Block of The Month (BOM)

Well, since I am not participating in any block swaps this year (that I know of, hehehe) I decided to try my hand at a BOM. This particular one is an old Block of the Month (2005) that I found over at azpatch.com. These are 12 inch blocks, which after working on the little bitty Dear Jane blocks, takes a lot of adjusting to!!! So these are the January and February blocks.

Now I wasn't content with just one set of BOMs, so..... I started the current year's BOM also....

And guess what????

Yep, I have found a couple others that whispering my name. So in the near future there will be more joining my BOM Party.

Samson Goes To School

I don't know if I have mentioned this before... but my wonderful "little" kitty, Samson, thinks he is a human. He loves to help me quilt, make the bed, and dust, and this week he decided to further his education. We are a homeschool family, and as I was preparing to start our school day, Samson decided to enroll in class. I'm just not sure that his learning style of "learning by absorption" will really work. Although I'm sure that the children would love it if it did!!!!

Fabulous Fall Frolic Block Swap

These gorgeous blocks were made by several Dear Jane/Dear Hannah group members for our Fabulous Fall Frolic Block Swap. We made these blocks using Fall colors, which may seem a little odd in the middle of winter...But it gives us a beautiful colorful picture during this season of gray & white. And we should have our quilts, wall hangings, or whatever we decide to make with these little "fall leaves" done for this year's Fall Season, well some of us might have them done this year... me??? I don't know about that.

February Flooding

Ahhh, Indiana weather...You gotta love it!!! One day there is 12 inches of snow on the ground, two days later the temps reach the 50's & 60's and the snow melts! The next day it rains, and rains, and rains for a total of 1.5 inches of rain.

The pictures show you what you get with 12 inches of melted snow and 1.5 inches of rain.

Water in places it does not belong!!! Everywhere in these pictures that you see water...well, it isn't suppose to be there!

The ground was so soggy, it was like walking on giant sponge. And if it was very quiet outside, you could actually hear the water being soaked up by the ground!!!

Of course, today it is back to typical

February weather...COLD!!!

Civil War Love Letters Quilt Blocks

I have been working on these quilts blocks for my Civil War Love Letters Quilt. I had started this project in October, but then fell behind during the holidays. So while everyone was playing in the snow these past few days, I was catching up on my blocks, you know, in the house where it is nice and warm. I opted to use Civil War repro fabrics in lavendars, purples and greens for this quilt. I am working along with Rosemary Youngs' online group to make one block a week, and it has been quite enjoyable.

Snow Play

These pictures are of some of the Snow Play that went on at our house. Our grandchildren had not seen a snowfall of this depth, so they were having a ball! By the way the "big kid" is Grandpa.

There was sledding, snowball fights, snowman building, and even some snow eating going on. Oh, and of course, there was the plenty of snow shoveling to be done!

And I of course only stepped out occasionally to snap a picture or two. Then back to the fireplace, hot tea and quilt work.

Snow, Snow, Snow

On January 28th we woke up to 14 inches of snow at our house. So I thought I would share a few pictures of the beautiful scenery.

Now I am not a snow lover, but it does make for awesome pictures. When the snow begins to fly, you will most likely find me in the house with a cup of hot tea, working on a quilt or reading in front of the fireplace.

But I did venture out long enough to take these pictures. After all, they will make a great scrap book page.

Quilter's Hearts & The Very Special Quilt

Oh, where to begin this story, a true story. I began quilting several years ago, nothing serious...just a quilt here and there. Then last year I decided to jump in with both feet and both hands. I joined an online quilt group or two, you know, just to see what I could learn. Well the first group I joined was the Dear Jane Alternate List group, little did I know what lay ahead, or how much I would learn (and not necessarily about making quilts).

On this group we have shared so many, many things. We have sent fabric to one another when needed, swapped Birthday Signature (siggy) blocks, made and sent siggies for "Thank yous" and "Get Wells", and anything else we could think of. We have shared jokes, laughter, silly stories and poems, and celebrated joyous happenings in our lives. On the flip side we have also cried with, comforted, prayed for each other and been prayed for. This group of quilters have the biggest, warmest, most giving hearts of gold that I have seen in awhile. But nothing has touched me more than the story I am about to share, about The Very Special Quilt, that was made possible by this group.

In the Fall of last year, one of the lady's (I'll call her "J") on the group shared that her brother was going to have brain surgery for removal of cancer. She asked for prayer for her brother who is a retired Marine. The next day she shared that she had been reading through dozens of emails, wishing her brother and her family well, and letting her know that many prayers were being said on their behalf. She wondered if some of us would mind making a siggy block to help make a lap quilt for her brother.

Another quilter (I'll call her"C") suggested the possiblilty that any of us , that wanted to, could make our infamous siggy blocks with well wishes, prayers, stamped images, drawings, etc. on them for "J's" brother's lap quilt. And since "J's" brother was a Vietnam Vet we could use red, white, and blue fabrics. The hope was that "J" could get the lap size quilt made for her brother for when he came home from the hospital. "C" sent an email to the group: "Let's flood "J's" mailbox with siggies!!!" Then somewhere along the line, someone suggested sending some blank ones for the family and other friends to sign.

So from everywhere you can hear sewing machines start humming. People are sending 1, 2, 3, or more siggies. Signed and blank siggies are arriving in "J's" mailbox. She is sewing them together...the lap quilt has become a reality. But more siggies are arriving!!!! "J" sends some of the blank ones to the men who fought with her brother in Vietnam, and they ALL come back with messages on them, that in her own words, "dropped me to my knees more than once."

It seemed that every time she thought she had the quilt top done, more siggies arrived. She also received a Marine Corp emblem that someone on the group with an embroidery machine made for the quilt, and a small American flag someone else. The Marine Corp emblem became the center of the quilt.

Well the quilt top has been sewn all together. The back is all pieced from "J's" red/white/blue fabric stash, (which I'm sure is depleted now) and the quilting is done. This "lap" size quilt has grown into a 86" x 98" queen size quilt that has 176 signature blocks plus all the 9 patch blocks that "J" made. The finished quilt is now on its way to her brother, along with all the well wishes and prayers that accompanied all the siggy blocks.

I think, I can safely say, that all of us that were able to help with this quilt consider it a privilege.... a small sacrifice of time for, as his sister calls him, such a brave man that served his country with pride, honor, and courage. All I know is that I am proud to be a part of this group, and honored to know "J" and her brother, if only through the internet.

Where else would you find a group of people willing to do something like this? Some of us have met in person, but most of us have not. We only know each other through this online group. But we are a family, and we are there for each other. Maybe we are a similar kind of "family" group, that "J's" brother served with in the Marines.

Thank you so very much, "J" for allowing me to share this story and the pictures of the quilt. You know how much it means to me, and how it has touched my heart.

And to "J's" brother, I want you to know how much I appreciate your service to our country, Thank you so very much. My thoughts and prayers continue for you.

And to the Dear Jane Alternate group, "Thank You, for allowing me to be a part of such a wonderful quilting family." Lessons learned here will never be forgotten.

*After posting this blog I received an email from "J", she received 2 more siggy blocks after the quilt was done, so she hand appliqued them to back of the quilt. How special this quilt has become.

More Cards!!!

Well, this past week I was able to get back to the card making table. These are my creations for the week. Most are for up coming swaps. I must admit, back in November, I was pretty sure that I was done making cards. But, since the holidays have passed and things have calmed down, I have a renewed interest in making cards. Now I need to get caught up on some scrap booking. And then there are all the quilts I want to work on.... a stack of books I want to read...a house to clean...meals to cook!!! I need more hours in the day.

Names of Jesus Quilt Top

In December of 2007 I was priviledged to come across the wonderful quilt group, Quilting the Names of Jesus, while searching for faith-based quilting groups on yahoo. I of course joined the group. After all, I only needed the pattern, the study guide book, and oh yes, fabric!

By mid-January 2008 I had purchased the pattern booklet for The Names of Jesus Quilt from Patterns of Faith, and bought the study guide book, Praying the Names of Jesus, by Ann Spangler from a local Christian bookstore. I decided I would just use fabric from my way out of control fabric stash. I was ready to start, on time I might add, on what was to become the most awesome quilting and Bible study journey I have ever done.

Each quilt block represents a different Name of Jesus. The names range from the very common, like Child or Friend to the more glorifying, like King of Kings or The Great I Am. Which brings up my fabric, remember I was going to use from stash...well my fabric stash includes the very common fabrics like you can purchase at Walmart to the more expensive that comes from high quality quilt shops.

Each week we studied a different name of Jesus and made the corresponding quilt block for that name. With each week that passed, my relationship with Jesus grew and grew, as well as my understanding of Him.

For some reason, that I can't remember now, I decided to keep a journal to go along with this quilt/study. And I am so glad I did. During this study I drew so close to the Lord, and learned so very much about the meaning of the different names given Jesus in the Bible. My hope is that my children & grandchildren will read my journal and look at the quilt, and get to know me in a different and deeper way, just as I got to know Jesus in a different and deeper way through the study. And maybe, just maybe it can help them to draw closer to Jesus, too. I must say that this journey, and it was a journey, has had a major impact on me and my life, as well as the way I look at life, and hopefully it will have the same impact on all that read my journal, or those that take the journey themselves.

As a group we shared so many things: Joys, sorrows, prayer, recipes, helpful quilting hints, and wonderful fellowship. I think we all grew by leaps and bounds, I know I did.

I am now carefully deciding on what kind of border(s) to finish my quilt with, I do not want anything that will take away from the blocks themselves. And then, of course, there will be the decision on the quilting pattern to be used.

The moderator, Karen H, of the group was so kind, helpful, and caring. I cannot thank her enough for her time and her efforts. Without her I would have never gotten this quilt to the point it is today. I truly hope she realizes the impact her ministry, through this quilt group, has on the members. I know she will be blessed for her following through on this calling.

Though this journey is not yet complete, I am so very thankful that I started it, and I can not wait to finish the quilt. Can you imagine laying under a quilt, and being covered with 30 Names of Jesus. How Awesome will that be?

A Walk Down Memory Lane

At the Dear Jane Alternate List there has recently been a lot of talk about strange creatures of the past... Aprons. Do you remember those dinosaurs? Well, I received one last summer from a friend, and it brought back a flood of treasured memories of my Mother and my Grandmothers wearing their aprons. So I now have mine hanging in plain view in my kitchen, and on occasion, I can be caught wearing it. And guess what, my granddaughter loves wearing it too :)

A wonderful lady from the Dear Jane Group passed on the following writing, and I want to share it with all of you. Maybe it will bring back some almost forgotten memories for you too. I'm not sure our children today know what an apron "really" is, so you might want to share this with the children in your life. Maybe we can bring this old dinosaur back to life!

THE HISTORY OF APRONS

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, because she only had a few, and it was easier to wash aprons than dresses. Aprons used less material, but along with that, they served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

They were wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion were even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and somtimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy children. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds!

And when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Wood chips and kindling were brought into the kitchen in that old apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas were shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the Fall, the apron was used to carry in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

*They would go crazy today trying to figure out how many germs were on that old apron. But I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron :)

Thank you so much, Leona, for passing this along.

January Sunset

I was able to capture these two photos of a beautiful January sunset one evening last week. They were taken about 10 minutes apart.

Sometimes it's hard to find something beautiful about January in the Midwest. Everything seems so cold, barren, and empty, but if we just take a moment to really look around, we can find a beautiful, if not, awesome gift from God to lay our eyes upon.

Give it a try...no matter where you live, God is there. Take the time to look and see the beauty and wonder of His creation. After all, it's free!

Arrival Of The SIRS

SIRS??? What in the world are SIRS, some of you are asking. I know, some of you are thinking, looks like just another batch of siggy (signature) blocks. Well, first of all there is no such thing as "just another siggy" block! Each and every siggy is a special, unique, and very treasured quilt block.

This group of quilt blocks came from a swap called SIRS, over at the Dear Jane Alternate group, which stands for Special Irish Rose Swap. All those who participated either have Irish in their bloodline, or wish they did, or just like the color green. This group of quilt blocks will soon become a wall hanging, which I will display in the month of March to celebrate St. Patricks Day.

And in case any of you are wondering...we at the Dear Jane Alternate Group can come up with a quilt block or fabric swap for just about anything you can imagine!

Weekend Accomplishments

After getting the house back in order from the holidays, I call that "reclaiming" my house, I was able to sit down and work on cards. These cards are some that I made for up-coming January card swaps. My plan is to use the first weekend of each month to make cards for the card swap groups I belong to. Key word "plan", we all know how plans can fly right out the window. Maybe my "goal" would be better terminology.

Anyway these cards, along with organizing & cleaning the house, were my accomplishments for the weekend. Now it's back to school after our Christmas Break...the lessons plans are calling my name, very loudly they are calling me!

This poem is for two very special people in my life, my Mother & my Sister-in-Law, who both happen to love cardinals.

Winter Interlude

O.J. Robertson

In a red topcoat

And black cravat

On a snowy bough

A cardinal sat,

A flame of fire

In a frame of white.

The bird was a thrill

To sound and sight

When he fluffed his feathers

And sang for me

A beautiful scarlet melody.

Then spreading his wings

He flew away,

Never knowing

He had made my day.

More December "Quilty" Stuff

On the Dear Jane Group a wonderful lady which I shall lovingly refer to as Mrs. "C" (as in Claus) hosted the Dear Jane Winter Holiday Swap. Throughout the swap Mrs. "C" encouraged us with the words to various Christmas Carols, Cookie Recipes, or Riddles about Christmas. After awhile everyone started referring to the quilt blocks they were making as "cookies". When someone would finish a set of blocks, they would say things like, "I have 1 batch of cookies out of the oven", or "I have 2 batches of cookies ready to bake", meaning their pieces were cut and ready to be sewn together. I had a wonderful time, as I'm sure everyone did. These delightful little "cookies" will be carefully tucked away until next year, when I will once again join the swap, and add to my Christmas Cookie Collection, until I have enough "cookies" for a good enough to eat Christmas Cookie Quilt.

December "Quilty" Stuff

I was "lucky" enough to be enticed, shamed, nudged, guilted, or threatened into joining the Christmas With Jane Siggy Swap over at the DJAlternate List by a dear friend (you know who you are, Rosa), just kidding, I loved every minute of it :) I made and swapped 150+ signature blocks with a wonderful group of quilters there. And these are the little darlings that I received. As unbelieveable as it may seem, there is not one duplication of any of the fabrics!!! There are blocks not only from the U.S. and Canada, but from several other countries.




























Each one of these little blocks is a treasure to me. I can't wait to get them together for what is sure to be the most beautiful Christmas Quilt ever. I know some of the ladies have already assembled their quilts, but not me, I didn't quite manage that goal...hopefully I will get that accomplished for next Christmas. There may even be enough blocks here to make 2 Christmas Quilts!

"Decembery" Things

I thought while it is still December, just barely, I would post some "Decembery Things" (is Decembery a word??? Spell Check says "NO", Oh well I say "Yes"!!!). This is a picture of our first snow of the season, way back on December 3rd. While I am not a big fan of snow or cold weather, I must admit, that it is very pretty to look at... from inside my nice warm house, with the fireplace going and a cup of hot chocolate in my hand.

Later in the month, we woke up to these beautiful Ice Pictures on our front windows. These pictures were taken as the sun was rising one morning. I am NOT a morning person, by any stretch of the imagination, but this particular morning I was up early. Why? I don't have a clue. My guess would be, so that I could actually see for myself these awesome ice creations. Oh, by the way the ice is on the outside of the windows!

My Sewing Buddy

This is my wonderful sewing buddy, Samson. He is a part Maine Coon cat. My dear "little" Samson weighs 22 pounds! Samson loves to help me quilt...

He lays on what I am trying to hand quilt, or he likes to try to grab my thread, but his favorite thing to do is to jump up in my chair when I get up to go to the ironing board. But he does keep a close eye on my sewing machine. No one can get near it...including me at times!!!

MYSTERY QUILT #1

I promised myself I would get this Blog up and running before the New Year arrives. So here we go! I just finished my very first Mystery Quilt top. This is a Christmas Eve Mystery Quilt, which means that I began piecing the blocks together on Christmas Eve. Yes, I am addicted to quilting and a holiday does not stop me! It may have been my first mystery quilt, but it will not be my last. I can not take credit for this quilt design. The designer is Dorothy Young, over at Pocket Full of Mysteries. Only the choice of fabrics is my own.

And here are a couple of close up views.