Month 5 Sweet land of Liberty Linky Party!

This was our "assignment" for month 5. If you worked on any part of this quilt and haven't shared it, I'd love to see! Doesn't matter if you are caught up or not.

On Friday, June 1st, I will share month 6. There will be a total of 10 months.

Google is having a glitch right now with sending comments to my email, but maybe it is better right now I don't spend too much time thinking about my soapbox post. Some people have toxic personalities and are best at a distance. It seems like many of you can relate to that post, so let's be the positive light in other people's world.

An InLinkz Link-up

Memorial Day

I give my complete gratitude to all those who have fought and died for my freedom.

I got a chance to decorate and will leave these quilts up until after the 4th of July. My "style" is eclectic and a mish mash. I'm no decorator, but I make my house a comfortable place to be. (hopefully for everyone and not just family!)

Love to you all!
Lori

Friday Musings

Here is the second little quilt I made for the Humble Quilt Swap. I messed up and one person didn't have a partner. It is a well traveled quilt- Oregon, California, England, Italy and back and now it resides in Canada!
Jan Snell was the recipient.

I am going to get on a soapbox now, Okay? If you don't want to read it, then see you next week!

This is directed mostly at women, so if you are a man reading this, then forgive me.

Why do we, mostly women, feel like we need to compete with one another? I know sometimes I find myself getting defensive about certain things I do. Life is not a competition! Women should work together, encourage one another, build each other up, speak positive words, be truthful, be humble. We can be all these things and still be strong and kick ass at life!

I work hard to attain physical strength, I save money to take vacations. 

I feel so fortunate to live my life and have the strength and abilities that I have. So why do some people make me feel bad, or belittle me because I work hard for these? And even more than that, why do I let them make me feel that way??? This is a rhetorical question. 

How about we start looking for ways to encourage other people. I challenge you to speak positive words to a stranger every day. (and then someone who is not a stranger)  You never know what a positive impact that may have on them.

Jumping off my soapbox now......

Here's my Instagram feed for the week. 

Enjoy your weekend beautiful friends!

Humble Quilt Swap 2018 Linky Party! Show me your quilt!

I do think this year's swap was a resounding success! Thank you to all who participated and took the time to make a lovely little quilt.

Above is mine from Joanne. I love everything about it! The adorable pin cushion will be a sweet reminder of this years swap.

We will share the quilt you received. If you have a blog please link up to the specific post. You can also use Instagram.

I made a folder in google photos which you can find HERE. If you do not have a blog or instagram please look here to see if I loaded your photo, then you can link up from there. No problem if you cannot figure it out. I'll load all those from that album.

If you cannot add it using the linky link then add it to the google album or email it to me at ldej@crestviewcable.com

Any way you can do it is fine by me. I'll be gone all day so if you have a problem I'll address it tonight.

It is so much fun to see all the swap quilts in one place!

I'm hiking today! Preparing to hike Mt St Helens in 3 weeks!

An InLinkz Link-up

Primitive block of the Month- Remembering Cheri

 One of the admin of Cheri's group is starting a quilt using Cheri's patterns. I thought I'd jump in.

 Gee, it looks like I have a problem already! The baskets are supposed to be sewn to the bottom of the mother/daughter.  I knew I cut the cotton basket fabric oversized but didn't realize I did it that much!

Thanks for all your fun comments about my trip! I appreciate everyone that takes the time to leave a comment on my blog.

Make it a wonderful week!

Inspiration From Life

At every turn there was a ruin but also quilt inspiration in Italy!

Here are a few photos I'm mulling around for inspiration for my "Italy" quilt.

The next few photos were from the Vatican floor. 

A random building in Florence. 

Isn't that building adorable??

From our balcony in Manarola.

Our Airbnb in Rome. 

Natures color combinations always work!

 Look at the wine bottle label? That's got to be in indication of the fantastic trip ahead. (and it was!)

My Instagram feed for the week.

Make it a wonderful weekend!

Sharing Quilts

I got permission to share my friend, Susan McDermott's, wonderful personal quilts.

 Susan writes:
"Over There" was a commemorative quilt to honor her Father- In- Law who served in WWI.
The center of the quilt is the flag families put in their windows to show they had a son in the war. Owen’s father was raised in an orphanage so no one had a flag for him. I made it to commemorate 100 years since America entered the war, 1917.

 The backing is just amazing with photos and memories of Frank McDermott. 

I love everything about this quilt!

Susan showed me the next quilt last summer and I asked her if I could share it on my blog and she said when she got a better photo. Well, I finally got that photo! 

The name of the quilt is 29. 29 boxes plus the two with our little badges.

Each green box represents a year. Each black square represents one mountain hiked, one of the 48 4000 footers in NH.
The two red patches are what Owen and I earned from the AMC for our efforts.
The top says McDermott, right....New Hampshire, bottom....1987-2015 and the left....4000 footers.
On the back I have a copy of our application to the AMC to be admitted in to the 4000 footers club. Just received certificates which will also go on the back.
It took a long time to make this quilt and a long time to hike the mountains.....29 years.

Susan did the wonderful quilting as well.

I just love it! The very first time I met Susan, her and her husband were just returning from a hike! I don't know if it was one of these, but I liked her hiking spunk.

Great job on the hikes, Susan and Owen and the lovely commemorative  quilt, Susan. Thanks for letting me share them on my blog.

Creativity

At the recent guild meeting in Victoria I picked up a SAQA journal. (Studio Art Quilts Associates)  As I was on the plane home I came across an interesting article by Quinn McDonald called Learning from failure not as painful as it sounds. 
The premise of the article was dealing with rejection, whether it was from a show judge or not getting into a juried show.

This was the part that struck a cord with me,
 " The reason to create, to practice, to struggle with your creative urge is to express creativity and make meaning in your life. That is the prime directive of the creative soul- make meaning. It is the process of creating that lifts the soul, not the price tag. "

I have a personal belief system that gives me meaning in life. But the creative quilter part of me agrees with this!
Did anyone ever asked Michelangelo, "Don't you have enough paintings? Or sculptures?"
I know many people still consider quilts, a blanket to keep us warm. Ah, yes, it does that, but oh, it is so much more. We are putting our creative soul into the quilts we make.

Having to choose what quilts to bring to TX was like choosing a favorite child! LOL
Even if we use someone's pattern, we are still taking it and making it our own.

Just food for thought today, friends.

I'll leave you with this.

As I was preparing this post to publish when I was gone, I realized I'll be in Florence, Italy on my birthday, which is tomorrow! I can't think of a more creative, amazing place to celebrate!

Arrivederci, bellissimi amici!!!

Dear Daughter blocks 9-12

Gay has posted the next set of blocks for this awesome sampler quilt.  Get yours free for one month HERE.

Thank you Gay  for your excellent patterns!

Happy Wednesday!

First Friday Exhibit at Quiltworks

I was in Bend on Friday but too early for the evening celebration, but the quilts were up and almost ready for  public viewing. I loved the exhibit this month! If you have time, please read the bio's. They are two friends who met when they lived in Oregon, but separated, but continued to quilt together. You know how I feel about quilting and friendships! It tugs on my heart.

 These little baskets were adorable and my favorite. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing these as much as I did.