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  

A Month of Thanks and Giving

Each day in November, some of our family members participate in days of thanks.  So, here goes:
We are Day 1--

Where do we begin?  There are so many riches in our daily lives; 

and so many conflicts as well--sometimes, it's hard to find a way to

be thankful.

It helps to write down or journal your thanks--than you can look back, when

there is a bad day, to see just what you were thankful for each day.

If you want a daily reminder, download this printable note

How to Do the Challenge

1. Begin paying attention.

Was your lunch today particularly good? Did you listen to one of your favorite songs while driving in your car? Were the clouds in the sky in a beautiful pattern? You can find gratitude and thankfulness in anything — big or small.

2. Write it down.

Each day, write down one thing that you are grateful for. You can print out this daily calendar.

3. Share your progress.

Join our LIVESTRONG.COM Challenge Facebook Group for motivation and challenge updates. Finally, you can share your daily gratitude on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #30DaysOfThanks.

Recording your gratitude should take you only one to five minutes per day. This is such a small amount of time to spend on something that can give you tremendous happiness and health benefits.

And I'm thankful for you visiting my blog!  Be thankful each day, even if it's small thing! 

Vampires, Witches, Bats, Skeletons = Halloweeeeeeeeeen!

Here I go again--Pondering--this time about Halloween.............

The History of Halloween

Thousands of years ago in Europe, there were groups of people known as the Celtics. The Celtic people occupied areas now known as the United Kingdom, Ireland and some parts of France. These ancient pagan people were very superstitious and their lives depended on the growth of their crops and a successful harvest. A celebration known as Samhain began within this Gaelic culture to commemorate the end of the harvest or the days of light, and to acknowledge the beginning of the days of darkness (winter) and what to them was considered the New Year. This beginning of the Celtic New Year was celebrated on November 1st.

The tradition of dressing up in costume and begging for treats may go back as far as the Middle Ages when it was common during the Christmas season for beggars and the poor to go wassailing, a ritual which involved going door to door to ask for food. Another custom known as "souling" was common during the medieval days. On All Saints Day, the less fortunate would beg for food or money and in exchange, they would offer up prayers for the dead on All Soul's Day.

 for the kids:    coloring pages for Halloweeen!  

And this is only the tip of the information about Halloween!  Now, I appreciate the holiday more than ever!

Friends!

 What is a Friend!  "a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations."

When you google "friend" you get the TV show--well, it was a show about friends, but what is a true friend?  Someone who will tell you like it is; have your back; give you moral support; love, laugh, cry with you in times of need.  Do you remember your very first "friend"?  Maybe someone from your childhood?  A life long friend?

I have -friends- and then I have FRIENDS!  You know what I mean.

In this case, my FRIENDS gather every so often to celebrate birthdays,

cheer each other on,  laugh at the bright moments, cry at the sad times,

share family crisis, and hug tightly! 

October was my birth month and I'm honored to celebrate with my FRIENDS

at our biannial luncheon.  Our gifts at all times are joyful at being together; our tangible 

gifts are fabric fat quarters of our choosing.  And the best part--the fact

that each FRIEND will bring something totally awesome to the party!

Above are my fat quarters--I chose whites or neutrals--every one is

a winner!

Another FRIENDS tangible is my Texas theme quilt--

back from quilter, Judy M--

As FRIENDS, we decided to do a fabric themed fabric exchange--

each 5" square was assembled --as this blanket is

used for comfort, I'll think of my FRIENDS who contributed

to its warmth and beauty.

with a plain backing--you can see the lines of

continued friendship as they scroll across the threads of our lives.

FRIENDS!  so glad they are in my life............

Woven Hem Study

The year long study for our weavers group is towels!  We all love towels!

Every towel woven is different--yarn, technique, sett, colors, etc.

Towels are super learning experience for beginners also

expert weavers enjoy the relaxation of throwing a shuttle for results.

At our last meeting, we were talking hems!  Yes, hems!

It is the finishing touch to the towel.  One of our newest members

brought her waffle woven towels--these are always thirsty towels,

but with this weave structure there are always problems with the hem. 

Here is the finished technique that Alex used--finish weaving

with different treadling--if 4 harness--it's 2 up, 2 down

Her towels were 7 harness--so it's 3 up 4 down--

this towel hasn't been washed so you can see the big dimples

after the hem is woven, she threads each warp end back

through the hem--time consuming but the look is neat finish.

A new product on the market is from Superior Threads--

fusible thread!  We were all enthralled!  this could be

something we could use in our hems

Most of the weavers are familiar with fusible seam tape.

This is useful with the finishing

Here is a neat hem on this block woven towel--

she used the fusible web strip to secure

Here she has done machine stitch to secure the warp and

then the fusible web before hand stitching

We had other samples of woven towels--each with a different

structure

Our hands on demo was machine stitched hem--thanks to Karen I

who showed us how she uses her walking foot attachment to do a 

blind hem stitch--neat trick.

Laura Frye has photos to show her technique to hems.

Getting Ready for Turkey Day!

If you would like to have a pretty table for your Thanksgiving, here are some

free patterns--and there is still time to sew and plan for an outstanding day!

I'm liking that acorn hot pad!

and I do love, love this quilt;

anything with houses and leaves can't be bad!  

And I'm making this Fall table runner for the brown headed

daughter--I think she'll be thrilled!

Jacque Lynn Steves blog is where you'll find all this good stuff!

Log Cabins--In A Quilt

My very first quilt was a log cabin--made from old fabric scraps--mostly

a mixture of cotton/poly--this is how I was led by my mother-in-law.

I had no quilt background and she had some knowledge so I 

followed her advice.  She said log cabin pattern was the easiest one to

sew up--so, I did!  I still have that quilt to this day! 

I haven't made a log cabin quilt since.........

when I saw this posting, I thought it would be the perfect

timing--

Sheri is making a Christmas quilt and she uses 

Creative Grids 8" Log Cabin Trim Tool, which can be

found on various websites.  This is a new tool to me--

maybe, this will make that perfect block you want

in you log cabin.

I'm thinking scrappy blocks--to use up my stash. 

Are you interested in building a log cabin of your own?

Beginning every Tuesday through end of November, there will be a posting on

a quilting life blog.  The strips, dark and light, are cut 1.75" wide by width of fabric.  The

center square is 2" x 2".