I'm Off!

I'm off to our annual quilt retreat today! My bags are packed and loaded as well as half of my sewing room. It's a good thing I own a van! I just have to go pick up my BFF Nikki and off we go. Our retreat location is only about an hour away but once we're there it's like we're on the other side of the world. Four days of sewing and eating, sharing and laughing. I'll have pictures to share when I return. Sweety will have the house to himself - except for Maggie, that is

Speaking of Maggie,I've made a grave mistake. I don't know how I did it but I forgot her birthday. Our little girl turned two years old on January 20th. It seems like just yesterday that we got her here. We've had our ups and downs but for the life of me, I don't know what I would do without my little sweet Maggie!!
Talk to you soon -and Maggie, take good care of Daddy!

I'm In A Bind!

Don't get me wrong. I love to quilt. I love the fabrics. I love the patterns. I love the colors. I love the friendships I make. But I do not like to do the bindings. It's a big, clumsy pain to me. I have the binding sewn onto the quilt I'm working on for retreat this weekend. I just have to hand stitch it down and I'll be done. Yea! It only took me two and a half years to finish!!

I've finished the top my black and red quilt that I told you about earlier. The pattern is called Chinese Coins, but since it's to be donated to a cancer patient, I'm calling it Prayers and Pennies from Heaven. This evening I'm quilting it on a long-arm quilting machine like this. Then add the binding (ugh!) and it'll be done.

The rest of my week is going to be spent getting ready for my quilting group's, The Busy Bees, annual February quilt retreat in the Caifornia foothills. This will be our ninth year at the same fabulous facility. Yesterday four out of the eleven in the group and I met and spent the day cutting out our projects so we can get started sewing as soon as we arrive. I still have some cutting out to do as I usually take three or four projects to work on. You never know what you feel like working on or how fast something might go together. Then I need to gather all my sewing supplies, a good book, some movies to watch in the evening while we do hand work and my new scotty flannel pajamas which I wear all weekend and I'm good to go.

I'll tell you all about it when I return. Have a wonderful week and tell someone you love just that, that you love them!


*Happy Birthday Paul! I miss you every day with every beat of my heart! - Aunty Jean

Could spring be far away?

Mother Nature is doing her best to give us a little beauty today.

Don't think that my entire yard is beautiful and full of flowers. Quite the contrary. We've had an exceptionally cold, rainy and windy winter with the promise of more to come. It's going to take me days and days to get it all back in shape this spring. I'm getting glimpses of things to come, however......and that's ok. Something to look forward to.

A Riddle

What is black and white and red all over?

My latest quilt project!

At my quilt group's retreat last year we were all given black, red and white 5" squares. We were to make a lap size quilt and we are donating them to cancer patients. As per usual, I've waited to till the last minute to get it done. If I have just the top finished before retreat in February, I'll be happy. I can't wait to see what everyone is doing. I'm sure they'll all be different. I know one of my friends is doing a Bow Tie pattern and I'm doing Chinese Coins. I'll show pictures of everyone's project after retreat.

Rain, rain, go away.....

Well, actually, California needs the rain badly, so it can keep on raining as far as I'm concerned. Yesterday's storm was a real doozy. Downpours, thunder and lightning. We had one big thunder clap and pour little Maggie jumped up into my lap, her heart just pounding.

I was in my room and saw something go flying by the window. It was my garden flag. Not just the flag, but the pole was torn out of the wood! Good grief!

It's a good day to stay indoors and catch up on my sewing projects, have a cup of tea and listen to country music on the television.

What do you like to do when the weather is too nasty to go outside?

Don't Take Chances. Take Charge

Have you seen this clever American Express commercial?




This is my entry:



Can you guess what it is? It's the front control panel on my Bernina 440 sewing machine. It is in my sewing room just over my right shoulder from my computer. Actually, once I noticed it it's kind of creeping me out. I feel like I'm being watched! I think I better put the cover back on.

Making Progress

A few days ago I posted here about a quilt project that I had procrastinated getting done. I suppose waiting two years qualifies as procrastination. I wanted to report on my progress. I finished the top and was able to get it quilted on the quilting machine at the class that I'm enrolled in through our local Adult Education. I am not totally thrilled on my quilting as I'm really rusty. But the top is finished! Woo Hoo!!!

I did have a moment or two when I panicked. I was doing some pressing and no problem. Then I started pressing the back and all of a sudden the iron started spitting out and stained the fabric. Luckily, my friend who is the teacher of the class was able to get the stains out. This is exactly why I have decided not to use steam when I iron at home. No matter how careful you are it's gonna spit! Usually not on a dark fabric where you wouldn't notice it. Oh, no! It's gonna spit on white or cream colored fabric.

One thing that I'm proud of with this quilt is that 100% of the fabric is from my stash. I didn't go out and buy more, just used what I had and I think it's beautiful. For you non-quilters, that's how we get these unmanageable stashes. Buying fabric because we like it and not using it because we then buy kits. Anyway, all I have to do now is trim the quilt and sew on the binding and it's done in plenty of time for retreat the first of February!

On another note, my cold that I had reported a few days ago has come back with a vengeance. It's much worse then it was before. So pray that I get better. I have things to do, places to go, people to see. I don't have time for this!

Take care and take your vitamin C! Achoo!!!!

Just who are these people?

As you probably know, I love antiques and collectibles. I have lots of collections of various items sprinkled throughout the house. I didn't realise that I was collecting old photos of children until I brought one more home the other day. They make me wonder. Who are they? What is their name? Where are they now? Why are their pictures in an antique store instead of a family home, loved and cherished? I don't buy every child's picture I see. Just the ones I feel a connection to. Hard to put my finger on it, but some just speak to me.

Who could resist the freckles?

Sweet little girl.


The cleft chin and the little sailor suit just gets me.

So serious and grown-up!

Those eyes! Who can resist?

I really don't think she likes this outfit. Looks more like a tomboy to me.

Sweet little cutey patooty!

Oh, my goodness!

I hope you enjoyed seeing my collection. If you know who they are, let me know!

Bunnies and Snowmen

When I was in the creating stage I wanted to have the perfect name for my blog. 'Fess up. I bet you all did a lot of thinking. I almost went with a bunny/rabbit theme. I collect bunny statues which are scattered around my back yard. So it was going to be Bunny Hutch or Rabbit Haven or some such. But I just couldn't do it. Why? Because one of my favorite quilt designers is the epitome of bunny-ness, Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill Designs. Now, I'm sure she would have not thought any infringement on her name. She's a dear, but I just couldn't do it. So I came up with In The Garden With Miss Jean. I'm a long time gardener and everyone calls me Miss Jean, which is explained here.

She designs the most wonderful and whimsical patterns with lots of rabbits and her favorite, snowmen. Last year she generously provided us all with a block of the month pattern which you could download off of her site for free. I say generous because she has wonderful block of the month patterns on her site that you can purchase. This one is free people! Free!!!

A Tisket A Tasket

Was that the end of it all? No! She's done it again! Starting this month she has created another block of the month pattern called Snowbound. Here is the first block. Can you get any cuter? She has made hers with Rural Jardin fabric from The French General. (Insert angels singing here!) This is a match made in heaven!!!!! The fabric will be available in quilt stores in March. Waiting, waiting, waiting........

So go here every month this year and click on the link on the side bar to download her new Snowbound patterns. You can download her A Tisket A Tasket blocks for a while longer, also. While you are there, check out all of her other patterns to purchase, including my obvious favorite, Bitsy Buttons and Friends.

Thanks, Anne! I guess all we need now is a snowman with rabbit ears........

'Splain..

Can someone please explain something to me? Why is it that when I have two, count them, two years to finish a project for an exchange in February, 2010, that I wait till now to start it? Why!?! It's not that I don't love the person I'm making it for. It's not like I didn't have the time somewhere in the last 700+ days.

All I can say is "me bad"! But a simple pattern plus great fabric should work! Getting it quilted - now that's anthother thing. Wish me luck!