Raffle Quilt Applique' Block

My quilt guild, North Shore Quilter's Guild, has an awesome bi-annual quilt show. 
As a way to raise extra money for speakers and workshops, we raffle off a quilt.
This years quilt will be a combination of traditional blocks along with some hand
applique'.  Above is my contribution to the quilt.

I love a bargain!

I want the ability to take some of my Italy pictures and make them
into art quilts.  To do this I need an old fashioned school projector.
Karen found an awesome deal on Craig's List. For $20 this gem
was mine.  It probably cost me more in gas to go to Sheboygan
to get it.

We have this wonderful flowering pear tree in our front yard.  When it's in bloom,
and the wind blows, it looks like it's snowing.  I wish I would of taken this picture
a few days ago before the strong winds blew in because the blossoms fell on my
hostas below and made them look polka-doted.

Celebrating Anita's Birthday

We celebrated Anita's birthday at this awesome burger place in the 3rd ward.  I like to tease Anita that she is my role model because she is the most disciplined person I know.  She works out every day, her house is always, and I mean always, immaculate and she is a wonderful cook.

Anita, Barbara, Laura and I are a diverse group of personalities and yet we all REALLY enjoy being together and are really close friends.

Laura brought this cupcake for Anita which I thought was adorable but definitely 
not enough for four people :-) 

Christie's favorite place to eat is Samari.  I met her and David there after a Brewer game yesterday.

California rolls are good, but these crispy sushi rolls were AWESOME!

Day #8

I love the collage process and look of Sue Carlson's work. 
Today is the day I get started on creating one of my own. 
What shall it be????  Stay tuned......

Covenant Harbor Retreat 2011 (day 5, 6 & 7)

The food at Covenant Harbor is absolutely fabulous.  You just finish breakfast and three hours later it's lunch time.  I don't think I ever felt the pangs of hunger while I was there.

Although the food is wonderful, it's really the people that make the weekend special.  This is Karen's and my 3rd retreat here.                                           

 These were my "table-mates".  It was a perfect set up and a great combination of people.  They made the weekend!  Below are some examples of the talented women gathered here.

We even had some clothing modeled

Day 4 - Japan......You are not forgotten

Nina Edelman, above, is a member of my North Shore Quilter's Guild.  She came up with the wonderful idea of making small Japanese-style quilts to sell at our quilt show in the fall.  All the money made will be sent to the Red Cross in Japan to help with their relief aid.  All too often, what happens when there is a tragedy of this magnitude, you have tons of people sending help right away.  Unfortunately, a few weeks, months or even  years goes by and people forget that there is still a need for money, supplies, rebuilding etc.... Hopefully it makes them feel loved and not forgotten.

We had a round robin of three different project ideas.  Some of the ladies in my guild are soooo creative.
I can't wait to see what they come up with.

Day 3 - The magic of Spring

I love spring!  It's a time of new beginnings and fresh starts.  Everything is brand new again.  Many people view New Year's Day this way but spring does it for me.  I like to get my house in order,  open all the windows and let the fresh breezes blow out all the stagnant, dead air.  It's a time to get back outside and take my dogs for long walks.  This makes them verrrrrry happy!

Day 2

Isn't this a lovely knit scarf?  I hated to have it stuck away in a drawer, so I placed it on a table top instead.  I purchased it on a trip to London to visit David's sister Mary.  The little pieces hanging off the edges are flowers.  Too cute!

Photo A Day Project

On one of the blogs I frequent, they had a challenge of posting a Photo A Day for a year.  I'm not sure if I am up to it, considering my track record of finishing what I start, but here goes.  For day one I chose to post one of  my favorite subjects.....my dogs.  I felt the need to post both dogs, as to not show favoritism.  Above is Lilly, the active, silly one, and below is Maggie "the Queen Bee".  The reason for this title is simple. She isn't super active and loves to sit on my lap no matter what I am doing (typing on the computer, knitting, quilting etc.... she has to be there)

Now, it's not that I favor my dogs over my family members.  It's just that they are willing to sit and be photographed over and over and over.  :-)  Now it's off to get my workroom organized before I leave for my Ipad workshop.  I'll let you know how it goes.