Jacki's quilt in progress

OK I'm finally posting this pics here on the blog. I will update again if Jacki has time to put this together over the week off before the fall semester starts.

Jacki needs to pick out something for those large edge triangles. (I looked at my stash and there are a couple of options, but we may need to make a run to Joannes with a 50% coupon....

Jacki's 4th or 5th quilt - I dont think she need my help any more.....

All I can say is WOW!

a quilt square challange

Last weekend we went to Winona County Fair - there was sooo much to see.

Is this not the best idea for a decoration outside the Home Economics Building!


Here is the idea

A few months before the fair, the local quilt shops had fair books for the taking and a small package that shoppers could purchase for about 8 or $10.

Each package had 3 identical fabrics.

The challange was to create a quilt block form the fabrics. Only one additional fabric COULD be added if needed.

The blocks were entered and judged at the fair.

Then after the fair a local guild will be finishing the project and the quilt will be auctioned off with proceeds going to a local charity.

Sorry for the bad pics - it was hot and my hands were full but here they are.....

I'm thinking next year I want to try this.

Visiting Jacki and Tim

My daughter turned 22 today, but she had class while her husband and I had to work......

Sooooo John and I visited this weekend.

John's favorite spot in MN - not the Mississippi, but this lake. Lots of blue gills to test his fly's on. And alway a turtle or too....



And what would it be like if we went to visit their 100+ year old house and not fix something??

Sunday morning, we were planning to leaving before 9am. But at 7:30 Jacki let us hear her dishwasher.... its a wonder it still cleaned the dishes.

Tim and John went up town, while Jacki and I turned off the water and disconnected everthing.

An hour later, we were on our way with a new dishwaher installed.

MN County Fair

Jacki told her friend that our family looks a fairs differently than most people....

Boy is she right!

I walk into the the rabbit/poultry barn -- and the first thing I notice is that this is were they have the milk house! And look at the fun they have at the end of the week!



Our fair in IL has about 2 to 3 times the livestock exhibits, but look at these barns. OK, there's only 2 barns, but they are Impressive!!!!


An I really love the carnivals, sense of humor. This one reads

• "If you can read this grandpa left!" another read
• "This seat requires 0 tickets"
  

And there is alway fair food, they had the staples covered like corn dogs, funnel cakes and lemon shake ups.

But there was new to us fair food....
Fried Cheese Curds and WALLEY SUBS! Yum!!!!

2010 4th of July Weekend

A year ago I did not know about bloggs or message boards. Other than computer programing of course. How is it that I have worked as a computer programmer since the mid 80's and I knew NOTHING about the web for fun.

Fast forward to July 5, 2010 and I check out the HGTV quilting board. A board member from MO has a friend who has a long haul ahead of her recovering from some medical issues. Susan will be in the hospital or rehabilitation for an extended period. Sooo a message was posted asking for quilt blocks to cheer Susan up. I CAN DO THIS.....

The first thing I thought of was- "It appears that Susan has a lot of people waiting for her to come home". The result: I'm making a home coming ribbon!

I received 1250 different postage stamp fabric squares just 3 days before. Below is my first attempt at using these squares. Its not perfect, far from it. But I hope it brightens up Susan's day.

1) First I built the ribbon with yellow and golds. Boy did it need squaring up!!



2) A little boarder will help set the quilt, and bring out the scrappy-ness



3) Another first - this is such a small piece. I quilted it on my machine.
You remember Rosy, my 201 I purchased last November.



4) Since I had her tuned-up, the stitches are sweeeeet!
I do need practice stitching a STRAIGHT LINE thou....



5) Square the block up again...



6) A boarder of teal and pink. Some of Susan's favorite colors!

Not my best work! look at this seam!

I added a teal loop for hanging, kind-a-like a pot holder and then into the mail last night. I hope she likes it!

June 25, 2010 - It Sure is Green

This year it's been really green around Northern IL


Even the Rurbarb is huge!


Can you see how long the grass is! This was 3 DAYS of growth!!!


It seems that all Tony or John does lately is mow....