Fall Wallhanging

I haven't blogged lately because there hasn't been much that is newsworthy. But it is a beautiful Fall day - lots of sunshine - so I thought I could post a few pictures. I am waiting on the Sears repair man for my dryer - can't change out closets without a dryer and Lily has Lucilu so she isn't sitting beside me whining because the computer is taking my attention away from her.

This is my fall wallhanging. I hope you can click on the picture to enlarge it for a look at the decorative stitches I used for the quilting. I think I am getting better at this quilting business. I am going to Cabin Arts today to get material for my Christmas one.

John and Annie took the grandbabies to Cumberland Falls for a Saturday excursion. I think John remembered being there years ago when Ray, John and I did a runaway vacation. Ray had hit John in the eye with a rock because John wouldn't get off the go-cart. The optometrist sent us to Harlan to a eye surgeon. I knew I couldn't just calmly come home that night so before heading to Harlan I stopped at the house, packed bags and we stayed away from home for 3-4 days while Mom calmed down. I was petrified he would lose an eye. Everything came out fine and the most amazing thing was that the doctor we saw in Harlan was an intern there when I lost my eye back in 1962. Of course, he didn't remember me but since I had seen him every day for month, I certainly remembered him.
Why are mothers never dressed properly when it is necessary to make an emergency room run?

Motivation for Quilting

Going to the Quilt Guild this week was motivation enough to get me to do the binding on three lap quilts. I do the back of the binding by hand and that takes time - and I am not a patient person.
I am proudest of the wavy binding on this one.
And notice the free motion quilting on this one.
After walking the dogs in Friendship Park down by the river - and boy was it cool. The wind was strong enough to need a hat, scarf and gloves (which I haven't dug out yet), anyways, Lily and I went to a quilt show at the Campbell County Extension Office. The Homemakers had the show. There were some beautiful quilts, some antique quilts and some that didn't look as good as some of the ones I have done - that's always a reassuring thing!!
That motivated me enough to come home and design my cat quilt. I had bought this material in Michigan this summer and I thought it was time I did something with it.



A few weeks ago, I designed a lavendar quilt top which was solid blocks. To add some design to it, I used decorative stitching and variagated thread to quilt it. I thought I was doing something new. Would you believe this morning on Quilts Arts television show, Sue Hausemann - one of the experts I like - did exactly the same thing? And she used the feather stitch just as I did so I guess I didn't have a new idea after all.
Guess I'd better get in the closet and find my sweaters so I can wear one to church tomorrow. I know winter is coming and I do dread it.
Have a good Sunday!

Wonderful Weekend

I guess I should have written this on Monday. But I am just catching up after a wonderful weekend. My grandbabies came to visit!!! And the parents too, of course! LOL Saturday they went to Cirque de Soleil; Sunday they went to the zoo. We had wonderful weather, great food and good times. Although Lucilu was a little worried about Jake's quick hands! Can you believe how young they are when they understand how the computer works? It's not a matter of teaching Jake; it's a matter of making sure he can't get into important files - he has no fear!


My favorite daughter-in-law cleaned up the kitchen after dinner for me. Can you tell from the picture that Mom is a dental hygienist and they start early with good dental health at that house!!!

Today I went to a sit-and-sew with the Licking Valley Quilt Guild. I got one of my lap quilts bound. I need to do a little more to it before I post a picture. Here they are working on sandwiching a quilt for Ina.

DOK and AC

Sunday Lily was installed into the Daughters of the King order at Trinity. It was a very solemn and moving installation.
The Order of the Daughters of the King (DOK) is a spiritual sisterhood of women dedicated to a life of Prayer, Service and Evangelism. We have made a commitment to Jesus as our Savior, and we follow Him as Lord of our lives. We are an Order for women who are communicants of the Episcopal Church, churches in communion with it, or churches in the Historic Episcopate.
And then that afternoon, feeling very pious, she flew off to Atlantic City to check out their casinos. That's the difference in an Episcopalian and a Baptist, I guess. No guilt!!! I gave her $25 and told her to turn it into thousands of dollars so I could have a good Christmas!
Anyways, I am babysitting Prissy. I think Lily will have problems when she gets back Friday. I have changed Prissy's schedule totally. She is getting up at 5 am; going to the park at 7:15 - even in the rain today- going to bed at 8 pm - who wants to watch the presidential debate when we have no idea how either man really will perform after January 20th. So when Lily returns and wants to sleep late (which she loves), Prissy may have another idea!!

I took time out of quilting the purple lap quilt yesterday to work on some curtains since it will soon be getting cold enough to want insulation on the windows with no storm windows - especially with Duke Energy wanting a 5% price hike.
Plus yesterday my sewing machine jammed up and I had to figure out what the problem was and how to fix it. I had noticed that my thread would jerk every now and then and the bobbin began to sound strange. When I took the cover off the machine, the thread (which was the incorrect kind of thread I found out when I finally got around to reading the label - I was only looking at the pretty shade of lavendar it was!) had wrapped around a vital gear intersection. So with a great deal of patience, I used the seam ripper and the tweezers to slowly unraveled yards of that pretty shade of lavendar. Today I had to go to Walmart and carefully pick out a close shade of lavendar in machine quilting thread. My bad!
Yesterday would have been my parents 75th wedding anniversary! Today is Aunt Mabel and Uncle Jimmy's anniversary. Don't know how many years it is but I'm sure it was a grand day in Ann Arbor, MI when they said "I do!" in that strange northern land with their southern accents!

Pet Blessing

This is the Saturday when pets were blessed at Trinity. Joe, the rector, does a wonderful job of making you feel like your pet is an important part of nature and of your life.
Lucilu didn't appreciate the size of some of the dogs!

Prissy took it all so serious with Lily.
She tried to tell Lucilu how to behave at such serious occasions.

Those with cats just had to bring pictures to share with others. How do cats do on a leash? It was such a gorgeous fall day that we went to the Fellowship Park in Cincinnati along the river for our morning walk. Lucilu took it all in and didn't bark at anyone!! A big step forward!

I still have the purple lap quilt on the machine for quilting. And I have two lap quilts to handstitch the binding. I did get the fence on my Halloween quilt. I should have pictures by the next posting.

October's Here

The weather walking this morning was an indication that Fall is definitely here.

Lucilu is at the groomer's so I can stay on the computer as long as I want to. She hates my being on the computer but the sewing machine doesn't bother her at all. Strange, huh? Maybe it's the noises she doesn't like. I know she wants my full attention.

Speaking of Fall - Here is a picture of a Halloween wall hanging from Holiday Collage Quilts by Joanne Goldstein

And here is my version. You might have to click on it to see the details. I still don't have the gate put on mine but I got black bias tape this morning so I will try to finish that today.

This is the Thanksgiving wall hanging I will try to do next.

The reason I haven't written lately is I had to go to Letcher County. I attended the funeral of my first cousin, Stella, son's funeral. He was only 29. I know how burdened the family is and all my love goes out to them. Carl Jason was the grandson of my Aunt Mabel that I wrote about last time - the only blood aunt we have left. Her birthday was in September. I know she never dreamed she would bury one of her grandchildren. It was a very traumatic time for his family.

So hold your family a little closer and tell them your feelings. We never know when tragedy could strike our family.

I did get to visit with Mahala and take the tour of her remodeled Sandlick home. It was gorgeous and I know she is much more content now.