The Graduation Quilt is Finally Finished

At long last, only two months after her graduation, I have finished Tasha's quilt.

This lovely pattern was in the March 2006 edition of The Quilter Magazine. The pattern is called Out Of Africa by Larisa Key. I used the panels she used but the other fabrics are things I just picked up locally.



Here is a picture of our lovely graduate with her quilt.



No new pictures of Thunder but this one of Joe was too cute not to share:



Sometimes you have to leave them where they drop! lol. Although it looks as though we shot him as he came through the door what actually happened is he was laying down with Thunder trying to get him to go to sleep. Going to sleep worked - it was just a misfire as to who fell asleep. lol.

Jody

Going To A Show

I finally finished up this wallhanging:



It's called Going To A Show and it's to put my quilt show pins on. Two of my favorite pins are not actually from shows but from a store in Gaithersburg, MD that I went to with three of my dearest friends.

The fabrics I used in the flowers are fabrics from the quilt I made for our bed for when we get our bedroom repainted - which looks like it probably won't be until next Spring - which is just fine because the quilt probably won't be finished until long after that. lol. It's a queen-size Trip Around The World that I am handquilting. I'm echo quilting each square and there are hundreds (and hundreds and hundreds lol) of them.

I'm still working on Tasha's quilt (which is also putting the TATW on hold) and I'm beginning some blocks for a swap - hopefully I'm beginning them tonight. My favorite Yahoo group is doing a snowman swap. I'm really looking forward to it. I haven't done a swap for so long.

But if I want to get something started I need to get off the computer and into the sewing room.

Thunder would like to say hello but he's a little tired now:



We haven't give the long worked on quilts to the dog. He has his own quilts (yep - two of them). He's laying on Joe's bed with his head on Joe's quilt (that is actually store bought) with the quilt Timmy's sleeps on over him.

Until next time, hugs and stitches. Jody

Finally a finished quilt!

I have really backed off the quilting lately because of the problems with my elbow but I really had to make this one. The manager where I work is such a sweetheart. She all but remade Tasha's prom dress because we got it by mail and it was too big with no time to return it. She stayed up half the night the night before the prom to finish it. And of course she wouldn't let me pay her for her trouble.

Her daughter had a baby at the end of May. Elli was premature and is still in Hershey Medical Center. They are hopeful they can bring her home this weekend. So I made this quilt for her.



I'm so happy to have it finished in time for her to come home to.

In other quilty news, Tasha and I went to a quilt show last week. It was for one of the local guilds. This was my pick for viewer's choice - small size:



And my pick for viewer's choice - large size:



And there's finally another hello from Thunder:



He's playing with his new friend - the rope-necked pheasant.

Until next time, hugs and stitches. Jody

Exciting Week

I have been doing some sewing again. I have Tasha's graduation quilt sandwiched and the quilting has begun. And I did my June Tisket, Tasket block. I had intended to use bright colors since it's the beginning of summer. But these fabrics just begged to be used. I love how it turned out.



The big excitement for the week has been my anniversary present. It's a bit early - the actual date is July 11th. It's a treadle sewing machine. I have wanted one for years.

Here it is fully opened:




And closed up and decorated:




Thunder says hi and despite the look on his face, he really does love his crate:



Until next time, hugs and stitches. Jody

A Great Book and Some Quilting

As I said, I have been doing a lot more reading that quilting (although there is some of that too). Yesterday I finished Prayers for Sale by Sandra Dallas:



I am familiar with the name but not the work of Sandra Dallas and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be looking for another of her books very soon. This one is set in 1936 in Middle Swan, Colorado and has for it's two main characters Hennie Comfort and Nit Spindle. Hennie is 86, likes to tell stories and quilt. Nit is 17, likes to hear stories and quilt. While Hennie was telling Nit stories it took me back to a time when I was much younger and I sat around in my Grandmother's backyard listening to my Mom and Dad and my aunts and uncles tell stories.

We learn of Hennie's life through the stories she tells Nit. There are some twists and turns and some great surprises. I highly recommend this one.

As far as the quilting goes, unfortunately there are still no pictures. I have my daughter's graduation quilt top done but she doesn't want to see it until the entire quilt is finished. So we're in a holding pattern until I can get the backing pieced, then sandwich and quilt it before I can post a picture.

Another "almost ready but not quite" project is the June block of the Tisket, Tasket BOM. The applique is all done but I need to do some embroidery and put on the buttons.

Until next time, hugs and stitches. Jody

Graduation - Part Two

We are home from Tasha's graduation. We had rain so it was held indoors. Through some mix-ups and situations beyond our control a good bit of the family was missing. However, Grandma Voron and Tasha's friend Ashley (who now lives in Ohio) were there. And when we got home we found out that Tasha's god-father and his friend came in a bit late (and without tickets) but were able to get seats in the auditorium to watch the tv feed.

So here are a few pictures:



The proud graduate (this is in front of our house).





The graduating class of 2009. They had about 330 graduate but only about 280 were allowed to participate in the ceremony.





Mom and Dad are so proud.




And the promised picture of Thunder - who has suddenly become camera shy.

Until next time, hugs and stitches. Jody

Graduation - Part One

This is a big day in our house. We have two graduates. Joe, our middle son, is graduating elementary school. I attempted to get some pictures at the ceremony but between the terrible lighting and my son who decided to do his impression of a roadrunner and go across the stage at the speed of light I didn't get a single one. So I settled for numerous pictures of him and his friends in their natural habitat (the food line lol), eating, one with his teacher and this little gem (my personal favorite lol):



On the way home we stopped by work because Esther had graciously added Tasha's name to the reader board along with the kids who work at the restaurant and are graduating. I knew she was doing it but Tasha was completely surprised.



So this is part one because Tasha's graduation is being held tonight. In the meantime we're going to make ice cream and I'm going to work on her graduation quilt - which will never be finished by tonight but she won't mind that.

I'm still struggling with the tennis elbow. Working on Tasha's quilt is really more that I can tolerate at times so I'm still spending my free time reading. This series of three I read about on my friend Barb's blog. Since we are so much alike I figured if she likes them I would too - and she was right. These are winners.





You need to read these in order as they build on each other. I love books like that. Sometimes I get so invested in the characters I want to know more and more about them. Each book is as good as the one before it - and I'm hoping there will be a fourth book in the series - SOON.

Right now I'm reading Sandra Dallas' Prayers For Sale. So far I really like it.

Well I'll be back later with Graduation - Part Two. And I'll try to snap a shot or two of Thunder - he misses being here.

Until next time, hugs and stitches. Jody