What's on the line?

First of all there is sunshine behind "what's on the line" today, and there are green leaves and you can tell it's warm and lovely. Oh, how I wish that were the case today! I'm glad I took these photos last Fall, as the snow is crisp and hard to walk on so getting out to my clothesline would not be fun! I'm pretty sure that the photos I took that day will last me til spring weather arrives.......or at least until there is less snow on the ground!
This little quilt is one that I made in the spring of 2001 (or maybe 2002). I love the message and can recall my mother and grandmother and so many other women in my life saying......."Don't put all your eggs in one basket!" It's very good advice but not always easy to follow!! This was a "Challenge" project in the Prior Lake Quilter's group. I'm sure many of you that belong to quilt guilds have something similar to this........each member receives a fat quarter of the same fabric and is "challenged" to make an item with that fabric. Sometimes it's a real challenge!!! The challenge fabric in this quilt is the blue background fabric. It looked like hay or straw to me and yet it was blue. I happened to have a 1/4 yard piece of fabric that had baskets all over it and had been wondering what I would do with it. Then inspiration came and I decided to press the fabric to fusible web product and then I carefully cut out each basket and ironed them in place. Among those baskets was just one basket filled with eggs and that's when I got the idea for the saying. It all just fell into place. The little quilt measures about 17" x 21". It hangs in my sewing room as a daily reminded to not "put all my eggs in one basket"!!
Here's a close-up of the center block. I created it as a large applique piece that I stitched into the center of the challenge fat quarter. The piece was hand-quilted and I used brown bias tape for the binding. Now, in a couple weeks, there is a challenge project due in the current group that I belong to, Kindred Kwilter's. The challenge fabric is a blue and rose pink batik that must be used in a project that has a log cabin block in it. I have not been inspired yet but I am hoping that something clicks for me soon, or I will have nothing to show to you or to the guild members at the meeting on the 20th!

It was a busy weekend at our house. Grandson, Jacob, was here and we had a good time. He helped me do my grocery shopping on Friday after I picked him up at school and then we made a visit to the Henderson Library before we got home. The weather was awful with ground blizzard conditions but we drove home via 169 which follows the Minnesota River and is protected by the bluffs and ridges along the highway. The temperatures dropped into the zero and below range so we did not venture out for the weekend. Instead, we read books, he played on the computer, I made a covered notebook for him in his current favorite college team - the Missouri Tigers, and we watched lots of football. None of our teams won. :-( Jacob came to visit so that his mom and dad could get some extra rest. They've both been sick and so far, Jacob and I have not caught anything. And so as not to tempt the odds, yes, I knocked on wood after I typed that. LOL!

I have a busy week ahead as I am preparing for a program this Thursday evening. I'm hoping to get that little snowman tutorial ready for you by Wednesday and if not then, by this coming Friday. It's been a little crazy lately, more crazy than what I relay in my blog, so I am taking things just a day at a time for the next week or so.

Also, I just wanted to say thank you to all the new followers and thank you to everyone who comments. I read each one but I have not been very good at replying to them. I just want you to know that I appreciate each and every comment!! And I appreciate all of you that read and don't comment because that's just fine, too. When you think about it.......reading a blog is like picking up a magazine and reading an article. When you finish reading it, you aren't expected to make a comment about it. It's just for your reading pleasure. Writing my blog is like putting together my own little series of magazine articles and projects. I appreciate your feedback but it's quite okay if you just read and enjoy!!!

Have a good Monday everyone.......and remember........."Don't put all your eggs in one basket!!!!"
Sandi