I'm in the paper!

Today there is an article about our opportunity quilt for the LIttle Balkans Quilt Guild in the PIttsburg Morning Sun.  Since my friends and I were in charge of this years quilt, they interviewed us and put our picture in the paper with the quilt.  Its our fifteen minutes of fame.  Check out the link in the post below to read all about it.

PATRICK'S PEOPLE: Members of the Little Balkans Quilt Guild make a donation quilt

PATRICK'S PEOPLE: Members of the Little Balkans Quilt Guild make a donation quilt

Roman shades and more roman shades

Ok, I like roman shades.  I have big windows that face the east and west and the sun is brutal.  I've never really cared for fussy window treatments.  I like to be able to see out of the window, or block the hot sun.  What can I say, it's been a long summer. Anyway, in true 4-H fashion, I purchased a pattern several years ago.  Don't waste your money on a pattern.  Here are some helpful hints:
Google the directions.  I used fiberglass rods (available online) in the pleats.  These help it fold up nicely and add enough weight to make them hang better.  I used black out lining (which is actually white) from Hancocks on the back.  Works great.  I also ordered ring tape, which has all of the plastic rings already sewn on the twill tape.  Makes it much easier.  Can also be used to bustle a wedding dress, but more about that later.
By the way, you can cut the fiberglass rods to the correct length with a hacksaw.  Don't do this inside on your carpet, don't ask me how I know this.  I used to buy drapery cord for the roman shade, now I just go to the camping section and buy some kind of packaged cord that people must use when they go camping. It's cheaper and just as strong.  Plus, it takes an hour to get to the closest Hancock or JoAnns.
Happy sewing!

Kendall's quilt

Last year i made my youngest granddaughter a quilt for her big girl bed.  I had a layer cake I bought somewhere that had lots of bright colors just right for a little girl.  I gave it to her at Christmas. She loved it. She layed on it, hugged it, etc.   And then i took it back and told her i needed to keep it for a while. She was OK with that. She even told people how I made her a quilt and a pillow to match and then I kept it. I had a very good reason, OK?    I wanted to enter it in the fairs this year and in the Quilt Show.  She has been very patient.  This Saturday is entry day for our Quilt Show at the Little Balkans Days over Labor Day.  And her quilt is going into the show. Wish us luck!  After the show, i think I'll let her have her quilt. Its probably about time.  I may even let her use it.  FYI:  it is a Debbie Mumm pattern from one of her books of kids quilts.  The fabric is 'Luv U" by Deb Spain;  It was machine quilted by Joan Westoff from Walnut who did a wonderful job!  It is going to look so good on Kendall's bed. Someday.....

The start of our journey

 I love 4-H!  I remember when I was 8 and my mom told me I was going to  join  the Crawford Cloverites 4-H club with the neighbor girl, Diana.  I was so excited just to get to go somewhere.  When I was a kid, we didn't go anywhere. We lived on a farm, 4 and a half miles from town, and you went to school, came home, and that's it.  Sat. we went to piano lessons and the store, Sunday you went to Church and Sunday School and maybe for an afternoon drive. The only other place we ever went was to the grandparents house.  So to get to go somewhere on a weeknight and have fun was so exciting.  Not only did I join, it wasn't long before my mom was one of the Community Leaders.  We really got into it then, with cooking, sewing, beef projects, people to people,  and leadership, just to name a few.  Our summers were spent going to project meetings, home ec. contests, livestock judging contests, and of course, the Crawford County Fair.    My sisters Kay and Lorri had no choice, when they got old enough they joined to.  I was in 4-H  for 11 years!  So I couldn't wait until my own kids were old enough to join, and in Hepler, they let them join at age 6.  So my oldest son, Jeremy joined as soon as he turned 6.   And before long, I was community leader of the Hepler Hustlers 4-H club. By the time, all four kids got done,  I had a kid in 4-H for 26 years!  I had serious 4-H withdrawals after my last one aged out.  I also had to give up the Community Leader job then too.  (but that's another post) Now,  I can't wait until the grandkids get old enough.  To  help lessen my withdrawals of being involved in the County Fair I have taken up competing myself in the open class. Oh, I always did enter some things, but helping my four kids and the other kids in the club with their projects left little time to work on my own exhibits.  But now I can spend my time on my own exhibits.  Because one side affect from all those years of 4-H both as a child and as a parent is my love of competition. My friends call it an addiction.  Whatever.  Anyway every summer  I take things  different county fairs.  This summer i only did two, Bourbon and Crawford.  All together, I won 15 blue ribbons, 13 red ribbons and one Reserve Champion.  ( I also got some whites, but i don't want to talk about them.)  I had so much fun.  Now on to the State Fair!  I pre-entered 5 exhibits.  Can't Wait!!  Picture above is one of my favorite exhibits, my wool purse.  Its going to Hutchison in September. Wish me luck!

A is for Adelaide

Adelaide is my 5 year old granddaughter.  I forgot how much fun a 5 year old can be.  She likes pink, polka dots, painting and sparkly things - beads, buttons, sequins and so on.  Fortunately for Adelaide, I have all those things. And so much more.  During her recent visit to Kansas, we did some projects together. 

 I found this project in a quilting magazine, although there was no sewing required. I used spray adhesive to stick her favorite fabric (polka dots) to the backing and mat board.  This is the same spray adhesive we used to use to mount 4-H photos for the county fair.  Adelaide painted the big "A" that I hot glued to the pink fabric.

I picked up this cardboard star box at one of my favorite hobby stores.  Adelaide had a good time painting the box and we spent much time searching through my button and bed boxes for just the right decorations.  We used tacky craft glue so as not to burn those cute little fingers. I predict many more projects to come. 

Tiling a rake wheel table

 At some point in the 1970's, our mother decided to make a table out of antique farm implement parts, specifically metal wheels.  I remember her dragging these heavy wheels to an decorative iron worker, who welded and assembled these wheels into a really heavy table.  How she tracked down someone to cut a round plexiglass top for this is beyond me. Keep in mind that I would have been a teenager at this point, so I pretty sure I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about this project.  We ate many meals around this table, quickly learning to be careful about sliding your legs under this table, or you would be rewarded by some lovely bruises.  This table was one of items that survived the fire that destroyed their farmhouse around the year 2000.  The table came through beautifully; the plexiglass top must have vaporized.  The table sat on the back patio for a number of years. We occasionally had conversations about what to do about this table.  Then, I took a tiling class at the hardware store. To make a long story short, we cut a circle of cement backerboard, laid it on top, and then had a dandy time creating a design.  We used leftover tile from several floor projects and some stray commemorative plates from the church's anniversary to do this project.  We put our folks' brand in the middle of the table.  A fun time was had by all.  If we thought the table was heavy before, after tiling, well, let's just say that we had to have the grandsons pick it up and carry it from the garage to the patio.

 Laying out the VS brand onto the mortar

 Breaking up plates to make pieces small enough to use

 DONE!

Ok, I guess it's okay to confess, I REALLY like the table now.  Guess our mom was making cool stuff before Martha Stewart ever thought about having a tv show.

Welcome to our Blog!

This blog is being hosted by three former Kansas 4-Hers, who also happen to be sisters.  You may know us as Sherry, Kay and Lorri.  Although it has been awhile (okay, quite awhile) since we were members of the Crawford Cloverites, we still find that we enjoy doing many projects reminiscent of our 4-H days.  Our plan is to share what we are working on, or have completed.  Old photos and stories may surface, who knows?
The three of us enjoy many different hobbies, although quilting is definitely a favorite of ours. Other hobbies include general sewing, anything that requires a glue gun, painting, tiling and a variety of other assorted crafts.
So, feel free to see what we are working on.  Directions may or may not be included at times.
Welcome!