Great Weekend and Giveaway Winners...

Printed autograph with a "smiley" face. Adorable!

The North Port Concert Band put together a great show yesterday.

Top of the bill was a thirteen year old lad named Geoff Gallante. He's

been playing music since he was SIX! He started with the cornet and has since mastered trumpet, flugal horn and piano.We enjoyed a rare  treat when he performed "Carnival of Venice", "My Cherie Amore" (a version arranged especially for him), and "Come Back To Sorrento". He also sang a sweet version of "Que Sera Sera" that left us all smiling.

He was more than happy to pose for pictures after the concert, too.

Geoff autographed my program, so I could say, "I knew him when".

If you look closely at the first picture, you'll see his signature up in the

top left corner. He was lying down on two chairs in the music suite

telling me that he'd love to live here in Florida while he signed it! (He

 lives in the northeast and told me it's cold up there right now.) All that

 talent makes one forget he's still a little boy until we had that exchange.

  He put on his "picture face" for his shot with Handsome. That's not  the shirt Handsome wore for the concert, but he's always a real quick-change  artist after they finish playing. Suits and ties get hot under the bright lights!    Geoff couldn't wait to head over to the  restaurant for something to  eat, so he just put on his jazz hat and smiled. He's an all-around, great kid. If you've never heard of Geoff Gallante before, head over to YouTube and type in his name. (This is a link to a version of "Carnival of Venice" he played three years ago. He's definitely better after three more years of practice!) What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon!   Are you ready for the Giveaway winners?

I went to Random Number Generator and here are the results:

 First winner is one of my very first blog friends:

#23

Twyla of Two Crazy Crafters

and

Second winner is one of my newest blog friends: #48 Sharon Hughson   Sharon: please contact me with your email address so I can get the information I need to transmit your prize to you. (I already  have contact information for Twyla and will contact her, too.)   Thanks to everyone who entered.  Don't be too disappointed. There's another celebration coming in  ten, short days. If anyone can guess what we might be celebrating,  leave a comment on this post and the first right answer will win  a little gift!  (I'll see who read this all the way to the end, right?)

Adele's Hankies...

 My friend, Adele, brought her vintage hankies to Paneras on Tuesday night to 

show me. She is in her late 80s and has been doing needlework since she was 

a wee girl. These hankies are all over fifty years old and were created either by 

her mother or herself. Of course I grabbed my camera to share with you!

All of the centers for her hankies are linen. She said they cost 10¢ each in the day.

I'm especially fond of this first one with the southern belle in her beautiful dress.

 The edge on this one is still bright and vibrant after all these years!

 What respectable young woman didn't have a hankie with her monogram?

One of the girls teased Adele by saying that her initial is "A", too, so perhaps she

should have this one when Adele was finished with it. Yeah. Adele didn't think so.

 This is pretty clever. A row of linen stitched to the linen hankie, then a lace insert, 

with another crocheted finish along the outside edge. She had a couple like these.

 This was the hankie Adele carried the day she was married. Her mother

made it for her. The linen was pastel blue, and then rows and rows of trim.

 I think this is the sweetest one in the whole assortment. It is a linen hankie that

 was signed by all of Adele's school friends. After the signatures were written

 on the linen, Adele's mom backstitched each of the names in a different color.

As I held and examined each handkerchief, I found myself thinking about the hands

that worked each and every stitch. Hours spent laboring on something that has

been cherished and saved for a lifetime...and will be handed down to her daughter

to appreciate long after she's gone. I reflected on the importance of using quality

supplies when you're creating heirloom-quality pieces, and then my final thought...

"Who could possibly blow their nose in these?"

I'd rather think that they were used to wipe away a happy tear or blot a moist upper lip.

You know, something more ladylike.

I have my mother-in-law's and her mother's treasured hankies and I'll share them with

you another time. I keep them in an acid-free box when I'm not carrying one to keep

her memory close. They're reminders of a kinder, gentler time, and for me a reminder

of an elegant and loving woman. I feel good just having Evelyn's hankie in my pocket.

I'm teaching my quilt class today. I got all this month's blocks sewn; paper foundation

created; supplies pulled together and I'm ready for another great day with my students.

Tag always rides along and sleeps at my feet when I teach at the shop. He greets the 

customers, schmoozes for lunch (unsuccessfully, because it's not allowed), and 

he impresses everyone with his cute corgi-ness. I like taking him along, and everyone 

at the shop (including Marilyn, the owner) thinks of him as an honorary mascot.

I also finished editing the video, and burning all the DVDs so that Handsome can 

deliver them at his rehearsal tonight. I'm feeling pretty darn proud of myself today.

Have a great day and do something creative...even if it's only something small.

If you don't do it for yourself, do it for someone you love. They'll appreciate it, too!

On Being Organized...

 If I gave you a list of all the things I need to accomplish this week, you might

just gasp. I know I did! I keep a daily notebook with my tasks outlined page-

by-page, and when I accomplish items on my list, I check them off. It helps me

to see what I'm able to get done each day. My daily pages also have lists of calls

 I need to make, things I need to pop in the mail, incoming calls, appointments

and anything else I want to commit to long-term memory, like family stuff.

This week has a lot of entries, but I've also managed to tick a number off my lists

already! On Thursday, I'll be teaching Session Two of the "Over The River" class,

so I'm busy creating the block for that class and working on the embroidery, too.

First thing yesterday, we had a service tech appointment so that took up part of

my morning. Even so, I cut all the components for the "Block-in-Block"...uhhh...

block. (lol) I only need six to go into this quilt, so I was happy to have five of them 

finished mid-afternoon. They're lookin' good but, because the designer didn't

specify the finished size of the blocks, I needed to make at least one to know the size

 to create a paper piecing foundation for my students who'd rather use that method.

Mid-afternoon I began editing my recording of Handsome's North Port Concert 

Band concert last week. (It's due to the band members on Thursday night this week.) 

I managed to nearly get to "Intermission" before I needed to leave to meet the girls 

at Paneras for our weekly gathering. I was a little tired, but I went anyway.

Another item on the list is to do the stitching on the last applique' block for the

guild quilt. I took that with me to Paneras and stitched away while my friends

and I chatted and caught up on all the news since we last met together. It was nice

and I was really glad that I didn't decide to stay home. There were over a dozen

gals there, and my sweet friend, Margaret is heading back to Canada on Friday,

 so I got a chance to say "toodles" to her before she and her hubby pack to leave.

Today, I'll prepare my orders to ship, along with some Easter gifts to send North to

Mom Grace, my sister and our grandchildren. Next, I'll finish editing the recording   

for the Concert Band, and burn the DVDs. They'll be ready for delivery on Thursday.

I'll also make that last block and the paper foundation for my students this week.

Once that's finished, I'll do more embroidery on the panel and I'll be ready for class.

This is when FOCUS really comes in handy!

One more thing...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHELL!!!
(click on the "Happy Birthday" link to write a message on Shell's blog)

Dashing Through The Snow...

 No. It hasn't snowed in south Florida!

Handsome has been playing concerts for the past two weeks, and 

there are still two more concerts this weekend. That means a lot

of Christmas songs...carols and other festive and lively tunes.

I attended the last pre-concert band rehearsal on Thursday evening 

as I prepared to record the North Port Band performance. It helped to

see the music and find out when and where the solos would occur. I 

really enjoyed listening as I took my notes, and I learned something useful.

I know you've heard of sleigh bells before, but perhaps not in this context.

Web Image - Ludwig Sleigh Bells

This is what sleigh bells look like when they're played by a concert musician.

In order to play them, they're held vertically (bells down) in one hand

and then struck by the other hand to make them jingle. Close your eyes and

you can imagine the horses or reindeer pulling a sleigh through the snow!

During the break in rehearsal, Joanne (who I used to sing with in the Chorale)

came over to tell me that her palm was really bruised from playing the bells.

(She's a member of the percussion section for the band.) I looked at her palm and

could tell that it wouldn't feel good for her to strike either the top of the bells or

 even the top of her bell hand with her sore palm. I had an idea, but I didn't tell her

about it. She soldiered through the rest of the rehearsal and we all went home.

 Saturday, when I got home from Coffee Club, I decided to work on my idea.

I had a brand new package of Dr. Scholl's Arch Support Gel Inserts. 

I had decided that their crescent shape would work perfectly for my purpose.

I grabbed one of my holiday-themed charm packs and chose five different squares.

I also needed two pieces of thin cotton batting and velcro to complete my supply list.

I sandwiched the gel insert between two pieces of batting and then put a piece

of holiday fabric on each side. I trimmed to about 3/4" all the way around the gel

 and then (using a zipper foot) sewed through all layers as closely as I could all around.

I made two straps and after they were attached, I sewed on a single-fold binding.

I hand-stitched the back side of the binding, and then added velcro to the straps as 

my last step. I checked for size as I sewed it together to be sure that the finished 

piece would be a comfortable fit. You can see how it turned out below.

 On Sunday, just before the concert I caught up with Joanne and said I had

a little something for her. I had it on my hand, so that when she saw it she

knew exactly what it was. When I took it off and placed it on her hand she

giggled. She was thrilled to have a pad to protect her hand and said that

she'd be able to really make the bells ring out because she wouldn't be 

afraid to hit them with her palm protected by my invention.

Then I told her that I'd given my creation a name. It's a

Jingle Pad!

She laughed out loud, gave me a hug and headed off to play the concert.

Afterward, she told me that it worked like a charm and said I should 

consider making them to sell. I hadn't thought about that, but I was

glad that I was able to keep my friend from injuring herself for her craft.

Today, I'll be teaching the second session of my applique' class in Venice.

No dashing through the snow, but definitely living in a Christmas wonderland.

Have a great Friday. Are you ready for the weekend?

One Silly Picture...

One of the down sides of being the recording secretary for our quilt guild is that I'm not in charge of taking pictures. I'm usually busy with my laptop instead of my camera.

There were so many fabulous quilts to see last night. We had sixteen participants in our "At The Movies" challenge! Let's see if I can remember the titles...Castaway, ET, Jungle Book, Pink Panther (mine), Mary Poppins, Babe Charlotte's Web, Yellow Submarine, Wizard of Oz, Gone With The Wind (3!), Steel Magnolias, Bambi, The Birds,  Planes Trains and Automobiles and Titanic. They were fabulous!

We also got to see the doll quilts for The Salvation Army, Headstart quilts, personal projects and of course, those gorgeous American Treasures blocks. Three are completed now, with another five or six getting close. My girlfriend, Kathy took this picture of me showing off the Wisconsin block. We all laughed because every time someone held up a camera (or iPad!) to take a picture of me, I struck my silly pose. (You can click on it to see a larger version, but I thought this size was plenty close enough.)

I spent the day editing video for the North Port Concert Band concert that was held on November 1st. (I know. I''m finally getting around to it.) But, I managed to finish all the edits before I had to pack the Explorer and get to our meeting. When I got back home around 9:30, I burned the dvds of the concert for the band members who purchased them. I'll be delivering them today, in time for the band's next rehearsal on Thursday night.

So, that's my way of giving you a full explanation of why there are no interesting photos of a day spent in the studio or projects completed by my talented quilting friends. I intend to get my hands on more photos from last night, and I'll post them when I do. I know Kathy has more!

I'm Not Nuts - Really...

Handsome had a fabulous band concert last night. We had planned an after-concert party at our house for a number of the musicians and their spouses, so I got a late start on my post for today. We had a ball, and as soon as I process the concert videos I'll be adding a few numbers to the list on my sidebar.

I want to show you three new residents at Brynwood today, though, so let me begin the introductions.

When I got ready to leave Wisconsin early this month, Deb surprised me.  I walked out of Grace's house to find these three critters on the hood of my Explorer to take home with me!

This one is my favorite. He's heavy, and I like that he's so lifelike. He is keeping me company in the studio for now. Perhaps he'll eventually end up on the covered lanai, but for now I like having him close.

This one is ceramic, so he's more fragile. I haven't decided where I'll put him, but I know he'll be in a safe place where certain corgis can't knock him over and break him. (We won't mention any names.)

The third one is more "cute-sy", but Grace liked him so that's good enough for me. He's not breakable, but I'll have to keep him out of direct sun and weather. Perhaps the table in the entry would be a good place for him?

I think they should have names. Don't you? Let me know if you have any ideas.

Tag has a vet appointment today. We're going to meet and go through a number of precautionary bloodwork and exams before we schedule his "nootering" appointment next week. I'm not telling him about it at all. What he doesn't know...

Tomorrow night is the drawing for my Blog Birthday giveaway! Be sure to get your name in the drawing if you haven't done so yet! (I'm just might add a few surprises!)

See you tomorrow.

My First Project of 2012...

I've been itching to get back into the studio to create something. Yesterday, I finally managed to steal a little time to go and play.

I belong to a monthly mini hanging quilt QAL at my favorite local shop, Sandy's Quilt Shop. We have a different person designing a quilt for each month, and we got our first design right after Christmas.

It's a really simple design. 12" wide by 14" long. The designer chose a bell as the focal image, and she showcased her ribbon weaving talent for her bell. We can choose any fabric we want to use, and can modify the bell into our own style.

I started by choosing my two main fabrics and getting out Miss Ellie to sew the machine embroidery of a Father Time design. You can see my fabric choices in the first photo. I didn't get it all assembled and quilted today, but I'll finish it next week and show you what it looks like all done. (Remember, Tag is coming home today and our friends will be staying overnight. I'll be spending time with them instead of in the studio this weekend!)

I'd like to finish out this week by sharing a video of Handsome playing the spotlight solo for Ravel's Bolero. I can't tell you how much I enjoy watching him play. My recording can give you just a glimpse into my view from the balcony. I am one proud and blessed wife.

 

For those of you who might see this post on my Facebook page, this is the link to watch the video: http://youtu.be/Oj8_EGA8UB8

A Little Christmas Spirit...

 Sunday was filled with music...and not much sewing.

The North Port Concert Band presented their Christmas concert in the afternoon, and it was everything a Christmas celebration should be. (Of course, I thoroughly enjoyed Handsome's musical contributions!)

How accustomed we've become to the concerts to really kick-start our festive spirit. Musical friends, the sweet sound of children singing and well-loved Christmas music bringing the holidays into focus in a climate where we can't rely on snow to signal the season's arrival.

Once we're seated in the auditorium, the twinkling lights, the glow of an artificial fireplace and sparkling attire transports us to our childhood memories of Christmases past, and for a couple of hours we forget the warm weather and palm trees right outside the doors.

I really wish you could have all been here to enjoy the music with us. I'll be back tomorrow. Today, I'll accomplish a few things from my To Do list to share with you (and I'm sure I'll be humming a carol or two while I stitch away.

Ready For The Fancy Stitching...

Yesterday was actually a beautiful day. The sun was shining, temperature was moderate with low humidity (I love days like that here in south Florida!), and I finished the Lavender Dreams quilt top! I assembled the backing, packed everything up and took it down to Kathy. She will take the top, add the batting and backing, and mount it on her frame so her long-arm machine can do all the fancy stitching that will really make the quilt sing. When she's finished with her work (next week), I'll add the binding and it will be all done - just in time for me to present it to Miss Snoopy Pants' (aka, my younger sister, Diana) when she flies to Florida in December to celebrate my birthday with me. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and good thoughts for Kes. The little stone passed yesterday morning while she was at the vet's office, however the larger stone was going to pose a problem. I love our vet and her entire staff, so I didn't fret about Kessie's care at all. I knew they would take good care of her for me. Kes underwent surgery early afternoon on Friday and is now resting comfortably at the 24 hour emergency clinic in Sarasota. She stayed overnight for pain management and IV fluids. I'm told I'll be able to pick her up later this afternoon or Sunday. Of course, I'm hoping that it's today. I want her back here at home! One last photograph to share with you from Thursday night's concert. You can see that Handsome and I were on the stage at the same time. It was so much fun doing the Veterans' Day program! (You can click on the image to see a bigger picture, and I even drew arrows over each of us!) Have a great weekend, guys and dolls. See you tomorrow with Kes updates.

Fezzik Friday - 22 Weeks...

Have you ever heard the term "It's a dog-eat-dog world, and I'm wearing Milk Bone underwear"? Well, Mom said that more than once yesterday.

Mom got up at 5 am yesterday, and I guess I had a little bit to do with that. I started barking, but I can explain. Kes was being sick, and I'd never heard that noise before. I couldn't help myself.

Mom got up and helped Kessie, and then I heard her say something like, "You've got to be kidding!" Then she said something about "rocks". I don't even think I know what rocks are, but it didn't sound good. Kessie woke us up two more times before 6 am and gave Mom and Dad three more rocks! Mom called our doctor's office as soon as they opened and then took Kes in for x-rays.
There were still two more rocks, and one was pretty big. Mom thinks Kessie must be getting a little senile. She said that Kes never ate rocks before, and we can't figure out why she would start now. Poor Kessie. She sure wasn't feeling well the last time I saw her yesterday. I hope she feels better when she comes home!

Anyway, Kes stayed at the vet's office overnight, and if that big rock hasn't moved by the time Mom calls the office today, Kes will need surgery. I'm a little worried about her, and I sure missed having her around the house to play with last night.
Mom was a bit distracted with all the stuff going on with Kes, and I didn't make myself very clear when I told her I needed to go outside. I had an accident on their big rug in the living room. Mom cleaned up right away, but Dad said the rug was due for a good cleaning and I gave them a good excuse to do it today. They got it all rolled up and it just looked like a fun place to play. Mom was not amused.

Apparently, piddling on the rug
is frowned upon in this establishment!

The day ended well, though. I spent the evening in solitary, but Mom and Dad had their first concert together at the North Port Performing Arts Center. A friend of theirs took this picture so they could share it with you. Their Veterans Day concert was a roaring success and the Band and Chorale even got standing ovations! That's MY Mom and Dad! (Well, Kessie's, too.)

Mom couldn't do much quilting today, what with all the excitement around the place! She'll give you an update tomorrow, and apologizes that she couldn't show you a finished quilt top today.

We're hoping for good news from the vet and promise to let you know what we find out about Kes. See you next week!

36 Blocks...

Yesterday's Block Party was a huge success! I began sewing all the squares together at 9 am, and when I quit at 10 pm all 36 blocks were finished, and I had decided on the layout. (Apologies for the night-time photo, but I just had to show you how much I accomplished in one intense day.)

I'll get the quilt top assembled this morning, along with the back for the quilt, and then I'll drive it down to Kathy in Harbour Heights so she can quilt it (assemble top, batting and backing with the fancy quilt stitching) for me. After she's finished, it will come back to me to finish off with binding.

I'm hoping that Fezzik will share photos of the finished quilt top with you tomorrow. (Perhaps if I give him a little extra kibble?) I'm never quite sure what he wants to write about until he starts pecking away on my laptop. He's so smart!

I'll be picking up the Nantucket Quilt, which is now ready for binding, too. The next time you see that, it will be ready to ship to our hostess on the island.
This evening is our Veterans Day concert for the Concert Band and Chorale. (Remember, this will be my first concert with the Chorale.) It's going to be quite inspirational and patriotic. I wish you could all be here to enjoy it. I'm really hoping that someone is going to be recording it. I'm usually the person to do that, but I'll be singing this time, instead.

Happy Veterans Day to all the servicemen and women,
and all of our veterans who sacrificed so much
that we might live in freedom.
My family and I are very grateful.

Before I sign off for today, I also want to apologize for not responding to your daily comments or making my usual rounds to say hello to my blog pals. The design for the Lavender Dreams quilt was really a lot more involved than I anticipated, and with the deadline to get it to Harbour Heights, I've really been behind the 8 ball I sort of bit off more than I could chew.

You know how much I love stopping in to visit and leave my notes on your blogs...and likewise, how much I appreciate each and every comment. I want you to know that I read all of your notes as they come in, and I promise I'll get back to my regular schedule very soon. I'm hoping to get back to normal by the beginning of next week.

Til then, I hope you'll accept my blog posts as my "conversation" with each of you, and know that I'll be back to what passes for normal around here before you know it.