Shipshewana quilt show 2014

The Shipshewana quilt show was this past week.  Because of work mom and I went down on Saturday.  We always go M66 which is the slower day, but it give mom time to reminisce about all the time we have gone down here over the last 45 years.

It's fun as you get into Amish country.  We say a man mowing his lawn with a single horse hitched to a mower that has probably six reel mowers on it.  Mowing and fertilizing at the same time.  Then a little further down the road we saw Some Amish farmers baling hay with a horse drawn, 3 or 4 horse hitch, bailer that was producing the large round bales instead of the rectangular ones.  Then we came to this farm with tons of purple martin houses.  Had to take a picture as I remember the time my dad made a purple martin house for our place.

The Shipshiwana quilt show is in the same building as the Hudson car museum.  So it's a double win, quilts and wonderful antique cars.  Here were a few of our favorite quilts.

There was a challenge hanging that was 6 small wall-hangings that came out of a challenge by Bonnie Rhoby to her friends to try something they hadn't done before.  I believe they were all machine quilted by Bonnie. 

I have a friend who has helped make a lot of quilts for her sister's cottage.  They often use a panel in the center for the twin bed quilts.  Thought this quilt was a great use of a wildlife panel.

 

 

 

More photos to come.

Summer Star Retreat

This past weekend we had a retreat with our variable star group at Turk Lake.  We have found a very nice cottage there, right on the lake.  For once I have no deadline project to work on.  There were 7 of us who were able to attend.  Although we all worked quite steadily, there weren't a lot of "TA-DA's".

Barb worked on finish a bag she has started.  Roxie worked on a gingham quilt for her new guest room. Becky worked on a piecing job.  Carol worked on more borders for her hand dyed challenge.
Melanie was quilting on her double wedding ring quilt for Jim, her husband.  And Gerry was quilting on a wedding quilt.  I worked on a recycled shirt project and got all but 2 corner's done.  Then worked on a 60 degree table runner project.

Wedding shower

The weekend of June 14 my niece Jennifer, my mom, Phyllis and I put on a wedding shower for my youngest niece who is getting married in August in NYC.  We worried about how to have a shower where she wouldn't have to figure out how to get everything back to NYC.  Shipping to her residence isn't possible as items can't be left as they would sit on the stoop.  And sending it to her work address would mean having to schlep the items home on the train.  So we decided to have a gift card shower for her and Jason.  That way they can get exactly what they need/want.

We had the perfect day.  The Friday before it was only about 54 degrees and very cloudy all day. Saturday found us with clear sunny sky, and temperatures in the 70's.  So we were able to have the shower out in my mother's backyard.  It turned out very nice and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.

 

Gift table

 

Refreshments were set up on the porch.

 

 

A few of the guests.  These were former co-workers of my sister-in-law.

 

 



 

Bride to be Denise

 



 

Denise with Grandma Beard

 



Chloe Centino, Jason's mom, Denise, and Rebecca Beard, Denise's mom

 

Grandma Beard with the grand and great grand daughters.

 

Pamela with daughter Molly, Denise and Jennifer

 

Hand dyed fabric challenge

Our challenge in our variable star group this year was to do something with our hand dyed fabrics.  We shared our results at our June 10 meeting.  The challenge was to use the hand dyed fabrics we have made over the last, oh, 20 years?  We could add one other fabric if we wanted.

 

I think this was Jo Langes.

 

This was Carol Schon's.  Sorry for the blurry picture.

 

One of 3 that our overachiever, Pam Marcis did.

 

 

 

#2 of Pam's

 

 



#3 of Pam's

 

 

My challenge

 

 

 

Barb Kantner's quilt

 

 

 

Rosanne Brower's

 

 

Big 60

So a couple of weekends ago I threw myself a 60th birthday party.  I figured surviving to this age rated a party as there were times in my life I didn't think I would see 35 let alone 60.  But as life has gone on and I have come to accept my singlehood instead of pining for the relationships/marriages that my friends have, I've grown comfortable.  Now I fully expect to see 85 at a minimum.

I had the party at SmittenDust which is a friends business in an old brick building in Dimondale.

I had fun making table runners, whose fabric will be used to make quilts for children in local hospitals through our guild's heart warmer's program.  The vases on the tables will get reused for my niece's bridal shower in June.  I had family, quilting friends and highschool friends.  And I think everyone had a pretty good time.

Quilting friends

 

 

Family



High school friends

 

New artwork and ready for planting

I like to plant a few vegetables, specifically tomatoes and basil every year.  But over the last 25 years the volunteer trees in my neighbor's yard at the back of my lot have shaded out my garden spot.  A few years ago at the Home and Garden show I attended a lecture on container gardening.  This has proven to be very successful for me.  The tomatoes go beside the driveway near the white garage door facing south, so they get all the sun and heat that they want.  Then nearby I have a planter with basil and rosemary, and another 2 with different varieties of cherry tomatoes.  This is the time of year to get things started.

I put a tarp down on the drive, dump the planters and start to break everything up.  I add about half again fresh compost and some time release fertilizer.  Then  it all goes back into the containers.  So last Sunday ( 2 weeks ago now) I spent the day getting everything ready.  Screened more compost, worked everything up and got it ready.  Here is Michigan it's a little early to plant out.  Probably will wait until around Memorial Day. (Couldn't wait, May 10 planted 11 tomato plants). But seeds are started  and trips planned to Van Atta's.

The blue planter usually has my full size tomatoes in it.  But this winter really wreck havoc on it. So I had to buy a new container this spring.

I also got around to hanging some artwork that I have been buying.  I hung these in my stairway going to the basement.  This is the door I come and go by most often so I get to enjoy them on a regular basis.

And I also had a new driveway put in the first of May.  Of course once the old driveway was lifted it had to rain and make a terrible mess.

I should be able to park on the new drive on Wednesday.  Will be so glad to get my truck off the street.

One additional little picture.  On the way to Eaton Rapids there is a barn with a quilt design.  I finally stopped this weekend and got a picture of it.

Gearing up for a busy may.

Signature Quilt

I thought I had written a post about this quilt but find not.  My sister-in-law, Carole, went this fall to an auction that was held after her father's close companion passed away.  The lady's mother had been an artist so there was a lot of artwork and more especially quilts in the sale.  I believe the family had decided to keep a few of the quilts.

This quilt was dated 1950 and was embroidered with signatures of many people that Carole had known over the years from their farming community.  Included on the top were the signature of her mother and both paternal and maternal grandmothers.

The family decided to give the quilt to Carole.  It is a great example of signature quilts, 50's quilts which are rare and a great scrapbook containing many memories.

Trying to put this day off due to terrible snow and cold to good use by doing some sewing. 

I dug out Saturday and that has all blown in again.  And they are warning against going out today to shovel.  So I guess I will see what tomorrow brings.  Keep warm everyone.