Turtle Table

My husband designed, carved and made this sea turtle table for me. The Native Americans believe that we live on turtle island, which is the back of a giant turtle swimming in the ocean. This is the story told to us by the Native Americans in our area who are the woodland people.

White-birch legs.

I put it in my hallway with our Navajo weavings above it.

I spent some time this weekend hand-piecing some more of my quilt. I say "hand piecing" because some of my friends thought I was machine piecing it. Nope, it will all be done by hand. I also cut out a few more blocks.

One was a nine-patch with birch leave squares and the other "spotted" squares I made while in Colorado with lichen pieces.

Another 9-patch with euclyptus print squares, the others I dyes with Navajo tea.

My friend Judy made this quilt (not quilted yet) with a pattern called (I believe) Four-Patch stack. All the blocks are made with the same fabric as the boarder. How you stack and cut and sew them make the different patterns in each block. Like the "Stack and Wack" pattern a few years ago.
This is a cute, perky quilt for the last long days of winter.

Tahquamenon Falls

Last week my husband and I went up to the U. P. and camped at Tahquamenon Falls. There's a State Park there and they keep a few campsites plowed open for winter camping. Not surprising we were the only ones there, we loved that. The really sad part is they are 60 inches below normal in snowfall! Not good, global warming.

We did a lot of snowshoeing through the woods, it was very cold but beautiful. Without my hood on I would get a instant "ice cream" headache.

From the campground there's a 2 1/2 mile (round trip) hike down to the lower falls. It's hard to believe the falls can freeze but over half is frozen and so is the river they run into.

This beautiful poem is posted along the hike. How can you not love trees.

My husband on the viewing deck above the falls.

At night at the upper falls the State park has a gas lantern lit trail through the woods. It's about a mile. You felt like you were in a Snow White and the Seven Dwarf's story.

It leads past the upper falls which are much larger than the lower.

And back to a camp fire and refreshments.

My husband and I took it twice, once at dusk and once in the dark when the lanterns were lighting your way.

Back in our R.V., this is our queen size bed. I made this flannel quilt about 13 years ago. I made different quilts for what ever type of trip were on. This is my "official" winter snowshoeing quilt.

Close up of fabric, these were hand screen printed at Michigan Rag Co. I sewed vintage black buttons on in all the corners.

And our little gourmet dinner, Apricot glazed Cornish hens, herbed rice, green beans and a little Winter White wine. I put the chicken in the oven while we went out snowshoeing and come home to a wonderful dinner. This is the recipe if you interested:
1 cup apricot preserves
1/3 cup orange juice
1/4 cup "I can't believe it's not butter"
little salt and pepper. Mix together and pour in and over the chicken. Roast breast side up.
Roast 1 hour and 350 degrees. Mime took longer because their squashed together in the pan.

I did a lot of sewing at night. I have this block all sewed on and ready for the names and dates.

Stitched together the next section of my other wool quilt.

Two sections done with many more to come. I can not wait until spring to come to dye/print more leaves.


The following is a wonderful blog by Barbara Brackman, she is a well know textile/quilt historian. This year is the sesquisentennail of the Civil war and Barbara's blog focuses on a historic block every week representing something from the Civil war. Even if you don't make the block there is a great history lesson with it. http://civilwarquilts.blogspot.com/

New projects

On to my other grandsons Christmas quilt, last weekend I cut out the next one. Here is a little of what it's going to look like. Nothings pieced, the peppermint pinwheels will have nice points when finished and the quilt will be full size.

I love this Santa fabic with the Arican print fur on his hat and socks. It celebrates my grandsons African heritage.

And the beautiful reindeer fabric for the boarders.

I also cut out my next block for the "family tree" quilt. My husband and I have owned for the past 25 years a truck and automotive service center. The building has 8 large garage doors but I drafted up just a small portion of the building to represent it.

This is the beginning.

I've been enjoying hand sewing the first sections together of my new wool project. I love how all the natural dyed colors go together.

I bought this wool thread/floss when I attended a lecture by http://suespargo.blogspot.com last fall. It's by Genziana and works wonderful with this project.

New wool quilt

I've been trying to think of a way to use my wool fabric that I dye printed leaves on without having to cut it up into small pieces. I saw on a blog http://paintspinknit.blogspot.com/ last week a lady used her printed silk to make a quilt and shaw somewhat in this manner (without the lattice in between the blocks). I've just started laying it out, (everything will be cut even and I have many more blocks to dye print), I want it to be a good size quilt or blanket for the top of the bed.

Close-up of the top half (so far).

The bottom (so far). I think I'll applique some wool leaves throughout on the lattice.
Next on the list I'm going to try dye printing persimmons. I read you get a beautiful yellow dye we'll see if it leaves a nice image.

Last night was my Herb Society meeting, this is the historical home we meet in. It was built in the late 1800's by a lumber Barron. It's a beautiful place with lots of hand carved fireplace mantles, stair railings, and trim.

Across the street is the old college built around the same time, now it is a office building with a great clock tower.

Our herb lecture last night was "Mustard", who knew there could be a whole lecture on the history and uses for mustard. It was very interesting with great home made mustard dips to try .

Our refreshment table was full of different dishes using mustard.

The table was decorated with an antique linen table runner with hand-made lace over a red table cloth. Placed throughout were old mercury glass hearts.

And a old celluloid heart box that the owners great-aunt received as a gift years ago with a watch inside.

A couple more mercury glass hearts.

I made some herb cards with left over fabric from my table runners. There are a few ill members I'm mailing them to.

Happy Valentines Day

My friend Judy's quilt top using the Lil Twister pattern. I love the updated colors of the reproduction 50's fabrics.

Years ago while at a garage sale I bought this package of old Valentine day cards. The post marks on the envelopes were from the 1920's. I have them on display on my piano for the holiday.

Some of my favorites.

This is a cute hand-made one. The verse inside reads:

Happy will you live,
Happy will you be,
With twenty little kids,
Sitting on each knee.

I hope this was a joke and not the real way of thinking for women in the 20's.

The styles are all so different.

And the "ultimate" Valentine that fold out with red "honey comb".

And a few more styles.

I hope you have a Wonderful Valentines Day, I'll be celebrating with my husband eating chocolate mousse and watching the movie Chocolat, you can not watch that movie without eating good chocolate!

Christmas quilts

Last Friday and Saturday my quilt bee had a winter quilt retreat. What a great way to spend time with good friends and get a lot quilting done. This year by Thanksgiving I want to make my 3 youngest grandsons full size Christmas quilts (I made the oldest brother his a few years ago). Not that I'm in the mood for Christmas but I thought I should get started on them. On this first quilt I got all the rows pieced but their not sewed together. This is a older Santa print from Debbie Mumm. I love how it has Santa snow boarding and sledding. This quilt will be for one of the twins.

Close up of the quilt. I love the peppermint pin wheels. I'm thinking about putting a narrow medium green strip between all the rows, not sure.

Mary's making 10 for her great nieces and nephews for next Christmas. This is one of the first tops she has done.

And this is the second.
She had these done before the retreat.

This was a cute snowman quilt Mary made for herself a few years ago. It's a pattern but I not sure by who.

Bottom.

I bought this wonerful Valentines fabric last week and made a few cards to send out to my and my husbands parents, and one to include in the grandsons Valentine package. I simply used blank cards and stamped red dots along the edge. Cut the background fabric and batting and sewed along the edge with gold thread and my sewing machine. Then cut batting and the heart and sewed it on. The batting makes the cards come to life. Playing with the red fabrics is a nice color change on the eyes, It's pretty white here and another major snow storm coming in tonight. Actually I'm very excited about it, I hope we're snowed in tomorrow.