Day 18: 2018 Review J-F-M

Time to look back a bit to where my year went. Here is a pic review and then some other posts to look back on.

Top row represents January into February.
I did so much appraisal shadowing these 2 months that I was very thankful to have time to go to St. Louis for a quilting retreat with friends from when I lived there.
This Blog Post discusses the retreat from a few years back when we were younger:)
Pics on top row are 1. View on the way to the airport to fly to St. Louis, 2. an aerial view of STL, and 3. my St. Valentine's Day Décor at home.

Second row: 1. My very first appraisal booth all on my own. What a fantastic day!  
2. My baby girl finishing nursing clinicals!! I am a very proud mom and she shines at whatever she puts her mind to and she has worked so hard for this!
3. We had a bit of a warm up late in February and so my husband and I took a rare moment to go sit by the water and have a beer together:)

Bottom row: 1. I finally met Kay:)  You have heard me talk of her in my Heritage Architect stories and it was great to meet her and go see her ice dye exhibit.
2. We lost a dear friend to cancer this year.  When we lived in NC, Paula and Sharon lived down the island a bit from us.  I met them through a business meeting and they owned the Wood Gallery that I exhibited in for awhile.  We spent many weekends at their place for oyster roasts which I had never heard of before them:)
We  moved and they moved but we were able to visit them in New Hampshire-WOW!  Their new gallery was even more amazing!!
Being with them was a joy with lots of laughter and love.  Our hearts break for Paula and are thankful she has family near to help her.  We love and miss you Sharon!!
3. I finally got to take a Brazilian Embroidery class. That pic is the class sample and it is gorgeous!!  Good to keep learning even when you think there isn't anything else.

In March we also had the annual COC charity auction. Click on COC to read about my donations. 

I do keep very busy. I wonder what my bullet journal would have looked like that first quarter??  Maybe we will see this upcoming year:)

Pop over to see who else is blogging...

http://muppin.com/wordpress/index.php/the-2018-31-day-blog-writing-challenge/

Happy 2018 and BOOM, September already!

Why do we always say that we don't know where the year went already?  HAPPY NEW YEAR......Boom.....March...Boom
SEPTEMBER???!!!!

We do know, we just can't believe that time goes so fast!  I have been SUPER busy this year and no signs of slowing until December.
Here is a quick run down of the year so far.....

We were given tickets to see Jim Gaffigan on New Year's Eve at Amelie Arena here in Tampa.  His opening act was hilarious!  It is great to see so many people come out to see a comedian vs. watching free online.  Live is always better for the shared community experience.

January was quite chilly down here in Florida.  We were way below average temps and although we weren't as cold as the rest of the country, for Florida is was brutal!  We have tile floors that little dog usually sleeps on so we let her up a few nights.  Doesn't she look like she is never leaving?!
I had a quilt to finish hand quilting so I was very cozy:)

Took a trip to St. Louis for a quilt retreat with friends from when I lived there.  We stay in a lovely quilt shop, ROSEMARY'S, in Highland, ILL. There was also time for antique shopping:)

 Plus 2 appraisal events with Brenda!

FEBRUARY

"Robin's Wreaths" had been finished and sent off for photography

Our trees started getting some leaves back after IRMA last September and we had a brief warm up where we could go sit for a beer by the water...I know, Boo Hoo:)  I needed the break after 2 more appraisal events (First one on my own this time) and being chained to my computer to finish writing, "Robin's Wreaths" for AQ magazine. 

MARCH

More commission quilting, another pattern written, another appraisal event, and then my guild's annual charity event for the COC!  

 ALL the quilts up for Auction

 New postcard for guild Advertising

One of my donations to the effort:)  This is a block from one of Sue Garman's patterns.  Hope I get to make the whole quilt someday:)

There was also some time for necessary Spring Cleaning!

You can read how a blog hop helped me get a move on! 

APRIL

April blew in the same way March went out with more work:) 

I was starting to do some appraisals on my own, which is exactly what I needed.  The hand quilting commission was coming along and I finally was able to meet the great lady who had been entrusting her family heirlooms to my hands!  We had a lovely day.

I was also trying to get as much done on my part of the guild Opportunity quilt as I could so I could get back to my work.  It is going to be a beauty!

BABIES!  I look so forward to our April lunch meeting at a guild member's house every year and this year did not disappoint...SO Stinkin' Cute!!

I volunteered to help with the applique for the center portion of the OPP quilt. This is P3 Designs, "Baltimore Autumn".

Here I am with Brenda, my AMAZING Appraiser Mentor, in front of my quilt in Paducah.  We had quite a road trip but that is a story for another day:)

MAY

The month of Snake Lovin'....EEEWWWWW!

The LIGHTNING were in the play offs-Very Exciting for this hockey fan!

My husband and I went to a concert...outside...after dark:)))

My parents went on a trip to celebrate their 50th Anniversary and I went to pup sit.  I think she likes me:)

Before getting to my parent's, I stopped to see this cutie.  We went to a comedy night and got DRENCHED on that way back to the car!! I LOVE her!!!

While in VA, I was able to visit the Williamsburg museum and do a little antique shopping where I found another lovely to add to my Red and Green lecture: "AN EVENING WITH WELL LOVED LADIES".

JUNE

This month was lots of catch up after being gone and lots of company:0  My BIL came down to help his daughter with a project so he and Jim spent some time together.  Then my brother and nephew came for a visit.  I had the honor of riding with my nephew on his first Roller coaster...Fun.  I hadn't been on one in ages.

This is becoming an annual tradition for him as well.

Lastly, our niece got married so we had a lovely family visit in Georgia at the end of the month.  I had never been to St. Simon's Island and it was lovely. Great margaritas and another outdoor concert:)

JULY

We were back on the road in July with a trip to Chicago to visit my other baby girl! The pups travel relatively well. And this trip brought a Momentous Occasion....My First EVER trip to Wrigley Field, the home of my husband's lifelong favorite team, The Cubs!
When asked, he said I was the first girl he had ever brought there:)
Another "first" after so many years together is endearing!

AUGUST

All the usual work has been getting done with one quilting commission finished this summer and another one into the hoop!

In case you have missed one or two along the way, here is one to read about.....

SEPTEMBER

This month started with a Fabulous trip to San Antonio to celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary.  A bit frustrating that this is the only pic I have of us from that trip. Oh Well, we know what we look like:)

Thanks for following along and see you again soon!

CHARITY AUCTION

I know the title, CHARITY AUCTION, isn't very exciting and naming is NOT a strength of mine, but it is exciting if you are a quilter and like to get caught up in the action of a good deal:)

When I moved to Florida (almost 7 years ago now-WOW!!), I joined a guild named Hidden Stitches.
I loved the name and that it is an Applique guild...How exciting is that!  Then I learned that their philanthropic outreach is for a program that one of the members had founded and once a year they hold a Live Quilt Auction and Luncheon to raise their yearly funds. 

Live quilt auctions are a hoot!  Our auctioneer, Brenda, is Fantastic and watching the bidding wars can be hysterical.  I myself have been involved in one or two:)  You can't help but get caught up and the money goes to a great program for disadvantaged children.

There is also a boutique where fun things (sewing and non-sewing) can be found.  This year we are doing scrap grab bags...Say that 3 times fast:)  Who can resist a mystery bag?  My daughter used to spend her allowance on the ones at Claire's Jewelry in the mall. She would be so excited to see what she got in her bag and it would crack me up!

So here are my donations to this year's event which will be held this Saturday (24th) in Largo, FL. Christ the King Lutheran on Oakhurst Rd. Come join us!
Tickets are $15 and include lunch and more entertainment than you are prepared for:)
I know we have seats left if your calendar is empty and you want to come see what we are up to.

 Autumn Vines is a lap quilt for the

Live Auction that features one of my pumpkin designs on it.

 

This is the March basket designed by Sue Garman 

for her design named, Bouquets for a New Day.

I hand appliqued this before machine quilting it.

Lastly, this sweet little piece is named, Winterscape. 

I know people are over winter but next year this will look

darling in someone's home with original, 

hand embroidered, snowflake corners.

 

The last 2 pieces will be part of the Silent Auction. 

Hope to see you there.

Charity Quilts

I know I am not alone in our quilting community when donating time and talent to worthy causes.  I usually hesitate to make full on quilts after hearing how some organizations don't do our donations justice.  However, the guild I belong to is aligned with a charity that does such a great service to underprivileged children that I am proud to donate lovelies.

 

Every spring the COC along with Hidden Stitches (my guild) puts on a huge luncheon and quilt auction.  We have over 300 people attend the lunch and so many quilts for auction that we have added a silent auction as well so everyone's bums don't go numb during the bidding:)

 

As I contemplated what to do for 2015 an estate sale of a quilter came to the guild's attention.  

 



I found 6 machine embroidered Sun Bonnet Sue blocks for $6...I knew I could come up with something:)  The one missing will go into a small pillow done in peach because she was the one NOT like the others in colors.  After adding some nine patches and a border, I had it machine quilted by a lovely woman in our guild who will quilt our charity quilts for free once we supply the backing/batting which is more than fair!!

After I received it back from Toddy, I added the floral applique to the borders for an adorable baby quilt...I just love the red and white!  The floral applique mimics a floral design in the embroidery of one of the other blocks.

At the estate sale, I also found these 16 completed kaleidoscope blocks ($8) and the gold fabric yardage that matched perfectly. What to do..... There weren't enough for a whole quilt and if I separated them, then you would lose that cool purple square between them.  I decided to just put them together and add a bigger header and footer for a lap size quilt.

Again I sent it off to Toddy and her husband, Ray, to quilt it for me.  Once it came back, I added the purple flower garlands to the top and bottom borders.

I machine appliqued the flower garlands and then replicated the quilting details into the flower heads.  If you look at the photo below, you will see that the applique flowers mimic the quilting.  This is a great way to add more detail and keep everything cohesive.

The joy is knowing someone will LOVE these and the money they spend on them at the auction will go to help kids that just need a little bit of attention so we don't lose them.
I am not one to shout my good deeds to the world but I thought this was a good way to show how orphan blocks at yard sales, thrift shops, etc. can be of use even if they aren't necessarily your style.
I don't do Sunbonnet Sue or purples/golds but someone will love these and it didn't cost me all that much other than my time.

What are your charity projects for the year?