Windy Day Picnic

Today we went to Tri-Cities for a Picnic with Paul's side of the Family. Brant and Tina came from Idaho Monday to attend. We met at the Columbia Point Park. It was very windy, and I'm thankful for it not being rainy too. All of my husband's family were represented and 13 of our 14 grandchildren were there. It was a day for a happy Grandma to take pictures. Grandpa and Uncle Brant helped keep the kids running and sliding and having fun. There was plenty of food and treats. We are lucky that Grandpa and Grandma felt good enough to join us too. The guys who work in Richland were able to take time at their lunch to join us. For however long they could stay, we are glad they could be there. The highway accident delayed some but we are glad they arrived safely later. It's great to be a part of this BIG family and I want them to know how much I do appreciate those who did make the time to come. We miss the ones who couldn't make it. Enjoy some pictures... some people didn't hold still long enough to get a picture taken of them and I don't like to take pictures of them eating.

Design Wall Monday #13

It's Judy's Design Wall Monday time again. I was so busy going to the Quilt show there's not much change on my wall. I did collect a few more 'siggies' for my WASIQ "siggie" quilt. Here are the ones from Expo and this week-end that need the corners added. I use 4.5" KONA white squares and iron a piece of Freezer paper on the back. That helps with the writing on them with the "Zig" (Pigma) marking pen easier. It will be a small quilt. I sent one to JUDY L, too... MCKenna Ryan was the Nat'l Featured quilter at the Tri-city show but only sent her quilts because it was her daughter's Birthday week-end. Her rep took a couple of the squares for her to sign for Lynn and I. Meanwhile I will get the corners added to the ones I have. Feeling like there are pollens flying and they landed in my head today so I am not too sure about running machinery... It's a Day-off for quilting at Lynn's too, my Idaho kids are coming for Spring Break! Lynn and I were met at the door on Saturday by a lady who reads Judy L's Blog and has seen mine. She even has commented. She called us by name and we had a nice visit. She lives in my husband's hometown and went to school with his sisters. Small World, huh? So, Julie from Mesa~ "HI, and hope to meet up again soon." I should have taken her picture... Go to Judy L's Blog Patchworktimes to link to the other Design Walls. And leave a comment, it makes a quilter's day, you know, just a little "atta girl"...

2010 Tri-City Quilt Show Day 2

I realized after the first day that I hadn't taken very many pictures of the show. The second day there are the Ribbons added so it's nice to wait to take pictures. I took some both days and only duplicated a couple, not bad, but I didn't in any way get pictures of them all. It's been a long day and I'm tired of uploading 5 pics at a time so enjoy the partial show for now...

Tri-City Quilt Show & Jackson's Sleep over

Mignon drove Wendy, Lynn and I to the Tri-cities for the quilt show on Friday. It was fun to go with other people. I usually just go alone or with Lynn. We looked around the Vendors first then viewed all the beautiful quilts. I saw Julie H, LouAnn H and Tamra A with Tamra's children and went to say "HI". The next time I saw them they were talking to Kathy Sharman; another WASIQ member so we got this picture taken. L-R: Julie H, Mary C, Lynn W, LouAnn H, Tamra A & Son, Kathy S. Sorry it isn't the best of everyone. This was taken by one of Tamra's Daughters, at least she didn't cut off our heads. The next picture is Nansi B. doing her hand quilting. There are many beautiful quilts to see. I have 4 in the show this year. 3 of them aren't very big. I gave away all the other ones I made last year. Lydia's got entered thanks to her Mom; Christen. Wendy took my picture by Lydia's quilt. Next year the BIG SBS one goes in... Jackson got to spend the night at Mama's and Papa's. Jes and Janessa had to be at work WAYYYYY early this morning so he spent the night sleeping at the foot of our bed on his airbed. I don't think he made a peep once papa went in to sleep too. They are helping paint fire hydrants for an Eagle project this morning. We had pancakes and smoothies for breakfast. G-pa bought this Big wheeled trike at the auction they had to earn money for Girls' Camp. I think Papa doesn't know where outside toys belong...

3-22-2010 Design Wall Monday #12

Today I'm promoting Judy Laquidara's Book...Weekend Quilts. She is the Author of the BLOG that I link to each week for Design Wall Monday. I hope you click on her name and check out the other Design Walls. This is the border placement of my SBS (Sylvia's Bridal Sampler) that I've finally decided on using. I got the idea from the "Week-end Quilts" book, page 80. I like the effect it makes to make the cornerstone out of the next border fabric. My measurements vary from the ones in the book since I already had the fabric cut to make a multiple border. I thought of doing the borders as 'strata' then mitering the corners. Thanks JUDY L, for writing a book with such fun borders. No more boring borders for me. I'll be sewing the borders on the rest of the way today! Right now the quilt measures over 80"x113". With the next 1.5" and 5" borders it will be HUGE! So I only have to sew around it 2 more times and it is ready for the Quilting. The quilt for Colby didn't end up being as big I first planned so multiple borders are needed to make it big enough. Again I turned to the Book from Judy L. page 44. I used the book's measurement for the 'Pieced' border and put the Black on either side of it. I will add one more border of the 'Fence' fabric, I think, and then it will be ready to QUILT! Here is how it looks right now, I have to sew the black border to the top and bottom still. Judy L has used up to 8 borders on a quilt so this isn't too bad... My corner sections didn't quite match like Judy's because my first border wasn't the right size. I adapted and it will be fine, interesting... right? I might add the alternate squares in the corners to add more interest.

National Quilting Day

In honor of the Day, I bought myself a new Purple Rotary Cutter and matching Purple Cutting Mat. I am following Pat Sloan and including Chocolate in the celebration of our Quilting Day. Here's a piece of my Cyrus O'Leary's French Silk Pie. YUMM-O!!! Today I decided that my dreaded "Borders" get done on the Grandson's quilts that have been on the list for a while. I notice that I have avoided several finishes that required more Borders. I am using my book "Week-End Quilts" that Judy L autographed for me. Pictures of the Borders will be on the Monday Design Wall...YEA! That is if I get them all figured out and DONE by then.

SBS (Sylvia's Bridal Sampler) BOW 3-21-10

This week's Block of the Week is the A-4 Posies round the square. It is a fun block but you have to like appliqueing little circles. Thank heavens for the Perfect Circles by Karen Kay Buckley that I bought at the WW Quilt show a few years ago. 30's SBS count: 39 I have 101 Blocks left to make. But I'm making them slower than last time...

Monday Design Wall 3-14-10 - Not changed

My wall isn't different from last week except for a few new Siggy blocks here at home. Judy L's wall was empty today... but click to checkout other Design Wall Monday Posts. I spent four days with my quilt Buddy, Lynn W at a Trade show in Portland. We took time to attend a Local Guild meeting where Cara Gulati was the Featured speaker. There was a WASIQ friend there so we got to meet her. Here I am with Tish and Lynn at the Meeting. ?????We have a Question for Guild Members...do you charge your "guests" to attend a Meeting? That was a new concept for us. This was a Guild of over 500 members. We took some of our quilts to 'Show and share' even though the program would have been enough that night. It was late when we left to go to our Hotel. NW Quilter's were having their Quilt Show nearby at the Portland EXPO, where I met another Author of Quilt Mysteries; Arlene Sachitano. At the Trade Show I met some new Fabric Vendors with too many tempting fabrics, here is one from AVLYN of "Mary had a Little Lamb" [Remember I don't like THAT song!] I saw some friends from home and met a very distant couple of relatives from my Mother's side of the family; Allan & Julie Mann. They own a Fabric store in downtown Bountiful, Utah. Can you say "ROAD TRIP"??? I took my sewing machine to take a class from Helene Knott. We ended up not taking either of the classes we signed up for when Lynn realized she had left her sewing machine's foot pedal back in the studio. Saturday, the Go Cutter lady gave us the "scraps" from her cutting with the machine at her DEMOS. We created some fun elements of a quilt, so I did get to use my machine. They are still in the "design stage" and can't be displayed yet... Here is the view of MT Hood as we drove toward HOME. Note: I wasn't driving, so this picture is not taken dangerously... It was a fun week-end and this is the 'short' version.

Design Wall Monday #10

It's time for Design Wall Monday with Judy L. I have been working on my 30's SBS (Sylvia's Bridal Sampler)Blocks lately. One block a week has been the goal, no rushing this one and not all the blocks will be in it unless my quilt buddy makes me do those 'hard' ones again... I had to put them on my Mini Wall in my room this morning since my other wall is full of Siggies still. The picture is sideways too. I see that one of the blocks is screaming at me, so the outside corners will be changed to a more subtle fabric. It helps to put the blocks up so I can see the colors to use in surrounding blocks to be made. 30's SBS count is: 38/140 DONE! I wonder which block I will get to make this week??? The sashing or setting squares will separate them anyway. This week is Guild and I have to make my Lotto Block and finish binding another quilt to be given there to a Fellow member, I don't know who... This is my Busy week! Please leave a comment, I know you're looking...

Surprises from Kauai

We have a new Elder here in Walla Walla, actually he's been here a month. fresh from the MTC (Mission Training Center). His parents are in Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii. They sent him a package and this package of fun stuff was in it for us, all wrapped up with a raffia bow. Never have tried Honey Roasted Macadamia Nuts...some flip flop erasers, post-it notes and a Hawaii bag with a zipper in it for me! How fun, I think I have a new project purse to take on my next road trip. I still need to catch the Elders in their "Sunday go-to-meeting" clothes and take their picture. Then I can send one to Elder Tracy and Elder K's parents. I am still trying to say Elder K's name right. "Kakazu" - there I think that's right??? Maybe I can catch them tomorrow it's Stake Conference Sunday so not an all-day waiting to go to Church Day... Today I'm making Beef stew for a dinner with our visiting Area Authority from Gig Harbor. Bishop's wives got invited to join them for the meal between meetings. I think so we would make yummy food, do you think that could be a reason??

March 4th

Today is the day my MIL calls "March Forth". We used to have a deadline of March Fourth to get our info to the Nash Family newsletter, so maybe it was Aunt Berniece who said it first. I'm not marching too fast this week... but I have done a little sewing. Today I finished my BOW for the 30's SBS. (#36 of 140) I did most of it by hand to assure the points match and the "Y" seams go where they are supposed to. And still lost the point on one square :( I haven't shown much of what I bought at EXPO...YET. I've finished reading half of the first book by Earlene Fowler that I bought there. I found the 2nd book at Harvest Foods waiting in line for the PO. When I saw the series at Expo, I bought the 1st and 3rd books since our Library didn't have them all. I also had to buy "Quilter's socks" in that Booth for my Quilt Buddy and I to wear. These books are Quilt Mysteries I'm reading while I wait for Jennifer's "Aloha Quilt" Book in April. Richard Paul Evans has his book "The Walk" coming out in April too. See- I do something other than Quilt sometimes. Paul is happy when I get hungry and make something good to eat. This week it was Cowboy Beans. A recipe I got in Burbank from Kaye Romm. I didn't put the Hamburger in this time or the 'smoke' flavoring. I used some pre-cooked bacon bits for the meat. It's almost Friday and I'll have to dream up something new to make for dinner again.

Design Wall #9

I still have the WASIQ "siggy" squares on my wall this week. Most of it is sewn together. I removed the bottom completer row so I could include the names I brought home from EXPO. There is room for a few more so I'll put in some blanks to be written on at the Leavenworth Retreat in June. I got several "famous" Celebrity names also. I already did the name dropper thing on them. These names will be in a separate quilt. I need to add the HST's to the opposite corners this week. I bought a Charm Square Pack of Eleanor Burn's "True Blue" fabric line to put on her block. My name block is up there too, I have a few extra squares, left over from the WASIQ SWAP in 2008. I will add more names to this quilt as I go to other quilt shows this year. Even one from Judy L, when she gets the fabric in the mail that I sent her. Now I have to tell the rest of the story...about Glorianne and I. See picture in this post. Here is my version, (I wonder what she told her classes after she met me??) Anyhoo, I was sitting on the front row waiting for the class to start, and she asked if quiltingrandma.blogspot.com was there. I slowly raised my hand, because in my head, I thought, I think that is my blog addy. She went on to tell how she reads JUDY L's Design Wall Monday Blog and has been reading my Blog. She showed my last week's Design Wall Monday post that told of all the seminar teachers I was going to "meet" at EXPO to her husband and said I had 'name dropped' her name. I hope he was impressed... I enjoyed her class and was amazed that she was so young and already "famous". She drew designs on a "white board". One was a Rose, and I said it should be called the "Cubbage Rose" since that is her last name, She replied; "Where were you 3 years ago?" She gave away her samples (white fabric printed with the designs she has published) as part of the door prizes, I didn't win one, darn! After the seminar I got to give her a hug and asked for a picture with her when she went back to her booth. She quilts on her DSM (Dear Sewing Machine) the same as I do. But I don't get quite as close to the machine as she does. She was in the Bernina Booth in the Pavilion because she is a Bernina Dealer in Seattle, so a "local" gal. I got to get her picture with me and she signed my white "siggy" squares with her name and some of her doodling - cool designs. You can see it in the picture, the one with the "pink" HST's on the corners. Of course, I got one of her copies of the "More Twice Quilted Designs" and she signed it too. And... the lady sitting next to me asked me to write down the Blog address so she can read all about it. Don't forget to check out other Design Walls from Judy L's Blog. I have to thank Judy for giving us Design Wall Mondays, and the chance to "meet". Quilters are the BEST!