Jan's Minnesota Hotdish Pinwheels -

isn't it cool??? And, yes, the piecing is done,

the border is on,

and it is quilted by now.

Shock of all shocks,

she isn't giving this one away!

She is keeping it to snuggle in.

Who could blame her?

South Carolina Potluck

I don't know why Debbie is hiding. She is holding her South Carolina Potluck. It's a lovely quilt that came from a very tired day after a long flight. Maybe it should be called "Chicago Troubles, Remembered."

Abe and George Were Never So Celebrated

President's Day brought more than flag waving to our house this year. I was priviledged to host some of my friends for a sewing weekend. Robin came from North Carolina. Roseanne came from Virginia. Debbie came from South Carolina and Jan came from Michigan.

Oh, it was cold that weekend. It was rough on this Minnesnowtan, let alone the southern belles that had ventured up north. It was the coldest weekend we had had all season. The weather didn't keep us from doing a bit of shopping at a couple of the local quilt shops or visiting Wally's World of Wonder. JoAnn also was visited by us a few times.

Even with our visiting and going out to eat, we had time to piece.

This picture is of Jan. She surprised me with that incredible quilt she had made for ME! No one has ever done anything like that for me. I was amazed. Because of that quilt, she didn't quite get her quilt top done (I don't think). She got the body of it done but the piano key border wasn't playing before she left. I am sure by now (four weeks later) she has it pieced, quilted and on some lucky person's bed.

Debbie was tired when she tried to piece hers. She consistently altered the pattern throughout all the squares so we renamed hers, "South Carolina Potluck". She was diappointed with it but it was lovely.

Robin left with a completed top, I do believe and Roseanne just needed to make her border play, as well.

It was a great weekend in spite of the weather. Next year we meet in Indianapolis. No guarantee for weather there, either. teehee

Fickle Flurries

As a high school student, I couldn't wait to go to college. The college I chose as a freshman in high school was Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna, Minnesota. I knew that Minnesota was farther north than my hometown of Oak Lawn, Illinois. I understood that north meant colder. I understood that north meant snow. NO ONE told me that the true name of the wilderness I wanted to call home for four years was MinneSNOWta. No one mentioned the idea that my move to Minnesnowta for college could very well be a permanent move, that I would, forever, be subjected to the fickle flurries of Mother Nature's fury. The calendar says that spring is just four days away - the look out the window doesn't agree. Jelly Bean, our Chihuahua/Yorkie mix loves the snow but I am sure even she wouldn't mind having it go away.

Sunday night the snow started and it snowed and it snowed. Of course, that was a true answer to this selfish mom's prayer. It meant Philip, Holly and Noelle couldn't embark on their journey to their new life without Grandma for an extra day. I did so enjoy that extra day! It was just the comfort cushion I needed.

They left, however, on Tuesday morning so the snow was no longer needed. It could go away. It was doing just that. Things were looking messy and melty all day Tuesday. Wednesday brought glimpses of the surface of the driveway. Progress towards compliance with the calendar was going along nicely. On the way to church, however, there were little white flecks in the air. By the time we got to church the flecks had turned into those intense fickle flurries of Mother Nature's fury. The drive home was slow but steady. My poor little bug couldn't even get up the driveway when I got home. Hopefully, it will be Mother Nature's last fluffy hurrah of the season. The five inches of white stuff that is ever so pretty in December has a totally different interpretation in March!

Well, it's St. Patrick's Day. The sun is shining - could spring be far behind?

Out of my Technological Box

I am not too sure about this blog thing. I am resistant to change and to new stuff so it seems so out of my box to be posting. I find it hard to believe that anything I have to say is worthy of any cyber space but here I go......

I suppose background information comes first. I was born in a little log cabin in the southwestern suburbs of Chicago. Okay, so it was a hospital and not a log cabin but it WAS a very long time ago. My entire childhood was spent living in the same house. A few years ago I stopped by the old neighborhood to see some of the neighbors. I was stopped in front of my old house and didn't even recognize it. It's about twice as big and, except for the front porch, doesn't look at all like the one I grew up in. I truly can never go home again.

I married the love of my life more than 31 years ago. We have eight great (most of the time) children. Jeremy is married to Jo and living in Cleveland. They are expecting their first child (my third grandbaby) in June. Becky hasn't found her love of her life yet. She is a surgical RN at the University Hospitals. She just bought her second townhouse this past summer and keeps ever so busy. Philip is married to Holly and the daddy of my first grandbaby, Noelle. They are moving next week to North Carolina. (Yes, it's breaking this mom's heart.) Megan and her husband, Eric, live in Owatonna and I allow them to take care of my second grandbaby, Anna, who was just born this past January. Monica and her husband, Corey, are such good kids - they live just two miles away. Someone has to keep this mama happy. Zachary, Kellianne and Susannah are still at home. They are supposed to keep me young but it feels like they are aging me.

Miss Molly Mistletoe McGee, the golden retriever, Miss Daisy Mae MacDougal, the basset hound and Jelly Bean the yorkie/chihuahua mix finish off the family.

I am a professional long arm quilter. I work in my own home and love it. My commute to work is 7 steps down and I can work in my jammies whether it is Casual Friday or not. I am now a published quilter. I pieced and quilted a quilt for a book that was just released in January. It was so cool to see it in the book! My fifteen minutes of fame is behind me, I guess.