Getting Excited!

It's another rainy morning, which seems to be the norm this week.  It rains in the morning and by early afternoon it feels like a sauna.  The birds and flowers are loving this!! This won't bother me today because I'll determined to shape up the sewing room today.  Yikes!!!  I think I see a copperhead snake in the lower right corner of the picture above!  They blend in so well with the gravel.  I was out there barefooted!

Don't let the pictures scare you ~ things are really under control!!  Yesterday I finished wrapping fabric onto comic book boards (300 total so far) and organized them inside the new cabinets.  Next is the closet and everything has been dragged out into a heap in the middle of the room.

Some quilters can create masterpieces in the midst of chaos ~ I'm not that kind of quilter.  I function better and relax better if my room is in order ~ notice I'm not saying it has to be perfect, but order is good for me.  The thing I like about the new cabinets is that I can close the doors and the room will look fine.  I will do a total reveal Monday if not sooner.

Wishing you a wonderful day filled with Peace & Plenty!

Hugs, Barb


   

Cozy Wednesday

We woke up to heavy rain very early this morning with lightning and the kind of rolling thunder that shakes the house.  It poured buckets of rain for about two hours and then slowed to a gently rain, the type that soaks into the ground rather than running off. 

Work on the sewing room continues and still looks like a war has taken place in there.  By next week I should have everything in order.  I have a wonderful king size quilt that just needs binding to be complete and I can't wait to start that project.  I prefer double fold French binding unless I have curves to deal with, and that requires bias binding so the curves will lie flat.  A lot of the old quilts were bound by turning the backing to the front and stitching it down.  Grammy Rose seldom took that shortcut, preferring to hand stitch her bindings down on the back of her quilts.

Every household with quilts most likely has a utility quilt or two.  These are the quilts you don't mind being dragged around by kids and gently used by the family dog or kitty.  Our vehicles each have a utility quilt for picnics or sleepy passengers. 

This is a utility quilt that's been in my family for many years.  It's made of mostly feed sacks and the patches are random size and in a random setting.  This quilt was definitely made for being used rather than for 'pretty'.  Considering the years of use and the many washings, this little quilt is in pretty good shape!

Until tomorrow I wish you a day filled with Peace & Plenty!

Blessings,  Barb

Rainy Tuesday

We woke up to thunder and lightning this morning.  The good thing is that we are getting some much needed rain...just a slow shower and the first moisture in weeks!     

Our Memorial weekend went by too fast.  We visited cemeteries and worked in the sewing room.  DH is so selfless...he worked nonstop all weekend on my sewing room.  The cabinets are together and now the rest of the work is mine.  I have a real mess to deal with so it will be a little while before I can post pictures.

Today I would like to share a beautiful scrap quilt made by Grammy Rose.  The pattern is stars inside of hexagons...I'm not sure of the proper name of this block.  I remember this quilt being folded on the foot of Grammy's bed.  Most of the fabrics came from her housedresses and aprons.  Apologies for the quality of the photos....having some focus issues with the camera.

This is a Tuesday that feels like a Monday!  I'm off to tackle a mountain of laundry and work in my sewing room.   

I wish you a great day wherever you are ~~  Barb

Memorial Day 2012

Today is the final day of Memorial Day weekend 2012.  Our little town is lined with flags and the cemeteries are decorated to the hilt unlike anything I remember in recent years.  As a nation we are going through so many challenges that as citizens I believe we are drawing closer to our core values. 

Today my quilt is a flag banner I made last summer.  It is simply
2 1/2 inch strips sewn together with white stars appliqued over the blue strips.  Nothing fancy, but I like the simplicity.

Wherever you are today, enjoy your family and give thanks for those who give so much so we can enjoy our freedom.

Wishing you Peace & Plenty....Barb

Memorial Day Weekend

This is Memorial weekend and we will be away through Sunday.  I wish you a terrific weekend wherever you are.  I'll meet you here again on Monday morning!!

Wishing you Peace & Plenty....Barb
       
                                              
                                                          

Bob

I have told you about my Grammy Rose and her wonderful quilts, Grandma Nan and my Mom Ruby.  I also had a terrific Dad and my wonderful Grandpa Bob (Dad's father).  My Dad fought in WWII and the Korean War, which meant my Mom needed to work in his absence.  My Grandparents wouldn't hear of me being left with a sitter, so I stayed with them and Grammy Rose in Doniphan, Missouri  until I was old enough to go to school.  These were the very best years of my life and the memories I still carry in my heart are priceless. 

Bob (I never called him Grandpa or PawPaw) was larger than life, being 6 1/2 feet tall and muscular.  He was as gentle as he was large, soft spoken and had a great sense of humor.  Bob was the center of my world and I absolutely adored him.  Bob taught me how to spit like a boy, hammer nails, bait a fish hook, whistle, call pigs and to shoot a slingshot.  Grandma Nan (not to mention my very proper Grammy Rose) didn't approve of most of the things Bob taught me!!

I guess it comes as no surprise that every teddy, doll or live animal I had was named Bob...yes, everything I owned that could be named was named Bob!  That should give you a hint of how much I adored my Bob.  Bob went to Heaven February 3, 1991 and his last words were, "Tell Bar (Barb) I love her."  Six days after Bob passed I became a Grandma for the first time and now I understand the adoration grandparents have for their children's children. 

Here's a picture of my one remaining Bob doll.  Her head, hands and feet are china and her body is muslin stuffed with sawdust.  The sweater, hat and booties were mine as a baby.

Memorial Day is celebrated this weekend.  Originally it was named Decoration Day, a time to remember those fallen in battle.  Since its inception, it has expanded to include remembering loved ones who have passed from our lives.  Our weekend will include a visit to the cemetery where Grammy Rose, Nan and Bob are buried.  I don't need a special day to remember them ~ they are a living part of my heart.

Bless you as your remember your loved ones and honor their memory this weekend.

Peace & Blessings  ~  Barb

Quilt Hospital

I am a night owl by nature, but necessity requires me to be an early riser.  There are certain joys to rising early ~ watching the sunrise ~  smelling the first pot of coffee brew ~ hearing the birds wake up ~ walking in the garden in the cool of the morning ~ the quiet of the house.  I enjoy them all, but it's a shame they happen so early!

I have a few 'cutter quilts' and other old quilts that are damaged by abuse, misuse or from being loved and washed to near death.  These are quilts that are so worn they can't hold up to normal use.  Maybe there are sections missing or threadbare areas with batting sticking out.  I buy cutters every chance I get and use them for making pillows, baby quilts, Christmas stocking and other crafty items.  If a cutter is worn out just around the edges, I often trim it down and rebind it for a baby or child.  These quilts are great because the cuddle factor is built in!  If the worn quilt is from my family, I make every effort to restore it for my enjoyment or to be passed along to other family members. 

The colorful Lone Star quilt below is one of Grammy Rose's quilts and it was my bed quilt for many years as a child.  It is in fair shape except around the edges, which I plan to rebind.  There are a few areas of the hand quilting I need to restore also.  I wouldn't dream of cutting into this quilt.  I would consider this a cutter if I ran across it in a flea market or yard sale. 

The scrappy Grandmother's Fan quilt below is what I consider a cutter quilt.  It has extensive damage on opposite ends where it appears to have been tucked under a mattress onto springs.  The overall condition is extremely worn.  It looks like a printed flannel blanket was used for batting.  I could not get a clear picture of this quilt.

The pink print Churn Dash quilt below is another of Grammy Rose's quilts and is in very good condition except for the outside row all around.  I plan to trim this quilt and rebind it.  It should make a great table topper to large crib quilt.  Sometimes when I bind an old quilt I will use the back side of a soft print to replicate fading.

Restoring and repairing old quilts is very rewarding and it's something I enjoy doing in the winter when the days are long and I'm indoors due to the weather. 

Wherever you are, I wish you wonderful day!

Peace and Happy Quilting ~~  Barb

Welcome To My Mess

This morning started off very nicely...Hubby got off to work, Molly had her breakfast and I had a load of sheets merrily washing away.  I thought I would sit down and blog while eating a bowl of cereal.  I think you can see where this is going....the bowl of cereal slipped from my hand and crashed, splashed and broke on the table and all over my laptop, camera and a stack of fabric waiting to be folded.  What A Mess!!! 

My sewing room is progressing nicely but slowly.  After building the first cabinet we realized the cabinets must be bolted to the wall for safety reasons.  We also decided to put a piece of plywood underneath the cabinets to give them more of a firm foundation since the floor is carpeted.   So, back to the drawing board and searching the garage for the supplies to do this.  Tonight we will attempt to assemble cabinet #2.  

Hubby and I work very differently.  Allow me to preface this by saying that he is a general contractor and electrician and has done a LOT of building in his day.  I am a 'follow the directions' kind of girl.  So while he is grabbing boards and hardware and flipping them all over the room I sweat bullets and try to make sense of a booklet with no words, only diagrams!!  I am also a 'word' girl!   In the end everything will work out fine if I keep my eye on the prize.

Here's a little peek of what's going on in my tiny sewing room.

There will be three shelves on each side of the cabinet.  The rods are removable.  Lest you think my room is a blank slate, take a peek at the opposite side of the room!

For now I'm living in 'controlled chaos' with stacks of bins and miscellaneous quilting supplies in every room.  I can't wait to get my hands on these new cabinets and fill them up and get back to sewing!

I found a lovely old Dresden Plate quilt to share with you today that was made by my Grammy Rose.  I have no idea how old it is, but I do know the fabrics are very old.  The plates have eight fat blades and all the centers are solid yellow.  This quilt is hand pieced and beautifully hand quilted.  I believe this is my only Dresden Plate with sashing around each block.  Notice that this quilt has no borders, just sashing on the outer edges.    This quilt is in perfect condition.

I plan to visit a few of our local flea markets today and see what treasures might be waiting for me.

Until tomorrow I send you best wishes and a day filled with

Peace & Plenty

Aprons

I'm sitting at my kitchen table drinking a cup of tea and listening to the birds and an occasional thump from the washing machine doing it's job.  I can remember the days when tea drinking wasn't an option while doing laundry ~ it was a hands-on job and everyone had a part to play.  Grandma Nan had a wringer washer and you lifted the soaking wet clothes from the wash tub and ran them through the wringer, sometimes more than once.   Many a button was broken going through the wringer - not to mention pinched fingers and the time I got my hair caught up in that contraption when I was trying to help.  Wash day has taken on an entirely new complexion, thank goodness!  I love modern conveniences as much as the next person, but I still love the smell of line-dried sheets and towels.

I have been reading that aprons are making a grand comeback as accessories.  Young women are wearing them over their rolled-up skinny jeans, with high heels completing the look!  Isn't that a cute idea?     

I'm drawn to old aprons and have a small collection.  The only time my Grammy Rose took her apron off was to go to town or to church or to bed.  When we gathered eggs she would pick up the hem of her apron and use it as a soft egg basket.  When she was chilly she would roll her apron around her arms and when I had tears that needed wiping, it was always the hem of her apron that did the job.  I'm glad to see aprons making a comeback.  I keep two old aprons hanging in the corner of my kitchen.  

 

The little green tin hanging on the far right hook was my Grandma Nan's lunch bucket she took to school every day.  The back side is quite distressed.

This organdy apron would have been worn by a hostess ~ definitely something Lucy Ricardo would have worn over one of her gorgeous dresses!

Of all my aprons this is my favorite.  There is a beautiful  border of Chicken Scratch embroidery above the hem and also on the pocket.  The photo does no justice to this lovely piece of handwork.

Another hostess apron in pink organdy with embroidered flowers.

This darling apron was cut on the bias and has a contoured waistband.  It's really a cutie!

I have a special friend coming early to spend the day, so I'm off to make a pot of coffee and slice a loaf of zucchini bread.  I serve this with soft cream cheese with a small can of drained crushed pineapple stirred in....YUM! 

Until tomorrow I wish you and yours a day of Peace & Plenty!

Hugs, Barb

Monday Morning

Yesterday was one of those deliciously slow early summer days.  We were visited by friends from out of town.  As usual, my friend Jenny threatened to sneak home with my latest quilt!  I love the comfort of old friendships.  It has been said that the road to a friend's home is never long and it's so true with Dave and Jenny. 

My sewing room is a total disaster now.  DH has promised that this evening we will raise up the first cabinet.  I can see where it will take at least a month to get my room functional.  For now I'm without a sewing spot, but there are plenty of hand projects awaiting my needle!

Today I have a tiny quilt to share with you, 8 1/2'x11" ~ the size of a piece of printer paper!  Once again, it's a flying geese pattern made from scraps of 1930's reproduction fabric.  Every once in a while I get the urge to sew something really small.   This hangs on the wall in my sewing room.  I encourage you to try a favorite pattern in miniature for a whole new adventure in quilting!  The old Wonder Bread ruler looks a bit crooked!  By now you have probably noted that photography is not my strong point....

The lightning bugs made their first appearance of the year last night!  I remember catching them in jars and using them as 'flashlights' in our tent in the backyard when I was a child. 

Peace & Plenty...Barb

Day of Rest

This is a church and family day for me....meet you here again tomorrow!

Peace & Blessings to you and yours....Barb

Small Packages

Remember as a child when you would find your Christmas gifts under the tree and begin shaking them to guess what was inside?  I was often reminded by my parents that, "Good things come in small packages."  I believe the same thing is true about quilts.  If you are a quilt maker you understand that the smaller the quilt pieces the more challenging a quilt is to make.

Today I am sharing a relatively small quilt (36"x48") that I use as a wall quilt or table topper.  It was made from a pattern by Jinny Beyer called Snowbirds and it's simply row after row of flying geese in the full color spectrum.  Although this is a fairly modern quilt design it still has a subtle Amish look to me so I hand quilted in dark brown (Amish tradition).  This is one of my favorite quilts.

If you haven't tried making a small quilt yet, it's time to take the plunge!

Wherever you are have a wonderful Saturday!

Peace & Blessings  ~~ Barb ~~

Ode To An Unknown Quilter

The quilt in the photos above is my choice for our bed in the summer.  I like a thinner quilt with lots of white for hot weather.  I wish I could say I made this charming quilt, but I did not.  A closer look at the tiny 3" blocks fills my heart with admiration for the quilter who sat and sewed 6,240 tiny triangles into 390 pinwheel blocks!  The fabrics are small prints and are a mix of blue, brown, pink and burgundy.  No one fabric is exceptionally pretty, but when put together it makes a lovely quilt.  Above and beyond the time spent piecing this quilt, it was then hand quilted!  I don't know if it was quilted by the same person who pieced it, but even so it was a huge project any way you look at it!  THANK YOU sister quilter for your dedication and perseverance!

I'm a better starter than finisher when it comes to making quilts.  This is evidenced by looking at all the UFO's hanging in my closet.  I start a quilt strong, giddy with the joy of planning the pattern and shopping for the fabrics.  I eventually finish my quilts, but often I'm a bit weary of them by the time I sew on the last border strip.  I fall in love with them again once they are quilted and the binding is added!  It's rather like being pregnant  ~~ you are overflowing with excitement and anticipation at the beginning ~~ it gets a bit tedious and tiring toward the end ~~ but the end result is more than worth the time and labor! 

None of us knows the ultimate fate of the quilts we so lovingly create.  Hopefully they will be in the care of someone who will be able to see that more than fabric and thread went into their making.

Wishing you a wonderful day!

~ Peace & Blessings ~

  

WIP's and UFO's

I have always believed I work best when I multi-task.  Recently experts are telling us there is no such thing as multi-tasking and that we should concentrate on doing one thing at a time or risk doing everything slapdash (a quilting term!).  Evidently these experts don't hang around with quilters!

Ask most quilters how many projects they are currently working on and they will offer up a laundry list of quilts in various stages of completion and deadlines.  I admire the discipline of the occasional quilter who buys fabric only for the current project and sees it through to the very last stitch without as much as even thinking about the next project.  My head churns with ideas for quilts most of the time and I admit to working on at least 4 or 5 at any given time.  Quilters call these multiples WIP's - works in progress.  After the WIP's have been hanging around a little too long, or shoved into the back of the closet,  they slide into the UFO (unfinished object) category.  Most quilters have a few UFO's lurking in the shadows whether they admit to them or not.   

Today I'm showing you two of my WIP's that recently morphed into UFO's.  The first is a Wacky Web quilt made with Halloween prints.  I've always wanted a Halloween quilt but never pulled together enough prints to make one until this year.

The next UFO is a Jellyroll Race Quilt made from a Soul Blossom jellyroll.  It's a little on the wild side, but I love bright prints right now.  These prints remind me of my Woodstock days!

UFO's and WIP's are all a part of the beautiful process of making quilts.  Whether you have an army of UFO's or work methodically on one project at a time, it's all good! 

Wishing you Peace and Blessings....Barb

Lazy Day

It's shaping up to be a lazy Spring day.  The birds seem to be having vocal competitions this morning and the rooster is not to be outdone.   I will most likely sew some binding strips together for the quilt that will soon come back from the long-arm quilter.  An hour or so working on the flowers would be a treat I may give myself.

Today I'm sharing an appliqued quilt I made in 1967.  Quilts of this type were sold in dime stores in a kit that included everything you needed to complete the quilt top and binding except for the thread.  The quilting design was stamped on the white background, which made the hand quilting much more enjoyable.  Every quilter should make at least one appliqued quilt and this is my one and only fully appliqued quilt.  Although I love the look of appliqued quilts and respect the amount of time they take to make, I prefer making patchwork quilts. 

I hope all is well in your corner of the world.  Life is good!

Peace & Blessings.....Barb

Seeing Green

As a Baby Boomer I have downsized my home and belongings twice in the last few years.  Logically I think sizing down is a good thing.  Emotionally I'm not totally sold on downsizing, especially when it comes to my two favorite collections of quilts and green dishes.  Since today I will be washing the green dishes, I would like to invite you into my kitchen for a peek at my 'green'.

I began picking up green dishes at yard sales, auctions and flea markets in the 1980's.  It wasn't until I had a shelf full that I learned I was collecting Fire King Jadeite.  By then I was hooked and my quest for the 'green' shifted into high gear.  All was going well and Jadeite was affordable (even cheap) until Martha Stewart began her collection and the price of Jadeite went to the moon and flew off shelves everywhere.  Thanks, Martha!  About five years ago I decided the collection was complete enough.

Jadeite dishes were produced from the 1930's through the early 1970's by several different manufacturers.  They were often free bonuses in packages of flour and oatmeal and were also given away at gas stations and movie theaters.  Basically they were inexpensive and rather plain.  Who would have thought that some day these lovelies would make my Irish heart race!  I think most American kitchens probably have a piece or two of Jadeite in the back corner of a cabinet.  If you are young, you may remember seeing 'green' in your Grandma's kitchen.

Let's hear it for downsizing, but keeping those things that never fail to make you smile.  Wherever you are, I hope you have collected something that makes your heart sing!

I wish you Peace & Plenty...Barb

My Life In Stitches

If you are a quilter, why do you quilt?  What first drew you to quilting and what keeps you making quilts?

My Grammy Rose began quilting out of necessity in the early 1900's to keep her four daughters and herself warm.  She would use old blankets inside her quilts as batting.  Later in life when she was no longer raising her family she began making what she called fancy quilts, quilts made just for enjoyment.  She continued making her fancy quilts until a few months before her passing.

Grammy passed her love of sewing and quilting down to me.  Her daughter Maude (my Nan) was a superb seamstress, but she never took up quilting because quilts reminded her of her childhood when the family struggled.  I must have been next in line because I began learning to sew at the age of four and haven't stopped yet.  Grammy taught me with the patience of a  true saint and I'm deeply grateful to her for giving  me something that would be a source of pleasure and fulfillment for my entire life. 

I make quilts because I love fabric and what better way to surround yourself with beautiful textiles!  I also love that quilts are so useful, beautiful and treasured.   I make quilts because each one is unique and holds special memories.   Quilting makes me have to slow down and concentrate on something other than daily issues.  Quilters have always been drawn together in a special camaraderie...whether it be in a church setting, quilt guild or online forum.  The quilters I know are some of the most creative, caring and kind women and men I've ever met.  If you have a minute, please leave a comment about why you quilt. 

The quilt I'm sharing today is a bit of a mystery to me.  It's been in my collection as far back as I can remember, yet I have no information about this little quilt.  Some of the fabrics have faded almost white.  It's heavy for its size and I can feel cotton seeds under the top.  The back is solid yellow.  This is a quilt I enjoy on the wall, but where we live now we have little wall space so it isn't being used.

Whatever your reason for quilting there's room for all of us in the family of quilters and quilt lovers.

Wherever you are have a quilty day!  Barb

Mother's Day

I wish you all a terrific Mother's Day filled with joy, surprises and blessings!  I'm taking the day off today to see what my Hubby has up his sleeve for me today.  I'll meet you here tomorrow!

Hugs ~ Barb

Back Door Friends Welcome Here!

Every time I watch TV lately I see more commercials for personal and home invasion security systems.  I'm in favor of personal body alarms for those who might require medical help due to age, accidents or health issues.  I do so many wacky things around here I may put one of those on my Wish List for next Christmas! 

We seldom lock our doors and certainly never lock our vehicles when we are out and about.  One of the perks to this is that if the UPS driver has a package for me and I am shopping in a store in town, quite often I will find my package sitting in the passenger seat of my vehicle!  How's that for service above and beyond!  It's a good thing when it's safe to leave a vehicle unlocked.  Finding the occasional unknown senior citizen sitting in my car in a parking lot is an interesting matter.  Usually they think they are sitting in the vehicle that brought them to town.   Before long some frantic family member searching the parking lot and I'm able to present them with their lost loved one.  I've had some delightful conversations with these sweethearts!  One dear lady tried hitting me with her purse because she thought I was kidnapping her!

Some neighbors and friends are what we call Back Door friends.  These are the dear souls you don't mind entering your home even if it means seeing your house at it's worst.  Back door friends are welcome the same as family to make themselves at home.  I chuckle at this, because we don't have a back door due to living in an earth home and both our doors being in the front of our house!  Our friends and family all know that regardless of what side of the house our back door is on,  it is always open to them if they ever need anything.

Today I'm sharing a Double Wedding Ring quilt made by my Grammy Rose in the 1930's.  This quilt is 90 inches square, which seems rather large for quilts made in that era.  The old fabrics are still in very nice condition.  This quilt was hand pieced and hand quilted and has been gently used.  Thank you, Grammy!

Thank you for taking the time to visit....you are welcome here any time as a back door friend!!

Hugs & Stitches, Barb

Neighbors

Lately I've been thinking a lot about my neighbors and how blessed we are to live in our little town.  When I think about the word neighbor it is a verb in my mental dictionary (an action word) - not a noun (the name of a person, place or thing).  I'm sure we've all had our share of 'noun neighbors', the ones who don't speak and dash to and from their home without ever looking in your direction because they don't want to get involved.   I understand the absolute necessity of being cautious in this day and age and being back door neighbors with everyone is not possible or wise.  Also, not all of us have the luxury of living in a small community where everyone knows each other. 

Everyone is on the hospitality committee when you live in a small town....we wave to everyone whether we know them or not.  We also greet everyone in public and stand around in tight groups  at WalMart or the local feed store or dollar shop to hear all about the latest storm, the newest baby, how gardens are growing and what the weather might do next.   It's not that we try to be neighborly and friendly....it's that we don't know how to be any other way!!  Drive through our town some day and see how many smiles and waves you get!

God bless our 'verb neighbors' who stop to help when you have trouble on the road; who plow mountains of snow off your driveway so you can get to the mailbox; who forgive your dog for digging up all their tulips they planted last fall and still give you fresh eggs after the same Scotty dog sent one of their best hens to animal heaven;  who send a pot of homemade chicken soup when they hear you're 'feeling poorly'.  Verb neighbors are there through thick and thin.  I hope you have an abundance of 'verb neighbors' in your life!

The quilt above is a king size Trip Around The World  made with 1" squares.  Although it's one of my favorites now, I thought I was going out of my mind when I was making it with so many seams to match!  This was made in 1990 and hunter green was 'the' color then, but I still love the colors and the prints.  Now there are new techniques that make construction of this design MUCH easier. 

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.  Until next time.....

Hugs and Happy Quilting.....Barb

Purple Haze...Summer Days & Rube

There's something about purple petunias that steal my heart.  First of all petunias were my Mom's favorite flower, but she favored white petunias.  Mom (known to those who loved her as Rube) always played it safe whenever it came to colors.  I've always been considered the 'gaudy' one in the family because of my love of bright and bold colors.  When you love purple and orange together I guess it borders on wild and raises an eyebrow or two.   Being from an ultra-conservative midwestern family this bordered on being a major character flaw! 

Being relatively fearless about color has been an asset to me as a quiltmaker.  By and far my favorite quilts are scrap quilts with every color of the rainbow mixed together.  Rube came to quilting later in life, deciding to take the plunge at the age of 65....and I was her teacher!  We immediately discovered that rotary cutters were not her thing - nor was piecing.  I was beginning to wonder if quilting was going to be a good fit for her when....Eureka!!!  Rube really came into her own when, after very little practice, she could produce consistently beautiful hand stitches.  She was off and running, especially when she discovered cheater panels....nothing could stop her now...go Rube!! 

 I have a lovely hand quilted star tabletopper in shades of green and PURPLE that Rube made me one year for my birthday from one of her beloved cheater panels.  Do I need to say that it's my favorite!!  Although she said she needed to wear sunglasses while she quilted it, in my heart of hearts I think she had a secret passion for purple and orange together!  Rest in peace, Mom, I'm still your gaudy girl!!!

Below is the Lone Star baby quilt I made for my second daughter Suzanne.  It is hand pieced and hand quilted.  The picture doesn't do justice to the pretty colors in the center of the star. 

Thank you for stopping by to visit.  Please leave a comment if you have time.  May all your quilting dreams come true! 

Hugs & Happy Stitching....Barb