Quilts from the past

"Quilts from the Past", I'm not referring to historical quilts, but my own quilts. About ten years ago I began piecing a quilt known as "Shakespeare in the Park". I really and truly don't know what I was thinking trying to make this quilt, but I made it a goal. I remember getting frustrated with the quilt blocks, so many pieces and working with triangles that had bias edges. I even went as for as to cut another color wave. I was gluten for punishment (I hope I spelled that correctly)
I put the quilt away from the frustration and not being able to see a completed top any time in the near future. I've picked the quilt up again and put it on my UFO list. When I was rumaging through the bag labeled "Shakespeare in the Park" I realized I had finished more blocks than I had thought. I had 20 of the Snail's Trail blocks finished. hmmm, now that was inspiring, maybe just maybe I can finish this quilt. Still take my time, but finish it this year. I think I can do this. I separated the blocks out into little workable/doable sections. I don't get as overwhelmed this way. I also have to do that with the Double Delight quilt from Bonnie Hunter's Mystery Quilts from January www.quiltville.com I will take all year to work on both of these quilt.
I've uploaded my progress of Shakespeare in the Park, including a picture of the book and a picture of what the completed quilt show look like. Except I went with a different color pallete.

Ah the joys of home schooling

We are heading towards the end of the school year. Normally by this time of each school year, I'm done! I'm burned out, but not this one. I'm full steam ahead now! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. This year we graduate our oldest son, Joe. I can't believe that he is graduating this year, then Chris will follow! Life is changing as I type!
I need to get busy and plan graduation, open house, buy his high school ring (which I must add that he wants the Eagle Scout ring), pictures, and cap & gown. Along with planning all of this we are preparing for Fiddler on the Roof. I'm so proud of Joe for landing the lead role of the father!
I also need to contact my friends at church who want to learn how to sew. I'm going to have to host a workshop day for everyone to come and learn the terms, and how to sew certain blocks. I can't wait to get this quilting ministry off the ground!
Speaking of sewing, last night I finished quilting my neighbors gift quilt. The gift is because Steve, the husband, came over and used his snow blower on our driveway several times this winter! Even though we have 4-wheel drive vehicles, friends were getting stuck in our driveway! It is not fun trying to get our friends out of 18inches of snow!
Back to homeschooling. I have several textbooks that it is time to get rid of. All of my boys are past the elementary years, so it is time to say good bye to those books that I have been holding on to..you know the "just incase I need it". And while I am at it, I think I will attack this computer room and clean it up! It is such a mess.
Oh, I learned an interesting piece of news this morning. Detroit public schools offers an incentive to the students that show up to school today! Do you wanna know why? Because today is the day they take a head count...the school gets $7,000.00 per student that shows up today! What?! They offer the students, actually it is a bribe, cd's, dvds and such to come today! What is wrong with that picture?! Does anyone else get upset by this? I don't even use 1/7th of that amount to buy textbooks for my kids! I realize that this also pays salaries, textbooks and such..but are other school districts around the USA getting that much money per student? let's ponder this thought for a while.....

Heading for the weekend

I'm looking forward to the weekend! It is only Tuesday though, but the weekend is not far off. It seems that all I think about is my next quilting project. Today and tomorrow there will be no sewing though, too much to do. Today we have our home school co-op called Meadows Home Team, afterwards the boys have to stay for play practice "Fiddler on the Roof". Tomorrow we have another co-op that meets here in my home. BUT, if son Chris is not better we will have to postpone it again. Last night we learned that Chris has an upper respiratory infection and influenza...how great does he feel??? It is a wait and see game. He will be resting for the next several days, poor kid! Normally, Chris does not get this sick, but this time it got him the worst.

This past weekend I hosted a come and sew all day at my house. I love having everyone over! We clear out the family room, set up the tables, have great food, chit chat, show and tell...what a blast! You work on whatever you choose. I worked on my mystery quilt from my friend Diantha Stafford of Mississippi. Speaking of quilts I guess this would be a good time to post some more pictures. I've included several new pictures this morning. The bright pink quilt is the mystery quilt my friend designed from MS. I have a large delectable mountain quilt with a light pink center, the pink center is NOT staying, I do not like it. I will have to figure out something different there. Then there is the pile of autumn colored fabrics. Originally I had made my son Steve a quilt, a twin size quilt... completely pieced, quilted and bound...notice I said twin size! That week after I finished the quilt we purchased him a queen size bed, this was not planned, it just happened. So now I have to make him a queen size quilt out of those autumn colored fabrics. That brings me to talk about the new Block of the Month I found from Heather Finnell of Burning the Midnight Oil Quilts. I absolutely love this quilt and I think my son is going to like it as well! The last quilt picture of pieces of fabric is the blue quilt. These strips came from a French Braid that was made about 3 years ago. I cut the strips on the wrong 45degree angle so I wasted all that fabric. Not knowing what to do with those strips I tucked them away. Hoping I would discover something to do with them. Well I did! I was exploring Bonnie Hunter's blog, her website is www.quiltville.com and found the perfect plan for these strips. I will have to include a picture later, I'm running out of time. The other new pictures are of my sewing room. I moved things around and I need to see if I like them this way or should I put them back the way I had them. Until then....Happy sewing!

Mystery Quilt update

This week I have been working on my Mystery Quilt. I'm determined to finish it! As of yesterday afternoon I had finished all but 4 Delectable Mountain blocks. These blocks are acting as a border. Before I began working on the DM blocks yesterday morning, I decided that I needed to clean my sewing room. I found a fabric that is perfect for the final border! I hit the jackpot!! I was so excited that I found this fabric. It has all the colors that I included in the MQ blocks!!

Tomorrow my quilting friends are coming over for a day sewing. Work on whatever you want!! I'm so excited. Dawn is going to bring white chilli for lunch and I will provide the sandwhiches "stuff".

Not much else to say, the boys are getting over their colds, the weekend is here and I'm going to clean my house this afternoon!

Great News!!

Today I received fantastic news from my doctor. I tested negetive for LUPUS! Unfortunately, my test results did not come in for my thyroid because the lab did not run the test for it. So I have to wait a little longer for those results. The dr. also said she wants to run allergy patch testing on me, I'm okay with that. We need to find out what is wrong. That is what is important, but Praise God I don't have lupus!!
My boys, my 4 wonderful boys are all getting the cold bug that is running rapid around these parts! I'm giving them a day of rest so they can be well for the rest of the week.
Tomorrow is Steve's 15th birthday. That means their ages will go: 17, 16, 15 and 12! Talk about stair steps!
I have no pictures to post today, no quilting as of yet. Today I must clean my house! I can't stand the filth any longer.
Till tomorrow...good day!