Thimbleberries

Cindy attended a Thimbleberries club meeting with M.J. every month in Pekin...It was Lora's last year in business and her last "club"...It was actually suppose to be two wall hangings but Cindy decided she wanted a quilt instead...She thinks it might have been from 2006 Thimbleberries club project...Cindy still has the quilting to do...There is no doubt in my mind she will get it done...

Rusted Purse

After digging around Sunday....Harold had some rusty things he wanted to try on fabric....I gave him a piece of white fabric, and told him have at it.....really liked what he did...So I had this piece of fabric with fall leaves on it..which went perfect with his rusted fabric...I made the purse pictured...Using 5"strips of our fabrics and my fall pieces for pockets....the lining, 3 leaves, and handle were also made with his fabric...Walla...I have a fall purse...Cindy and Sherry I think you have recruited another craftier....

More of Rhona's Quilts...

This winter wildlife wall hanging was a cheaters panel, that Rhona quilted for Tony....He likes blue and Rhona just liked the picture...Tony, please don't tell Harold, Bill or Greg you have two quilts we will never hear the end of it....

This green and tan wall hanging started out to be a gift...but Rhona changed her mind and gave something else instead...Keeping this beauty to eventually hang in the room they use as an office/computer room...

Rhona is proof quilting isn't just for stay-at-home moms and retirees...Workers, on the go, can quilt too....

One Year Anniversary

Although our group is older, today is "The SoTA Blog Site's" one year anniversary....a year has gone by...we had many wonderful days together as our blog reminds us...On any given day we can look back through our blog and the memories are quick to bring the days flooding back....

During childhood, the main source of companionship for women was girlfriends...But time changes everything...The older women get...different circumstances enter the picture, like boyfriends..which leads to husbands, then children...grandchildren...as different stages of life are entered, girlfriends may be put on the back-burner...We are so blessed that along with our families we have been able to revive this childhood gift of friendships....Having this group is what keeps us sane..makes us laugh and allows us to be who we need to be...We empower each other and appreciate each other...the good relationships we have is because we listen, trust and do not keep score...in this group its not about out doing one another...its about sharing all that we are and learning....

Jody sums up the way we feel..."Our SoTA Sisters are so special, it makes me wish that all women out there could share with a group of their own the deep friendship we have..It is priceless and so valuable to us a women...

I must also add we are all blessed with husbands who have the wisdom and the love to encourage this group...This group is good for our health.......The world doesn't stop when we gather but all stress does....For a few short hours are blood pressure is lower and are hearts beat calmer...So as Cindy said " I hope we are blessed with many more years together and recording our growing times together....

A personal note from me...this group is right up there with Paxil in helping me to adapt to life....I have gone places with this group...learned things and done things I never would have without them... Thanks girls...I love you all... Your favorite Ol' Blogger :)

"Nearly Insane"

This is Cindy's "Nearly Insane Quilt" which she has worked on for the last 3 years.. Mary Jane challenge some of us to participate in making 3 or 4 blocks per month from the book in whatever colors they chose...Only MJ, Kathy, Sherry and Cindy agreed to "play"...Cindy decided to do the 1800's reproduction fabrics in pinks and browns...Cindy kept up pretty well each month, then they took a break due to medical reasons...Started up again a year ago.. As far as I know Cindy is the only one with the quilt pieced together..... Now all she has to do is decide how to quilt it....

Cindy added a PS when she emailed me with details..."Now I know why its called "Nearly Insane"...some of the pieces were so terribly small...if she remembers correctly there is one block with 200 pieces in it"...Remember these are all only 6 inch blocks!
There are 90 + blocks...she couldn't bring herself to count them again - makes her want to scream... :0)

From a historical perspective, it is amazing that someone could make a quilt like this over 100 years ago, and do it without all the equipment and supplies that we have today...It was a challenging project, with all the small pieces and complex blocks...maybe seeing what Cindy has achieved will inspire the other girls....From the beginning I knew it was way over my head...but what fun at MJ's to see the blocks in all the different colors and how color could change the looks so much...

As all quilters know pictures do not show a quilt in its true beauty...and I am sorry but when you enlarge these pic they are slightly blurred...I am sure it is the operator of the camera's fault...Sorry I am not a photographer...The Ol'Blogger

Cindy's Wedding Gift for Niece

The stained glass piece is a gift for Cindy's niece and her husband - it was done out of clear glasses that had different patterns in them (wavy, jack frost, bevels, etc) By enlarging one can see all the different patterns in the glass.... No pattern was followed just made it up out of pieces of glass from previous projects. They were already cut out :-) Cindy is very gifted in making stained glass pieces...

Harold's Samurai Doll

Sherry and Cindy came to my house today for a day of making Stick Dolls....In the above pic they are looking over the goodies explaining to Harold (my husband) "if you are taking a vacation day....then you can join the craft day..."

Which he did gladly....as this picture shows....

Here is Harold's finished doll "The Samurai Doll"...I need to let our children know he and I will fit right in at the nursing home as long as they have a craft room...giggles
I sat my camera down to work on my doll and this pic is the result....Which I should blur the face....wouldn't you agree....Elder?..giggles

The finished projects......

The weather was beautiful and fun was had by all....But we did miss our other sisters...but they all had other pressing things going on....One of the neat things about our group...if some is busy...no one gets upset... all is well.....even if the coffee is not all drunk....Love to all...The Ol'Blogger

No Faces Just Scarves

White silk scarves make overs....

Here are some of Kathy's scarves she had done and showed us what we would be doing

They like when I have no faces in pictures...not sure why :0)

Below is a picture of a scarf I knitted for the Elders early birthday...at her age we can have birthdays when ever.....I am going to get it...just wait and see....
Also the hand holding the scarf is the Elders....The Ol' Blogger

July Fun Meter Fill Up Monthly Meeting

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This month we met at Kathy's for a day of rusting and discharging silk scarves...Placing steel wool in our scarves ...some by making balls and tying...also by wrapping and twisting around bottles and PVC pipes...spraying with water and vinegar...It was exciting waiting for the finished products....

Placing flat glass marbles and tying, folding and clipping with clothes pens....the brew was cooking and Kathy did the honors of adding all ready to discharge silk scarves into the concoction which was mixed hopefully as the directions stated...:0)
The Elder unwrapping a piece of brown
fabric that had discharged..
Walla
Some more surprises...Neat!
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Our fun meter was running over by the end of the day...The Ol'Blogger

Crazy Quilt Pillow

This is the last of the memories Sherry has in her book...Sherry speaking..
"My Crazy Quilt Pillow was started and finish in 1996...The material came from Jody's stash...I learned new embroidery stitches and ribbon embroidery. I love doing all the embellishing it seams the more you do the better it looks"..
It seams the old adage if a little is good then more is better applies here..:0) The Ol'Blogger

Congratulations

Congratulations to our own sweet Rhona on her job upgrade....With the pay raise she won't have to rely on winning the door prize to get her fabric....Giggle...
Jarad will miss her I am sure...as she is a employee he enjoyed...but the plus is he doesn't have to find a office with a window....and he won't hear from the SoTA Sister with pleas of more time for quilting....Way to go girl....we are proud of you....The Ol'Blogger

Knitted Scarf

Last winter my daughter, Geri, saw this pattern and decided I could make her a scarf like this....The fact I didn't know how to knit didn't seem to faze her...She drug in a round loom for me to make them....I made a few and they weren't what she wanted...So next she brings me knitting needles and says Mom you can do it....By checking "how to" on the Internet I learned....Which those video's are right up there with the invention of sliced bread in my book...:0) I finished this pink scarf for my granddaughter, Mikala, this week...Not sure how many of these I have made...my daughter, Geri, keeps bringing me yarn...says she wants to learn...so far it is just me knitting away with her yarn....The Ol' Blogger

Alissia

Sherry loves blue...Sherry and her 4 year old granddaughter Alissia made this quilt...Sherry would pick her up from preschool and they would work on it when they got home...She would sit Ali on her lap and let her push the buttons on the sewing machine when it was time... They began this in 2006 and finished in 2007...Memories for Ali and someday she will read about it here on the SoTA Blog....The Ol'Blogger or aka Miss Elaine for Ali....Love you sweet girl...

A Quilted Village

Sherry built her own quilted village around a center patchwork of "green"..she began this in 2000 and finished it in 2002..Complete with school house, church, a house with a white picket fence...Saltbox house, even a fixer upper, a cottage with birdhouse and many more...One can imagine antique wardrobes, beds and cupboards overflowing with fabrics of every color filling each home. A special quilt show being held in the Town Hall with the clock outside telling all the time..And Old Glory waving proudly in the wind...
Click and enlarge and marvel at the embroidery and ribbon works Sherry has put into her village...She did hand quilt this as she does on a lot of her quilts...Which adds so much...take a look at her superb work....