Life and En Provence

Life ...

Is that chocolate milk with hotdogs for lunch?

... as a Quilter

I've made a few changes along the way with my Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt, "En Provence" .

~~~Parting Shot~~~

After the Rain

Children, En Provence, and Daddy's Ties

Games and storybooks kept Georgi, Talya, and Delta entertained while their parents were out for the evening.

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I finished up clue #2 of Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt "En Provence."

I had fun trying different arrangements with the units.

And now I have started working on clue #3. I'm a bit leery about the light purples being too dark; but I'm tired of second guessing myself and decided to just go for it...

...and use my original pallet of fabrics.

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The quilt I'm making for 'Pea Picker' of his "Daddy's Ties" is in the quilting stage now. Here I have matched up 'frames' for the smaller rectangles.

This is the finished top that is ready for quilting. I like the luminosity that the silk ties provide.

'Pea Picker' brought some of his daddy's shirts to me and I thought to use them for the back of the quilt. After I got it all pieced I decided that it just didn't go with the classy silk front. So I found a better suited backer. This back would be great for a more casual top.

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Good morning -- through the kitchen window.

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Ashton had Darren over to play on Saturday morning. After having fun around the muddy pond out in the cold, they were glad for the laundry tub and warm water.

The Pond and a Lost Quilt

Life ...

I got to keep Joel & Sheila's children for a day and a night. While Georgi was in school Talya and Delta used the high chair as a desk to color.

I have enjoyed our pond out in front of the house so much. We get a little wildlife and then the morning sunrises are magnified by the reflection of the sky in the water.

The pond has been leaking for some time now; and finally we are getting it fixed. Yesterday they cut a hole in the dike to drain the water.

Itlooks different from over here on the levy.

With the water draining out there were thousands of small fish locked into puddles of water.

... as a Quilter

Yaaay. The lost is found. Paul brought in my "Ugliest" quilt the other day. He said he found it in the farm Pete.

Life

Life ...

I enjoy the pond out in front of the house so much.

Paul needed to move the combine, so he ...

unhooks the header onto the trailer and ...

... away he goes. I was glad that I didn't have to pull the header this time.

Our farm helper, Bronson has been loading and hauling cotton bales for many days now.

One day I looked after some of our grandchildren. They sneaked a bowl of party mix out to the playground equipment.

 

Life and a Quilt for Delta Joy

Life ...

I love to hear the singing of children playing church.

This is one reason among many that I don't enjoy gardening! But I am going to look forward to some pretty dragon-wing begonias in a few weeks.

Whenever the rain stops and the land dries up, the men are kept busy in the fields.

... as a Quilter

I finally finished a quilt for Delta Joy. I had this "rail fence" top finished for a couple years and it was only just recently that I decided it would make a nice grandchild's quilt.

So I pieced her name in big letters and framed it with borders and strips to make a back for her quilt. Now it's reversible.

Delta's momma hung it across the balcony railing and Delta couldn't get up there fast enough to get it down. She was claiming the quilt for her own!

I am thankful for a handyman of a husband. My little featherweight quit sewing and I couldn't figure out why. When I packed it up I found a tiny little screw on the table so I picked it up for safe keeping. When Paul had time, he looked at the machine and found the problem and sure enough he needed that little screw to make it sew again.

Poppy Quilt

Life ...

I had the pleasure of keeping these little 'grand' folks for a day while their momma's did other things.

... as a Quilter

I finished my "Poppy" quilt this morning.

Detail

 The back.

Label

Poppy

Dimensions: 13.5" width X 13.0" height

Techniques / Materials: fused commercial cotton patches onto cotton fabric, fused poppy onto heavily quilted background, finished with piping, binding, label, and hanging sleeve, embellished with glass beads

Thanksgiving Day Activities

We invited in quite a few folks for our Thanksgiving Day lunch. Some of our guests were:

Paul's folks

Silvan & Kimberly from Virginia

Russ & Loretta and family

Amy & Ashton

Craig, Angie, Tina, & Josiah

It was warm enough for outdoor games so Ashton, Kirby, and Stacy made roads and hauled mulch.

Back inside, Georgi looks at the pictures and makes up her stories and "reads" out loud to Tina and Talya.

The young and young at heart nibbled on the gingerbread house.

I took these four silly grands on a 4-wheeler ride to take sunset pictures.

And then Craig decided it's time to make taffy.

What does it matter if the kitchen floor gets sticky? Pulling it is part of the fun