Zippy, Zippy Zigzag Birthday Quilt

As my son Adam's 40th Birthday approached, I wanted to make a quilt that would reflect his life style and interests.  He works with computers, enjoys video games, plays piano, likes Charlie Brown, had worked at a newspaper and loves his family.  I was hoping the prints along with the black stripes would work well together and not be too crazy.  Miss Carol from Sweet Peas and Possum did a fabulous job quilting it in a geometric pattern - very cool for the look of this quilt.

The plan started before Adam's birthday in May, but the quilt was not finished until the end of October.  That happens sometimes in a zigzag world:

The name of the backing is called "Baby Geniuses Grow up" so I named the quilt "Baby Genius Grows up"  Michelle made a  lovely embroidered label to go on the quilt.

You can see the quilting pattern in this picture.

Happy "late" Birthday, Adam.  I hope you enjoy your quilt for many years!

What I Learned About Life Making a Zigzag Quilt

Life does not go in a straight, even line;

It has its ups and downs.

It may be cut apart in patches of time

Then sewn back together in jagged rows.

It’s okay!

You try to match up the seams and dreams,

But, if it still does not fit

Help comes from family, friends and unseen means.

The end design may be a little crazy,

But love remains true

Even in a zigzag world.

Fall Quilting with Sweet Peas & Possum

O hushed October morning mild,

Begin the hours of this day slow.

Make the day seem to us less brief.

Hearts not averse to being beguiled,

Beguile us in the way you know.

Release one leaf at break of day;

At noon release another leaf;

One from our trees, one far away.

Retard the sun with gentle mist;

Enchant the land with amethyst.

Slow, slow!

~Robert Frost - excerpt from his poem "October"

Fall is the perfect season for sewing.  It seems like forever since I was down to Miss Carol's, from Sweet Peas and Possum, for a "much needed" day of quilting.   Lucky for us, she arranged to have an open sew on a Saturday, so I headed south along with Michelle and Mitzi.

 I wanted the day to go "slow, slow," like the poem, but it went fast, fast!  We spent the first half hour gabbing and catching up on family news and our latest projects.  After show and tell, we finally got down to the business of sewing.

Gina was sewing up a log cabin pumpkin with fun borders . . . The face is the perfect touch.

Michelle finished the top for her sister's quilt . . . Colorado Log Cabin - Stunning!

Mama Barb worked on tying an adorable rag quilt for a new grandson - Notice the "Life is Short - Eat Dessert First" shirt?   There is a story behind that one. 

Mitzi was working on a quilt top for a Christmas present  . . . 

Is this not the cutest Grinch Quilt ever?   Nice job, Mitzi!

Here is Miss Carol's Quilt project for the day.  Gus decided to try it out right away.

In case you think that all I did was eat, gab and take pictures, I have to say that I did do some sewing.  However, I can't show my super, secret projects on my blog just in case a relative happens to stop by.

Shhh . . .  It's a secret.  

Thank you, Miss Carol for a fun, fall day of sewing and laughter.  

Streetsboro Quilt Show - Continued

This was the favorite pick of the Streetsboro Quilt Show - Rachel's Baskets made by Helen Rankin of Aurora, Ohio.  I can see why it was the pick of the show.  It was hand quilted, has soft lovely colors and an interesting log cabin frame.   

Prisoners Quilting Project - Grafton Correctional Institution

An interesting display of quilts at the show was made by the all male population at a state prison in Ohio, Grafton Correctional Institution.  How wonderful that the men quilt, knit, crotchet and cross stitch.  The finished products are then donated to charities.  They are giving back to the community and I think this is a charity that I would like to support.   If you are interested in this program, the contact person and number on the flyer is Barbara King, Deputy Warden at 440-748-1049 ext 203. Look at the beautiful quilts make by the prisoners!

Pictures of the prisoners in Grafton

Pineapple quilt made by the men in Grafton

Quilt made by the Grafton Prison Inmates

More Quilts for your enjoyment . . . 

Local quilt shows are so awesome!  I hope you enjoyed the show!

"Quilting is sharing yourself with others." 

Streetsboro Quilt Show

Raffle Quilt

Oh joy for a weekend at the Streetsboro Quilt Show!  I love seeing the quilts from all the talented quilters in our area, and for the first time ever, I entered a quilt in a show and had it judged.  I have been quilting for about four years, so I guess it was about time to join the quilters who dare to put  "pieces" of themselves on display - pardon the pun.

The Streetsboro Quilt Guild puts so much time and energy into this wonderful show.   They make and raffle a quilt and baskets, and even included a sewing machine.  Much of the profit goes to the local food bank.  What an awesome guild!

I tried to win this cute, little Bernina, Bernette, but no luck.  Talking to Nancy from the Twinsburg Bernina Shop, I found out this Bernette 46 is only $150.  I think that is a good price for a portable machine and it sews great; I tried it out!

 Every quilt has a story and my BOM Civil war quilt is no different.   It earned a 2nd place ribbon, but I know that the ribbon belongs not to me alone.  The honor is shared with all the people who encouraged me and helped me along on my quilting journey: the quilt shop ladies, Michelle, Kathy, Barbie and Miss Carol just to name a few. Most of all, I have to thank the good Lord for granting me the patience to put all the little pieces together in the first place.  Without them, this quilt would not be finished.
After it was finally sewed together, Eva Birch added her quilting magic of swirls and feathers . . . such a lovely final touch.

My son Adam is holding up the quilt for me. 

You can see a bit of the quilting here. 

Here I am by my BOM Civil War Quilt.  Does my head look bigger than usual?

"Finished is way better than perfect!"

Tomorrow I'll post more pictures from the show.

Kent Haymaker Farmers' Market Mural Update

Last Saturday at the  market, I was amazed at the progress on the mural being done by the artist, Elaine Hullihen.  It's so much fun to see what has been added each week.  To get some perspective on size, look at Zoe in front of the giant ear of corn.

Now that is an ear of corn!

Sunflowers growing from stone

One of my favorite local musicians was performing at the market, Kathy Johnson.  I own her CD called Small Town Girl, and play it over and over - it is just wonderful.  She writes some really fun, original music like "Nancy Drew" and "Well-Tanned, Hairy-Chested, Bare-armed Men."  She sang those for us on Saturday, and we purchased her Christmas CD, Home For the Holidays.  The title song is an original that Kathy wrote.  She is a wonderful singer and I really enjoy her original lyrics and style.  Here is her Website if you are interested in learning more about her and listening to a sample of her music.  I would highly recommend her CD's.  http://www.kathysongs.com/

I love the jars of honey and jam!

I know that the artist is trying to get this mural finished before winter.  I hope the weather cooperates.  However, this weekend the weatherman did add in that four letter word that begins with S.  We are in for the 30's by Saturday night.    

I can't wait to see the man with the hat when it is done!

Renfro Valley, Kentucky

What a great weekend!  Barbie and I were on the road again and took a tour to Renfro Valley, Kentucky with Buckeye Tours out of Cambridge, Ohio.  I have to say if you are looking for a fun and relaxing way to travel, check out their website . . .  http://buckeyetours.net/   I give them a five star rating.  They are easy to contact and when you call, you get to speak to a "live" person.  That is big in my book.  Our tour director, Sarah, was fun and professional and our bus driver, Jim, was excellent.  Needless to say, after our last tour with "another unnamed tour group," we could relax and enjoy the journey.  I hope to travel with Buckeye Tours in the future.

Kentucky is a charming state with rolling horse farms and lovely countryside.  The people are so friendly and I love their accents and how they say, "you all."  

The weather started out rainy, but quickly changed to blue skies and fluffy white clouds.  Sorry, I can't show many pictures.  There was a glitch with my camera.  I bought a new SD card and when I tried to use it, it said that it needed formatted.  What is that all about?  I tried to "format" it, but it just didn't work.  So there I was, stuck without my camera!  However, I was able to take a few pictures on the camera hard drive.  Barbie didn't bring her camera because it was acting up too.  Ah well, life is never perfect, so we go with the flow.

Renfro Valley:

If you love country gospel music and browsing in little local shops, you should visit Renfro Valley.  Their website, linked above, tells about all the upcoming shows and about the history of Renfro Valley.  I have to say the shows were so inspiring.  Listening to the entertainers was like getting a heart massage.  They feature many big names in the music world.  Our evening show headliners were Mo Bandy, Janie Fricke and David Frizzell.  We were lucky enough to beat the crowd out after the show and get a couple of signed CD's.  It was fantastic evening of fun and music.  

Painted Quilts in Renfro Valley

If you like quilts but don't like to sew them, how about painting them on your barn or your house?  Here are a few examples that I found in Renfro Valley to inspire you to put down the needle and pick up the paint brush . . . 

Another good find from our trip is a book that I purchased from the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea, Kentucky.  Quilt Stories: A Collection of Short Stories, Poems, and Plays.   It is published by the University Press of Kentucky.  I can't wait to read it!  

Thanks for visiting my blog.  Stop back again, you all!

Double Slice Layer Cake

Double sliced layer cake, not a chocolate layer cake, although it is pink enough to be strawberry flavored.  For my latest quilting project, I decided to try the tutorial from Missouri Star Quilt Company, one of my favorite sites, and make the "Double Slice Layer Cake" pattern with Pink Dazzle fabric from AdornIt.  I picked this fabric line with a young girl/teen in mind.

I don't think that I am always the best judge of what goes together, but how could I go wrong with a matching layer cake?  Hmmmm.  I'm not sure if I like it or not.  It seems awfully busy and polka dotty.  Of course I am still not done moving around the blocks and it will have a border.  That will change it up.  I'll show the finished product later.  Hopefully it will come together and be awesome . . .

I still have some to finish sewing

Isn't he cute?  Do you think it's a Woolly Bear or a carpet sweeper?

To escape the crazy pink quilt, I decided to go out on the porch and sew on some binding.  I'm in the basement all day tied to the computer online, so the porch is my retreat spot.  Well, what do I see?  I think it's a woolly bear caterpillar, but my son says it's just a bug.  Does anybody know?  In Cleveland, we have a Woolly Bear Caterpillar festival where the caterpillar predicts winter based on the stripes.  If this is the real thing, I think this little guy may be predicting snow, snow and more snow.

Then a flock of big black birds stopped by and robbed the bird feeder.  Look at the size of these scavengers.

One good thing going on outside though, my tangled vine of Morning Glories that climbed up to my garage roof "finally" bloomed into one flower.  Maybe more will come out later.

Back to the binding.  I'm turning binding for my "first quilt ever" to be in a show, the Streetsboro Quilt Show.  I'll post more information about that event later.  This quilt was my third I ever made and a BOM Sampler.  A big challenge for my beginner skills.  Three years later, I finally finished the dang thing, I mean the lovely quilt.

I'm not going to post a picture of the quilt now, because I want to take photos of it in the show.  I will show you a tiny sample of what I'm doing though.  Hopefully the judges will have some advice on binding because I know my hand sewing is not the best. That is fine, I'm enjoying the process, as Miss Carol would say.

Thanks for stopping by my blog and I hope you are enjoying the little pleasures in your life today.

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." ~ Maya Angelou