A week of Christmas lunches and parties. I am becoming overwhelmed with food. Yesterday we had a lovely Sunday lunch with Leslie and John and Nadir and John. I think I overdid the chocolate dessert, especially as I have this miserable, achy cold.
Less than a week now until we go to Michigan for Christmas. It promises to be white and cold, at least according to all the weather reports I have seen. It is damp and cold here, chills my bones.
I do hope we can get a good family portrait done while we are there. We also want one done here with Martin's girls and grandchildren, etc.
I don't know if we will make it to the Mackinaw bridge with the predicted snow, but we will see. Lots of shopping in any case and a must do trip to Indiana. Also, a pinata this year as we haven't had one for ages.
Back on the 30th and all of Martin's family for New Year's Day.

Had a lovely Thanksgiving with friends and phone calls to all my family. Can't believe it is almost time to leave for the States for Christmas.
Not much quilting going on at the moment, but I will soon be planning a couple of Linus quilts and trying to decide how to proceed with my star quilt.
Much of my time lately has been taken up in reading. I have finished a biographies of the Brontes, Tecumsah, and Tennessee Williams. It is very strange to think about him being a cousin--very distant, but still a cousin. Now I will have to read the plays and poetry. It does stir up feelings about writing again. I just don't seem to have that real drive that says I HAVE to write to survive. Still, I do get inspirational urges now and then for a poem. I have no idea how to do playwriting. I should have taken a class while I was in the creative writing program at WMU.
Anyway, two weeks from today we will be flying to Chicago and then Kalamazoo. I do hope the holiday goes well and that everyone more or less gets along. Family gatherings can be so stressful. Maybe there will be some material for poetery there.

WE HAD SNOW!!! It is the second snowfall in England this year, but the first for us here in Suffolk. Keith called from Yorkshire Sunday morning and they had several inches. We only had about an inch, and of course it was nearly all gone within a few hours, but it still looked pretty.

The time is winding down to the holidays. I'm already getting nervous about Thanksgiving dinner and having discerning guests. After that, its hardly any time until we leave for Christmas in Michigan. I really hope we have some snow there this time as the last Christmas we had there, in 2005 I think, it rained.

There will be lots of fabric and other quilting things waiting for me to stuff in my luggage and bring back to England. I plan to start the Double wedding ring sometime next year.

I also have to start my new knee exercises this week to prepare for knee surgery in a few months. Not looking forward to that much, but I guess it has to be done.

Here is the snowfall from Sunday, 23 December.

Another week gone by and I am still trying to get used to Obama being the President elect. The inauguration promises to be some spectacle.
Went to an orientation meeting for knee replacement surgery yesterday and all sounds good except that they keep stressing that knee replacement is more painful than hip replacement. I don't look forward to that. Apparently, surgery should be scheduled about 18 weeks from the time of the meeting which would make it the end of March.
It is only a week until Thanksgiving and I am beginning to panic already. We will be having dinner for 6 and I am not sure if I can pull it off. Maybe a little sherry before the cooking would help?
Still working on the DJ quilting and also making star blocks. I have no idea what the star quilt will look like at this point, but it has a black background with rich bright color stars.
Also working on genealogy a lot lately trying to get my files in some kind of order to pass a copy on to my nephew who will inherit all the family history things (whether he wants to or not). I can't believe what a mess some of the lines are in. I also must do a lot of picture labeling. I have just realized that I am the only person in the family who knows who some of those people are! That doesn't make me feel old.
21 years ago tomorrow, that Dad died. It does not seem at all possible. But Christmas has never been the same.

Nearly a week now since the US presidential election. Barack Obama has become the first African American president elect! Remembering the Civil Rights movement in the 60's and various other racial problems in the States, I sometimes cannot quite believe that this has really happened. Other times, it seems perfectly normal and natural. It is certainly something whose time has come. In eight years, I would love to see a Native American woman running for President or even Vice President.
Last week the Monks Eleigh history group had a talk on our local historic theatre in Bury St. Edmunds. The speaker gave a lot of history of theatre in general and the evolution of the physical structure of theatrical buildings and settings--a central stage, audience surround and actually a part of the performance, backdrops, perspectives and arches, also side entrances. For some reason it all made me think of Stonehenge with its dramatic setting around a central "stage" and all those fantastic arches. Could it be that it was a place for sacred theater?
Two quilting classes this week and two next week and then its time for Thanksgiving. I won't be here for the December classes and probably won't do any work while in Michigan. I wish I could get the drive to finish more of my projects, but I guess they will come in time.
Have been taking lots of tree photos to plan several small tree quilts--also Hansel and Gretl and Chicago. Will have to live to be about 300.

Tomorrow is the U.S. presidential election. They say that the voter turnout will be the highest since the Kennedy election. I don't know if that is good or bad. I really fear for the country if Palin somehow becomes Vice President. I just can't believe she is even on the ticket and McCain doesn't look at all well, which makes it even more dangerous.
Even though I don't live there now, all of my family does and they need a change--some hope for the future. Bush had gone pretty far toward ruining the country altogether. Things must turn around or America won't be America anymore.
On the quilting side, still working on the hand quilting of the DJ quilt and not being very happy with my stitches. I have puckers on the back, but I am not willing to unpick and re-layer and re-baste the entire quilt. I have already layered and basted twice, as I had to remove the mountain mist batting because it was too small and was tearing. If I ever finish this quilt, I plan to USE it.
Have to order a turkey today for Thanksgiving. We will be having good friends for the meal, but, of course, no family. I feel sorry that England does not have a holiday like this. Halloween has just finished without much celebration and the Christmas decorations were already up! By the time Christmas comes, you are already sick of it and even so, it isn't so much family oriented here as in the States.
Enough grumbling, must get sewing.

Not much new happening. Still hand quilting on the DJ quilt, but not really happy with my stitches. I don't suppose I will ever be satisfied with them as I want perfection.
The leaves are turning here and, while they are pretty, it is making me homesick for the colors in Michigan. I miss the bushels of apples, concord grapes, pumpkin land, sweet cider and donuts and football.
I am really looking forward to Christmas in Otsego, Paw Paw, Kalamazoo and have my fingers crossed for lots of snow.
We will be having guests for Thanksgiving this year. Its not the same as a family Thanksgiving, but should be fun.
Maybe I will have the Dear Jane half-quilted by then.

Missed last Monday so trying to catch up. Have finally started quilting my DJ quilt and will soon try to sash and put together the siggy quilt top. It will be amazing to have a quilt with all those blocks from all over the world. I will also have to put all the accompanying letters in a nice binder of some kind to go with the quilt.
I think I am finally ready to try some small art quilts. I expect that it is the planning that takes the most time, at least for the small ones. Once the design and fabric decisions are made, I hope they go fairly quickly, although I would love to make a full size one some day.
The weather here is miserable again. Freezing cold and rainy. They say on the news that it was the darkest and coldest August and September for donkeys years. I believe it.
Looking forward to Christmas in Michigan and I really hope it snows. It is so long since I have seen my kids and grandkids.
I have a new digital camera which I am trying to learn to use and should have some nice quilt pictures up here soon.

We had a beautiful 4 days here in Suffolk. I guess that was our belated summer as it is now very overcast and we may get some rain tonight or tomorrow.
I had Leslie's class on Thursday and we are starting a muslin textured panel. The first block is quilting only. I tried to do a quilted "seashell" motif and it was terrible. I had to unpick it so that I could still use the square of silk batting as I have just enough for the project with none to spare. I then did a heart in quilting stitch and colonial knot. That is much better. The sample blocks that Leslie has shown us are really beautiful, so I would like mine to at least be worth the effort.
We are also doing some star block which may be made into a Linus project quilt. I have decided to do starts in bright, primary fabrics on a black background. I am sure it will be wonderful with the right fabrics.
On Friday night we went to Felixstowe and saw the Searchers. Good fun and good music. Still, its a bit depressing that we are all so old--gray hair on stage and everywhere in the audience. But it was a really good evening.
On Saturday evening we went to the outskirts of Colchester to the Angel Inn and had a meal cooked by owner Cliff--Martin's cousin that he hasn't seen in at least 10 years. Nice to finally meet some relatives. A very nice pub, but struggling. I hope things get better for them.
It has been 3 months now since my hip replacement and I have finally started doing some serious walks. We did a small village walk on Sat. and then one of the trails at RSPB Minsmere on Sunday. I think it was supposed to be only 1 1/2 miles, but it seemed like a marathon. I will have to get out again today or I will freeze up. If I do my walking I can then work on my star block and my bird quilt in peace.

Back from a weekend in lovely Scarborough in Yorkshire where we were visiting Martin's brother. We were lucky with the weather once we got there, but the drive up on Friday night wasn't very nice.
Had a wonderful view of the sea and the castle ruins on the hill from our hotel window. I would love to live by the sea, but I don't think I could live with all the crowds.
No quilting done on the trip, but a new siggy was waiting for me on my return. I have slightly more than enough for a 14 x 18 square quilt. So I guess I will have to get several more and make it 15 x 18. The latest is from Germany.
Today is catch up on laundry, etc. but tomorrow I will work on my American Birds applique quilt. Wednesday evening is Chelsworth Quilter's with a demonstration by Helen Howes and then it is Leslie's class on Thursday. Must get more done!!!

Well, the DJ quilt top is finished and all layered and pinned. Now that job is over, I can start the hand quilting which could take forever. I also have 252 international siggies to square and sash. They will make a nice quilt of 14 by 18 squares.
Casie was 18 last Friday. That is just not possible. How could I have a grandson 21 and a grandaughter 18? I can't think where the years have gone.
Shirley's class starts on Wednesday and Leslie's is next week on Thursday, so I will have more work to do. Chelsworth quilters next week also and I can't remember what we are doing, but I hope it isn't another project as I can't keep track of the ones I'm doing now.

The Dear Jane top is coming together nicely. All the squares are vertically sashed and in their horizontal rows. Now I just have to finish the horizontal sashing and do the borders. Shouldn't take too long and I will post a photo when it is done.
I am also working on my bird quilt and have 2 of the center 16 blocks finished. This could be a very long term quilt. The cardinal and Robin look pretty good and I have done the pattern and overlay for the bluejay to be worked on in Shirley's class this month.
I had my ultra sound on Friday and there seem to be no problems or irregularities with my kidneys, spleen or gall bladder. Good there. Now I see the orthopaedic consultant this afternoon and find out what, if anything, is going to be done about my knees.

Finally starting to put my Dear Jane quilt together. I have hand pieced the 169 center squares, but I'm doing the sashing and corner stones on the machine. While I think it would be nice to have the quilt completely like Jane Stickles', I have decided not to do the triangles and corner kites. There will be a narrow frame border of dark green and then another border with the main fabric. I think that it will look really nice that way.
Olympics over and bank holiday over and now its back to normal. Even have to go to the dentist today and have a scan at the hospital on Friday.

Returned exhausted from the quilt festival at the NEC, even though I only attended one day. I really did hope to be fantastically inspired and there were some very interesting quilts there, but due to the sudden, frightening illness of one of our party, we were fairly subdued. All plans for evenings out and exploring Birmingham were abandoned.
I am disappointed with myself that I still haven't really experienced the festival. It is my third visit and I haven't had any workshops or lectures and haven't really seen any demonstrations as the crowds are always so thick it is impossible to see what is going on.
Minimal shopping with only a few purchases, the main one being the double wedding ring templates from Marti Michell and some fabric paints so I can try my hand at that. Saw Ricky Timms for a few seconds, but didn't converse. Martin and I went to Elgar's birthplace and museum and spent a really good day there.
Will post some festival snapshots soon along with Teya's quilt.

I am really looking forward to the Quilt Festival on the weekend. It will be so much better to go with friends and have a night out than to ride the bus all the way there and back.
Also, I have talked to Brandon twice on the phone in one week. He sounds really good, so I hope everything goes well with the new job and the future prospects. And now Amy has email, so I can contact her more easily. I will have to make more of an effort to stay in touch every week with all of them.
Next Monday I should have quilt news from the NEC and hopefully some pictures.

August already and we are just barely keeping up with the garden. The tomatoes are not ripe yet, but we have more zucchini and cucumbers than we know what to do with.
Gardening takes time, but I am trying to get back into the swing of quilting again since my hip replacement surgery in June. This week is Comfort Quiters week at Chelsworth and I hope to finish the hand quilting on Teya's quilt by this next weekend. Photo will be posted when the quilt is finished.

I am restarting this blog in July 2008 to make it more of a communication with my family back in Michigan. Its a way to let them know what I am doing with my passion of quilting and sewing and also to send them images of my home, my village and my projects. I think this will give me more viratility with my blog and make me feel a little closer to my children and grandchildren so far away.
I hope to post some new photos of projects that I am doing and also ideas for those I would like to do. There are also some nice photos in my webshots that can be accessed by the link on this page.