Super Students

In the first of three sessions to teach basic sewing, the students make a pillowcase. It is so much fun to see them get excited about their new skills. Here are some pics from the last two class sessions:

Back from the frozen north.

Alaska trip was amazing. Beautiful scenery and fun cruise. Below I'm holding a future sled dog. We got to ride in a wheeled sled, which is what the mushers use to train the dogs out of snow season. The dogs are so strong, the mushers have to move them by hanging on to their collars and only allowing two legs to touch the ground. Every dog in that place wanted to be hitched up to the sled. What a caterwauling when the mushers went out to select the ones they wanted.

What happened to the time?

It has been about 6 months since my last post. Not sure what happened. Life, I guess. Anyway, I am determined to get busy again, so expect to hear from me about my upcoming, once in a lifetime cruise to Alaska. DH and I are both celebrating BIG birthdays this year, so this is our treat. And we're throwing in our 30 aniversary, which was 4 years ago, but we couldn't do the trip then!


Have been busy sewing, teaching, sewing and teaching some more. I love it.

Sewed a four-patch-posey quilt from some very bright gold and red floral. It turned out great. Don't you love those tiny square in square cornerstones? They drove me crazy.

Also, made a quilt of valor with a friend - she did the front, I did the borders and the back and binding. Great team work. Here it is before binding:

Contributed to the guild's challenge in March. The quilts were raffled so I had to give it up. Not sure about that part. We had to use 12 little red polka dotted circles. It's called Caterpillar Dreams.

More to come. Stay tuned.

Greyhound Tragedy in Florida

Some of you may have read about the terrible, senseless, death of greyhounds at the Ebro race track in Florida. The man responsible has been arrested, as it happens on a drunk driving charge, and the whole thing is being investigated.

My personal position and the position of many of the other members of the rescue group I am involved with is this:

This is only to a degree a problem of greyhound racing. Certainly there ought to be better checks and balances in place. But, there was help all around him if he had only asked. There are many adoption organizations ready to take in hounds at the end of the season. So, it is much more a problem of a very sick man, possibly a hoarder, who is taking out some personal issue on this terrible way. There are people in all societies who mistreat animals. This man just did it on a very much grander scale. Greyhound lovers  around my area are hoping he is punished to the fullest extent of the law. Not only because of what he did personally, but to be an example to anyone else who might be thinking animals don't deserve respect. Often the punishment for animal cruelty is relativley mild.

It struck me that when he is in jail, he will be treated much more humanely in his "crate" than he treated the animals under his care. And, animal loving tax payers will have to support him for as long as he is behind bars. Doesn't seem right, does it.

Southeastern Greyhound Club 5K race fundraiser.

Last Saturday we spent a few hours in Kennesaw, GA to support the runners in the third annual SEGC 5K fundraiser. The race brings in much needed dollars to fund the effort to rescue retired racing greyhounds. This time of year is particularly important, since the tracks close for the winter and retire more dogs than usual. We want to be able to help as many as possible find their forever homes.

We registered our Donna as a "Running Mate" - runners were assigned to a hound so that those unfamiliar with greyhounds could learn more about the breed as pets. Donna was lucky enough to have two of her human runners win their category, so got to have her picture taken with them.

Our daughter participated as a runner and earned a second place medal in her age category. We are so proud of her for being willing to help the cause and for doing so well.

Here is the overall winner with Donna, and our daughter posing with Donna too. Two pretty girls together!

The quilt top is D O N E !

I set a new record for myself by completing the top in one month. I love how it turned out, especially since I wasn't sure I wanted to do this design at all. When I showed MDH, he said "I'll have that one." That's a first too.  Here it is: 

 

I have to find a better place to take a pic, but you get the idea.                                                      

New quilting tools :)

Bulloch Hall Quilt Guild recently hosted Bonnie Hunter as speaker and teacher. We learned how to use a couple of nifty rulers - the Tri  & Recs rulers. They make the "Peaky and Spike" blocks  popularized by the late Doreen Speckman a cinch. Here is one block from the quilt I started in her class:

I've completed the 9 alternate blocks and am working on the 16 of this layout. Look for the completed top soon.