Marc's Memory Quilt...

Cindy used T Shirts her cousin Marc had collected over the years, to make him his own Memories Quilt..

Here we have his team picture she sewed into the quilt..

Cindy is pointing to a panel that has some of his accomplishments printed on it..

Marc's mother bought this throw and Cindy incorporated into the back of his quilt..The Ol'Blogger

Rag Necklace

I braided three strips of 1/2 fabric and seed beads that I had strung..Then added in some large hole beads to make this necklace for my daughter Geri. The Ol'Blogger

Cindy's One of a Kind Pillar Doll

Jody and Cindy took a class in 2006, Pearl Moon was their teacher who is originally from Australia...The class was held in Richmond Ky. Jody's doll disappeared while they were at the class....We only have Cindy's to admire.. She dyed the fabric, wool and hair..The face is made out of polymer clay..Feathers, bits of this-n-that makes this pillar doll one-of-a-kind...

Abby's Quilt

This is Abby's quilt that Cindy made for her..These are to go on the bunk beds, Cindy refinished earlier in the year..We had an posting on them, with all the critters she had painted on them..

I loved all the blocks but this one really jumped out at me.."Grandma's heart is a Patchwork of Love." I would say is a quote that so fits Cindy...

The Ol'Blogger

Alex's Quilt

Cindy has finished Alex's quilt for Grandma's house..She used twin needles to quilt on her sewing machine..

 Close up of some of the blocks.

 

Valentine

 Just the perfect Valentine's Day gift to make for one's self...Kathy created bracelet using reds for Valentine's Day...But it is pretty enough she can wear it any day...I love this one...The Ol'Blogger

Spectacular Stitching......

Picture one is 2 embroidered stockings Kathy is working on.....there is a set of 12...She is coloring them to add texture and contrast. She has plans to make 2 Advent Calendar quilts, 1 each for her niece and nephew.

  The black baskets are 2 of 5 Kathy lightly colored and embroidering for a lap throw she is making with a piece of black toile.Toile, which is short for Toile du Juoy, is a pattern used in home décor. The repeated pattern is traditionally set on fabric with a white or cream background, and printed most often in navy, red and black.  Of course when she finishes this we will picture here on our blog...So be sure and tune in for the unveiling...The Ol'Blogger

Why Handmade Jewelry?

Cindy has finished her Gee's Bend bracelet..and it is really neat..

Also she had completed a bracelet and added fall leaves to the top..

Why handmade jewelry?  If you would like the human touch to your jewelry, it is essential you take a look at something that is made from human imagination and human hands..Besides who want simply to walk outside and discover other people with your exact same necklace, bracelet or earrings on..One of the rewards of making your own jewelry,or purchasing jewelry handmade... friends and family will ask you about what you are wearing and you can inform them: these were created special and there's no other item quite like it...

It is made and assembled by a real person, giving it both character and quality..And almost always at a price less than what it is worth.. We all know you can not  put a price on joy, love, patience's, and imagination that goes into each piece.. The Ol'Blogger

Mary Belle

Handmade exclusively by Cindy, Mary Belle is one of a kind...Search from sea to shining sea, but you won't find another mermaid like this one.. ..Adorn with shells, necklace, bracelet and rings..Nails painted, luscious purple eye lashes...She is perched on her own rock..She will dazzle and delight young and old..The Ol'Blogger

February Fun Meter Fill Up Meeting....

We met at Sherry's yesterday for our February Fun Meter Fill Up Meeting.. The chocolate birthday cake with the blue buttons and donut in front were made by Sherry..The other Birthday Cake is Cindy's finished...Donut in front of that cake made by Kathy. These are darling pin cushions to be add to their collections..

Was a fun filled day, for lunch we had pizza and salad bought by Sherry and Kathy purchased with money from unfinished UFO's..giggle Cindy worked on hand embroidery, Kathy was counter cross-stitching a piece, Sherry enjoyed coloring on a new quilt she has started..I started my Gee's Bend bracelet, which kept me up all night..I just kept thinking oh just one more..:) Will be sharing our show-n-tell the next few days..

The Ol'Blogger

Mom Made......

My daughter Geri purchased this cross and the round turquoise beads and wanted me to make her a necklace.. Using some beads that was from a broken necklace and some turquoise beads I had, this is what I came up with...She was pleased..

The Ol'Blogger

Gee's Bend Style Bracelet

Gee’s Bend is a small rural community nestled into a curve in the Alabama River southwest of Selma, Alabama. Founded in antebellum times, it was the site of cotton plantations, primarily the lands of Joseph Gee and his relative Mark Pettway, who bought the Gee estate in 1850. After the Civil War, the freed slaves took the name Pettway, became tenant farmers for the Pettway family, and founded an all-black community nearly isolated from the surrounding world.

The town’s women developed a distinctive, bold, and sophisticated quilting style based on traditional American (and African American) quilts, but with a geometric simplicity reminiscent of Amish quilts and modern art. The women of Gee’s Bend passed their skills and aesthetic down through at least six generations to the present.

Rhona saw this innovative cuff-style bracelet that is inspired by the acclaimed quilts of the women of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. She fell in love with it..so we are all making one..Sherry is the first one to get one done, and she made two...pictured above..Will post others as they finish...I haven't even started...The Ol'Blogger..

Scrappy Trails

 Scrappy Trails was made by Sherry..She used Civil war reproduction fabrics.... Union and Confederate women rallied to the war effort when the Civil War broke out in 1861.Southern women did what they could to help buy desperately needed gunboats. During the spring of 1862 the enthusiasm for this confederate project waned when naval defeats made it likely that seaports would fall to the enemy. And unfortunately the war that was supposed to "only spill a thimble-full of blood' drug out over four devastating years.It soon became obvious that there was a desperate need for clothing and blankets for Union soldiers. So it was decided that funds should go for medical supplies for soldiers instead of buying boats.The military had requested that quilts be made about seven feet by four feet, the convenient size for a military cot and bedding pack. By the end of the war it is estimated that over 250,000 quilts and comforts had been made for Union soldier.

Instead of binding Sherry sewed prairie points and then she hand quilted...Another beautiful quilt...

The Ol'Blogger.

Hand Sewing....

There is always some hand sewing going on when we gather...We have snapshots of Kathy and Jody here working on some of theirs..Some of the reason for hand sewing..

1.Mobility: Take your project with you. To the kitchen table, a friends house, on the road and in the garden. Or as in this case to Brown-County

2.Sociability: We can visit with one another...One of our favotite things...

3.Helps finger dexterity and teach the values of patience...

4. Very relaxing,

Santa Picture was Hiding...

Oops, some how I miss this one at Christmas...Better late than never, right...Our baby girl Sherry made this one...the flap is removable..So for Christmas this adorable flap was created by her...With all the snow we have had it seems Christmas is still with us, even though Sherry has long since changed her flap..giggle...The Ol'Blogger

Memories

Random pictures from that special Tuesday in January at Brown-County...The one day we were all together there....Rhona cleaning up a bit..

 Sherry and Jody checking things out...

Kathy and Sherry has found something that has caught their attention..
When we think of January we all have fond memories of our times there...The Ol'Blogger

Small but Splendid

We were discussing Kathy hand appliqueing the Halloween Quilt, and Cindy mentioned this Sun Bonnet Sue block Kathy had done...So we had her drag it out for us to look at again...Oh, how does she manage the tiny pieces...we are very impressed always with her work...if you enlarge you will be able to get the full effect...The design of a playful girl with a big bonnet can be traced back to illustrators who worked in the late 1800s and early 20th century.The Ol'Blogger

P.S.- these Sunbonnet Sue's are about one inch tall!

Very Addictive

  Picture # 1: Kathy created this beauty...The face is  purchased hand carved bone.  It's glued to Lacy's Stiff Stuff and then hand beaded.  When finished it's glued to the brass cuff and backed with ultra suede and finished with a row of beading connecting the top and back.


"The Man in the Moon" my copy of the bracelet Kathy made, is pictured below...

 I named this bracelet "No Mo Snow Please" we have had one heck of a winter and like everyone else I have had enough...I used size 11 green and white seed beads to make this one...Then added buttons I had on hand... It closes with small snaps...The Ol'Blogger

Sweets Pin Cushion...

Cindy working away on a special pin cushion, while at Brown-County Retreat...

Here the pin cushion is almost finished...all it likes is the rest of the sprinkles...She also made one which is a Birthday Cake, some how I didn't get a picture of it..Both were darling....The Ol'Blogger

I'm a Little Teapot

I'm a little teapot,

Short and stout,
Here is my handle ,
Here is my spout,
When I get all steamed up,
Hear me shout,
Tip me over and pour me out!


Sherry hand embroider each tea-pot from the Crab-Apple pattern. She hand quilted it and also embroidered the poem above in the outside borders...It is beautiful....The Ol'Blogger

Tony's Flower Bed

Another quilt for Tony...shhhhh don't tell Harold...Rhona told me when Tony saw her looking at this quilt in the Keepsake Quiting, he would tell her that he liked that quilt why don't you make it? We are in awl with Rhona, she works full time and still whips out these beauties...

All Set for Rainy Day

 

Rhona was working away on Ashley (grand-daughter) and her doll's rain gear while at Brown-County..The girls will be all set too...."Let the rain kiss them. Let the rain beat upon their heads with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing them a lullaby." - Langston Hughes Have fun girls Granny has you all set...
The Ol'Blogger

Christmas Year Round.....

 

When we gather there is usually gifts to share..So on Tuesday, while at Brown-County, we had treats...Kathy had made a pin cushion for each...she had hand embroider "Member in Good Standing" with SoTA in the middle..We were thrilled beyond words..Cindy had made up little red bags with needles, a stamp with our first initial, little ric-rack, atc card which was Cindy's portrait. I might add this was a challenge we had for Chocolate Night and Cindy was the only one that has hers done... Rhona made the cake pot-holder for all.. We have Christmas year round..
The Ol'Blogger...

4th Year Retreat at Brown County

Four of the six SoTA Sisters shared a retreat at Brown-County in January... The Elder and I visited on Tuesday of the week...While there Sherry worked on her Halloween quilt..She got the whole top done...

I believe this is a block Kathy had done on her Halloween quilt... Will be sharing pictures from this retreat the next few days...The Ol'Blogger

SchoolTube - Profiles

And enterview that was done by NLCS Star Station.... One can click on this site and watch...around 42 minutes...   SchoolTube - Profiles   Jody, Sherry and I weren't able to attend due to illness...but Kathy, Cindy and Rhona did us proud.. Thank you girls...you were great...The Ol'Blogger