Big Shoes To Fill

Dr. Adrian Rogers

Our church family, Bellevue, is celebrating 32 years of faithful ministry of our pastor, Dr. Adrian Rogers. He is known throughout the world. Sadly, for us, he is retiring from his position as our pastor. We haven't found a new pastor yet. How do you fill his shoes? He's a pastor's pastor. He will be more involved than ever with Love Worth Finding, a radio program that's broadcast world wide. He is one of America's most respected bible teachers. You can learn more about the radio program and listen to it here.

Move 'Em In, Move 'Em Out

DH and I have spent all day moving furniture and boxes of MIL's things from her home to donate. Her home will be sold and the real estate agent has advise to empty the home first. Then, she'll put a sign in the yard. This is primo selling season, so we're moving forward. Hopefully, this process will go quickly. The home is in great shape with 5 bedrooms, hardwood floors, and on a corner lot. SIL decided to move in it 2 years ago which slowed the process of emptying out the home somewhat, but we knocked out a few large items today. The motivation is "You can't sell a home that the buyer can't see". It's amazing how little things can make such a big difference in a prospective buyer's eyes. They don't want to see your personal items, but instead, they want to imagine how their belongings will look in the space. The show, Designed to Sell, has great information on selling a home. If you ever intend on selling your home, it's well worth watching to get ideas.

In stitching news, I haven't stitched today, but hopefully tonight I'll get in some stitching time on Fish Medley. I want to cross stitch my son some of the free designs on Rainbow Gallery's website, but I wanted to use DMC. Does anyone know of a conversion chart for Rainbow Gallery thread and DMC?

Emma's Quilt Mystery

My DH contacted an aunt regarding Emma's crazy quilt. She told us:

"There are two scenarios, I remember seeing the quilt.
1. Emma Susan Hallmark, 1901-1927, was grandma Killingsworth's (Ethel) younger sister. Someone could have made this quilt for her since in 1909 she was only 8 years old or

2. Emma Eason Killingsworth, 1887-1958 or Mary Roxie Hallmark 1866-1938 (Emma Susan's mother) could have made the quilt for Emma Susan. Mary Roxie was famous for making quilts. Mary Roxie and Emma Eason Killingsworth were sisters.

Most likely the quilt was give to Emma Susan by one of those."

If I get more history on the quilt, I'll blog about it. So far, I'm leaning toward the scenario of Emma S. Hallmark's mom, Mary, as the quilter. That's just a guess, though.

The quilt hasn't been quilted, so it only has the top portion. Had it been quilted, possibly a quilt label with the information of the quilter, etc. would have been on it. This is a valuable lesson on why labeling your quilts and cross stitching is so important for future generations. I must do better at this myself.

Emma's Crazy Quilt

Quilt Block Dated 1909

Emma's Crazy Quilt

Close Up of Signature Block

My DH inherited this crazy quilt top from his aunt who passed away in May. The quilt was sewn by Emma Hallmark in 1909. We are still researching who she is because two descendants during that time had the same name. Looking at current crazy quilt works, this piece may seem a little plain, but it is authentic and very representative of the time it was pieced. There are no "specialty threads", no "fancy fabrics", just handiwork done with love. It's priceless. We have displayed it over an antique spinning wheel. I would love to preserve it and hang it on the wall. I need more information on how to do it properly.

Fish Medley Progress

Moorish Idol Progress

This angel fish is much larger than I realized. I've never been fond of white and the shades similar to white. They are just boring and very hard to see. Hopefully, once this fish is stitched, the rest of the design will be smooth sailing.

Slow Progress on Fish Medley

I haven't made much progress on Fish Medley lately. I am slowly stitching the large angel fish. I'll post a pic soon. I'm itching to start cross stitching yet another project. I want to finish at least one WIP before starting a new project, but it's just so tempting.

Some of the women in my family have begun a Bunco group. We played last Thursday night. It was a great time and very fast paced. If you have any ideas for clever Bunco gifts, leave me a comment.

My DH taught my DS/8 how to play the card game, Uno. He loves it. He picked it up quickly and he keeps up with the scores. It's a great game for his math skills. We had always played Skipbo and Crazy Eights, but I think Uno is the new favorite.

Valentine's Day - Feel the Love

Valentine's Day

DH gave me the glass blown heart on the right and DS/8 gave me the glass blown "kiss" on the left. The flowers were a gift from my DD/23. DH, DS/8 and I went out to eat at The Shanti Steakhouse. We know the owner, so extra care was taken with our juicy steaks. They also have homemade yeast rolls. YUMMMMM! It was wonderful! The Shanti is a great restaurant to have dinner, if you are ever in Memphis, it is in Collierville (a suburb of Memphis). Give it a try.

As far as stitching, I haven't done any stitching in the last couple of days. I've been busy sorting through cross stitching books and sewing stuff. Also, I am attempting to get my desk organized. I might need a backhoe for that job! Just kidding, I have seen worse, I promise...somewhere I know I've seen one.

Golf Towel - Oldie but Goodie

Golf Towel

I cross stitched this golf towel for my DH in 1989. It's from the magazine, Cross Quick (Aug./Sept. 89 issue). After examining how another golf towel was made, I adapted this one by folding down a corner and adding a grommet. The "hook" is a metal shower curtain ring which hooks onto the golf bag.

Lately, I have come across a few quilting blogs that are interesting:

Hip to Piece Squares: A modern gal's view on quilting and fabric.

Anlabyhouse: A crazy quilter in Australia

Chloe's Place: The musings of a crazy patchworker, as she contemplates (and sometimes even approaches a pile of UFOs.

I have made a little more progress on Fish Medley, but not enough to post a pic yet.

Earl of Sandwich

DH and I went to lunch at Huffman's Deli today. They have live music on Friday and Saturday nights. We got some information from the president, Earl (Earl of Sandwich) Huffman. Maybe the Dani band will play there in the future. We'll see. The deli has a great menu, so we'll definitely eat there again. They even serve breakfast!

Stitching Update on Fish Medley

Moorish Beginnings

I finally had enough progress on the Moorish Idol angel fish to post an update. My DS/8 is excited that I'm on the 3rd fish in Fish Medley. I hope to cross stitch over the weekend. I am still sorting through all my stitching magazines and books. I hope to weed out all the ones that don't have designs I'll ever stitch in them. My tastes have changed over the years, so it's a little easier to get rid of the excess. (Not to mention, it makes way for new stash !)

Glass House 383

Last night, my DH and I met some friends downtown to hear a jazz trio, BBN (Bepop Broadcasting Network), at a Gallery & Bistro called Glasshouse 383. The drummer , Dave Kropf, is also the drummer for my DH's band, Dani. It's Memphis' first contemporary studio glass gallery and bistro featuring museum quality works by glass artists across the country. It was a relaxed atmosphere and the menu featured Italian grilled Panini sandwiches. We had the "Tuscany" sandwich with potato salad. To top it off, we shared a slice of Triple Chocolate Cheesecake. Ummm....yummy!

The gallery has beautiful glass-blown sculptures, perfume bottles, vases, and paperweights, among other items. It's a spectacular sight to see all that glass-blown art in one place. It is like having color overload, if there is such a thing!

One item that was actually affordable was a heart-shaped glass paperweight. There was a collection of them in all sorts of colors and patterns in a basket. Seeing the basket of hearts was like being in a needlework shop and looking at a pile of specialty threads in all your favorite colors. Awesome to behold. How do you pick just one? The small hearts were $25. Hint to DH. Valentine's Day is around the corner! This item isn't on Glasshouse 383's website, nor is another item that would make a great Valentine's gift. It was a clear glass-blown candy kiss.

Glasshouse 383 is located at 383 S. Main Street in Memphis and is on a trolley line. After the first set, DH and I headed home (he had to work today), but our friends hopped on the trolley and rode to Beale Street to hear some more live music. It was a fun evening.

If you ever visit Memphis, you must stop in and check it out.

Cathedral Windows WIP

Cathedral Windows WIP

This is the quilt I mentioned earlier that my MIL had started for my DH. She passed away this past December. She pre-cut all the pieces, so I don't have to hunt for vintage fabrics to complete it. It is completely hand-stitched. I will try to mimic the piecing method and sewing technique as close as possible. I know it will be a treasure to my DH when I complete it.

I have returned to Fish Medley to stitch the Moorish Idol fish. This chart is from the book, The Ocean, by Cross My Heart. This is a large cross stitch project, but it's relatively easy. My DS/8 is keeping me on task with it, since his I-Spy quilt is complete. I am considering starting a rotation, instead of stitching one project at a time. I just need to find time to gather all the current WIPs and get organized. I've visited the Rotation Board which has great information. I love visiting the bulletin boards. They are such a great resource.

New stash purchase: Noah's Sub
I paid less than $3.00 for this chart at Hobby Lobby. I won't be starting it right away, but my DS/8 has already seen it and is putting the pressure on. I found a stitching guide for Noah's Sub that I plan to refer to when I start it. I understand the chart has a few errors and this guide has quite a few tips and corrections.

This past Saturday, my DH performed at Isaac Hayes in Memphis with the group, Dani. It was a great time and the place was packed. You can read more about the night here...