THE DAY OF LOVE

I claim there ain't

Another Saint

As great as Valentine.

~Ogden Nash

Image courtesy The Graphics Fairy

I love this vintage valentine because it reminds me of the Faberge Easter Egg called “Lily of the Valley”  gifted in 1898 by Czar Nicholas II of Russia to his wife Alexandra, the great love of his life.
               

Faberge "Lily of the Valley"

You can see more pictures and read more about this particular bejeweled egg by clicking on its title in the caption above.


I wish each you love and joy on this Valentine’s Day.

                                                                                             DONNA

WHAT’S UP

Trying to fix Windows Live since my computer problems so this post is just mainly a test.  Oh, and to let ya'll know I'm still alive.  What’s a girl to do?  I can’t breath, can't think, my head is stopped up and my ears are ringing.  Looks like a doctor visit for me tomorrow.



At least the rash and blisters of shingles are almost gone, but I still have the residual tingling and aching in the nerve endings which may hang on for a while.  Needless to say, no sewing is being done.

It's been really cold today, hovering around 30 degrees or so, so the fireplace is glowing, and we are covered with quilts while we read or watch television.  Waiting to see the next dramatic events to take place in Downton Abbey.  Looks like the valet is about to be in big trouble with the law regarding his dead evil wife!  Yikes!

GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY

The shingles are beginning to hurt less.  They are still red and angry looking but they are getting better every day.  That phrase made me think of the song by The Beatles "Getting Better."  Just for fun, here is a video from You Tube of them singing that song -- Getting Better.

I loved school so that part of the song doesn't apply to me particularly, but it really cheers me up!  I was madly in love with Paul McCartney from 1964 until the Sgt. Pepper album came out - about 1967.  That album was a major change for the group and I didn't like it until years later.  I guess I had to let it grow on me.  Anyway, here is my big teeny bopper crush!

The 12 Days of Christmas quilt is bound and hanging on my wall in the den.  Alas, I can't upload anything to my computer still so I will have to share a photo with when my computer issues are resolved.  Having trouble getting all my sashing cut for the Civil War BOW quilt.  It's giving my neck and shoulder fits so I can only cut about 18 2" x 8.5" strips per session.  Then I stop and sew them on.  Then I have to quit for the day.

Still trying to dance in the rain,   

                                                                      Donna

PROBLEMS GALORE!

I've got problems.  All kinds of problems.  I wish I could fix them but I can't.

First of all, as a belated birthday present I got shingles on my right forehead.  At first I thought it was an insect bite but by the third day I knew something wasn't right so I went to see the doctor.  She took one look and said you've got shingles.  Shingles!  I would never have guessed that in a million years.  I am now taking an anti-viral medication and occasional pain pill to get me through this mess.  Currently I'm at the blistering stage (gross!) waiting for that to crust over and start healing (double gross!).

Next problem.  My computer got a virus in early December that we couldn't get cleaned out completely.  A message kept popping up that I was not running authentic Windows 7 and could not receive updates.  The computer tech worked on it and I worked on it but nothing made that message go away.  So I had to upload my Windows 7 program again which created another set of problems that we are trying to work out.  The internet works fine but I can't print, type a word document, locate any of my pictures, or download anything else.    Argh!

I had some additional photos from Jefferson of antique quilts from the various antique shops that would have been of interest but I don't think I will get those back.    My last back up was Wednesday of last week and I didn't upload the photos until Monday of this week.

Anyway, now that I've vented, I feel a little better.  Sorry to dump it onto all of you.  You will understand it I don't manage to get another blog entry posted within the next week.  The computer gremlins need to be exterminated.

I managed to complete the quilting and binding of my 12 Day of Christmas quilt and will post a photo later.  I'll go back to sashing the Civil War quilt now.

Onward I go --                                                  Donna

CATCHING UP

I, like many others I'm sure, have fallen in love with the PBS series, Downton Abbey.  I missed Sunday night's episode so I watched it on the internet.  I wonder if Lady Mary and Matthew will get together after all?  I also missed The Good Wife so I spent Monday catching up on my shows.  The internet is such a fabulous thing, isn't it?

If you have an interest in reproduction fabrics, may I recommend a new blog called Material-Witness.  The most recent entry is about pillar prints with a bit of history and numerous photos of reproductions.  It just so happens that I have one pillar print in my collection.

Sorry that I took it with the pillar going sideways.  My computer
 is on the "fritz" and I couldn't turn it up vertically.

I bought this print back in probably 2005 while working at a local quilt shop.  I had admired it for several months before I broke down and bought any.  I'm so glad I did, because I still love it.  It's from Moda, a Barbara Brackman and Terri Thompson fabric based on the Spencer Museum of Art Collection, 1810-1840 Pillar Print.

My 12 Days of Christmas quilt is quilted and ready for binding.  You can see the border edge of it under the second picture above.  I plan to work on it tonight and have a photo to post sometime tomorrow or Friday.

Time to keep on stitching -                                    Donna

ANNUAL BIRTHDAY TRIP

In celebration of my –cringe-- 6th decade of life, Sweetie and I spent the weekend in Jefferson, Texas attending their annual quilt show. I’ve made a Smilebox slide show of some of my favorite quilts in the show.  It’s a small show, with limited space and lots of people, so taking great photos was not an option, but you can still appreciate the beauty of the quilting arts just the same.

Personalize your own photo slideshow

In addition to the quilt show, we ate some wonderful food.  Cornbread ham and cheese sandwiches and soup at Kitt’s Cornbread Sandwich & Pie Bar.  Fried chicken strips at The Hamburger Place.  A BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato) sandwich on fresh bakery-made wheat bread.  And the grand finale – my favorite – lasagna from Lamache’s Italian Restaurant.  Heaven!
More about the trip later.

JUST TAKES 2 AND SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT

I’ve completed blocks 7-11 of the Just Takes 2 quilt along project.  I did things a little different than the instructions given on three of the blocks.   On the house block, I went into my EQ5 program, found a house pattern very similar to the one given by Brenda Papadakias, made some slight changes, then printed it to the correct size for paper piecing.  I am quite happy with the result and more comfortable with this technique than the one Brenda suggested.



On the fan block, I copied the whole fan with seam allowances onto a paper piecing sheet ( I use Deb Karasik’s Perfect! Paper Piecing Paper.) Then I paper pieced the fan blades. Next I cut a 6 1/2” square of my background fabric, then machine appliqued the paper pieced block on top of the square, using invisible thread. Next, I traced the quarter-circle piece onto Steam-A-Seam 2, also including seam allowances, pressed the shape onto the black fabric then cut out the shape. Next I ironed the quarter-circle to the background fabric, making sure the top of the piece overlapped 1/4” on the bottom of the fan blades. Once again, I machine appliqued that piece to the block. After pressing the entire block, I cut out the backing fabric from behind the fan blades leaving about 1/4 below the stitching so there would not be so much bulk in the block.

At least for me, this is something a little different.  My latest quilt book purchase is Transparency Quilts written by Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr.



I’ve been drawn to solid colors lately, purchasing several pieces from the Centennial Solids line and some from Cherrywood Fabrics.  There are two quilt patterns in this book that I’m considering for my niece’s baby quilt.  Very sophisticated but warm and comforting for Baby Girl E.P.  As you can tell from the cover photo, this is not my usual 19th Century patchwork quilts genre.  I’m branching out and stretching my wings!