As promised - many times.... Grandma's Gift to me

I'm a quilter, and it's because of my Grandma Theresa. She quilted, so I come by my interests honestly.
These three are quilts she made for me. This green one is so much darker green. And you can see where I got my love of orange, too. As the story goes - Grandma sewed, and Grandpa cut out the fabrics. (I would have loved to see that in action. My Grandpa was a farmer with big hard working hands.) As I understand, he made the patterns, too. I like that they worked together... but maybe not on these three quilts. Grandpa passed on when I was only 5, and I got these as a shower gift - I was 20 then. (OMG - She didn't think they were enough of a gift, so she gave me some paper products as well.)
This one is a Nosegay - the pattern name. Names weren't given to quilts in those days, and there isn't a label on any of them either. (I think I'll add one.) Grandma always used satin blanket binding on all her quilts.

See how fearless she is... orange and pink together! I've always marveled at this orange and blue Grandmother's Flower Garden - all those hexies. It's a full size. Queen size was unknown to my Grandma. She passed early in 1974.

 You should have seen this quilt on my sunlit bed in the Music Room of my mansion turned apartment building in the 1970s. There was a beautiful and memorable glow even in the winter time.

(Our mansion was turned into an apartment building in the 20s or 30s so all the woodwork was crafted well, and elegantly. We owned it, because it only cost us $18,500 for 3 apartments and ours on the first floor - a really good investment. I wish we had kept it and stayed there in Superior, WI, but there were no jobs there at the time.)

And this one has many fabrics I recognize from either clothes or from fabrics she gave me to make quilts. I had no idea what to do with them. (An aside to Ashleigh: if that's your problem with the blue stack - let me know and we can do a Grandma Camp to start off.)

This one is tied, but the other two are quilted in a big stitch way. You can see some stains - but for 40 some years of use, they are in good shape for another 100 years or so. (I hope the inheritors are respectful and careful. Quilts aren't meant to be washed weekly.)

 

My Grandma embroidered, too and crocheted (my sister's inherited skill) and knitted. She went to Vocational School in her 60s and 70s and learned - get this - learned darning. I'd say she probably could have taught the class... she had decades of darning behind her at that point, but she also took cooking classes... and upholstery. There was no moss growing on this granny. She made quilts for all her family, and hemmed towels, made little decorative pillows, embroidered pillowcases and lots of other things donated to the Church Bazaars. She didn't watch TV except for the news, and she didn't have a computer. She also had a job... staying the night with an old lady who was only slightly older than she was, but had to have someone with her at night - said her  kids. Loved and admired my granny.

 

My Grandma Edna had a very different life. She kept house for an older gent so she did have room and board. She read the Bible in her spare time. Lots of people haven't got the wealth to be able to make things at all, let alone, for other people. I admired her calm... and as everyone else does, loved my granny.

 

Sew that's  the promise fulfilled. Have any of you got inherited quilts? We'd love to see them.

 

I'm very thankful for the Grandmas I had.  Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving... whenever it is. I'm making turkey and some trimmings - he doesn't like dressing, and I don't need those extra carbs. There will be cranberry juice, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a baked yam, as well.

 

Hugs,

Terri

 

 

Still Unpacking

Still unpacking - you would not believe how many boxes there are yet to be undone....

But I wanted to show you this...

That is a rose blooming in my new house. It's not just any rose, but it is, in fact, the rose I started from a cut flower we bought at Costco. I've had it in a pot for at least 3 years now, so I didn't have to leave it for the new owner.

 

 

Annnnnnd.....

This is my Mother in Law's Tongue blooming again even though it got pushed around in the truck. Three nights in the cold truck. We were really careful for it, and keeping it in place with some fabric strips until it's happy again. I'm just happy nothing broke.

Haven't been sewing much. I don't know if I did any more Drunkard's Path blocks since I showed the last ones. I sit down in the evening and fall asleep in seconds. I did start unpacking the sewing room today. I've got a lot of quilts to make. I can't believe the number of boxes of stash. Worse than that, there are bigger and more boxes marked crafts... rubber stamps and its paraphernalia. OMG.

 

Hope your weekend is going great.

Hugs,

Terri

Still no furniture!!!!

Hi Friends,
We're in a hotel here in Vancouver, WA waiting for our furniture to arrive. Not even a chair to use at the sewing machine!!! But the sewing machine is here. I wouldn't trust a moving company to care enough about it... or not to steal it. (Lots of that kind of thing happens in CA. Sure it's insured with them, but you won't get back the antique model you had, and mine was my Mom's and then my Sis had it for years. It's too special to me.) Did a little sewing by hand on the Love Ring... latest blocks without benefit of ironing...

They look good on the duvet.

 

I have tried to reply to some of your comments, but the computer won't put your email address into my compose screen. They updated something and changed everything about the email. (Why do they do that, just as you are getting used to the previous update?)  Just exasperating! I don't know any way to get it fixed. Just know I appreciate all your love and comments.

 

Hope you all are somewhere warm and your lights are on! We are okay here.

 

Hugs,

Terri

Design Walls Monday

I'm missing my design wall... had to come down to sell the house. So I'm using a couple of panels of foam core board for the interim. Today I'm working on two quilts... who isn't.

Remember these? Two, count them - 2 gallon bags full of strips from my pal, Val. We swapped fabric a while back. I sent her some uncut I Spy fabrics and she sent me strips! So while we are packing I'm making....

some strip blocks. I got my hubby to cut me some 8.5" squares of paper - first I had to teach him how, but he does love to do homework for me on the quilts. Next I'm going to get him to cut off the excess fabric. (Tried this last night... Ouch! He cut off a corner. At least it was an easy fix. Some men are just not atuned to sewing. I was wise to prevent him from cutting out the Drunkard's Path pieces. They are cut on the line but not on the curves - and tracing they need seam allowances on the curves to be cut 1/4" away from the line... Oh well, we'll keep the homework simple for him so he feels like he's helping... afterall, his name goes on the quilt, so he should help.)

I'm just putting lights and darks next to each other. (Most blocks are going to be monochromatic.)

I have these done, so far. I'm thinking it will be called "You and Me" and if I can get it done in time I'll use it for a donation to H2H - Sarah Craig's Charity... see the side panel.

Below is a close up.

Oops - I've a basting thread showing....

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Now for the other quilt... the next Grandgirl Wedding quilt will be made of these Drunkard Path blocks but set in the Love Ring variation.

These are the most recent.

 

 

Haven't got enough made yet to finish one block of Love Ring ... but I love it already. Don't you?

Here are more settings of Drunkard's Path - one shows the Love Ring.

Out my window...

you might not see the lovely group of orange butterflies in my yard... centered above the Passionflower Vine on my fence. It grows from my neighbor's yard into mine. I think these butterflies rode in on those plants - they are very like a Julia butterfly, which only rows in Florida and Texas. I can't show you the picture in the book, it's packed - who knows where. We have maybe a dozen. I'm sure they helped us sell this place. My buyer is getting the best deal, buying my house... which after signing this morning, belongs to her now. (Sniff) We are renting for free until the truck comes on the 4th of November. (Crying)

 

I have to go now - take more pictures. I have to figure out how to have butterflies at my new house.

 

Have a lovely week.

Hugs,

Terri

New DP blocks and boxes

Newest blocks - made this week. Still not laid out in the layout of choice. There is a layout where the whites will make a "ring". Vickie Welch has a layout on her post today that looks like the one I have in mind that is called Wedding Ring. I saw that name somewhere. This is going to be another Granddaughter Wedding Quilt. I just hope the Grandgirls space out their weddings, so I can get their quilts done without stress. (That's usually not on their minds when choosing a date. I wonder why...LOL)

 
 

 

 

Above is how I do the curves - like a set in sleeve in dressmaking. Next I'll sew the seam by hand back stitch every stitch as tiny as I can get for strength.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

My house is a mess today - workmen are finishing off the two bathrooms where there was some water damage, and in termite country we have to fix it for the new owner... Seems a terrible waste of materials to me. She will be remodeling the bathrooms and kitchen to get the surfaces she prefers, and these new ones will go in the landfill.

 

There are also piles of boxes all around the house and in the garage.

Everywhere I look! These are just some of the quilting boxes, there are  some in the closet, too. Also probably 100 boxes in the garage of assorted things from other rooms. I still have packing up to do in the kitchen and bathrooms, garage and OMG! some pictures on the walls yet, etc. I really don't want to think about it all.

In the middle of all that, Halloween. It's usually our bit of madness for the year, but this year it's the bit of sanity. Everything is relative.

So not much sewing going on here. I did get out my strips from Val to maybe sew on the machine during the day, but I think that time is all taken up in packing boxes, and readying Halloween.

Hope you are having a sane weekend. This is my second to last at this house. (Sigh)

 

Hugs,

Terri

a mess of little plants for Trick or Treaters, DP blocks and fall colors

Our house did sell, and we have a very short time to get out, but Halloween is really fun at this house, so we negotiated staying until November 6 so we could have our special holiday. The new owner will come over to participate and see how it goes with an eye to maybe continuing the plant giving tradition. Can you believe it? We have so much in common - they came by a second time to see the place on Sunday. She's like a friend already and we've only met twice. She wanted to stay for the two weeks. Well, sure, if you want to work.

So here are the little plants for this year.

Above are butterfly bushes - lavender from my bush, and dark purple from our neighbor's. (With permission - of course.) (That's a box top inside a garbage bag so we can water without ruining the box and can carry the plants around.)

 

These above are lavender and an indoor plant I've never known the name. It's segments. I call it the Mimbilious Mimbilitonia, after Neville's plant.

Here's a wide assortment of my house plants and things from around the yard. There are Pigs' Ears, Wandering Jews, Creeping Charlies, Christmas Cacti, a couple of geraniums, spider plants, Lipstick vines and Morning Glory that bloom in a dark blue color.

And under the table are more little plants. I see some button ferns (I think) and Vinca Minor a ground cover ivy with shiny dark green leaves and blue flowers. The Osage Oranges that didn't go last year are being offered again. It's an easy to germinate plant that has an ugly fruit resembling an orange, but is not a citrus fruit. It's got a latex substance in it, so not to be eaten!

 

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Now for a little Fall Color - My (for a little while longer) Sweet Gums are gorgeous, and very faded in these pictures.

 These leaves have been this color for a month and have not fallen yet. Others on this tree have, but these are here to delight me.

From my kitchen window over the sink.

At another angle - same window.

 

 

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Now some quilting...

On the Design "Wall" (arm of the couch) the newest two Drunkard's Path blocks. I spent the sewing time cutting whites, so very little sewing done this weekend.

Sew have a lovely week of sewing - I'll be packing to move, and cleaning bathrooms, etc. You know how it goes.

Hugs,

 

Terri

15 DP blocks so far

So far I've got 15 Drunkard's Path blocks done.  (I'm enrolled in Vicki Welch's Drunkard's Path Quilt Along... see the button on the right side.) I'm hand sewing the curves and will machine the straight sides -
Here's a pic

I'm only cutting and sewing at night after packing to move and reading blogs, of course. We did make up 100 little plants for Halloween, but that will be another post.

Have a great weekend.

Hugs,

Terri