August

  August was just as busy as July was !      I started out with the Quilt of Valor block drive. It was a simple strip block and I had plenty of red white blue strips in a box here.

  Those were sent to Alycia in Colo. She does good work !

  The sisters were here for a baby shower, Camp David was full for a weekend! There was mention of a quilt wanted for Christmas. Gotta grab those ideas when you hear them !  So this was promptly started..

  Its grown... but still needs borders... and quilting !

  The I went to  Quilt club and the speaker demo'd this.. another strip quilt...

  I was going to use the box of fall colors for a Quiltville pattern shown.. but this is same principle but larger..  even simpler.  It was sewn while watching to much  nightmare type news.(Syria)...... I need elves to quilt it yet.

   The Nov baby quilt is making good progress, tis a good thing because it may come early....  I better get to stitching on that again.

 One of my more recent White Wholecloth Quilts  with the most beautiful niece.

 ... and in and around that was the Opening of  The David Canning Company

   with help from the Miller Gardens.. I now have about 100 jars  on those shelves.. NEAT !

                                        ~~~  Employee of the Month~~~



xox      ; ]

   and One fine Saturday..  Raelle was here to explore  the sewing machine.

  She made Jammy Pants.  Designer style with the border at the bottom..  snazzy !

  There is always something in the works here..  with an order from TX for 8 feathered stars to  get done...

............. and my lazy elves watch the  world go by..................

July Surprise ! The rest of the story.........

  This week was the Franklin County Fair. We delivered 6 quilts on Tuesday
 morning. After going to out to lunch with Tim we arrived back  at the Fair building for the Judging.   The Judge was very thorough. looked at all aspects of each quilt. I was awarded 6 blues.  She then made her choice of Best of show. not mine... loll... so we went home.

  The quilts were put in their places and viewed all week by fair attendees.   Till late  Sunday when we arrive to  pick them up..... I had  blues on each so that's pretty fine!...
 but then I see my name on a sign near this plaque,, and a big Blue Silver ribbon. ooooooooNIce!   And all the ladies helping at the display descended on me.  A very jolly bunch..  It seems  that Doris Hansen ( of the award)  was a known quilter in the area  and she did very Fine work.  She had so much fun at the Fairs they wanted to carry that forward  by starting this plaque and pretty ribbons.  The family comes to the Fair each year, This is her sister, along with her daughter  and they choose the quilt They like.  Usually  hand quilted!

  Linda's Holiday Quilt fit into a diff category at entry.. A  different  Judge and Booth even... SO we had a second surprise with this lavender rosette ! Runner up Best of Show !

  The nice thing about Hampton Fair is they  write critique on the back of the  registration cards.  ( click and enlarge)

                                              Franklin County Ribbons

                                              North Iowa Fair Ribbons

                                         Worth County Fair Ribbons
                                                                                                    

 ......... how bout that !

July !

  July is busy too ! After our week at Nashua campground, I came home to  get   a few projects done ! The white wholecloth quilt called to be to be DONE and Delivered to my Brothers daughter.. just in time !  They have a new grand baby to wrap up !

 here  are the  quilts that placed at the Worth County Fair.. along with stickers rather than ribbons !

  July 9 - 14 was Local Fair I  won several ribbons there.  They did give normal size ribbons, Just not normal colors of ribbons. The blue ribbon    was purple..  It kinda plays a mind game when  tradition has the grand prize as being purple.... nutz

  Linda's Christmas quilt  received purple/BLUE and the  Red & Black Braid received a Red 2nd.

  My Ocean Belize blue quilt received a Red  2nd

  The funky green ribbon shown is actually the   equivalent of the light purple for runner up........ or in this case  Best Hand Quilting won with  Holiday star '12 belonging to Jake & Jade

  Shelley's Christmas Star won a purple/BLUE ribbon.

  Because last year  there were so  few entries  to judge or compete with I took everything I could that  could fit a category.  This green daisy quilt is very old wall hanging. It recvd a  white ribbon for 3rd.

  Shelley's  white whole cloth baby quilt won a purple/Blue.

  and the Grand Prize !!! shown above is a dramatic kaleidoscopemade by a MC woman, whos name I dont know..  This  quilt is neat in the construction of it ! Well Done !

 

 Jake & Tim did some repair to the wood shed.. !

  Tugged at my heart to  watch this....... to see Jake up n down the ladder !!

   This was Oct 5 !  xox

  and soooooo we have been in this Iowa house a whole year now !!
 Not many changes made indoors,, but the yard and  raised beds have been put to work.

 The garden is growing and we have Beans to can !  Goodies to chop for supper !

 ......  Grammas canning books were pulled form the box  and found a good spot on the shelf.

  a small batch. ...but a  start !!

  July 16 - 21  Hampton Fair     The judge here was very thorough !

  
Shelley's, Linda, Jades Christmas quilts, a whole cloth,  the black red  braid,  and Frank Windows.. all won blue ribbons.

 We also attended  the school reunion and visted many locals at the Golf course.  We set the Beast up at  Thornton park with  Shell Lin Lori camping too  and others that showed up over the weeked Larry,  Al , Nancy & Mark,  Jake  & Jade w Carson, Steve S, Mark F , Bob & Lori...

.. a Good Time was had by ALL !

Worth County Fair and Short RV Trip

 We did the  Worth County Fair...  There were several quilts there, but I didn't care for the judging...  The woman never looked at the backs. She never examined the binding..  She didn't check points...   between eating the  various brownies and cookies from the  food dept around the corner,  The Judge and her helpers while  licking  their fingers simply held the tops up said I like or I don't like..... and then gave a lil red or blue sticker ~ like a kindergarten work sheets type sticker. NO ribbons ~~~!!!


http://timkarylcruisin.blogspot.com/

  Finally the sun came out for a few days in a row !!  We quikly packed up and  found a nice park... as always the machine goes with me.....

June !

   All of May was busy  ! First we got the RV tuned up inspected for the year. We also spent t a  few days getting the garden planted ! and the yard cleaned up form our 'Late winter. The remainder of the  month included trips to  Des Moines,  Eldora- Pine Lake with Beast and  wild weather, also off to Kansas City for graduation party.

  Now that we are home. For the month of June,  I'm catching up on current projects,,  6 Belize blue feathered stars for a commission  in TX.

 ....... theres many many lil  stinkin triangles  in this quilt here they are chained off the table and pooling on the floor. ...400 or so !

  I 've found a sewing table that is portable and a very nice Height.  This week I'm sewing near the PC while keeping up on a family event.

  The next big project is a whole cloth quilt for expected baby in July. that's getting closer !!!

  It always amazes me how a simple humble piece of muslin can be transformed with  mere  pencil and needle & thread................ plus couple hundred hours.

 

 

  I'm working on this project in the front room while watching too much news.

  Every now n then I have to get up , stretch, walk around and  cheer along all the  garden goodies that have been planted. We have tucked seeds in all the  various beds around the  new house.   Near the garage we have chard  and cabbage .. still very small.

  at the  street side we planted bushy green beans in amongst  some  wild things from  previous owners.

   The backyard bed has wide rows planted to  try out the digger Santa brought me..
 new toys !

  Along the fence line  in a wide bed are the tomato........ 30 of them..  I'm in the mood to can this year,,,,Heres to  Good Iowa Dirt !!!