Sisters' Lunch

Yesterday we enjoyed a Sisters' Lunch at my sister Karen's house on the lake.
The weather was perfect and we were able to eat outside on the patio.


I remembered to take a picture of the beautiful delicious salad. Doesn't this make you want to help yourself to a bite?

I did not remember to take a picture of the appetizer or dessert.
Mary made a delicious Mexican Dip served with chips and Judy furnished one of the very best cherry pies I've every tasted - not too tart and not too sweet.

We had hoped to get one of the men to take a picture of all of the sisters but they were on their way to their own lunch, and then returned to golf a few holes.

What I did get pictures of are some of the beautiful flowers and plantings in the yard. My brother in law Clay has a knack for choosing and nurturing wonderful flowers and plants.


The geraniums were in full bloom and added a great punch of color.



Each year Clay does something different with this planting bed you see as you walk to the house. It always is magnificent.


This is a closeup of the coleus in the bed.

After lunch we had a great girls gabfest catching up on what is happening in our lives and our families lives.

We always try to fit in one lunch each summer with all six of the sisters.

Mary, Robin and the rest of you who love the puzzles - this ones for you!

Scan of Calendar from Anderson Art Center 10th Anniversary

Last night after Shelley and I went out for dinner she spent some time in my studio.
When she left I gave her a copy of this calendar and also some magazines my quilts and I had been featured in.

She sent me this scan of the calendar and it is much better than what I have done with it so I wanted to share it with y'all.

I also thought this would make a good puzzle.

Ladies Who Lunch Do Dinner

Last night my friend Shelley and I had a great dinner at the Lighthouse Bistro in Kenosha.



We were so busy talking I never took the "food pictures"!



While we enjoyed our dinner at a table on the grass feet from the water, we were also able to enjoy a PBJ concert on the other side of the channel by the band VO 5.

Since we both have lived in the area for a long, long time we were able to appreciate the positive changes taking place in harbourside of Lake Michigan in Kenosha.

Beautiful condos, museums, and many activities in the area make the location such a vibrant lively area.

New Floor In Office Finished

One of my projects this summer is a new floor in my office.



I hadn't expected the installer would be able to do it until the end of the month or sometime in September. I heard from him yesterday and he said he could do it today.

I was thrilled. I had most everything out and ready for him to work. My grandson arrived a little before he did this morning to help move the heavy file cabinets with him.

In about 5 hours it was done and I absolutely LOVE it.

The picture shows it before I started putting things back in it.

After seeing all those clean and neat offices on HGTV, I'm going to put a little thought into this and see how I can make it look as good as it does now even after everything is put back in there.

I guess that means keep everything Black, White or Woodtone.

I'm off to Walgreens to get some Black and White folders, etc as soon as I finish this.

Colorful Puzzzles Today

I know many of you are addicted to my puzzles and I have been neglecting you recently. To make up for that I am giving you 4 puzzles today.
Each one has the same subject, but the level of difficulty increases as you go down the page!
I'd love to hear how y'all do with them.

Playing With Color - Mandala Fabrics

I have collected quite a few of Judi Yakab's Mandala fabrics.
One of my goals was to collect a color flow of fabrics that flowed through the rainbow and inclued some neutrals.



This is my collection as of today.

I can see some areas where I could use a few more.

I also look at the pattern on each one when I am deciding what to purchase.

If is not necessary for the pattern to be perfectly symetrical for me to chose one.

The way the colors blend and the textures they create is also a consideration.

To date I have only had time to piece on quilt from these.
More will follow as my time opens up.

I have so many ideas what I can do with them. I am looking forward to creating some freeform assymetric pieced designs.

Another Potato Chip Quilt by Sue Scheckel, a former student!

When I was shopping last week I saw one of my favorite former students. Sue is the kind of person who always has a sincere mile on her face and makes you feel glad to see her.

She told me she had made the Potato Chip Quilt from the directions I posted elsewhere on this blog. I asked her to send me a picture. She wasn't sure how to do it. I suggested she ask a grandchild! She said two of them would be there the next day. I'm not sure whether she figured it out or she got help but I got the picture the next day.

The yellow spacers are a great contrast to the mostly blue fabrics. The addition of some green fabrics takes this to a whole new dimension than what it would have been without the acid greens.

Sue took classes from me for years, starting way back when I taught clothing classes. She is now active in the Lighthouse Quilters guild. I have always enjoyed that guild and have given many lectures and classes for them when I was still doing that. Many former students (and even some of my high school and grade school friends and classmates) are members of that guild and it is so much fun to see them again.

She said she really enjoyed it and plans on making more of them.

Miniature Log Cabin Quilt - WIP

This was started many, many years ago.
I've finished everything but the binding.

I think the reason I haven't finished it is because I am concerned about matching the color changes on the binding to the same clor changes on the border.

I really should get it done and add another quilt to my finished list.

The strips I used on the log cabin blocks finish 1/4 inch.
The finished quilt will be 11 x 13 inches.

After I took the picture I removed the basting stitches. There was no reason to leave them in there as the quilting was finished.