Tuesday, January 17, 2012

January Observances

J. spent most of his Monday birthday tinkering on this excavator.
Our weather has been moody--rather grey and blustery.
The birthday celebrant in our household gets to choose a favorite meal.
J.'s dessert never varies: pineapple upside down cake with whipped cream.
This was preceded by roast beef cooked with onion and garden carrots in the crock pot, baked potatoes, and a layered salad of lettuce, green peas, cucumber, tomato and shredded cheese.
The family next door arrived with a gift card for our favorite Cafe on the Square--and a huge custom made cookie which I thought came from the cafe bakery, but was in fact created by Matt.

G.'s b-day today--I always feel she gets cheated a bit--the leftover cake sort of thing.
She is battling a cold, so didn't want a special meal until she can enjoy it more.
She is posing here with her new quilt.
I retrieved it from the quilter today and rushed to apply the binding.


The quilt is more of a success than I anticipated.
The machine quilter does a decent job, she used a nice grade of fabric for the backing.
I prefer a cotton batting and to choose my own "lining"--but the price is good, so I think I will have some utilitarian 'scrap quilts' finished there.
I'm not enthused to think that every quilt I make from now on would have this stitching pattern--its the only one the quilt lady offers.
With this project completed I can focus on the joys of my fabric stash until time to garden again.

14 comments:

  1. What a lovely quilt. No wonder G is so delighted with it. I "think" I may be about to start on one myself - I am planning ones for the girls for NEXT Christmas (so I need a head start!)

    Belated birthday wishes to J & G. We celebrate in a similar way - don't go out for meals (Keith v. fussy and we're permanently skint!)

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  2. Belated Happy Birthday's to J and G. I hope G is feeling much better soon.

    That quilt is very pretty.

    Have a great week ~ FlowerLady

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  3. Very lovely quilt, MM. I like it.
    Even though my mom owned a quilt shop, I never really got into quilting. I did the needlepoint design and beading leather clothing of ill tempered rodeo queens. I may have to try my hand at it. I need some utliitarian bed quilts also. Any suggestions for instrutions on the web?
    Have a wonderful week.
    Hugs

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  4. Happy birthday to your husband and to your daughter. Love the quilt! I've been working on a very small one and as I stitched it with the sewing machine I thought about all those ladies who sat and did it all by hand!

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  5. What a lovely quilt! Wish I had the skills to do one. That looks like the perfect way to celebrate a birthday. The meal sounded wonderful!

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  6. The quilt is beautiful and I love the colours.
    I only wish we had people to do the quilting over here, you are so lucky in the usa where crafts are concerned, lots of outlets and variety of goods, not so here.
    Briony
    x

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  7. A beautiful quilt for your daughter`s birthday! Many happy returns to her and to J. We usually celebrate family birthdays with a family meal at home, although my OH has a Special Birthday this year so we might treat ourselves to a meal out.

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  8. Mmm...delicious birthday dinner! And the quilt is beautiful. I usually do a roast beef dinner with roast potatoes -- and maybe one day Yorkshire Pudding.

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  9. I really like that quilt - hope both the birthday people enjoyed their days and that G soon feels much better.

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  11. Happy Birthday J & G! The quilt is very nice but I'd really like an excavator to play with on my birthday!

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  12. That quilt is gorgeous ...love the rich colours.
    Belated birthday wishes to J and your daughter ...hope she feels ready for the meal soon ...we used to have that tradition of the birthday person choosing a meal ...I remember that every year my son used to say 'A cow please'I would smile and ask what he wanted with it ...'Just more cow'.

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  13. BB; I'm on a roll with the quilts--not that we need them to stay warm. I figure making them helps me keep my sanity!
    FL; I have passed on b-day wishes--I trust the recipients are flattered by the attention they have received.
    Denim; I will send you some links by e-mail--give me a day or so to get organized!
    Janet; I hope you'll be posting photos of your quilt.
    Jane; You do lovely knitting--a skill I never mastered--with a nudge in the right direction you could make a quilt!
    Bryony; I wonder why UK doesn't have the outlets for crafting supplies [?] I think we are tending more to on-line orders here. Its good I brought my fabric with me as there is no local outlet for fine quality goods.
    DW; I like at-home celebrations, although I do think landmark birthdays call for something rather special. I've told my family to ignore any of my years which don't end in a zero from here out!
    Chris J. I think I've figured out that Yorkshire Puddings are similar to what we call popovers--I just haven't imagined how one could do a large edition of such.
    Rowan; I think the quilt has a classic appeal, but it clashed with my bedroom walls, so good that G. admires it.
    I thought I recalled posting your first comment, I should have checked before posting and then deleting the second one.
    John; With the slightest encouragement no doubt J. would sell you an excavator and personally undertake to deliver it. [Groan!]
    Angie; Your son's request for 'more cow' is too funny--one of those dear family sayings that are remembered and passed down.

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  14. I look horendously FAT in that picture..I deleted it off my computer!!! :)

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