Honey Bee Hive Quilt

I designed this quilt for a dear friend who made my husband and me stewards of four of her bee hives! As a beekeeper, I know how hard a decision that must have been for her and I felt like I was taking her "babies" away. She had been a beekeeper for 30 some years. I knew that I needed to make something meaningful and filled with the kind of love for our honey bees as only a beekeeper can really understand. So here are pictures of my heart-felt gift to her!

I really like how it turned out and have to believe that she will, too!

Excited

Today I am excited because I have some cute pictures of a couple of completed gift items. I am a bit behind on my gift giving and I apologize to all of my LOVED ones who are MANY and there just aren't enough hands on my body to get them all done.

These little burpie cloths are made with some soft flannel and just some stash that I had on hand. (You know, for those last-minute-woops-I-need-something-quick gifts)! As I got the pleasure of meeting sweet little great-niece Adalynn Marie, the other day and was holding her AND got to feed her and burp her; I was not given a burpie in which to catch those inevitable little spit-ups. Didn't ask for one either because she was wearing a bib, Anyway... these cute little burpies are what came from a tiny little creative spark on that visit. I think she will like them!

The little dolly is one that I have had since I was probably 5 or 6 years old. Her name is Buffy and she used to have a little car that she drove. Her original name was Baby-Go-Bye-bye.

In the Garden

This morning was comfortably cool for late July. I decided to go outside with my first cup of coffee and breath in that fresh morning air. The walk way in front of our house is full of flowers that I've planted in the nine years since we built our house. I sat on the steps of the porch and admired. Then I looked up and saw clouds just gently floating over from NW to SE and I could almost reach up and touch them. I was in awe thinking how generous God is for letting my life be filled with so many beautiful things/experiences. Sometimes I think people take too many things for granted when those simple daily blessings are right before us and it only takes a second to say "Thank you, God".

Some Vintage Lace

I just LOVE vintage laces and things to embellish with. There's something about finding treasures in a "reject" pile that nobody seemed to necessarily care about but perhaps knew somebody else would. Lucky for me!

Wiggle My Nose & Snap My Fingers

I am so wishing that I could wiggle my nose and snap my fingers like Samantha did on Bewitched back in the seventies!

Do you ever have one of those weeks where there are more ideas inside your head than there is time to complete all the tasks involved? Well, that's my week!

I love that I can work in my jammys if needed and no matter how early I get up to tackle office work... I still find that organization is forever needing improvements! BUT... I am a very head-strong and determined individual so I'm patting myself on the back for even the tiny-est of accomplishments!!! Yay me!

Old Buttons

Whenever I find antique or just really old buttons, I don't spit shine them (eew). I like that they have character and tell a bit of a story. They can't be grossly dirty or I wouldn't buy them, but I can't say that I've ever found any old buttons that made me feel like sterilizing the whole lot. It can't be any worse than everyday exchange of currency, right?

Feeling Honored

I never knew how honored I would feel when I volunteered to longarm quilt for Quilts of Valor Foundation until I started. Out of all the things that I do for "free", I think this is the most heartfelt. I hope to include more information within this blog about the QOVF and offer recognition to those who serve this country. Until, I am able, please visit their website for more information. Here is the link QOVF .

These pictures are of the first quilt for QOVF that I quilted with my longarm. I saw it as more "modern" than "traditional" so I gave it a lot of swirls and doodles. The topper's name is Pat B. she did a lovely job! Thanks Pat!

Playing with Lenni

Lately the awesome and beautiful and very much LOVED seniors in my life have been keeping me busy. Today, I thought I'd get some quilting practice while I can. Here are a few strips of scraps I used to doodle on. I seem to be drawn toward the "organic" style of quilting and design. I'm a "country girl" maybe that's why?!?!

 

My Momma had to have three stints put in her heart on Friday. She was awesome and got to go home on Saturday.

 Anyone who can bare ten kids in the era long before there were epidurals and all the other instant gratification things of today is practically a Saint in my book. The hospital staff loved her and one teased about adopting her as his own... not sure if for Mother or Grandmother, but he called her an old lady (in a joking way) to the Doctor, so I assume Grandmother. All in all she never complained a bit and is home healing!

Fabric Collage Book for Momma

I just realized that the last post I touched upon my aging parents. I want to share this Fabric Collage book that I made for my Mother.

The Cover

Her as a baby on the left & 4 generations of my fore-mothers on the right.

Mom in her school years.

The old Singer 

This project was so much fun to make. I used mostly antique laces, buttons, ephemera and just memory provoking ideas to bring nostalgia to the cloth pages. Some pages were from an old handmade quilt that someone in the family had.

There are more pages, but these were all the pictures that I had on the computer.

The photos are copies that I ran through my inkjet printer onto fabric except for the last one which was an iron on and I found that I like the inkjet transfer much better.

Maybe there will be a tutorial in the future, but for now I have more projects than I can keep up with!

Thanks for viewing! 

Aging Parents

I've managed to get a few more of the "Honey Hexies" sewn on to the project I have under-way. The past two weeks, I have been giving attention to my 83 year old Mother who was hospitalized from having chest pains. Since her release, we have gone to multiple appointments, including a stress test that was probably just as stressful for me as it was on her. We will be seeing a Cardiologists on Monday and will go from there. Waiting rooms sometimes can make excellent hand sewing projects productive. Aside from my own Mother, I have been getting organized for more involvement in fundraising for the Alzheimer's Association on behalf of my Mother inlaw. My husband and I are caregivers of his Mother, who lives in our home. June is Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month so please go to alz.org and make a donation or get educated about this wonderful organization.