International Quilt Fest.....................

Day 8 of Thanksgiving:  I'm so very thankful I could walk the whole convention center floor!  Over 3 miles!

Here we go, the blond headed daughter and I.  Off to soak in all there is at the BIGGEST quilt festival--so much to see and so little time.  We had only Sunday to view all our eyes could hold-- there are grand prize winners, small quilts, antique quilts, story quilts, painted quilts, the special exhibits and the SHOPPING!  The aisles are less crowded and it is much easier to view

the quilts.

The main aisle leading from the quilt section to the vendor section--we began on Aisle

T--walking in a zig-zag pattern to view quilts on the right hand side; then a turn at the

end of Aisle A to do the other right side--back and forth--it seemed like a logical

system

We did venture out Hall B to the find some lunch about halfway through

our adventure--

Oh, look there is even a Husbands' lounge--a peek in and

you see big comfy lounge chairs with blaring TV with

football game and one lonely husband.

There was a special section with Sue Garman quilts--what a treat to

see her artisty onndisplay 

We enjoyed seeing each and every one of the 75 quilts on display.

Mama said!  what a great quilt to present to your child

and around each block were words of wisdom--all the things that

Mama would say!

Here are her seasons' quilts

And this is the one she was working on while she was ill--

love it--looks so much like an overshot weaving

blue and white is impressive!

Colorful fabrics

Fabrics of every color

Lots of 'sparkly' quilts--which doesn't show on the camera

but brilliant under the bright lights on the floor

Many quilt with black backgrounds too--

the winners were awesome, but there are so many more in the big

aisles that are just as impressive and beautiful! 

We walked till our legs couldn't do it anymore--so much to see

and the brain is now in "overload!"

Day 7 of Thanksgiving................................

Today I'm thankful for words of inspiration.

Words that carry me through the chores of the day

and the unwelcome news of the world.

Quilters Delight!

Day 6 of Thanksgiving:  Finished quilts!!

I'm so excited!  My plain quilt tops are now QUILTS!

All quilted and lovely to look at, feel and enjoy for decades to come!

Here is my poinsettia quilt--this will be a surprise for blond

headed daughter--she can decorate her bedroom with

colorful flowers--

and the quilting!  She'll love the Fleur de Leis theme as

she is a Louisiana gal at heart still

And the Snowman quilt top is bouncing with delight and

will be perpect for Winter theme decoration--and I love the

red and grey--

snowflakes adorn the back--super duper!

Finally!!  I've had this pattern for ages--and so glad to have

it finished in batiks--these were my selection from 2016's 

birthday fat quarter exchange--

 witches, pumpkins, bats, cats--oh my!

This top was calling me from a magazine page--I've got to quit

looking at those!  Just a fun holiday theme that wanted to be made!

Can you blame me?  Of course, not--

More snowflakes falling across the backing--

I'm all set for quilts now for the holidays--

off we go to see what other trouble I can get into....

Happy stitching, y'all!

My Brain Just Went Wacky Again..............

Day 5 of Thanks!  I am thankful to have a great love in my life for over 50+ years!  He has stuck with me through thick and thin--good and bad--dark days and bright sunshine!  


Okay, I was fine until I saw the marriage proposal on national news right after the World Series game--It was beautiful thing to watch and the excitement it created was awesome!  It was a fairy tale come true!  So, My brain begin to wonder

Why do men (or women) get down on one knee to propose?  Have you ever thought about that?
Don't despair, I have--what would make a super power guy get down on one knee in front of all the world to see when he was asking his love for her hand in marriage?  And then he presented her with a smack beautiful ring!!  Unbelieveable!!

But, where does this tradition come from?

Here's what I dug up-- from Engagement Ring Bible

"dates back to the days of knighthood, chivalry and formal courtship (i.e. medieval times and beyond)." Apparently:

"Knights would get down on one knee in front of their lord as a display of respect, obedience, and loyalty. It was also a common occurrence in religious ceremonies, and in those days marriage and religion were intrinsically linked.

"So when a courteous gentlemen was proposing to his lady, pledging his allegiance to her and declaring his undying love for her, getting down on one knee was the natural thing to do."

So there you have it: if your partner goes to the lengths of getting down on one knee to ask for your hand in marriage, what he's really trying to say is that he plans to be loyal, respectful, and do to what you say for the rest of time (that's the obedience bit). If only he knew what he was signing himself up to.

And Why is the wedding ring won on the Left hand??--

The Wedding Ring. ... In that era, the Romans believed that the vein in the ring finger (the fourth finger) on theleft hand ran directly to one's heart. Because of this belief, they called that vein the "vena amoris" or vein of love.

Now, aren't you glad that my mind ponders???

Things I Ponder

Day 4 of Thanksgiving:  We are having smoked turkey for Turkey day!  I asked our son to smoke a turkey and he said YES!  So thankful for him!!

And now my brain moves onto something totally differnet and weird...........................

Maybe, I have too much brain time wasted when I ponder...............sometimes, there will be just a word that will burst in my brain and I say, "why?"  So, here are a few things I've been pondering and went on a search to find the answer to 'why'.

Snug as bug in a rug?  sleep tight?  What do these sayings mean?  Where did they originate?  Are we still using 'antique' phrases for modern day happenings that could continue into future times?

Here is a rope bed, dating from colonial America--maybe, even earlier in history.

and a video showing how the ropes were tighten to give you a 'good night's' sleep.


This information came from History is Elementary.  Years ago on one of our mother-daughter trips, we stayed in an old Colonial house in Williamsburg, VA.  It advertised three bedrooms, but in one of the smaller bedrooms was a rope bed!  The girls  pulled straws to decide who got that room!

Another saying:  Snug as bug in a rug--and don't let the bed bugs bite!  C. 1760, bed rugs were woven from wool to create a warm bedding for the coldest parts of the house, usually servants or children were given these coarse woven rugs as a coverlet.  Soldiers and sailors also slept with them.

Woven rug was only as wide as the loom unless two sections were seamed together down the middle.

now, just imagine--if you can, that these bed rugs were not preserved like quilts but used over and over again until they fell apart--also, these are wool--what is attracted to wool?  Moths and other bugs-

but, here is where maybe the saying originated

Which leads back to the old expression "snug as a bug in rug." Its first noted appearance is 1772, when Benjamin Franklin used it in a satirical epitaph for a lady's pet squirrel named Skugg:

          
                           Here Skugg
                           Lies snug
                           As a bug
                           In a rug.

I have found two blogs in my research that I now follow--Two Nerdy History Girls and Lisa Land Cooper, History is Elementary

Why do US drivers keep on the right side of the road?

In the late 1700s,  teamsters in France and the United States began hauling farm products in big wagons pulled by several pairs of horses. These wagons had no driver’s seat; instead the driver sat on the left rear horse, so he could keep his right arm free to lash the team. Since he was sitting on the left, he naturally wanted everybody to pass on the left so he could look down and make sure he kept clear of the oncoming wagon’s wheels. Therefore he kept to the right side of the road.

There is also information on why we mount a horse on the left- in the above website-!  I always pondered that too! and why some countries drive on the left--so fascinating! 

Isn't history fun?!

Day 3 of Thanksgiving!

What can you share today as your day of thanksgiving--a walk around the neighborhood?  A call from a friend who brighten your day? 

Today I'm thankful for my 'out-law' relatives who celebrate their wedding anniversary today...................

They are my brother and sister-in-laws; hence, they are my 'outlaw' relatives!

We joked when we gathered as a family about us outlaws but now the

larger family is dimishing sadly.

May you have a truly happy anniversary!!

Slush Hat KAL Begins Tomorrow!!

Day 2 of Thanksgiving:  I'm thankful I can read a knitting pattern!

Take One skein of super bulky weight yarn, get the pattern, add two hours of knitting time,

add a pom pom if you please and what do you get?!!

Slush Hat!!  Great gift idea!  

If you're into prizes,  post one photo per finished object using the hashtag #slushkalfo

Let's see some Slush Hats come December 1

#slushkal and #slushkalfo