What's on the Frame

For my friend Debbie J. from my Monday night quilt class, here's her piecework that I was honored to quilt for her.

She's a friend with patience, I've had this to do since January's "10 in 10" list was posted!

She has trusted me with one other project, a table topper that she gave at Hanukkah.

I had agreed with Susan today, you do approach someone else's work with a little fear and trepidation-what if I mess up? But, the extra precaution usually pays off with a very satisfied accomplishment, and another goal reached. I'm happy with it, I hope she is, too!

Now, it has become another completed project to cross off the list.
Don't you love reaching a goal?
*smile*

Now, here's what's cooking for dinner, "Too Two Chili" with cornbread, great for our stormy weather!
*note: I'm editing in the recipe!*
Larry says it's too good (it is soupy, and a lot like Marie Calendar's)
and it has almost two of everything:

Too Two Chili
-2 lbs browned and crumbled hamburger or ground turkey
season with black pepper and garlic powder while cooking
-2 onions, &-2 bell peppers, chopped (seeded) and softened in
-2 T. olive oil (or 1T, and 1/4 c water to boil them soft)
put in a large crockpot or stove top stewpot, and add undrained:
-2 cans stewed tomatoes, crushed
-2 cans kidney beans, regular size cans
-2 cans pinto beans, large size cans
-2 c water
-2 T chili powder
-2 t garlic powder
you can add red pepper flakes for "heat" if you prefer.
Cook for a while, it is good the next day, too. Yummy with cornbread!
Let me know if you try it.

And here is the little progress on my
Blue Kitchen Sink, from:

It is slow progress. Well, maybe it's just me. . . I am a little pokey. . . .

Happy Quilting,
Pokey

Out of the Blue

Whims. don't you love them? I call them "wild hairs", too.

I have been kinda busy with other things, creative things, but not sewing.


Larry cut, I painted and attached the baseboards Saturday with the
help of our good friends, the Pates. (this is Karl, my 'son' by friendship!)
Larry and I moved the furniture in after church Sunday.
Last night, I started taping off the door facings, and my sweet Larry said,
"Don't paint. You have tomorrow off from school. Sew. The other things can wait."

Uh, um. . .Okay!

This morning, that whim thing happened, here's the 'blue':


I am having some cutting fun.

Meanwhile, that SewCalGal Darlene shared another wonderful fabric designer Lila Tueller and her wonderful giveaway. She has made a quilt.

It is out of her new fabric line, Eden. . .


it has dimensional beauty with little ruffles, mm-mm-m. . .


Go check it out for yourself, there are more yummy pictures. . .

Happy Quilting,
Pokey

Home Again

Quality of character is a gift to ever seek after. I am so blessed to call these people My Family.




We all worked to get a new floor in, all of us feeling new pains today, but work is a good feeling. The floor is beautiful!! It is a Hickory laminate. We have been on the concrete for about a year, and this is so nice to see instead.






When you see us all crawling on the floor, remember, Papa is 75, Mom is 80. Both of them have their next birthday this May. When I grow up, I wanna be like them!

Larry and I will be trying to put in the baseboards and moving our furniture back in this weekend.

Larry's folks went home early today. I do not know why God has us so far away from them in miles, but I am glad they are ours.

Let's see, while they were here, we also quilted a lap sized quilt, made a yo yo Christmas tree, changed out a few locks, fixed a door, watched a few movies, learned a few more crochet edge stitches for pillowcases, went to M& L Fabrics(!), cooked some awesome good food and made homemade ice cream.

On the quilting front, getting that quilt top quilted is one more finish for my ten for 2010 goals. Man, I feel I'm slower than molasses in the winter! But it is a finish. And, remember my goal of Moda "Swell" in Rosewillow's "Too Good to Cut" challenge? Well, I'm seeing this:


made up in one of these:
Don't you love it when a plan comes together? I LOVE this book! I see a few quilts coming out of this one. . . .

Happy Quilting,
Pokey

Barb Davis, Inspiration!

My MIL, aka Mom, has talent that flows from her fingertips. She never fails to make me want to do more! She knows my love for doilies and laces, this is one that she gave me, of three she brought as gifts. She is crocheting as I type!

Lydia has benefited from Grandma's knowledge, too. She was crocheting edges onto pillowcases, but Grandma gave her some direction that was very helpful.


We are blessed to have such creativity in our home. Wonder if they would just move in, forget Nebraska. . . no, way!


Oh, well, we'll enjoy them while they are here!

I'm hoping to load a quilt top while they are here. Papa said he'd like to try some of that stippling.

Happy Quilting!
Pokey

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hi, people! I wanted to share our best wishes for a great Valentine's Day, and President's Day, too!
We are enjoying company, Larry's folks are in from Nebraska, and we are enjoying having family in the house.
We've done some visiting and some playin'. We went to the local antique mall. Mom collects pigs, and we found a couple, and brought them home.
I even found a pretty little butter dish full of valentine love.


So, we are thinking about you, and wanted to let you know what was happening here.

Happy Valentine's Day!
Pokey

My Sweet Valentine

A little fun I'm working on tonight. . . .



Happy Quilting,
Pokey

Illene's Quilt

Could you find time to sew a 9-patch, or two? Go see Lyn's blog at Bluebird Quilts. She's asking for a little help for a friend in need, and Lyn has a giveaway attached.


Lyn also posted these colors for the squares:

Join in, if you can.

Happy Quilting,
Pokey

Sandy's Giveaway!

Sandy has reached her one year blogoversary!


She's wanting to share her joy, so go see Sandy in Stitches!

Kitties and Yo-Yos

These are the weeks of report cards, grading stacks of student's work that seemed to be laid aside for a better time . . . WHAT was I THINKING?!? Where is my magic easy button? Oh, well, I'm plowing through. You know, I earned my name "Pokey"-!

Lydia's MIL-to-be loves cats, I think they currently are owned by 4 . . . .


Mrs. Wise's birthday was last week, so this charm tote was a joint venture by Lydia and I. She did all the collecting, cutting and piecing, and most of the quilting. I was involved in the final construction.


Lydia even made the neat zipper tote to match!




With my work (and actually we've had some fairly serious 'illness' in the family) I have sure missed the sewing machine.

My friend Leanna has been yo-yo busy. I was hoping to show a few things that she literally made into two yo-yo project kits for me, I'll show eventually.

But, she brought in this table runner today, and I'm so excited to share it with you!



She does such beautiful stitches, . . .



I cannot believe how tiny these are!



That's our U.S. quarter, so these finish at about 1 inch . . . .

I have my quilting class tomorrow, I'm helping my friend Ginny with her first quilt! Maybe soon, I'll be back to sewing! I hope, . . . .

Happy Quilting, Pokey