Have Passport, Will Travel

In January, I reached "Platinum Elite" in my Frequent Flyer Program which just goes to prove that I have spent way too much time in the air this year and not enough time posting to my blog. Some travel for business, some for sad occasion like funerals, and some for pure pleasure. I can't say it's been a dull year. Our most recent trip was a months vacation to Hawaii, New Zealand, and Fiji. All are so beautiful!!! In New Zealand, we rented a camper van which is definitely the way to get to all those great hiking locations. The weather was fantastic! We hiked every day but one. Thank goodness it rained one day so we could catch up on laundry and do some reading (which is my absolute second favorite hobby after quilting!).
Our hikes in New Zealand took us along the shore, through the forests, and up and down lots of hills and small mountains. No matter which direction you looked the view was breathtaking! And what a fun way to spend time with family. My son Zachary and his girlfriend Stacy joined us for the trip.
One thing to remember when you are a group in a camper van with luggage - don't everyone all get up at once in the morning!

On the Trail In New Zealand

Even on the hiking trail a five minute break is a great reading opportunity. I always carry a book in my pack! A couple good reads that I would recommend are "Skeletons at the Feast" by Chris Bohjalian, "Sacred Hearts" by Sarah Dunant, and "The Weight of Silence" by Heather Gudenkauf.

They say New Zealand has more sheep than people and I do believe they are right. We saw lots of these guys!

The Beauty of Fiji

Though Fiji is one of the most beautiful places on earth, it's the warmth of the people which always brings you back to Fiji. When they give you a welcoming "Bula" they mean it.

It's lovely to see that the children of Fiji carry on the island traditions and heritage through dance and stories.

Catch the Color

Are you washing your quilt fabric before you use it? I hope so. This little quilt is made from the paper color catchers that I place in my washing machine when I wash my fabric. It is amazing how much color is absorbed from the fabric! Even if you don't plan to wash a quilt you have made, if you give the quilt as a gift, the new owner may.

It's always best to pre-wash and dry your fabrics. Sometimes fabrics act differently under the same washing conditions. If one fabric is going to shrink a lot and one is not, you would rather have them do that before they are sewn into your quilt to prevent lumps, bumps, and other unsightly mistakes such as bleeding color all over your finished project!

Better safe than sorry!

Everything's Blooming

Just two simple blocks compose the quilt center ! A fusible applique border of windswept blooms provides a fun finish!

Find the pattern to "Everything's Blooming" in the October 2009 issue of Better Homes and Gardens American Patchwork and Quilting.

Enjoy!

From Heart to Hand

I think our hands are our most expressive feature. When I meet elderly people, I love to look at their hands and think of all the work they have done, the things they have created, the places they have travelled, the lives they have touched, the things they have held and loved and the things they have held and lost. Some are beautiful and smooth, others work worn and rough. Oh the stories they could tell....

My Mom, sisters and I recently spent the day together, along with my sister's daughter Hannah. Even though we are all related, we were saying how different our hands looked and how you could tell our ages by our hands. We decided it would be really neat to have a photo of our hands...3 generations. It became our day's project. After breakfast and coffee we took our photo and all trooped to the photo booth to develop our photo, with copies for each of us. From there to the frame shop to find each of us a frame that suited our tastes and decor and then home to polish our frames and mount our pictures. It was such a fun day, filled with much laughter and lots of ribbing that only sisters and mothers can share. It is a photo we will all cherish.

Clockwise from top right:

Rogene Franklin Freed: 83, wife, mother of 6 children, gardener, and home builder
Cynthia Freed Tomaszewski: 55, wife, mother of 1 son, quilter, sailor, and world traveller
Beth Ann Freed Thomas: 50, wife, fashion coordinator, office manager, and gardener
Amy Freed Cooper: 49, wife, mother of 3 children, legal secretary, baker, and voracious reader
Hannah Cooper: 17, student, baseball player, volleyball player, and a lover of all sports.

Working with Wool

Sometimes we need to reach out of our comfort zone!

When Better Homes and Gardens American Patchwork and Quilting brought together 25 designers for 3 days of fun in Iowa, we played games, bonded as friends, and challenged ourselves to work with new materials that we had never used before. Though applique is my passion, I had never thought to work with wool!!?!??! What fun! New Accucut stencil machines cut the wool templates fast. I just needed to display them in a pleasing manner. Using 3 strands of a 6 strand embroidery floss in complementary colors, I sewed them in position. Little star buttons add to my composition called "Sweet Dreams", a delightful table runner for a childs room.

Now "wool" calls to me (especially the yummy hand-dyed stuff) and who should I be lucky to meet when I was at International Quilt Market but the lovely ladies Gail and Lisa of the WoolyLady. They share my love of applique and have done some fantastic, show stopping designs in wool. They shared some of their patterns with me and their penny rug pattern "Brown Eyed Susans" I thought would look delightful as chair pads for a Mother's Day gift for my Mom (in her colors of course!). She loved them!

Rather than using freezer paper to cut out the templates, as suggested in the pattern, I used a very light weight fusible which made it easy to cut out the designs and hold them in position while I did my decorative stitches. I find it less messy than using an adhesive spray or glue stick and if you use a very light weight fusible it will not make your project stiff. Which ever method you choose to use, you will love working with wool. It has such a lovely feel. I can see now that I need a stash of wool for my wooly dreams and creations!

Be sure to stop by and visit the Woolylady's at www.woolylady.com and see their delightful designs. Be sure to tell them I said "Hi".