July 5, 2014

Keep Calm and Hike On!

This is where I want to be today........
                                             But I will be here.......staining..........:)
                                             God Is Good........All The Time........
                                             Seen or Unseen, He Will Not Forsake.
                                             Have a Sweet Quilted Day.......Karen

July 4, 2014

Summer Bliss

Recently our son and his family came for a visit. Due to his experiences since last Sept. with his kidney issues, it had kept him from traveling.  Now he is waiting on a transplant and is having success with dialysis at home with a 10 hour over night cycler.  That gives him some freedom and added strength in his daily walk.
 I had wanted to longarm with his girls for a long time, this was a great chance since we plan to auction the cabin when we can and it may also have been their last opportunity.  We need to find something easier to maintain and that may even give us the freedom to retire and then "work" on that end of our lifes' journey.  So, the girls got to swim and quilt and swim and quilt and also cut grass with Papa on the mower.  They have no idea of our plans but they will have this great memory with us here.  We caught fireflies one night and went for a walk around the pond.  They gathered eggs everyday with Papa too and even got to help move the chicken house so our sweet breakfast of champions egg layers would have new grass to eat.
We have a White Goose, I call her Mother Goose, that the Canadian geese have adopted and she even even came to visit.  We stayed home mainly to just enjoy each others' company and to let the girls play and relax....along with their Mommy and Daddy.  Daddy enjoyed the World Cup immensely and his wife got caught up on a few friends and book reading.  My hub?...he had to work his ER nursing night schedule but he was home one day too.
  Busy few days.  Loved it.  As you  Enjoy the pictures, add your own voices.....they even made a quilt for their best little friends who are moving to Cleveland soon....we did the straight line organic stitch on the small quilts....just a cut layer of fabric for top and bottom....The girls thought the stitching was the "cats' meow!!" I have precious memories and statements that tug at my heart, since we know we are selling and moving.....Dobbie, this cabin is beautiful, you love it,right?.....yes, I do!!!.... Papa is so good building, he can build anything,right?.....yes, yes yes!! he can!!!.....Dobbie, this is so beautiful!!!.....as we were catching fireflies in jars at dusk!!.....Dobbie, when I grow up I am going to Quilt and be a Mommy and live right here!!!........OOOOH!!! my heart surged!!!!.... Dobbie, I love to quilt.....my heart pounding!!!
.... Papa let them mow on his lap and I heard their giggles and excited faces as their steered it too.....they swam and played for hours on perfect Summer days.  We even had a tornado hit in 2 places in Plymouth, no one was hurt....and Kevin had just got on his dialysis cycler....our electric flashed.....we prayed about the storm....and we were protected.....his dialysis continued and his wife took the girls to the basement but it passed so quickly.....some excitement, not ordered, at 1am!!....   Please enjoy the photos....just a few of them, trust this photo bug Dobbie!!











We have a large treasure box of memories stored up from this cabin with the family.....we will hold them dear, as I pray they all do too.....Enjoy the pictures.....my projects of 2 teen Grandgals quilts also done in the organic stitch......it is so so fun.....just ask Cora and Millie!! God Bless !!!

June 28, 2014

Wish Upon A Star

I did it! I purchased this pattern on Etsy....I am in Heaven...I guess I should be since the top is named after the Stars!!.
....I cleaned house today...and stained other days, finished Maddies Ride On Quilt with binding yesterday,,, it is suppose to rain soon and tomorrow...so!!...I am thinking of getting started on this quilt top tonight.....I know I posted it before but I did not buy the pattern until today. You can go to Sweet Jane and find all her quilt patterns...very sweet and individually designed....she is also on Pinterest......enjoy this wonderfully good summer weather!!...winter was just way toooo long!!
Quilted Blessings!!

June 25, 2014

Risk? Nested

Nested Church Dash
We all hear about a risk taker...I have been staying away from posting my actual quilt pictures....I am being honest....I have a new camera and I do need to figure out my photo shop.....so here is my latest work....My Nested

Maddies Ride On

Organic LInes

Long and Hard Winter of 2014

Churn Dash is a bit crooked.....I did two...so i think I will try the paper piecing and see what happens this time.  I have started to longarm Maddies Quilt....it is just straight lines at different widths...I do like it on some quilts and especially teens....it is relaxing too....just walk back and forth....so! this is what I am doing....SMILE!! you are ON.. Candid Camera.....wow! where did that come from!!!....Have a risk taking day....Blessings!!!!  Thanks for stopping by too.....
One bobbin down and I suppose 7 to go.....
Staining....and Staining....not finished :0)
OH, the cabin?....it is my life....haha...to stain it.....so
I am changing the Dormers to the Green....in process
and then the logs?....yes, I am doing what I can reach....
It is all good..........Just wanted to share.....Quilted Hugs!!

Nested

Working on the Nested Churn Dash, I discovered again how weak I am at making Half Square Triangles.  I found the greatest tutorial for squaring the HST up also at Diary Of A Quilter. She is a great young lady that can make things more simple for us all!! So, try her technique and tell us what you think.  The photo below is from Quilt Jane and I bought her pattern on Craftsy; a wonderful online source for patterns, classes, etc!!

I did wake up early this morning and want to get down to my Suziebell and start quilting my Ride On Quilt for a sweet Grandgal, Maddie ,who is 15 going on 16 and needs a New Quilt to spruce up her room and also show she is "growing up".....it happens!!!.....anyways, yesterday I did work on the Churn block and had to make two to make one.....that is a Quilters' Math at times.....it happens!!!.....I did use different colors than the one shown, but the one here is just perfect!!.....so please check out the  great tutorial mentioned previously.
You won't regret it!!.......

 I also found a paper piecing pattern that is on Bing...it is 95% scale, so I am not sure what size you would have as in block size...but it would help with the points and piecing laying straight...I am going to try it later too..... If you have not done paper piecing try going to You Tube and there are several videos there.....you can check my archives too.....

The weather is NON rainy and cooler today and tomorrow so I do have to keep Staining on our Cabin but a Quilter has to do what she has to do!!!....it happens!!!.....Keep Calm and Quilt On!!  Blessings!!!

June 18, 2014

A Quilted Life

I must thank Lori Holt for her wonderful pattern of mini quilts
of CUT, SEW, PRESS, QUILT....so much fun!  When they are completely quilted they are heading to my Longarming Walls!!....no my walls don't really have long arms.  The English language is a bit funny at times.
  I just ran across a blog with a video on it Thank You From Granny.  It shows a sweet older saint who, I assume, has now gone to her Lord and her love of being able to learn to Quilt.
Be sure to scroll down the page to find Grannys' Sweet face.

 I express my Thank you to my sweet best friend who taught me how to Hospice Nurse and then connected me to Quilting.  We went to lessons after work 60 miles away. What fun we had and then, later,  we set up a small Quilt Shop in a Summer Kitchen on my small farm.  Not soon after, though, we sold the farm and moved to a town where my hub could finish his BS in Nursing.
 All too soon, God called Linda home.....after breast cancer....but Oh, how she taught me to live and love and embrace life....and to give your life as a gift to serve others.
 I imagine you all have that special connection that started you into your Quilted Journey.  God keeps giving me new folks and the love of Quilting just increases.  What a joy!!  Quilt on!!  Quilted Blessings!! 
Hope you enjoy Granny!!......Karen

May 30, 2014

Not Forgotten!!

I imagine you thought I got lost or stolen....haha.....I did find myself again too....seriously...I have been so busy with the Aviatrix Medallion Quilt "ahead" that I did that-- I just let the blog "slip" a little.  I call my quilt Avy....I will post a picture as soon as I get it placed on my red loft wall....My Moms' name was Avy and the colors ended up reminding me of her and a Crayola Coloring Box....very bright.....I ended up quilting it with organic straight lines across....20 bobbins....yep....but worth the time and trouble...
  Anyways, I also have two Grandgals Quilts in the "make".....one is Bike On found in Fons and Porters magazine....it was a no brainer, very adorable wheels!!....but I did lay the "city" blocks the wrong way when I cut them out, so when I layed it out the city was sideways....so I had to cut and piece all of them together again....I ended up with a couple 2 inch pieces left...and when it is quilted I don't think it will matter or show much......then, for the other Grandgal the same age, 15,  I finally found the perfect style for my artsy/musical gal....the Urban Bead found at Sew Kind of Wonderful....I found the Muscial Serenade bundle on Etsy for that....I think, again the perfect "fit"...you know us addicted and seriously funny Quilters!!..
  So, long story, huh?....if you are still here....seriously! I understand....reading a gabbers' blog is not always easy!!!......I found a great Dresden flower pot wall hanging....I am thinking of doing it in pinks and girly colors for my 2 little Grandgals in Bloomington....now they need a "Bloom Where You are Planted" Pot for their wall, don't you think?.....
.Please enjoy! and Thanks for your patience....I am just a bit technically challenged....(don't laugh my closest techy Iowa friend!).....and I will figure out how to download my new camera pics onto photobucket too!!....
  You know I am much more close to my fabric and threads.....and, if truth be known, just a procrastinator with techy things......
Please have a very good Quilted sort of day!!....I hope you enjoy "good" fabric as much as I do and great ideas for that fab!!
  Quilt till you remember to eat is my Motto....and other "things".......Blessings!!!   Karen

PS I NEED HER IRON!!!!  Do You?