PIF from Osage Bluff Quilter

I have been very remiss in not showing everyone the wonderful gift I received in a Pay It Forward round. This incredible wall hanging was done by Patti at Osage Bluff Quilter. I wanted to post a picture of the hanging next to a picture of my Border Collie that most resembled it, but none of the little critters would hold still long enough in the proper pose. My next thought was to take a picture as it will hang on the wall (it will displace a painting of Montmartre, Paris, FR that I bought at a street art fair while in Paris) with an artfully arranged plant sitting in an antique fruit scale (purchased at the Metz, FR flea market) which sits atop an antique oak barrister's case (that was purchased at an auction in Virginia). Whew! But, I'm still trying to locate a rod to hang this amazing piece of
fabric art from.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to my friend at Osage Bluff Quilter.

Now to some not so amazing fabric art. This is my progress so far on a wall-hanging that I am doing with Judy's Quilt Along. I have had a really hard time doing this. I have a spatial relationship cognitive problem, so it took me several days to work out a system where I could see how it all fit together. I can't just look at a picture and figure it out - I have to get one section correct (after numerous incidents of ripping out seams), then memorize how I did it. (Beware of me when parallel parking or backing a vehicle!!). In spite of my mental limitation, I am enjoying this project and it is a good exercise for my brain.

Sunday is always my day for my hobbies - even though I should be doing farm or garden work. So, in addition to working on the above wall-hanging, I also worked on the BIG quilt for my bed. I am still in the process of tracing the pattern from one of my sister's books - 100 Best Quilt Blocks and Borders by Phyllis Dobbs. I'm doing the pattern, Hearts, Bars and Shooting Stars. I'm working under a handicap here, too -- my husband. Since this is for HIS bed, he wants no flowers (he's getting tiny flowers), no feminine colors (is pink a feminine color?). At least I added lots of green and a strong brown (with tiny flowers). He doesn't understand how hard it is to avoid flowers when I want to use colors and patterns that will compliment our dressers that are from 1890 to 1920.

I chose this pattern because we have a heart theme going - two framed quilted heart pictures, a cross-stitch alphabet sampler, and this chalk and crayola drawing that our granddaughter did for us when she was 8 years old. The chalk is beginning to fade - K. is 16 years old, now - so, I plan on transferring it as exactly as I can onto fabric. One will be a wall-hanging to replace this picture and I will do another which will be a quilt for K. I'm hoping to get the quilt done by her high school graduation in May 2010. Wish me luck! And offer advice!
Copyright 2009 K. Nessle

Speaking of high school, ya'll should read the book I just finished - Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Chilling! I am so glad I don't have children in high school and that my two grandchildren will be finished by 2010. And, don't miss my cousin's blog about her grandparents . She has sent me into research mode concerning something I have never heard of about the Depression.

And, here is a link to just a hint of what I found out about another government policy during the Depression.