Quilts and Cake

I was thinking...why not use some of those canned peaches we have lots of instead of pineapple. Well, it looks like it worked out great! This is the second time it came out perfect when I turned out onto plate. Mark said, well, I bet it would be good with the fresh raspberries we will be harvesting in July or fresh blueberries....I mean the possibilities are endless. When I go to Kauai, I could try Mango UpsideDown cake...now that sounds really good.

I probably started this quilt about 25 years ago, maybe less. Its a double irish chain with a seminole border. I do know Mike was still alive for many years after I finished piecing the top. The dark green is actually a green on green print of roses and the yellow fabric is roses. The coral is a batik and is the same coral color in the yellow print. I finally quilted it this fall so we wouldn't freeze this winter since all my quilts are plum worn out! Need to quilt another one for next year, we use two quilts. This one has a beautiful 100% washable wool form Dream Cotton. Mark loves that it hangs almost to the floor on all sides...it was originally for a kingsize bed, this one is a queen.

My girlfriend, Candace Tuell, who lives on Dummyline Road in Picayune, Mississippi (no kidding), called me about two weeks ago and asked if I could quilt a quilt for her. She needed by beginning of July for a wedding. Now, she has had this top done for over 20 years. It's all hand appliqued but since it is going to a couple that is not from a "quilting background" you know this puppy is gonna be thrown in the washer and dryer...cringe...she says she is going to make up a detailed description on the care of this quilt...she kept saying how major this was for her, to be giving a quilt like this away, I get it Candace. She wanted something quick but overall, it was a shame to do a loose meandering over the entire top, all that applique but it really turned out great! She forgot to send a backing and low and behold I had a pinkish fabric for the backing...I still have almost three yards leftover. Here it is loaded on the gammil; those boxes on the shelves in the background is part of my stash. The shelves are 20+' long and have three shelves with room on top. Those ar 54qt. boxes! and I left a huge part of stash on Kauai, gave away to sr. cente and friends...that darn 20' container would only hold so much and Mark kept harping about the washer, dryer, bed......

Here it is finished (well, the quilting anyway). Looks pretty good on my bed. It has that extra length for the pillow tuck. I think she is going to bind it with pink. The sides are not long enough for Mark but he thinks it turned out great! He did think it is pretty fem for a guy...yeah...they are a couple but he still thinks kinda a fru fru. But he would sleep under it.

Corner detail......so lovely.

Another shot of pillow tuck and center medalion.
I am now in the process of tracing an old old old Pacifica Pattern for a bikini for myself. Tori says I must wear a two piece. I only meant to trace the top but I did the whole thing. Will make out of some batik fabric I have and line with a hand dye or make out of hand dye and line with batik :-) anyway the bottom comes up almost to belly button, there were two styles, one pretty skimpy and this other view. When I have done I will photograph and post. My time is getting short until I leave. Just realized on Sunday that I am leaving on Mother's day and Mark told me today I get home two days after Father's day. I am going to have so much fun....yipee.....

SNOW SNOW SNOW...AGAIN!!!

Here I am on Wednesday at the Crystal Falls Hydroelectric plant, the Paint River is at flood stage and they had to open 3 of the 4 gates and it is pumping over the spillway. The sound is like thunder. We took some really neat photos this day. I am standing here, 125# less than 14 months ago. It has been a really tough road to haul but I am making great progress and my hair is growing back finally. When I brush my hair it is just the usual little bit that always comes out. For a couple months, everytime I brushed my hair, I would have to empty the brush before I did the other half...very depressing. Almost finished with a series of 12 (ugh and ouch!!!) B1 shots. I get the last on Wednesday before I go to Kauai (May 8th) for a little over 6 weeks. I am so excited to see my Tori! She has so much planned for us to do plus she wants me to start teaching her how to sew...exciting!!!

and....it started snowing last night and hasn't stopped all day. You can see how much has accumulated on the deck railing. The birds have cleaned out all the feeders and suet too. Tomarrow even if it is snowing, I will bundle up and go out there and fill the feeders and get them birdies fed. Not only our usual crowd but they've come back in hoardes this spring(?). We have about a dozen Evening Grosbecks, one of the largest finches. I saw this guy on the Michigan program on PBS and he said they were in decline, not this year in our yard :-)

I have started on a new doll, a mermaid, I am making her in two color ways. A very pale pale green and very pale pale blue. I just finished up both heads...I think I prefer the blue. I need to buy lots of beads and different kinds for all the beading on her tail and fins. I think instead of beading her beast cups I am going to use two Sun Rise shells I have had for ages. The perfect use. They are so hard to get these days. Large groups of people comb the beach for these shells on the Na Pali coast and get very aggressive if they find you looking for shells. They sell them individually...a really nice SunRise shell can cost over twenty bucks now a days, could be higher. That really stinks! Have to go see my old girl friend, her trade mark is "aama" which is crab in Hawaiian...because she said she felt like a crab, creeping along the beach looking for Niihau shells and all shells for that matter. She was the first person to combine the Niihau shells and beads, her work is incredible and I own several of her earlier pieces :-)

Well, I am tired and have so much to do before I go to Kauai. One more charity quilt to quilt and am waiting on quilt from girlfriend from Mississippi, need to do that one before I leave. She needs to send from her state to wedding in ? beginning of July. I do not get home until the June 21st (I leave May 8th, a little over six weeks) at around 5a.m. in Chicago...I think Mark will meet me there. My ticket goes on to Green Bay, but he wants to visit his daughter, so, if he does, I will get off in Chicago. Puts about 4 hours on our ride home, but I had a little over 3 hour lay over in Chicago.............so.

Hope everyone's spring is a bit more sunny than mine is right now. I hope my daffodils and crocus don't croak from all this snow.