Needles and Pens

Yesterday my daughter's due date passed uneventfully, so today we decided to take a nice long walk on the boardwalk and see if that would help things along. I don't know if it worked, but she is acting kind of... funny tonight. Our fingers and toes are crossed. We're SO ready for this baby! I'm having a little trouble settling down tonight myself, so thought I'd share a few shots from our walk today. Here's the mommy-to-be, walking the dog (or maybe the dog is walking her ): Taking a little break on the beach: Little brother, watching the waves come in: Lake Superior scenery: A beautiful September day, for sure, but I'd much rather be taking pictures of my grandson! Maybe tomorrow... ;o)

Still waiting for baby... so I decided to start another project to pass the time. ;o) Our guild challenge this month was to "do something with hankies," so I thought it was the perfect time to revisit those that were given to me several years ago, by my husband's grandma. I chose these reds, pinks and whites for my project. I could see something very "valentine-y" for the end result, and since my birthday is on Valentine's Day and Grandma's was very close, well, that seemed appropriate. Incidentally, Grandma and I shared the same first initial, too: Next came the fun part. I found this Hanky-Panky Crazy Quilt pattern, by Cindy Brick, at the HGTV website. It seemed perfect for what I had in mind. I spent hours playing with different combinations of fabrics and embellishments that I thought might work: The hard part was cutting into Grandma's hankies, but I finally convinced myself that I only had them as a keepsake, and a wallhanging for all to enjo...

If you saw yesterday's post, you already know all about the Healing Hearts quilt that my online group made for a fellow member in my hometown. What I haven't yet shared is that as I was collecting blocks for the quilt, I was also receiving little packages in the mail, just for me. Packages with cards, letters and darling little nine-patch blocks, made from all sorts of children's novelty prints. It was a surprise grandma shower! Check this out: How cool is that?? Last week, I hustled around while my daughter was on her last two days at work and got a quilt made from all the blocks. What a great surprise it'll be for her when the baby is born. It turned out to be a nice sized quilt, too. Just perfect for when he starts rolling around, and he can look at all the different little pictures on his quilt. I think he's going to LOVE it. I know I do! Thanks, ladies, for caring, for thinking of us, and for helping us to welcome our new little one into the world in such a...

I've met a lot of quilters online over the past few years, quilters of all ages, lifestyles and personalities, but the one thing they all seem to have in common is a heart of gold. When someone is hurting or in need, quilters come through. This story is just one more example. One of my online quilting groups welcomed a new member early this year, and in the months that followed, she had a string of misfortunes, from a cancer diagnosis, to surgery, to the tragic death of a family member. Thoughts, prayers and good wishes flew through cyberspace, but you just can't send a real hug through email. Coincidentally though, this new member happens to live very near my hometown. Maybe a real hug wasn't out of the question, but could we make it a group hug? Plans were made in secret, and within days I started receiving quilt blocks in the mail, as well as donations to help with supplies. Meanwhile, our new member and I made plans to meet at our local quilt guild meeting. Mind you, in...

"I see America, not in the setting sun of a black night of despair ahead of us, I see America in the crimson light of a rising sun fresh from the burning, creative hand of God. I see great days ahead, great days possible to men and women of will and vision." ~ Carl Sandburg (1878 - 1967)

I way overdid it today in the tackling department, but I guess that makes up for yesterday, which I spent wandering from one room to the next, trying to decide where to start and never actually starting anything. I really needed the Tackle it Tuesday motivation and, apparently, the exercise. Man, are my legs stiff tonight! Several random ideas kind of culminated into one big tackle today. We had our first frost last night, so we pulled in the "summer outdoor" plants last evening before clearing a place for them inside. So Tackle One was to do some rearranging and find a home for the plants. And, ta-dahh! I even got motivated enough to clear off the "bottomless" clutter pile on the kitchen counter. Note the treadmill missing from the corner above? That would be Tackle Number Two. My all-or-nothing weight loss goals of earlier this year did indeed come to... nothing. In fact, I've gained back the fifteen pounds I lost, plus a few more. Ack! The diet has been p...

Several years ago, I started a craft business, making and selling items for babies and children. One of my favorite patterns was for a baby bunting, quilted, lined in soft flannel and decorated with various types of ribbons and trim. When the business came to an end, only one bunting remained, and being one of my most favorites, I decided to keep it for a future grandchild -- or granddaughter, rather, as it was the pinkest, most frilly bunting of all. Now that my grandbaby-to-be has been confirmed a grand son , I thought it was time to pull out the pattern, dig through the stash, and make something a bit more boyish. Granted, it does have a few pink teddy bears on it, but I was really proud of myself for fighting the urge to go fabric shopping and just use what I had on hand. I only purchased the ribbon, ric-rac and buttons for trim, and I think they added just enough of a boyish touch. Coincidentally, the quilted teddy bear fabric was given to me by my mom, who once made a cute littl...