here it is!

well, the lone star is finally finished.  it needs a cold water dip to get rid of the quilting marks, but otherwise it's a finish.  this is the second one i've made, both were made by hand.  this one didn't come out as well as the other and i sort of lost enthusiasm for it near the end.   regardless of the outcome, there is a lot of work here so it'll get hung up on the wall as it's not entirely displeasing to the eye but again, not at all blue ribbon status.  no matter. it's an accomplishment and that's better than leaving it or flinging it incompleted.  my quilting goal never was to be absolutely perfect, only to enjoy the process and the result. 

blast from the past

even before i started quilting in 1979, i was enamored with quilts.  when the bicentennial quilt frenzy was in full swing, i purchased this magazine to get an early "fix" of quilting, probably because of the amish quilts included.  there are also patterns for dresden plate, gingham dog/calico cat and other traditional plus a few patriotics with shields and eagles and such and even a new york beauty!  my taste in quilt styles has broadened a bit, but my fascination/attraction to amish and traditionals hold fast.  i wonder who else might have a copy in their book stash?  this is definitely a keeper.  **** still watching the eagle chicks grow but at this point, i get turned off watching them rip apart and eat rodents.  i try to check in frequently enough to catch the first mini-flight, which should take place in the next few weeks.  there's lots of flapping and short hops taking place inbetween gross feedings.

watch this space!

very soon i can show you the lone star finish as i am now working on the binding, yes!  another UFO will bite the dust this very week, i do believe.  my current machine project is another UFO, a 30s style quilt.  i also have a quilt basted and ready for tying so you can see, i am working fast and furious to finish up as many UFOs as possible. lucky for me i have lots of time to sew, which isn't always the case.

in the pinks!

in addition to doing a number of quilty tasks today, i also went to marden's to pick up some fabric for a commission piece.  as usual, i found some really lovely pinks and a background piece as well.  about half are $2.99 fabrics, the rest were $3.99 (that's per yard). from these i am going to get 2 quilt tops; one is the comission and the other will be a baby/carriage size.  and though i didn't specifically look for "name brand" quilt shop fabrics, as most but not all of marden's are, the end labels on these were RJR, robert kaufman, red rooster, free spirit and westminster.  they've been washed and dried already.  the yardage total is 4.25 yards for about $17, real honest-to-goodness bargains!  i did see a background online i liked a lot better, but it was $9.25 a yard and would have been just over $23 for the 2.5 yards needed....a definite no.  after choosing these i got out of there fast.....serious temptation!

Two Reasons to Celebrate

no doubt i have disappointed these two ladies more than once in my life, but i hope they feel as i do, that mother's day wouldn't be the same without either of them.  i know my life would be much different had i not been part of their lives.  on this day i wish to acknowledge both of them.  my own mother, raised by inattentive elderly grandparents when her own mother died while she was a toddler and who struggled with her own mothering skills and my daughter, who became a wonderful adult despite my own failures both deserve honor on this holiday, albeit a "hallmark" one.  i simply cannot comprehend what my life would be like without either.