My Favorite Things

Edelweiss

The Sound of Music

"And then I don't feel so bad."


"When the bee stings"

"Silver white winters that melt into springs"

"Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes."


"Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes." by Sophie

"Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings."

"Doorbells and sleighbells"

"Cream colored ponies"

"Brown paper packages tied up with strings"

"Crisp apple streudels" by Michelle

"Warm woolen mittens"

"Whiskers on Kittens"

"Raindrops on roses"







I've been discussing a swap I did about 4 years ago. I only know the names of the makers of two of the blocks. The theme I chose for my Birthday Blocks was based on the song, "My Favorite Things" from the film _The Sound of Music_. Each swapper chose a line from the song and designed a block to match. I haven't finished the additional blocks needed for a few of the lines because I wasn't able to find anymore of the background fabric. I have a lead on a few pieces now!

Don't Forget Daisy!

This little girl can't keep her nose out of anything! While out taking photos of some flowers and Andy, she demanded to get in on the action. She is almost a year old now. She will be getting a friend soon, we have a kid waiting to leave her mama and join our menagerie.

Hollyhocks

I bought a package of Hollyhock seeds mid-summer of '07 and planted them between some tomatoes. They really took off this spring, most are over 8 feet tall now and bursting into bloom. The fuscia ones are particularly striking. I bought two more packages to fill in some more boring areas around the yard. They plants thrived through the winter and several frosts, never even turned a brown leaf.

Our Winner

As Big Brown races his way into hearts around the world http://www.bigbrowntriplecrown.com/ we join those cheering that he will become the first Triple Crown winner in 30 years. He's an amazing horse! Remember to adopt an off-track Thoroughbred, they are desperately in need of loving homes. Here's my champion, Awesome Dude 6 years off the track.

Summer Blooms

Here's one of the Mother's Day cards I made. I missed taking a photo of the other, and mailed it off to Wisconsin. I have hollyhocks growing in the identical shade as these flowers.

Spring Fling

Here's the dishtowel I appliqued for my partner in the Spring Fling Swap. My swap partner has a yellow kitchen, and since I have a great afficiondo for tulips, what else could I do?

The Frog on my Blog

I have long been considering going to the pond store and purchasing a frog for my pond. This spring, a frog just "showed up". This frog is quite shy, and difficult to locate. Sometimes a week goes by without a frog spotting. One night, the frog came out and enjoyed a rain shower. Tony managed to get this shot of him while he wasn't paying any attention. It seems the frog does not care for paparazzi, he hasn't been seen since!
The frosting frog is from G.P.'s birthday cake. He shares my humor and is always on the lookout for frog things with me.

Easter Eggs - A Love Story

The very well camouflaged eggs in the picture were laid in the stone nest on or about Good Friday. As always with the animals that habitate our yard, I came to care for the mother Kildeer that we named "The Drama Queen". She laid her eggs right next to the driveway where cars come in and out, we ride our bikes by, and walk back and forth to our mailbox while Mama always put on her best broken wing show to entice us away from her nest. As we would get closer to her precious eggs, she would come closer to us with her act emitting cries of pain as her "broken wing" caused her to flop in circles on the ground just a few feet from us. I always reassured her we weren't interested in her eggs and she was just wasting her energy with all of her dramatic gestures.

Saturday afternoon, she acted out her drama for a cat, and we rescued her from the cat's clutches. We saved her in time, and she returned to her post and her eggs. I knew that soon, the cat would return for her.

Easter Sunday after Church, I went out to see how she was. As I approached her nesting ground, she didn't greet me. My heart sunk, but I remained hopeful. I checked on the nest several more times, and as the sun set I touched the eggs and was met with the ice cold shell. I knew she wouldn't return.

I made one last hopeful trip this morning, to no avail. I saw again the images in my mind of this mother bird stretching her wings out and sacrificing her life for the eggs that had not even yet hatched. A moment later, the Lord brought a teaching moment into my life and showed me His Son who so willingly stretched out his arms in the same manner, a living sacrifice for millions yet unborn, those never to be born, and all who had come before Him. That amazing sacrifice played out a seemingly small analogy right in my own front yard.

I'm going back out now to get those eggs. That Mama died for those eggs, so I'll not leave them there for a snake or another scavenger. As Christ died for all men, shall we leave even one man for the scavenger? It's powerful, this lesson unfolding before my eyes. The eggs laid out in the frost all night, they'll never grow into the Kildeer, and I don't know what I will do with them. I know that forever Easter eggs will look very different to me.

Card Making

While browsing in Michael's one day I came upon a book by Martha Stewert titled "Martha Stewart Handmade Card Making". The price of the book was the same as one card, so I picked up the book, a few cardstock and papers, and a can of spray adhesive. The cards I created this morning are from ideas in the book, and it's so much fun and easy to just keep on creating on some basic ideas presented there. I am looking forward to more card making fun in the future! We're trying to vote on the prettiest one to send to grandma, what do you think?

Fractured Swap - Revisited

Here is my slice of Wendy's "Jazz Drummer". I envisioned a white background that had a purple watercolor effect painted onto it. After a fruitless effort to find a print that fit my criteria, I matched the purple with a Fossil Fern from my stash. I love the way the artist used the dark lines to draw, then filled in with bright colors. I replicated the outlines with a fusible bias, then stitched it down with a zigzag stitch. I had several ideas for the design on the drums, then chose this African print I'd purchased at the IQF in Chicago several years ago. I think that is my favorite part of this slice.

I began by using a Sharpie marker and tracing Wendy's pattern onto a sheet of upholstery vinyl. I needed the left side of my slice to match perfectly with the pattern she'd provided, and the vinyl overly was stitched onto the piece while I worked to insure that I didn't slip up on any of the pieces. It is difficult to see the overlay in the first photo. I drew a line down the left side of the quilt marking the sewing line, and matched everything from the edge of the pattern to that line. Once inside the pattern, it was ok if a piece moved a fraction of an inch.

The black drum stands aren't as difficult to see in real life as they are on the photos. I began enjoying this piece of art work more each time I got it out to work with it. The colors seemed to get richer and brighter and sometimes I think I could hear the music while I worked. This was a very enjoyable project. I loved working through the steps and the design. If you've missed the beginning of this project, go back to January in my blog and find "Fractured Chronicles".

Next up, a Geisha Girl. I am searching (once again) for the perfect Japanese inspired print to use in her kimono. I'll post it later this week. The weekend is over and back to reality!

Counting the Days

To Spring Break!!!

Playmate Quilt in Redwork

Last night I finished Block #4 in the "Playmates Quilt" designed by American Jane. I'm hand embroidering the redwork. All twelve blocks are children playing based on an early reader primer from 1934 and Ruth Caroline Eger's illustrations in those books. There are 2" and 4" pinwheels and an occasional appliqued circle that work as sashing in between all the blocks. I've been collecting 30's repros in red for about two years. The blocks remind me of the primer I learned to read in, and of a time when children's toys were simple and running and playing were the norm. The whole quilt can be viewed at:
http://www.quilterswarehouse.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=AJP122#

National Quilt Day Sew Along Retreat

Pat Sloan is hostessing a three day online retreat weekend to celebrate National Quilt Day. The retreat occurs the same weekend as the Dallas Quilt Show! I'll be at the Quilt Show and sewing too, what a great way to begin my Spring Break! (should I sew in my swimming suit and pretend I'm on an island someplace warm? crank up the heat, light a fire??)

Pat is encouraging us to make a charity quilt. I'll be working on a quilt to raffle to help send my kids on a mission trip this summer. I'll be posting my progress as the weekend progresses. Stay tuned! To see details on the Sew Along Retreat visit Pat's blog: http://patsloan.typepad.com/

Horsing Around

I won't be trying this stunt!

Kitchen Window Meme

My friend Sophie http://sophiejunction.blogspot.com has a blogspot that always interests and inspires me. She recently had a post sharing the view from her kitchen window that was linked from another blog http://www.lulusbay.blogspot.com. I found it so interesting to see the different views that I had to jump on this one! Lulu will bring it up again in the summer so we can see the view from the perspective of another season. My view is a work in progress. If you look hard, you'll see Miss Daisy in the top view with her front hooves up on her goat house. She's been trying to figure out how to get up on that house for months. We've offered her a plank, but she's not brave enough yet. Her pen and house are temporary, and once we've gotten our barn underway our backyard will once again become our own backyard. You'll also notice a temporary firepit, with temporary seating (planks!). We have materials set aside for a real firepit, and that is another project on hold while the more important barn goes up. I only photographed the view from two angles out my kitchen window, the third view would only give you an 8 foot high fence to see.

Roses in February

My husband and I have been married for nearly 18 years. About 16 years ago, we mutually agreed that Valentine's Day was too commercial and we would not celebrate it by succumbing to the "expectations" of the holiday. We skip the pricey cards, flowers, restaurants, and just enjoy a nice dinner at home and find other unexpected ways to show each other appreciations.

This year, he broke the rules. Our teenagers put pressure on him, and since the economy is in so much trouble he bought roses. They are pretty to look at, particularly after a rainy and very muddy weekend.

Andy on Ultium

Here's a photo of Andy, after being on 100% Ultium for a month. I think he looks just right! I always manage to photo him on the opposite side of his mane. We started the switch about 6 weeks ago when he started becoming quite "hot" when we did a feed increase. I felt he was looking too ribby. He's his sweet old self again and looking very healthy! I love the way the Ultium makes his coat look.

Sassy

Here's the new girl in the pasture, Sassy! Sassy is a 17 year old Quarter horse. I was so excited to ride her today that I barely got my shoes changed into my boots to get on! She's a real sweetie, very responsive and does only what you want her to. I got a closer shot of her head while Tony rode. Her mane is a bit rubbed off at the top, the former owner had a round bale holder and his horses had all rubbed their manes off on it. She's a very experienced trail horse, been everywhere and done it all.

High Dining

We took our dining experience 750 feet over the heart of San Antonio this past weekend. The revolving restaurant gave us a 360* view of the city. It was a memorable experience. We planned our reservation so we'd get back in time to see the Green Bay Packers' heartbreaking loss. It was a beautiful afternoon and though the kids wanted to see the panorama by night, I think it was pretty to see by late afternoon sunlight. The website offers a panoramic 360 view if you're interested in seeing it: http://toweroftheamericas.com/360.html The tower is the second largest of it's kind in the United States. It has interesting history, having been built and opened in time for the 1968 World's Fair: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_the_Americas

Fractured Chronicles

I received Wendy's "Drummer" in the mail. Here is a photo of her original as well as the part of the pattern I will work on. I'm waiting on Carrie's "Geisha" and hoping it will be in my mailbox today!

Chronicles of a Fractured Quilt

Carrie in Delaware, and Wendy in Colorado are joining me in a Fractured Quilt Robin sponsored by Pat Sloan's online quilt swapping group. We have each chosen a photo or picture to be divided into 3 parts. Each of us will take one part of the photo and transform it into quilt art! I'm going to chronicle this journey on my blog, and of course I'm bringing Throughbreds and Threads together!!

For my piece, I've chosen a photo of the late great John Henry. He's a legend in the race world and there are many websites out there if you're curious enough to look into his background.

The first order of business was to transfer my photo into pattern form. I actually used a different version of the photo above that my friend Sophie cropped for me. I went to a copy shop with the photo and had them make a transparency overlay. I used an overhead projector and enlarged my piece to 33x26. I used a gridded posterboard to make division into 3 parts easier.

I learned some things in the process, and needed to change a few elements on my pattern. I decided to omit the lead chain off the halter, it seemed that it might be too complicated/challenging to ask someone to do. Perhaps she'll add it in, but the overall appearance is good without it. I was able to make some good divisions that will make sewing the three individual panels back together in a coherent design easier.

I'm really looking forward to beginning and will post when I get my partners' photos and patterns! Stay tuned........