Signs Of Spring For 2011

I can't remember what these are called, I have them in this pink, red, orange and yellow, so far just the pink and red ones have come back .

Almost all plants in this red pottery display lived through the freeze of December , I will be adding new ones later.

This white bush was from a cutting my sister gave me from Live Oak we call it the snowball bush .

I did not think it would make it but started blooming a couple days ago.

Grass! Not alot of the good stuff yet , we need more rain ,there is alot of green in the yard but mostly weeds !

This is looking across the pasture from my house you can see some bright green trees, finally spring is here !

Cows looking for grass, there is a slight showing of green there by the road.
So time for me to get outside and work in the flower beds, maybe next week, I still have to finish the room.

With Spring Comes Love !

A few weeks ago when it was not so cold my DIL and grand daughter found this Oak leaf in my yard , it came from the huge Oak across the street by the pasture .I have never seen one just like this before ,it reminds me of spring and Valentines day .I was going to show it on the 14 th but I was ill and was not up to posting ,

I am sorry for not posting anything this week except the S.S. quilt,I have been really busy getting all my sewing ,arts and crafts all organized and my room cleaned up .I have a shed that I am putting most of this stuff in and therefore more room for me in here . I  was so tired of not being able to move around and not knowing where everything was . I may take a picture of the shed later when I get it all done, opefully I will be able to find what I need now ! I still have alot more to do,so maybe by next week I will be posting more often.

Secret Sister Quilt

Finally I can show this ! Every year we have a secret sister at church with the Ladies group ,Last year I had Jamee ,the pastors youngest daughter , It was hard trying to keep this a secret .

The fabric is the fabric I won from the Quilting Gallery's weekly contest last summer after I won  , I had to order the fabric on-line , I never did that before, there fore I had alot of problems in communications with the shop owner ,we fianly got it straighten out , The colors were a little bit off from what I planned as Jamee was into Paris style and I was trying to stay in the chabby chic .designs .I wanted pinks and chocolete with blues and blacks too . \\

Backing of quilt so you can see the detail of the quilting ,I did the swirls and a few hearts too.

 I decided only 1 inch of black was enough then I went to Joanne's and brought the agua ,brown and white for the boarder , I had asked another younger woman for advice and she suggested the peach , I brought both not sure if I would use both or none at all. I liked the boarder and then decided the peach was good for the binding and then I did a fancy stitch to sew it down ,I was in a hurry ,I had been sick all week before the party and then I was un-able to go.

So I sent the gift by her Dad after Robin ,(Jamee's Mom ,because Iwas not feeling good ,cooked us supper)  . Her Dad took these 2 pictures of her for me so you can see her reaction , she said she had hoped I was her S.S. this time and sure enough she got her wish .

Showing the back of quilt ,I did not have enough muslim to fit so I added some more of the blocks to the sides .I also use pink thread for the machine quilting.

Now this was a reall surprise !!I felt like the quilt alone was not enough & I did not feel up to going to town because of the flu ,so I made myself put this together for a Mug Rug ! And if you click on the picture you will see where I wrote in with thread "Jamee's Coffee Rug"  She was really thrilled with that and I know I should have said Mug Rug ,being sick I was not thinking straight! Looks like I should have squared up better according to the picture but it looked different away from the camera ! ;-)

Double Knit Rug

Made by Mom.

Mom started making these about 6 years ago when her friend Zelda showed her how to make them, as when they were going to Janes for quilt day, she had alot of them throughout the quilt house and Mom was interested in making them .

Mom had ton's of double knit given to her shortly after that and she has made so many I cannot keep count !

They are made by cutting 2 inch squares  folded in half like a triangle and lapped over each one to be sewn down the center and then roll after roll all the way around , the base of the rug is heavy duck fabric .

She has made the square, rectangle ,round and oval shape ones .I have a few myself .
 My sister Rexa has made alot of them for her house and used as gifts ,they look best by using 3 or 4 different colors but I have seen some with just 2 colors .I also have a ton of the double knit and plan to make a few myself ......someday !! .

More Crocheted Rugs made by Mom

 \

Sorry I have not posted in a few days ,I had been sick for a week ,then I just was not up to posting .I need to take new photos soon .These I had stored in my computer.

When Rexa & I went to Mom's before Christmas she had 6 of these rugs in her closet .

Every year she makes a bunch to give us

She told us to pick two each ,I did not lay them out flat enough when I took the pictures ,sometimes we have to tug and pull on them to get them flat.

Most of the time she makes them with cotton's from selvages  & old clothes , sometimes she used old T-shirts ,there have been times when she even used old sheets (Tina's favorite) and I have one made from Flannel that I love ! She has also used lightweight double knit but those stretch too much,so she doesn't make those very often.

We always get at least one or 2 a year and always a different look !

Hearts For Gracie by Mom

I decided to enter this quilt in the weekly Quilting Gallery Contest .This quilt Is made by Mom and her friend Zelda, and was given to Gracie, a great grand daughter for Christmas.

Hearts were made by Zelda ,Mom sewed them on with a blanket stitch by machine then quilted around each to make them puff up and then did the in the ditch hand quilting around each block.

If you wish to vote go to Quilting Gallery's Weekly contest  -

http://quiltinggallery.com/2011/vote-now-valentines-day-quilts.com

Trenton's Antique Shop

As you can see this says Crystal Ice House with Coca Cola but it is now an Antique Shop in connection with the Suwannee Quit Shop right next door .

As you stroll through the shop you will see  many very old furniture and quilts .

Notice the quilts on the walls , I wish I could have gotten a closer look .I did notice the outer space quilt on the back wall looks similar to my Boundless Sky Quilt ,there is also a old crazy quilt to the right.

I love this black with pink it really stands out .

This huge buffet looks so much like my grandmothers ,so does the crocheted lace table cloth .

Very old  sewing machine, not sure the name of this one. it does not look like a singer and it is just sitting on top of an old metal frame with a marble top .

Both of these quilts looked old

A more modern quilt

Not sure the purpose of this rack ,the machine looks out of place in this cabinet,not sure it is suppose to be there.

Notice the details on the hutch and buffet

The old train station as you come out of the parking lot . I love train stations, they are fascinating, I can just imagine the poeple waiting to catch a ride. I love to ride them myself and have riden a train to Michigan by myself and then agian a couple years ago with Mom and sister Rexa to Pennsylvania.

Part 2 -Suwannee Valley Quilt Shop

This is looking out from the Christmas room to the main fabric floor .

Entrance to the Childrens Fabrics room

Hallway full of every sewing and quilting notion you can think of .

Book Room

Main fabric floor by the cutting table

                                           Part of the Cafe

       Desert display in cafe and next to the purchase counter .Notice the purple quilt in the corner ,it is beautiful up close !!
 I wish I could have taken more better photo's ,however my sister & I were on our way home so we was kind of in a rush .I also went into the Antique Shop and I will post those pictures later .I will be going back to Mom's in March so this will be a stop for me on the way for sure .

Suwannee Valley Quilt Shop

This is another favorite quilt shop I go to when I visit Mom in North Florida,The Suwannee Valley Quilt Shop in Trenton ,Fl. I made sure it was ok to take pictures before I took them.

This goes to the cafe from the fabric section

Ladies Restroon.Really cute inside too.

These are only a few pictures ,seems I should be able to show more but unable to , maybe I should have used the slide show .I will post more tomorrow or monday.There is also an Anitque Shopp next door.