? But it wanted to be an O....so I let it be an O. See? no plan...*VBS* The scraps are deciding what they want to be... and then I'll figure out what the words are and what I want to say.

Saturday Surprises and Sensational Sewing....

The impromptu visit from DS#1 on Saturday was wonderful!!! He came complete with tool box and his youngest son who turned 9 in March, and is super-duper help!
Working as a team, they put together my new headboard and got it installed on the bed!! So....new headboard, old quilt freshly washed!! This is the Trianglemania twin size that I showed back in 2005. It doesn't get much use. I decided to wash up a few of the quilts that have been stored and this was today's. All fresh and clean from the dryer. It's machine pieced and utility quilted...don't remember the year.
And....as usual, when I have a "have to" item to finish....I'd much rather be playing....LOL What to do about that??
Play in between the rows of log cabin joining...*VBS*My letters has NEVER been from 'just' the scrap box before, I have to say "I LOVE IT"! Not sure why it seems easier....but it does and I feel so productive...now I must get back to the log cabin this afternoon. I'm almost done.

September's song sounds.......

silly...
smells sweet and savory...
a sentimental snooze...
shopping satifaction..sensational!
Sew...and sew...and sew...see?

In Search of Color.....autumn equinox style

The quilt that I am currently working on and trying to get finished up...for DD#1..my September child.
Pineapple Passion, October Style...finished in 1991. Machine pieced, hand quilted
The detail of the hand quilting...the kind I can't see to do anymore.
Fun new stuff, a "work in progress", taking the orphan approach. Tonya at Lazygal Quilting(see sidebar) mentioned I have been trying my hand at her 'spiders'....this one is the first...he's pretty lame(more ways than one...LOL). Go find yourself some color today!!! I have grandsons coming *VBS* See you tomorrow!

Finn takes a holiday....

and where on earth would she go??? Well, the road less traveled, of course...*VBS*
And doesn't this just look like a perfect less traveled road?? Or maybe....not even a road at all...
Seeing one of these when you are looking for a quiet, off the beaten path place is a good thing....
And perhaps, if you are lucky, at the end of a less traveled road, you might find a lovely place to have a quiet lunch......with just the sound of the wind in the trees, the birds at the feeder, and all the rest of the noisy world has gone somewhere else...*VBS*

Rainy Day Sewing....

and while that's a joy, the still-slightly-damp-carpet from yesterday's shampooing isn't! But fiddle-dee-dee, I'll sew anyway! And today it was orphan blocks *VBS*
I had 9 of these 9" 3-D bow tie blocks just laying around. I don't like making them well enough to make more! Now they are the foundation of a dolly quilt for a larger baby doll at the day care center! A quick backing, some yarn ties..and it's good to go! Jean was here on Sunday and made off with the little finished PINK one from last week..*VBS* When I was in town mailing birthday cards, I found that cute little scarecrow guy at the drugstore...I splurged *VBS* And when I got home....
...what could be prettier than a black cat sleeping on a halloween quilt??? The camera and flash didn't faze her at all...LOL Rainy days are for sleeping apparently..*S*
And more orphan blocks.....these from a batch that Gypsy Quilter(see sidebar) sent me. I've spent a day sewing up the 2.5" X 3.5" rectangles left from her Tote Bag quilt. They made 6 rows of 20 pieces each. Not sure if I will use them ALL like this, or maybe shorten some to fill in other places. But, I'm off to a good start on this one *VBS*This piece of orphan blocks work from last week, is also from Gypsy Quilters donation. I may incorporate this into the top, or not. I deliberately didn't lay them out together for you...LOL If I decide to combine them into one top.....it's be a surprise...right????

My Father's Life.....

nothing quilty on my mind today...the gentle September winds carry my thoughts down and across the meadow. Up the road and along the trail...towards where the tall Jack Pines grow....Sometimes, having the next generation darting about my feet only makes me aware of how much slower I have gotten. And sometimes, it starts me thinking about the 'patterns' in life. Over the months I've blogged, I've never written much about my Father or his family. The relationship wasn't close in miles or comfort level. We, as a family, trekked north to Jack Pine country about once, maybe twice a year to see my paternal grandmother. I don't think she traveled our way other than for a funeral. I have pictures of her, that I meant to share with this post, but they elude me today. And what I have been thinking about since yesterday, is the visit by my SON and his SONS. Of course my father had no sons to take home to his mother, but 3 daughters instead. But I don't think its gender related. It had to do with the 'visiting'..and whether that happens more with one spouse than the other. And I would say in my experience, "yes". Do daughters take their children to see 'his' parents as much as 'hers'? I can't answer that because my DDs don't have children. I was guilty of taking my kids to see 'his' parents more than mine, but mostly because they were still 'a family', and my Dad was widowed. Not much of a reason.
With my oldest son, his 3 boys see much, much more of 'her' parents than they do of me. I'm not thrilled about it, but it's not something I can changed. Distance in miles is a factor, but it's more than that I think. Second son lives even futher away with his 4 boys, and I have little clue about grandparents, as the boys have more than one mom...there are several Grandma's involved there.
Would I have spent more time with my mom, had she lived, than I did with his 'mom', probably....I wish I could see that it could be any other way, but I don't. I think the truth(at least for me) is that we 'go home',not just as in the song at Christmas time...but when we can. We seek the level of love, comfort, and sharing that we have known as children, and mosty that means "mom".
I am so recently blessed to have the two little 'guys' who were here yesterday living only 25 minutes away(at least on every other weekend). That's only been a year, after 6 years of once or twice a year visits during the marriage. I get kind of giddy if I'm not careful, getting to do all the normal grandma stuff...LOL
Carpet cleaners coming tomorrow, and then I'll be back with more quilty stuff...*VBS* Hugs all, Finn

My story and I'm sticking to it....

with the best of intentions, life keeps getting in the way..sorry! I said I would be back with 'gifty' pictures "tomorrow". Well, this is a 'tomorrow', but it's a day late...and this is why.............
how could I possibly refuse a visit and a baseball game on the side yard?? *VBS*
With this much concentration..we might have the makings of an All Star..*VBS* This little guy turned 4 in July, and belongs to my youngest son
And than we have my wonderful prize from Sandy at Rabbit Stitching, who just celebrated her one year blog anniversary! I won! So many goodies in my box..this book, skeins of perle cotton, and pieces of fabric used as wrapping paper. And this book, by Pam Bono(who I'm not familiar with), a nice chunk of yardage as wrapping, a spool of the 'real deal' quilting thread, and a Barnes and Nobel gift card. Everything was wrapped soooo lovely and tied with pink and green ribbons...I just love it! And I felt like a princess opening all that beautiful stuff! That's not a feeling I'm very familiar with...being basically a blue jean, skinned knee, rag-a-muffin kid! Thank you so much Sandy, I just loved everything, and I am looking forward to new projects using my gifts...*VVBS*

Sewing and Thunderstorms....

and so far I've managed to avoid the garage...LOL. I had so much fun making up the two little quilts on Tuesday evening, I decided to play again last evening..*VBS*
I added some very random borders to the little pink one, and cut a backing and batt for it. Since the blocks I received were heavily starched, I decided to machine quilt that one. Having done that, I pulled out a little pile of 'stuff' and created another little quilt...
using just what was in the pile and a few strips from the 1.5" bin(which I had out to use for borders on the pink one)I added spacers where needed. It seemed pretty wild, color wise, but a choice of pale yellow for borders calmed it down completely. Got a backing and batt cut for it, and today I am hand quilting it with perle cotton. What fun!! Totally no purpose to any of it...LOLAnd then today's mail brought me two surprises! This is a blog-a-versary block from Cher at Marathon Quilter(see sidebar). Love the butterflies and the colors Cher! It's very special and it will always remind me of you *VBS*. My other surprise was a package from Sandy at Rabbit Stitching(see sidebar). I won her blogaversary drawing! Wow! What a great package Sandy *VBS* I'll share the contents tomorrow....for now, I'm just soaking up all their gifty goodness!!!!!

Falling temps....raging winds....

and with a whoop,a hollar, and a roar....September makes her presence known here in my part of WI....September 21st, and the autumnal equinox maybe be 9 days away....
but autumn has arrived!! Overnight temps are dipping into the high 30's and low 40's. Daytime..maybe 66 or 67 degrees....brrrrrr! Apple time....
and with the familiar sound of the furnace kicking on once more, out comes this older Halloween quilt...*VBS* It's a good one for the back of the couch...it's colors, bright and cheerful. Ebby loves when a new quilt comes out..she has to kitty test it immediately. She's become quite the QUILT CAT in her year here. This quilt is just odds and ends, leftovers, patched together into funky boxes and 16 patches. I utility quilted it, and it washes up quick and easy...no worries about using it.
The past few days have been laced with 'duty' and management stuff, something you homeowners don't have in the same degree. Management is a PRESENCE here in my little complex. They protect and care for their investment...sometimes a bit too much! Sooo after a long day of dealing with 'stuff'(including the autumn bug man visit..yuk) I sat down at the machine last night and played with orphan blocks. The small pink and white one will get a narrow border and then a border of 1.5" squares I think...definitely doll quilt size. The larger one, second picture, I'm not sure about. I used ALL the blocks of that type....not sure if I will set it on point(ala table square)or add borders or put it aside to be included in the larger orphan quilt I am working on right now....time will tell. The next few days..well, a week almost, is all mine! I have pressing duties to tend to in the garage(re:organizing and purging) but I'm going to take some time to sew....how about you????

Stitching but not much sewing...

For 2 years now, I've been intrigued by Tonya's threadies and crusties. Not that I could dream of such original pieces as hers, never the less I decided to 'play around' with the idea.
Perhaps a smaller piece would have been a better choice, this one measures 14" X 17", The pumpkin in the middle being about 6" high. Sooo, how to begin???
I jumped in without a hoop for a change, some perle cotton, embroidery floss, 2 ply yarn, a few beads and lots of questions. I did a bit of machine quilting to hold the layers together. But...I don't like the look of it, and I'm taking it out as I come to the stitching lines. It's pretty much 'hit or miss', as to what I stitch. I don't feel I can or would want to cover the ENTIRE piece as Tonya did in her 3 Jack-o-lanterns of last week.
I tried yarn for the Trick or Treat letters and like the look, it puckers more than with thread. A few beads here and there, more to come I think. Some attempt to blend tones on the leaves...?? Not sure about that one. I'm almost sorry i started the leave vine around the edge, as there is soooo much green to do now..LOL But I do some and then do something else. I tried a couple of methods of doing the stars..just so-so on the outcome. The stitching part gets better as I go, and I gain sonfidence...after all, until I showed it here...who knew I was monkeying around with this...LOL? exactly! it can disappear and not be a big deal. My favorite part is the spider..*VBS*

The road less traveled....

is the place you'll find me. The ordinary hours lead me off and away from my private place of speculation....out and into larger canvases of life. Speed and movement are as easily found as sound, in our big world. A slower pace, a quieter way of being....those you have to seek.****
You can go there in your mind,laying back comfortably in your chair, or you can search, and find them...usually hidden in plain sight. They are overlooked by many, who are mostly focused on 'other' things. Excitement, flash, stimulation...not so much on the road less traveled..*VBS* Water, in a place of solitude, desirable, but harder to come by. More often, in WI,the road will lead you to one of my favorites.... a place of stone. I seek out stone...stone speaks to me. Sunwarmed on a river bank, or moss covered in a forest. Ancient voices, the chanting of Druids, slaves moving stone slab for pyramids, stones place on a funeral pyre... they all speak. Do I understand their message? yes....but it is for me, alone. I cannot tell you what the stones speak of....you have to find your own stones to hear what is being said to you. Have stones followed you home? Do you have a road less traveled in your life?

****Webshot picture

In the ordinary hours.........

...even the hummingbirds have gone quiet, the sounds of traffic off in the distance are muted, and only the wind chime sounds gently on the breeze. In those hours, I reflect on life, and think about things. No longer is "what's for supper" a pressing issue, nor the "Mom, I need a ride to the game". Those days are past now, and the memories of them lie among the pieces in my scrapbag. I can stay 'in the moment', only occasionally nudged by Ebby's demands or the ringing of the phone. The first Friday in Sept....winding down.
My lovely wax begonias have bloomed their little hearts out this summer. Despite wind and rain, some hail and hot, hot sun...they have thrived in the window box. They weren't the Winn-Dixie of the North for the hummingbirds...no, a fast food joint moved into the neighborhood. All flashy and bright red, with 4 feeding stations..no waiting in line! A few more weeks...that's all that is left to them. I could uproot them to a pot, to be carried inside, but they know..inside is second best. Winter sun is pale and cold...best to bloom full throttle for as long as the journey lasts...and to go in a blaze of glory when the Frost Fairy dances across WI in the near future.

Forever green this small quilt shall remain...an old pattern, and at the time, cut and pieced from templates. No quick sew and flip triange corners for this one! The finished size of the block is 3". And the plum colored lattice a strange addition, looking for all the world like 'stems'...which they aren't. I called it "Green Peace" back then, and I call it "Green Piece" now. Machine pieced, hand quilted. Looking closer,it has just two shapes....you could cut your square any size you wanted and adjust the little square accordingly. Four of these blocks joined up make a neat kind of love ring that looks like an X or an O..depending.

Wacky Wednesday....?

Is that a category? Well, for me it is! Or maybe it's just me that is wacky...LOL Today...something old and something new.
Warm and wonderful! That's what this is...*VBS* My blog-a-versary block from Libby. She blogs at http://simplylibby.blogspot.com/(see sidebar). She told me this blocks is called Summer School and that she picked the colors especially for me! And I love it!! The warm tones will always remind me of Libby's warmth and friendship...thanks Libby!
And some stitching from an old friend..*VBS*, and one of MY favorite quilters, Tonya. You all know Tonya...she blogs at http://lazygalquilting.blogspot.com/ and currently is living in Paris. My 'All Seeing Eye' came by way of Cairo, Egypt...Tonya's last address. I feel special having this wonderful little quilt. It was created with an ongoing awareness of the role 'eyes' play in my life. From the vintage buttons to the special words...I love it! It's one of my most honored possessions on my wall of quilts *VBS*Thank you Ton!