I wish we could do what they do in Katroo. They sure know how to say "Happy Birthday to You".
Today is your birthday! Today you are you!
If we didn't have birthdays, you wouldn't by you.
If you'd never been born, well then what would you do?
If you'd never been born, when than what would you be?
You might be a fish! Or a toad in a tree!
You might be a doorknob! Or three baked potatoes!
You might be a bag full of hard green tomatoes!
Or worse that all that.....Why, you might be a Wasn't!
A Wasn't has no fun at all.  No! he doesn't
But you.......You Are You!  And, now isn't that pleasant!
So, Come on! Open your mouth an sound off at the sky!
Shout loud at the top of your voice, "I Am I!
Me!
I am I!
And I may not know why
But I know that I like it.
Three Cheers! I Am I!

Sara in the "Mustard Off Tub"

Moby the cat, the wonderful, wonderful cat!
Moby came into our life and garden about 8 years ago. He was a stray wandering our neighborhood, and we fell in love with him. Needless to say that once we fed him, he was ours. He keeps me company when I quilt, usually sitting on any piece of fabric that I am working on. In this picture he managed to squeeze himself onto this little scrap basket, which happens to be in front of the quilt that I made of him and my featherweight sewing machine.
What do you think of the likeness?

I was given this quilt top by my friend Carla. It is believed to have been machine-pieced by Elizabeth Ginder of Bethlehem Pa, in the 1930's or 40's. When Carla gave it to me to complete I thought that it was way too pink and a pattern that I would never have chosen. But the more I looked at it, the more potential I saw. I thought it deserved to be completed and loved by someone (Elizabeth put a lot of work into it).
Well to start off, I decided to machine wash it because there were a few small stains on it as well as a musty/moldy odor. Big Mistake -  the stains did not come out, and I was horrified to find that when I started to machine quilt it, some of the brown fabric disintegrated. Now I decided to do my research on repairing antique quilts (better late than never, but maybe not so in this case). I was surprised that it was the brown fabric that had the problem, since it looked more sturdy than the others. I was lucky to find a similar brown in my stash and was able to patch the problem. You would have to look very closely to notice the repair.

I finished the quilt; it is still very pink, but it is really pretty and has a lot of character. Nice job Elizabeth!
I am happy to donate Vintage Pink Churn Dash to the Capital Quilters Guild Heritage Day Auction. The quilt auction is being held October 2nd, at Oakwook Park, Raleigh NC, with proceeds going to help military families.

The Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in Belmont NC is one of my favorite public gardens. It encompasses 400 acres just west of Charlotte. The gardens are just beautiful, when I am there I feel like I am in a secret garden. At every turn and through the many arbor archways there are amazing flowers, trees and fountains. They do a great job grouping complimentary colored perennials and annuals in each area. Also the conservatory with the tropicals and orchids is breathtaking.
This is our third year visiting Daniel Stowe and we have been delighted each time. It is small enough not to be tiring or overwhelming. And we have never found it crowded. I think it is one of North Carolina's hidden gems. 
Belmont is a great little town in which to stop for lunch or poke around the shops.

My yearly visit to Mary Jo's fabric store in Gastonia, NC! Where to start?? You walk in the door and you are instantly overwhelmed by what seems like miles of fabric.They have fabric of every kind but I was just interested in quilting fabric.  It helps to have a list or a project that you need to buy for, otherwise watch your wallet. The prices of quilting fabric averages about $6 to $6.50 per yard and this is brand name quality quilting fabric. There is a great selection of batiks and bright Michael Miller and Kaffe Fassett. It is easy to spend a few hours as well as a few bucks here.
I had my list in hand, Craig was in a coffee shop nearby, and I set myself free.
I stocked up on batiks, some wild fabric for aprons, yardage for backings, some lovely wool batting and of course tomato fabric. I am all set until next year.
Here is a sample:

Just back from a wonderful weekend get-away. Craig and I  drove to Mt Holly, NC to visit our friend Robin and bring her some tomato plants. Robin owns The Robin's Nest Bed and Breakfast, which is one of our favorite B&Bs. It is a beautifully restored and maintained older home with lovely gardens. Robin is a wonderful hostess and a great cook. The breakfast of blueberry cream cheese french toast was incredible.
Another great thing about the Robin's Nest is that it is just a few miles from Mary Jo's Fabrics in Gastonia, NC. More about the damage that I did there later. Also a short distance away is the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens in Belmont. I will blog more on each during the week.

I would highly recommend this trip for any quilter or garden lover. It is an easy, pleasant 3 hour drive from Raleigh (pretty much Route 40 to 85 South, off of an exit just past Charlotte). The B&B and the gardens are hidden gems. And Mary Jo's Fabrics with their great prices and incredible selection is a quilter's fantasy.

Lorin Fields just sent me pictures of her booth at the Hickory quilt and fiber arts show. I have made 3 quilts for her using her hand dyed fabric. She has started offering her fabric in individual strips measuring 2.5 x 42", which are perfect for patterns which use jelly rolls or geodes.
Below are pictures of 2 of my quilts as well as Lorin's hand dyed silk scarves and fabric. I will be putting out a pattern for Colour Karma (the diamond shaped quilt) later in the year.
I think she should have a sign stating "Be not afraid of color".

It is two years ago today that we lost my Dad. He died very suddenly and I am thankful to have been there with him. But it still doesn't feel real to me.
Last year and today, on the anniversary of my Dad's death, my stepmother sends me a bouquet of flowers. It is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me. I know my Dad is up there smiling.
You picked a good one, when you married Ann!
Thanks Ann, and I miss you Dad!!

I have had a few comments on my blog about treating sewing thread with mineral oil. Here are some more details:
Before machine quilting, I immersed my thread in mineral oil. I then dried off the spool with a paper towel so there would be no dripping or splashing. I have not had any problems with my machine or the fabric. I have only done this while machine quilting with my Juki sewing machine. My Juki is a basic single stitch machine, which calls for oiling every day with frequent use. I don't feel that the mineral oil will harm my machine.

I would certainly consult your owner's manual for your sewing machine. A lot of computerized sewing machines do not call for oiling (except for routine maintenance by a mechanic). 

I would like to know exactly what kind of oil "sewing machine oil" is. I have been doing some research on this and the information I've found is very vague. I did find one site that states sewing machine oil is a "light" detergent-free mineral oil. I would love to find a sewing machine mechanic to get his/her opinion, and all input is welcome.