Snuggy's and good times.....

We are with the grands... and made them all snuggy fleece blankets. They were a hit as you can imagine. We made cookies today...hope to frost and put sprinkles on later tonight. I am enjoying the games...... we have played more board games... and laughed so much. Always fun times. Hope you all are keeping warm. I was so happy when I finished my very last quilt for a customer two days before we left to come to Kansas. And the College "ball wars" are going well. Oklahoma State is at the top of the tree as we speak. We 'll have to see who is the winner on Christmas morning. More good times.

Lost but found... How we spent our Thanksgiving vacation.....

I thought I had lost my digital camera...but lo and behold....this AM as I tried to do a quick clean between quilts...there it was under some trimmed batting. Maybe that is where my other lost things can be found???? May need to do a deep clean as soon as I finish up my Christmas rush. Almost caught up with that .Thanksgiving was a quick trip up to Tennessee for time with DD and the Wee One. He kept Grandbob and Honey busy, and of course we had to peruse every sale ad to see if we had to venture out in the wee hours of the morning. DD and I didn't get up until 6...then we went to a few places but not any place that was terribly crazy. I splurged on some new rubber mats for beneath my machine. They are so great on the feet. The very vintage quilt and the wonderful young vet student holding it...is such a wonderful story...I felt I had to share. Her very dearest friend' mother passed away when she was quite young...and she is having difficulty adjusting to her father's new person in his life. So this darling girl bought a vintage quilt, and had me quilt it for her, then she has added photos of her friend with her mother in theplain blocks. Hoping that this will assist her friend with her grief. I acutally cried when she told me the story. What a thoughtful friend Jenny is. I wish I had a photo of the "After" the photos had been added. But I am certain it will be cherished. I have been busy, since just before Thanksgiving, finished a Christmas table topper for my sister, and a Bargello for my friend. Then I put on this UFO.... for the third time.... to finally finish up the white sections. It seemed that every time I put in on my machine, I would get several quilts that needed to be done right away. So it would come back off.I wanted to try something new.

But the nice thing is that I can see some improvement on my quilting. The white sections...are just a practice of a non marked ...meandering kind of formal feathering. I really enjoyed doing it.... very freeing. I also did a few more customer quilts...love this Block of the month that I had the pleasure of doing. I also did two sweet little ones... that I feel like i had to share.

the last little one is a donation quilt for the Sheriff's dept. We provide them to ride along in the Sheriff's cars, so that if a child needs something for comfort, they can wrap up in something. I loved the Moda fabric my friend used. I wish you could see the quilting.... it is a swirl vine.... then feather bumps in the border.

Finally two finishes....

I just finished....sort of ...piecing my x block quilt.... woo hoo! And I did finish a Thanksgiving topper.... but have already given it away...and forgot to take a photo. Maybe the girl I gave it to ...can send me a photo.

Here is the x block quilt. I am hoping to get it quilted before Christmas. We'll see.

Computer woes....and the x block.....

This is my latest project in progress, I only have to get it quilted. It is called the x block. I really liked doing this one. No idea where it will go...but it used all scraps except for the blacks which I did purchase. I am so glad with the scrappiness of it. I have been stuck into quilting more than piecing...trying to get finished with my promised Christmas quilts. I am experiencing computer difficulties...so this post is quick.

Special thanks to all our Veterans...

Just a quick aside. How thankful and appreciative I am of all the Veterans, current and past and their families who share in the service of our Country. We are so fortunate that they are prepared to serve for us. It isn't easy for the Veteran or their families with seperations and training, but I am so thankful they do it with honor and dignity. Thank you to each of them. About this time a few

years ago...myself and some Rotary Anns ( The ladies Auxiliary for Rotary) hosted some local elderly folks for a tea. The funny part was that some of the Rotary Ann volunteers were older than those being hosted for the tea. Such a lovely group of ladies..... I still think of them often. These are a few photos of the tea held in the Rotary Hall. These lovely little children dressed in their Indian costumes danced for part of the entertainment. They were well received as you can imagine.

Then these darling little school children who accompanied their teachers on pay day to the grocery store. They loved getting their picture taken.

The Noxubee refuge...latest works in Progess...

This is the Noxubee refuge.... the Professor and I drove down to see the changes fall brings down there. It is such a tranquil place... sad to see the pretty trees almost bare but the place on the water was nice. And we just enjoyed a bag of peanuts and sitting in the sunshine. I loved being able to walk out over the water and Then back to the quilting machine and my latest customer quilts

, this pretty pink one, coming along nicely. and My friend Barbara did this wonderful baby quilt for her new grandson. Love it!

This Ohio State

quilt was made by a neighbor, Norma for her grandson who loves those Buckeyes. Another great quilt.

Another wonderful quilt made by my friend Gloria, it was so peaceful to work on this with the wonderfully soft colors. Reminds me of Robyn Pandolph colorations. Here it is finished up. I am on another one at the moment...with a music theme. I am so "chuffed" as they say in South Africa...to get to work on these wonderful quilts. All so different and the best part is I don't have to piece them! Happy sewing .

Misplaced camera..... and exciting news.....

Somewhere in all this past week.... I have misplaced my camera. So can only add what is already on the computer. First off, what is wrong with this picture...dont' you always tell the old price if it was more???? I won this wonderful little panel and other fall goodies from Ellen's blog.... what a fun thing. Loved the little bag....and the goodies inside. I have used it every time I go to a quilt demo..... so it has come in handy so much. Look at this wonderful quilt made by Polly Yoder of Deleware.... and I believe it hung in Paducah. She and her two other sisters did a trunk show at our Mississippi Quilt Association's Fall gathering . The Wee One and his family sent us this wonderful photo.....notice the EPT test in the foreground. I missed it to the first time ........ So we are going to be blessed with grandchild number 7. Always good news! Hope you all have a great next couple of days. I have quilt guild in the morning...then the DJ club meets Tuesday. Can't wait.

More Houston quilt show photos, customer quilts and guild show and tell, The professor and his shoes....

As I sat on the deck with the Professor this evening.... eating our freshly grilled hamburgers.... I heard him exclaim.... oh man, my shoes don't match.... He had inadvertenly put one brown flip flop...with a mismatched flip flop. I wanted to take a photo....but he was way too embarrassed... so I decided to blog about it anyway. He is getting his doctorate...but can't always match his clothes!Shame! In fact one of our younger grandsons...insists on wearing his little crocs on the opposite feet. Now I dont' think I will wonder just where that come from! The same feet visible in the summer picture above from our last family get together.

I have finished several customer quilts.... and felt I had to share, this one is made with Karen Combs fabric, shade casdade.... very pretty, and I told my friend Katy, who made it as a wedding gift for her niece, sure wish I was her niece! It was a huge king sized quilt....what a great gift. This next one was made by my friend Linda who made it for her

grandaughter, it was so cute...a turning twenty again pattern I think. This lovely rose quilt was made by another friend Marilyn, for herself, lucky girl. It is a pattern from Deloa Jones Scraps Organized Book...wonderful book from what I have seen of it. I didn't quilt the next couple, but this lovely dresden plate was made by my friend Nancy, and quilted by her as well. Then this adorable Paper Doll, was made by my friend, Luanne, what a dear little quilt. The incoming president of our guild, made this great Mississippi State T shirt Quilt for the new football coach, Dan Mullins.... it turned out great. I do love show and tell at Quilt guild. It always inspires me to get to work. Had to share this cute Apron from the Michael Miller schoolhouse....

love those colors. Then lastly.... as we are getting prepared to go watch Florida play at MSU's game in just a bit....will finish off with another color ways of Eleanor Burns Night and Day, that she shared with us during that schoolhouse class at the Houston quilt show. Have a great weekend. I am working on my latest class quilt.... the x block...it is addictive!!!

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Houston quilt show..... Sample Spree and more

Ok, I still haven't quite recovered from Houston...and The Professor isn't feeling well....but I have to share a few photos. Haven't checked out the Houston Quilt show winners...but did find out that this one won best of show....Wow was it a stunner. I wish it was in focus more.... I messed up about half of my pictures...not sure .... why or

how....but this was done... with thread painting by Caryl Breyer Fallert. I took the very poor photo...and someone else took the other...to post on the APQS board and sent it to me in an email. It shows the amazing detail of her quilting. It really was wonderful. My favorite, may have been this wonderful Black and white applique, which was really painted.... it is by Judy Coates Perez. I thought it was absolutely gorgeous. I don't know if it was a winner or not...but it was in my book. The quilting so inspired me..that I am about to embark on a Jacobean customer quilt...and may try to do a few extra things in there. It was so awesome seeing some of these up close. But I did forget to say that I got to attend Sample Spree.... and man was that a fun experience. The ladies started lining up at 4 PM, it seemed like more than a thousand..but maybe high hundreds.... although it didn't begin until 8PM....the vendors inside were setting up their booths with wonderful goodies to sell. This was the ART Gallery Fabrics booth.... and


my talented DIL worked for them during the Market. Aren't those little bags, filled with everything necessary to make a project, adorable??? NOw the ladies from the line up, were kind of like the "Brides" trying to get into the GOWN sale...... that we have all seen on tv.....they burst through the doors when they opened....looking for those bargains. Some of these ladies were much nicer than others.....but all in all...don't think anyone was seriously infured...no biting, kicking or tackling other quilt ladies to the ground. And it seemed like a pretty fun time to me.

Houston quilt show, my new BFF's.......

Well...... I arrived home in the wee hours of the morning.... from Houston Quilt Market. What can I say. Amazing...... IT was totally different than Quilt festival. I think I took about 1200 photos.... the Quilt show had some amazing things in it.....loved the ones from JApan. I think it officially opens tomorrow...so don't think I better post any of my photos from the show...but .....the MARKET was even better! I had never before seen the preview of new lines....patterns.... etc. Although I am technically challenged. I decided the Professor should give me EQ6 for christmas and purchased it there. Can't wait to begin to explore the possibilities. Now I treated my self to a few books...and patterns. But the highlight...was rubbing elbows with many of the quilt world wonders. Since the market was venders and wholesalers, it wasn't crowded the way Quilt festival is...and you could see everyone there selling their latest things. Eleanor Burns sold out of her Night and day pattern...which is the gorgous black and white quilt I started with. As I I was walking through the actual quilt show... there is Marianne Fons walking through also. She was approached by someone way bolder than myself...and she turned and told the lady, "I know I look like the lady at your bank, I 'm Marianne Fons". I laughed and thought...well I recognised you just fine! Then My New BFF AMy Butler...was standing wearing some of her beautiful fabric in the Amy Butler booth..... I saw Kaffe Fassett as I got off the elevator in the hotel........ as the Moda banquet was about to begin. My other BFF Eleanor Burns...was standing in the line at the Starbucks coffee line, Ricky Tims was helping in a booth, Pat Sloan having a cuppa in the lounge area, I so tried to be nonchalant about it all...but at least a few of my quilting buddies got calls from me, with a .... "YOU won't believe who I just went into the restroom with???" I managed to take mini classes from Eleanor Burns, Pat Sloan, Harriet HArgrove, Penny Harin..... and saw some very cool schoolhouse classes about EQ 6...which is why I bought it, and the latest fabric lines from Art Gallery Fabrics. Michael Miller, Amy Butler, Helen Stubbings from Australia, Priscilla Bianchi from Guatemala, Sally Schneider, wonderful scrappy quilter and more fabric designers. I had so much fun with the quiltwoman.com girls, I even got to go to dinner with them.....they know how to have a good time!It was a dance contest at Joe's Crabshack.... good food and great fun! At one point the waiter was dancing on the table....but that photo is pretty out of focus...you can still tell we were having fun. There is an amazing part of the quilt show...about Chinese indigo dying..... I will share a photo from that.... it was gorgeous.