Hoffman Challenge Update Two

*Kathy found this fabulous fabric in her stash....Just wasn't the right color for our fence. Not to worry her brain is always working over time..."Okay just paint it"!!! By laying plastic on the floor, placing the fabric on top and blending paint to the right color, painting she and Sherry did... Since it was raining and windy outside the panels hung on the porch to dry...After being wind blown , brought inside again and pressing.....ripped into strips...walla our fence material... We are right when we tell our husbands we need our stash......One never knows when the need will arise for just that piece....with help of a little paint...:0)
By next Saturday we will all have our sky and fence on our panels...We will decide what is next at that time... The Ol' Blogger

Hoffman Challenge Update One

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Each was to have head and body on fabric panels....The images on the left are what Rhona and Cindy had accomplished..giggle giggle...Really we need to give them a break...Cindy had been in Texas for weeks. Rhona is in process of remodeling her sewing room...All her valuables in old sewing room are all through the house..They got on the ball and amazingly faces begin to appear before the day was over...Proud of you girls..First we have Kathy emerging from Rhona's creative hands...Cindy snips, rotates and place fabric on her base...Lo and behold who materializes..Jody or is it Leona Helmsley?

Kathy is doing me...I can see myself in her work..Looking forward to next Saturday to see what else she does with me..Yes, we have scheduled another work day for this project...We have a lot to do before the deadline....

Here is Sherry's rendition of Cindy. I showed Harold the pictures from yesterday..and he was able to name everyone of us..with no help from me...
The Elder has Sherry to work on and this is what she had completed...With every thing going on in her life...and her age :0)...she always comes through...What would we do without her always nudging us to get on the move...
I keep changing Rhona...She hangs in my front room and I am always looking at her dragging her down and to the sewing room for changes.....We have progress from George Washington to a closer resembles........I am totally astounded at whats being done with fabric and what we are learning about shading..A fun and learning project for us all. Updates to follow..

Making memories / Work Day Three/ March 28th

What a Ma-maw!!!! Sherry spent the day with us for work day...Then picked up her two granddaughters and a friend of theirs..... to spend the night with her...They had a Tea Party after supper and play time.... Candle light, tea pot and cups, cookies and even spring hats for dress up...From left to right. Alissia, Christina, Kendra ..Ma-maw took the picture and sent it to us ...but she had a hat on also and joined in on the fun..


We all met at Kathy's for our work day. Above we haven't gotten started yet... we took time to look at a couple slide shows on lap tops....Rhona's new sewing room in progress....and Sherry's pictures of table decorations for a Tea Party for Cancer she attended...
I promise we did work on the Hoffman Challenge (pictures and stories on progress to begin tomorrow)...We were just getting ready to start..I had just finished my snooping around Kathy's house taking pictures for a posting down the road on her sewing room and quilts....She has this wall of mirrors in her sewing room and I decided to take a picture....This way I am in it...hehehehe. I am the one with the camera :) The Ol' Blogger

Log Cabin Rose

Remember I said yesterday by changing the colors and patterns one could change the look...Well here is a picture of Cindy's quilt and looks like she did just that. This wall hanging "Log Cabin Rose" was made back in the 1980"s. At that time she was Quarry Quilts president! They did this monthly and it is hand quilted.
It is so fun being apart of the SoTA Sisters and finding out about all of the interesting things they have done and are doing. Growing in our friendships even with this blog...Being thankful for our friendship is a constant attitude that we all share. Present not only in our minds and heart but also in our conversations with one another. Girls I love you and am thankful for each of you...The Ol' blogger

A Log Quilt

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The log cabin quilt is one of the oldest and most loved patterns in quilting history. It's easy to change the look by changing the colors and patterns and when you put the blocks together you can change it again!
As this is our KETCHUP YEAR ( Keeping Everyone Together Cause of Hundreds of Unfinished Projects)..From the amazing mind of our own Cindy....also our yearly calendar creator.
Sherry started this quilt (I believe 8 years ago)...this would be the year to finish...By golly she did...Which in its self is miraculous...with everything we have had going on this year. :0) She will be placing this one on her own bed. I can't speak for the other girls..but for me I haven't gotten anything finished I had started....Matter of fact I have 4 new projects....
Sherry dear you have created another marvel....

Interior Decorating With Quilt

Continuing the thought of decorating with quilts..I have a fantastic treat for all...Sherry has this splendid Shower Quilt she sewed for her bathroom..Behind it is the liner to keep the water off this master piece.

The quilt adds and air of graciousness, elegant, and timelessness to her bathroom..

This close up (and you can click and enlarge even more) shows her detail to this shower quilt...There's the exquisite hand embroidery purses with beading that add a dainty feel.

Roman Shade

We know cuddling up with a quilt is one of life's small pleasures... But quilts can be so much more.. What if you have a room with windows that seem to open so the whole world can see in... Lets take an idea from Cindy...she made this"Log Cabin Rose" Roman window shade...made with batik fabrics and has insulated backing...When she wants she can shut the world out and have this gem to look at .. She made the shade in 2004 or 2005..Sensational Cindy..

Hoffman Challenge Work Day Two/March 14

We had a Saturday work day at Kathy's to progress on our Hoffman challenge.. Kathy and Jody are working on Sherry and Me.

Sherry "now flip and trace again" we heard those words over and over...some of us were dealing with "Senior Moments"

Rhona is helping me by down loading pictures from my camera....

What would we do without our Computer Genius...

Cindy was still in Texas...She is back now and we are meeting this Saturday to work on these again.. I go to Indy today...hopefully I will get this neck brace off today...Lets keep our fingers crossed.

Wall Quilt I Spied in Cindy's house

This wall hanging was pieced by Starr- it was a class Cindy took at the library BEFORE Quarry Quilters existed. Each was to have two dark and two light fabric for the project. This particular piece by Starr matched a quilt Cindy had made her son - Starr was kind enough to sell her the top and then she hand quilted it and hung it in his room - of which it is still there after all these years! It was probably made around 1985 and quilted around 1989 - Cindy informed me everything in her house is OLD including her! HA! That can't be so she doesn't have her 60th birthday quilt yet....Thanks for helping with info on these....gives me an easy posting:0)

Sharing Sherry's Sewing Studio 4

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Machine quilting has come a long way since the days when it was attempted on standard domestic and industrial sewing machines. Sure, it's wonderful to have the time, stamina and precision to be able to quilt a whole quilt by hand. But that would take more time than we have left here on earth to make all the quilts we want to make. It is not cheating to use a machine, its simply a way to be able to make more quilts in our lifetime.
This super quilting machine is Sherry's. On the frame now is her grandson Nathan's quilt he is making his Mother....He used the surger first and sewed all the pieces together...by the way he did his own ripping out. Now he is working on learning to quilt by machine. A quilt of love for Mom....She will cherish this forever.

Sherry has this pillow laying on the floor in her sewing studio, for Sargent, her Schnauzer, to rest on at her feet while she is sewing. Yes, she made it with love for him. Sorry he wasn't in the picture..But we put our dogs in other rooms when we are together. We don't want to be distracted in our quest to create. They are happier and so are we....The Ol' Blogger

Sharing Sherry's Sewing Studio 3

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What can I say....sewing machines are like Lays Potato Chips...One is never enough. The little thread catcher and pin cushion hanging from the front of picture #1 is like the one she made The SoTA Sisters. We each use ours everyday...Thanks Sweet Sherry..

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Sharing Sherry's Sewing Studio 2

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I love these peg boards for storage. This is one of the best organizer you can use because you can continuously change it according to your needs..It can hold absolutely anything you need, a spool rack, scissors, rulers, patterns, etc. Besides it is inexpensive and easy to put up... As you can see Sherry has made good use of her peg board for storage.

Fall Quilt

While at Cindy's I took pictures of some of her quilts....These girls have no idea what I am doing snooping around:0)...Remember awhile back Tony told us he checks the blog to see what he can learn....Wonder if he has shared this knowledge with the other husbands....giggle giggle
Hey,girls you created the Ol' Blogger. Now you have to live with me. hehehehe
Here is what I have learned about this quilt.
Around 20 years ago Cindy was in a block exchange with Beth, Starr, and three other ladies from other states. For 10 months they all made blocks and mailed them to each other. One night at a guild meeting there was an auction so Cindy purchased 30 miniature leaf blocks from Jackie.
Combining all these she created this stunning quilt. She has enjoyed it for several fall seasons on the bed. I can see why!!!! The name of the quilt " If you don't stand for something you'll fall for anything" The quilt is 110 by 130....I have more....later

Sharing Sherry's Sewing Studio 1

While at Sherry's for our "Fun Meter Fill Up" in Feb., my camera and I took a expedition of her sewing room. Above are two dolls she has fashioned..Looks like they are the wine cabinet fairies dangling from the bottles..:0)

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Regretfully I am not a professional photographer, as I cut off some of the top shelf and the second picture is a blurred....But if you enlarge you can see some of the precious possessions she has made and some made for her. An array of her pin cushion are on these shelves.. With pictures of her sewing family. She loves us as we do her...

"Friends are God's way of taking care of us"

A few weeks after the wreck (still in a neck brace) the doctor lifted some of my restrictions....I could do some hand sewing if I kept it elevated so I wasn't looking down.. I was going stir crazy...doing nothing might sound nice...but let me tell you IT IS NOT.

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Sherry and Jody came over to spend the afternoon with me and do some hand sewing...We giggled, talked a mile a minute,and watched a DVD by Judith Baker MontanoJody brought over Mokuba ribbon and taught us how to make these precious flowers. Thanks girls you sure lifted my spirits....

Hat of Love Brings a Smile

Judith, a friend of our group, decided to try her hand at a new craft...With lots of encouragement from the SoTA Sisters she set out to do just that... With her list of supplies....shopping she went...Back at home with her red loom and ribbon yarn and with instruction and suggestion of different web sites to check out...Her mind dancing with thoughts of a beautiful scarf ... She wrapped and lifted the ribbon yarn as she had seen in the video. Time flew....Lo and Behold from her new toys she found not a scarf but a marvelous hat had emerged...And as you can see in the picture above it fits her granddaughter Julia perfectly.....Truly a beauty wearing a beauty...We are very proud of you Judith and what and adorable model... Be sure and enlarge to see the ribbon yarn up close...Looking forward to your next creation....Will it be a scarf ?

"The House That Kaffe Built"

Kathy shared this mini quilt, a work in progress for the Bloomington Quilt Show. She used segments from copper sheets for the roofs and added beading for extra dimension. Enlarge and you will see where she has hand written words to do with home...these are in the borders which are made from fabric she rusted.. and jewel stones with the hand embroidery imitating flowers also adore this treasure. Named "The House That Kaffe Built"

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PS...finished "The House That Kaffe Built"

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More Fun Meter Fill Up

Jody pictured here sewing on a drag around quilt for Audrey. The name of the quilt is Annie and the Days of the Month.. We can envision her dragging it around while wearing Granny's high heel shoes clicking alone on the hard wood floors.....as she plays in her own little world.....

We were so thrilled that Diana was able to join us...She used the time to work on her Temar Balls..Diana creates these beauties by wrapping thread around balls she's made...This basket is great diversion for the grandchildren to tinker with while visiting..... they love playing with these...

Kathy's quilt she lovingly made for her Mother..Double Nine Patch...she made in panels so it could be quilted on her sewing machine. Marvelous !!!!

More later...The Ol' Blogger