Featured on ContendedCat! (Branson, MO)

I am having a great week!  First, the temperatures dropped this week.  Cool breezes are coming through open windows and no air conditioning making noise all night long.  I can actually hear the birds singing outside.  This is quilting weather!  Okay, you got me.  It is always quilting weather for me.

The second is even better than the cool temperatures. One of my quilts - Baby's Choice- has been featured on ContendedCat's blog.  Check out the gorgeous cat on her banner.  JadeRose also has some wonderful crochet  patterns.  Thank you JadeRose for featuring my quilt!

We decided to stick around Branson a little longer.  Oklahoma is having problems with wild fires and a lot of smoke.  I'm quite happy to stay here and get more work done on my quilts.  Speaking of quilts...

I could not leave the Kokopeli alone.  I added some dancing dots.  I don't know what else to call them.

Using a larger circle

quick running stitch - gather around smaller circle

ready to iron, pull out circle

pull out circle- perfect little dots

Treasury Tuesday

Memories of the New Mexico State Fair.  I miss the exhibits, the food, the music, the animals, and even the carnival!

Labor Day Treasury (Branson, MO)

I hope everyone is enjoying Labor Day weekend.  You deserve it!  Working hard all week and some will be working this weekend, but we all have one thing in common: we work hard for our money.   For those trying to find employment, I wish you all the best.  Job hunting has become a job in itself and there is a lot of competition out there.

This is a tribute to all.  I'm just sorry I could not include more.

Have a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend!

Hard Work U (Branson, MO)

Keeter Center

in the floor

Here’s an interesting concept: what if a student did not have to pay tuition for a college education? Instead of paying tuition, how about the student works for the college?  Odd concept?  But it does work at the College of the Ozarks (Cofo) near Branson, MO, also known as the Hard Work U.

From CofO’s mission statement:  The mission of this unique institution focuses on providing a Christian education to those who are found worthy, but who are without sufficient means to obtain such training.

The college is small (less than 2000 students), but it offers their students a wide variety of academic classes from Accounting to Unified Science – chemistry endorsement.  According to HubPages, there are only 9 tuition-free colleges/universities, but the majority are geared towards a specific education like music or engineering.

Inside Keeter Center

CofO also encourages outside visitors.  After reading great reviews from TripAdvisor, we decided to visit and eat lunch.  There are no charges for visiting the campus.  The Keeter Center is a lodge with decorative rooms to rent, a dining room, and a conference center.  The lodge’s design reflects a Maine Lodge that was on display in the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904.  The rustic place is HUGE with massive logs, polished wood floors, and high ceilings.  The dining room’s ceiling had decorative copper tiles and all the furniture has a  handmade look.  French doors open onto a back balcony overlooking the campus.

 For luch we ordered the smoked Tomato soup, Pork Quesadillas, and grilled Reuben sandwich.  The food was tasty and reasonably priced.  They also have a bakery with a delicious looking display as you enter the dining room.

The campus was so peaceful with most students walking to classes and cows lying quietly in the fields. Yep, you read right – cows. 

View from the Keeter Center's back patio

They have a functioning farm on campus along with a working mill, and a fruit cake kitchen (you can watch them make fruitcake).  We did not visit all areas of campus, just a few, but we were very impressed with the campus and the students.

There are more photos in our album Hard Work U

Edwards Mill

Wordless Wednesday

Keeter Center

College of the Ozarks (Hard Work U)

Playful Kitten Quilt and No Kill Animal Shelter

I have good news and I have very good news!  First the good news:  I received my second order yesterday!  Yep, I sold my cat quilt "Playful Kitten".  

Playful Kitten Quilt

Now for the very good news:  My quilt will be auctioned at a No Kill Animal Shelter Black Tails and Ties fund raiser!  May the bidders be very generous.  

WooHoo!  How exciting!  I have many passions and the two largest ones are my quilts and my cats.  To tell you the truth, I like just about every kind of living creature. Well, okay, I'm not too fond of snakes, spiders or similar critters that people keep as pets.  I do feel they should all be given a chance to live a happy life.  I don't know about you, but I cannot watch the commercials about animal cruelty.  I have to turn away and find a cat to hug because it is so upsetting to see what a human can do to a defenseless and trusting animal.

In the right column, I have a Paw that links to the Animal Rescue Site.  I just moved it up so more people will see it and click on it.  When you click, it takes you to the AR Site, click the button again to help feed the animals.  This does work.  I have double checked in Snopes.com.  It is true and you can check for yourself by clicking here. 

Thank You!

Hitch, Max, Squirrel, & Dusty

New Garden Quilt Top (Branson, MO)

Back in July, I picked out some fun summer fabrics that was inspired by picnic shelters on Camp Lejeune's beach.  I finally found a wonderful yet simple block that I thought was perfect for this fabric.  I know I'm a little backwards.  I should be thinking about Fall colors and themes, but I have to go with the idea at that moment (and the fabric kept calling to me)  okay, so I sound a little nuts.  What can I say?

You probably remember these two photos that I posted back in July.

Camp Lejeune's Seashells

Fun fabric

The colors in my Electric Quilt 6 (EQ6) almost matched the fabrics.  I could not find the deep blue, but the blue-green worked out just fine.

Quilt Block

Close up of blocks

Top 40 x 50

I got the appliqué patterns from The Complete Book of ART NOUVEAU DESIGNS.  A great collection from various artists.  I have been wanting to use the patterns in this book.

I think the hand-dyed Batiks will be perfect for this design.  I think Batiks are the best fabric for appliqué work.  It is the most forgiving fabric.  I can iron a crease into it, iron the crease back out, and it still looks good.  I can appliqué it, leave it, rip it back out days later, and still reshape it.

Below is the flower design and the Batiks.

Batiks and Appliqué pattern

 Below:  I'm not sure if I'll use both designs or all the different colors.  I might use just the one pattern on the right.

More Appliqué patterns and batiks.

Placing the designs on the top.  What do you think?

Maybe...hmmm

Freezer paper:  Traced. Cut. Ironed.  Now to trim, mark, and sew each piece on to the top.

Freezer Paper ironed on.  Ready to trim and mark.

Well, that's as far as I have got on this project. Stay tuned.  Oh, and I decided that I wasn't quite done with the Kokopeli quilt.  I'm adding just a little bit more to the top.