These are busy days here at the Yoder house!     I do enjoy the Christmas Season but I do think I try to pack to much into each week.  But what do I leave out?   Not my sewing!  Not my family!  Not my grand-kids!  I LOVE to spend a little time each week in my sewing room.  I call that my play time.

Friday we got our next clue and directions for the Orca Bay Mystery Quilt.

350 half square triangles!   This is what they look like before ironing them open!

 

 I had a mountain of little triangles to feed through the machine.  I have found that using a wood skewer works wonders at helping line up the little pieces before they go under the needle.  

 

 

The first three steps all done!  I still don’t have a clue what this quilt is going to look like.   We haven’t used any of our main color yet.  The blue is my accent color.   My main color will be reds.

 

350 half square triangles!     72 three and a half inch squares!     224 hour glass squares!

 

In the past week Mark and I have taken in several different Christmas Programs.   We enjoyed an evening with Roger and Wava attending a wonderful Bluegrass Christmas Program at the Srathmore Theater in Bethesda MD.

Ricky, the Skaggs Family & the White Family!

They were wonderful!  We enjoyed it so much! 

Great music with Great Friends!

 

Then last Saturday evening we went to hear “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” at Sammy’s Concert Hall.

It was a Musical About Family and Hope in the Golden Days of Radio.   Very well done.

 

 

 

Now this week I am enjoying a few days with family.   It has been so long since Jeremy and Cheryl have been here in Delaware.

 

 

Cheryl getting the lettuce ready for a wonderful salad for supper this evening.   She sliced apples real thin and added pecans and a little onion.   It was so good.

 

 

Cheryl and I pleasing the MAN of the house!    Cheryl made the Peanut Butter pie and I made the Coconut Custard pie!

 

 

Max and Dorie playing house under the table.

 

 

More busy days ahead this week.   Tomorrow evening I’m helping put on a supper for 55 people and then on Wednesday we have our monthly sewing circle.   More pictures and posts later.

 

 

Orca Bay Mystery Quilt

Clue #2

 

Our assignment this past week was to make 72 little paper pieced squares measuring 3 1/2 inches.

 

 

I still have absolutely no idea what this quilt is going to look like.  I’m blindly following our instructor Bonnie Hunter.   One thing I do know is that she is “Queen of Scrappy Quilts!”

I started out paper piecing these little squares and felt it was taking way to long so I figured out another way to make them faster.

First I sewed 15 – 20 of my blue and blue-green strips together.

 

Then using my 3 1/2 inch ruler I cut strips at a 45 degree angle.

 

 

Then I made another cut squaring them up into perfect little 3 1/2 in squares!

 

 

In no time I had my 72 little squares all done.

Now I’m ready for the next clue which we won’t get until this Friday!

This past Saturday Queena, Ethan, Dorie and James stopped in before heading down to Virginia.   They also wanted to say goodbye to Ethan’s brother Jesse who was in Delaware for Thanksgiving week.   I nabbed a great photo of them before they headed out the door.

 

 

Today was a huge day for me.   I helped Queena K. and Connie B. at our church with a BIG painting job.   Our sewing circle had a new sewing table built along with redoing a long counter top.   We figured it was time to do some much needed painting of our sewing drawers and cabinets.

They all had to be sanded down before we could start painting.   I ran the sander till noon and till I thought my arms would fall off!  We worked from 8:00 till 4:30 this evening.  A second coat of paint is needed on part of it.    Queena K. and Connie B. will finish it up tomorrow.     I’m heading up to Lancaster with Mark for a Birthday excursion.   I sorta feel bad for leaving them to finish it but I guess not bad enough.

 

The big 55!

As of November the 14th  I am an official Senior Citizen, or at least that is what the thrift store said!   When I went to pay for my purchases they gave me a 20% discount for being a Senior.   ~ a first for me ~

 

 

My day was special, I spent most of it in town.   Queena told me not to worry about supper because she had planned a Birthday supper with guests invited and the food taken care of!

Thanks so much Queena and Ethan.  What a treat.   Sorry the picture is out of focus.  I need to learn more on how to run my camera.

 

 

I even got to pick my Birthday menu:

Ham, rice, succotash, strawberry lettuce salad and lemon meringue pie for dessert!

 

 

Ethan made the birthday pie.   It was scrumptious!

 

 

After supper Mark sure had Dorie’s attention with one of his stories.

 

 

 

Thanksgiving with the Yoder’s

Yesterday we joined Mark’s siblings and families for Thanksgiving.

Here Jerrel and I are trimming the turkey and slicing the meat.

 

 

Holly,  Lawina and Josh going through the food line.

 

 

Mark’s brother Nelson and Rose

 

 

Yesterday was Dad Yoder’s birthday so after the meal we gathered around to share special memories of Dad.    I am so thankful for Dad and Mom Yoder and the tremendous  heritage they have given to us!

 

 

Here mom and Alma listening as different ones shared.    Love this picture of the nieces and nephews!

 

 

My camera battery went dead and I missed out on taking a lot of pictures.  Bummer!   There was lots of laughter,  and games played later in the day.

 

I don’t have a clue!

 

I’ve always enjoyed a good mystery and when I saw that Bonnie Hunter was challenging quilters to join her in making a new mystery quilt , it caught my attention.    But what made me really want to jump on the band wagon was when I saw that my sister Julia had already signed up and was taking the challenge!

We have no idea what the finished quilt will look like.    Our first clue is to make 224 hour glass pieces measuring 2 and a half inches!

 

 

 I’m using only fabrics I have on hand and my scrap bins.   Each Friday Bonnie will give us another clue and new pieces to do that week.    This should be fun!

 

 

 

Mixing Hunting with Quilting!

This post should please the women as well as the men.  I had a great week of mixing the two.   This post is long so bear with me, you’ll want to see the last few pictures I’m sure.

 

 

Last Wednesday Mark and I headed West early in the morning.   After 9 hours of driving we stopped in Ohio picking up my sister Barbara and Terry and driving another 6 hours before calling it a day.   

The hours fly by when you are having fun!

 

We spent the night with Mark’s first cousin Lois and Steve Ulrich in Illinois.   What great hosts they were.  Steve was recovering from an accident of getting a nail in his eye.    He told Barbara and I that his mother had given him 14 or 15 quilts and wondered if we’d be interested in seeing them.

 

 

We sure enjoyed our own mini-private quilt show!   Thanks Steve and Lois!

Before leaving the next morning they took the men out to see their sheep/lambing operation as well as their son Grant’s special chickens.

 

 

We arrived at Keosauqua, Iowa Thursday afternoon.   Our two oldest sons Israel and Jeremy along with Matt S. and Jesse S.  have rented ground that is known for great whitetail deer hunting.  Because of Iowa’s strict hunting rules they are only allowed to hunt once every three years.   

When we got there the guys were doing their evening hunt.   Barbara and I got busy and cleaned up the MAN CAVE!  We also had a home cooked supper ready and waiting for them.

 

 

It didn’t take us long to rearrange furniture and make ourselves little sewing stations.

 

 

 

Each evening we shared our space listening to the guys talk about the days hunt and watching video footage that was taken.

 

 

Here Matt, Jesse, Israel and Jeremy are getting instructions from their hunting guide Todd.

 

 

By Saturday the Three Wives were greatly missing their men and also headed West…

 

 

…bringing along their 11 children.   We went from eight in number to a whopping 22!

 

 

 We brought the picnic table inside to give us more table space.  We made beds in all kinds of nooks and crannies.   Even had a couple sleep in the laundry room on a single bed mattress wedged between the washer and wall. 

There is only so much you can do in a small cabin with 11 kiddos.   One day I gathered up some extra fabric blocks and had the children design their own quilts.

 

 

 

Barbara helped each one monogram their names on little pieces of fabric.

 

 

I gave Shad my camera and asked him to go outside and snap a few pictures.   Here is what he came back with.   Jeremy had washed a load of clothes and was hanging them out to dry.

 

 

Poor Bo wasn’t feeling the best with a sore nose.

 

 

Jeremy’s Successful Monday Morning Hunt!

 

 

Terry took the video camera and stood in the stand above Jeremy’s stand.

 

 

Success!

 

 

He shot this 11 point from 15 yards away.

 

 

It’s antler score was 145 for you hunters out there.

 

 

I love this picture.  Don’t know who is the proudest, Maxwell or his daddy.

 

 

 

Back in the cabin there is still more quilting to be done.  

A hunter checking out the skills of a quilter. 

 

Getting another top ready for machine quilting.

Barbara designed this quilt pattern herself.  Amazing!

 

 

Some more strategy being planned but we had to leave the hunters the next morning.

 

 

We made it home late Wednesday evening and on Thursday we got a call from Israel along with these two pictures.

 

 

Israel shot this 8 point from 23 yards away.  It’s antler score was 159 and 3/8ths.

 

 

I’m sure they are already planning their hunt for three years from now.   I wonder if there will be a spot for some quilters who will be willing to make some hot soup?

 

My sister Barbara is turning her home into a Quilt Show this Saturday.

If you are in the area of Bridgewater, Virginia swing by her place and take in the Show. 

 

 

Her quilts will be displayed outside as well as all through her home.   It should be a fun day of going behind the scenes of this Master Quilter.   The Virginia Quilt Museum  will be serving refreshments.   The tour will cost $15.00 per person and the money will go to the Quilt Museum.

 

 

This quilt is on the front of Barbara’s book “Star Stuck Quilts”.

 

 

I wish so bad I could be two places at once.  Mark and I will be going to a wedding here in Delaware that day.   I told Barbara to take lots of pictures of the day so hopefully I can share some with you later.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This week has been full of a lot of different activities.    Our nursing home is full so several evenings and nights we have done some elderly care here in our home.  Mark does most of that work and I just make sure the beds are clean and laundry done.

One day I invited Dorie and James for a Grandma Movie day.   I had picked up a cute little movie at the thrift store and I knew it was one of Dorie’s favorite characters.   Stitch.

 

 

Pop-corn and juice for our snack while we watched our movie.

Timmy, sidetracking James there for a minute.

 

 

My form of “multi-tasking” while making supper!

 

 

Enjoying the DVD’s I posted about last time.   They are great.

 

 

The Shrimp Chowder turned out fine in spite of me watching and peeling at the same time.

 

 

Thrift store find of the week!

 

 

Each of these series sells for $49.00 a piece.  I got all four seasons for $8.00.

Holly said, “Mom THIS is why we love thrifting!”

 

One morning this week I got a call from Queena inviting us for a spur of the moment hot-dog roast for lunch.  They were burning some brush and what’s better on these crisp fall days then a hot dog with the grandkids!

 

 

James is trying hard to get these hot-dogs open.  His teeth come in pretty handy!  Queena chopping up onions and getting the huge portabella mushrooms ready.   Talk about good!

 

 

If you look close you can see a granddaddy longleg spider on Dories arm.  James is trying to brush it off.

How safe is our dinner on that board?

 

 

Beautiful, Lush Color!

I’ve been busy cutting these strings putting together another string quilt.

 

 

Remember this picture of Grandma Schultz?  She loves piecing the string quilts and I told her I would love to cut one for her to do.   She is making this one for her great granddaughter Erica.

Here is a picture of Grandma with Erica on our right.     Erica helped me pick out the colors and chose the rich green and orange pallet.

 

 

I sewed together four of the squares this morning to see how they would look. 

 

 

  I’m loving it and want to sew more but will take them over to Grandma Schultz and let her work on them.

 

 

 

Timmy has been busy lately cutting down a lot of trees.

 

 

And clearing a nice big spot in the woods.

 

 

Last evening look what came down the road.

 

 

 

My baby is getting ready to leave home!

 

 

 

 

October Sewing Circle

For “Sew-and-Tell” Mabel S. sharing with us another one of her beautiful lush velvet throws.  I don’t know how to tell you all what the beauty of velvets does to my veins.  I enjoy them so much.

Mabel is a master at bringing the colors together and making them ZING!

 

Here is a close up.  The silver threads go so well with the purples and greys.

 

 

We had eight sewing machines running.  I think last months sewing was a record low in attendance but close to a record high today.

It was so good having some of you gals back who have been gone for over a year.   On the left is Shirley M. who has consented on spearheading up our sewing project for next month.  She took home some fabric scraps and will have them cut and ready for us to go next month.  Yay!

 

 

We have only two more strips to go on the red and black quilt before I can start sewing them together.

 

 

Knees are bumping on this quilt so it’s time to get another one in the frame!

 

 

Now there is room for lots more quilters.  Don’t you want to come join us for our next sewing?

It’s the first Wed. of each month.

 

 

 

This drawer sure caught my eye.   We use these crochet cottons to knot our comfort tops with.

 

 

 

My daughter Queena was running some errands today and stopped in for a little.   I let James sew with pins.

 

 

Dorie was drawn to the bead stringing table.

 

 

Some of the Home-schooled children enjoy this project.

 

 

This little guy is busy knitting a stocking cap.

 

 

Molly brought some beautiful hand crocheted items for us to enjoy for “Sew-and-Tell”.

 

 

 

 

 Thanks to all who helped make this day so special.

 

A few pictures from last week.

 

 

Bo getting acquainted with our “thrift store” puppy.

It had been a while since Cheryl and the boys were in.  They spent one day with me while Jeremy took to the woods.   When he came in he said the whole time he was blasted with mosquitoes and had to constantly swat at them.   Sounds like a miserable hunt to me but he was grinning and seemed to enjoy it.

Like father like son!

 

 

Queena and Ethan spoke at Youth Retreat in Pa. so I had their kiddos for a couple days.  I was glad it overlapped the one day with Max and Bo so the cousins could play together.    My I-pad seems to be a hot item with the grands as they patiently wait and take turns.

 

 

One day Holly helped me go through books and get rid of some.   She did the children’s books while I worked on Quilt books.   Books are my friends and I had a hard time culling to many.

 

 

Mark reading Dorie and James their bedtime story.  I wonder which story he is reading to them.  They both look a little concerned.

 

 

A delightful package came in the mail for me last week!

 

 

These are the new Kono Cottons that are a feast to the eyes.   I’ll share later what I have up my sleeve to do with this lush assortment of color.

 

 

An array of 88 colors!

I can’t wait to get my hands and scissors on them!

 

 

Last weekend James and Dorie both spent a lot of time playing with the dollies.  James was so fascinated with the way this dolls eyes blinked.

The little blanket was made by James Great-Great-Grandmother Vera Heatwole when she was 100 years old.

 

 

The little cradle was made by my father Oren when he was around 14 years old.

 

 

Sunday we had a Birthday Pie for John H.   Our family loves this guy and always hate it when we know his time to head down to Fla. for the Winter is fast approaching.

God be with you John and know you will be missed by us all!

 

 

No pictures of our day yesterday.

We went to Baltimore Orioles Camden Yards, (a first for me).    It was the Orioles last game of the season and a great game to see.  Lots of excitement as they beat the Red Socks in the last inning.

There was an hour and half rain delay partway through the game.   Our seats were back under a balcony so we didn’t have to move when it poured.

After the game we picked up Max and Bo for the weekend.  Jeremy’s are helping their church in a Marriage Conference and we are glad to have the boys for a few days.  I think if was after 3:00 before I went to bed.   I just can’t seem to wake up today.

 

 

~  She said Yes! ~