Merry Christmas!

From the Davis and Dykstra family. (Paul is stranded on the plaines of Nebraska)

stretched stars

I used the idea from Kathie's Plaid kits to make my own version of stretched stars for my dear friend and neighbor. Sharon and I are both thrift shoppers for plaid shirts and give each other a sleeve from every shirt we buy.
I cut the greens 4 1/2 inch square and the reds 2 1/2 inches.
Also, when you are not paying attention, the stars go different ways. So, a second little quilt will come soon from the backwards stars.

let us get back to quilting!

Today is my last day with students, the paperwork is nearly complete, the anxiety of the next classes is several weeks away, hospice work is manageable--time to return to quilting--and quilt blogging!
I have managed a bit of sewing now and then, have been working on crumb blocks for this piece that is growing nicely.

I have this quilt for my sister Beth--I intended to give it to her two years ago, got the machine binding and most of the handwork done last year, and have about 1/2 hour of hand sewing left on it. It has been in use on the couches for the past year, the kids have used it with pins in it, they are very careful around quilts. I love that Hoffman peacock feather fabric in the border. It had been on my shelves for at least a decade. There was about 6 inches of it left over after using it in this wide border.

city life

Things that a farm girl transported to the city takes delight in:
--the el and buses--you step out of your door and the city is at your footsteps; for 2 bucks, you can go anywhere!
--multi story stores--I love the Dominicks and Targets and Home Depots that are on two or more floors; you take an escalator and your cart takes it along side you, racing to see if it gets there before you. As a child we loved going to Yonkers in Sioux Falls because they had escalators--the store people must have hated us farm kids who could have spent the whole day on those things.
--being in the flight path of the President--our house in in the flight path of the secret service helicopters, and when the president or vice president or president elect is going somewhere, we get strafed.
--alleys--wonderful part of Chicago is the number of alleys, secondary thoroughfares where so much happens. When I was pregnant with Seth and trying to take a nap, I told Paul he could not bring neighbor kids into the house so I could have quiet. I awoke to a house full of Polish speaking kids--I scolded Paul, "I said no neighbor kids" and he replied, "they aren't neighbor kids, they are alley kids". Apparently, in his mind, neighbors were just kids who lived on our street, those who lived across the alley were fair game. Alleys are also great for dumpster diving and for putting out things you hope someone will take off your hands. I love the metal scavenger trucks that are piled with all sorts of discards of our lives.