Hand Work

The Battle of the Appliance Installation is over. Everyone survived - except the old 1970s gold dishwasher. It is in bits and waiting for the recycler. It leaked, that's bad. The new dishwasher is very, very quiet, shhh.

John had time to work on his World Quilt Federation Smackdown quilt - all the machine piecing is done and there was a little hand piecing in the center. We'll get a picture up soon.

The reunion is fast approaching. Yesterday, we planned menus. Food, a high priority, right?

Brooke

A Texan Visits

We got cleaned up enough to have company and who would be more fun that Libby Lehman! Libby was teaching at the Bernina store in Billings Friday and Saturday and came up for dinner and stayed Saturday night. We had time for a quick drive up the Beartooth Highway to "Vista Point" which is about 10,000' and shows off a pretty extreme drop down into the Rock Creek Valley. It was a little chilly up there - one tourist, who was in shorts, asked me if she should just wait around until the snow fell and ski down.

Countdown is now in progress for John's family reunion, weekend after next. Things are pretty clean and fluffed etc. But the new dishwasher, which I am pretty sure we are going to need, is too tall for it's hole. John will fix it, one way or the other.

Stay tuned for an update from John on the World Federation Quilt Smackdown, or whatever it is called.

Brooke

Okay, That's Done...

Oh my gosh, the tile project is done! John laid the partial tiles around the edges on Friday and Saturday. Our son, Bridger, cut all the partial tiles on our new and trusty, noisy tile saw. John's sisters, Joan and Peggy, came up and helped us grout on Sunday and then I sealed the grout on Monday.

There was a slight interlude while we waited for the plumber to come fix the pipe John broke when he tried to reset the toilet by himself. A big flood of water hit the new tile when that happened!

So, the refrigerator is out of the living room, the washer and dryer are out of my bedroom, the toilet is out of the bathtub. The dining room table is still on the front porch, waiting to be reassembled with padded feet to protect the new tile.

We are sort of done with home improvement for a while. Quilting is better; you don't have to crawl around with kneepads or carry dozens of buckets of water in and out when you quilt!

Brooke

Smackdown Continued

Here is the start of what John calls the Best ever, Best money making, Best World Quilt Federation Smackdown quilt for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative fundraiser. That is a long tongue tier! The little quilt is 17" across right now.

Details on how you can bid on the quilts Hollis, John, Becky and Sue are working on will come from Ami Simms from the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.

Hope you are staying cool, wherever you are!

Brooke

Progress Report

We had help with the tiling project his weekend. Our son spent the day cutting tile for the narrow places along the edges. John finished taking up the old vinyl tile and linoleum and has all but about 6 of the full size tile laid. We are hopping here and there to miss the freshly laid tiles, quite amusing.

The refrigerator is in the living room. The dining room table is on the front porch. The washer and dryer are in my bedroom. The toilet is in the bathtub. I will be glad to have everything done and all the appliances back in their traditional locations.

The camera memory card seems to have given out on me so no photos this time, maybe later this week.

John took some time out from marathon tiling to work on his project for "the World Federation Quilt Smackdown", a fundraiser for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative. So, if you think you have seen a little Feathered Sun, wait until you see this. I'm not kidding, it is little. I will try to get a picture with the other camera this week.

John says "It is fabulous, Everybody ought to just give up. Surrender!" Do Hollis, Becky or Sue have anything to say to that??

Brooke

The Great American Quilters' Smackdown

At least that's what I think John is calling it. John, Hollis Chatelain, Becky Goldsmith and Sue Nickels have a challenge going. The purpose is to raise funds for the Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative and the challenge is to see whose small quilt will be auctioned for the highest dollar amount.

Becky Goldsmith is almost done! You can see her project on her blog; scroll down to 7/20 and 7/21. John is working on his design and I don't know what Hollis and Sue are doing but know it will be spectacular.

Who will win?

Alzheimer's disease is a thief. I shudder when I hear the ad that says "Alzheimer's isn't waiting". I know that is true from my mother's experience.

Stay tuned for more from John about his design. He keeps saying "they are going down". I think that is pro wrestling talk.

Brooke

New Growth

Here is an update on the square foot garden. The onions are doing great; I am not sure how long until the tops die down and we can harvest, but 3 weeks or so seems likely. We have been watering them with the hose, and leaving the nifty terra cotta/wine bottle watering system for the days when we can't get there to water. (I don't think the wine bottle is doing much.) If John has time to make a protective screen cover, we will try to replant with spinach after the onions are gone.

John is in California teaching at the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach. He says the Convention Center is beautiful but he has not had a chance to look at the quilt exhibits. Two more classes and then off (from teaching, anyway) for all of August.

The "Tile Project" still awaits him. and the family reunion will be at our house the end of August. So there will be lots to do.

Brooke