I haven't felt like blogging because I am down with a bad case of sciatica in my left leg. I finally gave up on my home remedies and went to the Dr. this morning and he put me on Prednasone. He said I was doing the right things....Ibuprofen and heating pad plus rest but the nerve is too irritated and it needs something stronger to kick this from my system.
It hurts if I sit too long so I don't like being at the computer and it hurts if I stand and the pain has awakened me when I sleep. So, I am doing as the doctor said and will try to stretch as little as possible so I don't strain the nerve anymore, get some rest (I've already taken more naps in the past three days than I have all year!), take my meds, and he says that within a couple days, I should see some improvement. Boy, I sure hope so! I haven't had pain like this since I had a kidney infection almost 40 years ago. I gave birth to two kids and it didn't hurt this much! I am going to have to miss our Crazy Quilting gathering tomorrow and I'm the one who planned it. Boo hoo! Okay, I will quit feeling sorry for myself as I am just glad I have a doctor I can go to and a good bed to rest in. Others are in worse shape all over the world.
I will be back in a few days then and show you pictures of Pandora's garden quilt show. My daughter and grandson are to be here this weekend so I need to be rested for their arrival. It's Sauerkraut Days here in Henderson this weekend, so I need to be able to walk (and right now that is really difficult) to our favorite spot where we will watch the parade. Back soon......
Sandi
Wednesday, June 24
Sunday, June 21
Common interests = New friends!
As mentioned in my previous post, I met two friends from a Yahoo group for lunch this past Friday. The group is called "Crazy About PinCushions". It's a nice friendly group for those who enjoy making pincushions. In the picture below you would think that we had all been friends for years but we had never met "in person". We decided to meet, though, when we discovered that we were all from Minnesota and lived within easy driving distance of each other. Our meeting place was downtown Henderson at 11:00 a.m. and here we are.............
That's Tammy in the center and she lives east of me. Marilyn is on the right and she lives west of me. I'm on the left and we met here because it was a "meet in the middle" sort of thing. Quite honestly, the three of us "clicked" within minutes. We enjoyed a good lunch at the Hogwild Eatery (those are "pigtails" on our plates, also known as "curly fries" in some places) and then just as we were finishing our lunch..............
well, we had seen these guys walking back and forth and assessing the doorway and pretty soon we found out why.........when they began moving this big refrigerator into the restaurant. We decided rather quickly that we should move since they were coming our way........and as I did so, I accidently snapped this picture of Marilyn. Yep, they were coming our way 
and fast and we needed to move!! I still can't believe they got that thing in the door and around the corner right next to our table! It was time to move on! 
Tammy is checking out various rick-rack colors for the icing around her cupcake.
And Marilyn wasn't sure if she'd add rick rack or leave it just as is. I glued large white rick rack on mine and I just realized I forgot to take a photo of the one I made. I will post it later. It was nearing 4:00 p.m. so we called it a day but just before Tammy and Marilyn left they took a peek in a couple of "thrift shop" bags I put together for them.
Tammy is smiling because there are birds on that egg cup that could become a pincushion. I think it was about a quarter. So was the candleholder and the tea cup. The little box with the tin lid was just 50 cents. It will be fun to see them become pincushions. We are looking forward to getting together again. Next time Tammy and I will head west to visit Marilyn so there will be more fun to come. :-)
That's Tammy in the center and she lives east of me. Marilyn is on the right and she lives west of me. I'm on the left and we met here because it was a "meet in the middle" sort of thing. Quite honestly, the three of us "clicked" within minutes. We enjoyed a good lunch at the Hogwild Eatery (those are "pigtails" on our plates, also known as "curly fries" in some places) and then just as we were finishing our lunch..............
well, we had seen these guys walking back and forth and assessing the doorway and pretty soon we found out why.........when they began moving this big refrigerator into the restaurant. We decided rather quickly that we should move since they were coming our way........and as I did so, I accidently snapped this picture of Marilyn. Yep, they were coming our way 
and fast and we needed to move!! I still can't believe they got that thing in the door and around the corner right next to our table! It was time to move on! Our plan was to go to my house and visit some more and then make a pincushion. Tammy had brought some "Show 'n Tell"...........she makes miniature quilts. And then in her basket were some pincushions she has made.
Then it was time...
We took a little tour of my sewing room and then gathered up the supplies - fabric, stuffing, beads, scissors, etc. - for a little project I had planned. I found these cupcake-looking containers at the Dollar General Store and thought they would make cute pincushions. We cut circles of fabric, did a gathering stitch around the edge and pulled it up, then stuffed the thing. I men
tioned to them that I had looked in my buttons for something that would look like a cherry for the top but hadn't found anything. Just then Tammy picked up my bag of beads and said "oh, like this one" and there it was a 
round red cherry button - and one for each of us! We stitched the button in the center of the puffy cupcake and then glued it in the container.
Tammy is checking out various rick-rack colors for the icing around her cupcake.
And Marilyn wasn't sure if she'd add rick rack or leave it just as is. I glued large white rick rack on mine and I just realized I forgot to take a photo of the one I made. I will post it later. It was nearing 4:00 p.m. so we called it a day but just before Tammy and Marilyn left they took a peek in a couple of "thrift shop" bags I put together for them.
Tammy is smiling because there are birds on that egg cup that could become a pincushion. I think it was about a quarter. So was the candleholder and the tea cup. The little box with the tin lid was just 50 cents. It will be fun to see them become pincushions. We are looking forward to getting together again. Next time Tammy and I will head west to visit Marilyn so there will be more fun to come. :-)And remember all those letters I mailed off for our family reunion last week? Well, I am thrilled because so far only two letters have been returned "undeliverable" out of about 90 letters sent. Now if even half those relatives come to the reunion, I will be thrilled!! I will be busy with details for the reunion in the next few weeks, so if I don't post, you can just know that I am working on family photo albums and history stuff for the reunion!
There's thunder out there. Sure hope we get rain!
Sandi
P.S. My next post will be photos from "Quilts in Bloom" and pics of some of my Tuesday Crazies friends.
Party Time!
I have been partying since I last posted. First, I met two new friends who are in the "Crazy About Pincushions" Yahoo group and we had great fun together. Pictures coming soon........
Then it was a birthday party for our son-in-law.........and then it was an afternoon of great quilty fun at the "Quilts in Bloom" show. Lots of pictures of that to post. I was busy with family things and never got to picking out which pics to post. I'll be back by Sunday evening with lots of photos and cool things to see. In the meantime, Sunday is the first day of Summer here in the U.S. so get out there and enjoy the day. Plus, it's also Father's Day so there are plenty of reasons to get away from the computer and go have some fun! Enjoy the day wherever you are!
Sandi
Then it was a birthday party for our son-in-law.........and then it was an afternoon of great quilty fun at the "Quilts in Bloom" show. Lots of pictures of that to post. I was busy with family things and never got to picking out which pics to post. I'll be back by Sunday evening with lots of photos and cool things to see. In the meantime, Sunday is the first day of Summer here in the U.S. so get out there and enjoy the day. Plus, it's also Father's Day so there are plenty of reasons to get away from the computer and go have some fun! Enjoy the day wherever you are!
Sandi
Friday, June 19
Quilts in Bloom!
My friend Pandora is hosting an outdoor quilt event in her backyard this Saturday. If you are anywhere near the Twin Cities and need something to do, this is the thing to do. Her gardens are beautiful and so are the quilts she gathers to share.
Many of the quilts are made by Pandora but others share their quilts and needlework items, too, and then they are hung from clotheslines and along the fence and all around her yard! I shared some penny rugs and when our friend, Sue, was here for my birthday, she showed us a couple of quilts that she will be sharing.
I love this scrappy quilt and it is even prettier when you see it in person! I think it is a Darlene Zimmerman pattern.
Then there is this gorgeous quilt that is a combination of wool and cotton. The blocks are black wool and the flowers are also wool. The green patchwork is cotton. I believe it's called Midnight Garden and I will have to check and find out for sure because I know some of you are going to want to know!
Many of the quilts are made by Pandora but others share their quilts and needlework items, too, and then they are hung from clotheslines and along the fence and all around her yard! I shared some penny rugs and when our friend, Sue, was here for my birthday, she showed us a couple of quilts that she will be sharing.
I love this scrappy quilt and it is even prettier when you see it in person! I think it is a Darlene Zimmerman pattern.
Then there is this gorgeous quilt that is a combination of wool and cotton. The blocks are black wool and the flowers are also wool. The green patchwork is cotton. I believe it's called Midnight Garden and I will have to check and find out for sure because I know some of you are going to want to know! Some of you have asked about the quilt in the new photo in my blog header. It is another unfinished quilt top that was purchased at auction by my dad and mother. Based on the fabrics in the quilt top, I believe it could be anywhere from 1930 to 1950. Lovely, isn't it?
Time to relax and do some reading before I go to sleep........
Sandi
Thursday, June 18
"Grace and a Prayer" Quilt
This is the first posting about making blocks so that I can create my own red, white and blue quilt like the one that came together for Emma's Hope. I'm calling my quilt "Grace and a Prayer" but you might want to give your own name to the quilt that you make. It might be called "My First Quilt" if you are a beginner or "My Lazy Daisy" quilt if you already know how to quilt but you are looking for a slow, relaxing project. I guess you could also call it "The Slowpoke Quilt" as the pace I am planning for this project will take us through to next spring! I chose my name because it was "Grace and a Prayer" - actually lots of prayers that got me through the past few years during lots of family health issues. I thought about giving it the name "Dei Gratia" which is Latin for "by the grace of God", but I am going to use that name on another project that I'll do in wool when the weather cools down.
When I was first approached to do the quilt for the Emma's Hope fundraiser, I had many concerns, but when you see the end result of the quilt one doesn't know that. The nice thing is that the finished quilt is with Emma and her family. Those who made blocks sent many prayers and good wishes. To follow Emma's progress, you can go to HopeForSweetEmma .
I had a plan from the beginning and so, I asked you all to make 6-1/2" square blocks and/or 12-1/2" square blocks. I knew that I could make a quilt "happen" with these sizes and it would look great. One of the first bloggers to respond that she would make blocks was Pat of A*LittleOfThisAnd*A*LittleOfPat blog. Pat sent nineteen 6-1/2" squares that she and two friends, Kaye and Sherry, had made. Some were used as 6-1/2" squares and some were sewn into 12-1/2" squares. So here, now, are the simple directions for making four-patch blocks.
You will need an assortment of fabrics, your rotary cutter, ruler and mat. I will assume you know how to use these. :-) All sewn seams are a quarter inch!
To make one 6-1/2" square block, you will need two contrasting fabrics. I have chosen a red and white polka dot to go with a white with red dotties. ;-) From the red, cut two 3-1/2" squares, then cut two 3-1/2" squares from the white. In the picture above, you can see that one set has been sewn together. Sew two sets as shown in the bottom section. Press the light colored seam to the dark fabric.
Next, pin your two sets together, then stitch and press so that you end up with a block like the one in the photo above. You can make lots of these blocks in a variety of colors combinations. Or.......
Make four identical 6-1/2" square blocks and then when sewn together, you will have a 12-1/2" square block. By simply turning the blocks in different directions you can end up with a whole new block design. Shown below are a few more variations.
Now, to make a really simple 12-1/2" block you can cut four 6-1/2" squares and sew them together as you did for the 6-1/2" blocks. This works great for large print fabrics that might have flags, flowers or other designs that would be lost if cut up for the small blocks.
That's it, the first block session for my "Grace and a Prayer" quilt. I will make a few of these and then post another block design sometime next week. I'm going to make an assortment of blocks as I want to do a couple small wall quilts, one for the Care Center in Dayton, Iowa and one for the Senior Citizen Center in Lehigh, Iowa. And when I've completed those, then I'll make a big quilt for us.
When I was first approached to do the quilt for the Emma's Hope fundraiser, I had many concerns, but when you see the end result of the quilt one doesn't know that. The nice thing is that the finished quilt is with Emma and her family. Those who made blocks sent many prayers and good wishes. To follow Emma's progress, you can go to HopeForSweetEmma .
I had a plan from the beginning and so, I asked you all to make 6-1/2" square blocks and/or 12-1/2" square blocks. I knew that I could make a quilt "happen" with these sizes and it would look great. One of the first bloggers to respond that she would make blocks was Pat of A*LittleOfThisAnd*A*LittleOfPat blog. Pat sent nineteen 6-1/2" squares that she and two friends, Kaye and Sherry, had made. Some were used as 6-1/2" squares and some were sewn into 12-1/2" squares. So here, now, are the simple directions for making four-patch blocks.
You will need an assortment of fabrics, your rotary cutter, ruler and mat. I will assume you know how to use these. :-) All sewn seams are a quarter inch!
To make one 6-1/2" square block, you will need two contrasting fabrics. I have chosen a red and white polka dot to go with a white with red dotties. ;-) From the red, cut two 3-1/2" squares, then cut two 3-1/2" squares from the white. In the picture above, you can see that one set has been sewn together. Sew two sets as shown in the bottom section. Press the light colored seam to the dark fabric.
Next, pin your two sets together, then stitch and press so that you end up with a block like the one in the photo above. You can make lots of these blocks in a variety of colors combinations. Or.......
Make four identical 6-1/2" square blocks and then when sewn together, you will have a 12-1/2" square block. By simply turning the blocks in different directions you can end up with a whole new block design. Shown below are a few more variations.
Now, to make a really simple 12-1/2" block you can cut four 6-1/2" squares and sew them together as you did for the 6-1/2" blocks. This works great for large print fabrics that might have flags, flowers or other designs that would be lost if cut up for the small blocks.
That's it, the first block session for my "Grace and a Prayer" quilt. I will make a few of these and then post another block design sometime next week. I'm going to make an assortment of blocks as I want to do a couple small wall quilts, one for the Care Center in Dayton, Iowa and one for the Senior Citizen Center in Lehigh, Iowa. And when I've completed those, then I'll make a big quilt for us. Lights out for tonight!
Sandi
Wednesday, June 17
We interrupt this blog ............
to bring you the following broadcast from Minnesota Country Mouse Radio............just click on the link below...........
This is the interview that I mentioned a few days ago. Beth of Country Mouse Blog has the most relaxing voice to listen to! She is a wonderful interviewer and kept the conversation going! I was a bit nervous at first but then you can hear it in my voice as I began to 
relax. What a treat this was!! I have thanked Beth profusely for her visit has left me with a really big smile!! I hope you'll take a listen to the interview. It was really, really enjoyable to do this! And Beth is gonna get Chocolate Chip Cookies for life for this!!!
relax. What a treat this was!! I have thanked Beth profusely for her visit has left me with a really big smile!! I hope you'll take a listen to the interview. It was really, really enjoyable to do this! And Beth is gonna get Chocolate Chip Cookies for life for this!!! Smilin' Sandi
Mail comes in and the mail goes out.....
The mail comes in..............
On Saturday after the Country Mouse had returned to the Cities, I went out to my mailbox expecting to find just the usual Saturday newspaper ads.........but there was a package from Denny who is in my Wooly Buddies Yahoo group! I could see through the purple tissue paper and could see that everything was going to have a "Wooly" theme. Sure enough......Denny ha
d sewn the Wooly Buddies logo to a little zippered bag and then found these cute "Woolies" to tuck in the bag. I'll never be able to use them because they are too cute! Thanks, Denny, "sew" much!!!
The mail goes out..............For several weeks, I have been thinking about a letter I needed to write for our 80th Linn Family Reunion. I do the mailings for the annual event and this being a major milestone year, I wanted to make it special. I just wasn't gettin' that creative vibe..........and then last week, it clicked for me and I knew what I would do. This past Sunday, I typed my letter and asked all the family members that since I make the arrangements and send the cards for the reunion, I asked them to send me a card in return. And I wanted a recipe in the card and any memories they can share and photos. I am determined to write a little book of family memories but have had a hard time getting folks to write those memories down. We do food really well at our annual potluck picnic so I am hoping that by sharing a recipe they will also share a memory or photographs, too. When I finished the letter, I was ready to hit "print" but then I decided to "sleep on it" in case I wanted to make changes. Wise move, as I realized I forgot to mention a couple of things. Made my changes and as you can see in the photo below, the letters are printed!
I stuffed the envelopes and put on the labels and the stamps. I loved those Bob Hope stamps!!! And then I took them off to the post office and they are winging their way to towns in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and to the east and west. Every year someone comes to the reunion that hasn't come in years and I just love watching them reconnect with family. Now I will wait for the mail to come in...............
On Saturday after the Country Mouse had returned to the Cities, I went out to my mailbox expecting to find just the usual Saturday newspaper ads.........but there was a package from Denny who is in my Wooly Buddies Yahoo group! I could see through the purple tissue paper and could see that everything was going to have a "Wooly" theme. Sure enough......Denny ha
d sewn the Wooly Buddies logo to a little zippered bag and then found these cute "Woolies" to tuck in the bag. I'll never be able to use them because they are too cute! Thanks, Denny, "sew" much!!!The mail goes out..............For several weeks, I have been thinking about a letter I needed to write for our 80th Linn Family Reunion. I do the mailings for the annual event and this being a major milestone year, I wanted to make it special. I just wasn't gettin' that creative vibe..........and then last week, it clicked for me and I knew what I would do. This past Sunday, I typed my letter and asked all the family members that since I make the arrangements and send the cards for the reunion, I asked them to send me a card in return. And I wanted a recipe in the card and any memories they can share and photos. I am determined to write a little book of family memories but have had a hard time getting folks to write those memories down. We do food really well at our annual potluck picnic so I am hoping that by sharing a recipe they will also share a memory or photographs, too. When I finished the letter, I was ready to hit "print" but then I decided to "sleep on it" in case I wanted to make changes. Wise move, as I realized I forgot to mention a couple of things. Made my changes and as you can see in the photo below, the letters are printed!
I stuffed the envelopes and put on the labels and the stamps. I loved those Bob Hope stamps!!! And then I took them off to the post office and they are winging their way to towns in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and to the east and west. Every year someone comes to the reunion that hasn't come in years and I just love watching them reconnect with family. Now I will wait for the mail to come in...............Packages also went out to three of the giveaway winners and then more will go out in a couple of days. Now if you left a comment during the time of my blog anniversary celebration, you can go here and leave your name for one last prize offered up with help from Brown Bear! Just don't tell Mary Grace I sent you. Hee hee! (Mary Grace has followed my blog for quite some time and she was one of my first giveaway winners. She is trying really hard to win again!)
We got lovely rain here all afternoon and evening. It has been dry, dry and so now things should green up quite well! That's all for now.........
Sandi
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