In the Garden

First off, Bonnie put up the third clue to the Orange crush mystery quilt. There were only 44 in this group and since I had plenty of the light triangles already cut and some of the larger ones it didn't take to long.

Here's a sample of my second set and the third set. It was a little tricky as you had to make 22 going one way and 22 as mirror images. But they are done.

Plenty scrappy.

Then walking out in the yard there was several different flowers blooming so thought I would show you what is the beginning of Spring in Western Maryland

The view from my little porch outside. The old dogwood has sparse blooms but looking in the background at my neighbors woods you can see her blooming dogwood. At least all the leaves are about half way out in the woods. Now we can't see Boonsboro lights at night. That small woods shelters us.

Here's my first azalea which is sort of protected along the carport wall. The vinca ground cover is growing nicely.

This is the shrub at the top of the hill by the carport. The new leaves are this beautiful bronze color. Photographed red but probably because I took this last night when the sun was directly on them and far in the west. When this plant get bigger it gets white flowers that hang down in bunches. I have another small one on the other side of this bank.

Last Saturday a friend and I went plant shopping at a really neat nursery run by Mennonites. They have the most delicious plants. I was looking for perennials and this caught my eye. I have to get ones that take semi shade because of all the trees I have.
Pretty little purple flowers

Here's another picture of the pinks with the dark pink stripe through them. Tried to get a closeup so you could see.
I have 4 varieties, There's the deep pink on the right and I have a pure white which hasn't really taken off yet and then the lavender which is up on the top of this old stump. These are great ground covers.

This has been a hectic day. The painters were suppose to come and paint the overhang, window frames and the carport roof and stain the small porch and steps. But they didn't show. Sure hope they come tomorrow or else they will have to wait till the middle of next week since we're going to be gone.

My Hubby is telling everyone I'm taking him to the kennels. Hope it is a good one.

I have so many things to do in the next two days I doubt if I get a chance to read any blogs. Did read a few yesterday but it all takes so much time.

Now have to go get my two youngest grandson's birthday cards ready to mail They will be 14. One on the 4th of May and the other on the 6th. My how time flies.

I probably won't be back on here until I return from my little trip to the West Coast. Santa Cruz has a beautiful beach, sure hope we get a chance to at least walk a bit on it.

See you all later.

Update and some brights.

Well, everything is settled. I will be taking my hubby to the local nursing home, he's been there before, for what they call Respite Care. Something Medicare won't pay for but he will be well care for while I fly out to the west coast. Yippee. Get to see my two brothers and all the nieces and nephews and their children and grandchildren. From the way it sounds most all of them are going to be there.

What a party we will have. Just what my sister would want. She loved parties.

So on Sat. afternoon I'll take DH down and get him settled and I'll try to sleep some but have a 7:15 flight and the airport is an hour and a half away so that means getting up early. If I can sleep.

Will be coming home on Tues. I was able to get the same Continental flight home part way to Houston with my Brother and Sister-in-law and their oldest son and DIL. So that will be a little extra. That is our one stop. They go on to Columbus Ohio and I come on to Baltimore.

So figured we need a little brightness around and I finally finished this wall hanging. It's all Batek's and was a swap I was in on Larisa's group several years ago. Since Batek is hard to hand quilt through I machine quilted it and finally got the binding on the other day.

Still need to get the grass quilted on my Tulip quilt. I started the other day and didn't like it at all. Had taken to big of stitches so took them out and in the process of doing it I came down on a pin and broke the needle so there the sewing machine sits. No needle. Till I get back to it.

Been just too many things going on.

This morning I did get out to a nursery and bought 6 more perennials and one annual since it was a pretty orange and some color. But I see this morning while planting the new ones that the columbine I planted last year are starting to bloom already. I have about 4 different varieties.

Just wish my dogwood tree had more blossoms on it like it has had other years. It is just getting too old. Have lots of little ones coming but have no idea how long it will take for them to start blooming.

Want to thank all of you for the lovely comments you left of my sister. Didn't realize I had so many people reading these thoughts. Till the next time.

In Rememberance

My sister passed away on Tuesday one day before her 88th birthday.

This is the last time we were together summer of 2006

She's the one with the pink sweater on. Doesn't look 10 years older than I does she?
This was up on the top of Conifer Mountain at my son's home. That's him with the hat on

Ella Mae lived a full life. Had 5 children and her husband of almost 70 years is still living
They moved to Santa Cruz in the early 50's and she went to work for a florist and ended up buying and running it for over 30 years. She loved flowers so with her I'm showing my first flowers for this spring of 2008

This was sort of a surprise. I bought it last year and it had died back and come up the first thing with this beautiful red poppy. Can't tell you the name.

This is the little perennial garden I started along the back of the house. It has a rock Wall and this large old stump that I have planted with 4 different varieties of creeping phlox. Today it is prettier.

This is one of the many wild violets that grow around here

My sisters memorial is on May 5 and the family are having a special program at the grave site before the church service. It is a huge church and I imagine it will be packed. She sang in the choir for years and they raised their children in this church.

I hadn't thought I would go as there is no one here to take care of my hubby but he said he would find someone and I should plan on going. So it is ending up that he will go to the nursing home for Respite care for 4 days so I can go be with my 2 brothers and lots of nieces and nephews and their children. I have no idea how many great grandchildren she has. And she has made baby quilts for all of them. Yes, she also was a quilter. I helped her make a couple. Got her started good after she retired.

Good Bye Ella Mae, as her daughter said shes now singing with the angels.

Some new blocks

I just have an assortment of blocks to show you today. Hopefully in a couple days the dogwood will be in bloom and I can get a good picture of it. Being up on the second floor here on the porch the view of the tree is in the middle where the blossoms are. The leaves are coming out on most of the trees. A wild cherry right across our property line is in full bloom

Here are a couple blocks I've worked on this past week

This is my April block of the month for Carol Doaks group. The color is not good. That is a pretty green for the leaves.

This is what I'm going to do with the Ohio star blocks I made with the plaids that we swapped on the Hollow
Each 6 inch block will be bordered like this using all different plaids for both the strips and the corners. This makes a really neat design. I showed a picture of a quilt one of the girls had on her bed in Kansas City at the retreat.
I've only got the one done so far. Wanted to see how it would look and how those corner square in square worked up.

Mostly I've be cutting strips from my stash for Bonnie's Orange Crush mystery quilt.

These are the first of the second clue blocks that we need to make. Need 142 of this block that Bonnie calls half 4 patch. Have all the triangles cut and squares. Just need to sew, sew, sew. She had us use the Easy angle to cut these. I've had this little ruler for at least 2 or 3 years and never could figure out when and how to use it. So a lot of us have learned what this tool is for. Made it really easy to cut from the strips.

Thanks for stopping by.

Library Opening

What a beautiful day we had yesterday for the ribbon cutting at our new library. I had showed a couple pictures of this probably about two three months ago but it had been delayed because of having the wrong carpet and it had to be remade completely.

It's been open about 2 weeks and is beautiful. Here is a few people that were early enough to get the two rows of chairs they had set up.


As you see it is native stone. This is the entrance you see from the drive.

This is the dignataries. Mayor, council members County Commissioners, County Library board. Our State Senator and Our US Sentator Barbara Mikulski who was the main speaker.

That's South Mountain in the background where I live.

This is Miss Mikulski talking. Notice the stool she is standing on. She is under 5 foot tall and her assistant carries this stool so she can see over a podium when she speaks. She is quite a speaker and funny. Never married but can stand up to any of the other Senators. Has been in there for as long as I can remember.

She mainly wanted to let everyone know that she found a way to get some money for this Library, as the governnment does not help fund Libriaries, Schools. But it does give money for betterment of technogy. So because of the money she got we have 10 computer stations, All high tech computers etc.

Here's the ribbon cutting, We were kept too far back to get a decent picture. Then we all went inside.

To punch and cookies in the Conference room. What a great room to be able to have a quilt meeting.

This is our Senator talking to another one of the dignataries. Should have seen her talking to Nora Roberts husband. He must be 6'6' and little shorty.
Here is our Libarians, there are two more somewhere and their new checkout stand.

The computer labs. I'm going to have to try them out sometime.


.This is a rather dark view of the reading, relaxing room, what a view.
Can you see the couches and chairs around the Stone fireplace? The shiny spot on the chimney is a placque stating that the comfort zone was compliments of the Nora Roberts foundation. Can't say she hasn't supported our town. Course there is probably more of her books in this library than any other authors.

Here is a head on view. I can see just sitting there and reading a good book.

What an asset this will be to this little but growing town.

Hope you enjoyed the tour.

The New and the old

Something said on Quiltville Chat intrigued me yesterday. A gal from across the pond said she had a stack of 5 inch squares and wanted something to do with them. Of course there was several suggestions along with some links.

I followed one and came upon this, probably from a Nickle book. You sew 9 of them into a 9 patch. Then cut them in the middle both ways. Ending with 4 pieces which you can rearrange into different designs. I had a charm set of the TB Lodge collection so decided to try it.

Here's what I got with doing only two sets. Which is all I had of that collection. Really easy and neat. Different than the Yellow Brick Road.

Then I finished making all the little 6 inch Ohio Stars. Really a mix of colors and everyone looks different.

This is only half of them. Have other things up on the board and didn't want to move them until I decide about the setting.

While at the retreat in KC one of the gals from Kansas took us down to her room to show off the two quilts she brought for her bed. Well one of them was made using these swap pieces. This is what I want to do.

She used a different block pattern as this is from a magazine and she is sending me the pattern. I will have to change it to suit my blocks. Like all the backgrounds are different so will have to add a strip around each block for a type of BG and I have lots of different plaids to use for that sashing. So stay tuned.
Then Wanted to show you that Spring has finally come to Maryland

I picked these out of my yard the other day as there was so many and DH can't see them . I also stopped at the stand downtown that has plants every spring and of course the plants were out today. It's been 78 for the last 2 days. Really don't need the 80's yet, it's only April.
Bought a new hanging plant which I put on the outside porch and I can see it while sitting at the MSNTV and talking to you. This is a flower that looks like a little petunia and the humming birds love it. Fun to watch them come and go all around getting a little out of the flowers. It is too early for them though.
I also got two packs of snapdragons for the front yard.
Sun is going down now. We sure had a rain, thunder and lightening show last night. Almost an inch of rain.

Thanks for stopping by.

Retreat Goodies!

More goodies from our retreat. Ellen who was one of the local Kansas City gals and also a great quilter and looks like quite the designer. Had this little wall hanging all ready for us to take our pick of fabrics. Being a blue person I picked this border which is part of the new Gardeners Touch collection.

She had the petals all done on wonder under so we could each write our name on just enough for the ones there. Course I had to be different as I have never used the wonder under and don't have a machine that will do the fancy stitching around the edges. So had mine cut out of freezer paper and did needle turn. It was fun. Did it Monday and Tues. She had the little squares of different beige's for us to take our pick. Suppose to be scrappy. Many of us got those sewed together in KC. Now isn't that the best souvenir for our 3 day retreat? I will get it hand quilted and put it up between one of the windows here on the porch.

This is the cute box that Melanie made for each of us. It is fabric stiffened and folded. Sort of like Origami. She spent most of her three days working on them. When she wasn't out going to quilt shops.

This is what I finished up in Kansas City. Would have gotten the binding sewn down IF I'd had some red thread

It was made with 12 2 inch squares
from one collection of at least 4 years ago. It measures 9 3/4 x 8 1/4. Hand quilted.

Today I've been working on more of the little 6 in. Ohio Star blocks in plaids. I have pictures back about 4 posts. Have found the setting I want to use to put these together. One of the gals had one using this swap, on her bed at the hotel. Took pictures and she is sending me the pattern.

Something to do in-between the OC.

Kansas City Retreat

I've finally gotten through all the emails and digests. Boy, are the Quiltville gals chatty. But didn't want to miss anything.

I left Thursday afternoon for Kansas City and arrived when several of the gals were out Shop Hopping. So this is how the room looked when I got there.

Not a very big room so it's good we didn't have 20 or more come. There was just 9 for most of the time. A couple came in for a day but joined us for one or two of the dinners out.
This was at a Sleep Inn close to the airport which was very good and they had a shuttle. All I had to do was call from the airport and they were there within 10 min.

As you can see there was only two sewers there. Pam from St. Louis wanted to get the gifts she was making finished to give to us.
Isn't this the cutest bag? I ended up

carrying my meds in it back on the plane.
We ate at a Barbacue place the first night and then went to a Quilt shop that was opened til 8.
They didn't have TB but some found things to buy and I found a neat purse just as we were leaving. It's like one I bought several years ago at the Gettysburg quilt show and wore it out.
The next night we went next door to a Mexican resturant and Ellen's hubby and Mother whose 86 joined us. She was something else. So spry and quilts and does crossstitch.
Sat. night there was only 6 plus Pams hubby Fred and after we had a BIG lunch at a different resturant I had Quiche and was so full all I wanted was some soup. So Pam said , Fred could go get us takeout from Panera. That was so good.
Only Pam and Fred and I stayed over to Sunday. The locals wanted to go finish the Shop Hop. I had a good flight home and OH.
Here's one of the gifts that Julie made for everyone. Isn't it neat. Mine is blue because she knows I like blue. I think the others were different colors.

We went to two different shops that they knew had the Gardner's Touch line as I wanted some of it.

Sorry this is sideways. Should have turned it before sending it to Kim. She had sent me the extra panel of the flowers that she didn't use in her neat quilt so I wanted some pieces to go with it. Don't know what I'll do with it yet.

I have my 4 patches all done for the OC mystery and now waiting for Bonnie to get back home to post the next clue. Sure wish I was able to go to my old guild tonight. Just saw that Bonnie is the speaker and then probably will have a class. Just not up to driving 70 miles one way and back after dark any more.

Hope to get a few more pictures of our gifts tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by.

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Paper Pieced Round Robin and Mystery Start

I've finished my third round of the Your Truly Round Robin. Really like how it turned out but sure don't know what I might do for the next round.

Have no idea how many Carol Doak is going to have us do. But it is fun.

Course after I had made all those rectangles I ended up with two 1/4 inch to short and another one 1/2 in to wide. I made the patterns myself so it was my ruler that did it.

Then the last time I showed you the fabric I was going to use for Bonnie's new mystery quilt Orange Crush.

Yesterday afternoon she posted to the chat what the first clue was. We had cut 2" lights and dark strips and were to sew one to the other making long strips So I had the time yesterday afternoon and here's the pile of strips as I was getting ready to cut.

We were to then cut them into 2 inch pieces. and of course we were to make 4 patches.

Here's about half of them and I laid out a few into patches. We need to make 150. I have 60 made and pressed. Have the rest laid out ready to sew but don't know how much I will get done. Maybe tonight.

But tomorrow is a day in town, Dentist to get a filing replaced. Hopefully and then the beauty parlor. Because on Thurs. I'm flying out to a retreat with some of my online friends in Kansas City for the weekend.

My daughter had said she would come up and stay with her Dad so I could get a little break. So I might not get another post until I get back. Sure hope I don't forget my camera.

Thanks for stopping by. How many of you visitors are doing the Mystery quilt? I know we have over 1500 signed into the Quiltville Chat. Leave me a comment.

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