Some of My UFO's

My pledge...hope...goal...is to each month get a UFO (Unfinished Object) top done!  I haven't had the nerve to count how many UFO's there are...This one had all the blocks done...just to put them together and add a border.  One done!!

Ran across these...all set to go...

Made a table runner...

and a lap quilt. 

These were all cut out and turned out to be fun sewing...so after I got these done...I cut out some more!!!
OK...so it looks like I've made something to cover through October...

And in the meantime...a little target practice.  This is NOT a big paper plate...it is dessert size.  Thought you should know that!    Jolyn

Finishing Up

The last pictures from our BEVQ (Blue Earth Valley quilters).  Lorraine donates a lot of quilts to Ronald McDonald house.  (Quilter seem to love to give.)

Another one to bless a little tot.

OK...I don't remember if these were found in family stuff or at a auction, garage sale...but Lorraine has the job of making them into a quilt.  The moral of the story is....if you don't live long enough to finish everything...hopefully someone will come along like Lorraine and do the job!

Here she made a woolie.

A gift that Mike made for his brother.  The blocks surrounding the panel in the center are the Monkey Wrench!

And here's our continuing education.  Jan did a quickie demo on this fun to make block and gave each of us a pattern! Each block started out as a four patch...the trick is in the cutting!  Now don't you want to come to the next meeting....third Monday night in March at the Blue Earth high school...choir room.
Jolyn

A Few More

This was the class taught last summer at the Expo...but choice of fabrics and placement can sure give it a different look.  This was Jan's.

Here Jan had made a cute quilt for some lucky kid!

Jude was on a roll!  Those little Twisters are addicting!  Can't make just one!

Last year there was a class taught at a local fabric shop on placemats and Felecia is showing hers. 



A reversible apron by Felecia.



And a snowman...she's on a roll!
I had planned to add all the rest of the pictures from the evening...but my blog said "no".  Actually it puts me on hold forever...so I guess there will be another day of pictures from our meeting.
Jolyn

Winter Quilters

After Christmas most of us quilters get in gear and warm up those sewing machines.  So our first quilter's meeting for the year usually has lots of show and tell.  Ruth was showing a piece she bought from the Quilt Company that her daughter had designed in a math class taught by Lola Hendrickson. The students designed a quilt block.  Joan Rustad-Huisman was the math teacher and thought she might have the original drawing! 

Something Ruth put together to hang in their camper.

Linda is always on a wool kick and made this fun stars in circles project.



Love this....another Linda creation out of leftovers!



If I remember right Jan Montgomery's mother had embroidered this and now it's been quilted by Jan Shaffer and will be given back to Jan's mother. (that's a lot of Jan's for one sentence)

Ahhhh...the mystery quilter...Wendy showing a wool project on linen she's been working on.

Peek!  I wish I could remember the name of this...all from a jelly roll.  Looks like a fun one to make.

Tracy is the "Wool Queen".  These cute valentine's gifts are some of her own designs.

Tracy quilted this for a customer...beautiful!! 
This is only the beginning...we had lots...and lots of show and tell.  You miss a lot by not being there...I sometimes forget to take pictures and sometimes...actually quite often my pictures turn out blurry.  Best to come see for yourselves!
Jolyn

Visiting Grandma

I know this doesn't look like visiting Grandma, but it does have a connection.  Brandon and the 8th grade basketball team had a tournament in Preston which is only 8 miles from where my Mom lives in a nursing home.  The Bucs won the tournament and then....

we headed to Harmony to visit.  Grandma was surprised and happy to see us.

This is in a commons area where they eat and also have recliners and chairs for visiting.  While we were there a gentleman was playing polka music on his accordian.  Three times Mom got up and showed the boys the Charleston step.  Wayne volunteered to dance with her a little...but they were so lively that the pictures all blured.  As they say...that's my story....

I have been practicing...after I ran out of baloons I had to come up with a new target.  This is a small paper plate and I'm not saying how many shots I took that didn't hit the target.  I'm having fun!
Jolyn

Yep--He Surprised Me!!

How many great-grandmothers can say they got a BB gun for Christmas...and loved it!  I've wanted one for years!  I can just hear my grandkids telling their friends...you won't believe what my Grandma got for Christmas!!  Remember all those balloons lying around?  Perfect for target practice and I am getting better. (note...I did take them outside before shooting them!)  Can hardly wait until the grandkids can have a shoot -out with me!!  In the meantime I need to find someone who will blow  up more balloons for me...I have a tendency to get light-headed doing it...I am a great-grandma you know.

She just fit!  Her little feet were pressed against the foot of the bed...another year and she'll have to scrunch to fit.  She is at such a fun age...but you know...no matter what age our grandkids are...it's still a fun age to have them.  It was a memorable Christmas...not about the gifts...but the family being together...the laughter...the sharing...the eating...and once again focusing on the birth of Jesus and how thankful we are for His coming to save us from our sins.  We are blessed!
Jolyn

The End...I Think

What would be getting together if there wasn't some goofing off.  All it took was a couple of bottles of coke!

This was an unexpected gift this Christmas...Chun.  (pronounced chew-in).  She came down with Jill and the boys and was such a delight!  I like it when our house guests make themselves at home. She would pitch right in and help with meals and took it upon herself to keep the water jugs full.  We taught her to play a card game called "Garbage" and she became as addicted to it as the rest of us.  Chun is from China and is studying for her Phd at the University of Minnesota.  It was so much fun sharing our Christmas memories with her.

All too soon it was time to say "good bye".  Today the Christmas decorations are put away with the exception of the wool "Merry Christmas" from Tracy.  I needed to enjoy it a while more.  We're back to Basketball games and trying to eat healthy while still eating the goodies left here.  How is that working???...it's not.  I've spent the last 4 days sewing and sewing and finishing up some things...but that's for another blog.  I'm beginning to think my blog is just a long continuous story. 
Jolyn

And the Gifts Go On...and on

Trooper enjoys having the grandkids down as he gets extra attention (and food...but that's another story!)  Well...since you insist...we go to the front door (he sleeps in his own private chair on the porch..no one would want to touch it after he's been there) and tell him.."Go out back".  He immediately ambles around the house as he knows we've put out a treat for him.  Good dog.

We dug in the cedar chest and came up with this wool sweater that I made many...many years ago...in fact I didn't think it was finished.  I think I had someone else finish it as I had hit my limit.  Anyway...Miss Morgan tried it on...perfect fit and seems to also fit her retro-love.  So I borrowed it to her...my body isn't so retro any more.

ok... these things happen in my house. And some of it I just plain ignore... it just makes me wonder...

The men...

I know the table looks a little busy...but I wanted Christmas to be about memories...past and present and putting old pictures under a plastic generated lots of comments and remember whens...

Jill's idea..balloons on rubber bands...noisy...fun and a new memory! And luckily no broken lights!!

Even the littlest one got in on the action.

Wind power!  I can see me passing out doing this...so I refrained.

Little Vivvi got every one's attention when she started "reading" out of a blank notebook and everyone applauded.

So she kept reading....and reading...and when the applause finally stopped...she started clapping her hands.  The story got more "interesting" as she progressed.
Now I have more pictures, but my blog is quite fussy...it doesn't like to add pictures from two different cameras in one setting...so one more Christmas blog...I promise...I think.
Jolyn

Christmas Continued

Because we give all the kids money...I try to be creative in wrapping them.  So this year I ate the candy (just kidding...) and put the money inside the tins and then cut out a baby or toddler picture of them for the tag.  Weren't they cute!!  Still are!

These two were looking for work...actually they were looking for money and Grandpa gave them the job of moving the split wood into the wood shed.  Good thing they did as it rained and snowed later in the week.

Course...no get-together would be complete if a little computer time wasn't on the agenda.

Our oldest son...Kelsey and wife Karen.

Max was helping me stuff the "stockings".

Food...was delicious...even if the picture isn't too hot. I am so blessed to have daughters and daughters-in-law who team up to make a meal.

Seems we never have to call the kids twice...lined up to eat.

No Christmas is complete without Grandpa reading the Christmas story.  When he was done we all shared memories of Christmases past.

I made each of the guys and the younger gals fleece lined fleece mittens.  Then I did what all grandmas do...made them pose for a picture with them!  Ain't done yet...
Jolyn