Quilt top .... ready to build ...

Just finished this quilt top - it's a gift for a friend that is building a colonial house. Not sure when the house project will be done (as it's gone on forever) but this will be built and waiting for that day!

The middle is blocks from Mr. B's Benartex club that I had (all reproduction lines). It came out kind of cute!

Not totally sure blogging is for me ...

since so much time goes by between posts. Some people challenge themselves to post daily, weekly, a special thing on a certain day of the week and manage to do it. I just don't see that being me - now mind you - it's not that I don't have the time - I'm on the computer enough, that's for sure - I just don't think my projects, or me for that matter is all that interesting. I certainly do admire the people who write the blogs I read - and it's a long list.

So ... that being said, I'm gonna keep the blog, but will probably just post finished projects and other stuff "whenever". Sort of a crafty chronical - maybe I'll even rename it - who knows? I think I'm even gonna change the header of this blog ....uh oh - getting inspired (for the moment anyway!).

Here's pics of a couple of binders I made out of upholstery fabric - these will be donated to the craft fair at my friend's church - but I think I'm gonna make more for gifts - they came out really good. I looked for patterns on the net but ended up drawing one up myself by looking at one I've had for years. I'm sure there is a pattern similar out there though.

It's been a while - yet again ....

this time has been longer than ever since I started blogging. Guess it's not quite in my blood yet or something. Things at the Mucci residence have been busy - I haven't been doing much in the way of quilting, but the days tick away and I am busy - just can't say what I've been doing - it's all a blur.

One thing is that computer time is kind of limited since I've taken it out of the living room. It's hard to actually watch a show, spend quality time with Donnie and peck away at the computer all at the same time. So... I picked up knitting to watch evening TV with and it's much easier to view TV and have a conversation. Pics at 11.

Also have been reading - which is something I haven't done much of - guess I'm making up for it now. Here's a pic of Jet and Donnie from the car show we went to last Sunday. The edited version didn't upload - not sure why.

Unexpected inspiration today ...

I was home today and watched some of the Michael Jackson memorial service. Thought it was done very well and didn't expect to be so moved by it. Most interesting was listening to MLK's Son - so eloquent. He quoted his father from what I believe is this speech. I found it very inspirational.



What Is Your Life's Blueprint?
Six months before he was assassinated, King spoke to a group of students at Barratt Junior High School in Philadelphia on October 26, 1967.

I want to ask you a question, and that is: What is your life's blueprint?

Whenever a building is constructed, you usually have an architect who draws a blueprint, and that blueprint serves as the pattern, as the guide, and a building is not well erected without a good, solid blueprint.

Now each of you is in the process of building the structure of your lives, and the question is whether you have a proper, a solid and a sound blueprint.

I want to suggest some of the things that should begin your life's blueprint. Number one in your life's blueprint, should be a deep belief in your own dignity, your worth and your own somebodiness. Don't allow anybody to make you fell that you're nobody. Always feel that you count. Always feel that you have worth, and always feel that your life has ultimate significance.

Secondly, in your life's blueprint you must have as the basic principle the determination to achieve excellence in your various fields of endeavor. You're going to be deciding as the days, as the years unfold what you will do in life — what your life's work will be. Set out to do it well.

And I say to you, my young friends, doors are opening to you--doors of opportunities that were not open to your mothers and your fathers — and the great challenge facing you is to be ready to face these doors as they open.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great essayist, said in a lecture in 1871, "If a man can write a better book or preach a better sermon or make a better mousetrap than his neighbor, even if he builds his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door."

This hasn't always been true — but it will become increasingly true, and so I would urge you to study hard, to burn the midnight oil; I would say to you, don't drop out of school. I understand all the sociological reasons, but I urge you that in spite of your economic plight, in spite of the situation that you're forced to live in — stay in school.

And when you discover what you will be in your life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it. don't just set out to do a good job. Set out to do such a good job that the living, the dead or the unborn couldn't do it any better.

If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Leontyne Price sings before the Metropolitan Opera. Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well. If you can't be a pine at the top of the hill, be a shrub in the valley. Be be the best little shrub on the side of the hill.

Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.

— From the estate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

Ramblings ....

Well, still working on the flannel quilt for my friend made out of her late husband's flannel shirts - just have to put the back together and bind it and it will be done. I think I made it into more work than I needed to but the horse is out of the barn at this point. Pics soon.

Made my first purchase at ETSY last night! DH bought me a Pandora chain so I was looking for beads and spacers for it - bought a few - such a great experience I think it's gonna become one of my favorite places to shop on-line! Pics soon!

Memory Quilt and Project Improv

This is the quilt I made for my Mom and Dad's 50th Wedding anniversary. It took me quite a while to do it as I decided to use duponi silk fat quarters and some great fabric I had for the border and back. I printed the photos on pretreated fabric made for the job. Mom and I went through and figured out the dates and players in the pictures (I knew the players) which was an adventure. It was fun but glad it's done and in Mom and Dad's posession.

Been on blogging break ... this is what we've been doing!

Haven't really been working as much as I'd like to in the sewing room as we've been sick and then the yard has been calling. Managed to clean up all the flower beds, preen and mulch - tried to set up for less maintenance in the future - and even enjoy the task before it gets really hot. We are on our 4th yard of mulch - my back says .... "that's alot of mulch!"

Mom and Dad are coming for a visit next week - so doing lots of work around the inside of the house as well.

I am working on two projects, only can't post about them because they are a secret - shhhhhh. Will post when the secret is out ... in the meantime here's some shots of the yard!