Celtic Solstice and En Provence

Life ...

I love the transparency and design of this dragonfly's wings.

... as a Quilter

I finished two Bonnie Hunter Mystery quilts. My sister Emily long-arm quilted them and then I finished them up.

En Provence

Celtic Solstice

Life Over the Holidays

I'm lagging behind on the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt, #OnRingoLake which isn't unusual for me at this stage of the game.

I've even entertained the idea of adding a little zip and zing with the addition of lime green placed sporatically throughout the quilt. What do you think?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The small group around our table for Christmas lunch included Paul's sister Jeanie & Galen, his folks, and Amy & Ashton.

Sunset at our house from the other side of the pond.

Paul worked on Ashton's hover board ...

... and got it going again.

If only that 300 lb. sow wouldn't have barged her way through between Paul and the gate.

On Ringo Lake and Art Quilt of Lakeland Presbyterian Church

Between working on Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt #OnRingoLake... 

...I have been working on my piece of the Lakeland Presbyterian Church in Flowood, MS. Here is my original picture.

I used a photo filter to get a different effect.

This is my piece of fiber art that I'm ready to quilt.

We also had a butchering day at the farm. I was glad the farm boys did all the work.

Bonnie Hunter Mystery and Michigan Trip

Listening to Handel's Messiah while I stitch units for clue #2 of #BonnieHunter's mystery quilt #OnRingoLake .

 

Continuing our trip to Detroit, we passed this huge Uniroyal tire on Interstate 94.

It is made from a ferris wheel that was at the NY World's Fair in 1964. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniroyal_Giant_Tire

Scott and Darry have a junk business in Detroit. They find all kinds of 'treasures' and have furnished their houses with some of their finds.

Scott prepared popcorn for the snack at the weekly activity center.

The children gathered around for prayer before snack.

We had supper with Scott & Melissa, Kaylie, & Samatha and Darryl & Laura, and Kenny & Danielle.

Alex with his mini bike. He let me sit on it but was afraid I'd wreck it if I took it for a spin. It's probably good that he was skeptical of my driving!

Darryl and Laura live on Casper Street with very close neighbors.

Paul helped Darryl work on the garage while Kenny supervised!

Alex, leading the Sunday morning singing at Grace Christian Fellowship.

Bonnie Hunter's On Ringo Lake

Each year I like to participate in Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt. This year it's called "On Ringo Lake." I decided to mix things up a bit and swap the neutrals for black and make the dark brown my lights. I hope I won't be sorry! Here's my choice of fabric ...

... and a few of the nine-patches for the 1st clue.

En Provence Finale

This is my version of Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt "En Provence." I finished sewing all the blocks together recently at our annual Heatwole Sewing Retreat.

My sisters Emily and Polly and a friend Queena also joined in the fun of making "En Provence."

It's so neat seeing how the same pattern looks with different fabrics.

And now I'm already looking forward to next year's mystery quilt.

Life and En Provence

Life ...

Is that chocolate milk with hotdogs for lunch?

... as a Quilter

I've made a few changes along the way with my Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt, "En Provence" .

~~~Parting Shot~~~

After the Rain

Children, En Provence, and Daddy's Ties

Games and storybooks kept Georgi, Talya, and Delta entertained while their parents were out for the evening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I finished up clue #2 of Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt "En Provence."

I had fun trying different arrangements with the units.

And now I have started working on clue #3. I'm a bit leery about the light purples being too dark; but I'm tired of second guessing myself and decided to just go for it...

...and use my original pallet of fabrics.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The quilt I'm making for 'Pea Picker' of his "Daddy's Ties" is in the quilting stage now. Here I have matched up 'frames' for the smaller rectangles.

This is the finished top that is ready for quilting. I like the luminosity that the silk ties provide.

'Pea Picker' brought some of his daddy's shirts to me and I thought to use them for the back of the quilt. After I got it all pieced I decided that it just didn't go with the classy silk front. So I found a better suited backer. This back would be great for a more casual top.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Good morning -- through the kitchen window.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ashton had Darren over to play on Saturday morning. After having fun around the muddy pond out in the cold, they were glad for the laundry tub and warm water.

Happy New Year and Allietare Reveal

Happy New Year

I had a great day, this first day of 2016. 

Bonnie Hunter gave us the 6th and final clue to the Allietare Mystery Quilt. I sewed most of the day and love how this quilt is turning out.

And now it's progressed to this although it's still just blocks. Check Bonnie's Mystery Mondy Linky Party for other quilts of Allietare.

I have also been working on this piece. It's one of 5 slices of a picture of the Ag Museum in Jackson, MS.

Paul's niece Paula and Jerel Yoder from Colorado are spending a few days in the area. Their quartet of 4 boys is a lively bunch! They are helping Amy do some painting inside of her house.

 I fixed cornbread and soup with a plate of cheese and took it over to them for supper. This recipe came from my sister Polly who got it from Rosedale Bible Institute many years ago, if my memory serves me right.  It's been used many times and I treasure Polly's handwriting on my card.