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 !

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

Decembers Strays

This is one of the ornie pillows I made. Thats Dad standing by the US Geographical marker that sits atop Mount Arvon. The ties were ones he wore to church and for his stint being a realtor back in the early 80's.
This is Decembers Blotto block... I didn't get to guild last month cuz I've been working afternoon and midnight shifts. I'm sure I'll be able to get the one I missed, tho.
This was my Christmas present from my outhouse hunting buddy, Rox. It was so funny to open this up and remember all the privys we scouted out this past summer. I'm not sure we'll stick to this same theme this year but what ever we decide to scavenge hunt for, we'll have lots new of adventures finding it

Ecclesiastes 1:9

Happy New Year to All ...

It's been fun reading everyones take on the New Year... their plans,wishes, goals, aspirations and resolves for 2010. For me, I refuse to prematurely conjure up these next 365. My birthday was the 2nd, (51, I can't believe it) so all hits me quick like a brick... and I've just lived through a year that taught me all about plans... yeah, right! Looking back, maybe the biggest lesson I needed to learn... I'm only given a day at a time... what will I make of it ?

If I can hope for anything at all in this New Year, it will be for me to delve deeper into all the things I love... stretch my mind, experience more in THE moment...fess up to illusions.... something I continue to struggle with in trying to be my original self... no matter what, who, when, where or why.....THERE IS NO NEW THING UNDER THE SUN , Ecclesiastes 1:9 Knowing this......all heat is off for 2010.

I haven't been in a quilt store for ever... Now I know why I took these pics when I was shopping with my sis soooo way back when..... living in the" boonies" does have it's drawbacks and my "fixes" are far and betweenxst.

I miss seeing the class quilts on display and the new patterns and vingettes of FQ and what can be done with them. Living in Skanee leaves alot of room for fabric/idea requisition

Novembers Blotto Block for guild meet

I'm gearing myself up to something I've NEVER done before and hardly feel qualified to pull off... in Feb I've been asked to teach what I know about CQ. with the Superior Stitchers.. My "traditional" guild has finally warmed up to what I 've been putting out for show and tell.... way way back here with my needlebook , the fancy top here and my JB block here. I'm apprehensive but I have a big mouth and know that I can carry on about it. I think by days end we may be able to have a block or 2 pieced, LOL! . I'm approaching it more as a sharing kind of thing and plan on taking my vintage quilt, personal samples and some stash to share. I passed out the "supply list last month". How in the heck do you make a supply list for CQ, I'd love to know , LOL !!! I hope to convert a few so I can have some local comrades





I made this for my sis's Christmas present ...commemorating my Dad. It'll fit right in to the family's "Northwoods" decor in Beulah, Dad's ties found their way into several CQ ornaments for others too, (made with a pic of him at the top of Mount Arvon .) I'll show a pic of the one I kept soon . I was lax at photos in December... more into getting things done and shipped South than anything. I kick myself now, oh well. This year's been tough on us all... yank your heart out losses !!!! My Dad, of course, who left the biggest empty spot imaginable, my cousin Bethany who was lifes inspiration for my whole family ( she died a week after Dad....please see her profile to know what I mean) and then just recently my Aunt Ginny. I was a machine making those photo ornies this year but tt was good memories that I put in every stitch.
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Which leaves me to this... my blog is my blog.. I may not have my side lines full of favoites, I may get off topic and not post as often as "I should" but when I'm here I'm sooooo thankful for all of you who are here to read what I have to say... Thank You Everyone for letting me be "Something New Under The Sun"!!!
Jane

The Stitching Department

Here's my sitting spot...
2 left over pennants from last year sewn on diag for a table topper??? Now we're on to something.... Time to move on with all of it.. .moot point being this is all about fun... purveying or finishing, wiping off my glasses for anew take... fresher ideas.

The last weeks, I sat and made up some small pages with felt... cathartic because Dad was walking on both sides then.. ... I put alot of stitches into the block shown in previous post ... little prayers as time went on..

Sis had scraps she let me peruse... back in March ?... I sewed these up...

The obligatory cell pouch was made when I had to keep connected with the world.. Arrggghhh..... That damn "phone call" seemed to live constantly in my pocket and I hated it.

and another "postcard square" found it's way into a box . Not much..... but I wasn't a total dud in keeping the needle going, small stitches were good for my soul.


perusing old notes and quilt books again .....contemplating a patterned quilt and one I've done before...Leafy Rosey by Kaffe Fassett is in the running. It uses lots of scraps and variety. Checking out this pattern by Exhuberant Color.... too, how it's so simply cut to make such an easy whole...maybe? .. This fabric has to start getting used up... If I've learned nothing at all recently, its "Use it up, wear it out or give it away"... I'm working on that now.... Nothing here at the house is above ending up at St Vincents or being repurposed for something else. I love being ruthless, it cements "the promise" that I'll always have what I need.

I'm really looking forward to winter this year

The Bag Gets Unpacked

I've been hem and hawwing about shit canning this blog... but I've decided to keep it going and suck up how I left it ... about leaving it hanging. I think I'll get over it considering ... My Dad is gone...
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I left off with a packed bag heading south... That same bag's done alot of traveling back and forth these past months. Despite reading blogs, I couldn't write one.
I thought that too many of my feelings on display would invite what I didn't really want to hear.... To commiserate my fathers death ..... those who said "they'd been there ? ... No... My dad's dying was mine to keep.....I didn't want to share it ....... I felt any "blogging" to be superficial and inconsequincial to what was happening in my life... I withdrew ...for a loooong time.... September 10th, Dad finally let go ...I don't think I'll ever be able to put his death or my loss to words..... He's my Dad... and always will be...

I'm finding my way back...... home has been hard to reconcile...

but it's all coming back ...


PS... Thanks Sue M for kindly let me know that my comments setting was turned off... I fixed it.

Rebuilding Foundations and a Thank You...

Jane with arms crossed- Concrete-July 2006 Do I Look Happy? Really I Am!

I've had a bad habit the majority of my life for plunging ahead and skipping steps, adamant to my sense of right and wrong. and stubborn accepting my own intuitions... I've always known there's a natural progression to things but lately I've had to admit that no matter how I try to steer them (or think I am) I keep ending back at the same place ... it's become obvious to the point where God above is no longer whispering to me but knocking me upside the head to listen to the real plan that I have no control over. I can't keep pushing my way through life against the grain of the universe and silencing the voice that keeps telling me that what I'm doing just isn't working. This was true way back in September... duh...another 3 months wasted to denial for not listening.Big family pow wow later, it's been decided that I leave here for awhile....No need to freak... it's no separation or divorce for D and I...I've just got to go back home while there still is home.

Now help me??? What do I pack to leave what I know?

Home Fires Burning 2008

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I want to thank everybody for voting on my CQ Autumn Burst via Quilting Gallery (please check the Gallery out).... It was neck and neck for awhile but the numbers won out... it was something fun and with the close vote... hey, anything could have happened.... THANKS TO YOU ALL !!!, I may try something like it again,or NOT. ...It was a small time thrill none the less, LOL!

Busy With Blocks

the Cabin at 24 X 26

My math skills stink and I had to tweak as I went and there's plenty of those little places that need thread and stitches on them immediatly to tame them down

I still haven't gotten my other machine fixed yet but I'm more than thankful to have this one

These oblong blocks were a pain ... trying to keep the patches from having that stacked up look on the ends

I love playing with fabric and picking out what bounces off of the previous patch... I can loose hours doing it...

and of course you know I needed more blocks to add to all my other blocks...had to feed my addiction!

an ornament block... I see a manger or a camping tent... maybe a birdhouse

an Obama block for history ... yes, that's black in there with the Democratic blue

then the November TIF block pieced with threads to use above

and this made up as a joke for my husband. Our Detroit Lions are the worst team in the NFL , not able to pull off 1 win so far this year. Rumor has it, we my go all the way with ZERO for the season. We are razzed unmercifully by everyone but the games themselves have now become comedies.

After the piecing frenzy, I cleaned up the whole mess and organized everything upstairs that needed it. I started a new St Vincent bag and remade my to do list. I put things away that I KNOW I'm not going to get to and made the things I want to work on, more accessible.

I'm looking forward to some changes in the "near future" so I got out this clock that I'd brought home from my mom and dads earlier this year. I put it on my sewing table as a reminder of how precious time is... time and what I do with it. I really need to work on how I spend it

Veterans Day 2008

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In Memory of my Brother ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christopher Freeland born January 1949 - Died December 1973

24 years and 11 mos

US Army Tank Commander ... Vietnam

Gone but not forgotten, loved and missed everyday!

The Journey Home ... Part One

Home is more than where I live ... it's where my family is, and sadly, farther away than should be. My sister Paula's house is that hub of home. It's the place where she makes the glue that holds us all together and I loved the time that we were all able to spend together!

Mom and Dad are in a skilled nursing unit, sharing the same room and enjoying their status of being the cutest ( and only) married couple in residence The staff genuinely loves them and sis and I are thankful everyday that they can still be together while receiving all the special care they need . Just seeing them, I know that they've adjusted well and there's no doubt that Dad not being able to walk and bouts with infection would have taken his life. It's been so hard for him to relinquish his "get up and go" way of life

Dad looks great! We'd just enjoyed watching the football game and being looked in on by the staff. All the noise we made... they thought it was my folks having a tiff, which they're known for on occasion... LOL

and mom after playing around with ribbons from a package she'd opened... I'm one of the luckiest people on earth to still have and enjoy parents like these two !

sis Paula with my nephew Jay

my great nephew Bailey baiting a hook

(my brother inlaw was never still enough for a photo)

The memory storehouse is full of lots of laughter and love shared this past week!