CRAZY QUILT RETREAT

I spent June 20 to the 23rd. at the Crazy Quilt Retreat in O'Fallon, IL which is about 300 miles south of Chicago right across from St. Louis. It is all due to the work of Mary Anne Griffin that we have continued on after the Omaha retreat fell apart. This is the third year for it and it gets better with time. I went in 2010 and then could not attend last year but was back again this year. There was a large contingent from Kansas City plus a lot of our old regulars like Mona from MN with 2 of her MN group, our dear Kate from Il.,Lydia Talbot from Cedar Rapids, Iowa and her SIS from CA. Karen South came with a friend from Louisville, Martha Green and Donna Johnson drove together from OK. Yvvone Streeter from Dallas and Lisa Caryl from Iowa were there. Also quite a few others whose names I cannot remember. Mary Anne had arranged for a large meeting room and there was plenty of room for those who bought their machines to sew and lots of tables for those who wanted to sell stuff. I had done a partial clean out before I came so bought a lot of stuff down and sold a lot. I  could have a retreat and sell every week and not get through all I have collected over the years. A lot is going to Goodwill once I have been through everything.

I did not get the names of the two ladies in the above picture but they both were doing some beautiful work.

The lady on the right was making a wall hanging with the basket being made in the log cabin style.  The flowers were all made with the Kumihoma flower makers.  I was very impressed with them and I must buy myself one or two to try them.

Mona was taking a picture of me as I was taking one of her. Next is MaryAnne who  made all this possible.

Here is a pic of Lydia Talbot and Martha Green.

Lydia had brought her wonderful CQ king sized bedspread for the girls to see that Martha Green made for her and gave it to her in Omaha a few years back.  I had seen it then but it was just as wonderful looking at it for the second time.  I don't know how Martha handled all that fabric.

Lydia's birthday happened to fall on the Friday and her husband and SIL arranged for a wonderful cake that we all shared..

Will be back tomorrow with more pics.  I have to give thanks to Bonnie Dudley from Iowa who took the time to show me how to post pictures on the new blogger.  Thank you so much Bonnie.  Now I can actually put text under the pictures.

MEMORIAL DAY

Today always brings a bit of sadness to me as I think of my Father and the two wars he fought in.  He was in WW1 as a young man in Ireland and in WW11 by which time he was married and living in Canada.  He was a true patriot of England and joined as soon as England declared war in 1939.  He was in until 1945 when the war ended.

I can vaguely remember him coming home on leave in his uniform and sometimes wonder if I am just remembering pictures of that time.  He passed away many years ago but on days like this and St. Patrick's Day I hear the song Danny Boy and it always brings a few tears.

I have been so busy after returning from Florida.  No stitching done around here. I have been deep cleaning all the house with help from my cleaning couple and last Thurs. they came and cleaned every window in the entire house.  Keeping 2 houses going is a lot of work but I cannot see giving up either one at this point in our lives.  I would miss Florida in the winter and Chicago and the kids in the summer.  We were at my sons Sat.for lunch  and to see the kids.  Nick was home from his first year of college and surprise he had a gal at the house with him he met at Bradley.  First girl I can remember ever seeing him with.  Jenny is going to be a senior next year and she is thinking Bradley also.  She would like to be a pediatrician but we will see.  Young Tommy is only just turned 9 so he has a ways to go.

I hope you all have had a nice long weekend and hopefully been able to spend some time with friends and/or family.

I AM BACK - HOPEFULLY

At last I am back able to blog.  Had a problem that would not let me in which turned out to be not mine but Harvs.  He does a retiree newsletter that he does every month and has been doing for many years.  He did not consider it a blog but it was and that is what had to be fixed because it was set up before 2007.  My blog was not.  Also added Google Chrome so this is just a test to see if I am actually back in.  If it works will post again later with some pics.  We are back in Chicago from Florida and everything is so green and all the trees are out and it looks so green and beautiful.  Glad to be back.  It was getting very hot when we left.

EMBELLISHMENTS 3rd try at posting

I don't know where this is all ending up but I tried taking the pics first and had a little trouble. Hence 3 posts.

The following are some of the little embellishments we have made in our class to add to our cloths.

First were the tassels and bows then dangles that were made on the sewing machines with the scrim cloth. they can be decorated and are made to hang from your cloth or tacked on top. I just saw a gorgeous piece a gal made and had these dangles on top of it and they looked great. This is such a fun class that I encourage anyone who wants somelthing really neat to sign up for Karen's next class. It starts May 1 and is the 1st class we did with making our own cloths and learning her type of embroidery. Her work is gorgeous and she is so casual and easy you will just love her. Very down to earth type gal.

MORE EMBELLISHMENTS MADE

UPDATE

I was never so surprised as yesterday at the Drs. to learn that the allergy blood test came back - no allergies. For years I have been told I had Allerigc Rhinitis and was treated for such with various allergies and nasal sprays. Mostly prescription. This is from an Allergy Group in Chicago. Well now I find out I have what is known as Vasomotor Rhinitis which exhibits many of the same symptoms as the allergic one but also includes all the chemical odors, weather changes, high humidity and various other things. I have been bothered by these for years and do not wear perfume or can go in a nail salon or I would get a terrible migraine.

Well as of yesterday I am off the allergy meds and am now on a twice a day nasal spray (prescription) and we will see what happens. Life is amazing. I also found out I do not have very much arthritis in my neck and head but do have a deteriorating disk between C5-C6 neck area. I have exercises to do and some meds to take for that.

Well enough of that and on to more fun things. I am including some pics of things I have done through the class. The first is a piece of fluff I put together. It is a piece of scrim that didn't gather right so I cut it off but didn't throw it out. The center is a little scrap with the basket that I have had for ages. I added some pretty eyelet and did a bit of stitching on it and came up with this.

the second was a dily that I randomly smocked and then stitched on. It is fun just sitting doing all those stitches. Would never have thought I would like doing that this much.