Tale of Six Bears

My daughter, Emily, Quilt’m by Sunflower Designs,
asked me help with a Christ project.

This is my tale.

6bears

Tale of Six Bears

My name is Alvin.
I sing as good as the chipmunk.
I love to sing and play.
My special talents are keeping secrets and making memories.

My name is Bill.
I’m a hard worker and I enjoy working.
My special talent is seeing what could be and making that dream real.

My name is Curtis.
I am your first love.
I’ll give you your first kiss.
You’ll never forget me.
My special talent is being your LOVE memories’ cornerstone.

My name is ‘Big D’.
I climb the highest towers.
I drive the rockiest roads.
I know all about life’s potholes.
My special talent is proving true the saying
“When life gives you lemons make cold, refreshing lemonade. “.

My name is Everett, steadfast and faithful.
I always want the best for you
I only have eyes for you.
My special talent is keeping my vows for’ever’.
My name is Ferguson.
I am a gentle giant.
I care immensely for those I love,
so don’t touch my people.
My special talent is treating everyone with thoughtfulness and kindness.

Hi, I’m Leslie, Emily’s mom.
I was given your boxes of clothing
to help her with the Christmas projects.

Truthfully making quilts from clothing
is not easy or as much fun as working with new fabric.
And as the project nears completion,
it is not until the quilting is done before we see any beauty.

When you asked Emily to make bears,
she and I had never made a bear.
So it was with a little anxiety I started bear making.

12 of this piece,
24 of that piece,
be sure the Hawaiian swim trunks are in everything.

I f were to start over
there are many things I’d do a little differently,
because now I know what to do to make a more
professional looking bear.

But, we know the owner of the clothing wasn’t perfect either.
Loved, yes, treasured yes, missed – forever.

So I hope you over look the funny bumps and lumps of these bears.

It wasn’t until I put the eyes, nose and mouth on the first bear
that I fell in love.
My heart opened.
and spoke of those I love.

Alvin is my first son, Aaron.
He also sings.
Sometimes like a chipmunk,
often like an angel.
You can trust with your secrets.
As a father of three sons,
he works hard for them to have good memories,

Bill is my father, William Lee, Bill.
He could look at bare land and see a garden,
a junk car and see the restored ’56 Buick Special
He saw my husband’s dream and made it come true.

Curtis is my first love, Curtis Ray Lee.
Third grade kisser running by fast and
caught me on the cheek, laughing all the time.
He gave me the cornerstone memory,
love is full of laughter.

Big D is my other son, Dan
A bright, intelligent boy who could look
at something and figure out how it worked.
April, 2000,at 20 He married a beautiful woman with a 4 year old daughter.
And life sent a pothole 9 months later
when his bride was stricken with a disease
and hasn’t had a pain free day since.
He knows all about lemonade

Everett is my husband, Elmer.
We married in June, 1967 at 25-him and 17-me
Ever word I wrote is true.

Ferguson is my son-in-law Travis
He loves guns just a very little bit less
than he loves my daughter and his children
He is a gentle giant
I wouldn’t want to change a thing about him.

My husband said
“put the names in the pockets”

that is your decision.

but maybe the new owners of the bears might need
just a little bit of hope.

Sharing with Ginny and Yarn Along.
This is why my needles are resting.

Published in: on December 19, 2015 at 12:48 pm  Comments (2)  
Tags: ,

Three Quilts Went Home

new 004I’ve always loved quilts and quilting.
Sometimes quilts waited.
I explored and learned to love
the art of counted cross stitch.
During the past few years,
knitting has been my passion.

Each craft speaks to me through ‘getting it right’.
Matching corners and keeping all the points in quilts,
perfect crosses of counted work,
and the count of each row on target equals ‘getting it right’.

Each craft has color!
Quilts – who hasn’t stood in front of a quilt at a quilt show
and whispered “WOW!”;
or stared at a finished counted cross stitch piece
and watched the shading blend;
or walked into a yarn shop and
become over whelmed with the beauty.

Quilts are good waiters.
They don’t mind what state of unfinished they are
when set aside because I get side tracked.

During the fall of 2013,
I remembered three quilts
that were in assorted stages of completeness.
I purposed to get them done!
So borders got added,
binding cut and ready,
and off to the quilter, Quilt’m Sunflower Designs, they went.
Three quilts came back looking very pleased with themselves.
I spent some very quiet time
hand stitching the binding on the quilts.
I almost always finish my quilts by hand.
I spend that time thinking about and praying
for the dear one receiving the quilt.

Saturday three quilts went home.

One quilt was meant to live on the couch to comfort, warm, and ease.
feb15 couch going home 008

feb15 couch going home 010

feb15 couch going home 009

feb15 couch going home 011 The Back

One quilt became the burrito shell  – she become the filling.

feb15 m rains going home 001

feb15 m rains going home 003

feb15 m rains going home 002

feb15 m rains going home 005 The back

One quilt was giggled at because she didn’t believe it was hers.
feb15 al rains going home 012

feb15 al rains going home 014

feb15 al rains going home 013

feb15 al rains going home 015 The back

I love the family who lives in the home where the quilts live.

(In an effort to be completely honest, the top picture was taken at a very rare moment in time, but it is a perfect blogging picture.)

My Name is Leslie and I Procrastinate

My sewing area

Jan2813 ds quilt 001

Blocks being made

Jan2813 ds quilt 007

With lots of help

Jan2813 ds quilt 005

Blocks get trimmed to the same size

Jan2813 ds quilt

I had blocks together and half the binding on and procrastinated.
Not now…
Not today….
Yes, today, but didn’t do it….
Later today, ran out of today………….
so when the load of quilt gets heavy enough ……
DO IT NOW!

So in one and half hours border on,
mitered corners stitched,
back seamed and everything pressed.
WHY …OH…WHY…do I procrastinate ?
My friend could have had her quilt a month ago.
Thank you for your patience.

Blocks and border all together

Mar 21 deanna 001

Backing fabric
Mar 21 deanna 004

The quilt is now in the hands of  my favorite quilter, Emily.
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Quilt’m by Sunflower Designs

This finished Object isn’t made of yarn, but it IS finished
I’ll hand sew the binding when the quilting is done.
I’m joining with Tami, just for fun!
FOfriday

Finishing Quilt Projects

“Finishing” has been the goal during sewing sessions the past two weeks.

Flannel quilt top using the puzzle block for  Elizabeth was finished in 2010. Last week,  Emily,  of Quilt’m , did the wild large meander quilting. I bound and labeled the quilt and made a pillowcase to match the flannel backing material, a precious moments little girl and goose print.

McKenna’s quilt was started   November, 2010.  Emily quilted it with curves, and petals, and a gentle meander accenting the piecing. Now it is bound and labeled and ready to be mailed.

Elizabeth has a little brother, Jonathan. Their father was raised in Montana, when I saw this fabric with  printed forest scenes, I knew it was what I wanted for Jonathan’s quilt.   The top was finished in November, 2010, the backing was made from leftover print squares.  Emily quilted it with close attention to the patterns in the prints and the quilt block. This week it, too, was bound and labeled. Tonight Elizabeth and Jonathan’s quilts finally made their way home.

I am member of Kaye England’s “bread and Butter” quilt group and I have been working on a log cabin quilt for several weeks. This week I finished the log cabins.I’ll add a 3 inch border around the cabins. Tonight I’ll be putting together the backing, by making two rows of the 5×1 1/2 inch pieces leftover from the cabins.  These two rows will give me the length I need. I’m still trying to decide if I need to do something to add to the wideth. This picture is taken in the guest room at Brother Bob’s.

I already have two projects in the queue, I’m not sure which one to start next. Of course, there are several in my playhouse in various stages of completion.

On my mind – Finishing

On Friday DOWN TO EARTH shares what’s on her mind and
asks what’s on your mind?

This quilt is ‘on my mind.’

I pieced  this flannel quilt for my great-niece, McKenna.

My  goal for today: bind McKenna’s quilt.

Auntie Em did the beautiful quilting.

Postscript – Friday, 8:40pm, PDST   —   DONE!

What Happens at Family Night gets posted!

Family night was a fun place to be! Everyone but two were able to come, Aunty A and Cousin C were very much missed.

The boy cousins 12 and under arrived in the afternoon with pool time with Uncle A and Uncle D.  Most got some SPR (swimming pool rash); ALL had a great time.

I see some SPR on this Guy…but he doesn’t see us!

Our menu included Grandpa T”s tri tip shish kabob with zucchini (from the Farmer’s garden, mushrooms, and onions, rice  a roni, rolls, salad with cucumbers and cherry and yellow pear tomatoes (from the Farmer’s garden, and three kindsa  pickles.  Chocolate cake, cinnabon cupcakes, mint chocolate chip, strawberry, and bo’nilla ice cream. YUM!

Aunty M and  Aunty E use their time to advantage.

Some serious thinking occurred.

And a little educational reading happened.

SEVEN birthdays ( we had missed June) and ONE anniversary were celebrated.

A rousing sing a long kept us laughing.

Uncle A read us the story of David and Goliath, several thought provoking comments were added by the listeners.  Pray was made for dear ones far away but close in our hearts, and for near ones with special needs, and for all Little I’s friends.

Ten people were able to be thankful, I wish I had written them down. The variety of blessings are beyond number, and always worth the telling.

The Old folks left (Uncle b and the Farmer), the younger battled it out on the Wii

A serious player

and a somewhat lopsided game of 5 Crowns was played in the dining room.

Some of the crew!

Thank you Uncle A and Aunty A for extending again your warm welcome to your home for our family’s night together.

(PS. The quilt in the back ground of some of the pictures was paper pieced and quilted by Aunty E.)

Published in: on August 1, 2011 at 2:29 pm  Comments (10)  

Saturday’s Veggie Stand

The weather is hot.

The Garden is producing.

The Farmer is picking.

Shouldn’t you be at the Veggie Stand on Saturday Mornings?

At 7:30 the Farmer loads up the trailer to take all the stuff that makes up a veggie stand to the end of the driveway. He loads veggies, chairs, foot stool, bags, pop-up shade umbrella, tables, eggs, box of quilts, rack to hang sweaters, rope, clothes pins and a weighing scale.

then poof it is all set up! (Apparently no one thought to take pictures while all the work was being done.)

 Quilt’m – Sunflower Designs  offered for sale three quilts and a set of pillowcases.

Sweaters for toddlers and infants knit by the Farmer’s Wife.

The signs are simple, and will be replaced with new ones telling all that the veggies are pesticide free!

                             

So now if you’ve nothing better to do on Saturday Mornings between 8:00-12:00, come over, visit a while and maybe you’ll find something to take home with you.