Right Side Up

I needed a quick project for last week, so I dived back into the remnant boxes.

Choosing a couple of busy prints first gave me the colors to coordinate. Pink, yellow, orange and aqua solids, low volumes, and brights were cut into half rectangle triangles. I arranged them in horizontal rows for symmetry.

For that little something extra, I pieced the back using a single column of the triangles bordered with a muted yellow/green shell print. I used yellow thread to quilt straight stitches 1/2” from each seam.

Right Side Up finished at 48” square. I love it when an impromptu quilt idea comes together! And I finished just in time to relax with my sweetheart on our 51st anniversary weekend. 💖

🎉 Another milestone: last week was my 700th blog post!  

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6038 Half Rectangle Triangles 4” x 8” finished

Mom Mai's Attic

Mom Mai's Attic

Childhood memories inspired this Grandmother's Fan quilt. Colorful remnants of red, blue, yellow and aqua with natural muslin reproduce the vintage look of 1930's and 1940's quilts.

After stitching and assembling the blocks, I added a border of 2” x 3” rectangles sandwiched with 2” strips.

The center fan section is ruler quilted in a fishnet pattern, using natural thread. Borders feature straight line quilting with a walking foot. Mom Mai's Attic finished at 56” square.

I slept under a similar quilt at my grandmother's house. The family called her Mom Mai and she was a hard working farm wife. There were two big bedrooms on the second floor with multiple quilt covered beds, once shared by their six children. Her sewing room was tucked between them next to several cedar lined closets.

I often played with her spools of thread and buttons, sorting them into jelly jars. Lovely memories there of feed sack fabric, mayonnaise & crackers, cool well water, riding on the tractor, and the best homemade chocolate fudge I've ever eaten.

Dies used:

Accuquilt
55537 Grandmother's Fan 12” finished
55017 Strips 2½”

Blue Wren 6047 Rectangles 2” x 3” finished

Calico Prairie

Calico Prairie

Soothing colors of peach, light coral, and dusty blue are perfect for showcasing this vintage quilt design.

I selected fabrics from my stash that could have been found in 1930-1950 era day dresses or 1970's prairie skirts. I believe I had a Gunne Sax calico peasant dress with these colors back in high school.

My dependable Singer 404, Elizabeth, sewed perfect seams...and there are a lot of them. Each 8” Full Blown Tulip block has 32 pieces! Once I assembled the blocks, I added 4” borders in the dusty blue to expand the size to 48” square.

A combination of free motion quilting and ruler work finished out this one with a creative touch. Calico Prairie gave me a chance to play with stitches and enjoy memories, a perfect way to spend my time.

Accuquilt dies used:
55616 Full Blown Tulip 8” BOB
55054 Strips 4½”
55017 Strips 2½”

Starry Snowmen

Today I'm unveiling my second Christmas quilt project. The cute snowman print and wine/cream fabric came from this year's estate sale bonanza.

The block, Shooting Star, is a vintage 1934 Nancy Cabot design. Using Blue Wren's Sliced Square die made quick work for cutting and stitching.

Starry Snowmen

Natural muslin sashing frames the blocks. I quilted with cream thread using serpentine stitch. Starry Snowmen is 54“ square.

The backing is a large wine and cream snowflake and feathered star fabric that my mama gave me years ago. Nice memory...today would have been her birthday and I miss her.

Note: Thanks to those who asked if we were affected by Saturday's awful tornadoes and storms. We are fine, only had one small tree down. There was lots of damage in nearby towns, and unbelievable devastation in Kentucky. Please keep those folks in your thoughts.

Dies used:
Blue Wren
6600 Sliced Square 6”
6015 1½” Strips

Accuquilt 
55017 Strip 2½”

Summer of '69

What great memories! The colors and prints of this fabric take me back to 1969...bright orange, lime and avocado, psychedelic purple and aquamarine. These colors dominated my closet in wild and crazy peasant dresses, and tops to wear with white shorts or bellbottom jeans.

I was only fifteen, so my cool mama was driving me and my friends all over town, radio turned up, windows down, in her red Pontiac Catalina. Shopping centers, bowling alleys, movie theaters, skating rinks, and swimming pools were our hangouts. What carefree fun we all had!

Summer of '69 finished out at 45” x 51” size. It would have been perfect for laying out at the pool. I used several square and rectangular dies to cut these pieces. I quilted using aqua thread in straight stitch inside the rectangles, then changed to a curvy stitch on the aqua sashing.

This one was fun to sew, singing along with late 60's music like I did back then. I can't believe it's been over 50 years.

Accuquilt dies used:
55159 Rectangles 2½” x 4½”
55160 Rectangles 4½” x 8½”
55059 Squares 2½” multi
55017 Strip 2½”

Those were the days, my friend

Sun Dried Cotton

Sun Dried Cotton

Another scrap quilt today, with lots of pretty pieces. It reminds me of an old fashioned clothesline on a sunny day.

Can't you just picture dresses, shirts, and sheets flapping in the breeze? I'll bet if you stop to concentrate, you could get a whiff of warm sun dried cotton.

All these prints in pink, yellow, blue, aqua, green and purple were left over from other projects or small pieces from my yard sale acquisitions. I emptied a scrap basket cutting them, but don't worry, I still have many left.

I sewed twenty-five colorful Hattie's Choice blocks with a white on cream vine print as a background. Two borders frame it up nicely: one plain, another created with the same small triangles from the main block. I used plain muslin for the backing, like my grannies used to do.

Sun Dried Cotton is 48” square. To create motion, I used Angela Walter's Squiggy ruler to echo stitch large rolling waves in white thread across the whole quilt. Such a fun project!

After writing this, I feel the need to start a load of laundry, just so I can hang it outside to dry.

Accuquilt dies used:
55220 Hattie's Choice 8” finished
55017 Strip 2 ½”

Slow down enough

to savor the moments

that make your heart happy 

Sweet Music Man

My all time favorite singer is gone. The distinctive voice of Kenny Rogers caught my attention back when he was with The First Edition. But I fell in love with him at a concert in 1978 when he sang Sweet Music Man, She Believes In Me and I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way Again.

So many memories made with his music. I spent the night on a sidewalk outside TicketMaster to score front row seats on several occasions. We never sat further back than the 6^th row, at all his Nashville area concerts.

Kenny used to toss signed tambourines to the audience and I'm lucky enough to have several. I knocked over a good friend to catch my first...I gave her the next one I caught the following year.

My favorite memory is a Christmas concert at the Grand Ole Opry House. He asked for volunteers from the audience and I popped up like a red headed jack-in-the-box. We were to help him sing The Twelve Days of Christmas. And I do not sing well at all. 

Being first, I had partridge in a pear tree, so I got to sing with him twelve times. On the Opry stage. With his arm around me!  My feet didn't touch the ground for days.

He had much better luck with some of his duet partners: Dottie West, Dolly Parton, Ronnie Milsap, Lionel Richie, Gladys Knight, Sheena Easton, and Kim Carnes.

His music is timeless in several genres: jazz, folk, pop, rock, and country. He kept his signature style but tried new ideas over his six decade career. I love his many hits but the album cuts are some of his best. If I had to choose my top five, they are Lady, Through The Years, Anyone Who Isn't Me Tonight, Crazy, and Sweet Music Man.

I will truly miss this wonderful, talented man. He always made me feel like he was singing just for me, even at a packed concert. I have photos, memories, and music to heal my broken heart.

"Nobody sings a love song quite like you do"

Crimson Glory

Crimson Glory

It's time to share my latest modern replica of a Granny Rose quilt. I have made several reproductions of her work, using EQ8 to design and Accuquilt to cut.  

This interesting block was one from her box of unfinished items. It's an old one called glorified nine patch, although there are actually 13 pieces. I guess that's the glorified part. I don't know if this was a test block or if it was left over from a scrap quilt.

I decided on red and white prints with a few gray accents for a cheerful Valentine touch. Crimson Glory features the kite block combined with 2½” squares, so no curves to stitch. My modified version has 21 pieces for each block.  I'd sure hate to cut all 550+ with scissors.

The pieced bright red border frames everything nicely. Quilting was done with white thread, following the outlines and crossing the blocks diagonally. 

The back is a red and white diagonal stripe fabric, split by nine patch squares in a row. Final 48” x 58” size is just right for a throw.

In addition to her completed quilts, Jerold's granny clipped design ideas from ads in Progressive Farmer and other magazines, and I saved them all. She cut templates from paper sacks, making notes on them for color ideas and number of pieces to cut. I'm lucky to have this quilty treasure.  More inspiration for me!

Orange Beach

Orange Beach

For this rainy Monday I have a bright and cheerful quilt to show you. A sunset orange and aquamarine print from my stash combined beautifully with a sensational aqua, orange and yellow batik that I bought last November while visiting Orange Beach, Alabama. These medium large prints work great with the 12” flowering snowball block from Accuquilt.

Orange Beach finished out at 58” square. I quilted around the edges of each piece in orange and aqua thread. The backing is aqua and white circles that look like bubbles. 

I think it would be fabulous hanging as wall art in a beach house, or used to snuggle for cool nights on the sand. Either way, it says beach to me and I'm ready to go back right now!

By the way, I found the batik at Fabrics By The Pound in Summerdale, Alabama. Go see them if you're ever in the area and need a nice variety of good quality fabric at excellent prices.

I think this is my favorite quilt yet, but I say that all the time, don't I?

If you can't be at the beach,

then surround yourself

with colorful memories

of sand, sun, and sky.

~me

Green Onions

Green Onions

I had spring on my mind and a song in my head while working on this little quilt. Remember the cool instrumental number by Booker T and the M.G.'s? What a classic!

The blocks were quickly cut with Accuquilt 3 1/3” tumbler die, using colors of clear navy, spring green and crisp white prints. I randomly arranged them in rows, then framed with a subtle white and grey print. Single tumblers were appliqued onto the navy corners. I outline quilted each piece in white, using a straight stitch. Backing is a diagonal navy and green floral print.

Green Onions is 30” x 36” finished size. It reminds me of sunny spring Saturdays, cruising around with my mama in her '62 Pontiac Catalina, with the windows open and the radio cranked up. Gotta love those memories!

Music is the way

our memories

sing to us

across time.

~Lance Morrow

Popsicle Man!

Do you remember the musical jingle of the popsicle man coming down the street on hot summer afternoons? Kids were hollering and running like ants to find loose change and get to the road before he passed us by. I smile just thinking about those days. Ice cream sandwiches, nutty buddys, dreamsicles, and push-ups make my mouth water.

I was reminded of all this when I got a sampler assortment of fabric and found this adorable novelty print of brightly colored popsicles. I whipped up a quick wall hanging for my sewing room wall to enjoy these final days of August. And then I got an ice cream sandwich out of the freezer to celebrate. Here's to childhood memories!

We didn't realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun.

I love those random memories that make me smile no matter what's going on in my life right now.

Lessons Learned From Sam

My mama is a feisty, outspoken redhead. She grew up on a farm and worked hard all her life in many different jobs to help make ends meet. I learned these important lessons from her over the years. 

Be smart. Acquire skills that will help you find a sustainable career. Develop a wide range of interests. Life is more fun and you'll never get bored if you enjoy what you do. 

Be self-sufficient. Don't depend on others when you can do things for yourself. That includes knowing your way around the garage as well as the kitchen. 

Be frugal. Live within your means. Anything worth having is worth working and saving for. Don't waste time or money. 

Be pretty. Always look your best, smile, and wear cute shoes. But it's fine to get dirty when you're fishing, digging in the yard, or working on a car. 

Be determined. You can do anything you want if you put your mind to it.  Remember, some roads don't lead where you think they will, so... 

Be practical. Life isn't always fair. If you can't fix it, to hell with it.  Get over it and move on.

Happy Mother's Day, and thanks, Sam!

Summertime...

and the livin' is easy. 

Quiet mornings sipping coffee on the porch.

Lazy days to reflect, renew, relax.  

The scent of freshly mowed grass.

Long walks, yard sales, road trips.

 

Steak grilled to perfection with roasted potatoes and onions.

Hummingbirds and butterflies flitting around bright blooms.

Tall frosty glasses of lemonade, sweet tea, and cold beer.

Afternoons in a cool spot reading an interesting book.

Comfy, light and casual clothing.

Ice cream, watermelon, juicy red tomatoes.

Magical nights filled with starry skies and warm breezes.

Happily enjoying every moment.

“it's a smile, it's a kiss, it's a sip of wine ... it's summertime!” --Kenny Chesney

Sentimental Christmas Decorations

Sentimental decorations are the best, don't you think? They bring back fond memories of Christmas past, especially friends and family we've lost. I added two items to my Christmas decorating this year, both inherited from my mother-in-law. Her Norfolk Island pine is now a Christmas tree for my sewing room. We gave her the little tree one year for her December birthday. The tiny lightweight ornaments include a thimble and thread spool painted with Santa faces.

Her adorable lighted Christmas Village, which was displayed on their hearth every year, now resides on the sideboard in our dining room. There's a church, station, hotel, school, shops, house, barn, and lots of little people, animals, cars, fences and trees. I love the handmade accessories crafted by my father-in-law: twigs painted with white to simulate snow covered trees, a mailbox, and a sleigh.

I'm still keeping my simple decorating rule, using only my favorite things like my cute ceramic Santa bears, the iron tabletop tree, and quilted accents. It doesn't take long to put up or take down our Christmas decorations, but there's something festive in every room.

The freezing rain and ice that accumulated on our pine trees early Sunday morning brought down a dozen fairly large limbs. We'll have to get out the tractor today to drag them down to the burn pile, but not before I cut lots of pine branches. Nature provided easy access for me to create fresh arrangements for the house.

"Remember, if Christmas isn't found in your heart, you won't find it under a tree."  ~ Charlotte Carpenter

Breakfast Dates and Quilt Fabric

Sorry to be late posting this morning, but I had an impromptu date with my sweet husband at our favorite breakfast place. Bacon and cheese omelet, fluffy biscuits with hot sausage gravy, crispy home fries and steaming coffee. If you have a chance, try breakfast at the Highway 109 Restaurant in Portland, Tennessee.

Last week I pieced this quilt, a new design called One Direction. The fall colors coordinate with the dining room valances I made a few months ago. It may be a table topper, a wall hanging, to snuggle under, or all the above.  I will quilt it tomorrow so it will be ready for use on Thanksgiving Day.

I have several designs in mind for these lovely new fabrics that I got last week. It's funny, sometimes I immediately know what a fabric will be used for. Other times I buy fabric because I love it but don't have a clue what will be done with it. I salvage old clothing for scraps as well. I guess that's why I have hundreds of yards of material stored in my sewing room. I will use it eventually, even the smaller pieces. The dark brown print in the above quilt was the last bit left over from a blouse I made in the late 70's.

Hopefully when I'm a hundred years old, I will look back at my quilts and remember the fabric's origin: clothing it came from, where I bought the yardage, or that I went to breakfast with my husband wearing that shirt in 2013.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Forty Years Ago

Lots of interesting things happened in 1973. It seems like such a long time ago. The cost of a gallon of gas was about thirty-nine cents. Minimum wage was $1.60 per hour; I was working as a medical receptionist. 

In August, I walked down the aisle with a bouquet of yellow roses and daisies. Yep, my sweetheart and I have been married for forty years this week. We were two kids beginning the adventure of a lifetime, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Love ya, baby!

Other historic events of 1973

The Young & The Restless soap opera premieres

The Sting wins best motion picture at the Academy Awards

Watergate unfolds, Vietnam War ends

Pioneer 11 and Skylab space station are launched

Live and Let Die premieres with Roger Moore as Bond, James Bond

Secretariat wins the Triple Crown

Roy Clark is named CMA Entertainer of the Year

The World Trade Center opens in New York

Kojak, The Celebrity Match Game, and The Addams Family cartoon debut on TV

Billie Jean King beats Bobby Riggs in battle-of-sexes tennis match

Elvis and Priscilla Presley divorce

Benny Parsons wins the NASCAR Winston Cup Championship

Some classic songs hit number one

You're So Vain – Carly Simon

The Most Beautiful Girl and Behind Closed Doors – Charlie Rich

Angie – Rolling Stones

Time in A Bottle and Bad, Bad Leroy Brown – Jim Croce

Satin Sheets – Jeanne Pruett

Let's Get It On – Marvin Gaye

Killing Me Softly – Roberta Flack

You've Never Been This Far Before – Conway Twitty

Five Special Mother's Day Ideas

The traditional Mother's Day gifts are most likely flowers, candy and a pretty card. 

That's what I usually give my mama. She expects me to bring her a couple of hanging pots of petunias or geraniums. Since she loves flowers, it's a perfect gift.

This year, however, I'm going to do something extra. Even though I'm not a mom myself, these five ideas seem pretty special to me.

TIME – Everyone wants to spend time with the people they love. Set aside a day or a few hours to do something with your mom and let her choose the activity. Even if it's just drinking iced tea on the porch, make the experience fun and relaxing.  

CHORES – Look around and notice what needs to be done around her house. Painting, mowing, weeding, a leaky faucet, moving furniture, or just regular housework. Don't make a big production out of it, just do it.

SHOES – No mother would turn down a day of shoe shopping or a cute pair of shoes, no matter if they're 4 inch heels or comfy house slippers.

PHOTOS – Scan a few photos of the family, vacation pictures, or outdoor shots around her home. Mount them in pretty frames and help her decide where to display them.

A LIST – Write a list of the special qualities she has, things she's taught you, why you appreciate her, fun times you've shared, and what you love about her. Put it in a frame or write it into a small notebook that she can keep with her.

With all these ideas, throw in a little laughter and a few hugs. You'll touch her heart and bring her joy!  

For those of you who are moms, have a fabulous Mother's Day!

Best Memories of Halloween

 Any holiday that involves large quantities of candy, especially chocolate, ranks high on my favorites list. Dressing up in silly or scary costumes only adds to the excitement. Whether you're a child or an adult, this is one fun time of year. When I see the expressions on the faces of little goblins, memories of Halloweens past are vivid in my mind.

Years ago, my best friend Pam and I got out early and covered nearly every house in our neighborhood, an area 5 blocks square. I remember the crunch of leaves as we dashed from house to house. We knew which people gave out the best goodies, so we tried to hit them early. We decorated paper grocery sacks to carry our loot at first, but changed to pillowcases that held more and avoided the loss of precious candy when the bag ripped.

Choosing a costume was so much fun. I remember being a pirate, ballerina, hobo, princess, cowgirl, bunny, 20's flapper, witch, and cheerleader. Sometimes I had a store-bought costume with those awful plastic masks...I wore glasses so the masks never fit right and made my glasses fog up. Other times I helped my mama sew one or we'd piece together something out of her closet. Some years we had to wear coats or rain gear over our costumes, which absolutely ruined the effect.

We'd drive out to my grandparent's after trick or treat so they could see us. She made the most delectable popcorn balls and chocolate fudge candy. Even if we didn't go on Halloween, she made sure we got those yummy, sticky snacks sometime that week. We got huge hauls of candy, and got to eat what we wanted. My mama always filled the candy dish in the living room so not much was left over at our house. My favorite candy? Nearly all of them, but creamy delicious chocolate is the best, hands down.

When I had my own business, we chose a theme and went all out decorating the office. We served treats and our customers stopped by to see our secret costumes. Memorable themes were: western, gypsy, 50's, favorite animal, Gone with the Wind era (Miss Scarlett here), pirates, coven of witches, and pajama party. Favorite candy was fun: our pregnant receptionist was a peanut M&M, I was a Hershey's kiss, the two others were Baby Ruth and licorice.

The best year was Addam's Family—we won the Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce prize for best costumes. I was Morticia, the other three were Uncle Fester, Pugsley, and Wednesday. No one was tall enough to be Lurch and we decided that Gomez was out of town. Thing sat on the front desk, and our office was transformed into the creepy Addams Family mansion. We laughed all week and got very little work done that day, but it was great fun!

As you prepare to dole out treats this year, remember your favorite Halloween with a smile, and save a few dozen extra pieces of candy for yourself. 

Trick or treat!