A Mom to Remember...

I was lucky to have Mom for many years.
Alzheimer's took her from me before she left this world
so I really lost her twice.  

Cora Clayton lived to be 92 and today I want to share
a few photos and a few ways I got through my loss.

Here we are at her 92nd birthday, Oct 10, 2006.
Looks like I was annoying her, as usual!

And here I am fixing her hair at her 90th Birthday Open House

Over 100 people stopped by to wish her a Happy Birthday.

I'm probably annoying her again!  

And here she is a bit younger.  

Mom was a quilter who hand pieced, scrappy quilts by sewing strips together. 
She was scrappy before scrappy was so popular.
She made quilts for all her grandchildren.  

I just about lost my mind after loosing her, so I had to find a way to heal.  
I did it with fabric, the fabric from her clothes. 

The first quilt I made was an applique quilt (and I knew very little about applique).  
I used her aprons that she wore EVERY Sunday when she made her family Sunday Dinner.  
She made the BEST fried chicken. YEP - Fried Chicken!

I made this lap quilt - replica's of those aprons.  

Although you can't see it...I machine quilted her name
in the top border.  

"Sunday Dinner At Mom's" by Kathy Gordon, 2007

The next quilt I made I used all her house dresses and
just did a scrappy block design.
My BFF Shirley, who grew up with me and Mom
hand quilted this one.  The quilt won 1st place, hand quilting
in the 2010 Common Threads Guild Quilt Show.

"House Dressings"  by Kathy Gordon, 2010

Mom would be so proud that I am a quilter and I made these quilts.
BUT she'd be made as hell that I cut up her clothes to make them. 

Here I am with my son Eric, last Mother's Day, at the beach.
He puts the Mom in my little world.  

Wishing you all a Happy Mother's Day ! ! !

When Winning makes me MOODY!

 

 Just passed 300 GFC followers during the Sew Mama Sew Blog Hop!  

My #300 GFC is

Jen Collins who lives in Australia!

I didn't announce this surprise but I will be sending

Jen a little "thank you" gift.

Soon, I will have a giveaway for ALL Followers. 

And now to announce The Kwilty Pleasures giveaway 

for the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day Blog Hop

The giveaway was...1 yard and 2 charm square packs

Out of 264 comment the random generator selected...

And Janarama is the lucky girl who said...

Coming soon I'll be "Saying it with Flowers"  

in a blog hop sponsored by Sew We Quilt. 

Perhaps another giveaway...you'll have to come and see!

Because of you....I'm in a Kwilty Pleasures HAPPY MOOD!

TWEETTLE-DE-DE

  Hey, it's my day on "It's for the Birds" blog hop.

I love watching the birds so this is a hop I couldn't resist.

Each season brings lots of birdies to my feeders.  

Yellow Finches

Hairy Woodpecker

Cardinal

Hummingbird

So I "bagged" some cute birds" for my project!  

It's a quilt as you go styled bag!

I used wonky sized strips for a modern feel.

Love the double button closure!

Lots of birds hanging out back!

Look closely...lots of fun birds on this focus fabric!

A pocket inside with even more birds on the lining!

Make sure to fly over and see the tweet projects made

by the other bloggers today (and each day)!  

Tuesday May 7th

http://www.fiberbabble.com

http://Sewincrediblycrazy.blogspot.com

www.SquawkThat.com

http://Scrapatches.blogspot.com

http://Kwiltypleasures.blogspot.com

www.sowingstitches.blogspot.com

www.justquiltit.blogspot.com

http://krislovesfabric.blogspot.com

http://apassionforapplique.blogspot.com

http://dancingmoon-carla.blogspot.com

http://bumbleberrystitchn.wordpress.com

http://Sewandsowfarm.blogspot.com

http://Ipiece2-Mary.blogspot.com

http://sharon-dancingthruthreads.blogspot.com

http://www.iliketoquiltblog.blogspot.com/

http://catsnqlts2.blogspot.com

Hey, before you fly to coop....what is your favorite bird! 

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day - Come play!

This giveaway is now closed.   

Thanks for stopping by Kwilty Pleasures...

take a look around if you have time.  

Welcome and I hope to see you again!  

Did you ever play the Chutes and Ladders board game?

Today for the Sew Mama Sew's Giveaway Day

it's a Kwilty Pleasures version of the game in fabric!

If you win...you get to play with

MODA CHUTES AND LADDERS

fabric!

1 yard of the pink and brown fabric and 

2 (two) Charm packs of 40 squares each

This giveaway is open to all!

You don't have to be a follower but I'd love it if  you were.  

Trying to hit 300 on GFC!!!

Just leave me ONE comment to

 tell me what you would make with this fun collection!

My Birthday and My Etsy Store

Today is my birthday and I'm still refusing to go
 "over the the hill"
Yep, the view from up here is pretty great.  
 I can see all the stash I bought while attending the 
Cincinnati International Quilt Festival.  

AND as a birthday present to me...I finally
opened my Kwilty Pleasures ETSY STORE

Here's a little birthday gift to you from me
A stash building formula that will
get you in trouble but keep you smiling, every time. 


Take 2 Kathy G's, 1 International Quilt Show, 5 quilt shops 

then subtract lots of money!  What do you end up with? 

1, 3-day shopping spree and 2 EXHAUSTED! BROKE 

but HAPPY quilters!

Thanks to my BFF (BEST FABRIC FINDER) and wonderful friend, Kathy Guenther for inviting me to stay at her home in Cincinnati during IQF!  Since I just retired, there was NOTHING (like that four letter word) standing the way of a great time! 

First stop, on my way to Cincy, was at Fabric Shack in Waynesville, OH at their annual "tent sale".   I met Kathy there and ran into other friends I quilt with!   

If there is ever a fabric is in heaven it would look like this and prices couldn't be much better.

$18.00 Layer Cakes and Jelly Rolls

$1.00 Fat Quarters

$4.00 Charm packs

Kathy gave me the "COMMA" F8s (center) as a retirement gift and I found these 25% off  FQs at Cincy's  "Sewn Studio" to go with them! I have already cut and sewn 42 cross blocks.

 Sewn Studio also had a great sale on yardage so these new fabrics came home with me to make bags. 
The bicycles are from Mary Lake Thompson for Robert Kaufman
and the TVs are from Riley Blake's Geekly collection.
I married a TV guy (and we both had this type of TV) so this fabric had to become MINE!  
I see totes coming my way soon!

A trip to Indianapolis and Crimson Tate :: Modern Quilter shop 

filled a bag with a great selection of the Julia Rothman "TYPE" fabrics.  I took typing class in high school 

Could type 80 WMP, wore glasses and 

I was a "secretary" for many years of my career.  

The French Seam was another fun fabric shop in Indianapolis.

One of my favorites fabrics, Lotta Jansdotter, flew off the half-price shelf and into my shopping bag.

I here are some fun $6.00/yard fabrics offered by one of the vendors at the Cincinnati  IQF show.

The cute frogs are from "Baby Talk" by David Walker and paired with Feather Stripe from Newcastle Fabrics by Cathy Heck looks so cute with the frogs.  Can you say baby quilt?  

Aren't these just "peachy"  The bikes from the "Weekends" Collection and the geometric from Andover.  

Hollly Holderman's Ric Rac Tonal by Lakehouse and Power Pop by Janean Morrison for Free Spirit also caught my eye.  

3 City Scenes fabrics by Jane Dixon for Andover fabrics is a FUN collection with unique designs of people, buildings and stores.  Great color combinations makes this a fun addition to ANY stash.

Again my BFF's eagle eye found this tucked away on a bottom shelf.  Of course we both had to have it!  

Thank goodness I have a quilting retreat the 3rd weekend of May.  Time to sew and STAY OUT of the shops!   

What is your favorite birthday gift, ever?