Gobble Gobble 2016

Happy Thanksgiving from Connecticut!

I'm so grateful for so many things.  One of them is the friends I have made through this blog.  So many people have left Bloglandia and I'm grateful for those who still read and leave encouraging comments.

Here is a small Thanksgiving Quilt that I made in 2002.

I must have felt I had all the time in the world, because it is heavily hand quilted.

 It is a combination of commercial patterns and my own design.

 I'm always proud of myself when I've labeled a quilt.

**News Flash**
If you have a metal fire door leading to your garage, all you  need is a couple of strong magnets to hang quilts.  It only took me THREE YEARS to figure that one out!  ouch!

I have collected Antique Thanksgiving Postcards over the years.  My collecting rule:  it has to have a Turkey.

It is fun to read the messages and see the penny stamps.  I guess someone "collected" one of  the stamps.

Here is my collection of Pilgrims.  I've had fun finding them over the years.  The chubby S&P couple in the front was from my dear friend, Jill.

Here is my favorite.  Native Americans are definitely under represented which is ironic since they are the first and true Americans.

And here is my final and kitschy collection.  My stuffed turkeys and pheasant.  Some made by me, some picked up at boutiques and some gifted.  I know they are weird, but I really love them.

I'm so grateful this year because we will all be here this year for the big Day.

Thank you again for reading and letting me share my creative life with you.
xo

Aaaahhhh-mish Country

AAahhh, if you have ever visited Lancaster County you know what a treat it is.   I think of it as Quilt Mecca.

I just adore seeing the horse drawn buggies.  I am very respectful of the Amish tradition of NOT being photographed, but I don't think their horses mind.

I had a wonderful shopping and friend day with Kelly (Pinkadot) and Cheryl (Cheryl Lynch Quilts) and Stephanie.  I wish she would jump into the blogging world, hint hint.

 I was in fabric heaven at the Old Country Store.  We bumped into a group of members from PTQ who were on a retreat, including my dear friend Susan.

 This farm just beckoned to me.  It looks so calm and serene.

 I've been experimenting with bread baking on Sundays lately.  Here are two loaves of fluffy Italian bread.  Click here for recipe.

Here is one of two loaves from last Sunday.  It was baked with a water bath and was a little crustier - yum.   Recipe here.

Yesterday I decided to try some little Christmas tree blocks.  And by little, I mean 2 1/2" x 4".

I tried some free pieced trees and I also drew a paper-pieced version.  I liked the pattern free ones the best.

I saw on Kelly's Intagram feed that she was doing the same thing and we never even discussed it!  crazy.   Here are her blocks.

She is using a tutorial on Amy's blog which you can see here.   So obviously I felt like a real stupe struggling along. ha ha.

Tina, of Seaside Stitches has finished her solid swap quilt - isn't it fabulous?

Thank you again, Penn Oak guild for having me come to share my quilts!  

And thank you Kelly for hosting me in your gracious home on your gorgeous property.  You have the BEST sewing areas I've ever seen!

I should have titled this post - Lots of Links - 'cause there certainly were.
xo

Open Quilt Surgery - STAT!!!

Hello - Warning these photos of quilt surgery may be difficult to see for more sensitive quilters.

I was all set yesterday to my equiptment outsite to photograph my Alice Payne quilt, but then it started to drizzle - darn it!

Later I realized there was a weird line on the quilt below the pink flower in the bottom corner....huh???

It appears to be inside the quilt!  you can see it a bit better in B&W.

I set up a tray of instruments - the chocolate was for stress management, just in case).

I unstitched the flower applique (so as not to disturb the quilting) and peeled it back.  The problem is gone below, as this was a re-enactment.

I used my sewing tweezers to reach down and get it out.  It came out in a few pieces.

Here is a very blurry photo of the extraction....I think the brown piece was in the seam allowance of the stem and then moved when it was washed.

All joking aside, the surgery was a success.

I still need to suture it and I'm waiting for a cloudy day to photograph.

I've been playing with my solid broken dishes since my last post.  I really wanted to pink to work.....I tried a total of 4 different shades.  I don't know - not loving it.

 I thought maybe puddy.....

 I even tried chocolate (in honor of coco) and a deep butterscotch....

Hmmmnnn......I have a new plan on the wall and will share that one soon.

Tuesday, Hanna and I worked the polls and helped over 4700 voters in our district.  It was 16 1/2 hours of election work and a long 21 hour day for both of us.

For us it was about helping the process of free elections.  How you feel about the outcome is not part of Fun With Barb - so NO comments.....please!

We decided to dry the herbs from the garden this year, so I rigged up a simple rod in this south facing window.  Looks like my Christmas Cactus is going to bloom for Thanksgiving.

We are having a lovely long and colorful fall this year.  Maybe we do every year and I just forget.

Monday evening I'll be presenting my Scrap Quilt Lecture and a Trunk Show for the Penn Oaks Quilt Guild in PA and having a visit with Kelly of Pinkadot Quilts.  Visitors are welcome to attend and I'd be happy to see you - here is their website.

xo