Thanksgiving Company and a Sunflower

Life ...

We had a fairly quite Thanksgiving day. Then in the late afternoon I fixed a pizza supper for Paul's folks, his sister Jeanie & Galen Schrock, and their daughter Jennifer & Marvin Lapp and children. Craig and Angie and children also came so we had company after all. Most of our children had other family events to attend.

I think my dishwasher is 'toast' !!!

... as a Quilter

I worked on a 'sunflower' piece of art. It was tedious work and hard to keep all the pieces in the correct order.

I'm leaving the paper on the top patches until it's time to sew them down, just in case they come unglued.

Thanksgiving Day Activities

We invited in quite a few folks for our Thanksgiving Day lunch. Some of our guests were:

Paul's folks

Silvan & Kimberly from Virginia

Russ & Loretta and family

Amy & Ashton

Craig, Angie, Tina, & Josiah

It was warm enough for outdoor games so Ashton, Kirby, and Stacy made roads and hauled mulch.

Back inside, Georgi looks at the pictures and makes up her stories and "reads" out loud to Tina and Talya.

The young and young at heart nibbled on the gingerbread house.

I took these four silly grands on a 4-wheeler ride to take sunset pictures.

And then Craig decided it's time to make taffy.

What does it matter if the kitchen floor gets sticky? Pulling it is part of the fun

Thanksgiving Day

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. –Psalm 100:4

This morning the birds flocked around the house by the thousands.

There was only a small group of us Grabers together for lunch at Lanell & Rhoda’s.

This looks like a fun and easy way to farm.

I cleaned the counter tops in the sewing room getting ready for Bonnie Hunter’s mystery quilt, “Grand Illusion” which debuts tomorrow morning. I’m having second thoughts about my choice of pink fabric. I like the richer darker look, but I’m second guessing if it contrasts enough with the green and blue.

I wonder how many of you readers are joining in this year or just following along?

Thanksgiving Day and Wonky Quilts

I was thankful for Afton and Keyona’s help in peeling potatoes for mashed potatoes for our Thanksgiving lunch.

Mother enjoys a moment with her great grandson Teryn Ray.

Quinten smoked a turkey for our lunch. Evie made gravy and carved the turkey.

After lunch I pulled out a gingerbread house for the grandchildren to help decorate.

Evie did a wonderful job squeezing the icing, letting the children place the candy on the house, and keeping order.

I think I like Dr. Seuss’ books as much as the children. And I’m always glad “that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day!”

Afton is basting her quilt getting it ready for the machine quilting.

She bundled up for an airplane ride and then had some waiting time so she diligently kept on quilting.

Keyona getting her quilt basted.

Mother’s hexagons are making beautiful flowers. Just look how nice and flat they lay.

All finished except hand stitching the binding to the back.

And June did a lot of that hand stitching.

Keyona’s “Wonky Squares” in purple.

Afton’s “Wonky Squares” in pink.

Grandmother and “Grandmother’s Flowers”

Thanksgiving Guests, Keyona and Afton Quilt

Life …

My sister June and Jim brought two of their grandchildren and Mother to Mississippi to visit us over the Thanksgiving holidays.

We took them out to Bogue Chitto Cotton Gin for a tour. Paul shows them a hand full of cotton seeds.

Keyona and Afton watch the cotton bales being wrapped for shipment.

This is our group watching the loud machines strip the cotton from the seeds. Actually there are saw blades that pick the seeds from the lint.

… as a Quilter

Keyona and Afton are trying to pick some fabric to make a small quilt.

We decided on making “wonky” squares like Gina, Carolyn, and Dana to make it easy. I set up my trusty old Bernina 1130 in my SewEasy table for Keyona.

Afton used Amy’s trusty Bernina 1260 set up on Paul’s desk.

June sat at my desk doing beautiful hand work with silk ribbon and thread on her black velvet diamonds.

Mother sat back in the corner hand stitching her hexies together, a project that Polly helped get started for her. She loves it and her points are coming out very precise and the flowers lay nice and flat.

Ashton had his own ideas about making quilt blocks and used my trusty Bernina 170 to make his creation.

My job was to cut the strips for the girls, guide them in their sewing, watch out for Ashton and do whatever else that needed to be done.