Sunbonnet Sue and Crazies, too.......

It was "Tuesday Crazies" today and if you have been following my blog, you know that we are a group of seven friends who started crazy quilting together and now do all sorts of projects, too. Actually, I am probably the only one who is still doing much crazy quilting. I was working on my patriotic crazy quilt piece and you've seen that before and it will be finished by Election Day! There is lots to tell you about and great "show and tell". My friends produce far more cool quilts than I do, but I was the instigator of the group, keep us organanized and serve as unofficial photographer. :-) It was Pandora's turn to host so Sue came up from Iowa and the rest of us all carpooled with Kate driving and Adella, Carol and me as her passengers. We had an interesting time getting to Pandora's door due to major construction in her neighborhood but when we arrived we saw the other passion that Pandora enjoys - her plants and gardening. Look at that vine on her porch post! Isn't it gorgeous. She planted some butterfly bushes in front and they were, in fact, attracting butterflies!

We all bring a
bag lunch but
each hostess usually
provides a dessert.
These were little
Key Lime
Cheesecakes that Pandora
made and they were delicious!!
Kate also brought Lemon Bars and Carol brought Pear Bread. We had no shortage of goodies!!





When we finished with lunch it was time for "show and tell". Here's Sue with her darling Sock Monkey quilt and a Sock Monkey to match. Her husband Bob, even made a wooden swing so it can hang from the ceiling.








Last month, Kate brought her wool flower quilt and this month, Sue brought her version. This quilt is called "Midnight Garden" and is designed by Sara Tuttle & Sandy Brawner of Quilt Country. This one is on my list of "gonna do this someday" but too many other things are on my list to get started on this anytime soon.












Carol also had two projects to share. Here is her finished Round Robin quilt that she did with friends in Prairie Quilters.

And here she is with her One Block Wonder quilt that she cut out at our last gathering just a month ago!!! The only thing left to finish is to stitch down the binding. Isn't it absolutely beautiful. I love how she added "flitting butterflies" all around the border (fused them, she said).


Not to be outdone, here is Pandora with the One Block Wonder she was working on last month. Isn't this gorgeous, too? By doing it in a one color large print she got a totally different look to her OBW quilt.




I didn't snap a picture of Adella who was busy doing embroidery but here is Kate with a little Sunbonnet Sue quilt that she embroidered and highlighted with colored pencils. Really sweet.



My "show and tell" was a tiny 4" crazy quilted piece that will be a story for another day. Right now I need to finish the story of the lonely Sunbonnet Sue block made by my mother. That pretty little block is actually one of about 20 blocks that my mother made in the 1950's. She kept this one but at a time when we were young kids and money was tight, she sold the rest of the blocks to a lady in Evanston, Iowa (a small town southeast of Fort Dodge, Iowa). I never knew the story until a couple of years ago and there was such a sadness for her that she had to part with the rest of the lovely blocks. But that was something that was done then and people are still doing it today. I like to think that somewhere those blocks have been placed in a quilt or they lay in a trunk somewhere just waiting for some one like all of us to find those vintage treasures. Seeing this block makes me realize I need to do two things - one, trace the Sunbonnet girl and make a pattern of her so that others can make these blocks and two, trace the Butterfly from Aunt Bell's quilt so that others can make the butterflies, too. That's a project for this weekend while I am working at the quilt show at the library. It will be a good way to tell the quilts stories.
Speaking of butterflies, I successfully washed the worn and much used butterfly quilt but I am not sure it is worth a lot of work. There are large watermarks on the top and I think it might be better if I salvage the good blocks and start over. The other butterfly blocks are in a basket in the kitchen and will take wings all through this fall and winter. I'll report on the butterfly projects come spring.

Time now to close for the night. It was a good day with friends but made really special when I arrived home to check the mail. There in the box was the sweetest addressed card from our grandson wishing us a Happy Grandparents Day. My husband didn't even know there was such a holiday. Truly the man is holiday challenged!!
Night all............