Stroke, Stroke, Stroke and Love, Love

Yes things continue to be busy around here. Emily is just finishing up the High School Tennis Season. Last year she played singles but this year has been doing doubles for an injured player. I'm always amazed at how gracefull and good she is considering she never played before High School! Emily is in the blue and white.

I"ve also been learning rowing terms. Jenna is on the Women's Crew Team at Drake. Saturday is her very first Regatta. I'm so bummed that Des Moines is too far for me to go see it. She is rowing in the Women's Varsity 8 race and then later in the day she is coxswain for the novice 8 race. Very cool huh! Since this is her first race I don't have a picture of her yet, so this is just a pic of a previous team. I"m trying to convince her to send me pic of her doing it but she swears she isn't going to.

When I made my first Boo-tiful Boo-quet quilt I also made one for me. The first one is going to Holly's best friend who thinks Halloween should be all year long. This one is going to be mine.

For a bit of fun - you HAVE to watch this video. She condenses everything a mom would say in a day down to 3 minutes to the tune of the William Tell Overture. It is so funny. Enjoy!

The last of camp pictures

Well, you knew it had to come to an end sometime didn't you. And as I've been quilting really slow these days it at least gave me something to share! But I saved the best for last! I wanted to share some awesome antique quilts I saw in the antique store. Well ok, somewere not so awesome! But I'll share them anyway.

Both of the "quilts" above were amazing. They were all beaded. they were not large but so heavy I could hardly lift them. I can't remember now but I think they were made in Thailand (see how fast my memory goes). I wish the pictures were a bit better of these, they were really interesting to look at.


I saw this rag rug underneath a cabinet - I was afraid to touch it and pull it out! I wasn't sure what I might find!
And I found this silk quilt. I'm sorry but it was UGLY! Even my friend who has made a ton of things with old silk ties agreed that it was "not so pretty".

And of course I saw plenty of plain utility quilts from all periods.

But there was this beautiful drunkards path quilt. It was really worn, but still beautiful.

And I LOVED this star quilt. I so wanted this one. But it was really pricey for how worn it was. There were many spots worn bare.

And look at this basket quilt - loved the colors!





And I found some awesome string quilts - I just knew Bonnie and all the heartstring girls would love these!




But the best one I saw was an old quilt top. Oh this one was so me! I wanted it so bad, but my trip had just started and I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much money on just a top. But I have the pic on my cell phone background now and drool over it every day. Who knows, I may go down again next month and see if it is still there! Look at the fabrics! Truely AWESOME!

Halloween Progress

Making some progress on my halloween pumpkin. Next step is to stitch down the pieces - so that will go slower.

A bit of halloween and sewing antiques

A bit of a mixed post today! I finally started playing with my Blommin Horrors version of Tonya's quilt. I'm actually going to make 2, one for a friend of Holly's who thinks Halloween should be all year long and then one for me! Here is my first version. I found the dark background is really hard to have things show up on it, but of course I like darker colors - so I"m going to make it work! As you can tell I'm still playing, but I think I have it the way I want it now. So sometime this weekend I should get it all fused down. I want this to be a quick project so I"m not hand applique'ing!

I saw so many wonderful sewing baskets at the antique store on my trip. Oh there were one or two I so wanted to buy and bring home. But they of course were priced pretty high, so I resisted! But I did get some pics! And there was a really fun old treadle machine - but I took these pics with my phone and they were really the first pics I've taken using it so they came out really blurry - but you get the idea!

Fun pictures on my way to camp.

Today I thought I would share some fun pictures from my drive down to camp! I got to see a LOT of farm on my way down Hwy 65 in Indiana - mile after mile after mile of this!

When I"m almost there, there is a fun amish furniture store with an antique shop in the back. I had plenty of time and took a stretch. Anyone need an old dentists chair?!!!

I think they use this for mis-behaving children!!! But it is high up so you would get a good view of the whole shop!

The Monkee's are antiques already???

And Brad Pitt?

And if you ever get lonely, you can always take this fellow home with you.....hmmm, maybe he would be fun to dress up for Halloween???

Whose that lady with daddy?

Ah yes, 22 years ago today I got married. Was I ever that young? Or that thin?!!!

My favorite story happened about 7 or 8 years after we were married. By then I had 4 little ones. One day the 3 older ones found our wedding album. I found them looking at the pictures on the living room floor. Holly (probably about 7 then) flips to the first page (the picture above) and says to me "Mommy, who is that lady with daddy?". I answer, "Oh that is daddy's first wife!". She just looks at me kind of confused!

Yup, in 7 years Mark still looked exactly the same. And actually he still looks like this, just a bit older. Me - well by the time the kids saw this my long hair had been cut to shoulder length and instead of contacts I had glasses. Nope - that wasn't mom! And that was way before I gained all the weight! Just think what they would think now! To this day I laugh when I see our wedding photo, and think of Mark and "his first wife"!

And what Anniversary surprises I got in the mail today! WOW! First off I got my swap surprise from Betty! I had sent Betty that fall table runner and crow/pumpkin wall hanging. Well look what I got from her! Totally AWESOME! Oh if you could only feel the wool on that table mat. It is soooo soft! And the socks are to die for. Exactly my colors and they feel so comfy!

And then in package #2 I got my prize from Tracey! I got this wonderful address book and she even sent this great Australian Applique magazine! How fun is that!

Thank you Tracey and Betty for making today even more special!

Women who inspire... and what you've been waiting for...

I know, this is the project you all have been dying to see. So here was project #3 I had ready for camp - the blue and tan! Isn't it wonderful! I just love it. The border on the left looks kind of wrinkly, I'll have to take another look at it and maybe rip it out. It could be that the whole quilt is wrinkled and just not pressed. Anyway, this one is for my mom. We bought the book and fabrics together, we both just loved it! The pattern is from the book "Laps from Fats for family and friends" book 3. And believe it or not I actually used the same colorway they used in the book - that doesn't happen too often!

The other thing I wanted to share with you is the wonderful inspiration I get from other women at the retreat. It isn't always just quilt related. I have met the most wonderful women at this camp. Of course you've heard me talk about Laura, Sossy and Linda a lot - and you can see their blogs. But I wanted to share some things from 2 other ladies. (Not to say there are only 2 more that are inspiring - this whole guild is amazing!)

First off is Jackie Conaway of Whimsicals. I"m sure you've seen their books, patterns and/or fabric. Anyway, Jackie is the "mom" of the team, and even though she says she is retired, she is always helping Terri out. I even got a glimpse of one of their projects going in their next book - and is it AWESOME! Anyway, the theme of the camp this year was "Run for the Border". We had mini-sessions on bindings, borders and patterns/blocks representing borders (Mexico, Canada, IL, KY, MI, etc (borders of IN)). So Jackie brought some of the Whimsicals quilts she made to show creative use of borders. Oh they look so good in the books, but you should see them in real life - Oh way more gorgeous! Above is a fun fall themed quilt with Jackie holding it.

And then there is Esther! I met Esther last year at camp, and what a beautiful lady! She is 91 and still going strong! I want to be like her when I grow up! She has had to slow down on the hand quilting she used to do for people, but she still does just a bit for herself. Above is a recent quilt she finished making and hand quilted, I think for her grandson. The quilting was to die for! We all had a wonderful visit from her. She was unable to attend camp this year because she had broken her ankle and it was just a tad too hard for her. But she did stop in to say hi! Oh and she told us she counted up her descendants and was at 60 with 2 more on the way!

Ladies like this are just so inspiring in so many ways! I am so lucky to know them!

My leaders and enders project...

This is my leaders and enders project from camp! Doesn't it look familiar? Libby (see May 11th, 2007 post) isn't the only one who copies!!!! When I saw this on her blog I just had to make it, I had just been waiting for the right time!

And if you think I get a lot done - no way.... Sossy finished I think 8 projects! Now that is organization! And look how she decorated her corner! Way too cute!

I"m Baaaaack!

Oh what a wonderful week! I got to visit with Holly a couple of days and took her out to eat (doesn't any college student like that on mom's bill?) and went to Linda and Laura's guild meeting Tues night! I had a great time. On Wed I went to Indy with Linda to pick up her SIL from the airport and then hit some quilt shops, with another dinner out at PF Changs - it was yummy!
Then of course was quilt camp! Oh so much to share. I"m exhausted from little sleep and lots of fun! But I thought I would share my first project with you. Above is a pillow case I made for a friend of Jenna's and then my Mystery Quilt to go with it!

Above is Laura's Mystery Quilt. She led it for the camp - it was so much fun to see how they all turned out! Below are just some of the quilts. Thats all for now, I"m beat!