Autumn Treasures

Come over to Needle in Hand to see some of what I did.

Song of Susannah - The Dark Tower VI *****

Where have I been? Well, I've been stitching, working in the yard, and reading! My most recent finish is Song of Susannah - The Dark Tower VI, and it was great. There's only one more in the series, so I should be finished by Christmas ;-)

(from Stephen King's website)
The Dark Tower VI - Song of Susannah
Susannah, now pregnant, has yet another taking control of her. The demon-mother, Mia, uses Susannah and Black Thirteen to transport to New York City of 1999. Jake, Oy, and Pere Callahan must rescue Susannah while Eddie and Roland transport to the Maine of 1977. A vacant lot in New York must be saved and ties these together. >More Info

Tagged

Jane from Stitch Along with Me has tagged me to play along ... with a game that seems to be making the rounds of cyberspace.

How it works: Scattergories: Erase my answers, enter yours, tag 10 people, post it on your blog, then notify them, including the person who tagged you.

"Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following. They have to be real places, names, things.....nothing made up! Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same first initial.You cannot use your name for the boy/girl name question "Ok, let's begin:

• 
  What is your name: Charlene
• 
  Four letter word: call
• 
  Vehicle: colt
• 
  TV Show: Cash Cab
• 
  City: Charlotte
• 
  Boy's Name: Charles (my dad)
• 
  Girl's Name: Carole
• 
  Occupation: computer networking (son)
• 
  Something You Wear: cape
• 
  Food: clams
• 
  Something Found in a Bathroom: cleanser
• 
  Reason for Being Late: car trouble
• 
  Something You Shout: Cheers!

Who to tag? Now here's the rub -- who hasn't that will? Hum ... It is fun, but who has time?

I think I'll cheat and say that if you've gotten this far, and you have not been tagged by someone else, just go ahead and play along: Tag: You're It!!

Come See Me

It has been a tradition in our southern city of Rock Hill, SC for many years (1962) to have a spring event to Welcome folks to come and learn more about our fair city and expose them to Glencairn Garden which was built in 1960. The festival's mascot is 'Glen the Frog,' who was designed by Vernon Grant of Rice Crispies: Snap, Crackle, and Pop fame. One of the favorite events for my son has always been Gourmet Gardens where local restaurants and some benefit organizations offer tasty selections of great food!

Today was one of my favorite events - the local newspaper, The Herald, has an annual yard sale. This year the proceeds, along with United Way and the Postal Carriers, will "replenish area food pantry stocks...offer nourishment to people less fortunate."

I got a later start than had intended, but it's probably a good thing. I was telling someone earlier that I haven't done any CQ in months, but not stashing more didn't occur to me!

The first thing I found was a box of buttons! Did I need more buttons? NO, but they were just sitting there, and she gave me a discount for buying two bags!!

Then, down under the table, on top of the packing box were some old linens. These are stamped, ready to be embroidered... A couple of the areas had already been started. Don't you just love these 'bib a day' ones?

And these look perfect to make Mom a few trivets. Think I'll put two together with some pretty colored fabric between.

Then I stumbled on these vintage ash trays. They're yellow - depression glass? I remember seeing them when I was a girl.

And then, finally, the biggie. This box full of fabric samples, Braemore and Kauffman... There are big samples of linen, lots of cotton, some micro suede... Just a great assortment. This wasn't the only one she had - but she let me pick what I wanted for my box full.

Pixie was helping me check it out ;-)

And so, I'm happy. The festival was to end tonight with a tail gate, music, and fireworks at the coliseum - but the weather was iffy. DS was going with friends, so I'll learn tomorrow if it was a go or not.

Wolves in the Calla - The Dark Tower V *****

The Dark Tower V was once again not a disappointment. Wolves in the Calla was great! I don't know how they keep getting better, but they do! Here is a short synopsis from King's site describing it.

In the borderlands that lie between Mid-World and End-World, Roland and his friends are approached by a frightened band of representatives from the nearby town of Calla Bryn Sturgis. In less than a month, the Calla will be attacked by the Wolves-those masked riders that gallop out of Thunderclap once a generation to steal the town's children. The Calla folken need the kind of help that only gunslingers can give, and if they agree to help, the town's priest-Father Callahan, Maine-promises to give them the most potent and treacherous of magic balls. Meanwhile, in the New York of 1977, how can Roland and his friends both save the rose and fight the Wolves? Only by using magic... Time is running out on all levels of the Tower, but unless the minions of Thunderclap both in our world and in Mid-World are defeated, they will never reach that great lynchpin of the time/space continuum which, even now, begins to totter.

FYI: Check out Needle in Hand to see the cross stitch items I've been working on.

Crazy Quilt Reproduction Fabric

~~ Updated April 18, 2008 ~~

Ah, yes...there are others!




This one is Crazy Quilts by Moda.

Stitches in Bloom - not really a CQ reproduction, but a 'cheater' embroidery.

Stitches in Bloom - just could not resist the colors!

Rachel Jean for SSI

Questions have been asked: What will you do with all these? Well, so far I've made a small arm cover for "my chair" - got a new one that I haven't photoed yet - for Pixie to sit on. It is from this one...

This one is a gray and tan denim, Cranston, 2005.

The future plan is to redecorate my sewing room to a more 'girly' space, so I'd like to make covers for the rocking chair in there from the Stitches in Bloom - red and yellow. I'm off next week, and plan to do Spring cleaning. We'll see if that notion stitcks, and how much gets done. If there's time left, maybe...


~~ Updated March 30, 2008 ~~

Are they all reproduction? I'm not sure about the definition, but they're all so pretty, and I'm surprised at the ones that are available - and the ones that are SO popular and hard to get! The following are pictures of the pieces I've collected most recently.


This one is new, from Hobby Lobby, by Brother and Sister Designs. The HOT colors make it less 'original' looking, but it's still pretty.

Amy Rosenberg for VIP by Cranston

This one appears to be from the 70s because of the color way, and it is labeled Fifth Avenue.



~~ Updated March 3, 2008 ~~

I started updating this post last night, but was having problems with getting photos in. Before I knew it, it was gone! Even with the Auto update feature, it was Gone...

On Saturday I made a trip to MaryJo's Fabric in Gastonia. It is about a 40 minute drive for me. I've been there a couple times before, but always seemed overwhelmed. This visit was SO much better, and I believe it was because I had something specific to look for. After I found them, the rest just came naturally. They had only one print of the CQ 'cheater' but it was available in three colors!! Then I moved on to the quilting cottons, and the fat quarters, and buttons, trim and laces, and notions! YES, it was a fun afternoon.

As I mentioned earlier, I won a couple yards of reproduction CQ fabric on eBay, too. As you can see, it's one more collection I've started. I'll try again to post the pictures - but will save first!!



This one is primarily purple, Hoffman.



This is the Daisy Kingdom, like the one pictured below in blue, but this one is in the bright colors.


This one isn't really what I consider crazy quilt, but thought it was interesting anyway! Fabric Traditions.


These are the same print, just different color ways I got from MaryJo's, "A Stitch in Time".








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Janet and I have been having a conversation about reproduction Crazy Quilt fabric that is sometimes called Cheater Cloth. She has shown the original on her blog if you would like to see where it started.

I happened to have a piece I won on eBay several years ago that I promised to photo for Janet. I have recently won a couple more, but haven't received them yet, so I'll update this when they arrive, but none are original's like hers!!

I have attempted to get a shot of each of the block sections. This is Daisy Kingdom, "Allover Crazy Patch."

Updates and Musing

Recently I have found myself with pinched nerves in my neck, which result in awful, terrible pain down my right arm. After several visits to the Chiropractor, my MD, and most recently to the Physical Therapist, there is relief in sight. I must continue with PT - they strap my head into a contraption and it pulls so that the discs separate to give the nerves space to become unpinched. I asked the nice young man (with lovely strong arms) if I could bring the machine home with me, to which he chuckled and said I'd have to come see him to use it. It is scheduled for three times next week - M/W/F, and we go from there. It is SO much better after only one treatment, I hope this may be enough.

Those of you reading this know I've been on a Crazy Quilt sabbatical recently doing more cross stitch. Not that I've gotten THAT much done, especially with this pain in the neck, but if you care to see what I've been doing you can pick up the link to my Needle in Hand blog on the left.

I've recently bought myself a serger. Now you know I've never even made a quilt, but I wanted one - at least to use for going around my blocks to keep them from unraveling. Then to use for hemming things since I'm a shortie and it costs at least $10 to $12 bucks to have a pair of pant done professionally, and there are tons of T's I'd love to wear, but they're too long and cling too much to the hips! So I got one. Won't you leave a comment and tell me what your favorite thing to do with your serger is.

Anyway, Susan asked the other day if I missed CQ yet, and I confessed, Yes I do and have been thinking of things I want to do. So today I decided to spend time with my CQ Friends to see what they've been up to, and as ever, I was delighted to see all the amazing work you have been up to.

Susan and Candi are now shop owners etsy. Go have a look at some of their lovlies! Allie has turned a plain denim shirt into a thing of beauty! Janet is "going crazy" through some sane quilts - with great precision and beauty. Gerry's Fritz has been having a great commune with his animal friends, and it's no wonder since his Mom has such a decorative hand on those seasonal blocks!! Ati made a thing of beauty from a baggie of s'trash'. No, these aren't all my CQ friends, but they're the ones who were in the blogroll review today!

If you're at all interested in the old advertisement/trade photo cards, please go look at BibliOdyssey! There are some great ones shown there today! I think so many of these would make fantastic central images for blocks.

This little post has taken most of the day to compose, so I'll be back again sooner than later to continue with the visit to friends! You've been missed.

CQ Retreat - Omaha, NE

February 26, 2008

As promised, here is the latest from the Omaha Crazy Quilt Retreat:

Hello guys and gals. This year's information on the Crazy Quilt Retreat being held in Omaha, Nebraska, July 11th - 13th, is now posted on the Crazy Quilt Society website. There are some great teachers and lots of great classes to choose from. If you are interested, go to www.crazyquilt.com and click on Retreat on the left side of the page.

I'll pass along any special information as Nancy Kirk lets me know about it. As you can see by the class listings, there are also two pre-retreat classes on Thursday July 10th (a beginner's crazy quilt class by Nancy Kirk and a Beginning Brazilian Embroidery class by Rita Goff). There are also two post-retreat classes being offered on July 14th (3 dimensional embellishments by Nancy Kirk and an advanced Brazilian Embroidery class by Rita Goff). Get your classes reserved early. Some of them will fill up very quickly!

I hope to see lots of you there this year! If you have any questions, please email me privately. My email address is below my name at the bottom of this page.

Mona from Minnesota where the temperatures have finally moderated!
cqbunch@charter.net

January 24, 2008

I have never been to this retreat, but have often wished that I had planned better in order to go. If you're interested in going this year, now the time to start planning! I am not affiliated with this conference, but feel the need to share information about it. The following is a message from Mona who has been for nine years and always provides lots of helpful information. Her contact information is included in the text, but you can also click on her name to email her.

The actual dates of the retreat are July 11 - 13, 2008, with pre-retreat classes on the 10th and post-retreat classes on the 14th. Nancy Kirk is working on getting the last of the teachers booked and is hoping to have more information posted on the website within the next couple of weeks. I can let you know that she has booked Cindy Brick and Martha Green as the two main teachers for this year. I'll let you know more as soon as I hear more from Nancy.

She has booked a block of rooms, so when you call the DoubleTree Suites Hotel to reserve your room, be sure to mention the Crazy Quilt Retreat or Crazy Quilt Society and ask to be added to their block. There are two DoubleTree's in Omaha, but one is downtown. The downtown one is NOT the hotel in which the retreat is being held. July 11th to 13th (the actual retreat dates) there will either be a hotel shuttle or Nancy will have a van and driver available from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. to pick you up at the airport and deliver you to the hotel. If you are flying into Omaha, try to get a flight that will get you there after 9:00 in the morning and before 9:00 at night. She's not sure if there will be any shuttle on the 10th or on the 14th, so be prepared to take a cab.

Show and Tell this year will be held Thursday evening during Chocolate and Chat. During past retreats, Show and Tell has taken place during the Silent Auction on Saturday. The past couple of years things have taken longer than planned, so it was decided instead to move Show and Tell to Thursday evening. That way the auctions should be done by 5:00 on Saturday afternoon and everyone will have a chance to go to dinner and still get back in time for the "make and take" classes.

I will be the "roommate" coordinator again this year. If you are in need of a roommate, email me privately at cqbunch@charter.net - put roommate request in your subject line. I will send you a short questionnaire that I ask everyone (like do you snore or do you smoke). I will match you up with someone as I get enough gals responding.

Because this is a "Suite Hotel" there are two double beds (or one king) in each bedroom and a sofa sleeper in the living room. There is a fairly good sized refrigerator in each kitchenette area, as well as a microwave and coffee pot. The past two years the hotel has been going through a major remodel and the extra vanity areas have been removed from the bedrooms. That used to give us an additional sink area to wash up, brush teeth, and put on makeup. We all let the hotel know last year that we didn't appreciate that they had removed the vanity. They now have a large mirror by the desk in the outer "living room". That will give someone an extra spot to "get ready" each morning. I've been to 9 retreats and have roomed with 3 to 5 gals each year. It's been a blast! Some gals prefer 2 to a room and some prefer 3. If you don't mind sleeping with someone else, you can double up in the bedrooms (which is what we do). As for getting ready in the mornings, some of us bathe or shower at night and that frees up the shower for those that prefer to shower in the morning instead.

When we get closer to the retreat, I'll send out a list of items that you may want to bring along. LouAnne Sassone put this list together after the first retreat. The last morning we were there, she went around and asked gals what they wished they had brought, what they brought that they wouldn't bring again, and what they were happy they brought. I'll be putting together more information as I receive it and am more than willing to answer questions. If I don't have the answer for you, I'll check with someone that can give you the answer.

Just 24 weeks and 1 day until we leave for Omaha!!

Mona Berning from freezing cold Minnesota
cqbunch@charter.net

Lover of Crafts

Wow! Am I ever surprised and humbled. Linda, of I Love Crafts & Craft Blogs has written an article about my blogs. If you'd like to read another craft lover's opinion of crafters' blogs, have a look at her site. When I looked, mine was first in the list.

Thank you so much, Linda. I hardly knew you were speaking of me!!

RAOK for Valentines' Day

Yesterday when I got home there was a package for me. I wasn't really surprised since I was waiting for something I had ordered. But I got closer and saw that it was from Gerry! She had already sent the Winter block she promised... Wonder what it was?

WELL - it was a box stuffed full of great goodies and stash! Inside the note said, "Just to let you know I'm thinking about you"! Wow, was she ever!

Look at all the pretties she sent! A case for crochet hooks, or whatever you'd like to store. A neat card to carry with quilt dimensions - I always have to write that down when I'm going shopping for such!



Pretty, colorful spring fabrics with ladybugs and coordinating fancies, beads, buttons (ladybugs, too), charms, and ribbon!



A Dolly Mama's cross stitch kit - she knows that's what I've been up to lately, and do have another one of these!



And the sweetest little Shoe Pin Cushion - along with a note that said, "Yes, I made it". Didn't she do a fabulous job?



Gerry, you are the sweetest, girlfriend! You certainly didn't need to do this, but then you already know that, don't you? I really appreciate your thoughtfulness. You are a dear heart!

Crazy Quilt Retreat in Texas!!

I saw the announcement of this plan for a CQ Retreat in Texas, so I asked for details and if I could share this info with others who may be interested. The QuiltedDiva said Yes, I could share if I didn’t publish her personal information. If you’re interested in contacting her, leave me a comment with your email address and I will provide her contact information to you privately.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CRAZY QUILT RETREAT
April 17, 18, 19, 20
Tomball, TX

Cost $185.00 plus $25 Food Fee Total 210.00
Total amount due no later than March 1, 2008

You may check in April 17 at noon
Check out is 3 pm April 20 at 3 p.m.
Web site for accommodations: www.quilterscabin.com

What you get:

• Uninterrupted time to CQ
• Meet other CQ folks
• Really comfortable sewing areas
• Accommodations for 3 nights
• Food (Breakfast on Friday, Saturday and Sunday) Lite meal on Friday, Saturday and Sunday-lunch) Drinks, coffee, tea, bottled water and fruit
• All linens provided MUST BRING YOUR OWN PILLOW
• Hairdryers in all bathrooms
• Soap, shampoo provided
  

Thursday meals are on your own
Feel free to bring snacks
Bring all your CQ supplies to work on your own projects
Possibility of outings on Friday and Saturday – participation not required
We will have some planned activities - these will be announced later. I am open to all ideas. Some things:

• mini classes if someone would volunteer to teach a technique to the group;
• white elephant swap;
• squishie exchange;
• field trips to Thread Art and a needlework shop;
• the local resale shops.
  

Yours truly will take the food money and go shopping and have the kitchen stocked with breakfast goodies, soups, cold cuts, fruit, and salad makings.

Would you like to be in charge of preparing one breakfast for the group? Please let me know and I will make sure the ingredients you require are on hand.

Do you make great crock pot soup? Let me know and I will get the ingredients and that can be our meal one day.

What I need from you:

Name
Address
Daytime phone
Night time phone
Emergency contact
Anything you would like to volunteer to teach or cook --- PLEASE!!!!
Activity ideas

YOUR CHECK MADE PAYABLE TO:

Leave a comment to tell me you’re interested and I’ll provide contact information privately…

Please keep in mind that I have planned corporate events – much easier than planning for 12 crazy quilters. I will do my best to make sure you have lots of time to work on what you want and interact with other quilters. I will not plan your entire weekend for you.

I am receptive to all ideas and suggestions. I am doing this because I want to spend time with other CQ folks, get inspired and have fun!!

If I have forgotten anything – feel free to tell me.

Thanks.

Deborah,
AKA QuiltedDiva

Conspiracy in Death *****

A friend from work loaned me a book, Conspiracy in Death by J. D. Robb (a pen name of Nora Roberts) that I've just finished reading. This is the first by either that I've read.

This is not the first in the series, 'in death' mysteries, but was enjoyable just the same. I will read others - possibly from the beginning to get the background.

Eve Dallas is a New York police lieutenant who uses her instincts to track ruthless killers. Her husband, Roarke, an Irish billionaire, assists in the investigation along with her assistant and others from the force. In this episode, Eve investigates the sidewalk murders of homeless people by a killer collecting human organs.

Are you thinking reading is keeping me from stitching? Naaahh - that's not the case at all. It just seems I can't go to sleep unless I read a few pages to relax.

Winter Season Swap

On the CQ for Newbies yahoo group, I was a part of the Season to Season Swap. As fate would have it, my Winter block went missing. I decided not to make another one to replace it, so Gerry, the hostess, made one for me. I asked her not to - it wasn't her fault and she made every effort she could to get it back. But she wouldn't hear of it! So, she made the block and embellished it, and WOW is it ever beautiful!! Thank you so much, Gerry! You truly are "The Hostess with the Mostess."

Wizard and Glass - The Dark Tower IV *****

First Line: ASK ME A RIDDLE,' Blaine invited.

About the Book
Wizard and Glass, the fourth episode in Stephen King's Dark Tower series, is a Western love story. It begins with world-weary Roland, and his world-hopping posse (an ex-junkie, a child, a plucky woman in a wheelchair, and a talking dog-like pet named Oy the Bumbler) trapped aboard a runaway train. The train is a psychotic multiple personality that intends to commit suicide with them at 800 m.p.h.--unless Roland and pals can outwit it in a riddling contest.It's a great race, for the mind and pulse. Movies should be this good. Then comes a 567-page flashback about Roland at age 14. Roland and two teen homies must rescue his first love from the dirty old drooling mayor of a cowboy town, thwart a civil war by blowing up oil tanks, and seize an all-seeing crystal ball from Rhea, a vampire witch. The love scenes are startlingly prominent and earthier than most romance novels (they kiss until blood trickles from her lip).After an epic battle ending in a box canyon to end all box canyons, we're back with grizzled, grown-up Roland and the train-wreck survivors in a parallel world: Kansas in 1986, after a plague. The finale is a weird fantasy takeoff on The Wizard of Oz. It is a long read, almost 800 pages -- but few will deny it's a page-turner. It was GREAT!!

Excerpted from Stephen King Shopping.

Looking for me??

If you're wondering where I've been lately, come over to my Needle in Hand blog to see what I've been up to.