On To The New Year---

So I thought I would spruce up the blog a bit. With the help of Kim of course.

The family was here and gone and it was so good to have our son here for 4 days before Christmas and then all of them after. Since I showed Hubby and I and our two children I will show how big our grandchildren have gotten. Course they aren't children anymore.

As you can see they are almost all the same size. This is the way we used to line them up when we went to beach when they were little. The two boys on the left are only two days apart with the smallest one the oldest. He and the girl in the green next to him are my son's children. The other four are my daughter's. They range in age from 22 to 14. All three girls are in college. They look a little stiff here but what more can you expect. The girls did the dishes and all had lots to eat.

My son slept in the basement on my daughter's bed and drug out another quilt to keep warm. I liked it so much on this old bed that I'm leaving it there. I don't think I had showed it before.

This was a top that the quilt group had made and everyone that made a block got their name in the pot. They picked a winner which was me. That was about 1995. It is a difficult block as you can see in these next two closeups.

this is a closeup of the block. See how the colors are arranged. ? Was hard to get all the blocks correct. One was not but it's in the quilt anyway. You can see how I quilted it.. m Also in the second picture how different the blocks are.

Finally I think I have the pictures right thanks to Kim. It seems that I wasn't able to move the pictures around like they should have been. It all froze up on me. Next time I'm going to move the pictures first and then do the writing. Live and learn and this is an ongoing learning job.

Just a personal note to Anne in Texas. Thanks for the picture Christmas card. It's been neat learning to know your Mom and her blog. I know that a number of my relatives so is a good way to keep in touch.

My son and family got home last night so the kids are all back and hopefully have a little time to relax before going back to work.

Hope I can get back before New Years but if not Hope all have a Happy and safe New Years. It will be quiet in Boonsboro. Thanks to all for the Christmas greetings. I love the comments

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

From my porch to yours, Best wishes to all,

Have had a wonderful 4 days with my son. He has been such a help and seen a lot that he didn't know about concerning his father. We are blessed and will be on Friday when the whole gang will be here.

This is last years tree but it's the same this year. Just a different quilt being quilted.

Hope you all have a wonderful Day with your families.

It's Christmas Time

That means family time. This year is very special as my son came in yesterday to spend a few days before Christmas and also our daughter came up for overnight and we were the four original family

But first, our neighbors had sent us a package from Omaha Steaks with quite a variety of meats. So my hubby says, why don't you invite them over and let them pick out one of your tops in the basket and you can machine quilt it for them. Wasn't that nice? How many of you have husbands so generous with YOUR quilts. I thought about it and decided I had a queen size quilt that I had machine quilted by a good friend and I really had no place for it. So I put it on hubby's bed and invited them over to see if they would like it. Silly question for anyone who likes quilts and has a China quilt on there bed.

So they came over Sat afternoon and she was still bearing gifts. for me this time. The steak were for hubby

This is one of the things she brought me. It's a Longaberger Christmas purse with a wallet
inside. She kept begging me to look inside. Well in the wallet where you keep your bills she had a gift certificate to my favorite quilt shop for $25. What a gal. Also gave me a new quilters daily calendar with all those nice blocks on it.and a cute candle vase with cutouts that says friends.

So about that time in walks my son. A little earlier than we expected and I had to go to town and get the oysters for dinner today and stop at the Chinese buffet and get us supper. Then we got serious about working on the new laptop. In no time at all he showed me how to hook up the printer, and it works, Uploaded all the pictures on two disks and showed me how to use my wireless mouse instead of trying to use the one on the laptop.

So as you see I've loaded the very first picture on my blog. Gee, Thank You Kim for doing that all these months.

My daughter got here about 7 pm and finished up the Chinese and then we had a great visit and at 11 this is what they were doing.

Just like days gone by playing backgammon on the floor. While I'm showing pictures, this is one that my neighbor took and sent to me. Hubby blinked when the camera flashed. He doesn't always look like that.

I still have plenty to learn on here. In fact yesterday I was in someplace and put a lot of my blogs in thinking it was the bookmarks.

Now we can't find that particular file. It was one that came up for that purpose but with this being a lot of google stuff hard to tell where it is.

So far Christmas has been good. Had a nice package from Kim but I'll let her show you what she sent me.

Hope everyone is almost ready now for Santa to come.All I have to do is buy groceries for dinner when all the grandkids will be up with their parents. On the 26.

Thanks for stopping in and another time I will have some quilty things to show.

Attention Cheryl

The email addy did not work. I want you to email me privately at lilsis1930@msn.com
and give me your mailing address. I cannot send you the pattern unless I have that.
Thanks Eileen

And The WINNER IS--

First I have already emailed Ila that she won the trees pattern and I will get it sent when I get her address.

Yesterday while at the local Quilt Shop they had the trees quilt hanging on the wall and had the pattern and kit's made up. So since I had so many comments from you gals wanting this pattern, I bought another one and have picked the second lucky lady, But she happened to be an Anonymous commenter and must get back to me. It was number 25 on the list and Cheryl You must send me your address. If I don't get it before Monday the 22nd, I will pick another number. This is why you need to leave an email Addy If you don't have a blog one.

Thank You one and all for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. It is good to know that some like to read it. Hopefully I will soon learn how to upload the pictures I want to put on, myself.

Hope you all have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS

It's Here

Yes, I'm on my new lap top and it is going to be a long hard pull. Kim says to get the Dummy book for computers and I think I really need it. What all these symbols are for? I have a good friend Roben that was over last night and got me started but it's pretty hard to teach and old dog new tricks. I think it has to be a trial and error.

We did get a few things bookmarked and I was able to find them but the two icons she made for my two users go to the same home. Hmm.

For those that asked about the pattern in case they didn't win.
It is a Pieces from the Heart pattern by Sandy Gervais.

That's all for tonight Have to watch the final of Survivors, Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

Something New and Something Old

First of all, I want to say that this might be my last post on here using my MSN. Just got notice via my son that my new laptop has been shipped yesterday and will be here tomorrow the 12th. Now this blog may not be published till tomorrow either. Depends how soon that Kim gets the pictures in.

Here is the start of my Christmas decorating.

I went looking for a 3 foot tree for this spot with the lights on it. Went to Michael's; Nothing but pink or yellow. The rest all too big.

So stopped at Joann's which was on the way home and this was the best they had. It's nice and full and really doesn't look bad after I went to the pharmacy in Boonsboro for medicine and looked for a short string of lights which they had, but also up on top of one of the display cabinets was a line of these cute little trees with white lights. UGH why hadn't I looked around there this past week. I'm in there at least twice a week.

I got the colored lights and it really looks cute but will be better with a few tiny balls which I haven't brought up yet from the basement.

The next thing is I have most of my trees made. Need two green and one red for that 6th row up and down.

My version and it is looking better all the time. These are so much fun to sew. You don't have to be perfect about them. Only getting the tree tops to come out not cut off.. These have not all been squared up but there is plenty of room on all sides to make them the size you want.

I think I will put a single inner border and then use all the scraps left from cutting these out of fat quarters to make piano keys for the outer border. Might not have enough to go all around but will fill in with pieces of fabrics used in the blocks.

SO this is what I'm going to do. Kim said she would do this if I wanted to send the pattern back but NO. Why shouldn't I have a pattern give-away?

Yes, Starting with this post if you would like to make these trees like Kim and I have made, just leave me a comment saying you want it. On next Wed. the 17th of Dec. I will pick a name from all that want it and it will be sent out as soon as I get your address.

So check on Thurs. the 18th to see if I picked your name. I'd love to beat Kim in the number of comments she gets on her blog. I think she is getting a little big headed. LOL

Kim, you know I love you.

Now here also is some more of the old templates.

Seems like this one could be used a number of ways. In the corner is a McCalls pattern for making a all over quilted quilt. We call them now WOW or White on White. Great for showing off you hand quilting.

This is a closeup and the stamped pattern is inside with directions. I've done two of these. The first one I bought the pattern in an Amish community quilt shop in Ohio. I marked it all myself copying it on the sliding glass door. I love that quilt. All hand quilted.

Enough for this time and hopefully when the weather clears I can get some more pictures of the old Hotel. It looks terrific. Hoping to open in Mid February now. Keep coming back to see and don't forget about the giveaway.

A New Experience

I am on a laptop learning. I have a New Dell coming just before Christmas so Have gotten the wireless router set up and my friend Roben brought over her old laptop so I could play.



That's what I'm doing. Have gotten into some of the blogs and read. What a difference than on my MSN2. I wanted to see how different the set up on here was, so figured I'd do a short post.I have never had a compter so this is all new. I'm sure I'll have plenty of mistakes but I imagine you will all excuse me.



The main thing I want to be able to do is put pictures in when I want them. Instead of having to wait for Kim to put them in. She has been wonderful. I am very excited about getting this very special present.



My son has only had Dells and I asked him to check into them for me. At first he said he thought could get a better deal by going to Best Buy. which I did last Wed. But they had just a few and not the size I wanted. so emailed my son again and he then called me and said what he could get. Ordered and it's to be sent on dec. 16. My son will be here to visit then on the 20th in time to get me started. A friend came over the other day and hooked up the wireless router. That's how I am able to use this machine.



so stay tunned, I will be back

Finds in the garage

The other day I had to go looking for something for Hubby in the garage, which really is more our storage room. Didn't find that but did find these things in a box.

Probably more that 20 years ago when I used to go to lots of Estate auctions, I can remember going to one in Frederick on a Sat. The yard was packed with boxes which are so much fun to go through. You check out what you are interested in and stay close till it is sold. This one big box was full of this

Paper patterns and this box full of the type of patterns we used to use for cutting out blocks and for marking quilting patterns.

This is a few of the cardboard patterns in this little box. I really like this one for about a 10 or 12 in. plain block. You can see it was used good. We only used to use pencil. Not the blue ink we have now.

This picture shows how she keep these small circular one together.

Opened up they make a nice design of fans. Wouldn't that take a lot of time? Some of these in envelopes had "For [a name]" So I imagine this lady made quilts to order. Wonder how much she got? If I remember right they had some of her quilts that they sold and they went high for then.

Here are a few of the other pieces that are easily recognized. The clamshell is a neat one not seen to often.

I thought some of you that are interested in the antique quilts would like to see these. I haven't gone through them all so I might have more later.

We had a nice Thanksgiving on Friday when our daughter and her oldest daughter and youngest son came up for overnight. I really thought I was going to have a lot of help with the dinner but-- Seems she did a dandy burn job on her right wrist when she slipped and the hot ravioli spilled out on her wrist and ended up with a 2nd degree burn. Looked terrible. No water and it hurt for her to try and peel potatoes. At least Ashley my GD did all the dishes both for dinner and later for supper. Oh, DD dried them.

They left Sat. morning to drive up to Philly to take Ashley back to Art school. Then drove back down to Southern Maryland where they live.

I've been doing a little sewing. Kim sent me her Trees pattern so I have been sewing trees. Mine look altogether different than hers as I used darker colors. Think I like hers better but. She suggested that when I finish with the pattern that I have a giveaway of it so stay tuned.

I have another appointment with the chiropractor on Wed. so am hoping with each one that things get better. Didn't seem much better this weekend but that last cracking of my back sure felt good.

Hubby has been pretty good lately except for his blood sugar. Seems it doesn't matter what he eats; sometimes it's low and other times it's high. Most of the time he has to have two shots a day and of course I have to do them. Not my favorite thing to do.

Thanks for all the nice comments. Love to read them even though I don't seem to find the time to go reading other blogs much. Course have to read Kim's every morning.