String Quilt Fun!

     The retreat was sew much fun! I sewed for a total of about 40 hours!  Meals were provided and no house work to do.  We could stay up as late as we wanted and sew...the last night I crawled into bed at 3:30am. 

     I went through two full spools of 500 m Guterman thread, and emptied 7 completely filled bobbins.  I got an email from our host that I won the bobbin contest!  Yipeeee!
      
   We had a Jelly Roll quilt race contest, weee... me an my tiny cheap Brother machine...came in third clocked at 39 minutes and a few seconds!  Ya, a complete quilt top done in less than 40 minutes!!!

  I also completed two Just For You quilt tops, my blue n white block of the month, and  34 blocks on my string quilt.  The totes of scraps kept getting tossed in my searching the strings which made the totes look even more full when I packed up to go home!  Yikes!  I think they are still reproducing in the dark!

    We visited two fun quilt shops and I bought fabric I don't really need but I had that strong urge of "regret fear" if I didn't get that 30 piece fat quarter pack and pattern.  I know me and if I didn't get it right then and there I would spend twice that amount trying to find it again! 

  So, all in all I would say it was a wonderful quilt retreat weekend to remember!  But, I still have two full buckets of string scraps!!!

Home Sweet Home...

Sitting on the back porch with my hubby talking! :)

Blue Ridge Quilt Retreat!

I am having sew much fun creating a scrap string quilt!  This is my play station!  My friend Tania is sitting across from me!  Life is good!! :)

Tea Party at the Quilt Guild...

     I am not a lace, hats, and gloves kind of girl so I was hesitant about going to Quilt Guild this morning.  This month was a the big tea party and I was thinking wearing jeans and sneakers might be a problem.

     So, I sat in the parking lot and waited to see how some were dressed.  I was filled with joy and jubulation as I saw Debbie, a who's who in our area, walk in wearing jeans!!  "Yes," I said to myself, "this is where I belong."

     We had a great speaker from Qnntv.com, shared fine teas, and many beautiful show n tell quilts.  I bought several dollars worth of raffle tickets and won two bags of goodies!  I showed my Atlantic Flyaway quilt and received a pretty little red ribbon!  It was a good morning!!! 

Fabric scraps reproducing!

It seems as though my scraps are breading in the night like a bunch of mice!  I can't seem to get ahead of them!  Ugh, but I will find the guilty male in my bunch this coming week at the retreat and sew him into a quilt!  Ahhaaahaaa!  :)

Spring is on it's way!

Dear hubby and I just got back from a long walk.  The air has that sweet spring smell.  The warmth of the sun on our backs. Life is good!

Crazy Love

     All the kids came home for the holidays and we loved every minute of time we could spend with them!  Then in January the sweet local quilt store job I had ended with the closing of the shop.  It was a down time for me for a few weeks.  So, as usual I got busy in my sewing room...should have been cleaning house but since the dust waits on me so sweetly I decided to play first...I so enjoy sewing!

     But, just as I was getting into the hang of not working and having a lot of free time...my Mom had to have cancer surgery on her face...poor thing.  She is still here in body and laugh but her mind has slipped away over time this last few years.  Dad had his hands full caring for Mom and, since I live next door, I was called upon to lend a helping hand quite a lot.  Not a problem for me since I had all this free time.  :)

   About the time we got Mom on the road to her normal life again, Dad gets a cyst that had to be removed on his back and finds out he also has a navel hernia!  So, here we go again and Dad goes to the hospital.  Another week or two of trotting next door morning, noon, and night.  LOL  But, it's ok since it was what I signed up for when we encouraged them to buy the house next door.  I am so very thankful that I am not having to make the long drive to help care for them where they used to live.  Dad just called and said his visit to the doctor went well and he is on the road to wellness again!  Yeah!!  Not a day goes buy that I don't grow a little closer to my Mom and Dad...they are 82 and 83 and still very much in love!  Recently Dad showed me some old pictures he found cleaning Mom's closet.  Inside the envelope was a love letter Dad wrote to Mom before they were married...such a sweet treasure!  He still has that twinkle in his eye as he looks at Mom now after being married for almost 60 years.

    Our oldest son is a wonderful young man with so much love to give.  No he is not perfect but almost in my eyes.  I want him to be happy and find someone to love with all his heart that returns that crazy love.  When he was growing up somewhere in his late teen years I would walk out into the drive way as he worked on his cars and often the song Crazy Love would be playing on his radio.  So, today as I was on the way back home from the dentist I heard Ray Charles singing his song Crazy Love and once again my heart and prayers go out to my son.....

Crazy Love
I can hear her heart beat for a thousand miles
And the heavens open every time she smiles
And when I come to her that's where I belong
Yet I'm running to her like a river's song
[Chorus:]
She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love
She give me love, love, love, love, crazy love
She's got a fine sense of humor when I'm feeling low down
And when I come to her when the sun goes down
Take away my trouble, take away my grief
Take away my heartache, in the night like a thief
[Chorus]
Yes I need her in the daytime
Yes I need her in the night
Yes I want to throw my arms around her
Kiss her hug her kiss her hug her tight
And when I'm returning from so far away
She gives me some sweet lovin' brighten up my day
Yes it makes me righteous, yes it makes me feel whole
Yes it makes me mellow down in to my soul