A Gifted Quilt, My WIP, and Garden Views

Last week at quilt group Theresa shared her redwork quilt wall hanging. I told her it needed to be in my kitchen--and she gave it to me! We have a teapot and teacup theme in the kitchen. so it looks great.

I have been working on A Tisket, A Tasket from Anne Sutton. I have a few applique pieces to do, and then will be embroidering. Shabby Fabrics included the pattern in their latest catalog!

When I was putting the blocks together I pulled out all my polka dot fabrics!

 The embroidery will add loads of details.

 My poor birdie will get a beck soon when I start the embroidery!

The apple trees are loaded with fruit! And one has a Robin's nest in it. The male Robin is keeping the squirrels out of the tree, so perhaps fewer little apples will be stolen.

My husband's rose garden is blooming. 

He always wanted a rose garden like his mother had, and started one after we retired into our 'forever' home.

He has been moving the Stella d'Oro lilies from the front yard in preparation for the landscaping that will be done in a few weeks. We are getting a Crab Apple tree and hydrangeas and roses and other lovely plants! Below is the designer's plan!

Soon my hubby will be out of commission for many weeks. He is having knee replacement surgery! (Guess who gets to water that new garden...) His orientation with the physical and occupational therapists was at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. It was my first time there.

There is a lovely area with comfy chairs and tables. The photo below shows the living green wall of vegetation.

 I saw art in the hallways, including this painting of the Mackinaw Bridge.

 Strait Groovin' by Lind K Shinkle Rodney and Theodore M. Shinkle.

I was surprised to see this art with all kinds of dogs!

 It is a tribute to Josephine Ford.

 It was a hazy day but we had a nice view of Detroit.

Father's Day was also my 46th anniversary. Yikes! I am feeling old!

I will soon be sharing photos of my Bronte sisters quilt which I finally began working on a week or so ago!

How to Walk Away: Finding a Perfect Life When Perfection Fails You

My husband read How to Walk Away through BookishFirst and raved about it. Publisher's Weekly gave it a 'thumbs up, buy it' rating. I grabbed my hubby's ARC and dove in.

Katherine Center's novel begins with Margaret living the dream: she has the perfect boyfriend, Chip, and the perfect job lined up.

Except Chip isn't so perfect. He knows Margaret is terrified of flying when he decides to get his pilot's license. And he is positive he can cure her fear by proving his skill as a pilot. Chip cajoles Margaret into joining him on a surreptitious night flight before he passes his last test, intending to propose to her during the flight. Margaret gives in.

But perfect fiancee' Chip can't handle the plane during a gust of wind and the plane crashes.

Chip walks away with some scratches. Margaret is trapped in the plane, her legs pinned, the jet fuel burning.

I would call the novel a romance and women's fiction, a page-turning beach read, except for one little thing: the theme is really about overcoming life's challenges, rolling with the punches, and flourishing when you have lost everything.

For Margaret, it is her disability and scars and the realization that Chip can't commit to 'better or worse.' Margaret's estranged sister Kit shows up to be her cheerleader. Kit must hash out some unfinished business with their mother, which leads marital stress for their parents. Love blooms and is repressed and blooms and, well, there are happy endings for all.

I found Margaret to be a little too chipper and perky in light of her injuries, and her attraction to a new man in her life suspect. Because I would be depressed and mean and hating all men in her shoes. But that is the point: Kit finds research proving that we are happy or unhappy regardless of what life throws at us, according to who we are. If we have courage and spirit and attitude we make it through anything. The rest of us get drunk, like Chip, or depressed and suicidal, or mean and angry.

How do you walk away from a crushing defeat?

Read a sample from the book at https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250201553

How to Walk Away
Katherine Center
St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 9781250149060
Hardcover $26.99

Welcome to Our Sit and Stitch Group

When we retired and moved to Clawson almost four year ago one thing I was eager to do was to join the weekly quilt group which meets at the community center. On any Tuesday you might find a dozen to over 30 gals enjoying socialization, sewing, and sharing their projects.

Several ladies volunteer to take photographs of our projects which are sent out to all members, so snowbirds or others who can't be there every week get to see all the wonderful work being done.

Today I thought I would share some of the recent quilts made by this talented group.

Betty  is one of our most productive members! She is trying to use up her large stash of fabric. The back of her quilts are always interesting.

Last year Betty made this amazing quilt.

One of our newer members, Cheryl, has made quilts for all her nieces and nephews. She is working on some smaller projects now.

Joanne made this wall hanging for a gift. She forgot to give it. So, the question is...will she give it up?

Joanne also makes lots of BIG projects, like this colorful king size quilt!

Joyce created this family album of handprints for an annual gathering. It will be auctioned off and the high bidder takes it home until next year when it will be auctioned off again.

Karen's opus magnum has been a work of love for years. It is FINALLY finished and looks amazing.

 This week Kay brought a quilt from her closet to share. Too cute!

Theresa is passionate about creating. She makes more quilts in a year than most make in a lifetime! The quilt blocks were made by the woman who taught her to quilt. She put them into this setting and hand quilted it all winter.

 AND she put together a Michigan themed quilt top.

 And finished her Sue Spargo wool applique' which she has worked on for weeks.

Over the years I sometimes share the quilts in the library, which mostly come from this group. Last winter Linda had several quilts with real 'wow' factor. Like this Christmas houses one!

Linda loves to use preprinted panels, as in this wintery horse quilt.

 Another wonderful quilt from winter is and embroidered and pieced quilt featuring 'over the river and through the snow' by Sandy.

Judy makes a lot of lovely quilts, too like this one from last year.

 Everyone loved Verna's version of this gardening theme quilt.

 Another spring themed quilt is Linda's birdhouses.

Shirley's Redwork embroidery and pieced quilt from several years ago represented a lot of work.

Sunetra loves all kinds of needlework. She made several versions of this Fiona quilt block pattern.

Our newest member Sue is making her first quilt, a memory quilt for her husband. She used his shirts and is including mementos including badges, ribbons awards, and even a drawing he made.

 Anna's Church Dash is a beautiful example of a traditional quilt.

Alex is new to sewing but is doing wonderful projects such as her stuffed zebra.

Barb is a professional long arm quilter. She is showing her beautiful wool applique quilt top.

Cathy is a teacher but joins us during summer and her breaks.

 Verna shared her colorful houses quilt.

Lucy is working on a Millefilore quilt. 

This year Lucy had her quilt Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds at the American Quilt Society show in Paducah.

I haven't found photos from all the gals, these are just some samples. I am lucky to be a part of the group and to be inspired by them.