Friday, August 26, 2011

More Civil War blocks #20 thru #25





I'm gaining on my conquest but some days it seems like 2 steps forward and 1 step back!  Does anyone else ever feel this way? I think I am getting so close to being caught up and Wham!!! another Saturday arrives and Barbara posts another block!  These weeks are just flying by too darn fast for me!  So here are 5 more Civil War blocks and actually I have a few more done but don't have pictures taken of them yet.  I really enjoy going on Flickr and looking at so many of the blocks and all the different color combinations that others have used. It makes me wonder just how many different fabrics there are out there in the quilt world, it has to be mind boggling!!
#25 Calico Puzzle
#24 Ladies Aid Album
#23 Illinois Roads

#22 Blockade


#21 Underground Railroad

#20 New England

The yellow lily picture is from my garden a little earlier this summer. I call it Lemon Lily, it was here when we moved to this house almost 40 years ago and is still blooming nicely. Aren't lilies just the best? You can always depend on them and they become like old friends, very trustworthy and stable...I just love them!! That's all for today, sew until next time, my wish for you--have a "Stitches" kind of day.


Sunday, August 21, 2011

Bugs? Have you seen any BIG bugs lately???

These are my lilies..Chicago Apache

A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Reiman Gardens at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.  Our first reason for going was the quilt show at the gardens. I have posted pictures of the quilts on another blog, if you would like to look at them, the link is Piecemakers Quilt Guild.  Three friends and myself left my house at 7:30 a.m. and headed for Ames.  We left early so we could be there shortly after the quilt show opened but there were several quilt shops along the way and they just seemed to get in our way!  Our best intentions went right out the window but we had all day so it was no big deal. Right? When we got to Ames, we were all starving so lunch had to come first before the show...we got to the Gardens between 1:00  and 1:30 p.m. so we made good time (not). ;-)  After viewing the quilts, we tramped around in and through the gardens in the misty rain and looked at the "bugs". There is a display of wooden bugs, that are 10x larger than life sculptures that were designed by  New York artist David Rogers and will be on display until the end of August. Enjoy the Smilebox slideshow and let me know what you think about the bugs!!!
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I am working on my Civil War blocks feverishly again too and will get a few posted in a day or two..gee, I think it is time to quit for today. Sew until next time, have a "Stitches" kind of day.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Noodles, straws, fritt & slumping, what? My Tuesday Treasure


This is my Tuesday Treasure and I hope you like it, if you want to see more Tuesday Treasures, just click on the picture on my sidebar and it will take you to The House on the Side of the Hill blog. Be sure and say "hi" to Melody for me......A couple of weeks ago 4 of us gals went to a stained glass store and made some little pieces like the one above. This one is mine and I was really pleased with it when we got them back. It was a fun thing to do and we all learned some new terminology that day. We started with a 6" square piece of clear glass and then we proceeded to decorate them. You could do anything your little heart desired, any colors and any pattern that you wanted. I chose to make a dragonfly (remember, I like dragonflies) I had to cut and shape the wings, it wasn't hard either, just scary. I probably could have messed with them a little more, if I had had more experience but for a first timer, I think they look okay. The little skinny pieces are called straws and you can just break them off any size you want. The squarer pieces on the blue I just cut little pieces off a longer noodle. They had lots of little bubble dots so we just picked through them and picked what we wanted, they had a slightly flat side to them. Lastly, I sprinkled on fritt where I wanted it. It comes in lots of colors and reminds me of sand. Then we had to decide if we wanted to leave our piece flat or have it slumped, mine is slumped and I think you can see that it is slightly rounded now. I need to buy a little easel to stand it in so I can display and enjoy it. Now you know some new words too, isn't it fun?? If you have a stained glass store in your area, you should check it out and give something like this a try. It was a fun to learn a new technique and fun to do it with friends also. Sew until next time, have a "Stitches" kind of day......
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Monday, August 8, 2011

Harrison County Fair Quilt Turning - 2011

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Well, hurray for me!!!! I have been working on this slideshow of our Quilt Turning for about 4 days!! You have no idea how frustrated I am. I could get the Smilebox loaded but when I previewed it, it would not play. So finally I posted it for real and it PLAYED!!! I guess it just won't play in the preview, anyway it didn't for me...I'm hoping you all know about Quilt Turnings? It is a great way to have a "sit down" quilt show. Anyone can bring a quilt to show on the day of the turning and they are taken home with them the same day too. No sorting or hanging of quilts for a show.  The quilts are placed one on top of another on a faux bed, and then they are shown one at a time. We had each owner write a little story about their quilt, who made it, who owns it, the name of the pattern, antique or not and etc. Then we have someone read each story as the quilts are being held up for the ooh's and aah's. There were some interesting stories connected with these quilts and I wish I had them to share some with you. I hope you enjoy the slide show because it took a lot out of me and now I think I'm going to make myself a little Peachie whilst I cook myself a chicken breast...what's a Peachie, you ask?  If you want to know, you only have to ask!!! Sew until next time, have a Stitches kind of evening...