Michigan Quilts!

Blog Reader Choices, Feedly, etc.

2013-06-16T19:39:00.001-04:00

It’s coming… July 1st, 2013. On that date, when you wake up, Google Reader will be gone.

You may have noticed that on the right side of my blog there is a link you can click to follow my blog on bloglovin. That is one option.

You could also choose to follow my blog (and others) on Feedly. That’s the green logo. Both work quite well to follow any blog you’d like.

You can choose any other blog reader to follow any kind of blog you would like.

Should you need the information, the rss feed for Michigan Quilts is: http://blog.caronmosey.com/?alt=rss .

So why did I choose to go with Feedly? It was simple. Feedly offers a lot of the same features that Google Reader did. I have liked the ability to scroll through Google Reader and see each blog in it’s full format, scrolling through dozens of blog posts and remain on the same page. Bloglovin’ requires me to click through and view each blog entry on its own page. For me, that is a lot of pages to click on. So my decision is made Feedly it is! However, please know that just because I read the blogs that I follow on Feedly doesn’t mean that if you use a different blog reader you can’t follow my blog somewhere else! If you are confused and need help, please send me an email at

So, on to the world of quilting. What have I been doing lately? Taking a little break, actually. I’ve been tired lately, and have been enjoying catching up on some reading. My Kindle has had a good workout these last few weeks!

I did manage to squeeze in some time to work on trapunto )photo at left) for a class sample for my hand quilting class. I really enjoyed the process, which was new to me.

I also put in more time on hand quilting my feathered stars quilt (photo on right).

This is a project in slow motion, as it is heavily quilted.

We have had quite a bit of rain in Michigan lately, but it has helped the garden tremendously!

The rhododendrons look beautiful close up, but I don’t like the yellow leaves that are taking over. I think the soil is lacking something, but I’m not sure what. If you are a fan of rhodies and have any ideas, I’d love to hear from you!

Hope all is well in your world!

Playing Catch Up

2013-05-28T06:13:00.001-04:00

If you are in the United States, how do you celebrate Memorial Day (weekend)? Because our first grandson, Jacob, was born on May 28th, we generally get the family together and have a barbeque sometime over the holiday weekend. We did that yesterday. It was a beautiful day, warm, sunny, and perfect for grilling out. Son Sean is the grill master when we visit them, and a good one at that! Delicious pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans ala Margaret, fresh fruit, birthday cake and more munchies than a body should eat.

Ready for birthday cake? Sean serves the birthday boy…

Usually, there are more people around the table… but Kim and Samantha had a stomach bug, so they stayed in the bedroom and tried to feel better. Staying in the bedroom kept everyone else from catching what they had, as well.

But we hadn’t seen Loren and Margaret since Christmas, so it was nice to hang out with them.

I spent some time over the weekend finishing my class sample for my hand quilting class. I wasn’t sure what color binding to put on it, so I opted for a two-color version. Yellow, like the front of the quilt, and a thin flange in a light grey. The quilt was hand quilted with light grey thread as well. I just wasn’t in the mood for an all yellow quilt, so the touch of grey seemed to be the right thing at the time. It’s just a little piece, but a good size for a beginning student. I’m not at all happy with the way the binding looks… that may be redone soon. Too much puckering on the edge of the quilt for my liking. UGH.

Someone had told me that it was a lot of quilting to do for a first time quilter. Could be, but the cross hatches can be omitted if desired. After the class, I will be adding trapunto to the piece, which will give it a different look.

Contrary to what you may have thought, I have NOT fallen off the planet!

2013-05-17T04:30:00.000-04:00

If you are a devoted hand quilter, you know that the gentle rhythm and regular pucker between each quilting stitch comforts you and keeps you grounded. If I go a day without taking a few stitches, I can feel the stress start to build up in myself. It’s a good thing I have two projects going right now, because the last month has been a doozie! But every single stitch has helped tremendously!

First my dad had surgery on his thumb to try and remove an infection that kept coming back. Then the doctor got the results of the tests back and determined that the infection was combined with bone cancer in his thumb. Two weeks after that, he had another surgery, this time to remove part of the thumb down to the first knuckle. Ouch! I won’t share a photo with you. Just know that it happened, and he is doing much better. My brother lives across the country, so he provided moral support from afar. When dad is in his area for half of the year, I do the same from here. It works.

Then my mother-in-law ended up in the hospital for four days. As my husband is an only child, we were kept quite busy making numerous trips to the hospital and visiting with his father as well. Neither one is able to maneuver stairs very well, and they live in a two story home. Yes, the bedrooms are upstairs, as is the main bathroom (with tub/shower). The small bathroom downstairs has no bathing facility. So the discussion has begun on moving them into a one-story home sooner rather than later. Let’s just say that discussion did not go well, but we are not giving in. HEAVY SIGH. She is now home, but regular monitoring is needed on our end.

So these two quilting projects have kept me grounded and help maintain my sanity:

FEATHERED STAR BEAUTY

If you are a regular follower of my blog, the entire quilt has been quilted from top to bottom, but I am now going in and adding another diagonal line between every one that you see here. This photo is about two months old. More has been completed, but you don’t get to see it yet! (Sorry!)

FLEUR de CARON

This is a new class sample for a hand quilting class I teach. I am in the process of doing the grid work behind the design that I created. I always do the main design first, and then mark the grid. I find it gives a better finished look, at least for me! The grid is half-inch squares. When the little quilt has all been hand quilted, I will go in and add trapunto. Thanks to my friend Tim Latimer for his trapunto encouragement!

I hope you are enjoying the Spring 2013 Celebrate Hand Quilting Blog Hop! If you are here visiting, please be sure and leave a comment and tell me where you are from!

Part one - done

2013-04-19T12:41:00.001-04:00

The entire quilt has been hand quilted with one-inch lines going diagonally. The stars are all quilted, and now I begin Part two. Each diagonal is being divided into three parts, as shown here.

Good thing I'm in no rush to complete this baby, huh?

Wordless Wednesday

2013-04-17T12:38:00.001-04:00

Are You Perfect?

2013-02-20T16:58:00.001-05:00

I don’t think I know anyone who is perfect. Certainly not me! I’m human, just as I think you are. I make mistakes. Just as you do. My day is a mixture of doing things I like to do, doing things I need to do (but don’t necessarily enjoy doing), and doing things that others expect me to do (such as things at my place of employment). I like to think I am more than adequate in everything that I do, as I put expectations on myself to always do my best. I assume you are much the same. Nobody WANTS to do a bad job of anything. Nobody PLANS on messing up. But there are some days when it seems as if nothing I do is right.

So before anybody expects perfection from me, let’s get just one thing perfectly clear:
I AM NOT PERFECT. You may be, but I AM NOT. And I’m quite happy with that, thank you very much.

Oh, I feel SO much better now! Thanks for letting me put that out there for the whole world to see.

No comments are necessary. Unless they are nice.

Some days are just like that…

2013-02-18T18:24:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I was at the mall with The Woodworker shopping for shoes. He didn’t find any that he liked. I found a nice shirt on sale. While he was trying on shoes, I bit into a soft protein bar. I have to eat small meals many times a day due to my bariatric surgery and “new stomach.” One bite into the protein bar and I knew something was wrong. I broke a veneer on one of my front upper teeth. Nice. It felt like every time I moved my upper lip I was moving it on razor blades. When I got home, I ran an emery board over the sharp places, and it helped, but just a little. Today, my wonderful dentist got me in right away and fixed my tooth. Looks and feels better than the first version, so I’m happy. But I haven’t seen the bill yet, so…

Last Thursday, I decided that I didn’t like my grey roots showing in my hair. I couldn’t really afford to go back to the hairdresser so soon, so I thought, “It’s no big deal to cover the grey roots! I’ve done that before” Yeah. No big deal. I never had hair this color, either! I stopped at the beauty supply shop, and one of their sales people helped me pick out “just the right shade” for my hair. Yeah, No. Not the right shade. Now my roots are bright red. Nope, not right. But gosh, it saved me from paying almost one hundred dollars, right? Well, that might have been worth it… I love my stylist. I hope she reads this. Sorry, Jeanette.

Today at work I learned that my absolute favorite task is being given to someone else. I LOVE that little job! And I’m really good at it! It’s not something extraordinary, but when you have something you enjoy doing and everybody says you’re the person for the job, you get attached. It becomes the bright spot of your week. Doesn’t matter what task it is, whether it’s glamorous or mundane, if you love it and you’re the best, you go with it and rock it! Nope, not mine anymore. SIGH.

Today The Woodworker got tickets for something on Wednesday evening. This Wednesday evening. For my birthday, which is next week. YEAH, I had plans for that night. It was an issue for a couple of hours. But then the problem was resolved. You see, that mundane task that I loved that was snatched away…. disappeared. That mundane task was in a way connected with why I had plans for Wednesday night. That task is gone, thus my evening is now free.

Yup, one of those days today. And last Thursday. And Sunday. I think I need to start setting aside a few dollars every day. I feel a trip to the Netherlands coming up. I have a friend I’d like to hang out with. Hello, Annemart? It might be awhile, but I’m thinking…

Thanks for leaving a comment! Please be sure to include your name, and make sure your email address is enabled so I can respond. If you are a SPAMMER, you will be fat quartered,ripped, stitched, fused, ironed, knotted and tossed away before you know what hit you.

You have been warned!

Stitching away the winter

2013-02-17T11:07:00.001-05:00

Brrrrrr! It is SO cold out today, here in mid Michigan! I am really ready for spring to arrive. How about you?

Not much has been going on since the last post. Working during the day, an hour or two of quilting at night when I can find time for it… that’s about it!

I did get to spend the afternoon quilting yesterday with the resident Quilt Inspector on the ottoman in front of me. She was perfectly content to sleep and purr, as long as there was a quilt nearby.

I haven’t posted an update of this quilt in awhile, so here goes:

It’s easier to see what has been quilted by looking at the back.

Visit Michigan Quilts on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/119294870401/

You have been warned!

2013-02-13T18:56:00.004-05:00

Oh my gosh, it's times like this that I am so happy that I have a smart phone. I love my iPhone! I've had someone relentlessly trying to post spam comments on my blog for the past few days, and fortunately for me, I've been able to reject them before they see the light of day.

I simply refuse to put a Captcha thingy on my blog. They frustrate me when I am trying to post a comment on someone else's blog! No matter how I try, I can never read the code right the first time, and end up typing, redoing, typing, redoing, etc. over and over. I HATE THAT! So I have chosen to NOT have word verification turned on for my blog. Captcha thingy

So now I have added a message to the bottom of my posts. There. That will teach 'em!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Visit Michigan Quilts on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/119294870401/

More quilters, and then…

2013-02-12T18:45:00.001-05:00

More of the 46 Quilters featured in America’s Pictorial Quilts:

Carole Adams	Masami Kato
Mona Barker	Helen Kelly
Monica Calvert	Edward Larson
Linda Cantrell	Donna Rae Maki
Rhoda Cohen	Gwen Marston
Virginia Costa	Judy Mathieson
Pat Cox	Carole K. McMichael
Shannie Coyne	Jane Miller
Barbara Crane	Judith Montano
Joe Cunningham	Carolyn Muller
Alice Dunsdon	Anita Murphy
Ronnie Durrance	Paula Nadelstern
Ellie Dyson	Robbie O’Rourke
Chris Wolf Edmonds	Katie Pasquini
Victoria Faoro	Dawn Rappold
Lee Farrington	Art Salemme
Zoe Gill	Alice Schmude
Cathy Grafton	Joan Schulze
Marge Harris	Steve Schutt
Sarah Hass	Ami Simms
Roberta Horton	Elaine Sparlin
Lois K. Ide	Susan Turbak
Jean Johnson	Erma Martin Yost

Rhoda Cohen: Rhoda is still quilting and exhibiting on the east coast of the United States. You can view her most recent work on her website.

Elaine Sparlin: Elaine was such a talented quilter from Kansas who was widely known for her story quilts, but sadly she passed away in February of 2012.

Helen Kelley was inducted into the Quilter’s Hall of Fame on July 19, 2008, in Marion, IN. Click on her name to see her speak after receiving her honor. Helen’s information may be found on her site at http://www.helenkelley-patchworks.com/. Helen passed away in September of 2008.

Steve Schutt was trained in the fine arts with a BA Degree in art education. For years he supplemented his teaching income making and selling quilts, woven baskets, intricately dyed Ukrainian eggs, detailed realistic gingerbread houses and performing and making puppets. He credits his maternal Grandmother for teaching him how to sew. Steve specializes in making teddy bears!

Linda Cantrell made her first quilt in 1977. She is a quilt show judge and teaches nationally. I first fell in love with Linda’s quilts with her famous quilt “THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,” You can see it on her website if you click here.

Ami Simms: You’re not a real quilter if you don’t know who Ami Simms is! Ami is the gal behind the Alzheimer Art Quilt Initiative, and my first quilting buddy from way back in the early 1980’s. Ami lives in Michigan, where she continues to make quilts and teach both in her home studio and all over the world.

“Beebe’s Orchids,” by Caron Mosey

Made as an Alzheimer Art Quilt Initiative in honor of Beebe Moss, Ami’s mother,

who loved to grow the beautiful flowers in her home greenhouse.

Private collection.

America’s Pictorial Quilters, Continued even more

2013-02-10T19:09:00.000-05:00

Here are more of the 46 Quilters featured in America’s Pictorial Quilts:

Carole Adams	Masami Kato
Mona Barker	Helen Kelly
Monica Calvert	Edward Larson
Linda Cantrell	Donna Rae Maki
Rhoda Cohen	Gwen Marston
Virginia Costa	Judy Mathieson
Pat Cox	Carole K. McMichael
Shannie Coyne	Jane Miller
Barbara Crane	Judith Montano
Joe Cunningham	Carolyn Muller
Alice Dunsdon	Anita Murphy
Ronnie Durrance	Paula Nadelstern
Ellie Dyson	Robbie O’Rourke
Chris Wolf Edmonds	Katie Pasquini
Victoria Faoro	Dawn Rappold
Lee Farrington	Art Salemme
Zoe Gill	Alice Schmude
Cathy Grafton	Joan Schulze
Marge Harris	Steve Schutt
Sarah Hass	Ami Simms
Roberta Horton	Elaine Sparlin
Lois K. Ide	Susan Turbak
Jean Johnson	Erma Martin Yost

Susan Turbak works at Earth Resources Laboratory and still quilts. Her quilts have been exhibited all over the globe and one of them even traveled on the Challenger, during the 50th manned mission in space.

Joan Schulze works in mixed media and has been exhibited in numerous places. Please visit her website to see all her work!

Victoria Faoro has written and served as an editor on numerous quilt books… see several of them listed here. She was also the Founding Director of the Museum of the American Quilter's Society.

Robbie O’Rourke is still active in designing pictorial quilts! She served as the designer of the Newton commemorative quilt.

Mona Barker: I couldn’t find very much about Mona on the Internet, but it does look like she was one of the contributors to the book Friendship Quilt by Golden Quilting Pattern Book 20 National Quilters.

Sarah Hass was an wonderfully accomplished quilter from the State of Iowa, a member of various art and quilting guilds, and won numerous awards for her quilting. Sarah passed away on August 31, 2011. My sympathies go out to her family, and she will be greatly missed by the quilting community.

Dawn Rappold created a pretty quilt called “LADY” 25.5 x 26.5" in 1985. Beautifully hand-appliqued and hand-quilted. I haven’t been able to locate anything more recent about her, however. If you have any current information on Dawn, please leave a comment below.

America’s Pictorial Quilters, Continued

2013-02-09T09:54:00.001-05:00

Here are more of the 46 Quilters featured in America’s Pictorial Quilts:

Carole Adams	Masami Kato
Mona Barker	Helen Kelly
Monica Calvert	Edward Larson
Linda Cantrell	Donna Rae Maki
Rhoda Cohen	Gwen Marston
Virginia Costa	Judy Mathieson
Pat Cox	Carole K. McMichael
Shannie Coyne	Jane Miller
Barbara Crane	Judith Montano
Joe Cunningham	Carolyn Muller
Alice Dunsdon	Anita Murphy
Ronnie Durrance	Paula Nadelstern
Ellie Dyson	Robbie O’Rourke
Chris Wolf Edmonds	Katie Pasquini
Victoria Faoro	Dawn Rappold
Lee Farrington	Art Salemme
Zoe Gill	Alice Schmude
Cathy Grafton	Joan Schulze
Marge Harris	Steve Schutt
Sarah Hass	Ami Simms
Roberta Horton	Elaine Sparlin
Lois K. Ide	Susan Turbak
Jean Johnson	Erma Martin Yost

Chris Wolf Edmonds: I have been a fan of her work for many, many years. Chris, who lives in Kansas, has a resume that goes on and on and on. Visit her website and gallery page, then click on photos of her quilts to see even MORE. Wow!

Katie Pasquini Masopust: Who doesn’t love Katie’s work? I have watched her evolve over the years, and Katie is a very popular teacher. From Santa Fe, New Mexico, Katie is both a painter and a quilter worth discovering.

Monica Calvert: Monica was a part of Quilt Odyssey 2002. Visit the website and watch a video with Monica to see what she’s done.

Roberta Horton: Roberta is both a traditional and contemporary quilter, author (C&T Publishing) and fabric designer. Her work has been exhibited around the world, and she has taught in all but one of the United States.

Erma Martin Yost: Erma is a very diverse artist, formally trained as a painter and now working in fiber (primarily felt). Her work has been seen in many galleries around the country. Plan to spend some time clicking around her website! Gorgeous work!

Virginia Costa is from Los Banos, California. I have found mention of her name in a few places, but discovered no website dedicated to her quilting. If you know anything of her recent work, please let me know in the comment area below.

Anita Murphy: You can read an older interview with Anita Murphy on the Alliance for American Quilts website. Anita was the author of a book on Mini Quilts and numerous other publications and patterns. Sadly, Anita passed away in 2011 in Texas, her home state.

**Note: clicking on a name will take you to a link elsewhere on the Internet for further exploration!

Stay tuned for more updates!

Where are they now?

2013-02-08T13:16:00.001-05:00

In 1985, America’s Pictorial Quilts was published by the American Quilter’s Society.

At that time, pictorial quilts hadn’t reached the heights that they have today. Pictorial quilts were more along the lines of having a folk appearance, or at the beginning of the movement into the pictorial art quilt. They were more primitive than today’s work, to be sure.

From time to time I think about all the quilters whose work was featured in APQ, and wonder where they are… and what they are doing today. Let’s take a look. Over the next several posts, I will do some online searching to discover who is still creating quilts today, in hopes of sending you on a journey to investigate on your own. If you recognize a name below and know about the quilter, please respond in the comment area at the bottom of this post.

The 46 Quilters featured in America’s Pictorial Quilts:

Carole Adams	Masami Kato
Mona Barker	Helen Kelly
Monica Calvert	Edward Larson
Linda Cantrell	Donna Rae Maki
Rhoda Cohen	Gwen Marston
Virginia Costa	Judy Mathieson
Pat Cox	Carole K. McMichael
Shannie Coyne	Jane Miller
Barbara Crane	Judith Montano
Joe Cunningham	Carolyn Muller
Alice Dunsdon	Anita Murphy
Ronnie Durrance	Paula Nadelstern
Ellie Dyson	Robbie O’Rourke
Chris Wolf Edmonds	Katie Pasquini
Victoria Faoro	Dawn Rappold
Lee Farrington	Art Salemme
Zoe Gill	Alice Schmude
Cathy Grafton	Joan Schulze
Marge Harris	Steve Schutt
Sarah Hass	Ami Simms
Roberta Horton	Elaine Sparlin
Lois K. Ide	Susan Turbak
Jean Johnson	Erma Martin Yost

Edward Larson: Ed is a delightful character, still living and working in Santa Fe, New Mexico. His website may be found at http://edlarson.com.

Gwen Marston: Gwen is living and working on Beaver Island, off the coast of Northern Michigan. The author of numerous books, she is preparing for her final Beaver Island Quilt Retreat. http://www.gwenmarston.com/

Paula Nadelstern: Paula has created so many beautiful quilts it’s hard to keep track of them all. Take a look at her website and visit her gallery. Be prepared to be amazed! http://www.paulanadelstern.com

Joe Cunningham: Joe’s quilting has stretched from very traditional hand quilting to some awesome and unique contemporary quilts. http://www.joethequilter.com/ Joe will be visiting the Evening Star Quilters in April of this year to give a workshop and lecture. For information, visit https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Byjbje_Gc82EUDV2YzFjQXNUNEE for the registration form.

Judy Mathieson: Judy has done a lot with pictorial quilts through the years, and also is drawn to the Mariner’s Compass design. Now living in Sebastopol, California, Judy still quilts, teaches and lectures. http://www.judymathieson.com

Cathy Grafton: From Illinois, Cathy owns Prairie Quilts and More. She loves quilting and silk ribbon embroidery, and her website is a delight. Please check it out at http://www.prairiequiltsandmore.com.

Lois K. Ide: Lois passed away Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at the age of 90. A dear, sweet woman, her obituary included the following: Lois was well known locally and nationally in the quilt world through her published writings in several books, as well as through her lectures and workshops. Her quilts have been shown in several museums including the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. and she has donated quilts to the Ohio Historical Museum in Columbus where they are still on display. Following the publishing of America’s Pictorial Quilts, Lois sent four Christmas ornaments to me, which still hang on my Christmas tree every year.

Judith Montano:Judith is a talented artist, and loves embroidery. She has written several books, and her resume goes on and on. See it for yourself on her website at http://www.judithbakermontano.com/.

Alice Schmude: Alice created a beautiful quilt called “Michigan Wilderness.” It is able to be seen on the Quilt index website here: http://www.quiltindex.org/basicdisplay.php?kid=1E-3D-118 If you know where Alice is, please leave a comment below.

Stay tuned for more updates!

So, so sad...

2013-02-04T15:12:00.004-05:00

Karen from http://sewprimitive.blogspot.com/ has passed away.

What a beautiful and graceful lady, who will be sadly missed by all who grew to know her through her quilting and her blog.

Please stop by and leave a comment on her son Tim's message.

Help Needed!

2013-01-28T18:40:00.001-05:00

Help me brainstorm!

What upbeat song would prompt quilters to "shake their booty?"

Can you name a game or suggest an activity that we could play at a quilt guild meeting? (Not 50/50, but something fun that gets people moving around the room meeting new people)

Our meeting theme in February is "Pajama Party," so we're looking for fun things to do... and are very open to suggestions!

-------------------------

Stormie and I have been busy quilting on our Feathered Stars quilt. Here are some pictures of our progress thus far.

	One of the corners… Here you see only the diagonal lines going one way. After the entire quilt has these lines going one way, they will be crossed in the other direction, creating one-inch squares in the background. Once that is accomplished, each square will then be dissected creating half-inch squares. The feathered stars have quilting in the ditch in the feathered area.
	Another view.
	And yet another. If you click on the photos, the picture should enlarge on your screen.
Sometimes one of us gets bored and needs a diversion from quilting. We won’t name names. A squirrel on the hanging bird feeder outside the living room window. It instantly becomes a SQUIRREL feeder. Below, the view from Mom’s leather chair where “we” quilt.

The Future of Quilting Books and Magazines

2013-01-23T16:22:00.002-05:00

In the United States, we have seen the demise of the daily newspaper in many areas of our country. With online and televised news, fewer people see the need to purchase a daily paper. I know in our own home, we have dropped our local paper (The Flint Journal) and only subscribe to one newspaper (The Detroit Free Press). But the Detroit Free Press is no longer a daily paper! It provides subscriptions for home delivery on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, and offers a paid online subscription the other days. How has this trend to reduce the printed word to an online or electronic version affected quilters?

I did a search on Google for “eBooks quilting” which took me to a Google list of over 10 pages of items. At the top of the list is Amazon.com with Quilts & Quilting: Kindle eBooks. Many of these books are books by Jennifer Chiaverini (whom I adore) and her Elm Creek Quilts novels. But there are also many books that are how-to books with patterns which makes me wonder… would you buy a book for your Kindle or Nook (or iPad /tablet) that had patterns in it?

Do you find yourself purchasing as many new quilting books as you used to? How about magazines (that you can hold in your hand)? Personally, I only subscribe to one quilt magazine now, whereas 20 years ago, I had four subscriptions. The large number of online sites, blogs, Facebook, Pinterest, etc. fulfills my need to look at quilts ‘til “the cows come home.” I would rather spend my money on fabric than on paper products.

What are your thoughts on the subject? Chime in and leave a comment below. I’m anxious to learn what you are thinking!

Published by Caron Mosey at Michigan Quilts! 2013.
Visit Michigan Quilts on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/119294870401/

Hell HAS Frozen Over

2013-01-22T18:44:00.001-05:00

Yes folks, it has, indeed frozen over.

Here in Michigan, and in other parts of the United States, we are in the middle of a deep freeze. Today, schools in my area were all closed due to the low temperatures. We don’t want students standing outside waiting for the bus or walking to school in sub zero weather.

I remember as a child attending Elms Elementary in Flushing… second grade, I think. There was an area of the school by the kindergarten rooms that formed a little inset area; a buffer from the winds. At recess time after lunch, we had to go outside no matter how cold it was. The kids would all huddle together in this area to hide from the wind and keep each other warm. We’d stand there for about 20-25 minutes shivering until the bell rang and we could go back inside. Funny how you remember things like that!

I live in Flushing, a little town just west of Flint. It’s a nice area with a downtown two short blocks long. Here’s a nice picture taken just after Christmas.

My favorite time of the year to sit and quilt is on days like today. I can snuggle under my quilt in my chair, warm and toasty underneath all those layers of quilt, and just hand quilt for hours. I think I’ll head over there and do just that.

30 Things: Number 30

2013-01-21T18:04:00.001-05:00

30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

Oh my gosh, here it is: the last one, Number 30!

Son #1: Sean
Son #2: Loren
Book #1: America's Pictorial Quilts
Book #2: Contemporary Quilts From Traditional Designs
Being a great elementary, middle school and university teacher
Remaining a dedicated and talented hand quilter while surrounded by a movement that promotes machine quilting
Being a caring individual who is accepting of people from all walks of life
Someone who is not afraid to try new things
Someone who stands up for her faith
Someone who does her best and does the right thing... because it's the RIGHT thing, even when nobody is looking.

There. That’s 30 things in black and white on your screen. It was a good exercise for me, and for many of you who faithfully responded to just about every post, I thank you! I probably shared more than I would have without the 30 Things prompts, but that’s alright. It was fun, made me think, and helped create a conversation between us.

--------------------------

Quilting update photos on my feathered star quilt:

Click on a photo to enlarge it.

30 Things: Number 29

2013-01-21T07:28:00.000-05:00

29. What do you think people misunderstand most about you?
I love to talk to people, and I love to listen and help others. I think I sometimes come across differently than that, but my intentions are always good. They come from the heart.
How can a person REALLY know another person unless they live with them day in and day out? You can’t. Example: Someone I went to high school with was always very quiet and never spoke to me much, even when we were adults with children of our own. I thought she couldn’t stand me, and wanted nothing to do with me. I found out years later through communicating in an online social forum that she was extremely shy and afraid to talk to people. It had nothing to do with me at all! She’s a beautiful person, and I am happy to now be friends with her after all this time.
What we perceive about others may or may not be accurate. We need to put judgments aside, and assume the best.

How do YOU think YOU come across to others?

30 Things: Number 28

2013-01-20T11:30:00.000-05:00

28. What is your love language?

Ahem. That is personal. Let’s just say that it includes laughter.

30 Things: Number 27

2013-01-19T09:15:00.000-05:00

27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?

OK, now these questions are getting ridiculous. Good thing this is almost over!
I’d have to say my eyes. Without my eyes, I wouldn’t be able to see The Woodworker. Or my children. Or grandchildren. Or the ocean, a sunrise, a sunset, my animals, my friends, or the mountains. I wouldn’t be able to quilt or knit or enjoy the garden. Gazing at the stars wouldn’t happen, nor would watching the ducks on the river. Riding the motorcycle behind The Woodworker would be futile, with nothing to look at. Visiting the art museum, attending quilt shows, and reading YOUR blog wouldn’t be the same.

Yup, my eyes are my favorite body part.

------------------------

OK, I don't know what is causing this, but it happens over and over again. It could be Blogger, or it could be Windows Live Writer, but it is REALLY getting annoying! I write my blog in Live Writer and click to publish it, and I get this error message:

"The remote server returned an error: (403) Forbidden."

What the heck?

My patience is wearing VERY thin!

Published by Caron Mosey at Michigan Quilts! 2013.
Visit Michigan Quilts on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/119294870401/

30 Things: Number 26

2013-01-18T17:37:00.001-05:00

26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?

This is quick and easy.

I don’t believe Jesus was a white man from the Bronx. Most of the photos and drawings you see in America show Jesus as a white man. I have seen many men from the part of the world where Jesus lived. They look nothing like the majority of photos I see. When did you ever see a man from the Middle East who was born there… with blonde hair? Blue eyes?

I could be wrong. It wouldn’t be the first time.

30 Things: Number 25

2013-01-17T18:21:00.001-05:00

25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?

I never had the opportunity to meet my paternal grandparents. They passed away before I visited my biological family in Georgia in May of 2011. If I could, I'd like to have a private dinner with them in their old home in Young Harris, Georgia. I have so many questions about their life, beliefs, relationship with God, family history and how they raised their children. I understand that my grandma was a fantastic cook, and she was also a quilter. I would hope she would cook a meal that she has cooked for her family on a regular basis, and show me how to prepare it. After dinner, of course, we would sit down and chat at the quilt frame.

30 Things: Number 24

2013-01-16T17:50:00.001-05:00

24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.

When I was growing up my father had his own floral business. He worked 6-7 days each week depending on the time of year and if it was around a holiday. It was difficult to take vacations because 1) he was his own boss, thus he didn't get "vacation pay." 2) If he wasn't at the shop, he wasn't earning money. After many years of that, my mother put her foot down, and we eventually took a vacation every summer. By then, he had hired one or two people who could work in the shop while he was gone, so he didn't have to close entirely. It helped, but his main focus was still on his business. My mother made most of the decisions in the family, and usually my father went along with whatever she said. As a father, he tried to spend as much time with my brother and I as he could. He read to me every night before I went to bed, and did the same with my brother. Both Bob and I spent time “working” alongside Dad in the flower shop, and the money we earned went into our college funds. It taught us a lot!

My husband also has his own business. He used to work 6 days a week to keep his shop open, and had many of the same issues that my dad did when it came to taking time off. Because he's self-employed and the only employee, we often joke about the really bad Company Christmas parties he has. My husband has always taken time to do things with our sons, and when he could, would squeak away from work on Saturdays to attend their ball games and other events. But it was difficult for him to get away. Now, he works 5 days each week, and really enjoys a "normal weekend." As a couple, we make most of our decisions together. I'm proud that I have never given him a "Honey Do" list. It has just never been necessary, as we both know what needs to be done and share most of the work. I should add, that he also worked for my dad. During college, he would come back to town around the holidays and dad would put him to work making deliveries. Then when he graduated from college, he worked part-time for him and part-time for his mother in HER business. As you can see, the small business thing is in our blood!

30 Things: Number 23

2013-01-14T17:55:00.001-05:00

23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them.

1. Quilting. If I have to explain myself, you are on the wrong blog and should leave now.

2. Writing. I love to write. I love to express myself with the written word. Two books under my belt, and two waiting to be written.

3. Riding our motorcycle. Well, one of them anyway.

4. Reading. I love to read… fiction, non-fiction, you name it. But I ‘m not really sold on audio books. I need to try another one I think, because it’s hard to choose between sitting and quilting and sitting and reading.

5. Hanging out with my family. I know, it’s not really a hobby, per say, but I love it.

I don’t know if I mentioned it or not, but I’m teaching a hand quilting class in October in Clawson, Michigan. If you’re interested, check out their website at: http://www.cameoquilters.org/ The workshop will be held at Clawson United Methodist Church 208 N. Main St., Clawson, MI.

I am also looking for a location in Genesee County to hold a hand quilting workshop. If you are interested in learning the hand quilting stitch, drop me a line and let me know. I’m open to a small-group setting of 6-8 people in a home or church, or a larger group in a larger setting.