Winter Quilts

The red and green one was done for Christmas '05.

This blue snow flake is my own design inspired by a greeting card by Diane Phalen. Finished for '06 Holiday

This WinterQuilt, we will hold a drawing for the family members that show up for our BIG family Christmas next weekend!!! It has show stopping knife point triangles... the tapestry print in the center is hand quilted in snow drifts with red piping around the edges...... If I ever get back into show quilts, this will be a blue ribbon. ~~~~K

the Big 50

We had a great Thanksgiving here with 10 that came down for a feast.

Once that was done we Partied !! Sisters and sons were here...... we played in the pool..shopped.. ate cake.... margaritas..... made lots of noise... lots of stories... few pics.... and wonderfull giftys. The weekend went too fast.


since then its more shopping ! wrapping! hand quilting a special one.. hassling thru an Ice storm with bunches of trees down.

For the record 2007 had 42 Good Deed quilts delivered to the Linus org. And another 40 were sewn for funds and fun......... my machine is running good !!!

January will be back to sewing routine and more Good Deeds.. the closet is still full of fabric !....... hohoho ~~~K

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving !!!

Here is the start of our goodies. along with a box of groc in the garage. No one will leave hungry.

Along with Thanksgiving is my Bday and Anniv ! I have sent out
many many invites and will end up with 12 at the table.

The sisters and I will get out the china.... eat cake..... get loud..... maybe even shop. I see Kohls is opening at FOUR AM !!! crazy. Tempted to go there just to see how many showed up... makes me NUTZ too !

We covered the miles this fall.. with a trip up the river to Linda's then on up to Chicago for Kayla's bday end of Oct. First week of Nov sent us across to KC and fight to Vegas !! We celebrated there with the Circus Soleil show Mystere`

The show was great... the streets of Vegas crazy with people.. we didn't gamble much so didn't bring any home either.

It was a nice drive viewing the leaves across the many miles. Wonderful color. I came home and stitched up Two tops using fall colors.

I have sewn non stop Oct thru Dec on family and client items. Jan will be NON stop on Good Deeds !!! I have several tops on hangers in the closet. and several Ideas set aside in a box.

Gobblegobble savor Your Thanksgiving ~~~~~~~ K

Divas new game is snuffling around the bed till she is UNDER the quilt !!

heres the bug in a rug::

Quilts done in Okla

here are the quilts that were stitched while in Okla.

This brings the total to 42 good deeds DONE. They will go to the KC Linus soon.

Where Oh where did my lil dog go???

Lost::Diva Darlin Side:
Front

POUTIN ! This isnt the "DO" I asked for !

LOLL after a day at the spa.... she sounds the same.. but Looks like a Chi'wowA................... ~~

change in the air

Its September, In Iowa this would be the start of FAll.

Here in Mo I still have the pool up, still picking tomatoes, still mowing the yard, but definitely cooler than it was in Okla.

We came home to a bunch of chores and tasks to get ready for the coming change of seasons. I bid the pretty morning glorys good bye as I tore down the trellis of beans and cukes. Tim dug the carrots and onions up, harvesting 2 baskets full ! We will do a pot roast and all the goodies tomorrow and an end of season vegetable soup on wed. I still have peppers and a few tomatoes that are producing.

While in Okla we had a great weekend with Tim's brother Don and Pam.
We spent many hours in the pool and lounge there. And I sewed non stop
the rest of the time. All the good deed fabric I packed with me made 3 Linus tops in bright colors. When that was used up I hit the local quilt shop for new colors and stitched up 3 more tops, 6 tops in 3 weeks !

This past week time was spent basting, quilting, hemming 3 for gifts. Now that that's off my mind, next week is a bit of 'clean the house' ... and then quilt a couple good deed tops, plus a few trips to the chiroDr and a few hours hand quilting . Its good to be home. ~K

its AUGUST already !

wow summer has flown by.....

We had a good time the month of June in Okla. While there, we visited family across the line in Texas. We missed flooding in Gainsville Tx by few hours coming home. We also visited Nancy in Kansas and missed the flooding there by a few hours.

July, I made Two trips north.. Jake bought a big ol' house. Aaron had a bday turning 20! We celebrated both!

I found I had pretty good motion in the water for my back.. so bought a blue jelly bean pool to play in.... That has been a very nice summer treat.

Our garden is providing many tomatoes, beans, cukes, eggplants, and various peppers for meals. I haven't canned much, but we sure have ate well ! Diva picks her own goodies from the garden and munches in the shade while we swim.

For the Good Deeds, I was finally home long enough to place and receive an order for 35 yards bulk batting. I have basted several tops already. I have 4 quilts done to take to Shells in KC on Sat. This brings the total to 39 quilts finished !

We are on the road again>>>>>>>>>>> back in Sept !!!

June quilts

I have several tops waiting for batting. These were started by Nancy with some blocks out of her box. Thanks Nancy! Also waiting are 7 cheater panel tops.

This pic shows 4 finished quilts. There are 2 of the red Chinese coin quilts done.

This makes 5 more finished quilts on their way to Linus.

We will be spending the month of June away at school for Tim. I have my machine and projects with me. We'll see how much gets done.

Mean while the garden still grows ! ~~~~~~~K

Long weekend

hihi,
We have a long weekend here Tim took a day off to go to the Airshow and a picnic tomorrow.

I have spent the week sorting thru all the many boxes of fabric. I now have three large, carefully folded boxes. I sorted them into colors, backings, and Hot idea/coordinated bundles. I filled a hanger with six cheater cloth panels and backsides. quickies! I also pieced two tops this week. ALL these tops are waiting for batting. I'll have to order a new bulk roll soon !

I quilted with the walking foot 4 days this week and have 5 tops ready to be hemmed. Those will be saved for lazy summer days coming up.

The month of June will be spent in Okla at a school for Tim. I'm slowly starting to organize things for traveling.

enjoy the holiday ~~K

Summer Ride

Thats Jake & Lin on his Harley !

Quilts and Other

hi,

While I have been stitching some..... its summer and I'm lil slower !
We are enjoying the new patio. We have the garden in now, with all the trellises up! just watching for everything to grow! mixed with a bit of grilling, chip dips, n 'koolaid' we are quite content.

I have one top done this week, and 2 purple green Carpenter Star tops started.

THIRTY Linus quilts

hihihi,

A busy month here !!!

I just finished up hemming EIGHT Blue quilts, plus SIX others !!

I finished up and mailed 10 pretty RED Feathered Stars to Tx.

I'm packed up to go north few days with Shell and Lin, with me will be a big box and 2 saks with FIFTEEN Finished Quilts for the Linus project in Kansas City. Every quilt that has had a picture on here over the past few months is DONE. Check the past entries to see them.

check this out too! :
http://projectlinus.org/index.shtml

Please note on there, all the many ways YOU can help. You could even do a teen project with EZ fleece blankets that would be cozy. Knitters are welcome to help too.

I have had much help with this project since Oprah gave me the 'Idea' in Nov. At that time it was a goal of 30 lap size quilts, with the idea that all good things blossom and bloom and get carried forward by more than one person.
.And it has .

There has been numerous boxes of fabric, dollar cards, envelopes of fabric, Thanks you Shell, Lin, Nancy, Lori, Susan, Kay, Sonia, Shells Club Ladys, Linda's neighbors, and extra hands from Tim. We now have 30 quilts out there doing their jobs !!!..

.................and a closet full of fabric yet to transform. SO I guess I keep at it... the year ain't done yet!!

NO More Blue !

The blues are done. Im switching to RED !

I have 8 Blue quilts plus 2 others with binding ready to hem. 4 in the DONE pile. These will be hemmed some nice day on the new patio.

This next 2 weeks I am sewing RED feathered stars for a friend in Tx.

enjoy~~~~~~K

Patio In Progress

This is the patio getting enlarged...... coming SOON ! to a blog near you... pretty table, umbrella drinks, flowers, sewing machine and lap top..

Camp David at its best !

Blue Progress

hihi,
A short update on the BLUE quilt blocks. They are assembled into FIVE quilt tops with borders today! along with THREE more BLUE quilt tops tomorrow !!

We will have 8 blue tops from those boxes you ALL shared.

The rest the week will be shopping a couple borders to Jazz the last 3 up. Plus I think both of us will be in the garage basting all these. !

To many hours to count on this batch of tops.... most days were 5 - 8 hrs.
I feel like I have J O B again ... ahahaha pics soon ~~K

Frazzled in Blue

whewww... Taking a break from the BLUE.... I have the BLUES and then some!.. Im singing the BLUES..... and here are the BLUEhoos.....

From another mail list it was suggested to DO something with the predominant color in the stash... Shells box had plenty of Country BLUES plus my stash made for quite the variety of BLUE. We have BOTH worked on this all week.

I think there is plenty of BLUE there for 5- 6 BLUE Quilts... maybe more... We have BLUE piled on the table, BLUE on the buffet, BLUE in a box on the floor, BLUE stacked on the ironing board. Im sewing them all on the Sears BLUE smurf machine, seemed appropriate.

IM sure this will pass !... just have to keep at it.

Mean while the Garden digger guy was here..... We enlarged the spot a couple passes and cruised the garden store this morning for seeds. Between BLUE adventures Ill be playing in the dirt !! enjoy ~~K

MORE Fabric

Today , We came home today to 3 BIG boxes of fabric on the door step !!
****** Thanks Nancy !!!******

For NOT being the usual kind of quilter that buys fabric just because its pretty.... and being one that redrafts her patterns so she buys to the inch or close........ and Used to BRAG about only having 3 lil boxes for extra scrap........ I now have 12 big boxes of fabric.... EEEEEEk!! I cant sew this fast !!!

it All looks good,,, it will All have a use. I see pretty colors, back sides,, neutrals,, boy style.. girl style.. TONS of Good Deeds in those boxes ! I need elves in the night to assemble all my ideas !!

A mail list recently asked quilters to DO something with the predominate color of their stash. One box here had bunches of country blue, so I sorted thru mine and all these other boxes for all the country blue,,,,,, and I cut....... and cut some more. I'm guessing I will have enough gypsey/windowpane blocks to do 5 tops. Give me couple weeks to get it together.

I'm also thinking I need a simple fast good looking pattern that comes out at 42" wide and simple to quilt... still looks nice... so I can use up some of this fabric and get the Good Deeds out the door !.... faster .. Better.... hmmmm..

We got gas for the grill today. Then shivered out there while grilling brats. But hey, Its Spring ~~ K

Its Spring

I think for sure Spring has arrived down here.

An editor of the local paper wrote of wanting to till and plant her garden and the neighbors holding her back !! I feel that urge too But in Iowa we had to wait till mid May. My garden is cleaned off and ready for the tiller guy when ever he thinks its time. We have had all manner of birds in the yard and park. The daffodils are blooming next door. I have even cleaned the closet out of winter sweaters !

On the topic of stitching, I spent this past week on an order for Susan in Tx. Thats been mailed out. Then I basted & quilted 4 Good Deed tops and have the binding ready to hem ! They will go on a short trip to St Louis with us and be hemmed along the route.

I spent 14 hrs with the Good Deeds this week bringing total to 319.

Its been nice to see comments made recently !! I hope to see more!
Take a walk. Watch the season change ! ~~K

In Like a Lion

Its March !! We had fat red robins all over the place the past few days.
We've been setting outside in the swing. The Lil Dogs are digging and having muddy noses. We have contracted to have more cement added to the back patio.

Shell of KC, was here this past week and we had a great time. She brought boxes of fabric from her Club Ladys. The boxes had all styles and colors of fabrics. I see several quilt combinations coming from those boxes !! She also had a dollar card in her pocket, I'm set for a bit !

Shell has been to Iowa recently and had a box from Lin's Neighbor Ladys... again.. bunches of good quilts coming from that box!

Then I got a box from Lori in Ia. with bright fabrics and other colors that are promising more Good Deeds!

Wow this has bloomed, This has grown more than I thought.. Tim and I started this thinking 25 to 30 quilts for the year. I sent a box of FOUR DONE quits home with Shell so she can call her local LINUS folks. This brings the total of 15 DONE quilts out there doing their jobs. I have 4 tops on hangars here, 4 more are basted ready for quilting and all this fabric spread out on the spare bed. WOW... Thanks to all of you... we are on a roll !! ~~~K

Oscars

Another week gone by.... We will name this one The Oscars simply because its on at the moment. The dogs and I are closed in the office here watching and hand quilting on my winter quilt watching the fancy dresses. Diva can't get into trouble back here !

After couple days of not functioning from PT... I got back to work on Thurs and in the garage to baste 4 quilts. Fri, Sat, Sun I got them quilted and hemmed.

I also basted Kay's big school house top and accomplished a whole hour of hand quilting.

This weeks total time is up to 305 hrs with Four Good Deed Quilts in the new DONE pile !

Busy Weekend

The quilts are OUT the door !!! the gal came yesterday and snatched up 2 fat boxes full of 10 quilts. Now its time to get a new stack ready. I think I will pass the next batch to local Linus around KC.

I'm hoping for couple warm days to be out in the garage and baste tops. I have several on hangers ready for the next step.

I worked steady yesterday and have 3 school house tops done !! One for family.. and two for Good Deeds. Today I'll do borders on couple feathered stars that didn't sell on Ebay. ~~~ enjoy ~K

School House Quilts

Its snowing again !!! Which is fine here I'm not going anywhere!
I'm busy building school houses. 24 red school houses are done, ready to set into sashing and grow from there into quilt tops! I'm doing one for Kay in Co. I'm doing two more for the Good Deeds. If I stay at it they will all be tops by Sunday night.

We are looking forward to the Linus Person coming Tomorrow (sat aft)
and giving her 10 quilts to put to work. Hope the snow doesn't make her wait another week.

I fussed on the school houses 12 hours this week, bring the total to 275 hrs.

~~~~~ K

mom luvs me

FOUR Rolls!!!!

Quilts OUT the door!

Princess and the Pea

Miss Diva Darlin Posing on top of a stack of TEN quilts

before they go out the door!

***********

well No body showed up.. a day of waiting shot

A Week

hihi,

Its been a busy week. but not all that time was spent on actual sewing of Good Deed Quilts.

The past weeknd was SuperBowl, with Many ladys I chat with doing a 'sewingsuperbowlmadness marathon' (say that fast !!!) I hemmed two quilts . Plus during this madness I got FIVE Pink Feathered Stars DONE. They were mailed To Susan in TX on Tuesday. The profits will go in the Good deed fund. Thanks Susan.

I've also got the cutting for Two School House quilts done and will start sewing them today. http://www.quiltmag.com/web-bonus-quilts.php

Thank You to Kay in Co for this project.

I think its very wonderful how this has branched out, and bloomed with help from so many locations. Amazing.

I had a reality check yesterday, with a note from sister requesting a quilt for a sick teenager. Its hard knowing where these are going,,, and for what. WAY WAY More than just my playing with the colors and filling empty hours........

. ....and so I mailed my first quilt today with small blessings from all of you that helped make this project reality. thank you.

I have 10 finished quilts in a stack in the back room. Tim just got off the phone with local Linus lady, She will pick them up Sunday afternoon.

http://www.projectlinus.org/

Its time to get these quilts out in the world,, They have a job to do ! ~~~~~~ K

Progress

Here is a pic of Cracker and Diva playing, They both like to tease each other.

I cant say I got alot DONE this week. but it has been an eventful week !

In the mail I recvd a $ card from Sonia in Iowa, a classmate of Shells. Thank you so much !! Sonia. We visited Walmart fabric dept and finished a bolt of the wide muslin for the backings. When it warms up just a bit I'll be back in the garage basting more tops !

I had a lightbulb moment when I ran across a school house quilt pattern in the spring web issue for QUILT magazine. This will be a quilt for a cousin in CO that lives in a renovated school house. ,, cool !

I also recvd an email from a past ebay customer that read the journal and she will be helping too ! I'm making her couple tops and will use toss the income into the good deed fund.

This weekend is the superbowl.... I will be marathon sewing, hemming and munchies along with the game. ~~~~~ enjoy ~~K

Plugging Away

Im plugging away. Each quilt needs to go thru the differant steps.

First the piecing with all the colors and puzzle shapes.
Then a good starch to glue all the seams down on the back. Followed by Time out in the cold garage laying out all the layers of backing, batting, and top to baste with a million safety pins.
NOW The machine is set up with the walking foot for the quilting and attaching the binding.
I need to get both those steps done on ALL these tops, in order to add them to the Hem pile. I should start hemming during Oprah's show.

The past week I used 20 hrs, bringing the total to 263. This weekend will be more basting , quilting, and hemming till I get this whole batch DONE. Wish you all were here ! a henparty I mean a HEMparty,,,, ahahalolll ~~~~K

PICS

Tim did pics for me today ! Here are the tops pieced in Jan so far. This is a patriotic one using squares with sashing.

We have TWO of this star with differant bright borders. Linda helped with the bright borders on this and the following top.

This is a very bright Gypsey top made using left over ebay blocks that didn't sell.

This is a earthy stain glass top using left over blocks from ebay.

There are 2 of this muted pink, green, vanilla top. Scraps in a variety colors are from both Nancy's box and mine.

We have THREE of this hot pink top with fabric from Kay! and the floral border from Nancy.

This light house panel was in Nancy's box.

There are TWO of this very bright top, paper pieced with phone book pages and small left over ebay scraps. The border is flamingos. We have another of the same with green and yellows.

This is another panel from Nancys box. Thanks Nancy!! Winter Hibernating gets things DONE! ~~enjoy ~~K

Hibernating

Its feels like an Iowa winter here now. !!

Last Friday we went to town it was 48 when we left at 8 am, by 10 am we headed back home the temp dropped to 31 and it was misty pebbley snowing out! by noon the schools were closing, The small grocery store ran out of carts for the customers! I had a roast on and We were snuggling in for the long winter rest! ahahaha! ( thats why we have quilts!)

Hibernating!

It snowed. It rained. It sleeted, the roads closed, Any and all activity was canceled on the TV. And they didn't come out till wednesday!

Hibernating here involved LOTS of quilting and hemming the tops.

I stitched 28 hours this week. Bringing the total up to 243 hrs.
We have hit the $108 mark. I still have 3 boxes of colored fabric to use on the topsides. Ive spent on backing, batting and thread.

We have 6 DONEDONEDONE!!, 3 basted, 6 tops, 6 started= 21 quilts in progress. Ill try to get Tim to help with pics of the newer ones so you can all see the colors.

Oh yes, and the news has talk of more winter on its way this weekend.
Feels like Iowa or what??

~~~~K

Good Mail

I had Good Mail today.

After cleaning the house cuz I ran out of batting. I was just sitting down when The door bell rang !

It was the PO man with a box !!!

Lin sent a box with fabric and $ card and holiday pics.

Thanks Lin, for the goodie box!!! Im cutting already on the bright yellow and the med blue !! I had those colors bindings on the shopping list.... so it just what I needed. Altho its a toss up choice to use them as bindings or cut something NEW, but the machine is rigged with walking foot for bindings and quilting this week.

The other fabrics are great too.. you had fun shopping ! The $ card will for sure be put to good use also.. a sale on thread FRI ! I used 4 big spools this week ! and another sale on MON. Ill think of something for then too.

It looks like Jan will be quilting and hemming the bindings. I sure wish Gramma was here.. she liked hemming!

Time spent this week was 15hrs totaling 215. I actually finished ONE, so now can say the 'DONE pile' is started. The others in process will start landing there soon.

get-R-done ~~K

small help

Diva worn out from all the quilting help!

GUILTY !

Tim built a table with saw horses under it for basting. Its been a wonderfull help this week.. We have basted and quilted 7 tops!!

Fri I have coupons for Joanns and a list of stuff for bindings. I mail ordered 45 yards! of batting since the 10 yd roll disapeared in less than a week.

I noticed that one of the border fabrics (bears) is from Aunt Inez's box. Ive had that fabric awhile and now its found a good place.

I guess pooor me should clean house tomorrow, since I can't shop and Ive used up all the batting I had.

OR I Could Quilt on MY things.

hmmmm choices.....~~K