Best Made Plans

Everybody's life is full of twists and turns. Unexpected detours...problems, blessings, challenges, opportunities...call them what you will. You NEVER know what's just around the corner....

And it is AMAZING to me how much my life has changed in the last year.

The company Ross was working for was sold, so he decided to quit gallivanting all over the world, doing the job of a wildlife cameraman -- and move back into our home to attend nursing school.

Elliott got out of the Army, and he and Emily moved back to Iowa (ten minutes from our house). Now these two wonderful newly minted little people, Lillian and Warren, are a big part of our daily lives....

Honestly -- I can't imagine doing anything else. I hope I make a difference in their lives, and I know they make a difference in mine...

If we are going "out" -- Lilly picks out her outfit AND mine.

This was Warren's first day out in the sun...(he loved it)

The kids spend Thursday night with us.,.it's an overnight...and we all love that time...(especially Elliott and Emily)

When Warren makes this silly new face, he looks like a little old man.

I can honestly say I do not remember ever enjoying my own kids the way I enjoy these two. But I know that won't be news to any Grandma out there.

For me -- a big part of the joy is that I SOOO LOVE THE DRESSING UP aspect that is our Lilly...

Lilly enjoys the dressy dresses

Anything with Tinkerbell is a big hit

The outfit she picked for her 5th birthday

Recently, when my clubbers came for breakfast...

As I am thinking about how happy all this makes me, I remember that I didn't plan any of it.

Hummmmm.....maybe that's the whole point.

Ronda's New Flannel Quilt Obsession

Part of Ronda's obsession about BUYING flannel is falling in love with those adorable baby prints. And she likes having a supply of finished flannel baby blankets on hand -- just in case there's a surprise birth in the neighborhood! (hey -- it happens)...

At the recent sew-and-tell -- she brought five or six of her new baby blankets...

Our sister Deena introduced her to this new technique -- it's called self-binding.

If you do it right, one print wraps around to the other side -- and the corners are BEAUTIFULLY mitered when you're done.

It was a little difficult to explain -- but Ronda recommended this video.

YOUTUBE IS AMAZING...it has changed the way we learn things. And you will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this technique...

Trust me -- you are about to have an AH HA moment...

I would like to thank the Missouri Quilting Company for doing such an AWESOME job....

Ronda's Sew and Tell

Once again -- here's what I LOVE ABOUT THE HOBBY OF SEWING. We all do it differently...there is no right or wrong way...

Some of my friends are wonderful pattern makers, and they design their own clothes. Others have their favorite pattern companies, but garment sewing is their love. I enjoy a more free-form of sewing -- recycling old t-shirts is the name of my game. And I love mending blue jeans.

Quilters are in a class of their own -- whether they are doing ART quilts, or some great new Eleanor Burns or Ricky Timms technique. You know who you are --

My sister Ronda loves, loves, loves flannel quilts. The kind with the ragged edges...and she makes them for every and any occasion. For birthdays, or anniversaries, or Christmas gifts. She chooses the flannel to go with the person or the occasion. And she has made HUNDREDS of them...

Recently, she came to a Tuesday breakfast and I asked her to bring a "Sew and Tell"...

This is a flannel quilt she made for the high school auction. She took gray flannel to a screenprinting company -- and they printed the high school logo ($10 set up -- then $2 for each print). GENIUS...

Because Ronda has such a HUGE stash of flannel, it was no problem to come up with red and gray flannels for this quilt.

This is the full size quilt she is working on her her son, Cory.  Turns out -- his feelings were hurt because his sisters got quilts (years ago) -- but he never did. Way to go, Mom!!

Can you see her signature quilt block? She has been a pig collector for many years -- and a TRUE Ronda quilt will always have a pig square. Somewhere. For no reason at all....

Shopping for flannel is one of the big joys of Ronda's life. She gets the same adrenaline rush shopping for flannel that I get when I find a funny t-shirt at the Goodwill store on quarter day. Last year, on Black Friday, she stood in line for 2 hours at Joanne Fabrics to score 30 different pieces of 50% off flannel...

And now -- it is exciting to report that she has found a NEW TECHNIQUE for her flannel.  One that is almost as much fun as the ragged edge...

You ARE GONNA LOVE IT...

My Maddie Day

On the day I stopped in at the church to witness the gigantic-chocolate-Easter-Egg-making-operation -- Maddie was visiting her Grandma (my sister Deena). She lives a couple of hours away, and was on Spring Break. Hey -- it seemed like a good idea at the time!!

But, after a long night of being the only child involved with this hard-working egg making crew of adults, the prospect of another day and night was no longer thrilling to Maddie. (don't worry, Deena -- it will remember better than it lived!)

Maddie DID have everybody's favorite new movie -- FROZEN....But Lilly was on her way to school...

As we were getting ready to leave (I had both Warren and Lilly with me) -- Deena asked if I could take Maddie along. She could use a break.

NO PROBLEM. So, Maddie got in the car -- and asked if she could take a few pictures. I said sure -- and there were 30 selfies that looked something like this....

We took Lilly to school -- then Maddie went home with me. And NOBODY WAS MORE DELIGHTED THAN WARREN....She was terrific with him...he laughed and laughed. SUCH A GREAT BABYSITTER...

Warren went down for his nap, and Maddie and I got busy making the Duff Tie Dye cake.  This was one of the bonus items in the Hey Rita Tote when Rhonda returned it to me.  MADDIE WAS DELIGHTED...

The colors were so intense, the directions were precise -- and that cake turned out EXACTLY like the picture on the box!

After we picked up Lilly at school -- the four of us went on to the Goodwill Store. Maddie had NEVER BEEN SHOPPING at the Goodwill Store. I loved listening to Lilly explain Goodwill Shopping. She said, "here's how it works, Maddie. Anything you like, you put it in Grandma's cart -- because it's a possibility. At the end, you take everything out of the cart and line it up. Then you get to pick the ONE THING you really, really want the most -- and Grandma buys it for you. If you can't make up your mind, or pout about getting more -- Grandma will put everything back."

2014 Nancy's Notions Sewing Weekend

Sewing Weekend in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin is all about A GREAT GIRLFRIEND GETAWAY...and here are some of my favorite FACES of Beaver Dam....It's happening (as always) the first weekend in May.  (May 1, 2 and 3)....

I hope the talented Pam Mosche will be there -- here she is teaching some hands-on Babylock classes...


And Laura (who makes all the arrangements and makes sure the speakers all get their boxes and boxes of chocolate truffles)...and Loie (who answers the same questions at the reception desk 10,000 times each day)...ALWAYS two of the biggest smiles...

The most fun thing about Sewing Weekend is that the classes happen all over town...at the schools, the churches...so EVERYBODY RIDES THE SCHOOL BUSES...


AND THE SHOPPING IN THE WAREHOUSE IS AMAZING....

YOU STILL HAVE TIME....Sewing Weekend is happening the weekend of May 1,2 and 3 -- so make your plans -- FOR A GOOD TIME -- GET THEE TO BEAVER DAM, WISCONSIN...!!

Go to the website right now -- Nancy's Notions Sewing Weekend

Gail Yellen is coming to Beaver Dam for the very first time this year....

Mary Mulari will be there -- doing a new evening program with Nancy -- they will be Kicking It Up A Stitch on Friday night...

Sue Hausmann is coming, too --

YOU WILL ALL HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME. I love all of it. The classes happening all over town, the INCREDIBLE WAREHOUSE SHOPPING, the crazy tents serving food, and, most of all --  the fun-filled BUSES...!! (please tell the cute guy with the walkie talkie that Rita said hello...)

Where In The World Is The Hey Rita Tote...!!

To review -- the Hey Rita tote was off on her BIG ADVENTURE....and Rhonda picked her up at the 2014 Sew Expo.  So, I wanted to review her travels...as she came home, bearing gifts!!
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On the last day of the 2013 Sewing and Stitchery Expo -- the Hey Rita Tote was kidnapped by a nefarious quilter who then swept her away to Europe for an adventure before she was ransomed back to her owner.

Rita, enjoying a sunny evening in Rapallo, Italy. Good food, good wine, good kidnappers. (Vroom, vroom in the background)

Ransom note to the owner of Rita. Pay up or she goes into the Grand Canal. (Just kidding).

Rita, being shown the sights in Warnemunde, Germany.

Rita, outside of Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.

Rita “I’m ready for my close-up.”

Apparently, it’s all she needed to sleep.

Rita, getting ready for a shower in Copenhagen.

Rita, fully clothed, in the shower.

Rita, enjoying glasnost in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Keeping dry on a double decker bus during the rain in Helsinki, Finland.

Rita, chilling with her new best buddie (until it morphs into a new animal after dinner).

Rita, enjoying the culture in Stockholm.

Rita, paying the driving fine we received during the trip. After all she was the one driving.

Rita has since made it home and will soon be reunited with her owner...

Chocolate Easter Eggs!!

It's amazing to me how much a small group of people can accomplish-- if they REALLY put their minds to it. My sister Deena is the heart of this operation -- over 1200 half-pound, hand-crafted chocolate covered Easter Eggs...

The entire church hall, AND kitchen, are covered with plastic...

Deena's granddaughter, Madeline, was visiting on this day -- and she was just a little bored...

I cannot tell you how wonderful this room smelled...

There were six flavors. Chocolate, vanilla, coconut, walnut, peanut butter.  (maybe there were only five flavors).

Each egg is individually weighed.

Then covered with chocolate...

Finally, packed into plastic corsage boxes. The different color flower on top depicts the flavor. (SO clever!)

Selling these beautiful, delicious Chocolate Easter eggs (for $7 each) is a big fundraiser for the Methodist Church in McCausland, Iowa. My sister Deena has been leading this team for many years -- and they get better and better.

I stopped in that day to witness this incredible operation. (I had no intention of actually helping).. But, I DID end up helping.  Sort of.  In my own way...