READY, SET, GO

Well, I have lots of fabric in my stash. Problem is, when I'm ready to use a piece I am never sure which pieces are preshrunk and ready to go. So I've been spending the last few days doing just that, then ironing and trying (Trying--that's a key word here!) to sort by color and stack in my cupboard. For example, just where does this go?

I guess if you divide by cool and warm colors, it would be a cool.

But if I sort by warm and cool colors, where on earth does this one go?


So, I just kind of tried the old Roy G. Biv trick, but that top one still puzzles me (as do many other mixed color fabrics), so it's just sitting on top of the whole pile (on the right) all by itself.


That big piece of brown and white fabric in the left stack will be the backing of the quilt I someday make with the fabric I bought in Soho at Purl Patchwork when I was in New York.
Here's the grouping. I'm glad daughter, Anna Maria, was with me; I had chosen several of the fabrics, but her genetic + trained eye picked out a couple that I would have overlooked, but really love.


OK, so she's got a trained eye, but what's with her liking of the messy edges after the unfinished fabrics have been in the dryer. I HATE those things. Takes almost as long to cut them off as it does to iron the whole yard of fabric!


And speaking of getting ready to "GO", I'm going to be starting my friendship quilt in a few days. The bottom left fabric is the "focus" fabric that was sent to about 24 e-friends. We each made a square for one another and mailed them (after signing our square). I have some extra focus fabric--bottom left (Thank you Janet F!) that I will use for sashing and that other whole piece of fabric from Anna Maria's Bohemian line, I think I will use for the backing. A quilt shop here in town has carried that line and is having a sale on Saturday. If you find a bolt of fabric with 5 yards or less, you can buy the whole bolt at 40% off. So hoping I can find just the right amount.


OK, gotta go check my cupboard again and see if I need to move some fabric into a different order!

WONDERFUL WEEK

I guess it's about time to catch up with all my blog friends and let you know about my "week off." The week in NY with my son and his family was wonderful. Oh, what a joy when the youngest grandchild (now 2) recognized me, called out to his "Nani" and came running up to me at the airport. The timing was perfect for me to see the 7 year old's school program that evening and to attend her end of school family picnic on Friday.
My main reason for being there was to help with child care while my son was spending extra time away from home to coordinate a conference that he and a fellow professor at Fordham University had organized. I attended the key note address of the conference, and (as a Greek Orthodox Christian) was humbly honored to witness the ceremony of Archbishop Dimitrios (primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in America) receiving an honorary doctorate degree from the university. What I didn't realize before attending was that my son would actually be emceeing the ceremony. My daughter-in-law and I were even invited to the VIP dinner which followed. What a memorable evening.

OK, so I'm proud of my son, but I've got to take my hat off to my daughter-in-law as well. In addition to her full time job (that often entails many extra hours of work at home), she has taught herself to sew in the last few years. (See I am getting to the "sewing stuff", after all.) She had never sewn (although she had done some beautiful needlepoint), but almost every window in their home now has drapes or window treatments that she has made. To my e-friend AMINA, you might recognize the fabric (although yours is green). The framed artwork is simply the animal pattern in the prints that she photocopied, enlarged, and framed.



She had never cut out a garment pattern, and with just a little moral support from me, managed to make her first garment on Saturday while I was there. (Using her sister-in-law's fabric, of course.)


Anna Maria had left her a couple (Bohemian) pillows from her trade show last year that she has used in her other daughter's room (the two bright ones behind the sham).

Even though she may not have thought so, this young lady has quite a knack for color and artistry herself! So I guess I can say I have 3 daughters who are artsits!

Now I just need to decide which new project I should begin--besides, of course, the knitting WIPs. (See, I got the knitting in there, too!)

BUSY WEEK

Oops, nothing new this week. I will be at my sons helping with child care while his wife is busy at work and he is busy with the organization of a major conference. Great chance for me to spend time with the farthest away grandchildren. YIPPEE!!!! Just don't get to do that very often.

I will have my knitting with me though and should be able to get quite a bit done while the youngsters are at school.

See you next week.

INTERNET FRIENDS

Who would have ever believed a couple years ago that this "electronically challenged" grandmother would ever come in to the world of internet friendships and blogging. Well, I've come a long way, Baby! Both are very much a part of my everyday life, now. And when I'm away from my computer (as I will be next week--boo hoo), I really miss it!

And these friendships are more than just emotional ties. Because of the ingenuity of some of these wonderful ladies, there are also concrete items with which to identify the ties.

The first I became a part of was a group from my the "knitwits" thread on a Weight Watchers message board. One of the women there suggested that we (as a group) knit prayer shawls for people in need. The first few went to a women's shelter and then there were several members who had friends who we thought could use a little pick-me-up. Thus, the "sisterhood of the traveling shawl" was born!

One person gets the yarn and starts knitting (a very easy pattern), knits about 4 or 5 inches and mails it on to the next person who also knits a few inches. There are enough women knitting to make a nice size shawl (usually around 60 inches). There is a card enclosed for the recipient which each knitter signs with first name and city of residence. The recipient then knows that prayers were said for her/him by each knitter. The pictured shawl is probably winging its way somewhere between Tennessee and Virginia right now as I mailed it yesterday to the next knitter in line. This one is going to a friend of one of the members.

This knitting group has also done exchanges: scarves and dishcloths this year. I have enough trouble keeping up with my grandchildren's sweaters to have that much knitting time, but I think that I just might have to join in on the next of their exchanges as well!

I also have had the honor of cyber-meeting a lot of wonderful quilters (also on a Weight Watchers message board). These ladies have encouraged me in my growth from a very rudimentary to a somewhat more adventurous quilter. I got brave and decided to join their "friendship star block exchange". Each participant makes a block for each member of the group, using a "focus fabric" somewhere in the block. Each block is signed by the quilter, including city of residence. (This was the first I ever did anything but squares!) This exchange began back in the fall and is winding down this month. I have received almost all of the squares. I will add a few more of my own using the focus fabric (seen to the right of the squares).


I have even decided what I am doing with it. I am going to make a "lap size" quilt and place it on the love seat that is in a little sitting room where I have my morning devotional time. What better place to have this reminder of the wonderful new friends--friends who remember one another in prayer.