tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27357021825932173122024-03-13T15:09:05.171-05:00Fran's Felicities"Things that bring me great happiness"Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-66486720433079418072015-03-28T22:56:00.002-05:002015-03-28T22:56:41.183-05:00Duluth RetreatNine of my quilting friends headed for Duluth last Sunday and stayed at a rented home called the Hawthorne Manor. It was built in 1914 and had quite the personality! <br />
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Sunrise from my bedroom window. </div>
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My bedroom for the retreat - sleeping single in a double bed!</div>
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I loved the old bathroom look, it was slightly updated. </div>
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Linen closets at the top of the stairs - beautiful woodwork.</div>
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The staircase was solid wood so I enjoyed the climb to bed!<br />
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We enjoyed the home and all its wonders. The kitchen was completely remodeled, so it was a great place to cook and serve food. Not much time was spent in the kitchen because each of us only had one meal to prepare with clean up afterwards. <br />
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Of course that meant a lot of time for sewing! I did accomplish much, but there were others who completed more, and of course others who didn't complete as much. We all sew, and visit, at our own pace!!<br />
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Here are some of my accomplishments ---<br />
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Blocks sewn for "Pinwheels Gone Wild"</div>
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Borders put on Tinkerbelle quilt</div>
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Close-up of Tinkerbelle fabric. </div>
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Blocks sewn for "Sweet Tea" quilt</div>
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Not all my sewing was quilts... here are a couple new dish towels that I spiffed up with fun fabric and prairie points!</div>
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This was just too much fun. We laughed, ate, visited three quilt shops, and worked on projects as long as we wanted. We all agreed this needs to be an annual event, so we are already talking about next year and increasing the number of days. I sure do look forward to it!!</div>
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Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-57858201886421710662014-12-07T16:05:00.001-06:002014-12-07T16:05:09.903-06:00Placemats<span style="font-size: large;">Had a little sewing time Friday & Saturday so I finished up these two sets of place mats. Aren't they adorable?! I love the cocoa and candy cane fabric. I'm thinking about giving these as gifts this week, so they won't be in my house for long!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-45969788747334922252014-11-15T23:01:00.001-06:002014-11-15T23:01:14.587-06:00Snow DayThe first snow day of winter 2014 hit last Monday. I was planning to go with my friends and sew in Elk River, but the weather changed our plans. I was still able to sew, but by myself at home. Accomplished a lot and finished two projects.<br />
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First was this cute table runner of Santa hats and candy canes.<br />
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Then I completed this quilt top using a pattern called "Busy Bee". It went together really fast and was a lot of fun.<br />
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I'm glad to be able to cross these two off my to-do list!<br />
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And of course I'm still working on this cute daisy quilt. Everything grows and grows! I love watching this grow as each circular row is added. Should be ready to "plant" on someone's bed this spring!!<br />
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I'm hoping for another snow day so I have an excuse to stay home, be safe, and sew!!<br />
Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-62990380456411984682014-10-14T14:17:00.000-05:002014-10-14T14:17:02.269-05:00Sewing with FriendsToday was my monthly sewing day at The Noble Quilter in Elk River. After breakfast at Perkins, and a quick shopping spree at JoAnn's Fabric, we were ready to sew. I added some more hexies to the Daisy quilt. Isn't it growing nicely?!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And sew it grows!!</td></tr>
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Then I sewed the rest of the day making this bag. I think it will make a great beach bag for Florida!<br />
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All and all, it was a wonderful day full of laughter, friends, food, and sewing!Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-28331241921501210952014-10-04T23:37:00.001-05:002014-10-04T23:37:17.277-05:00Shelby Grace BatorTwo posts in one day?! Actually this was sitting in my draft box. I saw it when I posted my other post today about the towels. Oh well, better late than never...<br />
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Our newest family member arrived early Wednesday morning, September 24th. She is beautiful and looks like she will be very active! Weighing in at 6 lbs 2 ounces, she will have to bulk up before taking on her older brother & sister. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the big pink bow on her hat. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ethan admires her already!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DqTOtFHHWWM/VDDIhGK4KbI/AAAAAAAAA58/70RYRtLMocg/s1600/Shelby%2Band%2Bgrandpa%2BJohn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DqTOtFHHWWM/VDDIhGK4KbI/AAAAAAAAA58/70RYRtLMocg/s1600/Shelby%2Band%2Bgrandpa%2BJohn.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandpa is loving this little bundle. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the day she went home... eyes wide open to check out her new home!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3DCIL5xXm60/VDDI6rZEL5I/AAAAAAAAA6k/p3SkuBbqOaA/s1600/Shelby's%2Blong%2Bfingers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3DCIL5xXm60/VDDI6rZEL5I/AAAAAAAAA6k/p3SkuBbqOaA/s1600/Shelby's%2Blong%2Bfingers.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Showing off her long fingers. Or is that her Kung Fu move? She may need that someday!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ethan and Capri welcomed her home with lots of attention. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet little toes. I wonder where she will go?!</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_1628575256"></span><span id="goog_1628575257"><br /></span>Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-40876948399163237732014-10-04T23:14:00.000-05:002014-10-04T23:14:14.709-05:00CraftyI was feeling crafty again and needed some new kitchen towels. Not just wanting plain towels, I saw some cute patterns and decided it wouldn't take too long to whip up a few. Sure enough a few hours later and I was smiling!!<br />
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I understand witches in the kitchen are good luck! Time will tell. </div>
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Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-67612019154926433922014-09-27T11:23:00.003-05:002014-09-27T11:23:24.660-05:00Backpack<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A little late night sewing produced this finished project! Sammie has been waiting for this since the first week of August... she will be excited!! I hope she likes it. Black and white were her color choices. This would be cute in just about any color.</span> <br />
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Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-64966214788754578842014-09-01T23:20:00.002-05:002014-09-01T23:20:59.306-05:00It's Been Crazy Around HereYes, it's been a long time. I haven't been too productive this summer for good reason. My dear mother passed away in May, another dear friend in June, and then most recently the passing of my nephew Bill in August. This has been a very difficult summer and I'm still feeling a little punk. I'm trying very hard to push through it all, and I think it's working. Each day becomes a bit better. <br />
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Quilting remains my sanity enhancer, but lately there has been little time to sew. I did do some Quilt Shop Hops with friends and that was great fun. Now I have even more projects to complete! <br />
These fabrics were purchased on one of the shop hops.....<br />
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.... and will become this backpack with ruffles. So far it is all cut out and ready to sew! Samantha is waiting patiently!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TX0nZd_G1Cc/VAVCqoB3BRI/AAAAAAAAA2k/3aOWdwZzFiw/s1600/Sewing%2BAug%2B2014%2B019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TX0nZd_G1Cc/VAVCqoB3BRI/AAAAAAAAA2k/3aOWdwZzFiw/s1600/Sewing%2BAug%2B2014%2B019.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here are a few updates on what I have accomplished....<br />
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Remember these cute daisies? They are sloooooowwwwwly becoming a quilt. I'm really liking these hexies, but they take extra time to sew (because I'm a perfectionist)! I can only sew a few of these at a time and then I need to take a break. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8fB4cAPmSI/VAVCfUIXOgI/AAAAAAAAA2M/aqxoaP2Nufg/s1600/Sewing%2BAug%2B2014%2B017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-p8fB4cAPmSI/VAVCfUIXOgI/AAAAAAAAA2M/aqxoaP2Nufg/s1600/Sewing%2BAug%2B2014%2B017.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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The following child's quilt was completed from leftover scraps from another quilt. I gave the first quilt to my school teacher daughter, Tawnya. This one will go to some lucky little child!<br />
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And then one night some Relief Society sisters came to my home and I taught them how to make a quilt block. We then made a potholder out of each one. They turned out really cute and the ladies had a fun time learning some basics about quilt cutting and sewing (all the while eating roll-ups, veggies, chocolate, and cheesecake)!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5mUzSuvdR9E/VAVCNJhNIiI/AAAAAAAAA10/dQtedikGIgI/s1600/Potholder%2BKathleen%2B%26%2BKarrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5mUzSuvdR9E/VAVCNJhNIiI/AAAAAAAAA10/dQtedikGIgI/s1600/Potholder%2BKathleen%2B%26%2BKarrine.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lFblqUiBEso/VAVCKpLlv1I/AAAAAAAAA1s/qBgsvyYgATI/s1600/Potholder%2BKitty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lFblqUiBEso/VAVCKpLlv1I/AAAAAAAAA1s/qBgsvyYgATI/s1600/Potholder%2BKitty.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-87e0vjR12Vk/VAVCJvVna8I/AAAAAAAAA1k/SKPoV06wkZU/s1600/Potholder%2BLynn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-87e0vjR12Vk/VAVCJvVna8I/AAAAAAAAA1k/SKPoV06wkZU/s1600/Potholder%2BLynn.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HvQSA7Sm9kk/VAVCbIdi9dI/AAAAAAAAA2E/2BNvBvLGePM/s1600/potholder%2BSandy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HvQSA7Sm9kk/VAVCbIdi9dI/AAAAAAAAA2E/2BNvBvLGePM/s1600/potholder%2BSandy.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vuNnZoqZmMM/VAVCQVJDOiI/AAAAAAAAA18/B3fZ_30Xh9g/s1600/Potholder%2BSusan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vuNnZoqZmMM/VAVCQVJDOiI/AAAAAAAAA18/B3fZ_30Xh9g/s1600/Potholder%2BSusan.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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That is all the news for now. Hopefully my next post will have some serious completed projects to share with you!!<br />
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<br />Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-57985324346836751402014-04-09T13:52:00.001-05:002014-04-09T13:52:41.832-05:00He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've been working on the cutest quilt this past winter. The fabrics are so cheerful - just what was needed to get me through the longest MN winter in history! It is very detailed and time consuming, but the end result will be delicious!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So 138 of these cute little petals.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Will make 23 of these wonderful daisies...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And they will all be incorporated into one darling quilt...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Stay tuned!!</span></span><br />
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<br />Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-91982632814382641722014-04-07T22:57:00.002-05:002014-04-07T22:57:37.468-05:00Easter Dresses<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I just had to take a break from quilting and whip up these two Easter dresses. Aren't they cute? But not as cute as the two little girls that will be wearing them! I can hardly wait to see them walking the red carpet in these. </span><br />
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<br />Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-8671297857684990482014-03-08T01:56:00.002-06:002014-03-08T02:00:49.533-06:00Colored Ice Balls<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I saw this fabulous picture of balloon ice balls on pinterest. Sounded easy enough to do, so I tried it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pinterest ice balls:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fran's ice balls:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Don't you think I nailed it?!?!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There must have been a step they forgot to write into the directions. Mine didn't have that sparkly shine to them. They had cracks in all of them, and one of them broke completely in half. </span></div>
Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-43161895218627628562014-03-08T01:46:00.000-06:002014-03-08T01:46:50.747-06:00Pink Slip Lounge<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The National Rural Electric Association had its Annual Meeting in Nashville this year. John and I flew down on Friday night (Feb 28th). It turned out to be a great time. We stayed at the Preston Hotel by the airport, and it was quite the trendy place! Each evening there was live entertainment in the Pink Slip Lounge -- of course it was jazz and country music. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An interesting piece of art was this "Pink Slip". A local artist makes sculptures out of crayons, and was commissioned to make this pink slip for the hotel. It is quite interesting to look at because it is made entirely from pink crayons with yellow wrappers on the crayons.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The pink bust part of the slip is unwrapped crayons with the pointy end out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think this is very unique and I would have loved to see other sculptures this artist made!</span><br />
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Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-17344691137719430732014-02-25T21:05:00.001-06:002014-02-25T21:05:47.794-06:00Monday Visitors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was a surprise to see these gems waddling around the estate last Monday. They are such an awkward looking bird, but very fun to watch. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This one looks like he is trying to practice his skills at riding the rail!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I thought the one below was the brave one. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He almost made it to the front door to ring my doorbell, but got scared and ran away when he saw my camera flash!</span></div>
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<br />Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-57149138961488157272014-02-19T09:32:00.000-06:002014-02-19T09:32:39.443-06:00Alfred Hitchcock<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I woke up to an Alfred Hitchcock kind of day. It looked like the fog was rising out of the ground in a very eerie kind of way. I tried to capture it with camera, but it's a little hard to see! Sure reminds me of the good old movies that were a little suspenseful but not too scary. </span><br />
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<span id="goog_2120347574"></span><span id="goog_2120347575"><br /></span>Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-7396428313756655442014-02-16T21:39:00.002-06:002014-02-16T21:39:52.037-06:00A Few More Completions (Almost)<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I was able to find some time to sew this past week. First to get completed are a couple pillowcases for grandsons Joshua & Ethan. They are in love with the different characters. So here's to Batman and Spiderman! </span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Then I focused on another stack of fabric that has been sitting around for a while. Here is another <u><i>almost</i></u> finished quilt. It needs a wide border before it's really done. I'm not sure what to use for it, so I just might have to go shopping! It's always a fun trip when a quilt shop is involved. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I also cut out hexagons for another quilt. This will be revealed later, but I will give you a teaser. It has about 180 flower petals to be sewn onto the quilt. I've cut them all out, so let the fun begin!!</span></div>
Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-72525804158675526842014-02-16T21:22:00.000-06:002014-02-16T21:22:11.618-06:00Love Tree<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The tree has changed again and is showing a lot of LOVE! I'm enjoying it and so far I'm glad it is still a light in my life. Picked up some gold hearts, but may have to change their color to white or pink, or some of each! (I don't know why my picture is sideways, can't get it to change. Sorry!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My sweetie brought me some lovely roses. This picture doesn't do them justice. They sure smell wonderful. We avoided the crowds on Friday and went out for dinner on Saturday afternoon. Acapulco served up some mean burritos for us. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">My first Valentine from John was a heart shaped box of chocolates that he mailed to me from Ricks College. I knew then he was a keeper! Sure do love that man!!</span>Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-41998954633888658132014-01-24T10:02:00.000-06:002014-01-24T10:03:18.957-06:00My Changing Tree<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love my Christmas tree. Many people comment on how lovely it is, even though it is artificial. Keeping my tree up through the end of January brings light and happiness to an otherwise dark and dreary Minnesota January. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's a lot of work to assemble this tree one branch at a time, and to string the lights so they are scattered throughout the tree and not just on the outer rim of the branches. Putting up this tree is probably the worst part of Christmas (next to shopping)! Soooooo...... I've decided to keep my tree up year round. I know some people think I'm cray cray, but that's okay. At my age you can be forgiven for a lot of things!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">With the frigid temperatures outside yesterday, I stayed inside with my wool socks and hot chocolate and decorated the house with snowmen. My tree became a nesting place for several snowmen I already had. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think this tree can use a few more decorations, so it will be fun to look for anything related to snow.... snowmen, snowballs, snowshoes, snowhats, snowmittens.... you get the idea.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course I will also be looking for hearts (Valentines), bunnies and eggs (Easter), red white & blue (summer), pumpkins & scarecrows & pilgrims (Fall). It should be a fun year to see my tree change for the holidays!!!</span>Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-70668297418204915622014-01-22T23:51:00.001-06:002014-01-22T23:51:42.202-06:00Empty Box & Dreaming of SpringI'm happy to say I now have an empty box. This probably isn't very exciting news to most people, but I'm elated!! I have had a box with fabric sitting under my sewing table for a year or so. Today I finished the third quilt made from what I am now calling the purple fabric. <br />
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Yes, this looks just like my first finished quilt in 2014 except I didn't put borders around the outside edge. I just made the quilt bigger. </div>
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I'm happy to have this box empty because the more I sewed, the more purple the colors became! Guess I'm ready to work on some different colored fabrics for a while. No problem, I have many to choose from. </div>
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PLUS, the next few days will be perfect weather for staying inside. The winds are blowing and the snow is piling up. <u>Minus</u> 25 tomorrow morning. We actually have waves or white caps on the fields and yard around our house. See the blowing snow in this picture? We have a sidewalk and driveway somewhere under all this snow. </div>
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Even our picnic table has a wave of snow covering it completely. The poor birds are having a hard time perching at the birdfeeders because of the wind. They make me laugh when their little butts get tipped up into the wind and they lose their balance!! I'm sure they are thinking the same as me... "spring can't come soon enough." </div>
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Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-79987531557617537072014-01-10T13:00:00.001-06:002014-01-10T13:00:28.139-06:00Another FinishI'm so happy to be sewing up some of this fabric that has been laying around here in boxes. My second quilt finish for 2014 is shown below...<br />
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If this fabric looks familiar, it's because my first quilt finished in 2014 used the same fabrics. I simply tried a different pattern to get a totally different look. I have enough fabric to make one more quilt. I've decided to return to the first pattern and make another quilt just like that one. Then all three of these quilts will be donated to a needy cause. <br />
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This is so much fun. My therapy continues to work well!Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-72369191224976905152014-01-03T16:18:00.000-06:002014-01-03T16:18:02.122-06:00Happy New Year!<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm thinking 2014 is going to be a pretty sweet year. I'm starting off in recuperation mode, so it is all up from here! My doctor put me on Prednisone, so that eliminates my need for sleep. Not a problem.. I've cleaned my house (which really needed it after the holidays), and I've had lots of time for quilting. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is my first finish of the year: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It has all the colors of Spring - yellow, white, purples, blue, with butterflies and Easter eggs in the prints - which is really funny because the weather outside is the worst cold spell in 15 years. Don't mind working on a project like this and staying inside where it is toasty warm. Yep, 2014 is going to be sweet!</span>Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-32656509476766911792013-06-27T07:37:00.000-05:002013-06-27T07:38:45.124-05:00June Berries<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our June bearers almost had to be renamed July bearers! But just in time for June, John picked our first crop of strawberries last night... June 24th! Can you believe it? Usually they are all done producing by now. The wait was well worth it. Nothing beats a fresh sun-ripened strawberry. YUM, YUM!!</span><br />
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Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-48510972129423820782013-06-21T18:19:00.000-05:002013-06-21T18:19:34.073-05:00Galena RetreatLast Monday I was able to spend a day & a night with 3 wonderful ladies... Barb, Sharon & Lynn. So what do we have in common, you may ask? QUILTING and a love of laughter! Barb planned and saw to every detail - even gave our little trip a title "Barb's Bodacious Shop-Hop". Monday, June 17th we left our homes at 6am. With two cars, we drove through Wisconsin and stopped at 7 different quilt shops. This is what you call a Shop-Hop. It was so much fun to see all the quilt shops with their lovely displays and variety of fabric choices. <br />
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A highlight was lunch! <br />
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Bodacious Barb surprised us all with a homemade picnic lunch. Finding a park shelter, we stopped for a bite to eat. Little did we know what Barb had in store for us. As you can see from the picture, she put each serving in canning jars -- a quart of salad, a pint of grapes, a half-pint of dessert, crackers and drinks aplenty (even my favorite Dr. Pepper). But that was just the food... the table setting was no shabby picnic! After the table was spread with a lovely table cloth, she produced china plates, silver chargers (pizza pans) to match, wrapped silverware in dishtowels (our napkins), and a lovely gift of a seam ripper (that matched the tablecloth too)! We were stunned and knew Barb had earned the title of Bodacious hands down!!<br />
What a treat to enjoy this lunch in a beautiful setting of outdoor greenery, with birds singing, and a cool summer breeze to keep us cool. <br />
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Our destination was Galena, IL where Barb had secured a cabin to our liking. The setting was an old farmhouse with cabins built mid 1850's. The farmhouse was the office and there were 3 or 4 buildings that had been converted to cabins. Our cabin, the Chetlain, was two stories. The pictures show how rustic and interesting the farm was. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TaocJv-TznY/UcTTgZkYKLI/AAAAAAAAAhE/reXUGptdVIc/s1600/relaxing+after+long+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TaocJv-TznY/UcTTgZkYKLI/AAAAAAAAAhE/reXUGptdVIc/s320/relaxing+after+long+day.jpg" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relaxing after a long day</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upper level beds and jacuzzi</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qHGkrqj8aMI/UcTTKMwEaYI/AAAAAAAAAgE/EfkYLtOQ8Ms/s1600/Sink+in+dresser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qHGkrqj8aMI/UcTTKMwEaYI/AAAAAAAAAgE/EfkYLtOQ8Ms/s320/Sink+in+dresser.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sink in dresser & stairs to upper level</td></tr>
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We ate dinner in downtown Galena at the Old Log Cabin. Such delicious food... I had prime rib Greek style. It had a taste of garlic and Greek spices. Wonderful meal in a very popular place. Sorry I didn't get any pictures of that, but it was rustic looking too. <br />
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After a very restful night, I got up to take a shower. Bodacious Barb had struck again! Inside my suitcase were gifts labeled Day 2 & Day 3. So added to Day 1 seamripper, was a bottle of Best Press and a Charmpack of Moda fabrics. Barb is truely a priceless gem and thinks of everything! <br />
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After taking my shower, much to my surprise I couldn't turn the water off. Each of us tried to turn it off, but with no success. Maybe it's still running... I don't know because this was the end of my wonderful fun with the ladies. After a breakfast of nut breads & juice, I had to make a long drive to Maple Grove, MN for an MREA Board meeting. With a sad heart I left at 6:45am and started my long trek. Bodacious Barb, Lynn, and Sharon remained in Galena another day & night before they started their trip back on Wednesday. How I missed them on the drive back. With no one to chat with or laugh with, the trip back was much longer than the trip there. I did see some windmills in Charles City, so that was a highlight. <br />
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I'm looking forward to another trip with this fabulous group in the near future! Next time I will not cut my trip short for ANY reason!!<br />
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Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-17859593661133183622013-05-01T20:51:00.003-05:002013-05-01T20:51:53.306-05:00Lickety Split<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Started sewing blocks for a quilt pattern that Tawnya saw and fell in love with. It's a fun design, but each block is taking 20-25 minutes to complete. Oh well, good thing I love the fabric! There are 84 blocks to make and each one is adorable. Here is my pile so far....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can hardly wait to see the finished quilt. Maybe it will be completed in another month or two!</span></div>
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Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-22414580708573349822013-01-24T19:58:00.000-06:002013-01-24T19:58:59.038-06:00Swedish Bug It's hard for me to resist anything Swedish! Soooo, when I saw a beautiful piece of furniture on Craigslist, I just knew it needed a place in my home. Of course finding the spot was not hard at all. My sewing room was sporting this fancy shelving......<br />
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Functional, but definitely not beholding to the eye. <br />
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But, no more. Now I have this lovely unit to store all (maybe not all, but some anyway) my quilt projects in. The dancing boy doing a jig makes me laugh each time I look at him. There is a lovely Swedish girl on the opposite side but I wasn't able to position the furniture to see that. So I will just have to party with the dancing boy!<br />
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So John's question was, "Did you need this?" My response was, "Of course not, but I sure wanted it."<br />
It's important to understand needs and wants. Sometimes the wants win!!Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2735702182593217312.post-23048501310254566062012-12-23T23:39:00.001-06:002012-12-23T23:39:56.585-06:00Rice Park LightsI love to see Christmas lights... lots of lights, so with that in mind - John, Tawnya and I headed to St. Paul to see the lights at Rice Park. We tried to keep warm, but it was a bit chilly. The ice skaters didn't seem to mind the cold. It was a beautiful sight with so many trees covered in lights. White lights are my favorite, but the blue trees were stunning too. Tawnya made friends with a few statues and I think she fit right in! Of course I forgot my camera, but the pictures taken on my cell phone are okay. At least they captured the moment...<br />
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An angel sounding the trump!</div>
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BFF!</div>
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Tawnya listening to Charlie Brown's music!</div>
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This is one big nutcracker! Must be in the park to help the squirrels. </div>
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Landmark Center in the background. </div>
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This one was taken from under the tree looking skyward... it was like being under a lighted umbrella!</div>
Franhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12983173410267847161noreply@blogger.com2