Rain, rain...go away...

bother me some other day! Happy Oct. 6th everyone *VBS* It's my birthday week! Or, if I were my oldest DD, I could say "birthday month". The presents began early and I don't mind at all. This lovely book of Wisconsin quilts and a hefty helping of Orphan blocks flew in last week from my sweet friend Julie, in TX. Thank you Julie, I absolutely LOVE everything *VBS* Please note that last Sunday's little fence rail quilt is finished and bound! I finished it up on Friday.
 (Oppps...this picture goes with the next paragraph, and is my gift from Betsy.)And from my sweet DD#2, her DH and Baby L, a "bring it" dinner and this fun volume. They were here for a visit on Saturday. Baby L. is just beginning to crawl, and continues to be a very smiley boy! I love it. The house felt so empty when they left...sigh.
 (This paragraph goes with the picture above...sorry!!)Betsy got into the birthday action early also. She drove me for an opthomolgist appt. on Tuesday and gave me my birthday present. She was in Philly a couple of weeks back and got to see the NEW Gee's Bend exhibit making the rounds of museums. She was in awe of the quilts, including newer quilts being done by the next generation of Gee's Bend quilters. The book it totally AWESOME, and can't help but inspire you. What came across to me, loud and clean is that these quilts begin with a desire to make a quilt. And mostly with what is "at hand", not a pre cut "kit", nor a "in the hang bag" envelope, or even a quilt book. They begin with their scraps(usually odds and ends, plue old clothing)and piece in what Magpie Sue calls the "intutitive" style. Not even specifically a "block" such as the Jacks over Six we used for our Fungly Challenge. The apporach is to "build a quilt" like you would build a house, from "parts". I love it. It's like an echoing refrain similar to what the Orphan Train refain sounds like...."build a quilt, build a quilt, build a quilt".
 And of course, I had to...and Sunday afternoon, which are very, very long at my house, was the perfect time for another "Play Day". Some of these are elderly orphans, pieced back in the 1980's with my Peaky and Spike template set. And some of them are Julie's Orphans *VBS* The question now is "wil it get bigger?", or "Is it finished?". I honestly don't know the answer to either question...what do you think???