A quilting we will go!

I recently returned home from a quilting retreat at the Sunset Ranch in Godley, Texas. I finished a king-size batik quilt top (with help from other quilters on issues I was having with the pattern). The quilt is called Vertical Visions from Batik Gems by Laurie Shifrin and that's a picture of it on the cover. I've made mine out of greens and navy blue batiks. Mine has turned into a horizontal vision because the measurement is too long vertically for the length of the bed. Ah..trial and error. Now I'm waiting for the 108" batik backing to arrive so I can take it to a long-arm quilter. There's no way I could maneuver a king-size quilt on my sewing machine.

One of the fun events at the retreat is fat-quarter lotto every night where we each contribute a fat quarter. I won the batch the 2nd night! We brought our own breakfast, lunch was catered, and some of the quilters volunteered to cook our dinners. The last night we had a luscious pot-roast and vegetables and then celebrated the cook’s 60th birthday! None of this would be at all possible without the fun and fabulous "FiFi" LaFleur, our retreat coordinator .

The last night we also had an "incident" that can probably never be topped in the history of retreats, but for now my lips are sealed!!! We all certainly had a great time, well..except for maybe one person.

Hello and welcome!

Hi! My name is Mary Margaret. My oldest granddaughter is in a technology class in the 5th grade, and she helped me get started writing my first blog post. While trying to edit it, I somehow deleted it. I wish she was here to tell me what I did wrong, but she's not, so I'm on my own today. I hope I don't bore you.

My passion is quilting and heirloom sewing, so that's mostly what this blog will be about. I'm married to Steve who works tirelessly for the defense of our country and helps fund my sewing addiction. We have a grown son and daughter and have been given 8 adorable (soon to be 9) grandkids, ages 4 months, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 11.

Our household also includes 3 goldfish and 2 dwarf African frogs, bought for my grandchildren but living under our roof for now. Our family wouldn't be complete without a canine, either. Our newest addition is Daphne, an adopted rescue basset hound who we think is 8 or 9 years old. She apparently was raised in a barn, but we love her anyway! She's the sweetest basset we've ever laid eyes on and she worships Steve.

Well that's our clan.