Starting A New Blog

I have begun a new blog over at www.twotracktales.blogspot.com
Time to get back on my feet with a new direction and I'm hoping you will follow me over there.

Jane

Easter CQ and Memories

Remember that block from this post here ? It's all dressed up for Easter now

I was inspired by the Victorian panoramic eggs that have the scenes inside


The pic above is from D.Blumchens Co, if you're not in the mood for Easter, you will be after a visit there

Confectionery Artists Guild of Orlando has a great page in place with these beautiful sugared eggs and how to make them....hmmm , maybe an idea for next year. And here's another site, Sugar Eggs that customizes these little gems with names and dates if you're not quite inclined to make your own..

I just loooooove these and remember the one and only Easter I ever got one

Anyway I had to fish into the wool/felt box to find a pale pink back for "The Egg" before I stuffed it and came across some of last years booty from the big city. This will turn into another springy post of its own, I'm sure

basket on the kitchen counter

Now for the flashback.... this is sis and I before church back in 1969. Grandma S made my sisters coat and my coat including a lined linen dress... I was so proud of that outfit

it was chilly but I had to show off the dress

and again for Easter in 1970... alittle shorter in the arms and the knees... and more demurely worn than by the little brat a year before... who only knew then what the 70's would bring

I think this was '71... with the coconut bunny cake my mom and I made together. Good memories, spring in the air and all the Hopes that Easter brings makes this my all time favorite holiday.

Wishing that this years big bunny is good to you , too
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I don't know whose blog or what site I saved this photo from but it's for sure NOT mine but I loved the idea. My bras would only be good for seed starting, not growing plants, LOL

HAPPY SPRING !

Big Quartzite Falls Part 2

The river really starts to flow here... down to the Big Fall. I can't believe I'm walkng in with no snow boots so early this year. See Quartzite Falls Part #1 for the beginning of my walk down the river.

Come summer , I'll share the idyllic pool of fern and moss found at the bottom of these gem veined falls but for now it's all about a power wash.

PS. You can turn the music down at bottom before viewing...

Little Quartzite Falls Part 1

March 16th... spring is coming and the snow off Mount Arvon is melting..... please check link to BIG Quartzite Falls part #2 for the real deal... I'm dreaming tank tops and vegetables, stitching on porch swings, green vistas and aqua waters early this year

PS. You can turn the music down at the bottom before viewing...

My Take on a Dorothy Bond Stitch

Page 60, bottom set ...

working my way up this seam of teensy pine stitches...and now finished, aching for another seam just like this to lose myself in.... finding great pleasure in these minute stitches after the basics are hashed out. While working it, all BS gives way. This is the stitching I crave at present. Most people don't understand why I put this much of my hand to something that is 10" x 10". Obviously, they've never prayed with a needle... so many of mine have been answered this way

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shaggy bull... from todays ride through Elo

Feeling quite bullish myself lately. I hacked down my blog feeder and rid it of all things that don't pertain directly to what my interests are. The past 2 years I've bombarded myself with ideas. Those " One day I'd love to do this" and " Isn't this cool?" kind of blogs. Let's get real here, there's only one of me... I'm done with knitting, crochet and mixed media .... done with looking at tatting, needlepoint and cross stitch, too. Necessary "house cleaning" for where I'm headed.

Aunt Jane of Kentucky...

by Eliza Calvert Hall , the the story of a Southern quilter

My Grandma S gave me this book when I was 11 or 12. This is my original copy dated 1906. It's now available online through Harvard Edu here. I'm sure you'll enjoy the chapter entitled " Aunt Janes Album".

Here's an exerpt from it...

"How much piecin' a quilt is like livin' a life. Many a time I've set and listened to Parson Page preachin' about predestination and free will and I said to myself, if I could just get up there in the pulpit with one of my quilts, I could make life a heap plainer than Parson's making it with his big words. "You see, to make a quilt, you start out with just so much calico. You'll go to the store and pick it out, n' buy it, but the neighbors give you a piece here and a piece there and you'll find you'll have a piece left over every time you cut out a dress and you just take whatever happens to come. That's predestination. "But when it comes to cutting the quilt, why, you're free to choose your own pattern. You give the same kind of pieces to two persons and one'll make a nice patch quilt and the other one'll make a wild goose chase. There'll be two quilts made of the same kind of pieces, but just as different as can be. That's the way of living. "The Lord sends us the pieces, we can cut 'em out and put them together pretty much to suit ourselves. There's a heap more in the cutting out and the sewing than there is in the calico." –Eliza Calvert Hall, 1898

While fishing around for info on Eliza, I found this sweet poem....

A Treasure

by Mildred Hatfield

It's more than a coverlet, More than a spread, This beautiful quilt That graces my bed.
It's laughter and sorrow, It's pleasure and pain, It's small bits and pieces Of sunshine and rain.
It's a bright panorama Of scraps of my life- It's moments of glory, It's moments of strife.
It's a story I cherish Of days that have been, It's a door I can open To live them again.
Yes, it's more than a cover, This much-treasured quilt, It's parts pieced together Of the life I have built.

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Felon cooling off

the begininings of spring

The Mr Has Picked the Winner

Thank you gals for entering to win the Ocean Song Mermaid fabric and pattern.

Odds were good with only 10

and drawn from the bowl.......

Dan pulled the the slip with Anita from Florida on it. I don't know Anita but her blog is full of colorful quilts. You can find her at Margret Marys Place. I'll be having another giveaway with Crazy Quilt items in the next 6 weeks or so, if you're interested in that, do visit again. Give aways are always fun to do.

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This was looking East the other evening at about 5:30... the moon gaining momentum for being Full tonight

The same evening about an hour later in the Western sky.... It's hard to catch sunsets here being so deep in the woods... horizons obscured but this red sky at night was NOT a "sailors delight" the next morn. Just like March... "Coming in like a lion and out like a lamb" ? Who made that one up?

Welcome March any way!

End of February GIVE AWAY

February has been a busy month and I'm so happy to see March arriving next week, so as promised, here goes...

Just leave a comment here, blog site or email address in comment box necessary to enter... comments must be posted by midnight, USA Eastern time, Saturday, February 27 . Recipient will be picked and announced on Sunday, February 28 . (Barring any issues with my ISP that day, Newtons Law, LOL) 1 entry per person

Everyone is welcome no matter where you live

Please, help me out by taking this off my hands and instigating my spring cleaning!!!
See preceeding posts for more photos of finished quilt and block designs.



One pattern from H.D. Designs and 6 panels of Laurel Burch Ocean Songs Mermaid Fabric

GOOD LUCK and THANKS FOR VISITING!

Jane

Making Crazy Quilters One Block at a Time

My stomach has been in knots ever since I was approached to hold this class. How could I ? I've never taken a quilting class in my life... how could I remotely act like I knew what I was doing and instruct another on anything fabric related? These gals go to retreats and shop classes, their show and tell quilts are phenom, they're seasoned in lingo and techniques. What could I share? So what joy to find out that if your heart is in your subject, you're a mirror of what you love and you can't go wrong. Many thanks go to the wonderful gals, too!

Lots of samples, history and CQ books piqued everyones interest. I also made little folders with block diagrams, stitch samples and finished block photos for them to take home.

Plenty of fancy fabric scraps got the fun going ( this was the end of the pile which thankfully, I had none to take home... I may win the war of spring cleaning yet)

Roselyn and her " bedspread block" ... LOL

Joanne working a tricky long piece

back to the scrap pile

creativity chaos


Asenath's block in the works, 8"


Ros's block working towards18" ish for a pillow top


Joannes block, 12"


Sues block, 6"



It was a gorgeous day weatherwise with lots of things happening in town. Alot of ladies flitted in and out besides the ones who participated.Of course I forgot to bring the camera out until 1:30, but this is the jest of it. I had a blast and all my "butterflies" are gone , especially after receiving this email...

Jane, Thank you so much for the class on Sat. Even though I was late my DIL really was interested. She gathered the fabric and really took to that process. When she saw all the samples it inspired her! We went back to my house and used her 'new' machine and she completed a 9" block. We made a pillow out of it and she took it back to MN along with her packet of instructions and was so pleased. It was the perfect teaching tool for her learn her machine. I made sure she changed the bobbin several times as well as the top thread. She even used a fancy machine stitch to embellish the pillow. Thanks again it taught a version of the method of crazy quilting in an unexpected way. Julie


It was alot of fun and now we're cooking up an embellishment get together, minus the jitters I might add!

Keweenaw Snow Stick

Hope everyone is enduring their Big Snow Experience... I'm sure you in the throes of your artic adventure will never forget it's punch , especially when it's over, but forgive us here in the north.... we're finding "Snowmageddon" quite entertaining.

Snow in the UP is measured by the Keweenaw Snow Stick...

the record being 390.4" for the 1978-79 season vs the all time low of 81.3"

We're enjoying a balmy and quite snowless winter here with totals of a mere 123.9 inches to date up in the high country of Herman and in the low country, 34.0" . A real draught.

digging out

street in Houghton

and relieved that El Nino's pattern is blowing winter south this year

a usual winter

road comission artillery


I should shut my mouth, after all, it's only February and we're not safe away until May here. So we'll be thinking of you and your cherry blossoms come the end of March when we're still butt high to a tall indian in this white stuff. What do they say.... Those who laugh hardest, laugh last??? You'll have your turn with me...

Introversion ?

I'm back to stitching now... January just seemed to go by as a day dreaming kind of month.... not prolific of hand but fulfilling of heart and personal vision. Between the new year, the full moons, my birthday and the owl outside my bedroom window....I think I know now where this year is going for me creatively.April 4th for my favorite holiday this year! I unearthed last years hastily made Easter block to get a jump start. The light and birdsong IS changing even though there's months of winter left...oh so subtle but just enough to fan my hopes . I live for spring!

Like everybody, I have those things that really need to see completion. How do they say...shit or get off the pot??? That's my motto this year... as in ... admit I will never make this Laurel Burch quilt below... so give the makings away... (it's taking me awhile to part, can't you tell?? LOL) Coming soon, I promise...

Giveaway Teaser and O.T. Tang Update

Ohhhhhhh....

laaaaaaa

laahhhhhhhhh..... Don't you just love this pattern using this Laurel Birch fabric??? I love it too but can't see myself getting around to it. Maybe you can..... I have the pattern and fabric for the basics of this quilt and will be offering a giveaway sometime before the month of February is through.... stay tuned....

I have been busy but can't tell you doing what.... this is the kind of stuff that scares me.... the passage of time vs what I have to show for it.... January gone already....

Here is the Butthead.with kidney stones...

Mr Tang (now better known as Fang because he's bitten EVERYONE inc vet AND hubby) is still aliitle insecure.... even with his purple coat on of which I thought I had the gammet on.... obviously it's not that hard to cook up a pattern for a dog coat. Again... I almost made my fortune but was alittle tooo late once again... LOL.... Mr Tang now has a new notation on his chart..."Owner must apply muzzle before exam". I guess he does look like one of those mutts that would nail you given the chance.

Mr T is sitting pretty here ...the surgery was $524...additional outgo per month.....$17.99 for 5# bag of Royal Canin SO, can of SO $2.25 ..... Cha.Cha.....freaking ching....... his best bet is to stop biting the hand that feeds him. We have 2 other dogs that have to go on eating as normal... have I mentioned before that I must have a hole in my head to have 3 dogs???

I was hoping to use this for the Creatve Cues word "Track" but I don't think this will fly. However these stitches sure look like a track to me. This was some pretty serious surgery that I really shouldn't be making fun of... after all, he's my little butthead kid that I'd probably spend even more $ on if I had too. (Fingers crossed) If by chance any one knows anyone who is going through this with their dog... please see here.... Very good info.......that can maybe help someone out.

There have been a few glorious days of sun

and blue skies beyond imagination...

There was a sad deer who passed through our yard this week. See the weird rope attached to his foot???

It looked like the rope could have been a trap of sorts but we couldn't tell...... there was no way we could have done anything to help him and he hasn't been back as far as we know. Life sure didn't hold much good for him.