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“I have given skill to all the skillful, so that they may make all that I have commanded you. “ Exodus 31:6


“O Thou who art the all pervading glory of the world, we bless Thee for the power of beauty to gladden our hearts.
We praise Thee that even the least of us may feel a thrill of the creative joy when we give form and substance to our thoughts and, beholding our handiwork, find it good and fair. “.
Walter Rauschenbusch


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"Come, and listen, all you who fear God; let me tell you what He has done for me.
I cried out to Him with my mouth; His praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished sin in my heart, the LORD woud not have listened and heard my voice in prayer.
Praise be to God, Who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me!" Psalm 66:16-20
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Friday, August 20, 2010

First day of first grade and pre-K

Slow down, time..........they're getting away from me !

Today was Zoe's first day of first grade, and she tells me that it was the most awesome day of her life !  Not bad .

T.J. went to his first ever ANYTHING except for Church , entering pre-kindergarten classes, where he only has to stay for around 3 hours or so.   He liked it too, but his new friend wasn't there and he says that he missed him.  Still good.

Mommy on the other hand, called me immediately after dropping the two of them off at school, to wail that HER BABIES were in school !   She was on the way to the sitter with one-year-old, Seth, almost late for work herself.

I added new photos of the older two to my sidebar over there, but I just love this one........after several shots posed sweetly together, T.J. had had enough !.

Quilting news, next...................here's the email I got to send out to my bestest quilting buds back in Oklahoma............but I couldn't leave out you girlfriends I talk to every day !
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"Congratulate me girls...............I've done it !



Woo Hoo !
Do I look just a little bit like the cat that swallowed the canary?

I didn't know if this day would ever come, but AFTER 22 YEARS, it has !
(Except for a sleeve........aren't I terrible.....but I wanted to get all the stains out as best I could before I attach a sleeve?)

If you'll notice here, I changed my mind about binding it in the red or the green.  I thought that it looked much better with the red as the last noticeable straight border.   When I trimmed the extra-wide, one-piece backing, I decided to use the leftovers as the binding fabric.  I never thought about the fact that it wasn't the same muslin that I had used for the top of the quilt........thankfully, it matches just fine.


I washed the quilt today...........it smelled,..........after 22 years, ya think? Yes, it smelled like someone's old linen closet.........and it had stains.......spit-washed blood, pencil markings, blue chalk !



Most of the stains came out pretty well, or enough so that I can live with it, but I wouldn't advise anyone to leave a quilt in progress for this long !


The blue markings are the worst problem; they were made with a blue chalk in a wheeled-dispensor.   The ones on which I actually used an old toothbrush and Dawn dishwashing detergent are really pale, but not gone. I need to wash the quilt once more, and make sure I hit every blue mark......yes EVERY blue mark. Then, if something still shows, it's earned it's permanent home in my quilt history books. That''s okay by me.  "

9 comments:

  1. Oh, wow! I love feathered stars, and that one's really beautiful!
    Uh....yes, I have a quilt that has to be close to 25 years old, and I haven't started quilting it yet. In fact, a year or so ago I took the layers apart because I finally accepted the fact that it will be machine quilted, not hand quilted.
    Oh, wait, I just finished a quilt that was around 50 years old in April or May. And I have my grandma's 80+ year old quilt to finish. It's true, they have to be finished before they can be washed.
    Love the grandchildren pictures too. (And have to admit I always cry when my daughter starts at a new school--still--and she's in high school.)

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  2. Tanz went to her first day too and she told her mother she could not take her because she was tired of her crying she told her to go to work and her daddy would take her!!!!
    then that night she said i am tired of answering questions about my day, so quit asking me. her and zoe would lov playing together they are like kelli and jen were about the same age, jen used to lov playing dolls with kelli.
    WE took her to miranda lambert and brooks and dunn last night her first concert, she said to me "granny i am the only 5 year old here!!!!! " and beamed
    she made it thru miranda pretty good, then we had the intermission, and we were in the bathroom and she said, okay now you need to buy me tickets to carrie underwood next. so we went back in and she made it thru part of brooks and dunn. EXCELLENT Show luv ya jodie

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  3. Dolly that must feel like such an accomplishment! I think since that quilt has bee in the making for so long, those litte odds and ends markings just will add character! It looks gorgeous and you deserve a GIANT pat on the back!! Congrats on your finish, it really does look beautiful!!

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  4. You do deserve a pat on the back for that quilt. I think if I started any star pattern it would take me at least 25 years to finish. I agree, any marks that are left after all that hard work deserve to be there and are part of the story of the quilt. I can feel for your daughter, I remember when my kids started school. And thanks to fb, I've been around when several of 'our kids' children started school for the first time. My husband was a teacher at a small school for 28 years, he taught high school, assisted grade school 4H students, and watched kids grow, we considered all of them 'ours'. ~Nita

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  5. i was just seeing what you were up to and i forgot how AWESOME that quilt was sure wish i had it for the quilt show next month !!! to enter it is soooooo awesome girlie !!!!
    well tanzy has made it almost a week, she walked into school yesterday alone, but Jen watched her go down the hall even though she was trying to make her be a BIG girl i know my daughter was crying again !!!!!
    luv you working on my quilt it is gonna be awesome
    jodie

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  6. Hi Dolly, Your grandchildren are adorable, I love that picture...it says so much. How loving big sister is, comforting her brother. And..your quilt is magnificent! Just gorgeous! I would be bursting with happiness if I had accomplished such a beauty! I only see quilts of this caliber at the quilt show, and what a treat that is...=) Hope you are having a great week, its nice that it cooled down just a bit.

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  7. That is quite an accomplishment and truly beautiful!!

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  8. Hi Dolly
    That quilt is sooooo beautiful - I've never seen one like that before.
    You must be so proud - even more so because it probably took an extra effort to finally finish it. It would be a real pleasure seeing that every day. - JUlia

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Thanks for stopping by !