Creating unfinished projects!

#1 New unfinished project. Last week at night I needed to unwind and just plain sew!! I had purchased a set of six red, white and blue fat quarters at Thimbles Quilt Shop this winter.  I pulled them out three of them  thinking I could make a table runner either for me or as a gift.  Things went pretty well until I needed the two longer borders.  I was short 4 inches!!!! I went on line and was able to find the same fabric.  It should arrive this week!  Of course!  I did order a bit more than I really needed!  How else am I to build up my stash--and if I ordered just a little more it was free shipping!  I couldn't pass up that deal!  Think of all the  money I saved!!

#2 Last winter when DH was in the hospital I had taken  cutting supplies and fabric for my week stay at the hotel.  One of the projects I started work on was the "Poky Little Puppy" quilt I had found in the Fons & Porter Fall 2009 Baby Quilts. I "fussy cut" the puppies.  I found the tote with the fabric and decided to work on it.  I had forgotten that I had not been able to purchase one of the required colors.  (the smallest  blue squares and inner border was supposed to be green)  No problem--I would substitute!  I ran out of inner border fabric. I have the outer border and backing fabric.  Once again, I went on line and found the fabric  I need to finish the binding. And of course--again a little extra fabric I just couldn't resist.

#3  I still needed to sew.  I have four wedding coming up which need Christmas Tree skirts.  I made one from this  pattern last fall for Monica and Eric's wedding.  I pulled out the fabric to start another one.  As I was looking through the fabrics to cut the "logs" from.  I found enough logs already cut.   I sewed  up the center square and I'm ready to start sewing the logs.

 This is the last week of school!  We are finished at noon on Friday! Whoo Hoo!  My list of things that need to be cleaned or worked on this summer keeps growing.  I think I will reward myself.  With each completed job I will spend time sewing!

Have a great week!
Linda

A History Lesson-Tradition Since 1868

 This morning my blogging friend, Maria from Dongara WA Australia, asked what veteran the American Memorial day honored  .  As I thought about it- I remembered that my grandparents called it "Decoration Day".  I thought for years it was because it was when people decorated the graves.  It was several years later that I realized it was more.  So this morning,  I started looking for the real background.  This is what I  found. Is is from the

"It seems with each passing generation we lose a little more of our consciousness of this nation's history. True, if asked why we celebrate Memorial Day most could give a vague surface answer, "To honor the men and women who died while serving our nation." But understanding how this day came about helps to give a greater appreciation of the celebration.

Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day came about at the end of the Civil War, in 1868. According to General Order No. 11 given by General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic on May 5, 1868:

"The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit."

The US Memorial Day site states it this way: "Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all."
There has been much debate over the years as to where the day actually had its beginnings. The "official" birthplace of Memorial Day is Waterloo, NY—at least that's what was determined by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1966. It was chosen due to the fact that in 1866 the people had designated their celebration as an annual event in which even businesses closed, and young and old alike placed flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers.
But historical evidence actually points to multiple points of origin, and there are several cities in both the North and the South who laid claim to that designation. In the three years following the Civil War groups of people in various communities would gather in cemeteries to decorate the graves with flowers in honor of their fallen loved ones.
The first official observation of Memorial Day was observed in Arlington National Cemetery on May 30, 1868 in a ceremony that honored over 20,000 Confederate and Union soldiers. It is still celebrated at Arlington to this day.
It took several years, until 1890, for the holiday to be adopted by the Northern states, but it wasn't until after the First World War that the South began to recognize it, and only then after the holiday was changed to recognize men and women killed while fighting in any war. Several southern states continue to celebrate a separate Memorial Day for their Confederate dead.
In 1971, in order to assure a three day weekend for federal workers, a bill was signed changing Memorial Day from the 30th of May to the last Monday in May. However, in recent years there has been a move to try to change the observance back to its original date in hopes of reviving the solemn and reverent attitude in which the celebration was originally intended."

Have a wonderful weekend!  Remember to take time to think of those who gave of themselves so we could be free to live as we do! 

Linda

Rhubarb Cherry Crunch--Family Favorite

I always receive requests for this recipe when I make it for friends  or potlucks.  Allison just emailed asking for it a second time.  I thought I would share it with you also. It is taken from a 1973 Farm Journal Cookbook -"Family Favorites From Country Kitchens."  I made for the first time the year we were married-1974- and have been making it every year since.   Enjoy. Delicious with whipped cream or ice cream.

Old recipes are fun to read.  Even in this one the actual directions call for  a 1lb 8 oz jar of prepared cherry pie filling.  All pie filling at now 1 lb 5 oz.  Also it calls for the flour to be sifted , rolled oats, and to be baked in a moderate oven.  

Rhubarb Cherry Crunch

4 cups diced fresh rhubarb

1/2 cup sugar

2 TBSP cornstarch

1 Cup water

1 can Cherry Pie Filling

5 drops red food color

1 tsp almond extract

Place rhubarb in 11X 7 X 1 1/2 " baking dish.  Combine sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan. Gradually stir in water. Cook, stirring constantly over medium heat until thick. Stir in pie filling, food coloring and almond extract. Pour over Rhubarb.

1 cup quick cooking oatmeal

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1/2  cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Combine oats, brown sugar, flour, salt and butter; mix until crumbly. Add walnuts. Sprinkle over fruit mixture.  Bake at 350 deg. 45 minutes or until golden brown and rhubarb is tender.  (It could also be baked in a 9 X 13 pan)

My morning at school

It was quite a morning  at school.  This is a photo of our 3-12 building.  My windows are the set of windows to the far  left.  I met with a 10 year old student and her mother at 7:45 (they were 15 minutes late--I really thought they weren't going to show up.)  Our discussion concerned information the student related to me on Friday.  Since my principal was out of the district I had to meet  with the superintendent of school to inform him of the situation.  Then I made a phone call to Heath and Human Services in the  the neighboring county where the student resides.  As a teacher I am a mandatory reporter.  Health and  Human services will be contacting the student and the family.  This was one of those difficult times of being a teacher.  I am sure I will be hearing from the family after they have been contacted by the county.
I have often said I wish I had a paper shredder type machine to place outside of the classroom where the students could shred all of the "junk" they come to school with and then learning could occur.  This is a situation that could emotionally impact the student for life!

I am hoping to spend some time sewing tonight to relax and take my mind off the heartbreaking story I heard on Friday.

Friday Night Sew-In (continued on Saturday)

I worked on a Christmas Tree Skirt that needs to be finished for a wedding in June.  I had the top sewn during the winter and for some reason hadn't basted or quilted it.  So I pulled it out and here are the results.  Now for  the part I don't enjoy--cutting the hole and slit.  I think I will use the red or green for the binding.

Linda

The Countdown is on--as of today--8 1/2 days of school left for this school year.

Friday Night Sew-In

www.handmadebyheidi.blogspot.com

My Friday Night Sew In will have to start late.  It is our high school  graduation on Friday night.  I always attend to watch the students I worked with as they graduate. This year three of my former students will be graduating.  When I have spent four years with them from third through six grades, I have many hours invested in their lives.  In our small school the seniors put together a slide show of their school career memories.

There are 10 1/2 school days left.  The warm weather arrived this week with temps in the upper 70's.  The students  are finding it difficult to concentrate on school work!  Now is when I need to be creative to challenge them with activities so they are still learning and staying focused. 

This year I have 14 students on my caseload.  Of those,  I work several hours a day with 12 of them.  Three of the students have expressed they don't want summer to come.  It is not because they love school and everything about it.  It is because school is the only structure they have in their lives.  They know that the teachers, students, and routine will be at school everyday.  The summer is unknown.  Will they be at mom's or dad's or someone else's home?  Will there be breakfast or lunch for them? It is a tragedy what some of the students live through everyday.  So--each day we try to build them up and offer the security we can for each day we see them. And--pray for their safety and  security each day.

May Blocks!

I finished my May BOM's!  

I am learning more about quilting with each block. 

Apologies

I apologize for my Monday evening post.  I was overtired and over emotional. 

Smiles to all,
Linda

Erma Bombeck-May 14, 1995-Mother's Day

This is a copy of a column written by Erma Bombeck many years ago.  For many of us Mother's Day is an extremely difficult day.  We put on a smile when everyone says, "Happy Mother's Day" and return the greeting.  And yes---it is sincere!!!   At the same time our hearts are breaking as we remember the precious child that is no longer with us on earth to give us a hug or a smile.  There is the old saying, "Time Heals"--My answer is, "You reach a point when you realize that the pain is not going to get any better--and then you learn to live with it."    For me it has been 29 Mother's Days since my precious 3 year old put his arms around me gave me a hug.  I know that without God's help-and his healing arms around me--I wouldn't have been able to survive.  Now--I go to other Mom's--to help them through their loss-and help them learn that life will never be the same--but we do go on and happiness will return.  Mother's Day is over for another year! Yesterday,  I gave hugs to my grandkids and kids--and thanked them for the cards and flowers.


Mothers who have lost a child - May 14, 1995
Erma Bombeck

If you're looking for an answer this Mother's Day on why God reclaimed your child, I don't now. I only know that thousands of mothers out there today desperately need an answer as to why they were permitted to go through the elation of carrying child and then lose it to miscarriage, accident , violence disease or drugs

Motherhood isn't just a series of contractions. It's a state of mind. From the moment we know life is inside us, we feel a responsibility to protect and defend that human being. It's a promise we can't keep. We beat ourselves to death over that pledge. "If I hadn't worked through the eighth month." "If I had taken him to the doctor when he had a fever." "If I hadn't let him use the car that night." "If I hadn't been so naive, I'd have noticed he was on drugs."

The longer I live, the more convinced I become that surviving changes us. After the bittnerness, the anger, the guilt, and the despair are tempered by time, we look at life differently.

While I was writing my book, I Want to Grow Hair, I Want to Grow Up, I Want to Go to Boise, I talked with mothers who had lost a child to cancer. Every single one said death gave their lives new meaning and purpose. And who do you think prepared them for the rough, lonely road they had to travel? Their dying child. They pointed their mothers toward the future and told them to keep going. The children had already accepted what their mothers were firghting to reject.

The children in the bombed-out nursery in Oklahoma City have touched more lives than they will ever know. Workers who had probably given their kids a mechanical pat on the head without thinking that morning are making phone calls home during the day to their children to say "I love you."

This may seem like a strange Mother's Day column on a day when joy and life abound for the millions of mothers throughout the country. But it's also a day of appreciation and respect. I can think of no mothers who deserve it more than those who had to give a child back.

In the face of adversity, we are not permitted to ask, "Why me?" You can ask, but you wont get an answer. Maybe you are the instrument who is left behind to perpetuate the life that was lost and appreciate the time you had with it.

The late Gilda Radner summit it up well: "I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned the hard way that some poems don't rhyme and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what is going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity.

William Tell Overture Motherhood!

Happy Mother's Day! A fun look at ourselves! This is almost as good as when I saw her perform it at a Women Of Faith Conference.




Have a great day!

Linda

White moisture from the sky on May 7!!

White Moisture from the sky!!

If you look under the spruce tree you will see green grass. It is NOT a shadow. The rest of the grass is covered with white moisture and it continues to fall. It is predicted we will receive 1-4 inches of the white "stuff". On the positive side it is very much needed moisture! Everything will be GREEN when it is gone!

Maybe I will need to sew on quilts or BOM because it is too nasty to work outside! I had planned to go shopping for Mother's Day Hanging baskets after school. I decided it was better to leave them hanging in the greenhouse and give IOU's in the cards.


Have a great weekend!

Linda

P.S. Just issued by NWS-"Winter Weather Advisory ...Snow will continue to accumulate across much of northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin tonight. The snow will gradually diminish later in the night. The most significant snow will be along and south of the iron range, including the brainerd lakes area, the twin ports, east central Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.
A total snow accumulation of 2 to 5 inches can be expected. Some areas may see a bit less than this, but road conditions will still become slippery overnight. "

McCalls Quilting March April 2010

I found a quilt called, "Dolly Dress Up" that I would like to investigate the possibility of making for Tatum. However, I am unable to find the magazine. Does anyone have access to the March/April McCall's Quilting Magazine? I would be willing to purchase it or borrow it and return it if it is one that is part of your collection.

Any suggestions??? I checked the McCall's website but there was no way to purchase it. Not available on Amazon or ebay either! This is one of the finished pictures I found when searching--however, this is just the panel--not the entire quilt.

Thank you!!!
Linda

P.S. 19 1/2 days until school's out! The students think they are the only ones counting the days!!!

My Own Friday Night Sew-In!

I was determined to finish my Amy's BOM squares in April. I made a quick trip after school to the closest Quilt Shop to purchase the Tri- Recs and Companion rulers. Amy had offered to let me borrow her's. But, when I saw the May squares I decided I wanted to add them to my ruler collection. I cut out the fabric-- and was on a roll . Finished these two with no problem. I must have been feeling to sure of myself--I did something WRONG with the Pennsylvania Parade. I have ripped--and I think it will be better to recut a few pieces and start over.
After a couple of weeks away from quilting--It was great to be back. I don't begin to accomplish what other quilters do--But I feel good about what I do!