Looking back..........

Earlier today, I was tagged in some photos that were shared on the Deep Valley Quilter's Guild page. I hadn't seen them before but after commenting on a post, the admin Cathy shared the photos. They are so much clearer than my own photos. I am thinking I either need a new camera or perhaps I just need to learn how to better use the one I have. LOL! Anyway, on a cold night in January of 2011, I presented a program to Deep Valley Quilter's Guild in Mankato. It was cold but not quite as cold as it's going to be here tonight. It's a three quilt night tonight! I filled baskets and boxes full of wooly things and quilts to take along to the meeting.....

That's my "Eggs-a-blooming" penny rug on the upper left and on the right is my "Patriotic Stars" penny rug (and purple Grand Champion winner at the Sibley County Fair in 2009) and one of my favorites is that "Irish Blessings" penny rug. The gold "coins" that surround the penny rug are cut from some vintage wool that my mother-in-law gave me many years ago.

I had lots of small pieces to display and inspire............

I love to make wooly pincushions and needlecases and scissors cases and covered boxes and.....the list goes on! My fascination for fabric and wool projects began when I was a kid. I still have Barbie doll dresses that I made in the late 50's and these little donkeys that I made in the late 70's.........

The donkeys were featured in a December issue of Woman's Day or Family Circle in the mid 70's. For a long time I saved the issue but I must have given it away as I can no longer find it. The gray wool is another piece of wool that my mother-in-law Ora gave me. There was enough that I made a gray cape with a hood and then the scraps were used to make the donkeys for my son Devlin at Christmas. The mane on the donkeys is real scraps of mink from an old hat. They were seldom played with but they sat on the top of my son's chest of drawers for many years before they were packed away. Now I get them out just at Christmas.

There was a picture taken of me on that night. I look really happy and I was. I had begun to have some health issues but I was loving the chance to share how much fun I have when I stitch! I've only done a couple programs since then as my health issues and other family health issues just sort of multiplied. But I've been stitching........and I've been drawing.........and I am making plans. I've got a program to do in June and looking forward to "Quilts in the Valley" with my brother Doug on the first weekend in October. I'm excited to host some "Wooly Gatherings" at our local library and our quilt group "Sew and Share Quilters" is having fun making blocks for our Christmas quilts. If you live nearby and want to join us, please leave a comment and I'll get back to you with info. And if you are interested in a program on wooly things or quilts, please let me know. I have a new planner and it's just waiting to be filled with lots of fun stitching plans!
And now.......it's time to grab that good book I got at the library yesterday, crawl under that stack of quilts and stay warm and read!
Have a wonderful New Year's Eve! Stay safe, stay warm (or cool depending on where you are!) and be happy!
Sandi