I'm a sucker for someone needing help

I finished my string quilt made utilizing only the bonus hsts from the Licorice Allsorts quilt I made in July.  This is my first string quilt. Last week I asked for suggestions on borders and really do appreciate all the kind words. This is what I came up with and am extremely happy with it:

I basically added piano keys for the outer border using the extra strings, of all different widths. I hope you like it. I am bringing it to Sunriver on Saturday to delivery to my fabulous machine quilter, Sandy Lachowski of Bend, OR.

On another note, while I was at the cleaners last week, I overheard a woman begging the owner to try to fix the waistband of her most favorite pjs in the whole world. She looked close to tears!! So, always a sucker to repair clothing and such, I met her outside and offered to take care of her problem.  Here are the before and after photos! I like how they came out.

 She was so happy that she gave me a shirt that she loves that is in need of some serious TLC that she asked me to mend as well!! Seriously...do I need to take in mending? I've got too many quilt projects waiting. I was too surprised to say no. But she did mention she has PILLOW CASES she can't live without that need some work as well...I think I will draw the line on that, though!

Mark and I had the good fortune this weekend to have our darling grandson Ryan to ourselves all day Sunday and we took him to the local park where they were playing music. We got him ice cream (I didn't get a picture of him stepping into the ice cream cup, though) and really enjoyed the afternoon. Here is a picture of him with Mark's hat!

Hope you all are having a great week!!

And the winner is....

I returned yesterday from a wonderful anniversary celebration trip to mostly Wisconsin, touring quilting shops and breweries! What a combination!! My husband is a great sport, I'll tell ya. But after 34 years, he's used to me. VBG. Thanks to everyone for their very kind good wishes!

Our first stop was in Janesville to visit Pat and DarLynn. Pat's shop, Life's A Stitch, is probably my all-time favorite shop ever.  Here's a photo of us on Pat's back deck. She has a beautiful piece of property which we would love to own if only it weren't in Wisconsin!! Also, DarLynn does absolutely beautiful work making shop samples for Pat and he's a picture of her latest. They are wonderful friends who I just love seeing!

One of the places Mark and I visited was JJ's Stitches in Sun Prairie. While in the town, we saw signs advertising a Sweet Corn Festival. Never one to pass up some local flavor, we walked over there and experienced an amazing spectacle.  It was like a county fair, with corn being the main attraction.  They sold cardboard "boxes" for $6, which you could fill as high as you wanted with corn. I think we wound up with 8 ears...and obviously didn't eat them all. But the process by which they steam the corn, sort it out etc, was amazing.  Here is a photo of the rejects being moved from the "loading" area to the "trash".

Just before I left, I visited with my darling grandson, Ryan, and we did our usual ritual of taking my car to be washed.  They have a miniature golf set up for while you wait. Here he is playing with a golf club.

Don't you love their tummies?? I could eat it up!

Oh, I forgot to announce the winner of the Gingher Snips. It goes to:
                                           QUILTMOM!!!
Atleast that's the name she posted to me. So, QUILTMOM, get in touch with me and send me your snail mail address so I can send these snips out your way.  Thanks to everyone who was hoping for a chance to receive these.  I think giveaways are GREAT.

I'll be back in a day or so. And I have figured out my border for the string 1930s quilt!

Strings and things plus GIVEAWAY!!

I've mostly completed my first string quilt utilizing the bonus hsts from my 1930s Licorice Allsorts quilt I made while in Sunriver last month.  Those of you who follow Bonnie's blog will know what the bonus hsts concept is.  Suffice to say that I made an entire other quilt using the scraps from the first quilt! Yes, it took a bit of time but I have very little leftover now.

I still want to add borders and am a little undecided as to what I'm going to do. I don't have very many strings left but I intend to use them up!!!

GIVEAWAY!!!
I recently purchased a pair of Gingher Featherweight Thread Snips and realized I already had a pair! DUH... I used them once before I made the discovery. So I'd like to give them to someone who uses these type of snips.  Send me your name and email and I'll draw a winner Sunday evening.  DH and I are heading to Chicago and Wisconsin to celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary stopping at breweries and QUILT SHOPS!!! WOOHOO. I'll be back Sunday afternoon.

Hope you all have a great sewing and walking weekend!!

A year older but wiser?

Since I last posted, I turned 1 year older and can't say I'm feeling wiser. VBG. Life is good and we can't complain because we're getting older. I'm healthy, very happy and feel very lucky. So all in all, it's all good.

I've not been doing a whole lot of sewing, though. I did send off that batik quilt to the young girl with Leukemia (which I binded by machine, ahem!!) and I'm hoping it's making her life a bit happier.  I haven't heard back from her yet. I got many comments on the binding by machine. I know that it can be very relaxing to sew bindings down by hand while watching tv or driving.  I also know that it's a perfect solution for the charity quilt which you want to get done quickly.  In any case. both methods are okay!! The quilt police aren't going to say anything.

I have been working on the black/30s left-over hsts quilt I started when I was in Sunriver at our retreat.  It's my first strings quilt and I'm struggling with the alternate blocks.  I've been making lots of string blocks and wonder what your opinion is of it like this. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. I tried several other ideas but failed miserably. I use a Mac so I don't have the benefit of EQ5, 6 or 7.... for some reason they never made that compatible with Apple computers. Go figure.

I had a great day yesterday going to Andy's Orchard in Morgan Hill with a group where we got to pick plums, peaches and nectarines. I've never tasted more delicious fruit in my life.  While there, we saw their drying tables. They set out left-over or over-ripe fruit on tables in the sun for drying. Isn't this amazing?? I had to buy some of that, too. Doesn't it look delicious?? I made a plum galette with the fresh plums that was yummy. I will post that recipe next time.

And, of course, I got to spend time with my darling grandson, Ryan, and here is a photo of our time together. He's such a sweet boy. He's expanding his vocabulary beyond "Thiiiiiiiis" and "yeaaaaaaaah" to include "Ummmmmmm" and "Yes". VBG. Atleast he hasn't learned "no" yet!!!

Hope you all are having a great week!