Sunbonnet Sue and women

  Twenty reason why it's wonderful to be a woman! 1. When a ship sinks, women (and children) get off first. 2. A woman can hug her best friend without worrying she'll think she's gay. 3. Women can talk to attractive members of the opposite sex without having to picture them naked. 4. A woman can never be blamed if it's wet on the floor around the toilet bowl. 5. If a woman cheats on her spouse everyone will assume it's because she was being emotionally neglected. 6. Women are capable of doing at least two different things to a passable standard at the same time. 7. Women live longer than men. 8. Women know how to cover up spots and other facial blemishes. 9. If a woman inexplicably disappears for two weeks, one of her friends will notice. 10. Women mature earlier than men (some men never mature at all). 11. There are times when chocolate is really the answer to all woman's problems. 12. Women don't feel uncomfortable with gay waiters or hairdressers. 13. A woman can fully assess a person just by looking at their shoes. 14. Women know the truth about whether size matters... 15. A woman can take a drive without trying to beat her best time. 16. If a woman forgets to shave, no-one has to know. 17. Women are capable of going longer than five minutes without thinking about either sex or football. 18. Women never lust after a cartoon character or the central figure in a computer game. 19. Women can be groupies. Male groupies are stalkers. 20. Women can cry and get off a speeding ticket.

Huckleberry's

Took a drive in mountains this week and spotted a nice hill of huckleberries. We climbed a small hill to get to berries, you notice I said small hill. Getting up hill was fun but coming back down nature seemed to want to pull you over head first and roll you down the hill. Mosquitoes were not a problem as long as we were in deep woods but coming out to where the sun was shining they suddenly appeared out of no-where. Some as big as a horse. We probably picked about 5 cups enough to make muffins this winter. Huckleberries only grow above 3500 feet and are the size of a pea. Berries can either be tart are sweet. When a patch is found it is kept secret as where you found them. Probably one of the best kept secrets in the USA. And never ask anyone where they found their berries. I have heard that the going rate is $50.00 a pound. Sounds like a lot of money but more work than I would want to put into picking berries. I am not selling mine but keeping for family. I did share a few with friends who want to make syrup to put over ice cream. Huckleberries only grow above 3500 feet and are the size of a pea. Berries can either be tart are sweet. When a patch is found it is kept secret as where one found them. Probably the best kept secret in the USA. The secret life of a huckleberry is interesting and to much to write about here. Picture shows what bushes look like and berries hiding under the leaves.

Trip to Merrill Falls

My daughter, her family, my son , husband and I went to Merrill Falls in Seeley Lake, Montana for a fourth of July outing. We passed fields of beautiful bear grass blooming. Yes, bear grass is ate by bears and this part of Montana has grizzly bears. Lucky for us we did not meet nor see any. My son-in-law carried his pepper spray. We kidded him that if he had to use it would he have it pointed toward the bear are spray himself!

We finally made it to the falls after two hours of walking. Falls are beautiful and well worth the walk. Sun was over head so could not get a good photo of falls. There was a dipper that kept flying down in the water and then back up on the bank of falls. Falls are 100 feet tall and water cascades off rocks. There is moss growing on rocks that adds to its beauty. We passed two lakes on the way in and there were lots of ducks swimming around on them.

The only blight was someone forgot their empty water bottles. If you can carry a full water bottle in you can surely carry an empty water bottle back out. Please don't pollute!

If you want a beautiful place to hike and bird watch.

Simple gift bag Pattern

I belong to two quilt bee’s and one group is taking off for the summer. We are going to have our last get together next week with a covered dish dinner. Yum!

I decided to make small gifts to take to each of the girls. These are very easy to make.

1. I used three different fabrics for each bag and cut them 8 ½“ x 8 ½” ( 21.6 x 21.6 centimeters ).

2. I used a rotary cutter with a pinking blade. You can use a straight edge if you do not have a pinking blade.

3. Fold fabric into thirds and then fold again once long ways. This makes a little pocket to put a treasure in.

4. I tied four colorful buttons together and put in bag.

5 Tie bag closed with ribbon are yarn. Everything can be used by a quilter.

White pelicans all in a row

Trying to get back to my blog site. Seems like each day something comes up that takes up my time. I took these pictures at the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge.

The first picture is 15 white pelicans, of what I could count. They would swim alone in a straight line and then stop. Gather around in a circle and flush out small fish. Scoop these up in there bills and then swim off again. I have never seen pelicans do this display before.

I was hoping pelicans would swim closer to my side of pond so I could get better pictures of them.

Lavender

Just listed a beautiful lavender sachet on my Artfire site. Use these sachets to hang from door knob, place in box with shoes and your personal drawer. O' the aroma of lavender fills the senses with wonder. Did you know there is a song that is dated from the seventeenth century about lavender! Song is called Lavender Blue. This is a few verses of the song listed on Wikipedia. Song has been sung by many famous artist. "Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavenders' green, when I am king , dilly, dilly, you shall be queen". Even royalty like to use lavender. Queen Victoria used lavender as a deodorant. Louis XIV bath in water scented with lavender. Charles VI used lavender filled pillows. Remember Yardley perfumes?

Quilt Qua site

Several months ago I was sent an email asking permission to put my blog on Quilt Qua from Connie Colten. I had never heard of site so out of curiosity I looked on web and was very impressed. Of course I gave permission to have my site lsited and feel very honored. Connie has almost everything a quilter is looking for. Saves lots of time having to search on the web site. Connie not only has quilt shops listed but blog sites from some of the best quilters known. Blogs from everyday folks like me. Isn't it fun to read blogs and see what others are making. Connie also has a Show and Tell. I love seeing what other quilters are making. Be sure and check out this wonderful site. http://www.quiltqua.com/

Nine Patch Quilt with flowers

This quilt is totally sewn by hand and hand quilted. Fabric flowers are scatterd over quilts. I wanted to get a feel of how our ancestry's sewed quilts. This is the second quilt I sewed by hand and have to say I really enjoy sewing this way. It is time consuming and slow. Since this is becoming a lost art I get pleasure making quilts this way. Quilt is 42" x 42". Yes, I still make quilts on my sewing machine. This quilt has been sold.

My cat and flowers

Last week was my birthday. Don’t ask how old I am and I will tell you no lies? My daughter took her dad and I out to lunch and gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. My cat loves real flowers, he smells them, he taste them and sometimes even eats them. As I was putting flowers in a vase he kept trying to see them. I finally put vase on floor so he could get a closer look and snapped this pictures.

The girls from my quilt group gave me a surprise birthday party also. Chocolate cake and punch. I was totally surprised.

Lemonade Recipe

I love lemonade and can drink it anytime of day, winter and summer. Here is the recipe that I use. I like mine a little weaker than recipe calls for so I add at least ½ cup more water. I buy several lemons at the time and let them ripen good for at least a week setting out on my counter. I use a spoon and pull as much pulp from lemon after I squeeze lemons. You will be surprised at how much lemon juice is still in lemons. ************************************************************************************ 2 Large lemons. 1 Cup sugar. 4 Cups water. Cut lemons in half and squeeze juice from. Add sugar and water to container and stir until sugar is dissolved. The quilt top I used for background is one that I am sewing by hand. I have the top made and now need to put the border on and then quilt. It is a simple nine patch but will have flowers appliquéd on.

Fabric post cards

It has been some time since I made post cards. I was looking at pictures that I had printed on fabric and decided to make a few new ones. One of my nieces had two little love birds and this reminds me of them. They was so cute and the female kept laying eggs but non of them ever hatched. For all the girls that love horses. These are for sell on my artfire site.

Butterfly

I'VE watched you now a full half-hour; Self-poised upon that yellow flower And, little Butterfly! indeed I know not if you sleep or feed. How motionless!--not frozen seas. More motionless! and then What joy awaits you, when the breeze Hath found you out among the trees,And calls you forth again! William Wordsworth, “To a Butterfly”

Legend of the butterfly; which have no voices-when released , they rise to heaven and whisper our wishes to God.

Cat pillow

This is one of my favorite vintage pictures of a cat. I have used picture on several different items that I have made in the past. I made this small pillow last year. I had forgot about pillow and had it stored in a cabinet alone with several quilts and other pillows. I have made several larger quilts using the elk design. I decided to make a smaller version of quilt. Nice Northwest design. fit right in.

moose pillow

One of my favorite animal themes to use is the moose. I have made quilts, aceo's, pillows and many other items with the moose.

I have seen only three wild moose in the wilds. One day a moose crossed in front of our car to the other side of road. After she got to other side she stopped and looked back. Out of the tall weeds came this cute as a button baby moose. Of course no one had a camera with them so only have memory 's of mama moose and her baby.

Pillow is listed on my Artfire site.

Making pillowcases

Several months ago we had a class on making pillowcases at my quilt group. Maybe they will teach how to make sheets for my bed next.

I have been making new pillow cases for my family. They are a lot of fun to make with all the beautiful fabrics that you can buy now. I put two pillow cases on my Artfire site and will list more later.

New lavender sachet

Two new lavender sachets on my Artfire site.

Getting accident prone!

In the past two weeks I have had more accidents. I usually am not accident prone but now I am wondering. First I was walking down my front steps and stepped wrong and twisted my ankle. So hobbled around for a week. Second I was putting my cat on my bed and his back claws scratched my arm. A few days later I was helping my cat get in the window and his back claws scratched my arm again. Now I have two lovely scratches side by side on my arm. Two days ago I was picking up a heavy box and it tipped and made a big cut on my arm. Today I was cutting fabric for a quilt and my rotary cutting slipped and almost cut off finger tip. Luckily I did not have to go to doctor. I bought one of the handle thingies that you put on your rulers when you are cutting fabric and forget to use it. After today I will use it, no more cut fingers. Here is a picture of my cat, he does not like his picture took. He is setting on his blanket getting ready to take a nap. He looks mad but is very sweet. Going to make oatmeal cookies. Hope I don’t burn my hand off.

Frog doll quilt

I like to make children's and doll quilts. I make a few doll quilts to put on my Artfire site and others for gifts. I have been going through my fabrics and pulling out fabrics that I had left over from children's quilts that I made. I am sewing these up into small quilts and doll quilts. Small quilts can also be used in middle of table. If you collect frogs this would be a great addition to your collection.

Decorating wood and cigar boxes

I was given three wood boxes of different sizes. One held cigars, one held peanuts and the other a mystery.

I decorated two of them. I painted both boxes acrylic paints inside and out side. On the pink box I used vintage pictures printed on papers with flowers, and butterfly’s. I made book marks for the inside.

The blue box I decorated with oriental pictures on all four sides of box. I made bookmarks, cards and found objects to place inside.

I have not decorated the cigar box yet and probably decorate with different wild animal pictures. I will do a demo on a later Blog how to decorate a box.

Pictures and quilts

About 25 + years ago I made my first quilt. Over the years I have made a lot of quilts. After quilts started to pile up with no place to keep them, I started to sell at a local quilt shop and a gallery that sold only hand made items. I also gave my family quilts over the years. Baby, lap and queen quilts. Many I have forgot what they looked like. When I started to make quilts I did not take many pictures of the ones that I made.

With the older cameras I had to take my roll of film to a store where they sent your film off. After impatiently waiting for a week my pictures finally came back. Such disappointment, most of my pictures where either to light, blurred or to dark.

I remember one time trying to submit some of my wood craft designs to a magazine, I took about 12 rolls of film before I finally got one picture right to send in.

When I discovered the digital camera I thought I was in heaven. I bought a cheap inexpensive one at first to see how I would like it. O, yes! I liked. I could take all the pictures I wanted and print them out on my computer. If I don’t like the way my pictures look I just take more. No more wasted rolls of film and having to wait to see what my pictures look like. I am still learning to take decent pictures but I am getting better. Now just need to learn to take good pictures of my quilts.

Mounting small quilts on foam board

I like to mount a few of my smaller quilts on foam board. I like the looks that it gives to them. Here are directions of how I do it. Very easy to do.

Supplies : Your quilt Foam board: these come in all different colors Sharp tool, I use an ice pick Thread. I used cotton Needle Paper. 2 sheets Glue stick Large rotary cutter. Ruler Acrylic paint. Optional. Paint brush

I had black and white foam but did not like the looks of either with my quilt. I used the white foam and decided to cover it with paper the color I wanted. Using your ruler and rotary blade cut your foam board to the size that you want behind your quilt. I left 1” on each side of quilt. I have a large box of assorted papers for using in mixed media collage. I picked a brown that I thought looked good behind my quilt. Tear your paper into strips and start gluing on foam board. Use a roller are your hand to make sure you get all the air bubbles out from underneath papers.

Did you know that if you tear paper up you will have a white edge and if you tear paper down no white edge. I like the white edge look.

This is how my board looked before I trimmed the papers even to board using my rotary cutter and ruler.

I also used paint to give edges of foam an antique look. I painted edges of foam board with paint, use a thin brush. You may get a little paint on back of board but that is ok.

This is the tricky part. Lay quilt on foam board and mark for holes. Do this for each corner of quilt at top. I also like to stitch the bottom of quilt in middle. Use your ice pick are sharp tool to punch two holes in board. I then take a threaded needle and starting from back of foam board come through one of the holes to front and stitch quilt. Take needle to the back and tie off. I put my quilt a little off to the side of my foam board as I liked it that way. My finished quilt. Ready to be hung on wall. These can also be framed.

What is your fairy name

This is a fun site. I love to collect fairy's and use them in my fabric art.

I decided to see what my fairy name is. You can also get your fairy name. Click on the site below.

My fairy is called Field Elffly. She is a cheerful sprite. She lives in fields where wild flowers and poppies grow. She is only seen at midday under a quiet, cloudless sky. She likes to wear red petals in her skirt. She has delicate green wings like a cicada.

http://www.emmadavies.net/fairy/default.aspx