4th of July

Welcome to the 4th of July weekend.  With the 4th of July being next Wednesday it makes it hard to know when everyone is going to celebrate it.  Some took today and include the weekend. Others will just take next Wednesday off. 

Locally, here in Jonesborough, TN the Jonesborough Days have begun. The vendors were set up and people were walking around town this evening when we drove past on our way home from grocery shopping.  Tomorrow will be the town's parade. The fireworks have been cancelled for this year due to the dry weather we have had for the last couple of weeks. 

The temperature here today officially hit 102!  And tomorrow they are calling for 100.  There was such a power surge in the surrounding areas that two towns lost their power! Greeneville, TN lost their power just after we finished our grocery shopping and while DH was pumping gas!  Oh, the joys of no power! 

And what am I doing while all this heat and celebration is going on?  I'll be quilting!  Quilter's Pantry studio is rather cool and nice to work in.  And I have quilts to make! :)

I hope you all are able to take time over this weekend and holiday to enjoy time with family and friends. Stay cool and stay safe. 

We are also thinking and praying for those who have been affected by the rains and flooding in the south, and those affected by the fires out West is Colorado and neighboring areas. 

The quilt  pictured is one of the early quilts I made. I did the stitching just stitch in the ditch with my regular domestic sewing machine. It was the last one I've done that way as it was just before I got the longarm machine.

Til next time....

Phyllis

IT'S SUMMER TIME

Welcome to SUMMER Time! 

Days are longer, temps rise, sun shines, rains fall, storms blow through.

We get busy with outdoor events. Gardens call our name as the plants grow and produce fruit and vegetables. Weeds grow that we need to weed out. Grass grows and needs to be mowed. 

School is out and the kids are home, wanting something to do so they aren't bored. 

There are sports events, picnics, long drives, walks in the park. Swimming in the lake or pool. 

We take a break from our work and go away on a vacation, or two. Or stay at home during that time off to rest, relax, or catch up on a long over due task. 

And things break. Here so far this year it has been my lap top, my sewing machine,  then the dish washer finally quit, then DH's truck needed tires and the next day the AC compressor went out on his pick up. Then the lawn mower broke.   So, we buy new, replace old, repair what can be fixed and other things we let go. We now wash dishes by hand again. ;)   And we are thankful that it's not worse, and that God provides work so we can pay the bills. 

All the while we, as quilters, continue to quilt. Some may not quilt as much because they are too busy. Others may quilt more because they have more time.  We also attend quilt shows. We are not going to any big ones this year. But I know some who are. They are exciting to attend. If you have not been and get the chance to go, by all means go! You will see some amazing quilts, get inspired and meet some wonderful people.

And so, Summer begins. May you all have a great start to it. May you stay safe with the coming 4th of July. And may you find time in your busy summer to keep the needles going creating quilts for those you love, the charities you donate them to and for yourself. 

Catch y'all later. 

Phyllis

Happy Father's Day

Above is a wonderful gift I received from my sister. She inherited the artistic talent of painting from our family.  I remember every morning my Mom would make my father a cup of coffee, even though she never drank any.


Here today I would like to share a poem I wrote about my father. He passed away in 1974 and I miss him a lot. 

A tribute to my Dad. He passed away in 1979, just 4 months after my son was born. I wrote this poem about him a few years later.

Images of Daddy

Dandelions, Roses, Tulips, Daffodils.
A bottle of Ballentine beer after supper
Sitting in his favorite chair, reclining
Lucile Ball, Ed Sullivan, Lassie, Red Skelton
Walton's Mountain, Little House on the Prairie,
Hee Haw, Golf games, and news shows.
Country Music - Johnny Cash.
Roller skating, ice skating, a row boat named "This-n-That"
Deer hunting, fishing -freshwater, sea and ice, his motor boat.
Rattle snakes, bumble bees, wasps, and bird houses
Raccoons, and bears with little cubs
Cats and kitten, all strays - he hated cats.
Ambulance driver, fire fighter, volunteer fire department,
Christmas tree lights, star in the window, egg nog,
shoveling snow, walking with snow shoes, his "Arty Cat".
Roast beef, mashed potatoes, and gravy, Oreo cookies, crackers-n-milk.
Clam bakes, BBQ grill, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob.
Family reunions.
Story telling, jokes, a life of adventure.
World War II Panama, California, Lake Placid, New York
Subway in Boston, wind took his hat, Mom.
Molasses in bicycle tire, A & P window,
Rocking chairs, old ladies, Halloween, coal trains,
Drawing pictures on blackboards for the holidays.
Oil burners, plumbing, electrician, a swinging bridge.
Woodwork, carvings, falseteeth
A book case, bedroom set, revolving lamp and wall hangings of wood.
Holding me in his arms, asleep on the kitchen floor, feeling his breath
"There's no such word as 'wentin' you say...." hearing his recorded voice.
Giving his all, "Don't Fence Me In" Daddy and Mom.
That was my Daddy
Love
by Phyllis Dewey]

Today I've added a new page to my blog.  Above you will find the page for Tips, Tricks and Hints of Quilting.  I will be adding information on that page over time to help you with your quilting. Whether you are new to quilting, a professional, or a wanna be I hope you will find something useful here. 

If you have a tip, trick, or hint you would like to share please send me a comment or an email.

I know quilters love to share and know that I certainly don't know all there is about quilting. As in life - there is always something new to learn in the world of quilting. 

Enjoy the process as well as the end result!

The Meaning of my Pennies

Good morning everyone. Hope your weekend was great and you are ready to face whatever the week has to offer you. 
I'm looking forward to another busy week with all I have on my plate and anticipate more headed my way. 


In the mean time I am reminded of the pennies I have sitting around my house.  If you come to my house and look around closely (please overlook the threads, dust and misplaced items lol) you will notice pennies in some non normal locations. 


A piggy bank ? - don't really have one.  Besides that would be normal.


In a pile on the dresser? Maybe


Hidden in my purse, or pockets? Maybe


No, you will notice single pennies sitting on the edges of my hutch, on the edge of the ledge of back splashes, next to my computer,  or any number of other 'out of normal' places.

There is a reason they are there.


Many years ago I heard a story of a rich man who was walking along and stooped down to pick up a penny.  Another person saw this and asked him why he wanted that little, useless penny when he already had all the money he could use.

He said that it wasn't the actual monetary value of the penny he was wanting. He asked her to read what was on the penny.  She said, "One Cent". 


"No," he replied.  It says, "In God we Trust".  


And so I have come to place a penny in various locations in my house.  I can be having a rough day and see one of the pennies and know that I need to put my trust in God. He will take care of whatever I am concerned, anxious or worried about. At times that is a bit hard to do, but for an instant I smile, say a little prayer of thanks, and breath a sigh of relief. 


That little penny may not be worth very much these days, but those words mean the world to me. 

It is also a reminder to me that God handles all things including the littlest things in our lives.  It sits on the edge to remind me that we may be sitting on the edge, with not much to hang on to, but with God we can rest easy and know that He will take care of us. 

So, if you ever come to my house, see those pennies, I hope it brings you some of the same feeling of comfort that only God can bring. 

Feel free to steal my idea and place your own pennies around at places to help you in everyday life that sometimes gets us down. 

Have a blessed day! 

Phyllis

"Happy Summer" Wall hanging.

For Christmas last year I gave my daughter and son in law a Christmas wall hanging and one for fall with an IOU of one for spring and summer. This is the one for summer! They are all done and my IOU if completed.  Now I get to start working on what to do for them this Christmas! 

With them having a baby on the way that shouldn't be too difficult! LOL