Eilene's quilt, Jason is an IRONMAN, Name blocks for Mark's quilt, and an AWESOME recipe for fruit salad, yummy yummy

Last night I had a little dinner party for three of my quilting friends. Very fun. Eilene my cupcake friend came and brought her new polka dot quilt. Three people made up their own rules from a pattern and I was going to join them until I saw what it took to cut out all of those pieces...I gave it up and worked on something else! Can you blame me? Although this is so beautiful! I hope to get photos of all three of the quilts next month when we have our cupcakes retreat. GREAT fun and beautiful isn't it? Aren't polka dots the best???

Below is my son Jason training as he does each day for Iron man-this guy is all muscle as is Nomi his friend (he works for Nomi's husband)     I think the news station took this beautiful photo, I love it.

Here is my son Jason riding and getting ready for Iron Man which will be Sunday morning beginning at 6 in the morning. The news station here is doing a story about him because he had cancer when he was little and his Dad died of Brain cancer last month and he wanted to face his fears and train this past year for Mark. Below is his number and his wife's best friend Nomi who trains with him sometimes has her number too. They have six other friends who are participating. Phew!

Last night they had a little bit on the news about him and part of it was me talking about his fight when he was small and how it made me sad to learn my husband had cancer and we had to go through it again. It almost made me cry watching. Meredith Viera's son is the reporter, nice guy.

So Sunday the whole family is going to Coeur d'Alene to watch. My neighbor will be here at my house doing things and getting ready for us to come back and eat and be excited.

May 29th 2014 2013 IRONMAN Coeur d'Alene

IRONMAN is made up of many different types of athletes all with one goal: Swim 2.4 miles, Bike 112 miles and Run 26.2 miles all in less than 17 hours!...Read More ▻

Jason's goal is between 11 and 12 hours....

So the strips with names of friends who prayed for me, sent cards and gifts are coming in so I can make a special quilt about Mark and I and the love we received....very fun to see all of the names and color! Moves me to tears and being thankful.

 

Below, isn't this the truth?

Laugh for the day!

Ok I made a delicious salad and know you will love it!

PRETTY FRUITY SALAD

1 large mango peeled and diced

2 cups blueberries

2 bananas sliced

2 cups fresh strawberries

2 cups seedless grapes

2 nectarines,unpeeled and sliced

1 kiwi fruit,peeled and sliced

Dressing

1/3 cup orange juice

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 Tablespoons honey

1/4 cup ground  ginger

dash of nutmeg

Mix sauce in bowl

Combine all together and serve for breakfast or with spicy foor for either lunch or dinner!

Delish!

Stay tuned the Autumn quilt is coming along and we have all kinds of fun things in blocks...will be teaching this in Salt Lake! Autumn Winds

------------------------------

Have a wonderful weekend friends and count your many blessings!

Daddy, Autumn Winds Workshop at Salt Lake in Sept, Flat Stanley, Trip to Seattle and Creativity!

My MOM and DAD with me at Manito Park on Father's Day many years ago. Love those old style dresses....

 Mark with my son when we moved into our house. He was a great Father to our kids!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spo I promised the girls who were in Salt Lake and wanted to take my Autumn winds class that I would post the fabrics that I love to work with and some light giving fabrics with light, medium and dark all mixed in one fabric! I like fabrics with texture for owls and leaves and other things like rooftops and fields.

Here are some oranges I love and if you can find a fabric that changes values such as the one above you will love how easy you can change values which is SO very important for a successful quilt!

Love stripes and batiks and keeping in mind that blues go with oranges because they are complimentary colors! Lime green is a natural for Fall and I always buy dots for eyes of animals! I don't see dots often, I see eyes, and other things....

Since most fabrics used fr fall are medium in value, I always loook for tone on tone darks like this brown and the blacks. Will look smashing with the oranges and other colors! I like to mix in some black and whites to if the print is small and there is more black than white....white wants to take over as the star and you do not want that.

--------------------------------------------------------------

AUTUMN WINDS blocks.....

So we will have many little surprises and ideas for being original and unique and not doing the same quilt as everyone in the class. THIS is what is fun about my creative workshops. You will love the simple and yet great ideas I have to show you!

Below, imagine red and purple leaves, big owls with fun eyes, Imagine couched veins on the leaves, imagine piecing and black and white small polka dots mixed in, cats, pears and other fruits,pie, gourds and whacky borders that are fun and colorful and ideas on how to make buttons spiders and other FUN secrets. The crows are darn fun too and fairly fast to piece. 

Things with many fabrics are better then one with the same fabric throughout and you don't need huge amounts either.
This should give you a good idea of what to bring for the Autumn Winds class in Salt Lake in Sept! Can't wait!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is my Granddaughter and her flat Stanley. I plan to take him on the road with me to Salt Lake and other places if she will let me or we may make our own. She is really artistic and fun. This is the little girl that has the bug collection and has loved them since she was two!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Connie and I went to Seattle this week to look at Molbaks nursery. It is my favorite shop in Washington state. We skipped the quilt shops. I do not need anymore fabric! BUT I want this little $2800. house. It is tiny but isn't it cute? Wish I knew a retired carpenter who was bored. :0)

Angel on the front door! Darling and right up my alley.

Tree with paint brushes hanging down...very cute

When we were in Seattle we went to Pikes street market where the prices were high and the traffic was horrible...and I am used to horrible traffic. Horrible! BUT wouldn't this make a nice quilt? Or hat on someone???

Below, Connie gives change to the people of Seattle. She has a good heart.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I will be posting blocks from a quilt the artists and teachers who travel surprised me with this week.  I would also like to post some new photos of my yard and some photos of the birds I am making to swap.
I am working on a new booklet of the pieces girls I designed which are darling! And my drawing book is getting added to since I have the summer and I am going to do a new Hoochy book with animals and other fun handouts I give for many different themed workshops using that technique. I will be teaching lots of fun classes on easy piecing and of coarse story quilts here and there too! Such fun to be a quilter and love color and creativity!

I GET GOOD Mail and Blueberry Lemon Loaf Recipe from Wanda.....

Dear Mary Lou,

You're in my thoughts and prayers.  I'll get my and my mother's 2 1/2" x 6 1/2" squares off soon,  In the meantime, here is some good news to share.

This quilt also won 2nd in a viewer's choice award at a different show.  Pretty fun!

It wasn't a cow but my story quilt "Santa's Vacation Snapshots" won 1st prize for art quilts in our local Lakeview Quilt Show.  What an honor.  There are more that 200 members in the guild and that includes some major, major quilters.  I was blown away and thought it would bring a smile to your faces!

After all - I owe my love of story quilts to my friend and mentor, YOU!

I've also included a snap shot of my most recent  story quilt I made for a beach house challenge.  It isn't quilted yet but that will come! 

Happy Quilting!

Peggy

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mary Lou,

I thought you might enjoy seeing this story quilt I made after reading your books, although reading is a mild term for what I did.  Your books are next to my bed and I have studied every quilt in them!  I am a total groupie of yours.  How do you like that?

I designed this quilt one night when I could not sleep.  I drew it up in an old notebook I keep with me and I made it just as I drew it in that first draft. It is called "Do Small Things With Great Love" though I keep calling it "Great Love" so that might be its real name.  The quote is attributed to Mother Theresa.  I looked just like the girl in the quilt when I was little (I am now 54) so even though I did not plan her to be me I think she is.  Just like this quilted me I am happiest in my garden.

The quilting was done by a friend, Martha Wilson.  Your books even gave me "permission" to pay someone else to do the quilting for me.  I can meander and make a half decent feather, but Martha rocks as a quilter.  I gave her the quilt and told her to have fun with it and do whatever she wanted to with her magical machine.  She did have fun and with her domestic machine I think she did do some magic!

I hope you like my quilt.  This was the most fun I've ever had making one and I don't think I can ever go back to making ordinary quilts again!

Thank you for your inspiration.  I can't wait to see what you have for me to enjoy in your next book!

Cyndi Zoller

------------------------------------------------------------
Lemon yogurt blueberry cake - (from Sweet Pea blog -sent from Wanda from Calgary for me to try) and it is amazing!

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf Adapted loosely fromIna Garten 1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (if you’re skipping the fruit, you can also skip the last tablespoon of flour) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar 3 extra-large eggs 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons) 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed (miniature wild blueberries are great for this, and pose the least risk of sinking) 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 (+) minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside. When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in (a pastry brush works great for this, as does using a toothpick to make tiny holes that draw the syrup in better). Cool.