My Latest Purchase

On the advice of Wooly Buddies Yahoo Group, I purchased this 100% wool coat from a "junk Shop" for $10. That is an excellent price considering that a fat quarter can cost $10 to $20 just for a fat quarter in a quilt shop. The color is a little more "rosie" than I like, but I am thinking that maybe I can overdye it to a deeper tone that I will be more pleased with.

It took me about 30 minutes to cut the coat apart. There are no real wide pieces as the coat had many seams (it actually fit me perfectly and if it hadn't had a couple of very small moth holes, I would have kept it. That and the fact that wool coats are not in big demand in Texas. Although I have one that I keep to wear to funerals in the winter. You know, where you must stand out in the weather for a long period of time?) ~~~~ The coat washed beautifully. I expected it to fluff up, and it didn't. It came out of the washer and drier just as it went in, only clean. Maybe because it is real woven wool and not felted? I am asking as I really am clueless. The pieces didn't seem to shrink at all.

This is the yeild. At fairly large stack of wool, huh? I am pleased and willing to swap if anyone who might have also found a coat in a junk shop and would want to trade for some of mine----just comment!!!

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OK~I PROMISE~I'T REALLY FINISHED THIS TIME!!

LULU IS SO SO TIRED OF THIS QUILT. SHE SAID SHE CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I AM POSTING IT AGAIN!!!

I keep claiming that this quilt is "FINISHED". Well, the piecing is finished, the quilting is finished, and now the binding and label are finished. So girls, it is truly finished this time. I promise you. I wanted to put a satin binding on it as babies and young children seem to love to rub a soft silky feeling edge to sooth them and calm them when tired. I couldn't find a color I really liked, but finally settled on this light blue.

I had the quilter to leave the quilt untrimmed so that I could trim the batting and binding as needed from the edge of the quilt according to the binding width so that the binding would look full and nice. I ended up timming it 1 3/4 inch from the edge of the quilt (binding was 2 inches wide). I tried attaching this binding the same as I would a narrow cotton binding and you can't really do that as the binding has finished edges therefore it is just top stitched on--front and back at the same time. I went HERE for my first tips on how to attach.

I used a narrow zig zag stitch and invisible thread. This worked well--with the zig zag stitch you have a better chance of catching the back edge of the binding, but just in case you don't sometimes I can say with experience that you can go back and stitch down the parts that did not catch with a straight stitch and no one will ever know.

I stitched all the way to the corner of the quilt edge (not the batting/backing) and then pulled the quilt from under the machine so I could work with the corner. I folded the binding down the next side being careful to see that the corner of the binding met the corner of the batting/backing corner. I then pinned and then went back to the corner and folded the excess fabric inside the mitre one way on the front side and opposite on the backside. I then put the quilt back under the machine and started stitching down the next side.

You can see here that the invisible thread and the small zig zag stitch look very neat and nice. I sewed the corners down by hand.
Here is my label. I love this little poem. This is what it says:

It's Your Quilt

It's OK if you sit on your quilt.

It's OK if your bottle gets spilt.

If you swallow some air And you burp, don't despair,

It's OK if you spit on your quilt.

There are scraps old and new in your quilt,

Put together for you on your quilt.

If your gums feel numb'Cause your teeth haven't come}

It's OK if you chew on your quilt.

We expect you to lie on your quilt,

If you hurt you may cry on your quilt.

On a cold rainy night,Don't you fret, you're all right,

You'll be snug, warm and dry on your quilt.

by Nancy Riddell

There is one more tutorial on applying satin blanket binding available online, but I did not find it very helpful. If you know of one, please post a comment. I would love to share it with everyone. I have searched, but have not been successful. The Wrights site is the best one I found.

LADIES!!! (and gentlemen) Remember...a layer of dust protects the Wood beneath it. 'A housebecomes a home when you can write 'I love you' on the furniture.' I used to spend at least 8 hours every weekend making sure things were just perfect - 'in case someone came over' Finally I realized one day that no one came over; they were all out living life and having fun! NOW,when people visit, I don't have to explain the 'condition' of my home They are more interested in hearing about the things I've been doing while I was away living life and having fun. If you haven't figured this out yet, please heed this advice.

Life is short. Enjoy it! Dust if you must ....... but wouldn't it be better to

paint a picture or

write a letter,

bake cookies or a cake and lick the spoon or

plant a seed, or

wouldn't it be worth while for us to ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must, but there's not much time . . . . with desserts to eat,

rivers to swim and

mountains to climb,

music to hear and

books to read,

friends to cherish and

life to lead. -------------------Dust if you must, but the world's out there with the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, a flutter of snow, a shower of rain.

This day will not come around, again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind, old age will come and it's not kind. . And when you go - and go you must - you, yourself will make more dust!

It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived.

BUNNY HILL BLOCK OF THE MONTH, FOR APRIL

My Bunny Hill, A Tisket, A Tasket Block of the Month for April is now finished. See my side bar for the button that will take you straight to the free BOM series. When selecting these fabrics, I was not happy with the bunny, but now that it is finished I am more happy with it. I kept telling myself that I could trash it at any time that I decided that I knew I would never be happy with it. I never could trash it. It looked better with each step I took to make it my own block. It's a little brighter block that the others that I have made, but I think the vintage tatting, button and even the background help calm it down a bit.

The couched bow that appears orange is really a light shade of red. The red in the rick rack is an embroidered chain stitch.

BABA TAGGED ME!!

I've been tagged---AGAIN!! Baba did it! I told her not to, but she did it anyway!! (just kidding).
She says I should post 8 things:

8 Things I am Looking Forward to:
1. Wacky Quilting Retreat weekend
after Mother's Day
2. Mother's Day
3. Week end at the Lake
4. Alabama Trip for a Family Reunion
5. Working in my Garden and
Flower Beds
6. Remodeling My Kitchen
7. Losing 10 pounds
8. Being with My Family
Not necessarily in that order

8 Things I Did Yesterday

Spent the Day with my Mother

Read 3 magazines

Met with Mother's Home Care Nurses

Picked up Medicine at the drugstore

Skipped Lunch

Watched Grey's Anatamy

Embroidery

Received a gift of 5 strawberries from my Grandson.

8 Things I Wish I Could Do.
Snow Ski

Be Thin

Long Arm Quilt

Play the Piano

Wish health for a close friend

Visit Hawaii

Restore and live in an older home

Own My Own Business

8 TV Shows I Love to Watch (this is the easiest one)

American IdoL

Dancing With The Stars

House

Grey's Anatomy

Judge Joe Brown

Local News and Weather

Live with Regis and Kelly

Will and Grace

8 Blogs to Tag
Latane - A Quilting I Will Go

Tozz - Tozz's Corner

Carlotta - Mahogany Blue

Vicki - Field Trips in Fibre
Osage Bluff Quilter

Pat - A Little of This and A Little of Pat

Cindy - Cindy's Cross Stitch, Quilting, and More

Rhonda - Quiltzblog

MY FAVORITE REDHEAD, AND I AIN'T TALKING LUCY----OR KATHY!

My interests have changed so much in this time of my life. Quilting? My grandmother was a quilter, not me!!! And now a Redheaded Woodpecker in my backyard is the highlight of my day. I stood on my patio, camera in hand, trying to stay still enough, and quiet enough to capture a photo of him for YOU!!! How do you like that? I cropped the pics so they are closer and some less clear, but I still thought it better so that you could see the coloration.

One distinquishing mark on this bird are the heart shapes on their tale. Can you see them?

According to my Texas Birds book this bird is a Red Bellied Woodpecker. His life span is close to 20 years. The females nape of neck is the only red part of the head. The couple nests in of several cavities excavated by the male, an existing cavity or a birdhouse; 4-5 white eggs are incubated for 12-14 days. The pair raise their young. This means that the male searches for a home and shows it to his mate, they set up housekeeping and he HELPS her raise their young. This bird is smarted or at least more responsible than alot of men I know. How about you?

A LESSON ON EGGS!

BACON AND EGGS IS CADEN'S FAVORITE BREAKFAST AT NANAS. This weekend we had an egg lesson. He says he likes eggs--well--how do you like you eggs cooked? I don't know. So I began to explain the difference between Sunny Side up and over easy. Well, he knows now that he likes Sunny Side up as he wants the middle runny.

We put the bacon on to cook and I got out two cups and he broke one egg in the cup. Careful consideration was taken to not break the yolk, but he broke it anyway. Ok, so Nana will make one Sunny Side up and one scrambled and you can decide which one you like better. So he stirred the egg up in the cup.

Then he broke another egg in a cup for the sunny side up egg. The bacon was done and the grease was good and hot which makes crispy edges and that is what he likes, so in the pan it goes--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------OH NO!!-------------------------------------------------------------------The yolk broke and we could not help it!!!! Hey, the egg was good anyway.

ACTUALLY IT WAS FINGER LICKIN GOOD!!! Caden and I hope all your breakfasts are this good.

Homemade Washing Detergent A Success!

Click the title and it will take you the recipe page. These ingredients were found at my local grocery story no problem.

You must grate 1/3 bar of soap into 6 cups of water.

Heat until melted.

You add 1/2 cup of Borax and 1/2 cup of Washing Soda and more water, and stir to dissolve.

Add more water--1 gallon plus 6 cups.
Stir it up and let it sit for 24 hours. We will see if it turns into a watery gel.

PARK CITY GIRL'S VIRTUAL QUILT FESTIVAL

City Girl has a great Quilt Show going and I could not resist entering a quilt. I am going to post the quilt here and tell you quickly as I don't have much time that it is not a new quilt, but my best quilt, I feel. I know I will have many new visitors and wanted it to be the one this time. I will work on something new for Amy's next show which will be in the fall. This quilt evolved from a Drunkards Path center and I just kept adding rounds. It all just seemed to fall together. It is done in my favorite style of fabrics. The name you asked? DOWN THE GARDEN PATH. Thank you Amy for such a great idea. A quilt show and you don't even have to leave your chair and no hanging or taking down of quilts. The only thing is, no vendors-----maybe you can figure that out too!!! LOL

Be sure to click the sidebar button and visit the over 400 sites that have posted quilts for the show. AWESOME!!! This button link will take you straight to the quilt show info. If you just want to visit Amy's site click the title of this post.

ONE MORE ROUNDTOP ANTIQUE SHOW POST--THIS TIME~~~~QUILTS

Antique Quilts from the Show were really great! I took pictures of the tags so you could see the going prices.

I had to take a pic of this Penny Quilt hanging among many more. You can click on it to view the very vintage redwork. GREAT! No tag for this one. I ask the lady for a picture and hated to ask to photo THE TAG!! LOL So I have no idea what the going price was. ENJOY!!