Happy 57th Gordon & Zora

Today is my DH's parents' 57th Wedding Anniversary. We met the family who could come at the Columbia River Temple and after that went to Old Country Buffet. Picture was taken as they were hurrying in. I gave Paul the camera since Grandpa always 'frowns' at me... Then he turned the camera on his sister, Mary and me. [I don't know where the pictures went, they disappeared from my DCIM file in my SD Card while uploading.] HELP any Techno geek...} I took the SD card to Rite Aid and miracle of miracles the pictures were there. So, here we are in all our glory. Thanks Paul for getting my windblown hair style...The day was windy but I am so glad we took the time to go and spend time with them to HONOR the day as they requested. I have been a part of this wonderful family Family for 34 years. Grandpa told me they have 25 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren and two on the way. None from my family that I know of...(No hurry, kids)! They hoped to go and see the newest addition to the Benites' family while they were in town.

Busy-ness

This week getting my SBS quilt quilted and ready to show started out really BUSY! It was so nice to finally get it done. I was afraid to do it but wanted to have the pleasure of saying "I did it all myself!" Thanks, Lynn for urging me on and on, and on...22+ hours. Barbara, a Lady from Guild made these lovely Labels for us. Too bad they are on the back. We chose to 'frame' them, they were so beautiful! We delivered some of the quilts on Wednesday to Pendleton. I had several and Lynn had her "Walk in the Snow" and "Cardinals at Elm Creek" quilts. I don't have a special name for my SBS. My binding wasn't all stitched down yet. :((( I got it done in time to be delivered. Look at the pretty Cloud formations...Lynn took the pictures on our way there. She said they looked like Cotton Candy. Is it FAIR time yet??? I was also trying to finish the "challenge quilt for the show. After staying up 'way early' I gave up and went to bed. A fellow Guild member, Marlene delivered my SBS for me Thursday. WHEW! Now we have to wait until Saturday to go and see them. The show runs through Sunday and the Ribbons won't be on until Sunday so I won't get pictures of any of the prize winning quilts hanging at the show. Bummer! I'll be at the Show all day Saturday. I only had to choose between 3 other places to be... Sorry I couldn't be a the Time out for Women in Spokane, the Daughter of Utah Pioneers Convention in Richland or at Colby's T-Ball game.

Monday Design Wall 4-26-10

My Wall hasn't changed since the week before last but I have finished and added the final block of my Marti Michell quilt done with Robyn Pandolph pastel fabrics to the Wall. I have two different fabrics surrounding the #12 block. [Center of the picture.]I'm trying to audition the small inner border to frame each of the squares. I need something that doesn't blend. which green fabric should I use? The light or the dark?? There are setting triangles to choose and the fabrics for the star sashing. I have a border print that I think I can use for the setting triangles. I also sewed two of the blocks in the "Wild Roses" fabrics featured in the pattern. Pictured are the #4 and #12 blocks. Only 10 more to sew. The Marti Michell quilt has been keeping me busy while Lynn's SBS was on the Longarm. Lynn's got finished late Saturday night. She put many long hours to complete her quilt last week. We found the Border fabric in Battleground. Her designs she quilted are beautiful and fitting of the richness of the Nancy Halverson fabrics she used to make her Sylvia's Bridal Sampler. We have commissioned special Labels to be Machine Embroidered to put on our quilts. Mine is now in the Longarm and I will be working the next few days to get it quilted for the Krazy Horse Quilt show. I'm using a Tuscany brand of batting from Lynn's shop. Just testing to see how well it looks when quilted. Warm and Natural is the normal choice, or Hobbs 80/20. I am quilting a leafy border design on mine. The 3-D blocks have been the hard ones to decide how to quilt. Hopefully by Wednesday mine will be all quilted so I have time to bind it and sew a 4" hanging sleeve on the top to hang it at the show. Check out other design walls at Judy L's Blog.

In Memory of my friend

Yesterday I was able to attend the memorial services for my friend, Lisa. It was day full of memories, tears and hugs. Paul drove me since I could barely see through the tears that were welled up in my eyes. It was a shock to me to see the Obituary on my computer screen since I hadn't visited with Lisa for a month or two. I'm sad, but know that she isn't in pain now and is able to 'rest'. On her Blog I've seen this quote and it sums it all up. "Somewhere over the rainbow...there's a nice, comfy bed to sleep in with No restless leg syndrome... and I can sleep forever and ever..! and wake up Rested" Lisa Rickords Her brave daughters both spoke and related testimony of how she lived and loved them. I don't remember exactly when I met Lisa, but I found a Picture from the 1999 Creative Memories Convention that we attended in Portland. Lisa is in the Center and I am on the right. I don't remember the name of the other lady right now. Lisa helped me document most of my photos and taught me to use the right tools. My children have multiple books because of her encouragement at the "Crop til you Drop" nights at her home in Kennewick. I made a 'Columbia River Temple Book' like she did as our "Temple" was being built. One of hers is in the Cornerstone of the Temple. I also am a card carrying Member of the "Daughters of Utah Pioneers" because of her. We served together in the "Columbia Camp" as Captain and Vice Captain. Pictured here is when I was Captain in 2001. I took the group picture at one of our Camp Meetings at the Buntin Building. I told Paul that my family will need to remember my membership in the DUP. I will be honored to have the DUP Brass plate on my headstone, even if I have to buy it myself. I have many friends from the 12 years we lived in Burbank, Wa. Among them are the Rickords Families who touched our lives in many ways. I always told Lisa that I wanted to be adopted into the 'Rickords' family! I served with Geri as a Visiting Teacher and Susan in the Relief Society. Brother Rickords was one of our Home Teachers.

Monday Design Wall 4-19-10

I think I have shown this quilt enough lately but it is what is on my mind, my living room floor and my agenda to get completed SOON! I got the final borders on and needed to take a FULL picture of it before I get it quilted. I'm a bit apprehensive about what to put in the individual blocks. Lynn and I have over 6 months invested in our SBS quilts. I am nearing the end of the journey with this quilt. It's been such a fun yet CHALLENGING one to make with all the different blocks and techniques used. I want to enter it in the quilt show next week. So leave a comment if you have a suggestion of what to quilt in the blocks. I considered just Stitching in the ditch to get it done to that point, but if there is time to put it in the Longarm I'd rather just do it right the first time. I'm sending in the form for it just in case it is done. So this is a sneak preview for the locals who will see the Show. I'm still floating on the clouds from Meeting Jennifer. She even Blogged about Lynn and I bringing our quilts to the book signing in Oregon on the SBS Blog. How cool is that? Check out the other Design Walls at patchworktimes I'm busy with some other deadlines for the show and Swaps that I have to get done by the end of the week to mail off.

The Aloha Quilt- Book signing

WE DID IT! We, Lynn and I, went to Beaverton, Oregon and met Jennifer Chiaverini! She was there to sign her newest book; "The Aloha Quilt". We arrived at the "Powell Books" store way early to make sure that we were first in line. We asked if she would sign back copies of her books and if she would let us show her our SBS quilts. I had brought all of my books with me. I realized after I brought them in the store that I left my 'Sylvia's Bridal Sampler' book in my SBS 30's fabric tote. :((( We were front and center! We visited with the ladies around us and showed them the pattern books I'd brought to have her sign. Jennifer came and read a portion of the book, leaving off at a 'cliff-hanger' so we have to read the book. I don't need the incentive, I like her books! She had a Q & A session and we took pictures of us with her and our SBS quilts. The ladies behind us wanted to see our quilts and said we should go first! Lynn and I decided that we should have her 'sign our quilts'. I had prepared 4.5" Kona Cotton squares to have her sign and put in our 'siggy' quilts. We chose the N-10 "Diamond Friendship" block to have her sign. The N-10 block is the last block in the last row of the Sylvia's Bridal Sampler. We weren't the only one to bring a quilt to have her sign. Another lady brought the "Sarah's Sampler Quilt" to have her sign. She had met Jennifer in Sister's, Oregon before and Jennifer had signed a block to go in the quilt, now she had the top all done. There also was another lady who brought all her books to have signed. Jennifer signed all of our books we brought. If they had ordered all of the pattern books prior to the Book signing I would have bought another SBS book just to have her sign it! Jennifer's Mother travels with her, she takes pictures while they are there to put on the website www.elmcreekquilts.net. She is in the picture with her daughter, Lynn and her quilt. I helped hold the opposite side. Now we are home and have a week to get them all quilted before the "Krazy Horse Quilt Show" No pressure at all there...

Testing Baptists Fans

Wednesday I quilted the pinwheel and coin quilt that is made from fabrics I made my clothes with in Jr High and High school. Mostly I made shirts and "smocks" that were popular back then, but some of the plain fabric is from my pants. I used muslin for the background of some of the pinwheels. I would not use the regular muslin but it was better then. Now I use 'venus' muslin. I made the quilt I took to "Ricks College" (now BYU-Idaho) with these some of these same fabrics. That quilt is one of my first ones I ever made and it was 'tied' with yarn. I think I was about 17 or 18 when I made my first quilt. The quilt even has fabric from my mothers' "Bi-Centennial dress" in 1976. It's pictured in the close up, the red pinwheel I don't remember the exact year I started it but, I finished the borders on it in 2006 and now it is quilted and bound! I found the border fabric when I went to Suzanne's studio with my new friend Marilee after we moved here to Walla Walla. I loaded it lengthwise, so I wouldn't have to make as many passes, and used Baptists Fans on it. Still working on getting the spacing right. Lynn was trying to get me to calm me down from being way too excited for our trip to meet Jennifer Chiaverini. I stitched the binding down on our way there and slept under it at the Hotel. Mignon says she takes a nap under her quilts before she gives them away. I like that idea!

Monday Design Wall 4-12-10 BOM

Here are the 11 of 12 blocks that I have completed for the Guild Block of the Month so far this year. I have to make "drunkards path" templates for the final block and do the setting squares and pieced sashings to make this a "flimsy". I had to change one of the 'pinks' because I had used it all in my SBS quilt. Most of these fabrics are from the fabric 'Hannah Belle' line by "Robyn Pandolph". I have been saving them since I bought them at our Hancock's (before it closed) for a special quilt and though this would be the perfect name-dropper quilt to do it with. I've already started on the blocks with the "Wild Rose" fabrics by Marti Michell too. Lynn bought the line of Blue fabrics in the Wild Rose line and I'm tempted to use some of them. Oh, the temptation to start a 3rd quilt before the first is done... Can I resist? Don't answer that Dear Daughters! Click here to go to Judy L's Blog and see other Design Walls.

"I Have a Notion" - 30 day Giveaway

Blog Link:: http/www.ihaveanotion.blogspot.com/ Website Link : http://ihavea-notion.com/store/ Click on the links above to check out the 30 days of giveaways at "I Have A Notion". They end April 15th so hurry on over to enter. I hope I win a "Go Cutter", but there are other items to be given away also.

Deadlines ahead- Busy Busy

I didn't do my Monday Design Wall Post because I took the week off Quilting during Easter. Monday Morning I went to Lynn's to quilt. I was a bit out of the habit after a week of no Quilting. Paul asked if I was having withdrawals from not sewing. He's so funny. Lynn quilted this "Airplane" baby quilt for her son's DDD lady. The airplane design looks very nice on it. I had to take a picture of the back since we won't have it for show and share at Guild. I got to quilt on her Long Arm machine and got my "Stash Project" quilt it's on Judy L's Blog and is called "Out of the Bag" all quilted with a daisy string design. YEA a UFO off my list. I need lots of practice spacing the rows of quilting before I do one of my more labor intensive quilts. I quilted a Charity Quilt for Guild on Tuesday. I thought we might get a quilt a Day done this week but her son went to the Hospital Thursday. We are getting the bindings stitched down on the stack of baby panels she quilted while I was busy with Easter company. I think they will be amazed at guild to see what we have to show. I have been home bound the past couple days and thought I'd better get some of my "deadlines" projects finished and ready to be sent. Next week is Guild and as usual Lynn and I are trying NOT to save it all for Tuesday the day of to get done. As of today I have made 11 of the 12 blocks for my Pastel BOM from Marti Michell. That means there is a possibility that it could be in the Quilt show coming up. Deadline for the Krazy Horse Quilt show is coming right up the 20th. Since it is my Busy week I want to get the written form mailed ahead of the date. SO...I'm checking the list of ready quilts to put it the show.

Easter at the "Crazy Grandma's"

Saturday, we enjoyed listening to General Conference on TV broadcast from Salt Lake City. It's a great time when we can listen to the Prophet Thomas S. Monson and other General Authorities. I shouldn't have favorites but when President Henry B. Eyring speaks I always perk up my ears to hear what he has to tell us. He was the President of "Ricks" College when I attended. It is now known as BYU-Idaho. We had an Easter Egg Hunt here in Walla Walla after the second Session, before the Priesthood session. It's been several years since we did one with our grandchildren. I think it might have been back when we only had three grandchildren...in Burbank. We had 4 of our 6 children here with 8 of the 14 grandchildren. The dads and Kori spread the eggs around in the back yard since it was too cold to go to the park. The plastic eggs were filled with peeps, gum sour patch kids, skittles and jelly beans. After the guys left we played outside a while. Here's Janessa playing 'Ring around the Rosie' with some of the children. I gave the kids some of the Chocolate Marshmallow Easter eggs Tina helped me make. The recipe is on NaDell's Fantastic Family Recipe Food Blog with a picture from last year. I bought the game "Frog Tennis" when NaDell and Jeff were playing Tennis. The grandkids did pretty good at taking turns to use the two paddles. Then I thought it would be fun if they played it with their Moms. Today was more Conference to hear and take notes. A Yummy Ham dinner with Baked Potatoes and Frog's Eye Salad (left over from Saturday). We ate pie later and my Visiting Teacher and her daughter brought an Apple pie to wish us "Happy Easter". It has been fun to have Brant, Tina and their family come and stay during their Spring Break. The house will be quiet and a little lonely when they leave. Brant most always finds a project to help with when he comes. This time the Bathroom Walls needed to be replaced, so he helped dad with that. To see more pictures and get the 'rest of the story' check NaDell's Blog.