Quilting

I spent most of the day updating Anita's website. That's one of my many jobs now that I am retired. Ha! One of my tasks was to replace a sample picture with the same sample that is now quilted. What a difference the proper quilting makes. She used one of Emily Senuta's "Place & Trace" templates. This one is the 1/4" Basket Weave. There is also a Ribbon Weave and they come in 1/2" and 1/4". Tiny work but very impressive when finished.

This time of year this is an every other day task.

We've done 24 pints so far.

We usually try for 52 pints;

one a week for a year.

That is if the beetles don't get 'em.

This is Anita's latest class sample.

Anita is looking for a name for this guy.

The class is Faux Trapunto done on a

longarm quilting machine.

By the way, her website www.anitashackelford.com

This is why this is one of the coolest Julys on

record. The sun is blank - no sunspots.

Not to mention the fact that today there was a

total eclipse of the sun. I was able to find a good picture of that too.

Anita judged the quilts at the Ohio State Fair today. Jennifer assisted. I stayed home and watched it rain. That was a very big event here in Bucyrus. If it doesn't warm up we will be eating a lot of fried green tomatoes. Later........

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, Jennifer Shackelford Perdue

Jennifer and Elisa Shackelford

Kaleidoscope of Quilts

Latest quilt show news!

Anita won Best of Show Wall Quilt and several other ribbons at the Kaleidoscope of Quilts show in Sylvania, OH this weekend. She put different Mariner's Compass blocks, Ohio Stars, and Rising Stars into this quilt for she made for me. She quilted it on the longarm machine, with lots of star, rope, and nautical patterns.

Jen won a First Place ribbon and Best Computerized Quilting with her wholecloth quilt "Sunny Side Up." She designed the layout of her patterns on the computer and stitched out the fancy patterns with a golden brown thread. Then she did free-motion quilting to add texture in the background.

But we're most excited for Amber, who won a First Place ribbon in the Pieced Bed Quilt category! This is her second quilt, but the first time she has won a ribbon.

Brandon entered his first quilt, called "Super Star" into this show too. He was proud to show it off and, of course, got lots of attention and encouragement from everyone who saw it.

Hope you have the opportunity to get a close-up

view of a Sunflower. The geometry is amazing.

Anita's Statice is doing very well also this year. Everything is doing great.

So far we've had spinach, lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, peas, kohlrabi,

summer squash and cucumbers.

Well, they're back. Any ideas?

Why can't they all be nice bugs?

Teens & Tweens - Quilting Fun with Family & Friends

Anita finally finished proofreading her new book, co-authored with our daughter Jennifer Perdue. It's full of interesting projects for kids to make. They worked with Jen's daughter Amber, son Brandon, cousins Blake and Willow, neighbor girl Seayra, and Brandon's best friend, Dakota. The kids are full of energy and creative ideas so things were hopping when they were in the studio. You can see pictures of the kids here www.anitashackelford.com/kids-at-work. Watch for more news to follow.

Anita wanted me to include our Thai Pink Egg tomato plant. It's an heirloom and very sweet. She actually counted the tomatoes yesterday and came up with 118 with lots more blossoms.

It's called Memorial Day

This is a "goose neck", a gift from our neighbor Sandy, last year. It is really doing great this year. Here's a closeup:

It was a lazy day. Pulling weeds and such. Discovered the neighbor is housing a family of raccoons under their deck. Add them to the list: raccoons, skunks, RABBITS, squirrels and chipmunks. It's a wonder we have any plants left. It's a battle everyday.

Anita continues to proofread, over and over and over, her new book "Teens & Tweens, Quilting Fun with Family & Friends". It goes back to the editor at American Quilter's Society in Paducah, KY, on Monday, if she can let go of it. This book was co-authored with daughter Jennifer Perdue. Will try to post pictures of our grandkids from the book soon.

Till then.....

Happy 4th of July

July 2nd

July 2nd, 2009...

I mowed today wearing sweat shirt and hat. Must be Ohio. Anita has been busy proofreading her 9th book, Teens & Tweens, Quilting Fun with Family & Friends. This book was written with our daughter Jennifer Perdue and includes our other daughter, Elisa, our grandkids and many of their friends. Also Anita's sister and niece helped with many of the projects. The book is being published by American Quilter's Society and will be out this fall. How exciting to see the whole family in a book.

The garden is doing great this year. Best year ever due to a secret ingredient. I could tell you but.............. We had our first tomato June 30th. It was an heirloom called Thai Pink Egg. It is the size of a large cherry tomato and I started it late last winter. The original came from a vendor in Paducah that we picked up during the 2008 show. So sweet.

All for tonight!