Sunrise at Ravelly's
I collect quilt pins to remember where I've been. LOL......I used to store them all over the place until I found this wonderful Safari hat. It has lots of holes for my paraphernalia. The large pin at the back of the hat I made when Cindy Walter came to our guild. Everyone who participated got one.
I took is picture the other morning. The dew has made the web visible. The spider is waiting below for an unsuspecting insect to crawl near.
Today was a day to remember our soldiers at war, the soldiers who have already given of themselves and the ones who, in the line of duty, gave their very lives so that we Americans can continue to live free. I salute you!
Today was also the first full year of my retirment. I celebrated with one of my "children" - Armando and his wife Angie and Angie's sister Erika and brother Adrian. We pigged out on fried chicken marinated over night in a special "Rhonda's secret sauce", corn-on-the-cob, English peas, and finally Dreamy Brownies with Vanilla ice cream. Yummy! 
This quilt started as a challenge to myself. I love Bea Oglesby's books on applique`, can't wait for the next to come out. Anyway after buying several and making quilts from each book I decided to combine the different patterns. This is the results. I'm in love with Bea!
I must tell you.....I do not hand applique` at all. This is all machine applique`....much faster and alot easier on my hands, eyes, backbone, etc. LOL
Patty & I had a wonderful weekend at Charlotte's. We shopped at a great quilt store called "Lone Star Quiltworks" in College Station, TX. The store was roomy, the ladies friendly and helpful. We gave it our "3" snaps up. All weekend we sewed and got lots done. While Patty & I were away, the Relay for Life walk-a-thon took place. Our blue & cream quilt was auctioned for $600 and the purchaser was a cancer surviver himself. The Wackies were so happy to help our local organization.
Hot off the quilting machine.....Kathy has just finished our Relay for Life donation quilt. The focus this year is on colin cancer, thus the blue & cream colors. We really enjoyed the piecing, choosing the placement, border with the ribbon. It was all fun and worth the effort. All ten Wackies were able to participate. Several steps of the process were recorded in pictures to be given away along with the quilt this weekend. A diary of sorts. It's a great way to keep up with what you or a group has done and can be turned into your local quilt guild to boost their activities as well. The quilt will be auctioned off this coming weekend. Yes, I know...we work well under pressure. Visit our WackyPac blog for a better picture of the ribboned corner of the quilt. 
I salute to all Moms on this Mother's Day.
These ladies are the moms of Brown Chapel.
Finally! Weeks ago I posted a pic of this quilt top with the wide borders. But it looked empty, dull, like something was missing. I thought about the problem for several days, which turned into weeks. One night I was thumbing through some old quilting magazines and came across the leaf pattern you see on the borders. I got several opinions from the Wackies and made a final selection of fabrics choices. Then the fun began. Tracing, Steam-a-Seam, ironing, cutting....over and over and over. I love the results and wanted to share.
Question: Do you prefer to work from a pattern and follow it to the letter or do you prefer to get an idea from the pattern and then just go with the flow/what strikes you?
Answer: For me it depends on the pattern. This little that I'm about to finish in a day or so came from "The Easy Art of Applique'....I love the pattern but I don't hand applique' unless someone is holding my over a boiling pot of oil. LOL /So my solution is to use Steam-a-Seam. Love the stuff, can't buy enough of it. I love looking at the fabrics that appear in the quilts from the book and coming up with my own version. I didn't care for the strip & border fabric & chose a fabric that would allow the blocks to be the focus. Anyway this is the results. Notice that I added another small flower block. I like the, "what I call puzzle effect" when putting the blocks together. I also inclued a picture from the book for comparison.
I think that Suzette has posed a great question. 
The other week Molly asked for volunteers to help her with mini-lectures on quilting, weaving, milling work, etc. to the local fourth graders. Of course, I stepped up to the plate. Patty & I were upstairs at our local museum for our part. The fourth graders were well mannered & really paid attention to what was said. Afterwards, we all (70 people) went outside for a snack. A little lady (seen in the pic) began to tell a story. Normally after sitting for the lectures, children wouldn't want to, or couldn't sit any longer. But this lady knew how to get & hold their attention. They were spellbound. She wove the tale, had the kids participate, even had time to joke with them. The story was about listening to your parents, by the way. When it was all said & done, a hardy round of applause, kids counted, recounted LOL... back on the bus....Wheeeeew! I think we all had a blast & yes, I would do it again next year.
The fabric in the center was purchased a month ago. It is not something I'd buy usually. (I stepped out of my box) I put it on my display board and looked at it for days. What to do? The flowers seemed to speak to me....."Don't cut me," it they said. (Not really...I sense some of you pulling away. It's ok...really) I decided to leave it and place a border around it. But it looked so naked. Ahhhhh! Flowers....too much....so I settled on a flower pot with a long vine. One thing lead to another...leaves and a pretty flower at the end. My leaves were rather large, so decided to allow a few to flow into the next border. I think that added a little something to the overall look of the quilt. This was enjoyable and with all the wonderful ideas all of my quilting friends gave me about the green fabric below, I think I'm on to something. 
There's about a yard & 1/3 of it to accomplish something with. Ideas, ladies. I need ideas! 
Should I place a border around this Carpenter's Wheel;turn it on point before adding a border; or leave it alone. Help me out when you leave your commits. 
Wow! Here in Freestone County....somewhere in Texas, we have had the rain, I'm telling you. It has rained for three days in a row & we're scheduled for more. This is a picture of our local creek, fondly known as "Plum Creek" and the road it's covering is only one of two ways out of my community. I'm hearing thunder right now & the sky is darkening as I type. I'm out of here!
