I could have been QUEEN! Yikes!!

This is the next UFO to be worked on...

It's terrible when you have limited access to your computer.... You don't post as much, even if there is interesting things going on in your life, you certainly can't check your 'yahoo groups' which leads me to the upcoming delema! I COULD HAVE BEEN QUEEN!!!

You think that's a good thing, but it's not. It means I have to finish a UFO by the 6th or I send penalty FG's to Cher (Stashbusters).... I also have to get busy and quilt something I really haven't been in the mood to finish, ... but I will.

After making oodles of mistakes in the construction of it (and fixing them), it's finally finished!

It's a 5-Star Table runner, that I started in 2006 at a quilting class at Quilting by the Yard.

Mini-Vacation, before the next quilt project

I went up to my favorite cabin in VT for my yearly ritual (which is actually a JOY), to help my mom (who is 80 now) pack up and clean/close down the cabin.

It's a family owned cabin (my dad's side - cousins) that I've been to almost every year since I've been 2 or 3). I hope to have part of my ashes scattered there some day. We had the most perfect weather there.

I even brought home my supply of slate (from the dirt road on my walk) for my garden. (that is my annual thing too! I pull them out of the gully and then drive down the dirt road to put them in my car.... My hubby will be sooo thrilled! LOL

This is the spring-fed pond down behind the cabin (picture taken from the deck). I wouldn't swim in it, since I remember the 'boys' dumping the 'commode' in the pond before there was running water in the cabin-1960's-70's... but I think the 'kids' take the floats and tubes in it....YUK!

Mom said she had many 'guests' while there; my brother and his wife and son for the first two days (they help her start up the cabin), then my sister, her 2 kids plus two other neighbors from CT for 4 days, her husband and 2 of his friends (they came up on motorcycles and slept in the 'shed' for a couple of nights), they left Wed and my other brother and his daughter came up Wed-Sat,

they stayed in their tent. Then MY daughter, her son and her friend arrived Thurs, I arrived (alone, hubby was working on the weekend) on Fri, and we all left on Sunday morn. If the truth be known, my mom doesn't really like to be alone up there since my dad died. It's got too many memories that she'd like to share with him.... hence, all the guests!

Here are some shots of the inside of the cabin...

Did I forget to mention that the cabin is one room, has two bunkbeds, enclosed porch (with 3 cots on it-- that's where I slept) and a large deck with railing seats?? ..... Believe me, we all fit somehow. I even got to see a deer in the middle of the field before dawn on the day we left! (I always think it's my dad showing up). Anyway, it's really Heaven to us....

Quilting Blues

Well, I'll tell you.... I thought I could do great handwork in front of the TV watching the Olympics, but I can't. I will admit I squared up a few RWB blocks (Dissappearing 9-patch) so they can be put together in a QOV quilt for Alycia in CO, but they won't be done until the Church group gets together in Sept. (I hope to get my pictures off my camera and on DH's computer to post them.)

I also took out some blocks to work on that I received in a 'Splenda-d' challenge quilt swap. I laid them out and took a photo. Hope to post that in the next day or so. Need to square them up... (maybe during Olympics?) and decide how to put them together (one block doesn't go at all..... may use that in the middle - or 'quarter it and use it in the four corners). Maybe on point...

Mary got one of our donated quilts finished- Think Pink #1

We also will be getting one of our quilts back for binding... YEAH!

Okay, off to get ready for work. (This is being typed on MY computer.... surprised it's still allowing me to type..."good girl!...)

Can birds become quilters?

Okay, this is the bird that made me think it's possible to have birds learn to quilt. I know what you're gonna say, It's ridiculous.... but look at him, he's in the 'nesting' mode... and I was in a 'creative mode'.

And the thing was, he was making his nest out of 'Lipton Iced tea' scraps off the plastic bottles (we live near a landfill-- don't worry, not too close).

So I started snipping fabric, very thin....

and hung it in the crooks of the shepard hooks, and the bushes....

Okay, okay, well, when you stop laughing, may I tell you that a week later, the 'strings' are gone and they aren't on the ground under the places I put them. I hope I helped keep them warm....

Daughter's Culinary School Final Dinner 2008

This is youngest daughter, Julie, who has been attending culinary school in CT. They had a dinner in July that they could invite their family and friends to. What a dinner!!

This was the appetizer, coconut shrimp with jasmine rice and mango salsa... Very spicy and 'to die for'. Not enough, though (I love shrimp).

This was Potato Soup with watercress and the crouton in the center had lobster and butter on top. Great light texture to the soup and delicious!!!

Believe it or not, Bread Salad with Fire-roasted tomatoes and a crisp layer of cheese placed on top. The 'drizzle' that looks like chocolate was balsamic vinegarette. I could have made a meal of this!!

These rolls were heavenly! They were the lightest I've ever eaten. Our table of 4 asked for another basket!

They made an entree of Grilled pork loin with peach BBQ sauce (very delicate) and it laid on fried yucca with a 'touch of Mexican corn'. Rather spicy, but I didn't mind at all. The fried yucca tasted like a mix of turnip/potato flavors)

And then the finale (!) was not your CHOICE of the three desserts, but ALL THREE DESSERTS!

They served a light raspberry pound cake with raspberry sauce, a blueberry gingerbread with blueberries and vanilla ice cream, and the creation on the right is philo triangles layered with stawberries and vanilla cream.... oh.... my ..... GOD! What a perfect softly sweet taste to cool the fire from the spices served earlier!!

Thankfully, she also has to 'clean up'.... Amazing she never gave ANY indication she loved to cook at home while growing up.....! She's really good!

Another quilt for Charlotte's Garden

I've finally been able to post a photo of the finished quilt for a little 3 1/2 yr old with C.H.A.R.G.E. syndrome. He loves motorcycles, helicopters, etc... and I had a panel that I cut into strips and added various fabrics to 'connect them. One of the strips happens to be a 'zipper' which I believe should be in anyone's quilt that's ill. Just 'unzip' the bad part and zip in a new one!

Summer block party! Photos!!

Okay, this is me... at the 'strip club'. Well, of course, I'm cutting 'strips'.... what did you think I'd be doing? "C" is at the Sew-er Dept. sewing strips to heartstring blocks.

Here is the Cafe, where all the ladies got to enjoy the lunch they brought and snacks for all to share. (I think they liked staying at the Cafe much longer than the 20 minutes we'd planned.) Oh, well, it was for fun.... so I kept my 'whip' in check.

This is the Designer's House, unfortunately, not much got passed this point (except the lasagna quilt).

My mom, Muriel, Dot and Janet are triage-ing the blocks that need stitches taken out (The Emergency Medical Center, where boo-boos are fixed).

This area should have had steam coming from it, since it was the 'Foundry' (where the iron-workers were).

Miriam and Margaret - at the Pie Factory where they were making 'pies' (eventually they will be made into the quilt in front of the factory).

Marilyn is diligently working at putting the recipe together for the 'lasagna quilt'. All the ingredients ended up in the pot below the table. (I've posted a photo of the lasagna quilt towards the end of this post).

These ladies were really busy working on charity quilts. They were here in the 'neighborhood' from 9am-almost 4pm!!

Woody hanging out at the strip club....

Here is the lasagna quilt. All we have to do at our Sept. mtg is to 'cover it with sauce'..... (I made sure to use only the finest ingredients; peppers, spinach, eggplant, cheese, pasta, sauce, chopped onions, etc). See if you can see each of the ingredients.

Yahoo! Photos can be posted!! Jonathan's 1st Birthday!

I finally can start posting photos that have been taken.... I haven't posted too much info on my blog lately, because all my photos/computer have had issues. Some are fixed, so here goes....

Here is my newest nephew, Jonathan who turned one this July. I think he liked the hat over his face the best.

The table was done very elegantly, just like the Baptismal table my sister-in-law set in her home country of Brazil.

They even had gifts (candies and such) for all the kids that came, set in a cute basket!

It was nice to see Jonathan's older brother, Jake, and his girlfriend, Erin. Jake is going to school to be a pilot.

Even got a nice photo of my oldest daughter, Leslie-Anne and my mom (she's 80yrs old). Leslie just purchased her first house!! Closing July 24, 2008!