Quilting and More

I hope I remember how to write a post.  It has been so long since my last one, but life has been full with wonderful times.  My goal to be a better blogger seems to be experiencing a setback, but that works too.  It gets hard to retrace days when it has been so long.

Each month Sherri and Michele are our fearless leaders with the Minis and More quilt parade.  I have been less than stellar in my participation this year, but I do enjoy their monthly projects and ALWAYS have the best intentions.  This month I made it happen.  The pattern chosen was Strawberry Social Mini from The Pattern Basket.  I did a bit of a variation on the pattern to make it my own.

My sister has been visiting so we have had so much fun hanging out with each other and enjoying sharing some quilting time together.  She brought three of her beautiful quilt tops down to quilt so the machines were humming.

On Ringo Lake

Storm as Sea

As well, we took one day to visit Quilt Con in Pasadena and share time with other quilting friends for lunch and dinner.

Monday was my mom's 95th birthday so it has been a week of parties for her.  She has always wanted to put a purple streak in her hair so she got that done too.  Now she wants to do her whole head of hair in purple!

Our February has been an exceptionally warm month until this past week.  We have suddenly plunged into a deep freeze here!  I think my sister packed it in her suitcase and brought it down from Alaska.  I hope she takes it home with her tomorrow.  They even canceled the grandkid's baseball practice yesterday due to snow flurries!!  What is that all about?  One thing for sure, it is making my temperature quilt very interesting.  Just look at the recent week of color.  It is now three full rows and after today I get to add the March block.

I know I must be crazy, but my sister has talked me into doing the Postcards from Sweden QAL.  My fabrics are all ready to start cutting.

Last weekend we attended our granddaughter's horse show up in Fresno.  It's hard to believe this young gal (with our DIL) will be off to college later this year.  Her younger sister will take over the riding while she is gone.  

Meanwhile...... since my lap has not been available this week, this little pup has adopted a pillow for his perch.  Life is so boring when quilting is going on around here.

In Like a Lion……

Isn’t it March where the old saying of In like a lion…out like a lamb applies?  Well…..if the last day of February is any indication of what tomorrow will be like, we should have gorgeous weather to start April.



Our rains have finally arrived in So. California.  We had an inch and a half overnight and 3/4 of an inch the night before.  It is suppose to get quite wild later on with 60 mph winds and power outages so will try to finish this post off now.  We just got our power back after being without for over an hour.




With it being the last day of February, I need to get my finish in for ALYOF.  This month I completed a Schnibble that I made way back – during the Year of Schnibbles.  I can’t even remember the year or the name of the pattern, but I LOVED this fabric.  It might be one of my all time favorite lines – Boutique by Chez Moi . 









It was my mom’s birthday this week so all of my siblings and some of their spouses took her to lunch.  We had a great time and  a fun visit with my sister who is visiting from Alaska. 







This was the birthday card that I made her.  The fabric reflects her career as a teacher.

Happy Birthday, Mom

Ninety years ago today a nearly ten pound baby girl was born to a tiny little woman - in a farmhouse in Iowa.  Happy birthday, Mom.  She has been an amazing inspiration for all of us as she lives a full and happy life.   Never complaining about becoming a paraplegic seventeen years ago, she continues to celebrate her life with her family and friends.  She is a beautiful woman, inside and out.  Sunday we celebrated with a family dinner. 

Such a beautiful smile as she enters her 91st year!!

Cotton dishtowels are something she has been wanting lately.  I found some terrific towels at http://www.acshomeandwork.com/flour-sack-towels.html.  These are the softest towels and we all know how great they are for drying dishes.  There is nothing like them.  I remember as a child learning to hand embroidery on this kind of towel.  It was also our first experience in ironing!!  Anyway, I ordered some flour sack towels - very reasonable, too - and they included a few extra in my order.  I decided a giveaway was in order.  Just leave a comment and if you are also a follower, leave a second comment to be entered.   I'll draw a winner next Tuesday evening (March 5th).

This is what I did with them.

The designs are from www.designsbyjuju.com .  They have some of my favorite redwork machine embroidery designs as they always stitch out so beautifully.  The best part is that their design SETS are on sale through February for only $5.  You could easily pay that for each design.  Be sure not to miss that offer. 

Her birthday card.......

Our warm weather has finally arrived and I am loving it.  It's time to head out to the garden and play with a little dirt before my sister and I take my mom out to lunch.