Project update - a gift

Since I have some projects "in progress" that I cannot show you yet I'm giving you all a gift instead. I've been doing some photography for a fabric experiment and the Iris is currently in bloom. Hope you all have a great week-end.

Local Life - Bellevue Clean Up Day

The semi-annual "Bellevue Clean Up Day" is this Saturday May 1st, 8.00 a.m - 12.00 p.m.  at the Bellevue Center parking lot. Sponsors are the Bellevue Exchange Club and Bellevue Chamber of Commerce.
Metro Public Works - disposal bins for large appliances, and worn furniture.
All About Computers - bins for old computers.
Nashville Vehicle Inspection Program - car emission testing and license renewals.
Goodwill - clothing, appliances and furniture.
Shred on The Run - dispose of personal papers.
Vanderbilt Childrens Hospital - check child car seats.

Other activities.
Help clean up recent graffiti, remove weeds, and pick up trash around the area.
Help beautify gardens along the major thoroughfares, Red Caboose Park and local schools.
The Bellevue Middle school garden and learning center will receive proceeds from Red Robin Restaurant if you tell the servers "Support Bellevue".
Volunteers at Kroger 70S & 100 will collect non-perishable foods for the Bellevue Food Bank. 9.00 till 11.30 a.m.
So if you are in the area on Saturday and looking for something to do or just want to spring clean your house then this is the event for you :)
http://www.bellevueexchangeclub.org/

It's an Interior Thing - head in the toilet .........

That's how I'm feeling this morning. What can I say I get migraines. Yuck.

So like many people with middle aged homes (ours was built in the 1960's) there comes a time when bathroom re-modeling has to be considered and we are at that point. Our main bathroom measure a hefty 6ftishx10ft and is split in half by a wall and doorway. Hides the pipe work to the shower/bath but I'm trying to talk hubbie into moving the bath to another wall so we don't see the toilet from the door. Our "master" bath would make a great closet :) To be honest I'm not converted to having a master bath in the bedroom. Not very romantic !!!!!!
I've been looking at all kinds of designs and getting ideas. I like our main bathroom sink area. It just needs updated. I do not like all the floor tiling - too slippery when wet, which is something to be taken into consideration for those of us who are "over the hill" age wise :) On the counter the grout catches every piece of grime imaginable.

I like "This Old House" and used to be a regular watcher till it got way to expensive with the reno's. Having said that they do have a video called "Trends in Bathroom Design" which I found interesting.
http://thisoldhouse.com/toh/video/0,,1632345,00.html

To quote directly from http://www.remodelingmyspace.com/bathroom/bathroom-remodeling-ideas/bathroom-remodeling-pictures-and-design-photos.htm/ You know it's time for a bathroom remodel when everything starts leaning in the wrong direction :)

Scots Corner - Menstrie Castle

This is going to be one of those "read it and groan" posts. I wish I had found the article on the appropriate day. That's all I'm saying :)
www.alloaadvertiser.com/news/roundup/articles/2010/04/01/398740-menstrie-castle-to-be-moved-to-nova-scotia/

Blog of the Week - Jennifer Chiaverini

I started reading Jennifer's Elm Creek books a few years ago and have maybe 2 to go. I like how they interweave history, quilting and modern life into one on-going story. I received "More Elm Creek Quilts" book 3 in the quilt series as a hostess gift last week so now I have the set :)
Hubbie gave me some "don't spend it all at once ;)" money at the weekend so I'm thinking about buying "Sylvia's Bridal Sampler" so I can drool !!!!!!! (There's a section at the blog showing some extremely talented quilters who have already made it.)

It struck me that a lot of the quilt block patterns are similar to the ones I am making for "Grandma's Best Full Size Quilt Blocks" so I may try and find a way to combine the two.
Jennifer is doing book signings in Ohio this week, one of which is almost down the street from my mother-in-law!!!!!
http://elmcreek.net/

Project update - a small finish

We had a good time with our unexpected guests from the Netherlands. Hopefully they are safely at home by now. We took them out to the Oprymills Mall and the Opryland Hotel which they enjoyed very much. They also rented a car and did some driving around of their own and worked on some Lego/Technix projects.
So with my sewing room/office being used as a guest room I did some cross stitch projects when I had a moment or two. I used an orphan quilt block for the back of a small 51/2'x51/2" pillow. You can see the other finishes at my hand stitching blog http://stitchacrosstheborder.blogspot.com/

I also have another little pillow made from 2 small quilt blocks but I want to add something else to it before I "show and tell" :)
It's a big weekend in Nashville this weekend with the County Music Marathon taking over downtown. Hubbie is volunteering at the event. The kids and I are participating in a regional LDS church service project (Well not any more we're not. It has been postponed.)

Ashes, ashes, everywhere.

I don't normally post on the weekends but I will probably be off-line for a few days.

We have some very unexpected guests from Amsterdam, courtesy of the volcanic eruption in Iceland. They were at a conference with John and are now stranded, along with many other people. Hopefully they will be able to head home by Saturday.

When I talked with my parents yesterday planes AND trains in Britain were not running and the import/export trades are starting to feel the impact.

Project updates ..... not so much ......... but

The International Quilt Festival starts today in Chicago. Next year it moves to Cincinnati !!!!!!!!
Woohoo :) http://www.quilts.com/newHome/index.php

I have been busy this week with lots of projects just not much in the way of quilting. Stripping wooden shutters, transplanting plants & weeding, a ton of genealogy, cross stitch, PTSO stuff.  Hubbie is out of town so I'm also doing some of his things for him. Plus DD#3 is going to a prom. I thought it was next week but it is TOMORROW so yesterday we went shopping and lucked out big time at our first store. Yeah Sears :)
I have a stack of finished quilt blocks and some other, almost completed, projects that I've been looking at this week. They all need worked on but my problem at the moment is which one do I want to do first...... Aaaaaaargh. It's just fabric, it should not be that difficult !!!!!!!! I think I need to do some applique on some of them that ALWAYS gets me motivated :)
I borrowed one of my favorite applique books from the library AGAIN. I really need to break down and buy my own copy. "Basic Quilting Techniques for Hand Applique" by Mimi Dietrich.

Local Life - Capture Music City

A few years ago there was a big event. Lots of people were to send in photographs to The Tennessean of what they thought represented Nashville and then a public vote was done. The most popular ones (and a few others) were published in a great book, which I happened to find at the library this week :) Thousands of photographs were submitted and I remember at one point seeing a montage done of many of them. It was quite striking.
There's a CD with the book that I am looking forward to viewing.

The front cover (Union Station) is by the grand prize winner Josh Hunter.
My favorites from the book are -
Art Teacher Hands
HEHHHH'LP
Bathtime ... Rural Style
Mr Fox's Paper Hat
Looking Back
Tree Fungi
Hoop Dancing
Reagan
Ready For War
Snow Whirl
Quiet, Listen!
Pipe Organ
Eeyore
Wrigley the Pug (my absolute favorite which surprised me greatly)
Wind-blown Doggy With Shades
Rachel's Garden Path
Stained Glass Barn
Parthenon Pillars
The Carillons
Cumberland Presbyterian Church (stained glass window)
May Your Christmas Be Bright

It's an Interior Thing - Quilts for Cars

Janet at LofS shared this story with us yesterday http://quiltspluscolor.blogspot.com/2010/04/in-spring-quilters-fancy-turns-to-quilt.html and the photograph shows my favorite :) With all the dust we get round here I'm not sure I would want to adorn my lovely purple van in one. I'd have to wash it every other day. Interesting idea though and kudos to those talented stitchers who managed to make their car apparel look so good.
I noticed that one of the quilts was made by Tall Pines Quilt Guild in Huntsville, Texas. They are having a quilt show entitled "Airing of the Quilts" on May 1st.

Scots Corner - Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and over the past 20 odd years has undergone a huge transformation. Enjoy this beautiful video and music from "Scottish Cities & Towns".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIkFZBD6qqA&feature=related

Blog of the Week - Mrs. Moen

Nina Lise aka Mrs. Moen has quite a whimsical blog. Fun projects and designs are important to her and her loyal band of followers :) She has challenged people to use their tablecloths creatively and the photograph shows her first attempt. (I think she has more tablecloths than I have fabric !!!!!). Nina Lise hails from Norway and if our family ever makes a "return to the paternal homeland trip" we might just show up on her doorstep :) http://mrsmoen.blogspot.com/

Project update - Bird Sanctuary

One of the on-line groups I am with (Fiber Art Traders) is doing a technique week using things lying around the house to create a bird shrine. The above is the "inspiration" piece, created by Sharon, but we are not expected to duplicate it. At the moment my unfinished birdie has found sanctuary in a nest full of wooden potpourri odds and ends while I contemplate the house and also how to finish her off. I have a couple of ideas for other birds that might get used in addition too, or instead off, the current one. My mind has been on assisting with other events this week so sewing has not been anywhere near the top of my to do list :)

Local Life - Southern Women's Show "Satisfy Your Cravings"

A big annual event that started today and runs through Sunday. I keep promising myself I will go because it sounds really interesting and every year something else gets in the way :( So if you are in Nashville and have some time head on over to the Convention Center. Wear comfortable shoes !!!!!
http://www.southernshows.com/wna/
So what is this event. It's all about shopping, fashion, health, home and cooking with some other fun activities and prizes thrown in for good measure.

It's an Interior Thing - Welsh Wholecloth Quilts

I did not grow up with a family history of quilting but one thing I was aware of was whole cloth quilts. Welsh ones are lovely.
http://www.diynetwork.com/videos/welsh-whole-cloth-quilts/4673.html

Scots Corner - Border Abbey's Tour

If you ever get the chance you have to do this tour. We did it at our own pace and had a fabulous time. The kids loved scrambling around in all the nooks and crannies. Hubbie loved the history and I just enjoyed the whole experience. We took 2 or 3 days and visited other places along the way.
Of the 4 sites my favorite was Jedburgh. The others, Kelso, Dryburgh and Melrose ran a very close second :)

The four abbeys were founded during the reign of David I and were basically a gesture to the English "come get us if you dare" type thing. They did dare and the abbeys were at the center of many a border battle. Today all 4 are very beautiful ruins with lots of little surprises to discover.

Blog of the week - Blue Moon River

I enjoy visiting Susan Brubaker Knapp's blog and do so regularly. She is good about sharing her thought process on different concepts and readily shares her beautiful bloopers. One of her gorgeous designs is featured on the cover of the current Quilting Arts magazine and she is a regular contributor. I have the patterns for "Pink Petal Party" sitting beside my sewing machine "calling to me" :) Her finished piece will be featured at Paducah this year.
http://www.bluemoonriver.com/

Project update - LofS signature quilt

With the exception of my "mystery"block, needed to fill the gap, all the inner sashing is done. I have a few ideas bouncing around in my brain for the extra block. Just need to put them down on paper to see which one will work out best.
I have all the squares cut out for the BofM project some of us from the LofS group are participating in. I'm behind on that because I needed to get fabric.
The PIF gifts are almost complete but photos for that will have to wait :)

Hope you all have a joyful Easter week-end. We have our world wide church conference all week-end which is always wonderful. It also airs on the internet and T.V. which is very convenient :)

Local Life - Hillwood High School 50th birthday Gala and Open House

April 9th and 10th is THE big bash at Hillwood CHS that has been in the planning since last summer.
On the 9th the alumni are having a formal event starting at 7.00 p.m. with wonderful entertainment, food and a silent auction. Cost $50 per person.
Saturday 10th there is a golf tournament early in the morning. Breakfast is being provided for that event.
The school is open to the public on Saturday from 10.00 a.m. thru 3.00 p.m. with each student academy sponsoring a decade. There will be fun activities through the course of the day so come on out and have a good time.
GOOOOOOO TOPPERS !!!!! http://hillwood50.net
(When I can access my file I might post some more info and pictures.)