Must Make--Know the Pattern Name??

Here is a quilt I saw last week in Hickory. I. must. have. one. If you know the name of the pattern, I'd be most grateful to learn it.


The show was nice, but the quilts were not displayed well. They were hung on skirt hangers, and they were not flat, which did not make it easy to take a picture.

Please share the pattern name if you know it.

This is pic #1 from the show.

~Joan

A Halo to Go with My Crown

Here is a pic from this AM. I was machine quilting away on the belated welcome-Madelynn batik quilt when I remembered my lone puchase from the quilt show last weekend...a quilt halo. The one I test-drove at the show was on a machine that had a Teflon sheet adhered to the table under it...made it fly. I'm going to see if I can get one for my machine.

Here is a close-up...as with anything new, there is a learning curve. But I think it went swimmingly for the first time.

Very busy day...having 10-12 college students here for supper (baking a pumpkin sheet cake and Chocolate Bavarian Torte for that as well as multitudinous other details). Need to get back to the kitchen!

~Joan

Amazing. Unique. Surprise. Gift. Soon.

I will humbly state that I made the most perfect one-of-a-kind gift tonight for my newlywed friend, Sara. I will tell you the whole story and get a picture of her receiving this unique gift after I give it to her (which will hopefully be on Sunday). You will want to stay tuned!! Story to follow. I will give you a hint...it has something to do with asparagus!! REALLY.

New Spools

Here they are...and I can barely wait to set them into my quilt. This has been such a fun project. It is always more fun to share what you're doing with someone else who loves it, isn't it? And...I don't even know these people!! Maybe I should get into a guild or something. Hmmm...a consideration. I've always been a lone piecer. Maybe it's time for that to change. Christine sent an extra five blocks, so there are 30 here...
Maybe my favorite color for quilts IS red. I love the old-fashioned fabric for the red here...the background says "for you", "Mom", and some other sweet sentiments.

The background fabric for this one looks like a great free-motion quilting design. The green is one of my favorite (but sadly, way out of print) Thimbleberries.

My Isaac (10) has the mumps. Three of his siblings aren't feeling well either. I am naturally wondering if they are getting them, too. I was vaccinated as a child, but managed to get them twice in childhood anyway. I wonder if they are all going to get them? Time will tell.

Hope you enjoy a great, quilty day...

~Joan

PS: pics from the quilt show up next

They. are. here.

This past few days has been so busy, that for the first day in a month, I was not hoping that my last set of spool blocks would come. So, what to my wondering (or is that wandering?) eyes should appear in our mailbox today but the last set of spool blocks. I have been home such a short time that I could only glance briefly at them. I'll take a pic soon. But now I need to tell Christine a great big thank you! Now I can plan the finishing of this quilt that has been so fun to make. I look forward to it being finished.

I'm pooped...went to a concert tonight by a local symphony orchestra. It was fun, but long.

~Joan

Wedding Bells Are Ringing

Well, not for us. We went to a wedding of a dear young lady from our church yesterday. It was such a blessing to see her united in marriage with a wonderful young man. They are both around 30 years old. I am excited for the beginning of their life together. The above picure is of my husband and me. I usually hate pics of me, but this one is decent.

There was more excitement than just the wedding yesterday. Two other exciting happenings. Susanna and I went to a quilt show over an hour away. Just as we were leaving the parking lot, my son was seen running across the parking lot towards us. I had Susanna stop the car because I knew something serious had happened. My friend, Molly, was having a little medical emergency. She is due in 5 weeks (I am making the batik quilt for her...better hurry, huh?). I'll just say some maternity issues were at hand. My hubby and kids took her 4- and 2-year-olds home, and she went straight to the hospital. Her baby, Madelynn Grace, was born at 10:30 last night. Five weeks early, but 6 pounds 9 ounces. She is in NICU for a couple days until her breathing and suck are strong enough for her to go home. Mom is doing well.

Susanna and I still went to the quilt show. I got to test drive a Handi Quilter. Ahhh...perfection. I might be getting one, but that remains to be seen. Susanna took lots of pictures (her camera was dead), and I'll be sharing some of those with you soon.

~Joan

Awards Banquet Pictures

Do you ever feel like you're being stared at? I asked Rachel (12) if I could take a picture of her hair, and this is the look I got...



Here is Emily's hair from the side. The girls in the youth group usually congregate at a few of the girls' houses to do their hair. Some of the college-age girls help with that. My oldest daughter was one of them this year! Thanks, Elisabeth.


Here is a shot of all five of my youth-group-aged children...from left to right, Rachel, Benjamin, Emily, Luke and Susanna. Although Benjamin's team won the award for the year, he doesn't look very happy about it! He was probably sad for the teams that did not win.

I wish I could have gotten some good pictures of the inside of our church building. It was amazing, but there was very little light, so it was difficult to photograph. It was a "seeking the truth" theme, and was based on an Indiana Jones-esque type theme (from what I'm told...I've never seen Indiana Jones myself)...sand on the floor, stone walls, burlap-looking swags draped from the ceiling, torchlight, etc. The guides (seaters) were dressed in outback outfits.

Good night!

~Joan