Charity Quilt and Big Weekend

First, here is a little announcement...my blog is featured this week on We All Sew. Check out this interesting site that includes tutorials, videos, links to Free Stuff, charity projects, and lots more.

Speaking of charity projects, here is the latest Quilt on Wheels that I finished last Thursday. It was made by my friend Irene at our bee's Sew-In Day in January at Quilts Like Crazy in Wake Forest. She used the Yellow Brick Road pattern, one of my favorites.

True funny story...when I saw Irene working on this quilt, I thought it was a Christmas quilt. Reds and greens...and I thought the border fabric was a Christmas print. So, when I got ready to quilt it, I turned on my Christmas Music playlist on my iPOD to set the mood. Imagine my surprise when I saw all the flowers, gardens, ducks... LOL! Another senior moment.

When I do these charity quilts (at no charge) I try to use new quilting designs or patterns, or to make up something new. It keeps me from becoming bored, and might be something to file away for future use. On this quilt, I made a little flower with a cluster of circles that reminds me of a grape hyacinth...

and invented a new feather with a curly echo on the outside (seen here on the back side of quilt.)

I intended to do Carolyn's charity quilt first, but, another senior lapse in judgment, the piece of flannel that I put in her quilt kit for the backing was not large enough for the finished top! DUH! So, I cut a backing from a piece of wide donated fabric, but it needed ironing. Not feeling like ironing (I never feel like that, actually) I gave the backing a misting with a water sprayer, and laid it out to dry over the machine rollers with the fan blowing on it. Usually that removes the wrinkles. Not this time! Must get it ironed.

This weekend we had a house full of company including son Bryson, his two little kids, two of his Frisbee Golf buddies who live in Virginia, and son Dave and DIL Emily AND the new grand-dog, Roo.

Roo behaved admirably, was great with the kids, and generally endeared himself to all.

The weather finally warmed up, and it was especially beautiful on Sunday, when we were outside all day. Here is my husband Charlie taking the kids on a Gator ride around the yard.

And here is Emily's brand new ride, a Mini Cooper. I got to drive it around the neighborhood- very sweet! I could not imagine it being large enough to accommodate my very tall son, but it has lots of legroom, and plenty of room for Roo and his bed in the back!