Fall Will be Ushered in with Chocolate Night

We will be welcoming Fall with our annual Chocolate Night on September 21 and 22. This up coming Friday and Saturday.With that, on each SoTA Sisters mind, I decided, this would be a great time to share this picture of Cindy T's mums she sent me last year.. Don't you agree they were beautiful?  On Wednesday of this week we will converge with helping hands on The Elder to assit in setting up the patio. One venue we all love to gather with a fire in the wood fireplace, soothing music playing softly, rain gently falling on the tin roof.. Also we will be getting the tables organized in our Summer Studio for our "All NIGHT" stay..Which I "presume true" we are to leave and come back on Friday around 4pm....but we could..... are available........ free.......nothing to stop us..... from......well starting early...like Wednesday night???? Wonder what The Elder thinks of this proposal??????? The Ol'Blogger

Keep on Knitting....

 Kathy shared with us awhile back, this knitting needle case, she had stitched together..One could organize all needle sizes and knitting supplies. This needle case can be rolled up and tucked in a yarn tote as easy transport for a knitter on the go. Kathy made hers 19" wide by 22" tall she was able to have 12 pockets.  With the extra height she made a fold over flap so the needles wouldn't fall out. She used a 2" strip for the casing on the pockets.  Also lined hers with a very thin layer of Thermore batting.  Bight and cheerful all knitting needles and supplies are safely waiting to be used...The Ol'Blogger

Brain Still in Over Load....

 What a treat for my eyes, when I stopped at Cindy T's on Tuesday..She never said a word about the table we were sitting by while visiting, when all of a sudden my eye was caught by the items on the table..My breath was taken away..The table was beautiful to say the least..Cindy had found this shoe at a yard sale, empty and crusty, she told Kent "I want that shoe".. After much soaking and scrubbing it was clean and shinning..When given a box of buttons from a friend. She knew where they could and would live...

 

Caddy Corner from the shoe in front of the lamp was this beauty. Yes, she had learned well from Brian Haggard and let her imagination go..Pieces of this and that Cindy created a one of a kind, her very own special pin cushion..Scissors hang from the Curly Q off to the side, a thimble rest in the bird nest on top, while the precious bird looks on..Check out the needle holder hanging from a leaf...I love it all..My words don't do it all justice,and this isn't all that adored that exquisite table. Just a little behind and to the other side of the shoe,,well just look below..

Cindy had taken a minture sewing chair (found at a yard sale) and recreated it into a delight for ones eyes...The sounds coming from my mouth and the size of my eyes were from sheer delight..Not that I was surprised that Cindy could do all this, from having seen all she has created in the past, I knew she was well capable..But my mind was still in over load from having, the week before, spent three wonderful days with her, Jody and Rhona at my first retreat. With Brian Haggard as our Instructor, and then being invited to his studio. Was more than my mind could handle..all my emotions came flowing out in Cindy's front room....giggle

All of the SoTA Sisters have been my inspiration for going on 14 or15 years..Now I can add Brian and all his lovely family to the list..I am truly blessed..Thank you all, The Ol'Blogger

Necktie Purse

 Old neckties may seem useless, but they actually make great material for many different crafts and fashion accessories.
 Cindy T.recycled hers into this trendy new handbag..Which I am sure will be a great conversation piece. Besides being eco-friendly for the green movement. The Ol' Blogger

Threads Of Time

Four of the SoTA sisters treated our selves to 3 day retreat in Danville, Ill with Brian Haggard. Left to right Rhona, Me, and Cindy..Front would be our Elder, Jody...This was my first stay over, and I had a wonderful time. We leaned some really neat techniques from our super instructer. I am still running it all over in my head..When we have finished our "Talking Quilts" (the theme of the class) I will post them..Threads of Time, Creative Sewing and Retreat Center was an ideal place..The staff and facility was excellent..One thing I did learn..on these retreats one doesn't get much sleep..giggle.The Ol'Blogger

BOO

Halloween is the biggest shopping holiday, second only to Christmas. Consumers spend billions in sales, proving that we love Halloween and all its trappings.  Rhona has created and now has this darling Halloween lap quilt to add to her Halloween  treasure trove.. Created with  a festive theme of orange,black,and white, grinning jack-o-lantern, black cat, bat and oh yes frindly ghost, this lap quilt come to life to welcome in the fall season.. Hope you all have fun in this up coming season..The Ol'Blogger

Celebrating in Cincinnati

Cindy and I went to Quiltfest Cincinnati last week.  We went over on Thursday, spent the day exploring Cincinnati and the surrounding area.  We checked out the fabric at the Fabric Shack and found some great bargains in their tent sale.  Next was the Hyde Park area.  Saw these great planters,

 shopped at World of Beads and then lunch at Arthurs (great burgers).  The weather was nice, so we ate in the outdoor courtyard,  

and then to wrap up Thursday evening, we attended preview at Quiltfest and started checking out the vendors.

Friday  morning we were back at QuiltFest.  We visited the rest of the vendors and then looked at all the quilts.  We ran into our friend Brian and had a little celebration.

After closing the show Friday, we headed to dinner with Brian and his friend Donna.  Had some great Mexican food at Taqueria Mercado.  After dinner, Cindy and I headed back to the QuiltFest for Celebrate Cincinnati.  Had a glass of wine, listened to the band and then called it a night.

Saturday morning we went to St. Theresa's Textile Trove (a very interesting place),  and then headed home, stopping a few places along the way.

Another road trip has come and gone and now we're anxiously awaiting the next one!

Rhona

Hmmmm Chocolate Roses...

Chocolate Roses are gorgeous, delicious lifelike flowers that we have every year on Chocolate Night..The girls had a day for making the roses last year before CN.

Jody is pictured, forming the center of the rose: take one of the cut circles and roll it into a cylinder. Leave a small hole at the top of the cylinder, and a larger hole at the bottom..Wrap your first petal around the cylinder, making the top of the petal level with the top of the cylinder, pressing it at the bottom to adhere the chocolate.

Jody, Cindy J and Cindy T busy working away...Wonder if they ate along the way..

Sherry and Cindy T. seem to really be enjoying the process.... The Ol'Blogger

Emery the Sewing Mouse

Brenda Gervais has a cute little pincushion called  Emery the Sewing Mouse –Each one of us has or are making one.Pictured above is the one Kathy created...This is a fun afternoon project that requires a bit of this and that.  You cut out the mouse body in wool, stitch around the body, arms, and legs and turn these all inside out.  The arms and legs are especially challenging since they are so small..You also do a lot of handwork on this. You stitch the arms and legs on by hand, and then use tiny beads to create his beady little eyes and pink nose..The thimble is glued on, as is his tail (which is a rusty piece of wire twisted into a tail shape). The strawberry is sewn on the machine and stuffed with a filling, I used lizard sand in mine, not sure what Kathy used.. Once stuffed, you tack on the green cap by hand. The project is finished when you attach Emery down on the strawberry. How cute is this?

Slumber Party

 Some time has gone by since I have had time to blog or spend time with my SoTA Sisters. My husband was diagnosed with cancer in September then he graduated from this life to Heaven on January of this year. I am hoping to get back to my blogging as it is one of my joys and something he would want me doing. I am spending more time with my wonderful group of sisters..They have all been and inspiration for me..For them I am thankful and truly blessed..

Most adult women have an unforgettable slumber party in their memory. These parties continue to be a fun way for girlfriends to get together and spend time with one another. That is just what the SoTA Sisters did on February 17.  Cindy J. was our host for the night.. 

An adult slumber party is not much different than those for the younger crowd. One big difference is that all who are attending are adult age and are legal to drink. After some delicious food prepared by our host and a few drinks of wine, coke or tea depending on ones desire, the fun begins. Out comes the needles,quilting hoops or clay what ever is needed for each ones project for the night, a simple time to reflect on the past and bring everyone up to speed fit right in with our hands working on the treasures being created.. Here I will share a few pictures from that night....Above we have Jody working on her project of practicing a new hand stitch embroidery she is learning 

Rhona, smiling as she works... Sherry listening intently to a conversation from the room...and in the far back corner is Cindy T. all totally oblivious to the camera.. Cindy T. and I didn't get to spend the night, but enjoyed the time while we were there..I must admit I have forgotten what Rhona was working on.. Sorry Rhona..

Here we have a close-up of the quilt Sherry is hand quilting..Can hardly wait to share the finish product with you all..A true work of art...

Cindy T. was sewing the binding on the quilt below... She made this quilt from her grandchildrens hand prints and art work..

 Cindy J with her table of clay faces all set up and ready for her creative hands to go to work .. Two, which will be Indians to adorn a wall. The other two will be  elderly gentlemen I believe.. As for me I was cutting out circles from men's ties...Sherry and Jody were kind enough to fix 800 for me when I was unable to join the girls while they were fixing theirs..Glad to be back, The Ol' Blogger