Boots, Barbecue and Blessings

Posted on September 24, 2010 by Barb

I promised the boots.  Karen’s boots as Mother of the Bride.  You really needed to see them.
 

Aren’t they fabulous?  And so not Karen.  But so Texas.  And when your daughter wants a Texas wedding, you get Texas boots.  Weddings are all about the Bride, after all.  And this Bride wanted boots!

“A Texas Wedding” was a real crowd-pleaser on this blog.  And since I had at least 4,682 more pics, I thought you all might like to see a few more of them.  And yes, I am prone to exaggeration.  Just in case you were wondering.

The Flower Girl and Ring Bearer waiting to walk down the grassy aisle.  Aren’t they just the cutest?

The Flower Girl carefully dropped her yellow petals on the carpet of green.  She was very focused on the job at hand.

The Ring Bearer had an interesting way of carrying the pillow down the aisle.    Rumor has it they wouldn’t let him have the real rings on his pillow.  So I suppose he figured why bother with holding the pillow carefully?  It’s just a fake prop after all.  I’m with you, Landon!  Why be careful with just a prop?  Or maybe this is why they didn’t let him have the rings on the pillow in the first place?  Just sayin’…….

Grandma & Grandpa peered through the crowd to catch a glimpse of the Bride arriving on horseback.  As did everyone else.  It’s not every day the Bride arrives on a horse!

And here she comes!  The Bride looked right at home riding in on this beautiful white horse.  With her Father at her side on his own horse.  I predict there will be many great pics of her coming in.  The cameras were clicking away!

Can you tell this Papa is proud?  What a beautiful Bride!

And he gave her a kiss as he gave her away……..

And the happy Groom encouraged her as she said her vows.

This sweet girl, Cousin of the Bride, read scripture to the happy couple.  She did a fabulous job!

“You may kiss the Bride!”

And this was the happy Groom’s face immediately after the kiss.  Do you think maybe he’s just happy the ceremony is over?  I think he’s happy that he got the girl.  He couldn’t stop grinning.

And they shared a happy moment as they walked down the aisle to the waiting horses.  And they mounted the horses and galloped away.  OK, they walked away on their spirited horses.  But I bet they were galloping in the mind of the Bride.  With her dress and hair flying in the wind.  At least that’s what it looked like in my mind.  I’m just sure the Bride felt the same.

The table with the guest book.  The flowers were fabulous.  And the basket at the end of the table?

This was what was inside.  Now how many times have you seen that at a wedding?

Proud, smiling Grandma and Grandpa.  It was a beautiful day for a wedding.

Bride’s cake.  Yum.  And look at the beautiful table runners.  Did I tell you there were 563 of them?  Oh, yeah.  I exaggerate.

Groom’s cake.  Double yum.  I had some of both.  And they were as delicious as they were beautiful.

And what’s a Texas wedding without Texas barbecue?  Beef, chicken, beans, potato salad, tossed salad, Texas toast….  are you hungry yet?

Have you eaten yet?  Well, if you weren’t hungry before, you are now!

Remember this picture the other day of the necklace that the Bride carried on her bouquet?

I thought you might like to see how it was attached to the ribbon on the flowers.  Even if this picture was a bit blurry.  Photographer error.  Because I don’t think the flowers moved.

Yesterday Karen brought a book to our quilting Bee day with the story of the necklace.  It is quite a fascinating story!  Here is the cover page in the book:

And the Table of Contents:

The necklace was given to a young girl on her 12th birthday in 1904.  It was given to her by her father.  She gave it to her sister to wear on her wedding day as “something borrowed” in 1927.  The tradition continued with other siblings on their wedding days.  And now this Bride in 2010 is among the 4th generation to wear the necklace on her wedding day.  Her mother wore it on her day in 1983.  The book has pictures of each wedding.  And now Kristell and Karen can be added to the “Mothers & Daughters Who Wore the Necklace” on page 19.  And the tradition has gone on to include anniversaries too.  Karen wore it again on her 25th anniversary.  What a fabulous legacy!

The Father of the Bride gave a very moving toast to the newlyweds.  It was very emotional for the Bride.  And for everyone else in the crowd!

The happy couple danced.  Their first dance as husband and wife.

And the proud Papa danced with the Bride.  And they shared some private moments together.

And I took a million pictures of them.  Oops!  There goes that exaggeration thing again.  But I did take a lot.  The looks on both of their faces were just priceless.

And then I took a million more of the Mother & Father of the Bride as they danced.  Because Karen is my good buddy and she thinks she doesn’t photograph well.  But she looked great in every picture I took.  Maybe there’s something about being Mother of the Bride that made her glow.  Shall we do it again with Jackie, Karen?  I know, I know.  Don’t rush it…..

Don’t they look like they are having fun?  That’s because they haven’t received the bill yet.

May God shower the new Hodges family with blessings upon blessings.  And may their beautiful wedding day forever be a special memory in their hearts.

Be blessed Chris & Kristell,
Barb

Posted in just stuff | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

More Quilt Show Pics!

Posted on September 23, 2010 by Barb

For Sarah.  Because she asked.  I knew someone would.  I’ve been busily organizing my 5,632 pics that I took at the Quilt Show.  Apparently organizing photos is something that takes days and days to do.  Especially when there are 5,632 of them.  Or is it 5,633?  Something like that.  I needed to clean house too.  But the vacuum cleaner decided to stop working.  Of course it did!  Because I’m having an overnight guest this weekend.  It’s just the way things happen, isn’t it?  Maybe she won’t notice the cat hair?

But I digress.  I was talking about Quilt Show pictures.  Dear Hubby and I went back to the exhibit hall after the wedding last Saturday night.  Just to take pics of all the ribbon winners so I could post them to the guild website.  And I’ve been organizing and organizing.  I might as well glue the laptop to my knees.

So on with the Show!  How about an online show of quilts that were made by JSS Bee ladies?

I love these fabulous embroidered dresses by Susan.  And not just because I did the binding either.  I think these dresses are the cutest little things.  But you need to see them up close. 

What a great poodle skirt!  Complete with a teeny, tiny poodle.  It’s impossible for me to decide which dress I like the best.

Susan’s embroidery work is exquisite!

Notice that this quilt won second place in its category.  The first place winner was also the Best of Show quilt.  Doesn’t that mean that Susan can say she came in second to the Best of Show quilt?  Sounds like a good line to me.

Have I mentioned that I still have all of Susan’s quilts?  I’m starting to decide which walls I should hang them on.  I told her possession is 9/10 of the law.  The next time she comes over she might find my house decorated with her quilts.  Surely she won’t have the heart to pull them down and take them home?

Suzanne worked on this quilt at our last JSS retreat.  If I had picked up Suz’ quilts at the show, this one would already be hanging in my bedroom.  It goes beautifully with my decorating!  She better keep her eye on this one!

Here is Sally in her “serious website” pose with her beautiful Best of Show quilt. 

And here she is in her “silly blog” pose.  Or maybe it’s her Vanna White imitation.  Whatever pose she has her quilt is spectacular!

I think you need to see the baskets up close and personal.  You might even need to see every one of them up close!

Look at that embroidery.  I call it fabulous!

Did I mention that you need to see every basket?

The quilting by Susan Corbett is pretty spectacular too.  It’s just a wonderful quilt.

Sally’s work is pure perfection.  She says it’s a sickness.  But I bet winning Best of Show two years in a row ain’t a bad gig either.  Now it’s time for her to share the wealth, don’t you think?  Give someone else a chance, Sally.  Make an ugly quilt!  Never mind.  I know that’s not possible for Sally.  Even if she tried really, really hard.

Tired of baskets yet?  Too bad.  You get to see every one – at least every one that I snapped a pic.  One more……

And you also need to see what she did with the binding……

She did a little fancy embroidered edge treatment just inside the binding.  And it’s fabulous!  I wanna be Sally when I grow up.

This little quilt for the Silent Auction started out as a Block of the Month that I received.  It ended up going into Trash to Treasure when I discovered I had too many projects started to finish in my lifetime.  Unless I live to be 153.  Then I might be able to get these UFOs finished.  These blocks (some with finished applique, some still in their baggies) went home with Linda, who passed them on to be turned into Silent Auction quilts.  Peggy got this one and won a first place ribbon with it!  I think I should claim the fabric back, don’t you?

This little auction quilt was made by Sue O, who is forever saying that her appliqué needs work.  The judges apparently thought differently and awarded her a ribbon too.  Great job, Sue!

This quilt started out as fabric in a brown bag for our Christmas exchange.  The fabric belonged to Peggy.  I got the bag and made the quilt top.  Peggy quilted it and the quilt belongs to her.  So does the ribbon and the cash prize.  I guess possession really is 9/10 of the law!  But I had fun making this little quilt last year.  My brown bag fabric this year is still in its brown bag.  Do you think we can postpone Christmas?

This cute little quilt was made by Sue O.  It’s Boo’s favorite.  Love the pumpkins, bats and ghosts in the quilting.  But Boo likes the border best.

Pam shared her lunch with me at the Show.  Including these teeny, tiny, little grapes!  They are called champaign grapes and they are so tiny!

They are very juicy and very tasty.  And very small.  That’s a raisin on top of the sandwich that we shared.  Just to give you some perspective on how small they really are.  And also because we have to have a little food in this blog.  It’s important!  To make you hungry if you read this before breakfast.  It’s just what I do.

And I leave you with this show-stopping quilt.

The appliqué was done by Sharon Schamber and it was quilted by Janet S. Stuart.  They are not JSS ladies.  It won Viewers’ Choice and it was quite striking!  The sign said it’s the donation quilt for the Houston Quilt Festival in 2011.  I bet there will be lots of tickets sold on this one!

All of the winning quilts will be posted at the guild website as soon as I get them organized and uploaded there.  You could check there in a few days to see them all.  Or next week.  Because I’ll be vacuuming the whole house with a dust buster this week.  And I have a feeling that might take awhile.  Anyone got a vacuum cleaner to spare?

Hugs,
Barb

Posted in food, quilts | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

A Texas Wedding

Posted on September 19, 2010 by Barb

How many times have you been to a wedding and the bridesmaids were dressed like this?

But I guess that’s pretty normal attire for bridesmaids, isn’t it?  Perhaps what you really need to see is their feet.

Now you really know you are at a Texas wedding!

Thought I’d put the gals and their feet back together again.  A true Texas wedding, isn’t it?

And what if the Bride and her Father arrived like this?

I can honestly say this is the first wedding I’ve ever been to where the Bride arrived on horseback.  Wearing cowboy boots.  A first.  And I’ve lived in Texas for 31 years.

My dear quilting buddy, Karen, was the Mother of the Bride.  And I can’t believe I cut her feet off in this picture because she was wearing boots too!  And you really need to see them.  She looked fabulous!  Send me a picture of your boots, Karen!  Why in the world didn’t I take a picture of your feet??

This is Jackie, Sister of the Bride.  Doesn’t she look great?

After they dismounted from the horses, proud Papa walked his beautiful daughter down the grassy aisle……

………to meet her Groom who was wearing his cowboy hat.  And they stood in the shade of huge trees.  And exchanged their vows and rings and were pronounced Husband and Wife.

And they mounted their horses and rode off into the sunset.  Never to be seen again.  OK – except for that last part.  We did see them again.  And we ate Texas barbecue and wedding cake.  And the Bride danced with her Groom.

And the Bride danced with her Daddy.  And everyone laughed and cried at Daddy’s toast to the newlyweds.  It was a very touching moment!

This is the Bride’s Grandmother, Gloria.  She comes with Karen to our JSS Bee days.  And brings us cookies and banana pudding and other luscious treats.  We love you, Gloria!  And you looked fabulous at the wedding.

Quilting friends at the reception!  Me, Karen and Sue.  Sue and Karen are distantly related.  By marriage really, but we call them cousins.  But it’s really their hubbies who are cousins.  Or rather their hubbies grandfathers’ uncles’ brothers on their mothers’ side four times removed and a partridge in a pear tree.  I get very confused when I try to figure out the relationship.  So I quit trying.  It’s too complicated.  Let’s just believe that Sue and Karen are cousins.  It’s easier than trying to figure out the real relationship.

This picture is for Pam.  To show the pretty table runners that she and Karen painstakingly serged for the table decorations.  I think they made 563 of them.  Or at least it felt like they made that many.  Right, Pam?  They were on all the tables where we dined.  And they looked mahvelous.

This necklace attached to the ribbon that bound the bridal bouquet together has a fabulous story of being handed down from generation to generation.  Please don’t ask me to remember the whole story.  Ask Karen.  She’d love to tell you all about it!

What a fabulous, happy couple!  Aren’t they just the cutest?

And I leave you with a picture of the Mother and Father of the Bride dancing.  And if you look really close…….

………. you can almost see Karen’s cowboy boots!  Send a picture, Karen!

Only in Texas……
Barb

Posted in just stuff | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Random Quilt Show Pics

Posted on September 18, 2010 by Barb

Because I know you’re waiting.  And because I had 98 pics in my camera.  Ninety eight.  And because I know I’ll take 357 more pics today.  And who knows how many on Sunday.  And because I didn’t think you’d stay awake to view all 5,829 pics at one time at the end of the show, I thought I’d better do installments.  So away we go!   

Set-up Day

Pam shows off all the beautiful Silent Auction quilts.  Ready for judging.  

Did I mention she got 88 little quilts to auction this year?  Eighty eight!  Must have been all the cute little treasures she made and gave away to encourage participation.   

A small sampling of the beautiful quilts that will be auctioned off.  Proceeds fund the guild scholarship program.  Come and bid on one and help a good cause!   

 Cindy & Pam.  Two of my favorite quilt buds.  Love those smiles, girls!

Cindy was armed with a lint roller and ready to take on any stray threads or cat hairs on all the exhibited quilts.  No animal hair was safe with Cindy on the job!

The long line of bidding sheets for all those cute little Silent Auction quilts.  Did I mention you should come and bid on one?  Or two or three?  It’s for a good cause you know.

The late night set-up gals.  All helping Sally get the information input in her computer for printing labels for all the ribbons for the winning quilts.  It apparently takes a village.

Seconds after Sally found out she won Best of Show!

I thought she needed a new fashion accessory.  Nice Best of Show Ribbon earring, Sally!

Working hard.  Suz had even gone home and came back.  She was afraid she was missing out on all the fun.  But she did not arrive bearing brownies like we told her.  Where’s the Pioneer Woman when you need her?  We worked until 2:00 a.m. I might add.  Dedicated guild members for sure.

Opening Day

Sally’s beautiful Best of Show basket quilt.  I’ll have more information and up close pics of this one later.  Stay tuned.    

Cindy and Patt are happy to sell you a ticket or two or ten for our donation quilt.  The proceeds on this project fund charities in our community.

 My two favorite redheads.  Always a smile on these girls’ faces!

Always a crowd checking out Sally’s fine hand embroidery stitches.  How does she do them so perfectly?  I’m hanging around Sally in hopes that some of that talent will rub off.

My friend, Dot, from England on the left.  I told her she wins the prize for coming the furthest to see the show!  She’s visiting her friend, Jill, on the right.  And that’s Sherrill in the center.  She’s their tour guide at the show and a good quilting friend and fellow blogger.  Check out her blog and see if she has more pics from the show!  By the way, Dot will be joining us at our Dear Jane group on September 27th for an all day party at Quilter’s Dream.  She’s a fellow Dear Jane fanatic.  And because Sherrill thought I should be in a pic too……


My friend Susan’s Beautiful Baltimore Album quilt she named “Amazed.”  If I’d made that quilt, I’d name it “Amazed I Finished It!”  Notice the Blue Ribbon for First Place in the appliquè category!

Sally attracts a crowd around her fabulous apron quilt.

Sally & Mary.  Mary is our official guild historian/photographer so she is rarely actually in any pictures.  Now she’s famous on my blog.  Yeah, Mary!

Sally, when asked to do a “silly blog” picture as opposed to a “serious guild website” picture.  Cute, Sally.  Real cute.

My friend, Suz, ready to sign you up as a new member of our fabulous guild.  And if your last name begins with a “q” or an “x,” please come and grab me before you sign up.  You’ll get one of those fabulous fat quarter flowers.  Well, you’ll get one of those no matter what your last name starts with.  But I get a prize too, if your last name begins with q or x.  So come and find me before you sign on the dotted line…….

My friend, Madelyn with her spectacular hat box quilt.  Great fabrics!

The top 5 winners in the Silent Auction little quilts.  Don’t you want to come and bid on one and take it home with you?

One of my quilts in the show.  Hand appliquèd.  Hand quilted.  Notice the fabulous blue ribbon.  YEAH!

More to come……… stay tuned!
Barb

    

 

Posted in quilts | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Bindings, Sleeves & Labels

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Barb

I’ve been busy.  Very busy.  Today is setup day for my guild’s quilt show in Fort Worth, Texas.  I’ve been a bindin’, label makin’, sleeve makin’ fool.  Especially for the last 24 hours.  Because I’m all about deadlines.  And I work well under pressure.  Lots of pressure. 

I realize I have negelected you, my faithful blog followers.  I’m surprised I haven’t heard from some of you, complaining that there hasn’t been a new post for too long.  But then again, those of you who know me well, also know I was working hard to get everything finished in time for the show.  So thank you for not complaining and making me feel guilty.  And I’m proud to report that I finished all the quilts before midnight.  They are all in their bags and ready to deliver early this morning.  But sleep was not easy in coming either.  Too wound up, I guess, with all that last minute stitching.  Last minute, as usual.  It’s the way I operate.

The labels went on very quickly.  Notice the beat up cuticle on my thumb.  And you can’t see it, but I stuck myself in my knuckle just above that cuticle many times.  It’s just what I do as I stitch in a hurry.  Luckily I didn’t bleed on any of those nice white labels.

This quilt back is almost as pretty as the front!  Label and all.

Remember the beautiful appliquè quilt of Susan’s I showed you recently?  Here is the label ready to be stitched.  Susan has been very sick.  She probably wouldn’t have any quilts in the show if she’d had to finish them all.  She’s got a big wedding coming up soon – her daughter’s.  She needs to concentrate on getting well for that and not on finishing quilts.  I was happy to help her out.  And I enjoyed every stitch.

That quilt had to live inside a big fitted sheet as I worked on it.  With only the small amount necessary peeking out as I stitched.  Here’s why:

I set it down on the cutting table when I first brought it home and turned my back for 4 seconds.  Thank goodness it was still inside the sheet.  Well wrapped.  Quilts are known as “Boo magnets” at our house.  I have my lint roller all packed in my things to take to set up and plan to roll this quilt one last time after it is hung.  We don’t need any stray Boo hairs on this one!

I worked especially hard on the corners on the binding on that one.

And stitched the label with great care.  Making sure no threads went through to the front.

This odd shaped quilt of mine required a special double sleeve.  Hope that keeps it from flopping over when it’s hanging!

A last minute label got stitched on it too.

Because “last minute” is my middle name.  But then, you already knew that about me, didn’t you?

In fact, these two labels got hurriedly printed on my printer and stitched to my quilts at the last possible minute.  Printing them on the computer is a great time saver!  Thank goodness for time savers for last minute gals like me.

And here’s the whole big stack of quilts in their bags all ready to be delivered to the show.

My camera is packed too.  So expect lots of pics of the fronts of the quilts soon, not just the labels and sleeves.  And if you live in the North Texas area, you might consider coming to visit our show.  You can find out more details at the guild’s website:  Trinity Valley Quilters’ Guild of Fort Worth.  I hope to see you there.  It will be a fun time with lots of fabulous quilts.  You might even get inspired.  I know I will.  And I’ll be ready to come home and start on a fabulous quilt for next year’s show.

But don’t expect me to sew on the binding, sleeve and label until the night before the show.  It’s just what I do.

Hugs,
Barb

Posted in quilts | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments