Online Quilt Festival

Amy at parkcitygirl.blogspot is doing something new, sponsoring an online quilt festival through April 24th.

We are to choose a favorite quilt & write about it then list it on her blog.
So far there are nearly 300 quilters posting their favorites for our viewing pleasure & oh yes, Amy has lined up a list of wonderful sponsors with "door prizes" so come on & join in the fun.

I find it difficult to choose, I have many favorites but perhaps one that stands out recently [I completed it about a year ago] is the quilt I made to celebrate the ordination to the Diaconate of my friend Kris. The photo above was before I quilted it, can't seem to find the photo of the entire finished quilt[ I will keep searching!] but below are a few close-ups after quilting.

And here is a pic. of Kris with the Bishop during the ordination service.

I have made many versions in varying colors & sizes, I call it "The Resurrection", my first attempt below I dedicated to my mother.
There are others on my webshots [URL in the sidebar] that I have made for birthdays, graduations, ordinations, or a special thank you, around 20 in all I believe though I don't have photos of all of them. Occasionally I simply forget to take a photo but I also had a computer melt down a couple of years ago & lost most all of my quilt photo records.
Some "Resurrection" quilts I have made on commission like this one above.

Vintage Thingies Thursday

This week I thought I'd show off my vintage piano. It's an old Kohler & Campbell Studio piano. It is solid mahogany, weighs tons & even with its wheels still takes 14 strong men to get it anywhere, LOL! I'm not sure of its age as I haven't done any investigation but I suspect the '40's. It came out of the Enlisted Officer's Club at Ft.Hood TX. in the 70's and although I don't have a photo of it's original condition it cost me $125 so just use your imagination!
The part below the keyboard was completely absent & had to be replaced, there were cigarette burns all along the ledge above the keys & even some burn marks on the ivories but you can see they are all in good shape now. I paid big bucks for restoration at the time & with all the subsequent moves it has had a few dings since then but overall it's in nice condition.
I no longer play [really, once in a great while I will play around a bit] I am too out of practice & my hands suffer with arthritis.


Above the piano hangs this watercolor Grand Piano quilt, not vintage I made it in the 90's!


Here is my Mum's old Hymn Book, she played organ & piano for church most of her life, see her initials, E.J.B. This is probably 40's or 50's vintage I would guess
The music bench was purchased after I acquired the piano & came with some old sheet music that brings back memories, some of it is real old timey! Anyone remember "Dance with a dolly with a hole in her stocking while her knees keep a-knocking & her toes keep a-rocking..........."? My Mum used to sing that one & many others my children would really laugh at that I think were 30's & 40's tunes!


I can't tell the age of this music but the prices on these books range from $1.50 up to $2.95 for "Jesus Christ Superstar"!


This piece suggests " excellent for three boys to play in recital," hmmmm yes I can see that now!


This selection is even older because they begin at 55c - 65c & the one on top I brought from Australia, it cost 5 shillings. I only know it was printed earlier than 14th. Feb.1966 when Australia made the move to decimal currency!

Now mosey on over to Colorado lady's blog & check out all the other VTT blogger's offerings.

Another UFO Finished!

This is my NY Eve mystery that is now out of the UFO status & into the "done done" category. the backing is the same as the focus fabric as is the binding.

The Old Tobacco Road mystery qult from Bonnie Hunter at quiltville.com is a total scrap quilt, everything came out of stash & the little patches are "kitchen sink" scrapped, so the blue in there is quite a different & unexpected "pop". I finished it a few weeks ago but couldn't take a good photo until DH had completed my display rack. Neither quilt yet has a home & they are both too large for QOV's, OTR is actually queen size.
I am now able to hang quilts for photography instead of doing a contortionist act trying to take pics of them laid out on the floor! DH made a pulley system for me up in the loft so I can clip the quilts to a board [painted the same color as the wall] & hoist them up, it's really great! A couple of other quilters on my groups had mentioned their systems & one sent me some info. that we were able to use to construct my set up.
Since baby Matthew & his Mum came home from hospital yesterday, I made sausage rolls for the new parents & I will take those & brown rice & cabbage slaw to them for their evening meal- of course that means I also can take a peek at new GS, there is method in my madness!

Oh PS. Thearica  is celebrating her daughter's birthday with  a SUPER GIFT!

Easter Day- and more of baby Matthew!

Yesterday I was quite domestic in between visiting baby Matthew[& his parents!] in the hospital. I made home-made marshmallows & some of my special biscotti, red & white with white chocolate frosting.


I took some of each to friends & to youngest DS who was of course hanging out with Madeleine & their new baby at the hospital.
We were again fortunate to be invited to a friend's wonderful annual Easter luncheon after Easter worship service. I wish I had taken more photos because everything this lady does is five star! Their beautiful home and park-like setting are perfect for entertaining, add in exquisite attention to detail & always an interesting mix of company & you have a delightful event!


I have only two pics, one of the "Easter tree", I love it, so very whimsical, feminine & spring-like. Behind it you can just barely see the fabulous crystal chandelier that hangs over the large kitchen island, I seriously covet that chandelier even though I have absolutely nowhere to display such a wondrous thing! How fine is that, a glorious chandelier in the kitchen!


The second photo is of the table centerpiece, everything made by our hostess. She is a very talented lady with a true gift of hospitality.
Next time we are invited I will try to remember to take more photos!
I have a couple more baby pics., warning folks, you may be exposed to these on a regular basis from now on!
Ah, what can I say, Grandmother is besotted, Grandfather too I might add!



This one came off DH's camera from Friday, little Matthew was maybe 20 minutes old & it was the first time I held him. The spots on my shirt are the tears I could not stop, you can see my eyes are overflowing but DH insisted that I smile for the camera!
It is a long time since I last held a beautiful baby Matthew Atwood in my arms.


This sweet photo I took late this afternoon as Matthew's Grandfather was having his little cuddle. Baby Matthew is 2 days old!
Tomorrow I hope to get back to quilting the NYE mystery on the LA.

Welcome Baby Matthew

We have a new baby, as of 4.40 p.m. today, Good Friday. Baby Matthew really wanted to make his appearance naturally & tried for 12 hours but he sort of got stuck & Madeleine needed a Ceasarean Section. Both are well, he is an 8lb. little doll & everyone is thrilled & relieved. Heaps of photos of course & here are just a few!


Proud Mumma & Daddy before delivery.....

Straight out of the O.R. poor little chap was scrunched down for hours trying to get out.
Older brother Andrew says JW looks like a "Klingon"[Star Trek] wearing the mask on his head.......!

Nurse doing a check shortly after birth.....pricked his heel for a drop of blood & he did not like that, hollered his protest.
Daddy Jonathan & Uncle Andrew......


Baby Matthew is holding fast to Mummy's finger!
DH & yours truly with Mother & Babe!

Another flimsie!

My New Year's Eve Mystery quilt top is ready to go on the LA, maybe tomorrow. I laid it out on the bed & it certainly is um.......... cheerful! The focus fabric was on sale after Christmas 75% off at one of my favorite quilt shops, Bernina Connection, it was too good a deal & someone will love it- won't they? It sort of looks a little retro to me.
I will probably quilt an over-all flowery thing, I have enough of the focus print for backing & binding & all of it came from stash, woohoo. With any luck I can get another UFO off the list this week. Then I must get back to putting together the blocks for the Double Delight Mystery, all I lack are the setting triangles & borders.
No news on the baby front, baby Matthew is still hanging out comfy as can be in Mumma's tummy! Can't say the same for poor little Mumma Madeleine, she is decidedly uncomfortable at this stage!
Tomorrow will be fun I am meeting LA'er friend Debbie at Quiltz to choose fabric for a B&W quilt for her DIL then we will have lunch. I don't often get the opportunity to hang out with my friends so I do treasure those times.
Debbie too has an awesome little Aussie Terrier named Lucy-Lucy is a bird dog, LOL, she likes to catch birds but is more successful at it than Button, or maybe they have more birds in their large fruit tree laden yard! Her owners feel badly about the unfortunate birds, & Debbie said that while we have a nice dog they have Lizzie Borden!! I'm not so sure I would put it like that because Button can charm the birds out of the trees, but then she likes to make a "between meal snack" of them!  Like all "Aussies", Button will chase anything that moves & if she catches it & it's edible then, well, it's edible,LOL [unless we catch her in time].

Here she is on the squirrel hunt in the log pile in CO.last week, "I know that dratted rodent is here I saw it run under the logs, I can smell it...." this was during a big spring snowstorm.

"Now where did it go......?"

Sigh.....what are you gonna do, it's simply the laws of nature!

PS. Pat emailed me that the Koala quilt came today, so now I have an extra Gari, what was your address again?!

Baby Matthew's Cuddle Quilt

The first quilt I made for this soon- to- be- baby boy was quite large so I thought I'd make a second, a "cuddle " quilt & the larger one can stay in the crib. I used some of the bits left over from the original then purchased other pieces to make enough for this 44" square "Scrappy Twist" design from Bonnie Hunter & I even scrapped the binding. I now have it quilted, bound & labeled & ready to go to the new nursery.

Kind of eye popping isn't it?!


The back is minkeee and a lot calmer & you can see I quilted it with an all-over freehand swirl.

And just so there can be no mistaking the purpose of this little quilt here is the label!


My other finish this weekend was another little Koala quilt-the quilt that I gave away on the blog was mailed to Pat from Iowa & sent First class mail on March 19th. & still has not arrived. I will be mailing this off to Pat in the next day or so, but this time it will go Priority with delivery confirmation, I have had very good results that way. I had thought that this small packet would be fine First Class, see what I get for thinking?! Maybe it will show up before I can get this in the mail...............hmmmmmmmm.

JWA is 35!

Wow, my baby boy was 35 yesterday, April 2nd. where have the years gone? He has often said "thanks Mum for not having me on April fool's Day"!

Jonathan weighed 7lbs.2.5 ozs. & was 21"' long & he was 2 & 1/2 weeks late! You can just imagine how frustrated Mum was by the time he decided to make his appearance.
Now he is awaiting the birth of his own son baby Matthew, any time in the next two weeks. Jonathan was three weeks old in the photo above, sweet little face but oh those legs needed some filling out, I wonder if baby Matt will have those same legs? We will know very soon!


Here he is about 18 months old looking much sturdier.

And as you can see he has filled out very nicely as a young man!
He tends bar nights while he is back in school so we went to see him on the job last evening & say happy birthday. JW has never been crazy about cake but always loved eclairs & when he was younger I would make eclairs & build a pyramid of them with candles in the top tier & since I hadn't done that for a long time I decided to revisit this tradition. So yesterday was "eclair making day", lots of eggs & butter in the dough, plenty of eggs & cream in the filling they are definitely not low cal but it's a birthday celebration not daily sustenance.
You can see he is holding his eclairs & I brought extras along to share with his friends so he had all of these to take home- to share with Madeleine!
Happy birthday son, we are so proud of you & we love you very much!

Vintage Thingies Thursday

My Mum

I thought I'd show a few things that hold memories of my Mum, she was born in 1918 so she had lots of vintage stuff, most of which my sibs did not want, their loss my gain!


I have some beautiful linens, this table cloth was hand made by Mum's oldest sister my Aunty Mary who was a missionary nurse in the Belgian Congo. I understand that it took a couple of years to make & looking at the embroidery & the crocheted edges I believe it. The cloth was a 21st. birthday gift so that would have been 1939.


These "doilies" were made by Mum, not sure when but around the same era. In those days ladies were taught all the "ladylike" skills of handwork!


These plates were also a 21st. gift I believe, they were well used & I love them. The pattern is "Nasturtians" by Royal Doulton.
My Mum would have been the first to tell you she was not a great cook & actually disliked it immensely [she would much rather work in the garden all day] one reason I learned my way around the kitchen very early in life & turned out to be an enthusiastic cook, self defense I always say!
However, living in the outback of Australia for many years Mum collected heaps of recipes that use very basic ingredients & here is the little book with her handwritten collection.
A few things I remember she made very well, one, home made ginger beer from a "ginger beer plant"[ that sat in a dish on the kitchen window sill] non alcoholic & so refreshing on a hot Australian summer day, cold, gingery & tingly yum! I have tried unsuccessfully to duplicate this recipe so if anyone can offer advice from their own experience I would love to make some.
Mum also made a terrific, rich caramel sauce, thick, golden cream from our little Jersey cows & brown sugar, that's all. These Caramel Apple Rolls remain in my taste bud memory & Golden Steamed Pudding, one of Dad's favorites & very popular with the rest of the family- it enticed me to eat my vegetables on many an occasion, "no dessert unless you eat your veges", remember!


Here's where Mum must have first moved into the microwave adventure, I recall she never really got the hang of it, too many years with an old fuel stove, LOL!
This apron I made for my Mum, my first Home Ec. project in 7th.grade, I had to draft the design & then hand embroider & do the "pulled thread" work. You can see how worn it is but I found it in Mum's linen closet all starched & ironed.



Here is my favorite photo of Mum & me, isn't she beautiful? I think I was close to one year old.
You can barely see the pin she is wearing on her left side just below my hand-my Dad made it for her when he was in New Guinea during WW2 & I have it still.
Now pop over to Suzanne's blog to catch up with the rest of the VTT gang!