I had planned in this blog post to share the progress that I had made on my UFO’s during the last three months of the year, but decided at the last minute to continue with my “This and That” blog instead. It was a busy fall -- both in the sewing room and out -- and I want to share those things with you while they are still fresh in my mind.
In October we took a trip to Dubuque for the annual Jr High Honor Band at Loras College at which I have conducted the past six years. I was amazed at how fast the trip went - although I’m not sure that Tom would agree - because I was spending the time designing several quilts. That is a fairly new endeavor for me and I’m finding that I really enjoy it. It is like putting together a puzzle. I designed two Quilts of Valor that my quilting club will be working on as well as my 2018 Row By Row quilt. Each quilt features large rectangles/squares that I could arrange symmetrically and then add sashing and borders. I used graph paper that had squares measuring 60 x 80 - the perfect size for a quilt.
In November I was invited to represent the Forest Acres Quilting Club at a Daughter’s of the American Revolution (DAR) meeting/dinner in Papillion. This chapter presented Excellence in Community Service Awards to all of the groups/individuals who worked to award Quilts of Valor to the female veterans who participated in the Honor Flight to Washington D.C. in September. It was interesting to hear about all of the activities in which this group is involved.
In December we enjoyed a visit from one of Tom’s high school classmates and his wife who live in Washington state. One afternoon we played tourist and took our visitors to the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha. I was excited to tour this local treasure because this was my first visit and there was a quilt exhibit. There were 32 quilts displayed that were made between 1800 and 2000 and are part of the collection from the Shelburne Museum in Vermont. The quilts were quite varied from more traditional piecing and appliqué to more modern art quilts. The permanent displays at the Joslyn feature a wide range of artists both American and European. The highlights are Degas’ sculpture of The Little Dancer and one of Renoir’s several Girls at the Piano. I would highly recommend a visit as the building itself is a masterpiece.
This fall I added a couple of new podcasts to my list of favorites - Husker Online and Just Wanna Quilt. I like to listen to these shows when I exercise in the morning, clean the house, or travel in the car. Since I love to be in the know about all things involving the Huskers, the Husker Online podcast was perfect. I enjoyed the hosts, Sean Callahan, Nate Clouse, and Robin Washut, and their insight on the progress of the Husker football team. Just Wanna Quilt is hosted by Elizabeth Townsend Gard, a law professor at Tulane University who is conducting research on how copyright and intellectual property mix with the quilting world. She interviews famous quilters, industry leaders, as well as regular quilting folk. The variety of her guests makes this podcast very interesting and entertaining. And I love the title of her podcast because I feel exactly the same way!
2019 is quickly approaching!! What new adventures are you planning? Do they involve travel both near and far? Are there places in our great state that you have yet to visit? Or can you just enjoy yourself at home with a good book or a new podcast? If you are like me then you also have several new quilts in your plans. So Happy Quilting to you in 2019!!