Almost All Better!

Hi everyone, thank you so much for all your sweet words while I was feeling so bad - you sure know how to cheer a gal up.  I'm happy to report that my thumb hardly hurts now, I don't have to wear the brace all the time like I was, and I'm back to reading and commenting on your blogs - the part I really miss! 

Life was not too boring while I was unable to quilt or type, I found a new author that I really like [murder mysteries are my favorite] and even emailed her to tell her how much I liked her books.  She was so sweet to email me back - don't you love the digital age?  So easy to let your favorite authors know you appreciate them.



This is her - she has two mystery series going, both widows, and they're full of really lovable characters.  I'm enjoying them.

In other news, I won a give-away over at Kim's blog.  Look at this gorgeous pattern:



She also sent a charm square of Minnesota State fabric, with the state seal.  Charming!  Thank you Kim!

Did I mention I've been quilting?  Well, I have.  I finally figured out how I wanted to quilt the Sis Boom quilt.





Horizontal lines in the circles, vertical lines everywhere else.  I am LOVING it.  The straight lines with all the curves really makes me happy.  I don't think the colors are true in these pics, but it's dreary and rainy and nothing I can do about it.  Not dreary in my sewing room though, not with this beautiful quilt in here!  These fabrics just SING.

And now, if I may, I'd like to ask you to pray for my mum.  She spent the weekend at her sister's house, came home this morning at 6:30am and found the glass in her front door shattered.  Someone had tried to get in.  My brother lives with her, and didn't hear anything - they think it might have happened Saturday during the day, while he was gone.  He never uses the front door and didn't notice it.  Needless to say, she's terrified, and I am too, for her.  They never got all the way in, tried to reach the lock through the window and I guess they couldn't.

Her neighborhood is a war zone.  Detroit police don't show up, sometimes for hours [or days], and don't even try for an ambulance.  Very few are in service.  Drug deals, very large ones, go on all the time right in front of her house.  I want so badly to get her out of there.  We're going to make sure she has at least one gun.  And I'm taking her to the range to practice - it's been a lot of years.  I just hope she can shoot to kill.  Heaven knows they wouldn't hesitate to shoot to kill her!  So, if you would just pray the Lord will keep her safe, I would appreciate it and I know she would too.

I'm going to be working on some secret projects for the next little bit, maybe I'll be able to show some sneak peeks - we'll see!  I hope you have a great week, everyone!

Breaking Radio Silence Momentarily...

to let you know I'm the guest artist over at Terri's website, The Drake's Nest Studios.  Go to the Guest Artist Gallery, then pages 2 and 3.  Terri is a lovely person, she lives in a beautiful part of my state, and her studio is just gorgeous - she just finished it - I really want to go visit her.  She is seriously multi-talented.  Quilts, photography, basket weaving - she does it all.  Her blog is here.  Thanks Terri!

My hand is better, I have a lovely new brace [bought from the drugstore] that has a splint on either side of the thumb - works a treat.  And we finally signed up at the Y, had our first visit yesterday.  Am I the only person who is intimidated by new places?  I wandered around while the boys swam.  Today I'm going to try the cardio room, and get on a treadmill.  My mom had a treadmill given to her last week, she gets on it every day two or three times, and has already lost SEVEN POUNDS.  I must try this.  Never thought my mom would inspire me like that!

My brace keeps me from typing much, so I've been visiting all your blogs but not leaving comments.  I hope to be able to this week, I miss you all so much!  It's just no fun visiting and not thanking you for sharing your lives and projects.

Take care, see you soon!

Oh No!

I've overdone the quilting, in my hurry to get this done - my left hand is swollen and very sore and I can't use it.  Typing is difficult, to say the least, so I'll be MIA til it's better - my mouse hand is ok, so I can read your blogs, but it would take forever to comment so you won't hear from me for a bit.  I don't like this getting older bit!

Contentment

Every night, this is what I see.  I finish reading blogs and answering emails, then I open an audio book or a Lucy dvd, and I sit and stitch.  And stitch, and stitch.  The only other thing that gives me such a feeling of peace and contentment is holding a sleeping baby, or a purring kitty.....

No new projects right now, a spider got away from me the other night in my sewing room so a massive cleaning took place.  Dusting, vacuuming, moving furniture.  Never did find him.  But my room is nice and tidy, except for the piles of projects that I can't find a place for.  Maybe I should finish some? 

If you need me, you'll know where to find me.

Please....

Pray for the folks in San Bruno, California who were caught up in the natural gas main explosion last night.  And if you're in the area, PLEASE donate blood - they need every drop.  For more information, you can go here.  God bless the first responders, they did a heroic job in a devastating situation.

Look At This!!

I just had to show you this - Sue at Charlotte's Cottage made my Lemon Tree, and I  love it!  She used a black background, some of the leaves use fabric with musical notes on them, isn't that brilliant?  And look at the polka dot binding - and to top it off, it's hanging on her very own lemon tree!  Sue, you did a wonderful job on this and I just love it - it makes my heart sing!  Thank you for sending me a picture!

A Give-Away Win Etc.

First, a few words about Lemon Tree - a big hug to all of you for your sweet comments, and for those I couldn't reply to [no-reply] I thank you here!  I didn't include a layout diagram in the pdf purposely, I want you to make this pattern your own.  But I will tell you I used 9 lemons, and approximately 55 leaves.  I counted them a few times and kept losing my place.  Caroll from Attic Window Quilt Shop pointed out that you could make this with apples, pears, anything you like - so have a play and make it fun!

Now, the give-away win.  I was thrilled to win a $25 gift certificate to The Quilt Shoppe  from the darling and talented Cyndi at Bluebirdswing.  It took me DAYS to decide how best to use it.  I've been wanting to start Jenny's A Christmas Story Quilt, and I found exactly the fabric I've been wanting!



Can you see the little polka dots in the flowery fabric?



I fell in love with it in the shop, and it's even prettier in person - I think it's going to be perfect for Jenny's quilt!   I'll probably add one more fabric to them, not too sure what color though.  Thank you so much Cyndi, I had so much fun looking through the shop and ordering this beautiful fabric.  Amanda from The Quilt Shoppe was so nice to deal with, too!

And finally, two give-aways to tell you about.  Talin's Corner is giving away two adorable wool pincushions that she made, go see - very cute!  And Joanne from Splitting Stitches is having a give-away - she's trying to fill up her studio wall with quilt blocks, so send her a block and be entered - and while you're there, check out the quilting on the latest quilts, just lovely!

Have a great Labor Day holiday for those of you celebrating!  And if you're not celebrating Labor Day, celebrate something!

Lemon Tree

 ***EDIT***  For some reason, my link at the Blogger's Quilt Festival is leading to this post - it should not be - please click on my header to see my post for the BQF, I'm working on getting this fixed.  Thank you!


My newest finish.



And first, the backstory.

I had won some fabric from Mary at Quilting In The Sunshine State, bless her.  Black, white and yellow - gorgeous!  An idea popped into my head and I started designing.  Does anyone remember the song, Lemon Tree?  I believe it came out in 1962, sung by Peter, Paul and Mary.  My mother played it incessantly.  Or maybe it just seemed that way....anyway, I wanted to include some lyrics and make a lemon tree quilt.

I also wanted it to look like some of the artwork from the 60's - colorful and kind of sketchy.  One of the fabrics reminded me of pop art, and that's the one I chose for the tree and leaves.  I'm very happy with the way this mini-quilt came out, it looks just like it did in my head.  How often does THAT happen!



I stitched around the applique pieces with one line of straight stitching, in black.  That gave me the sketchy look I was going for.  This is a small quilt, won't be washed in the machine, so that is sufficient to hold the pieces.  

If you'd like to make a Lemon Tree of your own, I've uploaded a pdf file so you can.  I put a warning on it - you have to print with NONE checked next to Page Scaling, or it won't come out proper size.  It's a wonder I have any hair left, it took me awhile to figure that out.

I hope you like my Lemon Tree - if you do make one, I would love to see!