Michigan Quilts!

A Couple of Quick Mentions

2009-07-08T18:31:00.007-04:00

Number 1: My Father-in-Law just got home from the hospital. He went in July 3rd. Home now for two weeks, then back for another procedure.

Number 2: I would be happy for Paris Jackson and her two brothers to move in with us. And no, not for the money. They seem like great kids who need some normality in their lives. Paris needs to learn how to quilt.

Number 3: Yes, I started a new quilt. Felt compelled to applique something. Did you know that your Microsoft Word program has lots of GREAT applique designs built into it? Like this one? Snoop around in the fonts and clipart for something you like, blow it up ALMOST to smitherines in Word, then print. Enlarge on the copy machine to get the size you want, and VOILA! You got yerself a darn great pattern, by golly! (This one is not nearly completed... just wait until you see it finished!) And no, I'm not related to Sarah Palin.

Stay tuned for more applique excitement to come.

If you leave a comment or question that requires an answer, please include your email address for a reply. I can't send an answer if your blogger ID is set to either "anonymous" or "no reply". Thanks!!

It's July? Already?

2009-07-06T21:40:00.006-04:00

Someone told me today that it is July 6th. What happened to the 4th of July? I missed it! For the past year and a half, someone in our family has been in the hospital at almost every holiday. This time, it was my Father-in-Law. He went in to the ER Friday morning, and he's scheduled for a procedure tomorrow, Tuesday. No telling how long he will be there. So, needless to say, we spent most of the weekend at McLaren Hospital. My husband is an only child, so there isn't anyone else to help out, which we are glad to do anyway. But it's getting a little wierd having to be at a hospital every holiday! GEESH!

Tomorrow is the memorial service for Michael Jackson. I've been angered by the media frenzy surrounding the moments and days (weeks?) after his death, yet I have listed to the news and watched television. I guess what has drawn me to pay attention is the sad life he has lived. Through all his talent and good, he has been mocked and ridiculed by so many people. He has had a few people close to him, standing by him through thick and thin. He was put on trial. His family has supported him. He had people who betrayed him, and people who wanted to believe him, yet could not bring themselves to do so. He loved children, and children loved him. He was gentle to animals, and had such a tender way with them. He was known by many names, including King. He was different. He was unusual. I know of another man years ago (2000 some years ago) who faced similar hardships.

Michael may also be more popular after his death. Time will tell. Shame on us for being a part of this media madness. Shame on us for judging him and finding fault with his unusual lifestyle and way of life. No one deserves this. Not in this generation, and not in generations past.

May you finally be at peace.

Economy Block

2009-06-27T16:50:00.003-04:00

I just finished my second block for the quilt that is being made for President Obama. It is called "Economy" and I chose it out of the Yvonne M. Khin book of patterns mentioned in my post earlier today. I added hand embroidery in the center square to further emphasize the title of the block. It seemed to fit the current situation in America... and the struggle that faced our new President even before he took office.

The quilt for President Obama is currently in Round One of several rounds. If you are interested in participating by making a few blocks, please contact me by leaving a comment on this post.

If you leave a comment or question that requires an answer, please include your email address for a reply.
I can't send an answer if your blogger ID is set to either "anonymous" or "no reply". Thanks!!

What is Your Favorite Quilt Book?

2009-06-27T08:23:00.009-04:00

I have more quilting books than any one person should own. I admit it. I haven't bought myself a new book in a long time. Well, I take that back. I bought Ricky Tim's Convergence Qult book last winter. But before that, years had gone by without me buying a quilt book. YEARS! That is unreal. Most of my books were purchased in the 70's and 80's. OK, I'm old but not THAT old.

In thinking about all of my books, I asked myself,

"If you had to leave all your quilting books behind for whatever reason, and could only take ONE with you, which one would that be?"

Here is my answer. Please share yours in the comments below. You can write about it there, OR you can post a link to your blog and share it on your blog. If you link to your blog, could you please mention my blog question and link to it? (A little SEO there, for those of you techies.)

This book, "The Collector's Dictionary of QUILT NAMES AND PATTERNS" by Yvonne M. Khin is my "quilting bible." It has 2,400 quilt block patterns. That's what the cover claims. Actually, they are drawings of blocks, not actual patterns that you can follow to make your own. If you want to make a block, you have to use your own skills to draft it yourself based upon what you see. Some of you might cringe when you think about that, but it is a skill that a good quilter should learn.

You can see that I use my book a lot. See the page markers? See the worn bottom right corner of the cover?

If you click on the photo of the open book, you can get a closer look.

Ms. Khin copyrighted her book in 1980, so when I got it, it was a brand new thing. I loved it! She was born in 1916. The last I knew, she was living in Maryland. She would be 93.

Thanks for a super great book!!!

Thoughts on Blogging

2009-06-22T06:52:00.005-04:00

What draws you to a blog? What makes you come back for more?

I find as I read various blogs - quilt or otherwise - I love to see good pictures. I love to read about what you are doing in your life, be it quilting, writing, art, or what is going on in your family. Who we are 24/7 says a lot about who we are as a person. If I have been reading someone's blog for a very long time and then all of a sudden they post an entry without photos, but about their life, I will read the entry without hesitation. But if I visit a person's blog for the first or second time and there are NO photos, I might not come back. I wonder why that is?

What is it about reading blogs that makes you come back for more? Please share in the comment section below, and let's get a dialogue going.

Speaking about blogging in general, if you have been following someone's blog regularly for a year or more... faithfully... and leaving regular comments... faithfully... wouldn't you think you would see your blog listed in their blogroll? Or am I thinking with a junior high mentality? It sometimes just strikes me as odd.

My kitty is not feeling well. I think it's a hairball. Having long fur, and with her licking all the time, how can it NOT be a hairball? She's been laying in strange places, making a feeble whine when she meows, and doing things she normally wouldn't do. Sad, sad Stormie!

Fiber Art Postcards

2009-06-20T20:34:00.004-04:00

Gave it a whirl... for the first time. "Purple Rain"

"Desert Moon"

I'm back...

2009-06-14T07:46:00.009-04:00

My hubby reminded me this morning that I haven't blogged in awhile. SORRY! Sometimes life just gets in the say. Here's what's been going on:

<-Remember this mess? THANKS to my wonderful hubby Dean, It has been greatly improved:

A nice "Lemon Pound Cake" paint, a new storage cupboard (doesn't yet have the doors on it) and some cleaning and sorting yet to do, and I'm making headway. It's still not a "finished" basement, but much improved and I'm liking it.

Critter Report

Our little pond has new life! This little froggy is probably one of the babies born last year here. His buddy, a new baby turtle, is camera-shy and wouldn't let me take his photo yesterday despite several different attempts. The little fellow is about 1.5 inches in diameter and cute as can be.

Speaking of little things, I made a few little business card holders yesterday that ended up in my Etsy shop; here's one of them.

That's it for now... hope you have a GREAT week!

Clumps of Color

2009-05-31T13:21:00.004-04:00

I love the color that comes with spring and summer. The flowers, the leaves, the grass - everything about it screams color, and that makes me want to dive head-first into my stash of fabric and match it up.

We planted this little tree last summer... or the summer before that. I LOVE the huge clumps of flowers that it has this time of year. Aren't they luscious?

For several years now, we haven't had any buds on our Rhododendren. But this year - WOW! I'm feeling in a purple mood. How about you?

A Tisket, A Tasket

2009-05-30T16:57:00.004-04:00

Lots of colored baskets! Well, not a whole lot. Eight, actually, all with different fabrics in the basket and in the background. I thought they would go more quickly, but I've been tired in the evenings after work, so I'm poking along. Can't seem to drag my behind down to the basement to sew on the machine. I'm going to try hand piecing one tonight and see how that goes. It's hard to see the fabrics in these with this photo... I particularly like the backgrounds! They will be on point in the quilt, with sashing between them, I think. Or not. Who knows?

Hang on, you can see them close-up another day!

Quilters on Facebook

2009-05-27T17:24:00.003-04:00

I'm on Facebook.

I'm one of thousands of quilters meeting daily to chat and talk about patterns, colors, fabrics, crystals, applique, piecing, postcards... and then some. I've met new friends, renewed old acquaintances, and seen so many beautiful quilts that I would othwise never have seen. Just a few minutes ago, I looked through an album of absolutely amazing quilts at the Bodensee Quilt Festival that were posted by Nicole Skof. Nicole is from Germany, and the quilts were on display this month. Absolutely stunning! If you can't see the pictures Nicole posted, try this site or do a search on Google.

If you're not on Facebook, you don't know what you're missing. Come on, give it a try! It's a great place to talk with other quilters from around the world!

A quilt from the Bodensee Quilt Festival in Southern Germany, May 2009

Learning From Your Family

2009-05-24T07:20:00.006-04:00

Persistence pays off.

My Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather, Nathaniel Blackmer fought in the Revolutionary War. In his lifetime, he was not given the recognition he deserved, as no one could find his service records. He persisted until the day he died, trying to prove his loyalty to the U.S. Turns out they had misspelled his last name. In May of 2009, he was honored with a plaque after the misspelling was discovered by persistent family members. A ceremony complete with honor guard was held to put his plaque in place in Richfield Union Cemetary in Davison. Dad and I visted the historic cemetary yesterday, with graves dating back to the 1700's. Way to go, Grandpa Blackmer!

"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."

Betty Ruth Covert, my mom.

I know, your mom probably said the same thing. This was my mom's most famous expression, and it is ingrained on my soul. Please, when you are posting online or sending an email to an entire group of people, don't talk bad about someone or scold them publicly. Think before you post. Nobody likes a public spanking. How do I know? Ouch! Feeling the pains this morning.

You can always find a quilter... and other fabulous people!

2009-05-21T20:50:00.005-04:00

I posted before about this beautiful old home in the historic neighborhood of Overbrook, Pennsylvania. This home was owned by my Great Aunt Estelle Klicker Scott and her husband Carl Scott. Overbrook Farms is in Philadelphia, and is an awesome neighborhood on the historic register. If you love architecture, you will want to go to this link and look around. WOW!
Anyway, the photo above is one that my mom had of Aunt Estella's house. Mom lived there for a short while after high school, before she went to Michigan State University. Uncle Carl's family were part owners in Pittsburgh Plate Glass.

I wanted to find out more about our family genealogy and this magnificent house, so I contacted the Overbrook Farms Club, the nation's oldest home owners association. I sent them a few photos of the house, and Melanie, a sweet gal who works there, went to work. She posted the picture on their ListServe, and I started getting emails from many different people who don't know me. They drove around the neighborhood looking for the home to see if it still stands. They looked in historical books about the neighborhood. They did research. They drove around in their cars taking photos of homes. And then, this morning, I received this from Chris Hinkle-Brown:

That's the house! You have no idea how fabulous it was to receive this photo, taken this morning shortly after sunrise! Thanks, Chris! Another member of the club lives right next door, and several other people are doing research for me. One of the members is a quilter!

The world is full of wonderful people who are happy to help others.

Be one of those people!

They really put a smile on your face, a skip in your step, and love in your heart.

Thank you, new friends!

A Basket Case on Saturday

2009-05-18T19:08:00.006-04:00

ZZZzzz... Saturday was cold and cloudy. There was even a little rain in the morning. Nothing much to do except be lazy and lay around on quilts... or sew some. Stormie did the laying, I did the sewing. I was pretty much a basket case. Still not feeling my perky self, but sewing baskets. I only completed two, but I'm happy with how they turned out. The background is different in each block on this quilt.

It was back to work today, and of course the sun is shining and the temp is warmer. Ahhh yes, such is the life when you live in Michigan. Anybody in a warmer climate need a guest?

The Stubborn Gene

2009-05-14T19:56:00.004-04:00

My Grandpa Covert was a sweet man. He affectionally called me "Plugger" from as early as I can remember. I didn't have to walk much at my grandparent's house, as Grandpa loved to carry me around and show me things. Things like chocolate fudge cookies that he would sneak out of Grandma's cookie jar. I hold him responsible for my wicked sweet tooth!

Grandpa had a stubborn streak, though. He'd set his mind on something, and there was no way in God's green earth that you were going to get him to change his mind.

My dad inherited that gene. The Stubborn gene. He has passed it on to my brother.

My brother and I are about 8 years apart. I was adopted. He was a SURPRISE! But he got the gene. And it has ahold of him tightly and won't let go.

When you have a headache for two weeks straight, you go to the doctor. When the doctor is concerned and wants to send you for an MRI, you don't argue, you GO!

Nope. Don't need the thing. Costs too much. It will go away on its own, and if it doesn't, oh well.

Brothers. It doesn't matter if you are ten or fifty years old. Sometimes they just need a good whacking!

This Could Be The Start...

2009-05-13T17:05:00.005-04:00

of Something Grand!

My quilts are usually planned for and given to other people. Not so with this baby! This is Momma's baby! All mine. Do NOT covet this quilt, girls. Yes, I'm speaking to you, Kim and Margaret! One of you can inherit this someday, but until my ashes are scattered someplace purdy, this is gonna be MINE!

I like contemporary quilts, but I'm an old fashioned quilter at heart. This is going to be a scrappy basket quilt for my front bedroom, using only scraps from my scrap basket (ok, there's more than a basket's worth there, but you get the idea). Each basket will have a different background and basket fabric... tan, beige and off white backgrounds, mixed colors in the baskets. Yes, Dean, they will be in "Caron Colors."

He knows what that means.

I'm 2.5 blocks into the quilt, so there's a long ways to go. I'll keep you posted.

Don't get any crazy ideas about sneaking in during the night, either! My cat guards all my quilts. She has nails and she knows how to use them!

I've got my EYE on you!

Changing Faces of Advertising

2009-05-10T07:40:00.002-04:00

My husband has a Sunday morning ritual, usually completed before I am even out of bed. He puts his slippers on and goes outside to gather the two newspapers we have subscriptions for: The Flint Journal and the Detroit Free press. He brings them inside, puts them on the kitchen counter, pours a cup of coffee and spends a few minutes pulling the advertising flyers out of both papers. The flyers are taken out to the garage and put into the recycling bin. What is left of the newspapers is put on the kitchen table for later reading. We don’t want to have to wade through advertising while we are enjoying our paper over breakfast.

Remember when you had your first email account? It was enjoyable to open your email and find a message from a friend or family member with whom you had shared your email address. The longer you had email, the more friends and family you shared with. Until that one day. That very first day you received an email message from someone you did not know. From someone who SPAMMED you. Advertising you didn’t need, want or ever care to see come across your table. Junk.

I have actually enjoyed email at my place of work. We have great email servers with high level firewalls that prevent most spam. Lately though, more spam has been getting through. People are becoming more diligent and successful at cutting through the blockade and throwing advertising in my face. It’s not appreciated!

I have enjoyed Facebook for the opportunity it provides me to communicate in yet another way with friends, new and old. I have renewed friendships with high school classmates from the 1970’s (yes, I am dating myself). I have made new friendships with people all around the world. It is a great way to stay in contact with my boys and their families, a younger techno-savvy generation. I have loved the fact that those sharing my love for quilting are able to connect from the far reaches of the world for one massive quilting bee!

But alas, Facebook is becoming another market for advertisers who sign on, seemingly as your FRIEND, then spam the dickens out of you with their advertising. They are Realtors, quilt shop owners, business representatives hawking their wares (like thread), and quilters promoting their latest book. Though it gives me a sense of angst, I have started to blocks “friendships” that are nothing more than business advertising pushed in my face. If you want to advertise on Facebook, please follow their guidelines.

Twitter is going the same route. Yesterday I was spammed by a Tweeter who is an advertising specialist. He wanted to “follow me” and yet, proceeded to send me spammed tweets.

With newspapers quickly becoming obsolete, my husband will soon be rid of his Sunday morning ritual. I am blocking more and more “friends” and Tweeters who claim to be my buddy.

You too?

What will be next?

Freshening Up The Blog

2009-05-09T16:41:00.002-04:00

I like to mix up my home de'cor, don't you? I swap out the quilts on the beds, rearrange pictures and decorations, and whenever I can, like to rearrange the furniture. I think it keeps things looking fresh.

I like to do the same thing with my blog. It's so easy using the "Cutest Blog on the Block." If you have a blog and haven't tried their designs, give it a look!

Ahhhhh... much better!

2009-05-08T15:29:00.003-04:00

I posted this quilt a few days ago, and since then have made a change to the block in the top left corner. I like this much better now, and the red and black fabrics that were freyed and ripped have now been replaced. BUT, when I threw it in the washer and dryer, the quilt came out beautiful except for a little red area on that block that ran onto the muslin. ARGH!

I really enjoy hand quilting. I included a lot of it on this quilt... I need to plan to do a whole cloth quilt soon. I've been putting it off for years, and I think it is about time.

I had to go to the hospital on Tuesday this week for a cardiac catheter test. I got home from the hospital Wednesday afternoon. My cardiac cath was a breeze, and I got a clean bill of artery health! I'm glad it was a breeze, because the sedation they used (3 injections) had no effect on me whatsoever. I was shaking with nerves, and the doctor kept joking with me throughout the test "ok Caron, quit vibrating my table!"

Dr. Rivera called in a favor from Dr. Alawwa who is a cardiac electrophysiologist. He added me on to the end of his day and took me into the electrophysiology lab for another procedure called a cardiac electrophysiology study (EPS). This test was NOT a breeze... he ran several tiny catheter wires from different veins in my groin into the heart. There, he tested the electrical signals in my heart, changing the heart beat patterns, etc. NOT FUN! Thankfully, I was able to be partially sedated for that one. I got out of that procedure around 9:30 Tuesday night. Because it was so late, they opted to keep me in the hospital so I could get some rest and they could watch me. The test did not find anything wrong with my heart, which is also good.

I am now on a new BP med called Bystolic which seems to be working well. Both doctors feel that a high blood pressure was causing the problems I was having. They may order more tests, but for now I’m good to go. I have to share this: During the Cardiac Cath test when the sedation didn't work and I was "vibrating the table," the song "Jesus Take the Wheel" kept running through my head. As soon as I started thinking of the song, the vibrating stopped. Praise God!

Next quilts to work on:

Wedding quilt for Loren and Margaret
Redwork Owls for ME!!!
Scrappy basket quilt for my guest bedroom

Other projects:

Complete more DJ blocks
Make 5 blocks for the Obama quilt "Yes We Can, Jane

Hope all is well in your world. Take care of your health!

World's Best Nurse

2009-05-04T09:58:00.005-04:00

Everyone should have a nurse like mine. She follows me everywhere, waits for me outside the shower to make sure I'm alright. Sits on my lap or next to me while I sew. Or sleep. Checks on me throughout the day inbetween her naps. Eats with me. Plays with me. Hugs me. Gives me little kisses. She's worth more than gold.

Thank you, Stormie!

New Tree, New Quilt

2009-05-03T16:47:00.008-04:00

On Arbor Day, I posted that I picked up a free tree from the City of Flushing, called "The Stick." Dean planted it for me, put a stake on it and tied it with a bright flourescent ribbon so that we could see it from the house. Also, we're hoping the deer will not eat it if it is all fancy and staked. It's out in the "naturalized" (ignored) part of the yard, so it can grow big and spread out it's roots and branches. Stay tuned.

I finished my "Circle of Friends" quilt today, binding and all. It was hard to get a good photo of it with Stormie around. She insisted on being in every photo. So did Dean's foot. I have one block I need to alter, now that it is all quilted and bound (ARGH!). Top, right corner. As I was rounding the corner up there and finishing the binding, I noticed that about every other black triangle that runs through the middle of the square is ripped and frayed. I don't know if that is because this top had been stored in my basement, or if the fabric was really old, or if the cat's back claws popped through it, but it needs fixing. Here is a closeup of the block, taken before the hand quilting was started. I will take a more professional photo after that block is fixed.

I think I will replace the red/black part with a color that better blends with the rest of the blocks.

The quilt was started in 1987 when I was planning a new book on circular quilt patterns. The blocks were sent to me by nine different quilters across America, and each quilter received a payment for their contribution and signed a release allowing it to be published by me. The book did not materialize, and after I sewed their blocks together, I put the quilt away for later. Now is later! I've been working on finishing my UFO's. I don't know why having UFO's bothers me at this stage of the game, but I've become dedicated to finishing them. Do you ever feel like that?

My cardiac cath test is this Tuesday, May 5th. Tomorrow, Monday, I have to spend the day popping pills in preparation. The dye that is used is something that I am allergic to, so Benedryl and mega doses of Prednisone will be my friend. I also have to swallow 8 Plavix pills tomorrow night to thin my blood. That scares me! I've talked to enough people that have had the procedure and said it wasn't difficult. But that was them, not me. I'm feeling better about the test itself. I know I am in good hands... Dr. Rivera's and God's. My concern is what he will find while he is doing it. DEEP BREATH...

I am a firm believer in the power of prayer. My test is at 8 AM, Michigan time. If you are also a believer, please join my family and friends in a prayer that day. You know I will be praying!

Happy Sunday, Friends!

Free Tree! Free Tree!

2009-04-26T08:37:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, the City of Flushing gave away free Black Cherry trees for Arbor Day. All you had to do was show up and grab one in the driveway of city hall.

Here is mine. Charlie Brown would be so proud of the City of Flushing.

I don't think my grandchildren will get to swing from a tire swing on this tree. Maybe my great, great grandchildren?

It's a STICK, for crying out loud!!! Handed to me wrapped in a wet paper towel. A frickin STICK!

I hope I can manage digging the huge hole this baby will need. Maybe I better have Dean dig it for me. I've been very weak lately. I promise I will post regular photos of the growth progress of this tree. I know you will be interested and check back regularly.

"Quilted Treasures" Quilt Show, Genesee Star Quilters

2009-04-25T12:38:00.009-04:00

I had the joy of attending the "Quilted Treasures" quilt show this morning, put on by the Genesee Star Quilters in Flushing, Michigan. It was nice that it was held at my own church!

It made attending very easy.

I can't show all of the quilts in the show, but here were some of my favorites via Flickr. Some photos show the whole quilt, others just show close-ups of parts I wanted to remember.

Click here to see all the photos I took at the show.

Enjoy!

New Growth, New Hope

2009-04-19T19:16:00.008-04:00

I can't wait for spring flowers to start blooming in my yard. I'm anxious to start planting a multitude of colors... and move away from my tendency to plant mostly pinks and burgandys out front. I want to infuse my gardens with color... with life. I see hope for this spring's blooms, and looking forward to it with great excitement.

Perhaps it's the time of year. Perhaps it's because of circumstances. I had to have a stress test last Thursday. I did good, until I got to the end of the test when my heart rate changed and put me into a sinus arrhythmia. The nurses and ultrasound tech who were with me called Dr. Wonderful into the room, and he ordered an ambulance and started an IV with drugs to get my heart back where it needed to be. He massaged my carotid artery, and the drugs he administered brought my heart back into rhythm. My blood pressure went really high, so I’m on a new med (Avapro) for that. I have to take it easy until my appointment with him on Monday the 27th. By then he will have had a chance to review all my results, see how the Avapro does, and talk about what other tests he wants to do. I had to stay home from work yesterday while my body adjusts to the new med. Makes me feel very spacey and weak. Today is now Sunday, and I've been on the couch most of the day. My heart feels like it's doing cartwheels around my chest... and it scares me.

I don't enjoy medical tests, particularly when they put me in jeopardy. All tests can have a possibility of causing problems, and I'm not doing well with facing more tests. But I do have hope that Dr. Wonderful can find out what is wrong with my heart and fix it, either with meds or (YIKES) some other technique. I want to be able to do what other people do... ride a bike or take a long walk with my husband without getting winded. I've never been one to be athletic because of feeling weak after a short while. It's frustrating when my mind wants to do more than my body will allow it.

I have got to lose a lot of weight. I know that's not helping. So... what I am facing is a total lifestyle change in more ways than one. I've survived without coffee now for a month. I have a friend who lost 50 pounds last year just cutting out carbs. I think I need to give that a go.

Ahhh, to think about spring and the new hope that springs eternal! Hope your spring is bountiful, floral and healthy!

2009-04-14T19:51:00.007-04:00

Did you have a great Easter? We went to church and then came home for lunch. Sean, Kim Jake and Samantha joined us, along with our parents. Sammy turned into quite the "Easter Ham." Just 14 months old, I asked her if Grammy could take her picture, so she turned to the camera and posed (above). Of course, Jacob had to follow suit and pose himself. Way too cute!

I've been working slowly on the quilting of my stubborn "Paper Lanterns" quilt. One of these days it just might get done and I can show you a picture.

Someday!

What a Riot!

2009-04-13T12:39:00.001-04:00

Check out this blog... The Bitchy Stitcher .

Way too funny, and a give away!