New Fall Quilt

I finished quilting a fall quilt yesterday and hemmed it last night. The fabric was from a collection from Keepsake Quilting a few years back and the pattern is Turning Twenty, if I remember correctly. Dora is trying to help, and says "I don't like the way you've draped it, I think it should be on the floor!". She's quite the little helper and tries to be within sight now that she doesn't have her playmate. She is truly a "Quilter's Cat!", unlike Shizuku, who could care less about knitting, crochet or quilts! I really need a better place to photograph quilts, but living in a mh, space is so limited. You can click on the photo for a close-up if you want! Have a blessed day!

Photo in Header Above

The beautiful photo in my above header was obtained from Weather Underground. Photo was taken by Aaron Wilson and I am currently asking permission to let it remain. My apologies for not asking before I posted the photo. The lighthouse is in my hometown of Port Huron, MI.

Oreo has left the building

Oreo has left us. Last Friday, I'd had enough of his unpleasant behavior and destruction, and I set him back outside, with instructions to go back to where ever he came from. I guess he did, as we haven't seen him since Saturday morning. I wish him well, where ever he is, but peace has been restored to our household and I am very glad. Somethings just don't work out, ya' know? Dora missed him at first, but now is glad to have her share of the food to herself again!

On a lighter note, yesterday was my daughter's birthday and she spent some of the weekend with us. I think she had a pleasant time with us, and a Happy Birthday, at least I hope so. By the way, her Aran Sweater "fit like it was made for her" and she seemed to like the green and white afghan.

It is very windy today and getting colder outside. I hate wind, ever since my old Florida days, and don't care much for the cold (OUCH!) either!

On the needles, a yellow sweater, top down, with cables between sleeve & body (photo above). Top down sweaters (sweatshirt-style) are still my favorite!

Blue Water Bridge & Thousand Footer

Christmas at Sea

I began knitting for this group in 1990. I had been seriously depressed for about 3 years, and I can say that Seamen's Church Institute saved my live. I read about the group in a magazine and wrote to them, and they sent me patterns & yarn. I got busy at once!! I knitted caps and scarves thru all good times and bad times. I took yarn & needles to the hospital all those months my husband had cancer. When I ran out of yarn, those precious nurses would bring me more, at their expense. But I ran into a personality problem with the head of the group. I don't know how it happened, but it did, and I started to knit and crochet for other groups. Groups that I wouldn't have to pay so much postage, and run the risk of my contributions getting lost in the mail. I have really enjoyed working on Prayer Shawls, and give them to our local hospital. But now there is a great new "fearless leader" of the CAS group of knitters. I am willing to try again. I can crochet Prayer Shawls and knit for CAS. Seems like an excellent solution. In the past, all the while I am knitting, I pictured in my mind the thousand foot ships entering the Detroit River from Lake Huron. I have so loved to watch those large ships and hear the foghorns go Beee and the answering BeeeeOhhhh! It was such a comfort as a child! I've looked backward too long today. Time to get busy! Have a blessed day!

Small donation quilts

Eight small quilts are ready to go to the Foothills Quilter's Guild meeting tomorrow. They range in size from 40x45 to 44x70. These will either go to the Elkin Rescue Squad or the Elkin Police Dept. to give to distressed kids. I have been making these quilts out of remnants and sale fabrics since 1990. That's 18 years! Wow! But I still love to make them and it makes me feel good to know that they will go to kids that need a little comfort. (Once in awhile I even get a quilt done for me.) I quilt them on my Gammill quilting machine (now 14 years old), and just hem the edges instead of using binding.

Bonnet granny square

I was finally able to make a copy of the Bonnet In The Middle pattern by my friend, Tammy C. this morning. Just had to hurry up and make a sample, while doing a load of wash, this morning. I think it turned out pretty good, really good, in fact. It was a fun to make pattern, and will probably be used in a swap in a Yahoo! crochet group after the Holidays. Good job, Tammy C., and thanks!!

New Photos on Sidebar

I have temporarily added two new photos to my sidebar. They are of Pilot Mountain, North Carolina and the volcano Sakurajima, Kagoshima, Japan. Pilot Mountain can be seen from all over our area. It was never a volcano, but it is a respected landmark in our area. My daughter lived very near Sakurajima when she lived in Kagoshima. Just across the Bay, actually. It is a much loved landmark in Kyushu. Pilot Mountain is one of the reasons we moved to this area, and even though I am no longer able to do any hiking on the Mountain, every morning, as I take my son to work, it looks different. Kind of like one of the advertisements for Sakurajima.

Getting ready to sew

This morning I finished the knitting on my daughter's birthday sweater for this year. It is an Aran by Grandma on the Mountain. I have made this sweater twice before and also made a multitude of Teddy Bear sweaters. Her website is www.aranknits.com and I highly recommend a look-see. This is probably the easiest and most enjoyable Aran that I have ever knit. My friend, Tammy P. gave me the pattern for my birthday a couple of years ago. I have really enjoyed this pattern. Thanks again, Tammy. To motivate my knitting, I have watched my favorite movie "The Secret of Roan Inish" several times lately. It is about Ireland. Even though I am of German decent, I do feel so much at home with anything Irish......most especially the music! Have a blessed weekend!

Birthday

October 7th was my late husband's birthday. He would have been 66 years old today. The photos above were taken shortly before we married in 1967. I can hardly believe that he has been gone 9 years. How have I survived that long?? He was a good man and a good husband. He always put his family first. I thank God that he is in Heaven and that he is waiting for me on the other side of the "river". I can see him there, with his fishing pole. He always worked too hard here on earth.....I hope he is having an enjoyable time fishing now. His youngest brother has the same birthday......only 30 years apart (same father, different mothers). My advice to everyone is "enjoy each day, you just never know what will happen tomorrow". God Bless!

Another photo of unnamed kitty

He's up from his nap and ready to explore, followed closely by Dora. The family cat says "Oh no....not again.......grrrrrr!!"

UPDATE: We are now calling him "OREO". He seems to answer to that name, so my guess it is what his former owners called him! Every time we say "Oreo", he will look at us and say "Meow".

The new unnamed kitty

This seems to be the "year of the cat" around our house. First, Dora makes her home with us. Then there are a dozen yard cats born outside this spring/summer. Now, today, someone drops off this beautiful, what seems to be a long-haired male kitten. He is about the same size as Dora, so I would imagine that he is about 5 months old. He has very big feet for a young cat, so I suppose that he will be a large cat when he becomes an adult. I just cannot understand the cruel mentality of anyone who just dumps a cat out because he/she sees other cats in the yard!! When we came in this evening, he just came in the house & made himself to home!! I have a lamb skin on the lazyboy that my Boo used to love. He was in 7th Heaven on that sheepie & claimed it for his own. Things work out. God's in charge. This kitty just needs a name and hasn't given us a clue as to what he wants to be called. Any & all suggestions appreciated.........

Kitty Quilt

This is the Kitty Quilt that I finished this week. The cutouts came from a sale table at Hancock Fabrics several years ago. I finished the applique, by machine, but never got around to quilting it. I have promised myself that I will not make anymore tops until I get some of these quilted. A lot of them are for the Kids Quilt project for the Foothills Quilter's Guild, but anything with a cat on it is "mine". (heehee) Not sure what I'm going to do with this one yet, but the Good Lord will show me what He wants me to do with it! I've not counted yet, but have a large rubbermaid plastic rolling cart full of tops to be quilted (my guess would be around 75 tops). I'll be busy for awhile!!