Hello everyone,
Lotti as usual your photos are fabulous. They make me feel like I'm right there. Thank you! I'm so glad that your crane is temporary! Your quilts are happy. I know the recipients will treasure and love them.
Luann, your books are interesting! You are quite the inventive sewist. Always doing some new technique. Thanks for sharing.
Wendy! You have the perfect dog! No barking to annoy the neighbors, no messy clean up

and he will always stay in the yard. Really tho', it is very cute. I'd love one for my yard. I currently have 2 pink flamingos in my yard. They started out as a joke more than 30 years ago and now they are part of the family. Their names are Horace and Maude. When my children were young they wanted a dog. I said "We already have pets! We have Horace and Maude"! I didn't win mother of the year that year either. Oh well!
I finished the top I was making using the Shibori fabric I dyed at my friend Jo's home last fall. It was a struggle, but I think it turned out pretty good. There are some pieces that didn't make the final product. They will go on the back.
I didn't feel up to figuring out how to make the back using all the pieces. My mom has been failing in health and went into hospice care a few weeks ago. There seems to be so many things to do, and my mind has been scattered. But I needed something to do in my "happy place." Sometimes I just need to be in my sewing room, playing with fabric. I found a package of 5" batik squares of lots of colors that I had bought last summer somewhere. I glanced upon "X" and "O" blocks and somehow came up with the idea of hugs and kisses. I used the hot colors for the kisses

and the cool colors for the hugs. I am quilting it now.
The other day I was so worn out, so I sat in my sewing room and embroidered some running stitches and French knots around the border of the quilt. I used pink, orange, turquoise and lime green thread. It turned out just how I wanted it to look! How often does that happen? Here's a close up of the embroidery and a little of the kisses quilting. I'm still tossing around ideas for quilting the hugs.
As I'm sure you all know, this passion of ours can really soothe some of the rough layers of life. This is a bittersweet time for me and my family. Thank God I have my husband, children and grandchildren to hold onto my ankles as I float about trying to do whatever needs to be done. This little quilt is called "Gimme a hug and a kiss". That's what my mom and I say to each other whenever we part.
Thank you lounge lizards.. you guys are the best! geneva