2023 A YEAR IN REVIEW

2023 another year another quilt...well ok a lot of quilts and other fiber inspired projects

I finished the Churning 14 top but didn’t ' really like it.

I donated it to charity, knowing it will find a new home.

I made this Infinite Hearts quilt for me

but my Son loved it and it now lives with him!

Charley Harper Winter Birds flew into my nest!

Immediately followed by a GROVE of Charley Harper scrappy birch trees.

As spring rolled into view...

sew did these kitchen table toppers.

This is Picnic by Cluck Cluck Sew

I love this Sassy Garden quilt

Avalon Pattern and Jane Sassaman Fabrics.

I resized The Perry County Flamingo! 

Laura Heine Collage

Wyndjammer Red 

My last quilt top is PEAKS a pattern test

for Frannie B Quilt Company 

And these two tops w/backs and bindings were just finished 

And ready for the (longarmer(s)

X & + By Zen Chic

Ruby Star Society Picnic Quilt

I made a bunch of  bags this years.

Cute Kwilty Girls baskets for retreat.

You know I love these girls if they get

something I made using my Ghastlies Craft fabric.

A quilted pillow cover for the sofa.

I only finished one speckled Hitchhiker shawl.

 Productive year but..

I also provided lots of love and care to my sweet husband who had pneumonia with complications;

Followed by an operation to insert a shunt into his head to eliminate ‘water on the brain’ and rwo years of him falls at.  And then,right afterThanksgiving he caught COVID for the first time.

I had a health issue that is resolved but it scared the bejeebies outa me,

I am OK

A couple fun things did happen…I attended a couple Kwilty Girls retreats

Visited my son 2 times at the beach !

And had a solo quilt show that featured 14 pieces of my art

 at Inniswood Gardens, Westerville OH

I am ready to say enough of this stressful year on this day known as 

123123

HERE COMES A JUDGE

I was asked to judge quilts at an OHIO County Fair in August.

It was such an honor and quite the challenge.

You see...there was no guidelines for judging and lots of

categories for quilted items to be judge.

I could ribbon up to 5 quilts per category.

BUT if I felt like nothing was Blue Ribbon quality,

I could ribbon whatever I felt was appropriate.

No pressure here! Really?

There were stacks ad stacks of quilts.

I think when I finished I had judged 35 quilted items.

There were antique pieced quilts, over 50 years old.

And a category for applique quilts, over 50 years old.

How does one even begin to judge these.

All antiques should be ribboned!

I found the machine quilting category to be confusing.

Both home machine and long arm machine quilting

was in the same category.   How is that possible or 

even a fair playing field. 

I looked for even stitching, good tension and no loose threads

or birds nests on all of them.

There was a Table Topper category

with 5 entries...so everyone got a ribbon.

There were a few modern quilts in the show.

Like this pumpkin design.

and this Pumpkin Quilt

and I loved this Christmas Quilt Category

a churn dash block always catches my eye.

There was even a WIP category?

Only one entry here!

I had to choose Best of Show from all the Blue Ribbons awarded.

The quilt I selected was not one that pleased my aesthestic.

I had to keep my personal preferences out of the mix.

This one was pieced beautifully, Binding and mitres were excellent.

And the long arm quilting was a great design choice for the quilt.

This would have been "Judges Choice"

had that been an option.

I loved its cheery feel

and that matchstick quilting was incredible!

I did provide some feedback about categories,

guidelines and such.

The lady who was logging all the winners into their log book told me...

You are one of the best judges we have had.

You knew exactly what you were looking for and doing!

That was so nice.

 I have been invited back for next year!

A CHRISTMAS PLAIDISH QUILT

2020 has been a year of confusion,

exhaustion, anger, frustration and

the drive for me to stay busy!

I have to create to keep my sanity!

I want to share with you a quilt that is a free pattern

from Erica Taylor Jackman aka @kitchentablequilting.

This pattern is Plaidish 2

and I have pulled a lot of Christmas fabrics...

well red, green and white fabrics.

Many are Christmas prints I pulled from

stash and scraps.

Here is a link to download

Plaidish 2 over on Erica's blog.

It seems more like a check than a plaid to me.

Should look good in the Christmas color.

I doubt I will finish this by Christmas but

at least I am gathering the fabrics and perhaps

I will get it all cut out.  

WHY I HAVE ONLY ONE BFF!

BFF...Best Friend Forever...

I have many friends but I only have ONE... BFF!

Meet, Shirley (Bolton) Haller.
We became friends in 1960, thats 60 Years ago!
That's forever ago!
I was 3rd grade, she was 4th grade.
I was 9, She was 10. 

We were also neighbors, growing up in the country.

We were inseparable.
Now I live in Ohio, Shirley lives in Indiana.

I write this post with worry in my heart.

My BFF has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer.

She lives 300 miles away.

She has cancer and I can't get to her.

I can't hug her...even if I was standing near her.
There a virus to worry about and with chemo treatments
her system is compromised.

I would drive 6 hours in a heart beat,
 in a snow storm, at night with a broken leg...
IF I could go and not jeopardize her health.

When she called with the news, I knew
 by the sound of her voice,
 something was terribly wrong.

Once I hung up, I cried, screamed, and prayed and
finally pulled myself together.

I got a quilt from The Stitching Sisters.

A charity group, here in Columbus, who make and give

lapquilts to cancer patients going thru treatments.

I have volunteered with this group for many years.

I sent it to her immediately...

 

But lets look at some fun things that are Shirley Haller.

This is Shirley and Dave Haller
as they celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary
Dec 6, 2019
I was her bridesmaid...50 years ago.
She was mine...20 years ago!

Shirley was a hairdresser for 48 years.
She had her own shop and retired just a couple years ago.
This was a photo I took of her in an antique mall,
Under and old hair curling system.



We both love Christmas!
There was always a fight over who would get to buy a
vintage tree topper we would both find at an antique store.



Shirley loves to bake and has a huge assortment
of rolling pins.  Lots of great baked items have come from these and 
her husband is the most well behaved man I know!



Last Fall on a visit to Ohio...
she wore her Indiana Hooiser attire.
I still let her party with the Scarlet and Gray fans.

THIS may be my favorite picture of us having the time
of our lives at Country Living Fair, 2019
I was so very happy I could make this happen for her.
It was the highlight of the year!

I sent this little gift to her several years ago.
I know she reads it everyday when she
wakes and sits in a special chair,
 saying her special prayers.

We both love to quilt

In 2011 I made this quilt and sent it to her.

I labeled it.

"A Friend is a Present You Give Yourself"

And now that you know a bit about our very long friendship...

maybe you can say a little prayer for her (and for me)

as she kicks cancer to the curb.

Shirley is strong!

Shirley is a warrior!
Shirley IS my BFF!