A Quilt for a Guy

I'm not aware of any particular quilts I ever saw my mother or the church ladies make specifically for men.  Usually the quilts for men involve their wives too, so, it just never came across my mind.

However, I have grandsons who are grown, single and need quilts--well, I need to make them quilts, anyway.  So, even though I'm pretty sure they'll have mates at some point, these are going to be made specifically for the grandsons.

It's more difficult than you might think.

At any rate, this is what I started with (for the oldest grandson, of course):

I made another for one of my daughters in orange and white.  I think if I make this one in black and white with some red (the next grandson's color choices), it will work.  What do you think?  The red comes in where the yellow is on this quilt.  Also, the grandson's will be larger.

I think it'll be great!  I'm starting the cutting on this one today--after I teach a class in machine piecing (I don't know how I ended up teaching a class on any facet of quiltmaking, but, well, there you have it.)

I guess I'll wait until the next grandson returns from South America before I make his, so I'm skipping to the next one after him.  It'll be similar to the red/black above.  I have the pattern for the one after him and I have his color choices, so that'll be next.

Actually, I woke up last night with the pattern in my head for my oldest daughter's quilt.  It's going to be beautiful, but it'll be a while before I can start--I may move her to the head of the line and work two quilts at the same time, though, because I can hardly wait to see how it's going to turn out.  She'll love it, I think.

That's all I have today.

Calling All Grandchildren (MINE)

If I haven't made you a quilt, it's because I'm not sure what your favorite colors are. If you're a grand-SON--I know quilts are not your priority, but someday, you will have a home and a regular bed where a quilt might come in handy.  If you're a granddaughter, I may have already made you one, but if not, --well, never mind, I've made one for all the granddaughters...

As for the grandsons, I have seen several quilts that would do for guys.  So, you won't get flowers and girlie things--unless you want them.

TO THE MOTHERS OF MY GRANDSONS--Go ask your boys and get me some directions, please.

Flag Day

Today is Flag Day.  It was always a big deal to my grandfather, Ralph Beaman "Gramps".  I have blogged about this before--how he and his neighbor, Mr. Carter would see who could get out earliest to get their flag run up their respective flag poles.

Gramps fought in Europe during World War I.  When I was around 8 (that would have been about 1951), and I heard him talking about "the war" I asked him which war.  Apparently he was insulted (well, jeez, I was only 8) so he just said, "The Spanish American War"--he thought I'd get the not-so-subtle humor, but it went right over my 8-year-old head.  Many years later I recalled the conversation and "got" it.  :)

Well, anyway, Gramps died on June 12 in 1963, and was buried on--yep, June 14--Flag Day.  He's buried in Greenwood Cemetery in San Diego, overlooking his beloved swan lake and all over town the flags were flying as they drove him to the cemetery.  It was fitting and a little poetic.

Sometimes I really miss my grandparents.

Table Runners

I tried to make four table runners.  I was pretty sure I couldn't do this pattern because it looks very difficult.  It involved a new process (new to me) called paper piecing and it was actually pretty simple.

Here's how they came out:

I went to a Norman Area Quilters' Guild demo day at the Public Library on Saturday afternoon, and did demonstrations in cutting, quilt basting and binding.  At the demo there was a woman with an old treadle machine.

The brand was New Home, but it reminded me of the old White treadle machine that my great grandmother, Martha Rasmussen ("Ma") used to sew on.  I asked her when I was about 8 or 9 if I could do it, too.  She taught me how to coordinate the feet pushing the treadle with steering the fabric and NOT getting my fingers under the needle.  It was the first time I ever sewed, and I thought it was pretty cool.

The woman at the Guild demo day told me that there are White treadle machines available online today.  I'm going to look into it.  Wouldn't it be something if I could find one?

Cousins

My cousin Lorna died yesterday.  She was 3 years younger than I am--the age of my younger brother, Bob.  We spent a lot of time together when we were little children.  I remember one time she suggested onion sandwiches for lunch.  I loved this and we did it many times after that.  Just a slice of bread, a little mayo, and a 1/4" or so slice of onion.  m-m-m-m

I hadn't heard anything about her or any of her siblings for more than 25 years.  When Bob Brown (biological parent) died about a year ago, my brother went to the funeral.  There, he reconnected with many people we thought were lost to us, including Lorna.  I called her and we had a really good visit.  I'm so glad I had that opportunity!

After that, I became Facebook friends with her younger sister, Shirene, and her older brothers Jerry and Ricky--well, I think Rick--I believe he has a son or grandson called Ricky now.  :)

Their oldest sister, Janice died just a few weeks ago, and I was never able to reconnect with her.

I love my cousins.  Their mom, Shirley, was always "there" for us if we needed her.  She loved us and told her brother, Bob Brown, that if it ever came to a choice between him and us, she would choose us.  That always made me feel loved and wanted by people other than my parents.

Jerry posted that Lorna's funeral would probably be Tuesday in Arizona.  I wish I could be there.

Abortion

Abortion: it has become a divisive word.  Here's what I think about it--the clinical type, not the spontaneous one (that one is more frequently called miscarriage.)

When I was a young girl, abortions were illegal.  If someone wanted to terminate a pregnancy she could go to Tijuana, "a guy" down the street or in a back alley, or try any one of many do-it-yourself methods.  All of these lead to serious life-changing infections, possible sterilization, and frequently death.

Abortions have been going on for as long as pregnancies have.  Being against the law will not stop them.  Murder, robbery, rape, drug possession and many (MANY) other things are against the law and happen with alarming frequency.

If a person is determined to abort a pregnancy, there should be a safe way to do it.  It's the only loving and charitable way to handle it.

I think that counseling should be mandatory, maybe encouraging to carry the pregnancy and consider adoption, at the very least to be able to view the embryo/fetus via ultrasound first.  I do not believe any life changing  decision should be made without all the education and consideration possible.  But in the end if the decision is still to terminate a pregnancy, the least society can do is cut the judgmental crap and give her a safe place and method to do it.

A New Year about 60 Years Ago...

When I was 8 and Bobby had just turned 5, our mother had just gotten re-married and we were living in the home in San Diego that was next door to our grandparents.  We were up early and were talking about what a new year meant.  I was trying to explain it because, well, I was 8 and practically (I thought) a grown-up.

Also, around that time, Queen Elizabeth's coronation was happening, and I was trying to explain that--he kept asking was she our queen and I kept saying no, she's the Queen of England--well, aren't we English--no, we're Americans, etc., etc., etc. and so it went.

Finally, he asked me, well if we aren't English, and she's not the Queen of California, why is it on the TV?

Good question I was never able to adequately answer.

Some Things I've Been Doing

This is what I made for Kelly's wedding.

...and I made this one for Alex (Eric's daughter).

I made four of these--I kept one and gave one each to Amy, Wendy and Christy.

--they're wall hangings.  Jennie's isn't finished yet and is related to her Master's degree, and I'll post when it's done.  My canning jar quilt is hanging on my kitchen wall.

Blogging

I re-read AmyWW's blog about reading a few blogs every day, etc.  I see that many people do blog all the time.  I think I'm the anti-blogger.  I love writing them; I love reading them; why don't I just do it more often?

I finally started following the Pioneer Woman--I noticed that some of the people in my family follow it so I checked it out.  Now I really enjoy her blogs.  I want to thank Jenna for turning me on to Budget Bytes.  It's an interesting blog and I'm going to follow it--I think I can use many of her ideas.

I don't surf around looking for interesting blogs.  I just see what other people are following and sometimes I do too.  However I do make some nifty quilts.  Here's one I just put together (that means the "sandwich"--backing, batting and top--is put together and waiting for me to actually quilt it.)

I had to push all my family room furniture back to the walls to get this monster laid out.  It's actually going on OUR bed, because I've wanted a "red work" quilt for a long time--even though my bedroom is mostly soft greens.

Looking at my picture, I see the TV tables that I'm using as side tables.  I think this is the year that I'm going to get real tables for Christmas for our home.  It seems that most years there are things I really need so that counts as Christmas for us.  This year, I don't really need--or even want--anything particular and I saw some really pretty side tables on sale at a local (OKC) furniture store, so maybe I'll retire the TV tables.

I am excited to give Kelly and Matt their owl quilt.  I'll post after the wedding.

Slow race

When we were little, Bob and I started a slow counting contest (race).  Whoever got to 10 slowest was the winner.  He got to 5 or 6 rather quickly.

I'm still on 1...

:)