My favorite quilt

I have a section in my right side bar here at Minou's Minute where I show my favorite quilt each month. Sometimes it is a quilt of my own making, but usually it is a beautiful creation I have seen at a show or on the internet. My quilt chapter meeting last month was a group show n' tell where each lady showed/told about her favorite quilt. Judy at Patchwork Times has a post about her favorite quilt (go over and read the story-it's quite nice)

So, following Judy's advice, here is my favorite quilt! It is a Dresden plate, begun by my Grandmother Ruby back in the 1950's here in Utah. A couple of the plates were pieced, plus some were just cut out when she passed on in the late 1980's. My mom inherited the UFO and passed it onto me a few years later. Mom would quilt a baby blanket or help out with a charity quilting bee at Church occasionally, but quilting was not her thing....she created beautiful clothing! I finished the piecing and a friend, Keri H., helped me handquilt it for my mom's 75th birthday. She hung the quilt in the stairway leading down to the basement of their Utah home. When mom passed on a few years ago, dad downsized to a smaller condo, and gave me the quilt. It's the only thing I own that I hand quilted myself...everything else hand quilted were gifts.

I like having this multi-generational creation in my home. It reminds me alot of my Grandmother in the 1940-1950's colors.

In Closing: Do you have a favorite quilt? Maybe something you made or purchased that brings back really good memories....Share, please!

Snow & Days 3-5 of 12 days of Christmas

Have you ever dreamed of having a white Christmas....well, we've got one. Schools are shutting down early, folks are slip-sliding away off the roads, and I am staying snug as a bug in my studio for as long as I can. I share with you a photo of a cabin up by Snowbird resort. Continuing with the 12 Days of Christmas project from our daughter....

Day 3 card:

On the 3rd day of Christmas my cute grandson brought to me...

I did get French hens,

but since I'm learning to eat, hungry I got.

Mom ended up cooking them in a great big pot.

So how about 5 highlighters pens, instead of hens?

Love T

We use highlighters all the time, especially my Hubby the teacher. They will be well used!

Day 4 card:

On the 4th day of Christmas my cute grandson brought to me...

Four calling birds, what is with that?

I am much more handsome the way I have sat.

Replace the picture through the years.

It will be a great keepsake, it will one day bring happy tears

Love T

They gave us a beautiful black frame with a picture of T in his handsome tux suit. Also with the frame was another photo of me with both my beautiful daughters...I have some pretty cute kids!

Day 5 card:

On the 5th day of Christmas, my cute grandson brought to me...

Five golden rings-don't you think that is rather extreme?

We love you dearly, but that much money is a dream!

Family is golden and they are your lifesavers whether you're young or old.

So lifesavers are better than rings!

(Well, I got out of that one! I'm getting good at this thing!)

Love T

You guessed it...a box filled with lifesaver candies....yummy!

Looking forward to tonight's gift!

Don't think I forgot my giveaway coming up with the big 100 post!

Suzanne needs...

I am following my daughter E and two nieces on this post. Google your name with the word "needs" and list the top 10 posts that come up. So...

Suzanne needs:

her own IPOD-sounds good to me
to get dressed-Baby T doesn't mind my sweats
a shower-hhhmmm, is someone trying to tell me something?
our help & support-well, yeah!
a home-I think this post was more about pet adoption
to write-I am....on this blog!
some tupperware-no thanks, did that in the 1980's
a history lesson-I love history
a coach-yeah, I could probably use one of those too
plastic surgery-no more scared of needles than vain

Try this yourself...it's kind of funny!

Also, this is post 95 for me...closing in on the big 100! I have a plan for a giveaway....check back for info in the next week!

12 Days of Christmas

My daughter E and her family are doing the 12 Days of Christmas for Hubby and I for our Christmas. Starting yesterday, we get to open one gift each day. She has been super creative in the notes that are with each gift, though the cards are from our grandson, T.

The introductory card yesterday said:

"The 12 Days of Christmas"

The 12 days of Christmas is the song that we sing and in this sack 12 presents we bring.

December the 14th is when you may start.

Unwrap one present a day with love from our heart!

Having you as grandparents is a dream come true.

This is our way of wishing Merry Christmas to you

Love B, E & T

The note on the first card:

On the first day of Christmas my cute grandson brought to me...

A partridge in a pear tree-how boring!

Kind of reminds me of grandpa snoring.

An ornament instead will add beauty to your tree,

and commemorate the past year(well, since March) with thee.

Love T

The ornament is of Joseph and Mary gazing down at baby Jesus, with the words "Love was born" written on Jesus quilt. I decorate our tree with manger type ornaments each year, so I will be able to look at it each year and remember when we added T to our family

Tonight's card:

On the second day of Christmas my cute grandson brought to me....

Two turtle doves are very rare

and nowhere could I find a pair.

But Costco had a gift membership for two,

and I thought you could start January grocery shopping anew!

Love TIsn't she creative!

Blast from the past 1964

I love family history in it's many forms....records and stories and especially, photos. I have a brother M who is the center of our family when it comes to keeping our history alive. He sent me this 1964 photo of me (age 2) with my Siamese kitty named Wendy. I don't remember ever seeing this photo, so it is especially nice to have a copy of it. It was taken at our house in Rossmoor, California-near to Disneyland.

Photos can bring back so many nice memories for me!

I grew up with cats in the house all my life, and they have usually

been Siamese cats too, like Wendy.

As an adult, I have a Siamese cat named Minou,

whose name inspired this blog title.

I look at this photo and see the fence and yard my parents put in that house.

I've carried on their love of gardening from a childhood of yardwork.

I always felt safe and wanted in that house!

Thank you, sweet brother!

Girls only adventure day...shopping, art and food!

I decided I needed a "girls only" day, so V and her friend D and I headed south to Salt Lake for the day. Some many fun things to do....so little time....and money! We went to Gardner Village, which is a group of relocated older homes turned into a little shops. Of course, one of the first stops was the needlework/quilting/fabric store called Pine Needles. I only spent about $8 on a quilt pattern. I could have done alot more damage to my budget, but was a good girl! The pattern has to be ordered and then they will mail it to me. It's a simple pieced/applique sampler wallhanging. Three of the blocks are made of solid fabric with buttons attached to the top of each block. You make 3 monthly or seasonal blocks to attach to the buttons so it can be changed regularly. They have alot more shops then when I was there 10-12 years ago. We also enjoyed the knitting shop, doll shop, jewelry shop and Sweet Aftons Candy store....good fudge!

The village is all decorated for Christmas. I also purchased a small tree made out of grapevines to go on the shelf in my kitchen. Gardner Village is built around a old flour mill, that has been turned into a restaurant.

Gardners was extremely crowded to find somewhere to eat, so we drove north/eastern towards downtown Salt Lake and parked just off of Main street. We went to Lamb's restaurant, which V and D had never been to before. It's a small place that does alot of business with the downtown bankers and workers. We ate way too much food and I still fit in a bowl of rice pudding for dessert!

We walked a block south and went to the Gallivan Center where it was advertised the city was having an authentic European Christmas Market, complete with artist and food vender's in wooden stalls. Ah...no! It was about 5 artists and a few food people in lean to buildings....waste of time!

On to Sam Weller Bookstore, my favorite bookstore in the World! Three floors of new and used books on nearly every subject you can imagine. I think I overwhelmed V and D with all the possibilities. V finally decided on just one book....D did not purchase anything. I couldn't limit myself to fewer than about 10 quilting/art/vintage sewing selections, so I practised some amazing restraint and didn't buy anything.

Finally, we went to the Finch Art Gallery in the Art Barn to see an exhibit. One of the artists was my teacher, Anne Munoz, from my fabric dyeing class last September. Her work is absolutely amazing! She had a quilt of the sun shining down that I could very easily see in the livingroom! The other artist was my cousin, Mark England, who is a landscape painter. He does the type of work where you need to observe the painting for a longer time, then you find out you still missed something.

Today was a wonderful day! Thanks V and D for going on my adventure!

In closing:You have a day all to yourself....what do you do? Share, Please!