Why I make Quilts

The kids sleep under favorite quilts when they are here.
Allison has a new one here - bigger than the lady-bug-hugs quilt - and with her name on the bottom end - like in the book, The Quilt Story by Tomie DePaola. She wants to pass it on to her little girl like in the story.
The quilt is mostly yellow - her favorite color. Alexander sleeps under a quilt made for him a few years ago with help from my block exchange group. There are star blocks in the sky, boats in the sea, and fish in the ocean.
The sky area is quilted with glow in the dark thread - and it still glows!!!!

Thanksgiving Holiday Pics

Thanksgiving brought together family - of course.
And bakers - first was the rolls that Great Grandma is famous for - with help from Allison. Allison helped with the pumpkin pie.
Alexander and Allison helped smash cooked sweet potatoes and put a layer of mini-marshmallows on top - yummy!!
We had the traditional turkey, stuffing, cosmic cranberry sauce (my own!) and green beans with onions and bacon. A good meal.


The Greats with their great-grandchildren.

My brother, John, came from Indiana - the kids enjoyed his company and attention. The played an interesting game of monopoly later. Allison was the banker (she didn't want to play, just be the banker) and was selling Polly Pocket dolls and pets as well as houses and hotels!!!!!!!!

Grandpa John read to ALL the kids. Andrew gets a book and backs into your lap to be read to. He is beginning to speak in sentences - mostly 2-3 words at a time. He understands almost everything!!!

We were downstairs and Andrew found cat toys. I put a little leather mouse down his shirt - more entertainment than the cat has ever had with that mouse!!!

Alexander brought his game boy - he loves the pokemon games....I can hardly understand them..........but I'm trying.

Allison always enjoys the box of Polly Pockets - dolls, pets, pool, and port-a-potties - those colored boxes that dolls came in from MacDonalds - at least that is what we call them - either that or coffins!!!!!! She can play with these for hours on end.......

Saturday Alexander, Allison and I went to a play at Riverwalk Theatre downtown Lansing. We saw Rumplestiltskin - from the center front row.

Allison got to go on stage with the Princess....she was really taken with live theater. I could see her mouthing words to a song and dancing in her seat. I think the King did too as he was watching her while performing.

After the production, the cast was available for autographs and pictures. The kids got signatures from every cast member - all 8!!!

I had made sure that we read the story of Rumplestiltskin before we went to the play. Alexander expresses concern that we already knew the story, so why go to the play.

As I watched their faces during the production, I knew they were learning so much more than just the story. We saw lighting, props, staging, scenery, music, etc. and talked about it all. Then to get to meet the actors was icing on the cake. We walked a little on the Riverwalk after the play - kinda cold, so it was a short walk.

We had dinner and the kids drove back to Ohio.

On to Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beautiful Fall Day

The temperature is almost 60!!!
The sheets are on the line for probably the last time this year........
Leaves are there for the raking on a daily basis.......not necessarily done on a dialy basis!!!! The fuscia still has 6 blossoms on it - I can't pitch it over the hill yet........

The Chinese Maple looks beautiful.......still carrying all it's leaves....

Look........ there is Mango enjoying being outside too.

The front garden still has pumpkins and a golden color plant amidst some greens.

I raked leaves barefoot this afternoon.

However, the temp is supposed to be ten degrees lower tomorrow, and ten more the day after that.........

I've enjoyed today........the bed will smell line-dry sweet tonight and that's all that matters.

Saturday November 10

We had a quick visit with the Grands on Saturday. They had told me about a special exhibit at Impressions Five Science Center that they wanted to see. So off we went.......leaving little Andrew home. This place is best for big kids.
It turned out to be a Super Saturday sponsored by NuUnion Credit Union.
And what a Super Saturday it was.
There were free backbacks and LOTS of information about money. Eight stations to visit and have your passport stamped with the promise of a baggie of shredded REAL money at the end.
One station had the kids decorating a "bank." Of course, there was the regular Impression activities - the mirrors were attractive to the big ham!!!

Alexander always tries this thing out - you lean back, pull back and forth and go around - why anyone would MAKE themselves dizzy is beyond me!!!

Allison always likes the bubble room and is strong enough to pull this over her head!!!

Among the special activities sponsored by the credit union was panning for gold!!!

Allison proudly displays her gold nugget - and then got a black velveteen bag to store it in!!!

Many thanks to NuUnion for all the specials - the Chromatography was the biggest hit - and seeing the magnification of one, five, ten and twenty dollar bills on a computer screen - things not seen with the naked eye. It was fascinating for all of us.

Now back to the special exhibit that brought us to Impression Five - Hatching the Past - Dinosaur Eggs, Nests, and Young; in association with the Smithsonian Institution.

What an impressive special.

The kids could dig for eggs, touch reconstructed nests and see Baby Louie, the nearly complete skeleton of a baby dinosaur.

Lots of authentic fossils from all over the world and LOTS of information.

Andrew stayed home and Grandpa took him outside - first thing he goes for is the balls and golf clubs. I think Grandpa will have a new golfing partner soon!!!

Andrew LOVES balls of any kind and has a strong throw already. To go along with his increasing vocabulary.

At the end of the day, the big kids had gone to bed and Andrew was playing with us. He climbed up in Grandpa Johns' lap for a quick snuggle.

The day was over too soon. The big kids went home with new pj's that I had made with flannel found when I cleaned out my sewing room closet.

Thanksgiving is coming soon........and we will have family here.

Halloween Day at the Library

I worked at my library on Halloween.
This is me and Maggie - she is a graduate of my Babies and Books Storytime....now a big 4 year old.
I worked during the day so I could be home for the Trick-or-Treaters in the neighborhood. We only had about 25 kids but it was nice to see most of them in the daylight!!!!!!!! There was a light drizzle for most of the time, too.
I did a Trick or Treat Trade with neighbors on each side and across the street - just to visit and trade candy!!!
At 8pm, it was good to be back in real clothing - and hair!!!!

First Day at Home

The first day at home and the yard beckons. John did some organizing and went out to an appointment. After lunch he started working outside.
We have a huge oak tree in the back yard and numerous poplar - so there are lots of leaves. The oak hasn't really lost many leaves yet - we have been known to rake after Christmas!!!
First comes the blower....... Then the rake and then the mower......

I attacked some of the fabric that was unearthed over the weekend.

This piece of corduroy because a jumper for Allison - a really quick 2 hour pattern.

It will look really cute with a red turtleneck and red tights....

And a piece of flannel will be a nightgown......

There are a couple other pieces of flannel that will become sleep pants for Alexander. Gotta save something for tomorrow!!

Moving Day

Saturday was "Move the Office to Home" day.......John has left the office building and will have his office here in the house. Two Men and a Truck helped on Saturday - brought the big desks, cabinets, files, and chairs. The carpenter was here to cut parts down so they would fit in this room.
There are still the 2 beds that the kids use when they stay with us.......we have to keep those.
We have had to get under-bed storage containers for many wall quilts that I used to keep on the beds - under the spread and flat. Now they are folded - too bad...that's just the way it has to be.
The organizing begins........... and the adjustment to having a husband home all the time.............

I got into the act, too.......I started cleaning some shelves in a walk in closet in my sewing room. These shelves have seen many additions of fabric in 15 years - and really needed purging.
They were overflowing........and much of the fabric will never be used by me.
Not in a million years!!!!!!
My trunk is full of bags of fabric to take to a friend who makes LOTS of charity quilts. I counted 13 bags.

I also filled a large trash can.......

This is what the shelves look like now - still too much fabric......but I can see most of it now.
I also have 14 large bins of fabric - labeled -oriental, stripes, bugs, 30's, christmas, etc......and a few smaller bins of hand dyed and the like.
To the right of these shelves are 4 larger and deeper shelves - I went thru 2 of them......most of that fabric is in piles of interest - floral, food, leaves, texture, etc........and there is LOTS more to do...........
The top shelf is kid and conversation fabric and the other side is cat fabric - WAY too much of those, but they are important......at least I think so. In between on that top shelf is the laundry chute drop - I need to keep up on that front, too......
Under the shelves - more - 3 boxes of sewing fabric - not quilting fabric, and a box of flannel.........will I ever use it????? I don't know - maybe pj's for the kids are in order!!!
I also went thru 3-4 other areas where fabric has collected. And there is a pile of yardage - something I don't have much of...but still a pile.
I did save out some fabric for me to make a quilt for Ele's Place - a place for grieving children.......and their grief camp. I always make a few quilts for charity each year. Both guilds have their causes....and I contribute.
I'm pleased with what I have done so far.......but this all takes time from sewing!!!!!!!!