BLUE STAR FLAGS

As you drive around town, you may see a small white flag, bordered in red, with either a blue or gold star in the middle and gold fringe on the bottom. They are usually hung from the window since they are smaller than normal flags. These are known as the Blue Star, War Mother's, or Service Flag. These are hung to signify that this family has an immediate family member serving in the military.

If you do not know what these flags are, here's a bit of their history. Back in 1917, Army Captain Robert Queissner wanted to make a simple flag that signified his two sons' service in World War I. Only three days later, the American War Mothers organization formed and began displaying Captain Queissner's flag in their windows. Sometimes the flags may have two or three stars (signifying two or three children serving in the military). Because so many military lives were lost in World War I, a new flag was developed. Mothers who had lost their sons in World War I began sewing a gold star over the blue star. The flag symbolized pride, love, and hope and became very popular during World War II. It returned to popularity during the Gulf War.

My husband and I are proud of both our sons serving in the military.  We fly our flag proudly. 

QUILTING QUILTS

Many of us have seen beautiful quilts that have been hand quilted.  We can only imagine the countless hours that was dedicated for the hand quilting.  The Amish are well known for their handquilting.  I am handquilting a small quilt which I hope to get it done before the year's end.

Hand quilted section

If you are not into hand quilting, you can also purchase a long arm quilting machine.  There are many out there to select.  Now these machines are expensive.  You can run the gammut in trying to select one for yourself.  There are those you guide yourself or the computerized ones where you just set the program and let it go! 

But if you're like me, you don't have  a long arm quilting machine.  I quilt my quilts on my regular sewing machine.  It takes lots of practice to make sure that your quilting is consistent.  I wear quilting gloves to glide my quilt easily. 

I am including below links from youtube that shows how you can quilt with your sewing machine.  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39I5A3iyCtw&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UoUzK19Vww&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfIleOwPp6g&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DmW-1L9Ua0&feature=related

BABY QUILTS

Throughout the years, I've been going to baby showers.  Instead of buying a gift, I make a baby quilt.  Do I know how many I have made?  No.  Have I taken pictures of all the baby quilts that I have made?  No again.  The quilt I'm working on is similar to the one below.  It's for a beautiful young lady for her first baby.  She and her husband are expecting a little girl.  The colors are the same as the quilt in the picture. 

I have fun selecting the fabrics to fit the nursery.  I enjoy making the quilts as much as the young moms to be receive them.  I've got three more to make and then I'm down for now in making baby quilts.  So happy quilting do I go.  :)

STRIPS AND CURVES

Several months ago I saw a quilt at a quilt shop that was done in different shades of gray.  I loved it!  The design came from a book titled Strips N Curves by Louisa L. Smith.  Needless to say, I bought the book and started working on making a quilt myself.  Her book is very well written and her directions were easy to understand.  I looked the the stash of fabric that I had.  I wanted my quilt to be bright.  I found I had batiks and knew I found what I wanted.  It was a lot of work, but I loved working on the quilt.  I was very pleased that all the points were right on the money.  I have already started quilting it and hope to have that done soon.

I liked the way this quilt turned out that I now want to do it larger and use different fabrics.  One of the things that I love about quilting is choosing the fabric for the project that I'm working on.  Sometimes I will buy fabric long before I know what project I'm going to use it.  I make sure that I buy enough of the fabric because I don't want to run out in the middle of my project.

THE COMFORT OF OLD THINGS

When my family and I moved to the United States many years ago, we didn't bring a lot of family heirlooms.  I have always loved old things.  I love the history of old things.  I love going to antique stores and wonder who the owner used to be and why they no longer wanted the particular object. 

One of the things that my parents brought with them is a picture of Christ that my paternal grandfather bought.  It's all made out of different woods.  The frame is handcarved.  My parents knew that I have always wanted this and they gave it to me!

Another thing that my brother, sister and I loved was a cookie jar.  It is a Friar Tuck cookie jar and I loved the inscription on it.  It said, "Thou Shalt Not Steal".

Several years ago, I was at a garage sale and saw a beautiful quilt for sale.  The owner was an older lady.  I asked her why she was selling her quilt.  She told me that her family didn't want it.  The quilt was made my her grandmother.  My heart was broken because her family did not cherish this family heirloom.  The quilt is handmade and handquilted.  I wondered how many family members that quilt covered throughout the years.  The quilt now is in my living room where I can admire it and enjoy it.

Will I continue loving old thing?  Most definitely!

LIKE MOTHER LIKE SON

Before David left for Afghanistan, he wanted to buy a sewing machine.  I asked him why and he said that he wanted to be able to repair his clothes instead of having to pay someone to do it.
When he was in Iraq, he paid someone to repair his uniforms.  So off we went to find him a machine.

We went shopping at different places and the machines we saw would probably not make it in one piece to Afghanistan.  We were disappointed that we could not find one that would do what he wanted.  We did go our last place which is the Factory Sewing Center in Muncie, Indiana.  That is where we found his sewing machine!

David explained to Tammy what it that he needed.  She showed him the machine that would work well for him.  Needless to say, the machine is bought.  He bought all the necessary things, needles and thread, that he would use in Afghanistan.  When we got home, he started using his machine.  I gave him several things for him to practice on. 

He has been keeping busy using his machine in Afghanistan.  He repairs his uniforms and his buddies' uniforms and he does not charge them.  Not only is he a sniper but he's also a tailor!

David with his Janome. 



SPRING!!!!!

For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.

The flowers have already appeared in the land;

The time has arrived for pruning the vines,

And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.

Song of Solomon 2:11

 

Spring has sprung in my garden.  The daffodils and tulips are blooming.  And my bushes are flowering.  To me, Spring means rebirth.  Spring is my favorite season.  It means that I can spend more time outside and enjoy the beauty of God's creation.

As much as I would love to have a weed free lawn, I would miss out on the beauty of this wild violet.  Or watch the bees going from dandelion to dandelion.

Watching the birds coming to the feeders that are now filled and hearing the cardinals is one of my favorite things during this season.

The garden is tilled thanks to my wonderful neighbor starting my tiller.  Now it's ready to plant my vegetable seeds.  I just love gardening!

Now if I can only get my cat to do her cat duties outside and take care of the rodents, I'll be happy.  By my silly cat would rather spend her day inside than outside.  She is learning to get used to being outside, but her preference is inside.

INTERNATIONAL QUILT FESTIVAL

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to go to Cincinnati, Ohio for the International Quilt Festival.  The quilts were amazing.  There were traditional quilts and art quilts.  I came out inspired by the beautiful work that I saw.  Enjoy the pictures.



Best in Show



QUILTS FOR AFGHANISTAN

When David was in Iraq two years ago, he had asked me to make several quilts for some of his buddies in his unit.  I had made thirteen quilts.  My machine was very busy.  I enjoyed doing that for them.  The guys still have their quilts and have let me know that they love them and still use them.

Now that David is in Afghanistan, you can only guess that quilts are heading out there too.  This is for one of the guys in his unit.  He is a police officer in Ohio.  He loves fast cars and has a yellow Toyota.  Don't ask me anything else about his car because I don't know.

This is his car.

Jorge helped me pick the fabric.  I had gone to several fabric shops and could not find the right fabric.  He gets online and finds it for me.  So once this quilt is finished, it will be heading out to Steve.  When I make the quilts, I like to make it so that the fabric has something that they like.  For example, Steve loves fast cars and that is what the fabric has. 

I have about five more to make.  My goal is to get these done by the end of May and then I can just relax!  I love doing this for them.  So off to sew I go!

TEACHING SPANISH

For the last 14 years, I've been teaching Spanish to homeschool students.  When I first started out,  I had four students.  I was so nervous and not sure how to do it.  I was learning how to teach as they were learning.  There was a lot of trial and error.  Each of my classes throughout the years have been awesome and wonderful.  They have also been unique.  No two classes have ever been the same.

They have played Spanish Scrabble, Battleship with verbs, Spanish Jeopardy, and other games.  They have watched movies in Spanish like "Finding Nemo", "Lady and the Tramp" and so forth. 

Throughout the years of teaching Spanish, these kids have come up with very funny skits.  For example, I now know what people are going to say at my own funeral!  I had given the kids an opportunity to come up with their own skit.  Boy did they ever!  Cannibals were even present at my funeral.  One year we even had Brad Pitt be one of my students!  The girls in the class, in one of their skits, had one of the guys pretend he was Brad Pitt.  To this day, he still remembers that.

I so enjoy teaching these kids.  They make my Wednesdays! 

HANDWRITTEN NOTES

In this day of age where we are busy and the easiest form of communication is either texting or emails, we forget that there was another form of communication.  People took time to write letters to friends and family.

I remember how I always loved getting letters from friends and family members.  I also loved writing letters to them because I would always imagine what how they would feel when they would receive a letter from me.  When both my sons, David and Chris, were in boot camp, the only form of communication was letter writing.  Oh how I treasured their letters.  I still have their letters.  Little did I realize how much they loved receiving our letters.  In our letters, Jorge and I would tell them what was happening on the home front.  To them, our letters were giving them word pictures of our home and what was going on.  Our letters and their letters were a connection for all of us.

Do I still enjoy writing letters?  Yes, by writing my letters, it helps me to slow down and think of the person that I'm writing to.  Next time, write a letter to a friend and see what might happen.

DELUXE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

In August 2003 Jorge surprised me for our 20th anniversary and took me to Holland, Michigan.  We stayed at a bed and breakfast called the Dutch Colonial Inn.  We really enjoyed ourselves there and we felt very special.  One of the wonderful things they had for their guests were the most delicious chocolate chip cookies.  For those that know Jorge, he LOVES chocolate chip cookies.  We both fell in love with the cookies.  The innkeepers were gracious in giving me the recipe and I made them and surprised Jorge.  Needless to say, that is the only recipe that he wants me to make.

Here's the recipe:

3 1/3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup Crisco
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 pkg chocolate chips (4 cups)
2 cups toasted coconut
1 1/2 cup chopped nuts (macadamina, walnuts, or pecans)

Mix all the ingredients, then add the toasted coconut, nuts and chocolate chips.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

ENJOY!