Red Hat Happy...

I know the picture is a bit fuzzy, but it is the only one I took, so it'll have to do. This is what we made using that cool 9-patch sew, cut and flip method that I showed you a few weeks ago. This was a commission piece- something I rarely- read that NEVER do, but... I was charmed into it! One rainy morning at the quiltshop- just before Thanksgiving, a man comes in. (This is a fairly rare happening. We don't see many men. Maybe the UPS guy...There is this one guy who rides a Harley...) But this other guy- who happened to come into the shop on the same morning as "Mr.Harley" was a different kinda guy. He looked mystified, but on a mission. I think he took courage from "Mr. Harley" and asked if we knew of any little old ladies that might like to make some extra money for Xmas... giggle. It was real hard to keep a straight face. I could see where this was going... He thought he had come into the shop with plenty of time to spare to have a quilt made for his wife for Xmas... And Tanya just about shut him down with a quote about what it would cost. ($700) We explained that we just can't compete with Malasia. Usually folks leave right there and then, but he kinda lingered. I could see he was flabbergasted but still determined to come up with an original gift for his wife who... is a real enthusiastic red hat lady. Tanya returns to her conversation with "Mr. Harley" and I take the charmer in hand. (He reminded me so much of my Uncle Tommy. Uncle Tommy was a bachelor and he would spoil us kids crazy with candy and new winter coats. He would visit near Xmas each year and bring a trunkload of oranges from Florida. He bought me a new wardrobe when I graduated high school- even helped me pick it all out- he had very good, and expensive, taste. Every child should have an Uncle Tommy. He even helped me with some college tuition. He has a big heart.) Well, this guy reminded me of him... And he loved the red hat fabric that we had. And I said that maybe it didn't need to be a bed-size quilt... now what was I thinking? I don't know, but he left with me promising to call him when I had a total rung up for a throw-size quilt that would fit very nicely into her spare bedroom that was decorated to the nines in redhat! Tanya decided we could do it, if we kept it very simple. She made up the pattern, we figured yardage, batting, quilting fees, labor... $275!! I called him, nervously, and he only says, "It'll be nice, right? You get what you pay for. OK." So she cut and pinned and I sewed. Tanya peiced the back- her specialty(Which I could kick myself for forgetting to take a picture!) I quilted it and she bound it. it was really a joint effort and then she called him up and she made him this incredible label that included 2 pictures of him and his wife together and a poem he had written for her!!! "...you're my best chum, you're my sugarplum." was the last line and I knew that even though we were a little stressed out about getting it done during this busy season, it was worth it! How sweet is that? I can't wait to find out how she liked it, but I know that there won't be another like it- shew!

Eva's feast...

was a couple nights ago. Eva...understands things. I don't have to explain much when it comes to people. She just knows. She's 7 going on 70. She is very sympathetic and authentic. I love her easy company. She made a spaghetti dinner for the family. She had orange wedges for her appetizer and chocolate milk to drink. Her dessert was sundaes with all kinds of topping- chopped candy bars and cookies, sprinkles and cherries, syrup and whipped cream- making sure to tell the boys that they are NOT to squirt it into their mouths. She decorated the room by making tons of paper snowflakes and DH Bill hung them from the ceiling using string. It was really lovely. She draped my scrap batting over the backs of the seats and across the children's bench- like it was snowing, she said. We had a runway of red glass votives sitting on paper snowflakes down the length of the table. Her gifts were a great find at the dollar store- puzzles. The big boys' puzzles have 500 peices and a couple of them have already been completed. The smaller children had simpler puzzles, even a wooden one for Abe the babe. It was a really great feast.