Daughters Who Don't Listen

I was talking to someone (Marie?) in Alabama who didn't know what gooseberries were and could not believe a BERRY could be green.  Here they are:

Dad and I collaborated on dinner the first night.  He made the grilled portobello mushrooms and I made boiled beets, beet greens with red onion and cabbage soup served over rice.

I was so excited about Mom and Jan's new line of fabric:

 Remembrance

(part of the line shown)

I unrolled a jelly roll and started slicing.  Mom was trying to slow me down to get an idea what I wanted to do with it, but I WAS NOT LISTENING.  I just wanted to sew and make something.  I kept saying to myself "don't think.  SEW!"  Well, darn.  Thinking is not so overrated as I thought.  And design walls serve a really good purpose.  I don't like what I did with the beautiful fabric, and now I am going to "frog stitch" it (you know: rip-it, rip-it).  Only I will do so CAREFULLY so I can redo a more pleasing design which I will preview and THINK about before stitching together.  

Mom tried to rescue my efforts with borders and rick rack.

Ugh.

Mom mentioned when she doesn't like what she is working on, she folds it up and puts it away.  I figure maybe it is time to LISTEN.  Maybe she knows something about quilting?

We had visitors yesterday.  Debbie and Jackie (lovely lady who makes the wonderful placemats seen here) came over and brought their little baby Lily.

And Lily met Tasha.

Mom, Jackie and Debbie

They have been friends with mom for about 40 years.

I put away my "not listening; sewing" fiasco and went back to the Karen Stone's "Rattlesnake" quilt we have been working on together.  Previously I was attaching the outside of the melons to melons mother had already paper pieced, but now, with paper piecing skills from my mariner's compass class with Brenda Henning, I was able to piece the additional melon sections we need.  I have three more to do.

But that will wait.  Today we are driving to Warsaw, Missouri to see Grandpa Stockton.

My First

Mariner's Compass!

I agonized over the fabric for this, and didn't like what I'd brought to the workshop (Brenda Henning, Quilt Symposium of Alabama), but I persevered until lunch time when I went shopping in the quilters mall.  I wasn't looking for a new fabric, but the floral "spoke" to me and said "I might work." So I took it back to the workshop with me and love the result. The mariner's compass in the previous post "needed" my original center fabric choice.

I am so glad it worked out.

NOW, spend some quality time with the hubby and pack for Mother's.

Take a pause

I had a lot of fun at the Quilt Symposium of Alabama! 

The first day I took a class, after checking in, with Cindy Blackberg. We quietly hand-stitched.  It was a good way to relax after unloading my car.  On Friday I had a full day with Sally Collins and I fell completely in love with her miniatures!

These little tiny pieces

go at the corners of little tiny wedding ring intersections.

Like so:

She is serious fun to learn from; I think you can tell:

I can't wait to get one of her books!  

Saturday I sat with Pat from Spirited Quilters, and we worked on Mariner's Compass with Brenda Henning of Bear Paw Productions.  We aspire to learn this:

 One of the other students found a good use for her partially completed Compass:

And here is another student's nearly completed Compass:

Lovely! 

The grounds of the Abbey in Cullman are lush and peaceful. The food is wonderful.  I swear my pants shrank two sizes while I was there.  Think of blueberry white chocolate scones for breakfast and prime rib and tiramisu for dinner. Yeah, really, that good!

Next year's teachers were announced:  Peggy Barkle (see previous post here ), Lisa Bongean (see previous posts here and here), Karen Kay Buckley, Pepper Cory, Beth Ferrier, Anne Lullie and Helen Squire. I hope the vacation fairies smile on me again next summer.

I went walk-about with my camera yesterday. At the Ave Maria Grotto I found this whimsical composition:

On a pedestal of sea shells and marbles

and a pretty kitty-kitty.

I leave for Kansas City Tuesday morning early, so I'll have to visit with you again next weekend.