Jan 31, 2010

Just Under the Wire!

It has been a crazy month- with being sick, family obligations, and work! Hard to believe that February is just one day away. This month's tag over at Kelly's Charming Girls Quilt Club was to show how we decorate with our quilts. I managed to snap some photos before the camera battery decided to die, and it will be fun to share. Some of the photos are not perfect in quality (thanks, Mr. Battery!) but you'll get the idea.
The tour starts as soon as you enter the foyer of our home. This small primitive quilt hangs on the door of an old barber's cabinet that holds my eclectic Americana collection: folk art people and animals, flea market finds, wire willow tree and the like. I love the oval boxes that sit on the floor, and the quilt will change with the seasons. This particular quilt is one of my favorites!



Sitting under the hall table- the daffy, two legged one with elephant heads/trunks for its legs (yes, elephant heads- you read that right. Loved it for years- now I'd love to replace it! Oh well....) are two more small pieces. One is a Pat Sloan folk arty design and one is a Jo Morton piece. They sit on a stool that is in need of recovering- maybe a quilted one??



Next, as we walk into the living room, my small quilt rack holds some of my other primitive and small pieces:



and I store a few more pieces (including a yellow satin pram quilt that was purchased by my grandmother (in duplicate- she had twin girls) hoping that one day they would be used by her grandchildren. My twin Aunts never married, but I inherited the quilts and used one in my children's carriage and kept one for "show". They are beautiful and show none of the "ravages of time" like the rest of us!


On the mantle along with a larger folk art print framed in barn red and two of my antique pitchers and a willow star is this framed bird I stitched up in wool. The outside border is silk matka and is the exact color of the framed piece it sits with. I love the texture it gave the piece.



On the coffee table is a small Jo Morton piece. The lighting was horrid in this photo- it looks much better in person.



On the door between the living room and our dining room is another Pat Sloan design- Mama's Garden. I still love this piece, and it is one of my sister's favorites!



On the porta-crib in the corner of the living room is a fabulous I-Spy quit made for me as a "granny gift" from one of my best quilting buddies. I was surprised beyond belief, and little Tyler loves all the "pictures".



In the dining room, I have another Jo Morton piece- again a bad photo. It is greens, browns and creams. This one sits on a small oval table that has 2 great shelves for some of my favorite "coffee table" books, and of course my favorite framed photos.



There are other quilts that didn't have a chance to be photographed (poor things), such as the large basket of "grab me up" quilts so we can be warm and cozy on a couch on a chilly evening. And I have another favorite hanging on the foyer landing...my stripy quilt embellished with large flowers on wool. It warms up a large wall, and looks beautiful from the base of the stairs (she says humbly!).

My goal is to have one or more hand made quilts on each of the beds one day. The small guest room's twin bed seems to be the winner so far- it has two smaller ones on the ottoman at it's foot and I have its pink and brown monkey wrench waiting for hand quilting. It will also get my January finish- Baking Day when it is quilted. There won't be a photo of that one until I get a new battery. Hopefully that will be soon. Seeing that my bed and the larger guest room (currently occupied by my daughter who is home for the year researching for her dissertation) are both queen sized- it could be some time before they get one!

Jan 25, 2010

Monday January 25, 2010



Week #2- and I didn't forget, or give up! I do like the idea of sharing simple pleasures once a week. Today's entry, January 25, 2010:

Outside My Window
... dark, bleak, rainy! A storm system blew in today bringing 60* temperatures and tons of driving rain and wind. If this was snow.....well, thankfully its not!

I am thinking
...how warm and cosy a home is...not just a house, but a home. Favorite things lying around, your dog happily greeting you at the front door, warm smells from the kitchen, your family safe and sound. A home is a wonderful thing. My heart goes out to those who do not have this.

I am thankful for
...family and good friends. Enough said.

I am wearing
...sweat pants, a mock turtle neck and not so much of a jammie top that it can't pass for a waffle shirt! Comfortable and just warm enough.

I am creating...a bit of this and a bit of that

I am going...merrily along my way..just happy in the small blessings.

I am reading...The Shack by William P. Young- still.

I am hoping
...To finish my first quilt top of 2010 by the end of the month

I am hearing
...chatter between the daughter and the husband....the evening news from the living room.

Around the house
...all is back to normal. Christmas was officially retired in total on Sunday

One of my favorite things
...a hot cup of coffee and some quiet thoughts.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week
:
*take mother to her doctor appointment
*attend my Jo Morton Club meeting tomorrow evening. The new issue begins and I am excited about that
*spend Wednesday and Thursday being "just nana"
*stop by the scrapbooking shop for club issue on Thursday evening
*enjoy an evening out with friends and co-workers Friday night

Here is picture thought I am sharing
...



(remembering the joy of urban gardening, and looking forward to doing it again this year)

Jan 18, 2010

Simple Thoughts on a January Monday Morn


This morning while catching up with some of the blogs I read on a regular basis, I came across mention of The Simple Woman's Daybook. The idea behind it is to simply record a snippet of your life once a week- Monday being the chosen day as one would outline a few thoughts and plans for the upcoming week. I found it an interesting concept and something I think I would like to do. It would be a way to capture a few moments of personal history over the course of the next year. Thoughts, feelings, plans, gratitudes- little random bits of "me".

If you are curious you can visit the blog that got me thinking here:
http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com


Let my weekly journey begin:

FOR TODAY - January 18, 2010


Outside My Window... it is a wintry wonderland. It snowed, rained and snowed some more over night. Outside is more like a January thaw than a snowstorm. Warm(ish), white and gloppy! But- it still makes everything look cleaner and prettier than it was yesterday.

I am thinking...I would like to feel better. It has been days since I've felt up to par. It is the first real "illness" of the season, but it has caused me to feel unproductive, tired, and less than enthusiastic about things. I also miss time with my "little man". Don't want to infect him, so this Nana stays home.

I am thankful for
...Kleenex, saline solution, apple juice and warm coffee.Family members who are concerned and empathetic.

From the kitchen...Oatmeal with a large handful of blueberries. Warm, soothing. Simple.

I am wearing...jammies; they are clean and new--and have silly polar bears all over. At least they make me smile! I will shower soon and throw on comfy clothes.

I am creating...a dent in the bed's mattress. I don't normally allow myself the luxury of napping at will, but that is all I seem to want to do. When awake and with half a wit about me, I am slowly adding borders on a utility quilt. It looks warm and inviting in its deep colors. I will hand quilt it. I will curl up under it one day and be happy.

I am going...to stay in today! One more day of rest and recuperation. Tomorrow I will head back to work.

I am reading...The Shack by William P. Young

I am hoping...to see the grand baby later this week. I miss his sweet little face, his laughter and his smiles for his Nana. I heard him screeching on the phone last evening when his mommy called to check up on me. He has found his "loud" voice and it makes him happy-- silly little baby!

I am hearing...the sounds of neighbors shoveling; melting snow- dripping, dripping, dripping on the back roof...slightly hypnotic.

Around the house
...Christmas is still evident. I would like to find the energy to start putting it away- it is mid January after all. Perhaps this upcoming weekend. One more week of holiday trimmings can't be all bad.

One of my favorite things
...knowing that there are no plans for the day. Just relax, recoup. Ready myself for the rest of the week. It is time to return to the land of the living.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week
:
*organize for work tomorrow
*have dinner with friends on Wednesday evening. It is our long overdue holiday get together. It will be nice to see them.
*spend Wednesday and Thursday with the "Little Man"
*spend a day at the shop with my very favorite co-worker
*get in a bit of sewing, reading and actually cook a real dinner.

Here is picture thought I am sharing
...

Jan 14, 2010

URGH.....

Sick, Sick, Sick! I should be sleeping, but I can't put my head to the pillow with out feeling like my brains are going to fall out- so I thought I'd share my latest little obcession. In November '09 our shop's order contained one copy of the book The Farmer's Wife as well as a couple copies of Teach Yourself Blocks from the Past. Both books feature 6.5" blocks and work well as companions to each other. I was so inspired by this that I proposed to run a club at the shop where others who share my passion for this kind of "historical" quilting could come and spend time working on blocks together. Isn't that what quilting is all about- learning, sharing, friendship?
I am totally hooked on these little blocks and just wanted to share what is finding their way onto my design wall!! What do you think?



After a nap, I think I may put a few more sashings on my charming project of the month (Baking Day by Lynda Hall) so that it can come off the guest bed, ready for hand quilting. I'd at least like to offer one semi-finish for this month. I think I commited to just finishing the top. Then I can work on those ladder blocks and check off another UFO from way too long ago.

Jan 5, 2010

I Resolve Not To...

make any resolutions!
It has always been my January tradition....
I resolve to ...
*re-start the diet
*re-start the exercise
*re-start the organizing
*re-start (_______________) fill in the blank.

This year, this new decade, this January 2010....
I resolve to not make any resolutions...well, maybe just one-
I resolve to finally understand that no matter what I do, I am my own worst enemy.
So I will just chug along, trying not to over extend myself.....
I will do what I can -one thing at a time.
I will be honest with myself about my ability to do everything I want to do, then do nothing because I have paralized myself. I will not beat myself up. What good is a hobby passion if all it does is make you sad that you don't do enough of it??

So I will just do what I can do. That being said, I will make one commitment for January's Charming Girls Club. I will finish putting together the top for Baking Day. Hopefully, I will brave the frozen tundra of the attic to find some fabrics to add to the shorted fabric amounts the (long ago) ordered BOM contained. IF I can do that in the next few days, I might even begin to hand quilt this one!
I get side tracked easily when I hit a glitch. But I love this top- tons! So I will brave the tundra and find some additional fabric. Isn't that why we love scrap quilts?!
Happy 2010!
Karen
Related Posts with Thumbnails