Elsie's Birthday

Today would be Elsie's 100th birthday. We'd probably be having a party this weekend where she might get her own cake for the occasion... usually she and I would share a birthday cake since my birthday is this month too.

She was a great lady who led a full life. During my childhood, she travelled to Egypt, Israel, Hawaii, and Europe with friends. She made the best lemon meringue pie you've ever tasted. She sewed nearly every day of her adult life, and she could sew ANYTHING. When she made homemade egg noodles for Thanksgiving and Christmas, her entire kitchen and basement were filled with noodles drying on wax paper sheets. She made popcorn balls to pass out to trick-or-treaters. She watched "As the World Turns" every day after lunch, and she kept every letter I ever wrote to her.

There just aren't words to tell you all the things she did for me and how I miss her. So here are a few photos of Elsie and her great-grandchildren that really make me smile...

These are all the great-grandchildren at Christmas 1999. She made matching sweatshirts with Santa and his reindeer for all seven of them with her favorite (and only) toy... her Janome New Home embroidery machine.

My daughters (standing to the left and right of the rocking chair) now use that same machine when they sew. And I think that would make her smile...

Wee Woodland Pinwheels

Another baby quilt made using the L'il Twister Tool (previously blogged about here) ...


This time I used a Wee Woodland charm pack from Moda by Keiki, some Quilters Linen for the background, Moda Crackle in brown for the flange and cornerstones, and the green alphabet Lollipop print from Moda by Sandy Gervais for the final border.

Here's my favorite pinwheel block with the little bird and the lone bit of pink in the quilt...


And I do LOVE a flange! They are so easy to add, yet they provide such a great frame for the quilt center...

I think I'll try a corded flange next time. The Wrap 'N Fuse piping seems like just the ticket to make that a simple addition.

Happy Sewing!!

Put on your sunglasses!

The kaleidoscope top is complete and my goodness, is it ever bright!


I so did NOT want the border to be purple... I tried my best to make it green, brown, or teal. But purple was the most outstanding choice no matter what else I tried to force. There is a 2" strip from a new Jinny Beyer line (Sophia, I think), a 1" strip of the original fabric (Alexander Henry "Kebede"), and another 3" finished of the same purple. Finished size is 60" x 72".

My kaleidoscope class is getting together this Saturday to show our finished products off to a new crop of OBW students... I have a hunch that mine will be the wildest.


Still no clever name... any suggestions?