My Husband's Grandchildren Finished Quilts

This past Spring I was asked by Bill's DIL and daughter to finish his grandchildren quilts that were started by Bill's deceased wife back in 2002. I felt very honored to be asked and was very happy to do this for the grandchildren, family and Bill. Bill's deceased wife was a quilter and did very lovely embroidery work. She embroidery very sweet pictures of boys fishing on the boys quilt tops and fabric painted lovely mermaids on the girls quilts. So to finish them was not difficult. I picked out the backing fabrics for the quilt and finished them 3 weeks before Christmas. Bill and I together decided on the wording for the Quilt Labels. Bill actually pencil the wording on the labels for me and I embroidery them. The quilts were given to the grandchildren for Christmas and they had NO idea they were coming. On Christmas Day when the grandchildren open the quilts there was tears of joy and sadness. I received hugs from the grandchildren which made me feel loved for doing this for them. I told the grandchildren they needed to put the quilts on their beds and use them everyday and know they are truly loved by both of us.

Pictures of these lovely quilts made by both of us are on the slide show below and above are extra pictures for those who can not excess slide shows.

Check out my Slide Show!

I Am Very Thankful For My Husband, Bill

I asked God for my perfect match, thinking that no such thing could happen, and God provided. I am thankful and blessed to have my husband. We have only been married 3 years but I give thanks everyday that we found each other and we are now together. With a smile and a hug My Dear Husband always tells me we are looking forward to at least 40 years of being together of course by then he will be 104... vbg This is one of the many, many, many reasons why I love him soooo much.

Peppermint Princess 4th Spirit of Friendship Doll

Peppermint Princess is the 4th Spirit of Friendship Doll I created this year for a Friend Leslie who lives in Colorado. We decided to do a one on one swap for Christmas. I met Leslie on the Crazy Quilting International Online Group this past year. This list members are comprised of a stash of wonderful ladies that are very supportive and creative in many ways. I was introduced to the concept of Spirit of Friendship Dolls on this CQI list. I fell in love with the concept and the challenge of creating a Spirit of Friendship Doll that would be very unique. I guess you could say creating them brought out a bit more of my creativity I did not know I had in me. vbg Peppermint Princess was inspired by a Christmas Card I bought for my Friend Lyn who lives in Melbourne Australia who has a special fetish for Snowman/Snow Ladies. vbg Actually, Peppermint Princess is completely beaded with the exceptional of a few button hole stitches around the center of her body. I made her face from polymer clay. I hope to create many more Spirit of Friendship Dolls in the future.

Spring Garden Spirit of Friendship Doll from My SIS

Yesterday I received my Christmas Package from my Sis Lyn who lives in Melbourne, Victoria Australia. I received all kinds of lovely beads, charms, lace, wood and felt needle holder, needles and lovely toile fabric. Lyn where did you get those lovely lavenders sea shells, I love them. Could of they come from QLD???

This year we also decided to exchange Spirit of Friendship Dolls. I have created several but the above pictures is of Lyn's very first one. I will call her Spring Garden because all of the embellishment reflects a Very Happy Spring Day to me..

Lyn wrote me a note about Spring Garden. Lyn tells me, She is in your favorite colors. I love all shades of Purple!!! She has a Special Heart full of Love from Me to You. She has a basket full of Spring Flowers that you love. She wears a Lace Kite on her back soaring high and reaching out. She is my very First Spirit of Friendship Doll and her face is the first one of two I made. The beads surrounding her face are my favorites. She is wearing a Spring Bonnet of Beautiful Lace. Lyn your first Spirit of Friendship Doll is incredible beautiful and I will treasure her forever. Thank you so much for creating her for me.

Pay It Forward Gift From Susan

I am participating in a wonderful program called "Pay It Forward" . In this program you commit to creating a "Handmade" gift for Three People who sign up for it on your blog. This week I received this very lovely beaded Christmas Tree Pin from Susan a new friend from Arizona. Unfortunately, this picture does not due justice to the very tiny artistic beading work created on this pin. Thank you very much Susan for creating this gift for me. Please send some of that sunshine and warmth in Arizona to Michigan it is so very cold here.

Christmas Spirit Of Friendship Doll From Leslie

I received this very lovely Crazy Patchwork Christmas Spirit Doll from Leslie a friend from Colorado this week. The beading is really really wonderful and her face is very sweet. The beading around the doll is soooo very very pretty. Wish I knew how to create this technique in beading. I believe Leslie made all the great polymer clay embellishments on her. Another lovely Spirit of Friendship Doll to add to my collections and treasure. The lovely Rose Fabric Leslie sent along too. I love roses and plan to use it in my Rose Theme Crazy Quilt I plan to start next year. Thanks for beautiful Christmas gift Leslie. I love her.

Christmas Quilt From Inge in Holland

I received this special weee Lovely Christmas Quilt from my friend in Holland. The Christmas flowers are great with hand embroidery and beads and a glittery border. The back is as lovely as the front. The Christmas Trees are made of I think hand made paper and painted with gold garland and beads for decorations. The background fabric is lovely with all the stars sparkling in the sky. I must learn how to do that printing words on Fabric. Thanks you my Friend, for this lovely weee Christmas Quilt.

My First Quilt 1994

I had admired quilts for many years before I said, I can do this. LOL My youngest son was going to graduate from HS in 1995 so I decided, I am going to create a quilt that would remind Shane of our time we spent together in Alaska. I took a picture I had taken of Shane catching his first King Salmon in the Kenai Fjords National Park to many quilt shops asking if they could teach me how to make a quilt that would reflect this picture. All accept one told me that I should start with a small block first. A new shop had just open so I went in and looked around trying to get up the nerve to ask one more time. I took out the picture and ask the new shop owner if she could teach me how to make a quilt that would look like this picture. She smile at me and said, when would you like to start??? I smile and said, how about right now!!!! vbg We went into the class room and we started drawing. This quilt took me two years of constant work learning as I went along. It was a year after my son graduated before it was complete. I used Madeira Metallic Embroidery Floss to stitch on the King Salmon because I wanted them to sparkle and be the focus of the quilt. I also thought I needed some whales swimming in the ocean so I included them too. I also added some star fish which I created by using silk ribbon french knots in two different colors and then I filled in the area with beads. I took the actually picture of Shane catching the salmon and photo transferred it onto the quilt front. I also included several pictures of Shane fishing in different places in Canada and Alaska and photo transferred them on the back of the quilt. I did all the machine quilting with metallic because I wanted the whole quilt to shine. Boy, that was so difficult to do . I can not tell you how many times that thread broke. LOL Shane loved the quilt and we still talked about our wonderful memories in Alaska.

My Three Lovely Grandchildren

Chloe 18 months old and Ethan 2 1/2 years old starting to play ring around the rosy. vbg Chloe holding her Germany Baby Muffin she got from us for our early Christmas. The other pic is of Morgan my oldest Grand Daughter exploring the log cabin blocks. Morgan wants to be an graphic designer.

My Special Grandchildren

Ethan's cousin Chloe trying to put the bow on his head. Ethan was not going for it. LOL Oh, how wonderful it is to watch your grandchildren play together.

Kreb's Glas Creations, Lauscha, Germany

While living in Germany I loved visiting many lovely German Villages and the village of Lauscha is the birth place of glass Christmas Ornaments. This tradition is 400 years old and the Kreb's Glass Christmas Showroom is the first two pictures above. Behind the showroom is the factory where all these lovely ornaments are created. While visiting the showroom there was so many lovely colors of ornaments to choose from it was a bit overwhelming. I finally decided on the blue and silver ones with some others that I could not resist buying. I think the one I love the best is the Christmas Wedding Ornament which represents our Wedding in November of 2004. I also had to have a Christmas Ornament that would reflect all my special friends in Australia so I bought a Koala Ornament which I was very surprised to see they made. While in Germany my friend Jamie and I would go to as many Antique Markets as we could find. The French Antique Sled was one of the many treasure I found on these antique trips.

My First Beaded Face Brooch, Pink Princess

This past week I was inspired to tray and create a beaded brooch from the Polymer Clay faces I have made. I finished the Pink Princess two days ago and decided I would share her with you all. The Polymer Clay face I made this past summer to use on the Spirit Dolls I have been creating over the last 6 months or so. So now I have a new use for them. I did struggle a bit with the beading but I think she worked out OK. The back of the brooch is Ultrasuede given to me by my a new friend Noel a former Michiganer. vbg I really need to take a formal beading class so I know what I am doing. LOL I had sooo much fun playing around creating My First Beaded Face Brooch.

The German Pickle Christmas Tradition or Not??

Below are two verison of the German Pickle Story I was told about while I was living in Germany. Are they true or not. To me it does not really matter. Since I have come back from Germany the Pickle I bought in Lauscha, Germany the home of the first Christmas Ornament is carried on each Christmas Morning here in my home. My Grandchildren love searching for the pickle an they all have such fun searching for it. Who ever finds the pickle gets a special treat and then a weeee treat is given to the others. Last Christmas we were setting around and I had temporary forgotten about the "Pickle" and I was ask when can we search for the "Pickle" soooo the "Pickle Tradition" is alive and well in my family. vbg

One rumor tells of a Bavarian-born Union soldier fighting in the Civil War named John Lower (or perhaps Hans Lauer) who was captured and sent to prison in Georgia. In poor health and starving, the prisoner begged for just one pickle before he died. A merciful guard took pity and found him a pickle. Miraculously, John lived, and after he returned home he began the tradition of the Christmas Pickle, promising good fortune to the one who found the special ornament on Christmas Day.

The first ornaments used by Germans to decorate Christmas Trees were fruits, particularly apples, and nuts. These, along with the evergreen tree itself, represented the certainty that life would return in the spring. In the mid-eighteen hundreds, a few enterprising individuals living in the village of Lauscha (in the present-day state of Thuringen) began selling glass ornaments. Using fruit and nut molds at first, they eventually branched out, adding thousands of molds to their repertoire: angels, bells, saints, hearts, stars, and so on.

Pay It Forward

I believe that "Pay It Forward" is a wonderful program and I look forward to participating and creating a handmade gift to the first 3 people who leave a comment here on my blog requesting to join this PIF exchange. I don’t know what that gift will be yet and you may not receive it tomorrow or next week, but you will receive it within 365 days, that is my promise! The only thing you have to do in return is pay it forward by making the same promise on your blog.”Sew, if You have not already joined in a PIF venture, please feel welcomed to do so. I KNOW I will NOT have my end ready for mailing until sometime during 2008 , but this will keep me committed and I'll keep you in mind for the holidays as I stitch my way through the end of 2007.

Memories of Christmas in Germany, Willkommen

I have many memories of the two years I lived in Germany. But the most fondest memories are at Christmas time and especially the two times I went to Seiffen Germany which is the official Christmas Village in Germany. (Please click on the buttons for beautiful pictures). Seiffen was a very long drive from my home in Ettinghausen Germany. It took me approximately 6 to 8 hours depending on the traffic. Yes they have traffic jams in Germany. LOL

Seiffen is located in the Ore Erzgebirge Mountains in Eastern Germany near the Czech Republic border. "Christmas in Seiffen" is the most incredible beautiful village I have ever seen. (This link plays Christmas music with pictures of Seiffen). They are know for creating wooden Christmas toys, nutcrackers, smokers, pyramids, angels, wibbogen and many other wonderful creations. The top picture is of a "Doppelschwibbogen" which is such a lovely wooden Christmas Tree that lights up. They have many different creations of Wibbogen but I choose this one to bring home with me.

In the second picture there is three of my collections of "Smokers". There is the Snowman, Santa and the Christmas tree. They come apart and you can place weee cones of inscents on a holder and when you light them the scents of smokes come out their opening which most of the time is their mouth. In this picture there is also a replica of the Mountain Church in Seiffen with their carolers. It is a Octagon church and the focus of the community.

In the third picture is a "Pyramid" which when you light the candles the heat from them makes the Pyramid spins around.. During the Christmas season I light the candles for our evening meals and it is a joy to watch it spin around.

The linen I also bought in Germany in a area they call Bavaria. I have many more pictures to share of My Memories of Christmas in Germany which I will share with you all in the weeks to come.

Our First Snow Fall Nov. 23rd.

I

The Morning after Thanksgiving our World was blanket in a weeeeeeeeee bit of fluffy snow and with the sun shining brightly everything appears soooo serene and beautiful. The top pic is a sneaky furry squirrel getting his morning breakie from bits of feed that the birds have left fallen to the ground. The second pic is our front yard with the sun rising behind the trees and the third pic is of my Jim Shores Santa Flag. I have several decorative flags that I change with the seasons. Today we will put up our Christmas Tree. Soooooo More pics to come.

Linda's Memory Silk Tie CQ

Recently the online group I belong to called CQI has been showing pictures of our First Crazy Quilt. I was a bit hesitant about sharing mine, so I called My Dear Cousin Linda and ask her for permission to show pictures of her Memory CQ and talk about the reason why I made it for her. She very kindly said, yes she would be happy for me to share her CQ on my blog. This CQ was created from the Silk Ties of Linda's deceased husband Patrick. On March 11th 2001 Linda's DH, youngest son Aaron 26yrs. and his two children, John 3yrs old and Sam 10 months old was taken in a tragic car accident. One day after this horrible event Linda was telling me that she was cleaning out Pat's clothes and she had all these ties she did not know what to do with. I told Linda to please send them to me and I would create a Memory Quilt from them. I looked at the ties for a few months trying to figure out how to best use them. I called Linda back and we talked some more about how I would use them in the quilt. Linda gave me some special dates which occurred during their 30 years marriage together and their favorite vacation place. After this conversation I knew how I would use them. I would make a crazy quilt and create each block to reflect stages of their life together. I also decided that the last block would be of "Hope and Happiness". The first picture is of Linda with her Memory Silk Tie Crazy Quilt. The first block reflects when Patrick was born, the second one is about when Linda and Patrick was married May 30th 1970. The 3rd block is about Patrick's business called Reliance Refrig. The 4th block reflects their favorite vacation spot, Banff in Alberta Canada. The 5th block is Linda's words to her loving family she lost. The 6th block is of "Hope and Happiness" for the future with with embroidery of flowers and butterflies. Linda and I have been very close Cousin and my wish was that this CQ would provide Linda with good memories of her marriage with Patrick and her family and would also provide her with "Hope and Happiness" for the future. I am very please to say that Linda has now been remarried for just about 2 yrs. to a wonderful man Phil who now gives Linda must Happiness.

Lyn's Spirit Of Friendship Doll" Snow Princess"

Lyn's Crazy Quilt Spirit of Friendship Doll, "Snow Princess" is the second Spirit of Friendship Doll I created this year for Christmas Presents. She is made from 3 different kinds of sparkling snow flake fabrics. I did beaded embroidery snowflakes in shades of white and silver. I also used three different kinds of embroidery floss, Renaissance Ultra Sprinkles, Kreinik Metallic in white and platinum and White Madeira Metallic. I also created her face from translucent Kato Polyclay and painted her face with Pearl Ex Powder Pigment in the color Pearl before baking. I think this is the most beads I have ever added to a doll especially around her face.

A bit of history about our Friendship. Lyn's and I met on the Australian Southern Cross Quilters Online Quilting list in October of 1996. As a new member I sent a message introducing my self and Lyn sent me a warm welcome and told me about herself and we discovered we had many things in common. That was the beginning of a wonderful 11 year friendship that has grown and grown.

I have always felt I missed out by not having someone to call a "Sister" and experiencing the special relationships I believed sisters had between each other. Well over the years Lyn has become "My Adopted Sis".

In the year 2000 I turned 50 years old and for a special gift Lyn traveled from Melbourne Australian to Virginia to help me celebrate my birthday. vbg We celebrated everyday for 3 months. When Lyn arrived in New York it started to snow. As Lyn walked from the jumbo jet to the smallish plane Lyn saw and felt "Snow Flakes" for the first time in her life. When Lyn arrived in Virginia she was dead tired from the very long trip and when we met she could not stop talking about the beautiful snow flakes she saw in New York. vbg The next day I showed Lyn piles of snow in our local parking lots and she was soooooooooooooo very excited. We through snowballs at each other and laughed and laughed. During the next 3 months we had the most wonderful time together.

WE went to three major quilt show. The first being the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Show in Hampton, Va. the second being The Mountain Quilt Festival in Pigeon Forge Tenn. and the third being the Lancaster Quilt Show in Penn. We had endless adventures together during this time and we still chat and laugh about them. Soooooooooooo when we decided to exchange "Spirit of Friendship Dolls" I knew Lyn's had to be a "Snow Princess" !!! Lyn I am so happy you like your "Snow Princess"!!! Merry Christmas...