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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

The Art of Power

I just finished Thomas Jefferson, The Art of Power by Jon Meacham. I have read other books about Jefferson and I have read other books by Meacham. This one was interesting in that it addressed the political side of Jefferson and his ability to use political means to exert the power he needed to execute what he thought was best for the new nation that he had helped birth and create. The reader also hears his voice as Meacham used many of Jefferson's written words to tell his story.

He was against a strong federal government and yet he used his power to finalize the Louisiana Purchase. He hated direct confrontation but could get what he wanted with a cold shoulder and seeming apathy. He won friends and admirers with his personal conversation and thoughtful letters. He knew that slavery was an evil which threatened a new nation based on democracy for he wrote, "all men are created equal." However, he lacked the moral courage to change his personal lifestyle by freeing his slaves during his lifetime as did some fellow Virginians. The enormous debts he left behind at death necessitated that most of his slaves be sold on into further slavery.

As a nation, we owe much to Jefferson including what became our Manifest Destiny, a country spanning ocean to ocean. He worked hard to hold a tenuous 13 Colonies together as 13 States. He suffered migraines as he attempted to handle the stresses and strains of being the Third President of the United States of America. He was a Renaissance man whose talents and interests were many. I find him fascinating and I would love to visit Monticello again as well as see his retreat Poplar Forest which is 90 miles southwest of Monticello and currently being restored.

We found him in front of Scheels last weekend. Raymond was pretty impressed as he currently is with the presidents of the United States. He likes leaders.

I do feel that Mr. Jefferson wouldn't mind where Henry chose to pose. He doted on his grandchildren.

Mr. Lincoln sits on the other side of the entrance. He, too, loved children and he, too, used his political skills to hold together a nation.

New soccer balls courtesy of Grandpa Glen, also a fan of children, especially his grandchildren.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Charm square pot holder tutorial

I found these cookbooks for my daughter and DILs for Mother's Day gifts. They seemed to ask for a quilty kind of project as well. I had a stack of five inch squares of Lori Holt's Polka Dot Stitches packaged by Riley Blake and several fabrics from her other lines that I have picked up on sale, so I decided to make a quilted pot holder to go with the cookbook.

The first step was to pick four coordinating squares and sew two pairs together checking for darks and lights.

Each two sewn together squares is then cut crosswise into 2 1/2 inch strips.

Alternate the two strips

and sew together lengthwise.

Now cut 2 1/2 inches pieces off each side leaving a 4 1/2 inch four square block.

You will now have four 2 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch pieces and two 4 1/2 inch squares.

Now sew together two 2 1/2 inch inch pieces to form another 4 1/2 in square.

Arrange the four squares in a pleasing manner.

Sew together to make one side of the square pot holder.

In no time at all, you will have sewed together several. My stack of charms had 28 pieces so I eventually made seven pot holders.

Now cut 10 inch squares of Insul-Bright, one for each pot holder.

Also cut ten inch squares of left-over batting.

Also cut coordinating binding. You will need one WOF strip 2 1/2 inches wide. I had some of Lori's Sew Cherry line which has strips of different colors and patterns. I decided to use polka dots for the bindings.

Also cut ten inch squares of backing fabric. All these pieces will be bigger than your quilt block but it will make it easier to machine quilt and then trim to size.

Now make a sandwich of backing, Insul-Bright, batting, and then pieced top.

Machine quilt on the diagonal.

Cut off excess and square up corners.

It will look like this and be about 8 1/4 inches square.

Iron your binding strip folding it in half.

Sew binding with 1/4 inch seam around three corners and leaving about two inches at end.

Trim binding even with edge on last corner.

Hand stitch binding down by hand.

Decide how big you want your loop to be and trim binding.

Sew loop piece by machine leaving two inch space on pot holder unsewn.

Now tuck in end of loop and attach remaining binding by hand.

Viola!

Cute quilty pot holders with fun backs and bindings.

I rolled them up

and tied them with a ribbon to the cookbooks.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Favorite Utah Nursery

We spent a great Saturday with our grandsons. Grandpa Glen give them a little family history tour of Draper and then drove up the hill to his favorite Utah garden center, Cactus and Tropicals.

This miniature bonsai garden made me a bit excited about bonsai.

Don't you wish that you were a Borrower and could take ownership?

So charming!

The nursery overlooks the city of Draper and Relation Street where Glen's mother grew up.

Glen likes to visit here because of the great variety of plants. This is where he first found his chocolate flowers.

Henry found the cactus garden with "real' cactus nestled in below the metal saguaro.

Soon, there was need for a wagon.

Grandpa Glen had found the next great thing.

Dwarfy, bushy, thornless raspberry bushes which grow best in containers.

There was one ripe raspberry which we divided into fourths. SOLD!

Glen knew just the person who would enjoy these plants.

Off they go to Uncle Lowell's new deck. I managed to slip in a beautiful lavender colored clematis for Aunt Lynette. Happy house warming gifts to both of you!