Memorial Day

May Happenings

Hi everyone, well it's that time again for a different kind of update. I have been working on my Home is Where the Heart Is block of the month and am almost finished with the May block. I just have to finish the stitching on the bees, but I'm not sure if I want the banner on the bee hive to be a flower shop (as the pattern calls for) or a quilt shop (called Orange Quilt Bee....ha,ha...where teacher extraordinnaire, Ms. Janet, is now teaching). Maybe that would be infringing on their store name so I guess I'll have to call it something else. Oh well, it would be cute if I could call it that since there are bees and the beehive on this pattern.

Anyway, I still have a few things to do with this block and we are already planning to get together for the June block. Joy and I are having a ball with these...but needless to say, Ms. Yvette, is burnt out on blanket stitching. Oh well, only six more months to go, Yvette.....LOL !!!

In addition to finishing the May block and prepping the June one, I made a quilt on Sunday during my first class at, where else, the Orange Quilt Bee that just opened up on May 9th. YAY !!! I cut this out a month or two ago when I took a class at Cozy Cottage, but never got around to putting it together. Anyway, Orange Quilt Bee finally opened and Janet is teaching on Sundays again. She switched up her class and teaches just three Sundays a month now instead of four but it's for the entire time the store is opened, which is great because we don't have to rush out for another class coming in. It's been fun getting back into class because I really need to get out of this house, which closes in on me almost everyday. It's SEW nice to be back with Ellen & Jenny as well as a few others from Janet's old Sunday morning class and some "new" people (to me) from her old Sunday afternoon class. I'm sure going to have fun getting to know some of these wonderful ladies.

Also, my hairdresser and some of her friends have been so supportive, kind and generous throughout the months that Craig was sick. My hairdresser, Debbie, did my hair for free for months as well as Ruthie who did my "waxings" free as well, and then Cora who has just been a friend to me. So, I'm making them all quilts.

This one is for Cora who is a wonderful, generous lady who really doesn't even know me but was so generous that she handed me $50 dollars for one raffle ticket (for the charity event) last year. We were selling 6 tickets for $5. She refused to take more than one ticket. Also, one day, I walked in the shop and she handed me $100 bill to just "do something for yourself". I just started to cry. She was so sweet and kind. So this is for you Cora.

Then there is Debbie. She has been my hairdresser for over 25 years. I have known her for such a long, long time and followed her from shop to shop throughout all the years. She has done my hair for free for the last several months when Craig got really sick and took only a reduced fee since Craig was first diagnosed in 2007. Debbie also bought lots of raffle tickets for Craig's charity as well, and I just wanted to do something nice for them. Here's Debbie's quilt:

Ruthie's quilt will be the same pattern as Cora's but it will be done with reds and blacks. Needless to say, I don't have that one cut out yet, but probably will cut it out in the next day or too so I can sew it in class this coming Sunday.

I have a busy, busy weekend as Matt has prom on Saturday, my nephew Adam is graduating college on Saturdayand his party on Sunday, and then Craig's flag will be dedicated at the Memorial service at Memory Gardens on Monday at 11:00 a.m.

I hand embroidered the information on it and it will be flown every Memorial Day. I will post pictures of the event later.

Well, that's all for now.....love to all my family and friends. Hugs, Karene

April & May BOMs

Hi Everyone....Well, it's been a long couple of months as you all know with Craig's illness and then passing. Anyway, I've had too much time on my hands in the evenings and I'm trying to stay busy so I've been able to catch up on my blocks of the months. Here are my Tisket-A-Tasket basket blocks.

Here is the April basket.

Here is the May basket. It was just available yesterday from Bunny Hill Designs. But since my evenings are completely free now, I was able to whip this one out quickly. I really liked this one and I used a decorative stitch on "Bernie" to do the butterfly antenna (so no hand sewing on this block...YAY !)

And then, there is the Home Is Where the Heart is blocks. I'm just loving these. Each one just gets cuter and cuter. We didn't get to meet with the 3rd amigo, Yvette, in April to do our block so Joy and I worked on them during the week. We missed her and will be getting together this Friday to do the May block. If you can believe it, this block contains over 50 pieces to stitch around, which includes the umbrellas on the band portion.....YIKES!!!

When making the boy bunny, the pattern called for the carrot to be under his arm. However, you couldn't see it very well. So, I took "Quilter's Choice" privileges and put the carrot in his hand. Joy liked the idea too and did the same thing. Sew cute !!!

From start to finish, I just loved the girl bunny. She is just adorable, until I did the hand embroidery on her face. Oh well, I'm not about to take it all out. I think she still looks ok. Now, that I have so much time on my hands I'll need to learn hand embroidery techniques. Maybe take a redwork class or two at Cozy Cottage to learn how to hand embroider. It's not too expensive and it's only one night a week.

Well, this is all for now. Hope you all enjoyed seeing these new blocks.

Love to all my family and friends

Karene