Quilting and Sewing for Baby Mac

I received an email from my DIL today asking if I could make something warm and soft for the new baby. She must have been reading my mind. I have a Snuggle Up pattern, from Black Cat Creations, which is both a blanket and bunting in one. I'm going to make it up with flannels instead of Minke. If it turns out OK I may try it in Minke.

I had a meeting with a local shop owner Sherry Edwards of The Salt Box. I met Sherry this fall when I decided to check out her shop. one thing led to another, you know how it is when artists get together, and a new quilting class is being born. I will create a beginner quilting class that will start January 29th, 2009. We will have the class at The Salt Box. I am EXCITED to be working with Sherry to share one of my passions.

I also found a great podcast with Larkin Van Horn by Bonnie McCaffery. Larkin shows how she beads on her art quilts. Great Podcast Bonnie and Larkin! I have taken a class from Bonnie and found it quite fun and informative. I also got to eat lunch with her and she is as great in person as she comes across in her podcasts.

Stumble Upon link - Mama Bears

I am trying to beef up my blog. to make it more interesting and friendly. I have created a survey (through PollDaddy.com) in the sidebar to the right. Please take a few quick minutes to give me constructive feedback. I would like you to come back time and time again.

In this regard I have been doing some surfing today and came about or should I say stumbled on, StumbleUpon.com. In keeping with the post regarding the MOM song, In my next life I'm gonna be a Bear. I had never thought about it in these terms but she is absolutely right. I wanna be a bear in my next life too. Maybe not, I don't believe bears get to quilt.

On the quilting front, still no quilting today but I have started the planning for my next projects. While at Mary Jo's Cloth Store yesterday I bought several baby books to quilt. The fabric is washed, dried and ready to be worked on. As I formatted this post I realized that 2 of these panels are about a bear, Paddington Bear. A guess this is a Beary post day. Sorry, couldn't resist.









Paddington Bear Learning to Count, Vol 2















Paddingon Bear's ABC's Vol 3








Beatrix Potter ABC Vol II

Thanks for looking, reading and taking the survey in the sidebar on the right.

Mom Song

I want to thank Chris Daly for a wonderful laugh today. On her blog Greetings from Shady Grove she posted this great funny song, The Mom Song. I saw myself in this song when my son was younger as I suspect many Moms will. This woman has great breath control to get it sung so well. I hope you enjoy this entertainment.

A Mother Lode of Fabric

For those of you who live near Gastonia, NC or are traveling through the Charlotte area should check out Mary Jo's Cloth Store. The have a huge building filled with so many lovelies. I have never been to a store that has such a large selection of fabrics. Make sure you bring your checkbook though because you will be buying LOTS of quality fabric. Mary Jo's has all sorts of fabric, 100% cottons for quilting, home dec, bridal, silks, etc. with unbelievable selections and prices. when I go there it is like eating potato chips, I can't buy just one (thing). I do frequent and support my local quilt shops but every now and again a girl needs to take a trip to Mary Jo's.
I was able to pick up some new fabric book panels so the grandchildren can learn their alphabet, numbers and animals. At the same time they can slobber all over them without causing any harm. I love cloth books...actually I love books period, but that is another passion.

On the family front I received another wonderful photo of my beautiful DIL, DS, and baby Mac. They are going to be such great parents! They are 34 days from the due date. Looking good Teresa!

My sister is able to go home at last. Her hand is healing, pain is improved. Her son is flying up to help with the driving home. I sure have enjoyed her visit even if she has been a "bad influence" on the fabric shopping expeditions.

New Year's Eve

Happy New Year to all those who comment, or just lurk. I'm spending time with my family today. More about that tomorrow. Here is a picture taken of The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge tonight.

Surgery and Quilts

My sister had surgery on her hand today. It was done at the Orthopaedic Surgical Center in Asheville, NC.



Isn't this a neat sign?









Can you see how the tree trunk on the left side of the sign has an image of a joint?

Did you notice it in the first picture?












Thankfully it went well. She is well plied with pain killers. So far she hasn't said anything really funny that I could blackmail her with later. Guess I should have insisted on general anesthesia (just kidding).



Dr. Bruce Minkin of Carolina Hand Surgery Associates was great. He took time to explain to us how he fixed her finger with a pin, drew on the pictures, personally went over her do/don't list. if you need a caring physician to deal with a hand injury in the Asheville, NC area please consider Dr. Minkin.










Here is a great picture of her finger with the pin complete. I hope this isn't too graphic. I'm a nurse so I find this fascinating. Dr. Minkin was able to straighten the bone. The pin stabilizes the fracture so the bone can fill in at the fracture site.


She has described how weird her arm/hand feels. She had a regional block so she got to be awake and involved in her surgery. Apparently the arm weighs quite a bit, we just don't realize it because we have all our muscles working together to make it all work together.

The quilt aspect of this post tonight is the theme her hand surgeon has going on in the office. They have quilts through out. I was very intrigued by the round one. The staff states it is about 20 years old. It is mounted on plywood. I did get to check quite a few up close. They were hand sewn and quilted. Sadly not one of them had a label to tell their story.

Broken hand, no quilting

No, I don't have the broken hand, my sister does. She fell in my driveway on Saturday. We discussed going to the Emergency Room when it happened but we weren't sure it was broken at 1st. She also expected the ER to be busy so it was decided to see how it did. The plan was to go to the ER later, when it might be less crowded. Off to the quilt shops we went, see yesterday's posts. She is a trooper! The hand specifically didn't get better so off we went to the ER to get her hand, ribs and knee checked out. After only 5 hours in the ER it was official - she had a displaced fracture of her "pinky" finger. Knee and ribs checked out OK. Today we got to spend hours and hours at the hand surgeon, who was wonderful! Sis is scheduled for surgery tomorrow afternoon. I will work, DH will bring her to the surgical suite. I will meet her there, stay for the surgery and then bring her home. I am hoping while under the influence of "good" drugs I might hear some interesting info I might not normally hear. Just kidding. We both lead pretty tame lives. If everything goes as planned she will just have a wire to stabilize the joint...worse case is the need for a screw to hold the bone together to heal. I don't think she will be quilting for awhile. We expect she will be able to return home by the weekend. For every black cloud there is a silver lining - we get more sister time.

Another TN Quilt Shop - Tennessee Quilts

Our trip to TN Quilt Shops continued at to Tennessee Quilts in quaint Jonesbourgh. This great shop in right on the main drag into town 114 Boone Street.
















The shop is in a converted 2 story house. Both floors are full to the brim with fabric, notions, really cool tools, books and shop samples. Upstairs there are also quilts on consignment.


We lucked out, they were having a SALE, as my sister can attest.






Here is a shot of one of the sale fabric tables. I don't know if you can see it on your monitor but the colors of fabric Donna is holding matches the colors in her shirt. I wonder if that means those are her colors?















We met one of the Owners, Linda Crouch-McCreadie... She was wonderful - assuring us we could take our time, even though it was close to quitting time. Here she is cutting fabric for their online sales. In the front and on the right is my pile.













There were several wonderful and helpful employees when we arrived. This is Judy. Linda is in the back.

Judy is cutting the yummy fabrics for several baby quilts. Have I mentioned our 2 precious twin granddaughters and that a new one is on the way lately?



When we got there it was daylight. When we left it was dark. The staff and shop were wonderful. Thank you to all who were there on Saturday.

If you get a chance the short drive from Johnson City to Jonesbourgh, TN is well worth the 10 or 15 minute drive. We definitely will be back.

TN Quilt Shops

My sister and I decided to spend some time together on Saturday by taking a ride, it was a beautiful day to go up the mountain into TN. It is only a little over an hour to Johnson City, TN. The first shop we visited was Nimble Thimble. That's me ready to shop!

We really enjoyed the shop, lots of different items, large class room and quite a few store samples of various patterns. We met a wonderful person, Myra. She was wearing a present from a family member that was just too cute. I really need to find the pattern. It looks like a vest, is knitted as a circle with 2 arm holes. No hole for her head so part of the circle covers the back and part of it creates the neck line. The yarn was really chunky and tutti fruiti colors.
Thanks Myra for a wonderful visit!


Sister Donna on Left, Myra on Right

Twas the day after Christmas ...

and all through the house where 4 dogs a barking and playing, 2 cats a hissing (at the visiting dog), 1 sister visiting. We had a quiet Christmas, my DH, my youngest sister and myself. I worked in the morning then home to spend the rest of the day with my little family. No quilting but I did get some great frog fabric from my sister. I will have to find the perfect project for these fat quarters. My sister and I are going to Tennessee on Tuesday to view the quilt shops over there. My DH got me a GPS system for the car - guess he thinks I'm lost when I'm really at the quilt shops.
My mother finally received her quilt today, guess the bad weather in the North delayed the shipment. She is thrilled and is planning on finding coordinating pillow cases for her bed to match. It feels good to give hand made items for Christmas. Did you make anything for someone on your list this year? I would love to hear what you made and the story behind the item.

Today I am sharing another of my DH's photos. This looks like an angel floating through the trees to me. Can you see it? Hint - the head is to the right, wings up and down, the body to the left.