Colorado

Yesterday morning we took off to Colorado for a few days of meetings for my husband and a few days of relaxing for me. We landed and headed straight for Estes Park, one of my favorite places. We went into Rocky Mountain National Park and took the drive looking at all of the beauty. We had been warned that the weather up at the Alpine Visitor's Center was cold and there was problems with a bike rally, but that was the extent of the warning. We talked about it and decided to continue up to the visitor's center since the warning sounded more like casual conversation and not warning like at all. We got not too far from the visitor's center and the weather changed in the blink of an eye! Almost total white out from the clouds, ice/rain and high winds. We turned in to the visitor's center to see hundreds of bikes all over the place. Not many riders were to be seen, but bikes were everywhere!

We decided we didn't need to stay up there so ran over to the restrooms so we could make it down the mountain with one less thing on our minds. Ray went first so he could tell me if the wind was too much. He came back and reported everything was fine go ahead. HE LIED!
 Apparently he didn't listen in anatomy class about the differences in boys and girls. Boys stand and girls sit. Cold air coming up the barely civilized potties don't affect boys. Girls have to actually sit on the barely civilized potties and ice cold, gale force winds shooting UP the potty is a problem. It took full forced heat, heated seats in the truck and several minutes for me to feel my bottom again.

We headed down the mountain and the ice/rain had turned to huge snow drops and low visibility. We kept passing U haul moving vans going up the mountain to retrieve the bikes. We followed an ambulance that was transporting a couple of bikers suffering from hypothermia. I have several question going through my mind but I'm afraid someone will think I am being rude or mean. Questions like...have you ever been on top of this mountain before?  If you are a local biker, don't you know the weather changes in an instant on this mountain? Why would you ride your bike up here, and only wear the skimpy clothes you have on?
I completely understand they couldn't ride back down no matter what clothes they wore. The weather was just too bad, but the ones we saw huddled in the center were in skimpy biker clothes like the kind they wear in Florida. I'm confused.

Anyway, I'm in the room now recovering from the precious 8 year old Henry that was in the pool when I went down there earlier. He took a shine to me and nearly made me want to scream. He was celebrating his birthday today. I am not sure if he is ever disciplined or if since today was his day off due to the celebration. He managed to tell me I wasn't in the pool because I was too old. Called me "mam" at least 187 times in the 30 minutes I sat there waiting for my room to be tidied up. Finally his mother called him over and told him he was being rude. I thought she was telling him to play with his sisters and leave me alone, but no she told him to ask my name. She said it was rude to call me "mam". So now precious Henry asks me my name and I tell him, and he says Hey "mam" count how long I can stay under water. I asked if he needed help staying under longer but he said no. I decided to go to my room no matter if it was tidied up or not since I wasn't prepared to go to jail in Colorado.

Tomorrow I pick up my rental car so I can go visit fun places.

Later,
Diane

No sewing

Lots of yard work being done around here. Today is sprinkler system repair day. We have put it off until the absolute hottest day, which sounds just about right for us! Dear, sweet, love of my life doesn't know his own strength so first thing right off the bat he broke a whole head, stem, thing-a-ma-bob. Water gushing everywhere but on the dry, parched grass.
So while he runs to Lowe's I'm home trying not to touch my beige furniture because of the sun screen all over me. I can't even go into my sewing room since I am afraid of getting the goop on my fabric or machine or chair. I guess the safest place for me would be scrubbing the bathtub but who wants to do that? Not this red hen!
I hope I get to sew some tomorrow, but I'm not holding my breath.

Later,
Diane

The insanity is catching!

I received a couple of emails asking particulars so I thought I would show what I was doing.

The so called Giant Thimble was made from a template I drew. It is 2" at the base, 2" high and 1" at the top. I don't know if this is the correct dimensions, top to bottom measurement, but it's what I drew.

This is the ruler I used to make my tiny thimbles.

I cut on the 1 1/2" line.

small lunch box

Many times.
I decided I would make these my leader ender patches.
There is just one question that keeps nagging me. If I keep using smaller and smaller scraps...


How will I ever use all of this?

Old picture, it's actually worse now!

 

It's official

I'm nuts!
No really, I'm positive I'm nuts!

Example:

Some friend's are moving to Texas next week and I wanted to make them a house warming gift. She likes antiques and stuff so I thought I would make her a small quilt to put on her grandmothers treadle machine. I started out making thimble patches or at least I thought they were thimbles and was quite happy. Then for some strange reason my mind said, "that is too big for a thimble, that would be a thimble for a giant".

 I should have told myself to shut up and run screaming from the room, but NOOOOO!

 I kept that thought.

 Do you see how small these are?

If I did the math correctly the patches on the right, all sewn up will be about 9" X 12" (144 patches!). Do you see the stacks on the left?
Call the men in the white jackets!
I'll be in the sewing room mumbling to myself.

Diane

Thirty years

June 13, 1981 The first day of the rest of my life

Sounds like such a long time and yet it went by so fast. I have spent the last thirty years being married. As a matter of fact at 6:22pm tonight it will be thirty years since I said my vows.

To be perfectly honest if I had been older, (I was barely eighteen) or more intelligent, (how smart is your 18 year old?) I might have waited or not married at all. BUT...God had a plan.  (Jeremiah 29:11)
I wasn't wise enough to know the plan, I wasn't old enough to understand, but I had faith.

God sent me Ray. I remember telling Penny, my across the street, best friend of my childhood that I was going to marry Ray not many hours after meeting him. She laughed at me and I told her I was serious.
Her response was "He's too good for you, he won't look twice at you."
So much for loyalty!
But she was right. I was basically self raised after the age of twelve. That is another story for another day. Suffice it to say I didn't raise myself very well. I had baggage!

I met Ray's mother just a few months later. She was my room mother at church camp (Not by plan). I had never been to church camp. I was 17 years old and had only been going to church for a few months. I instantly loved her! She was kind and encouraging and loved Jesus more than anything in the world.  She listened to me and cried with me and loved on me.

Ray had a few rough edges (that is like the pot calling the kettle black!) but he was such a gentleman to me. I had never known a guy to be interested in what I thought. He asked me questions and was really interested in what I had to say. I told him everything.  He told me about his life and his work and his dreams. Most nights our dates consisted of sitting in my living room or on the porch, or in his truck in the driveway just talking.

Our first date was going to the pizza joint after church.  One of the other guys from church needed a ride so Ray said he would take him.  Tim climbed in the truck and sat in the middle...LOL! Ray and I still laugh about that when we think of it. If it had been anyone else besides Tim, Ray would have made him get out and switch places with me, but Tim was loved by everyone so he stayed in the middle since it was just about a two mile drive. On the way home, Ray took Tim to the side and told him he would take him home, but he needed to sit on the passenger side.

Our second date he said jokingly "let's get married" I said, "OK!" Little did either of us know we were both serious. From that evening on we have never gone a day without talking. We have been separated by jobs and illness and such, but we always talked.

There is so much more to my 30+ years with Ray.  When he calls on the phone I am still excited to hear his voice. When he comes home in the evening I am still happy to see him.

The way we are now

Speaking of...Ray is coming home early, I need to go get dressed!

Later,
Diane

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston was a beautiful town with so much to see. We definitely plan on going back there during a cooler time of the year. We walked miles and saw great things and met sweet people. Ray and I think we would like to retire to a town similar to this where you don't drive your car unless you are going far. Where everything you need is within walking distance. We had a great time.

Peyote bracelet

While travelling I saw a magazine that reignited an interest in beading. I love the feel of beads. I played around with some  that I have had stored for years and made a bracelet. All I need to do is put a clasp on it, but I didn't remember to pack one. Typical.

While exploring in South Carolina we found this

and the HOT light was on! Of course we stopped.
On one of my daily walks while Ray was in meetings I found the nicest little quilt shop. People Places and Quilts was such a friendly place to visit.  This quilt on display was the answer to so many "little" quilts made by one of the workers. She made many of the Lori Smith quilts and didn't really want so many little quilts. She put them all together into a usable size. I thought that was terrific!

 I already own a series of Lori Smith patterns but never made them. I like looking at other people little quilts but never wanted to make my own. Never saw the practicality. Now not only do I want to make a couple small quilts for decorations, I want to make some to put together like this one.

I am a fan of Jan Patek designs and saw this and recognized her "look".

I spoke with the owner of People Places and Quilts and co designer of this pattern Diane Frankenberger. She told me a little history of this pattern, I hope I remember it correctly. Eliza Lucas Pickney was responsible for Indigo plants in South Carolina. Her father sent her some from the West Indies. She struggled for many years but was successful in a crop and then gave away seeds.
This pattern named Eliza was a tribute to her. 

I have so much more to share, but I have catching up to do with the laundry and the puppies and yard work so I will post more tomorrow.

Later,

Diane



Charleston Museum, Charleston SC

Album quilt

Ray and I had the opportunity to see the Civil War Textiles exhibit at the Charleston Museum. I loved it! It didn't have a lot of quilts, but there were several. There were woven coverlets, a whole cloth quilt, a chintz applique quilt and an English paper piecing top and a beautiful Star of Bethlehem quilt.

English Paper Pieced top

Star of Bethlehem

Chintz applique

There was lots of women's clothing and under clothing and children's clothes along with several Civil war uniforms.
We spent a couple of hours and had a great time. if you happen to be near Charleston before the end of September try to see the exhibit.

Back home

First Landing Cross at Fort Story
click for info

We got home last night from a wonderful week long visit with dear friends. In about three weeks their lives will change drastically and we wanted to have a chance to see them before that happens. Mid June, on their 25th anniversary and their daughters 18th birthday, the father will be deployed to Afghanistan.
We had a wonderful visit. We had the chance to do lots of sightseeing. We cooked out, played games and watched the youngest son's baseball game. The visit was too short.

Today while the washing machine and dryer were chugging along, I ran out to the quilt shop to buy some Poke A Dots by Jillily Studio Quilting.

  I have tried for years to wear a thimble but I am just not able. I have tried everything to keep from putting a hole in my finger from the eye of the needle when I applique. Well, to tell the truth, I need help every time I use a needle. I have the ability to run a hole in my finger in just a few short minutes. I'm sure it's a talent.

I hope these work, I'll let you know.

While I was away a dear blogger, Jo from Jo's Country Junction did me a great favor. She cut me a large stack of small thimble (tumbler) patches with her Go! cutter. I planned on them being my leader ender project but I'm not sure I can hold back.

The dryer buzzed!

Later,

Diane