Block Exchange 2007

Tonight was the first meeting of this years' block exchange group. We got packets of info from our friends telling us how to make the block for each of them.

I took pictures of examples from the directions that we received this evening.

In the first picture you can see a floral basket that Dorothy wants ( design your own), the lions or dolphins for Ruth and the bright pieced block for Lisa.

The second picture is a block we have all done before - Terry's daughter Erin loves the block and needs more to complete a quilt for her bed.

The third picture has a bright square within a square for Daisy, a navy/white block for Linda, green/brown for Eileen and a bright house block for Louise.

The last picture has another bright black/white and colored block for Cindy, a sailboat for Jan, more fall colors for Carol and a block of the month for Phyllis (everyone has a different month).

Weekend in Kalamazoo

I went to Kalamazoo to watch kids this weekend while Ashley and Alex attended business meetings.

Saturday we went to a museum - hands on, dramatic play, make your own race car for the track, and learning......the mummy was most interesting. Do you really want to know how they took the brains out????? We watched 3 videos about the mummy......very interesting.

Sunday we went to the pool - Alexander jumped in thru a waterfall!!!! He also discovered he could swim by himself across the pool - water over his head!!!!

In between the kids colored on fabric squares to use in a quilt for a new cousin in Rhode Island, played games, took exploring walks in the hotel (even got to walk by the loading dock and ride in the service elevator!), had to catch their pancake at breakfast Sunday morning - hold up your plate and it was thrown over the glass!!!!!!!!!!! Sure wish I had my camera for that one!!

Andrew was so good - went everywhere, napped in the stroller and smiled at all the attention. His first tooth broke thru the gums - at 6 months old. He is a big boy........and a cutie!!!

Icy Winter

This morning the sun was shining and the ice had not melted from Monday.

It was very cold, but beautiful outside.
I shoveled a couple inches of snow off the driveway, got my camera and went out back.

The day has stayed sunny, the ice is sparkling off the trees like crystal.........I'm warm and cozy inside!!!

Japanese Houses

I now have 8 house blocks from my Japanese friends..........now comes the challenge of putting them together. I do have a large bin of oriental fabric to help me.

I have 8 pieces of fabric from the exchange and I hope to use them somehow in the wallhanging.

Each time we met, the blocks were presented with much anticipation. There were thank you notes, and thank you notes for the thank you's, little gifts and unseen love. Naomi translated these- which were written on very pretty cards. We made her a little house wall hanging - which brought the thank you for the thank you!!

I have enjoyed being a part of this group - and would LOVE to do it again!!

New Sewing Machine

I went to Smith Owens Sewing Center in Grand Rapids to have my sewing machine serviced - nothing wrong, just a yearly D & C.

While passing time, I looked at the new Pfaff......and to make the story short, came home with one!!!!!!!!!!!!

It has some great features - touch screen, presser foot engager, nice machine applique stitch and on and on. I have been looking into this as my hands are beginning to get painful from all the hand piecing, quilting and applique that I do and I really need to do more by machine. My machine was 10 years old - and there is 10 years of new technology on this one.

I now have to learn this new technology. Last evening I wound a bobbin and did some test sewing...........hopefully this weekend I will do more. The owners class is early in February - and I will go with a list of questions, I'm sure.

Thanks Mom.

Sewing your own quilt!!

It all started with leftover squares from my journal quilt that Allison was laying on the floor - she wanted to sew them together.........so she decided which ones went together and guided them thru the sewing machine. When she was tired, we were done. She knew it needed a border and picked something yellow - her favorite color -no matter that it had a little orange, too.

She asked for just a little batting (thin thermore), so she could have a picnic on her quilt and the juice wouldn't tip over. No problem there. She chose fancy stitches for the quilting - looking at the chart on my sewing machine, putting in the numbers, and helping guide the quilt thru. She was very pleased with the results - and it was done in an afternoon.

Alexander had to have his turn the next day. I had some precut squares of novelty fabrics - and we cut some more - it kept getting bigger!! He guided the fabric thru the sewing machine and I was just going to bind it, but he knows about borders........so it got a little bigger. He wanted it soft and warm, so chose a new lightweight cotton batt. He helped with the quilting, too - altho we did not do decorative stitches on all the seams - just a few!! He was last seen wearing it as a cape.

This was not an activity that I had planned to do.........it just happened. Luckily I have a little fabric and batting to be able to do something like this.

New Years Eve

We were happy to spend New Years Eve at home.

The kids made parfaits with yogurt and cool whip........and they had hats and poppers

and confetti EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!

No....they did not stay up until midnight to celebrate........regular bedtime, because I know who has to deal with them the next day!!!!!!!!!

As a matter of fact, we were in bed at regular time, too - old farts that we are!!!

Christmas Vacation

Alexander and Allison stayed with us......we love to have them visit.

The kids cut out and decorated gingerbread men - and dinosaurs!!!!!
About half of them really did get eaten!!!!

We all got to meet a "new to be" family member - Scott - cousin Erin
is engaged!!!

Mostly we stayed close and enjoyed playing with new and old toys. The kids and I did go see Charlotte's Web - the movie - and it is very cute - great animation. We each had favorite characters. I started reading the book to them and we talked about how a movie is different - and they even add characters to a movie and leave out some things......

With the weather almost 50 degrees, we got outside a couple days, too- golf clubs and baseball bats!!!

No White Christmas here!!!!!

Christmas Day

Santa came!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alexander got a Game Boy and Allison got her Easy Bake Oven!!!!! - among other things.........Andrew was very intrigued with a couple items that played music.

The children were occupied all morning. Some of the Thomas family came for Christmas lunch as Ashley and Alex had to return to Ohio. Alex had to work the next day.......ahh.....

We got to have special visitors for the rest of the vacation. Alexander and Allison stayed with us until January 2.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve starts our family celebration with a Kuhlman family dinner. Cousins from the Lansing area gather for a nice dinner and a few presents. We all took turns talking to Great Grandpa Kuhlman in Florida as he was in the hospital after receiving a pacemaker.

A few days later, I had to call him again as Alexander and Allison wanted to know where the pacemaker was on his body, could he feel it? and how it was put in there........discussions of anesthetic, etc!!!!!!!!!! It was a good learning experience.

We came home and left cookies and milk for Santa.