Bloggers Quilt Festival

I knew that this was the quilt I wanted to show for the Quilt Festival. I love this quilt. I made it for my son and his wife as a wedding gift. It was hand quilted by a lady who comes from a long line of quilters. She and her sisters have quilted all their lives. They sit around a quilt frame during the winter and quilt and visit.

I showed my son and his wife Gwen and Freddies first collaborative book and they loved the colorful quilts. I said to myself I can do it. And with a lot of experimentation I think I did pretty good. I loved making the houses. I tried to put something personal in each and every house. A bit of fabric from a beloved garment or a piece of novelty fabric with something they were interested in.

The houses in the middle represent their house in different seasons,


























While doing this quilt I began to think of myself as a possibly being an artist. I read today what Jacquie said about being an artist. I never never thought of myself as artistic at all, in fact I would say artistically challenged. I was a math teacher for heavens sake!! But after this quilt I began to think differently. Maybe there is some buried artist in me trying to get out!! I don't ever want to stop learning or creating.

Free Whales

This is my grandson's whale quilt. I have shared part of it but now the quilt top is finished. Nana has to put it together with the batting and decide how to quilt it.
The whales are swimming on the surface and the other things are at the bottom of the ocean. I of course used Tonya's letters for his name. Gwen has a section in her book on Liberated Pictorial quilts and I would say this is one. It is all free pieced with no templates at all.























This is the bottom of the quilt. My husband was watching the end of Law and Order and would not hold it up high enough. I used Gwen's square in a square technique. I really like using different shades of the same solid. To me it adds interest.



















Our young neighbor who is also our pharmacist is having a baby in June and I wanted to make her something very special. I found this fabric at Walmart. I cut out the nursery rhyme figures and once again did square in a square. I used yellow and white fabric. I haven't cut the blocks yet but I am going to turn them a bit when I cut them.



























It feels really good to be sewing again. I would love to get out in my yard if it would ever stop raining.

Tarheels Win

The North Carolina Tarheels are the national champs!!! WOO HOO!!















They returned to Chapel Hill today for a huge celebration at the Dean Smith Center on campus. These young men made winning a national championship their goal last year and they have done it.

Michigan State is a good team but not good enough to beat the Tarheels!!
Tyler Hasbrough and Deon Thompson after the game.

Dear Uncle Tom

My dear sweet Uncle Tom died last week. He had been not been well for years, suffering a number of strokes but his spirit was always strong. My cousin gave the eulogy and as she said when the family got together the children always gathered around him. He was the "fun uncle". He kept little toys and candy in his pocket to pass out to the kids. He will be missed. On that side
of my family there are 16 in my generation and 14 of us were at his funeral. My family is a constant source of strength for me.

I appreciate the kind thoughts about my mother and her situation. we are working through it. It is very time consuming so I haven't spent much time in my sewing room. I was always love seeing what Belinda at Brown Dirt Cottage is doing. She was doing some churndashes last week that really appealed to me. So I took a few minutes and tried putting one together. Thanks Belinda for the inspiration.















I have put together a few blocks for the bottom of my grandson's whale quilt. My aunt uses this square in a square so I thought I would try it. I haven't quite decided how I want to do it. I have a vision so I will have to see if it works out.














Also found a precious nursery rhyme print at Walmart.













When you become a grandparent something happens to your brain. When I was at Walmart I just happened by the toy department and saw a little red tricycle. Oh well! he is enjoying it.














Good luck to our beloved Tarheels against Michigan State Monday night. I am so nervous!