Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Blessed is the one      who does not walk  in step with the wicked or stand in the way  that sinners take      or sit  in the company of mockers,   but whose delight  is in the law of the  Lord ,      and who meditates  on his law day and night.   That person is like a tree  planted by streams  of water,      which yields its fruit  in season and whose leaf  does not wither—      whatever they do prospers.   Not so the wicked!      They are like chaff      that the wind blows away.   Therefore the wicked will not stand  in the judgment,      nor sinners in the assembly  of the righteous.   For the  Lord  watches over  the way of the righteous,      but the way of the wicked leads to destruction. ~Psalm 1

Convenience isn't always better.  Such is the case of the federal holiday called President's Day, created apparently because it is just too much trouble to honor two great leaders in the same short month.  On President's Day, did anyone hear George Washington mentioned? Or Abraham Lincoln?  Or was it joy that there was no school and big sales at the mall? I am concerned that children today are not being taught about where they come from, about leaders that struggled and sacrificed and gave everything, sometimes their lives, so our country could be free. George Washington couldn't afford to go to college.  He left school when he was fifteen to learn to be a surveyor.  He was a born leader, and said yes when asked to lead a bunch of untrained men against the British army. He persevered in spite of unbelievable conditions. The new Americans, this body of people who had witnessed the birth of a nation, loved George.  They begged George to be their king.  He refused

The weatherman had been predicting heavy storms all day, and I worried that we wouldn't be able to meet for quilting last night. However, Dolly, Roselyn, and Jackie all came, and we quilted right through the storm. The storm only lasted a few minutes here, and although I had cleaned up the basement just in case, we never even thought about going down there. Our Stars and Stripes quilt is looking good, and we should finish it the next time we meet.  During our break last night, we talked about tee shirt quilts.  They are not traditional quilts, but a great way to get sentimental tee shirts out of the closet and display them.   This is a block of the W.C. Handy quilt that I made several years ago.  The Handyfest has been going on many, many years, and tee shirts are easy to find.  Once I had collected enough tee shirts (they are all different), the quilt went together quickly and is now a treasure.  This is the Handy tee-shirt quilt hanging at the Marriott Conference

I love strong oaks, maples in the fall, crabapples and redbud in the spring.  I love all trees; in fact, I have been called a tree-hugger more than once.  However, the strangest tree I've ever seen may be this: Mississippi Shoe Tree!

Concrete Angel The sun rises, the sun sets. She watches, still, unchanging, unending. Her static eyes watch stoically as people come and go. Some pause, sit at her feet, and weep. Sulfuric rain has eroded her wings, dulled the hands that hold a rigid rose. Mold grows in her crevices. She stands patiently as the sun beats down and birds come to sit on her head; a silent sentinel for the bones beneath her as they turn to dust.                                                                                 ~Wanda Stricklin Robertson

I pray that out of His glorious riches  He may strengthen you with power  through His Spirit in your inner being,     so that Christ may dwell in your hearts  through faith.  And I pray that you, being rooted  and established in love,     may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,  to grasp how wide and long and high and deep  is the love of Christ,     and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled  to the measure of all the fullness of God.   Now to Him who is able  to do immeasurably more than all we ask  or imagine, according to His power  that is at work within us,     to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.                                                         ~Ephesians 3:16-21

I make more string quilts than anything else, and everyone asks how to do it.  Here goes: If you are a quilter or seamstress, you already have a tub of scraps.  If not, buy several quarter-yards of different fabrics and cut them in strips.  We called them strings; they were usually fabric scraps that were not big enough to use any other way. Cut squares of desired size from newspapers.  These are 6.5" squares, and I use 9.5" sometimes. Take a piece of fabric that is long enough to cover the center of the square diagonally.  Add another string, place right sides together, and sew.   Flip it around, and sew another piece of fabric on the other side of the center piece. Press.  Don't worry about trimming right now. Add two more pieces, one on each side.  Press.  As you can see, the paper square is covered on one side already. Add another piece, making sure it covers all the paper.  Press.  It doesn't matter how wide or narrow t

I was awakened early yesterday by a call from UNA saying classes were cancelled.  That hasn't happened in a while.  Then, the police asked that everyone stay off the road, and they didn't have to tell me twice.  What could I possibly do? I am determined that hand-quilting will not die as long as I'm breathing, so I hand quilt at least one a year (in addition to the ones I help with in quilting class).  This top was finished on the last day of 2013.  It has been so long that I can't remember exactly when it was started, and I promised myself and others that I would get it finished before the end of the year. In early January, I pinned the top, batting, and backing together, and put it on the back of the couch.  Some nights, especially if I'm tired, are spent watching television and quilting on this quilt.  Yesterday, I spent most of the day quilting in my jammies in front of the fireplace.  I spread most of the quilt over me, so it is already helping keep me w

Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story-  those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,                                                                                       ~Psalm 107:2

Last night, Dolly, Roselyn, Jackie, and I started on our second quilt.  The first one still needs some work, but we were anxious to start on this one.  The first one was quilted in the ditch, or around every piece, and the back is almost as pretty as the front.  This second quilt will be quilted using a fan pattern.  As you can see, we are off to a fantastic start. Last night, like too many nights lately, was blue-butt cold and I'm so glad the ladies were brave enough to leave their warm homes to venture out to quilting class.  The cold does make one appreciate toasty quilts. This is a small trip-around-the-world quilt that we talked about during the break last week.  This easy pattern is included in their notebooks; I hope all my students make one when this class is over. In 2012, this quilt was displayed at the Alabama governor's mansion during their Christmas open house. The UNA basketball game was away last night, so Hub was home.  He has watched The Baref

8  It is better to take refuge in the  Lord      than to trust in humans. 9  It is better to take refuge in the  Lord      than to trust in princes.                                                                       ~Psalm 118:8-9