Great Granny would be proud

I must admit that I joined the Great Granny block craze this month.  Lori Holt posted a tutorial and I was intrigued.  I had just purchased from the clearance table at Broadbent's Circa 1934 by Moda fabric thinking I could use it for a back some day.  Then I saw the tutorial and while it was on my mind I happened across a stack of charm packs of Circa 1934.  My mind went click, click and I was soon on my way out the door of The Material Girls quilt shop in South Jordan with two of those charm packs.

I broke into the two charm packs planning which four fabrics to use for each round of 2 1/2 inch blocks and was soon slicing the 5 inch squares into fourths and merrily stitching away.

It wasn't until I had finished 12 blocks that I realized that while I had been careful with my piecing of very directional fabric, I would not be able to set my blocks into a quilt as Lori had done.

I was going to have to do something that I had never done before.  I was going to have to set them on point for all those letters and numbers to be going the same direction.

So I laid the pieced blocks all out and cut out a bunch of 12 1/2 inch squares from the background material to go in between and sewed them together in diagonal strips.

They are now all sewn together but I still have to figure out the corners. Is there a best way to set blocks on the diagonal that I should know about?  I really do love those floating blocks. All my great grannys; Sarah Rebecca, Lucy, Winnifred, and Laura would be so proud!

Serena

This is my second read of books by Ron Rash.  I find my self drawn to his beautiful prose style writing.  I love the setting of his books in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina because I so enjoyed my visit there.  I find his characters and historical connection interesting.  I am repelled by the violence and still I read. So you have been warned.

Serena by Ron Rash published in 2009 takes place in 1929 when lumber was mercilessly cut from the hardwood forests of the Smokey Mountains.  It is also a time of many coming forward to create National Forests in hopes of sparing the natural environment of these diverse trees.

Enter Serena, newly married to a lumbering man, George Pemberton, who is in partnership with others who are clear cutting the forest.  She is ambitious, calculating, beautiful, controlling, and prepared to do anything to get what she wants.

Have you wondered where Jennifer Lawrence went after starring as Katniss in Hunger Games?  She plays Serena currently in production in the Czech Republic which is a stand in for the Smokies. Bradley Cooper plays George.  My guess is that it will definitely be an "R" what with the violence and all.  Interestingly, Angelina Jolie was set to be Serena until the film went to another director.  Jennifer should be great with her wilderness skills as Katniss.  Serena trains an eagle and then goes snake hunting!

Church with the boys

Yesterday we enjoyed a bit of boy time.  Grandpa Glen captured these pictures of the Ranes boys with his phone at church.  Long lashed Raymond.

And handsome as can be Henry.  They also came for Sunday dinner and some hang out together time.

Their mother and I had a fabulous time shopping online for the fabric for baby sister's nursery.  We are all getting excited for her arrival in a couple of months.  In keeping with their tradition of old fashioned names, they have decided to name her Opal.  A week ago Raymond said, "Why are we naming our baby after a shape?"  They are not.  That's is Opal not Oval.  Happy Monday morning!

Missing my girls

These cute toes have been in California visiting with the other grandparents.

Isn't she precious?

She is also funny and very sweet.  In a few days she will be 2 - oh my, a baby no more!

Her oldest sister will also have a birthday this week.  Her name is Ruby so I've been making her a quilt from the Ruby fabric line by Moda.  There were enough left overs to make littlest sister a quilt top, too.

There were also enough scraps to make three doll quilts, one for middle sister, Sadie, as well.

They were with me a couple of days while their mother was a leader at Girls Camp.

I managed to machine quilt and bind their doll quilts by our final day together.

How did I find the time with three very cute girls in the house you might ask? There was some quiet time during Mae's naps.  I show you all these pictures so that you can see all the expressions of my cute girls.

Oscar does Thanksgiving Point

A couple of Saturdays ago, Oscar's parents had a wedding to attend at the Draper Temple so we met them at Thanksgiving Point Gardens where the great "Oscar handover" took place.  It was quite delightful to have a bit of one-on-one time with the little guy.

He was in luck for the roses were in full bloom just in time for the Rose Festival.

We soon had him saying "roses?"

One of Oscar's charms is the way he likes to cross his legs.  This is just one of his poses.

Grandpa, can you tickle my feet.

The roses were many, multicolored, and some even smelled good.

Rest time is over Grandpa and now it's my turn to drive.

Come on grandma! We are going to feed the fish!

That is a lot of fish.

I think they are hungry.

Here, fishy!

Looking across the pond.  Now that is a lot of greens!

Oscar's feeding strategy included lining up the fish food pellets.

Dropping them over the railing.

And telling them it was "yum, yum."

Next stop the Secret Garden and its splash fountain.

That's nice but can you touch it?

Of course!

Let me show you how.

Stop it up, then let it go. Weee!

My turn!

So high!

More?

This is fun!

Now I've tried all four spouts.  I like this fountain.

Ready to exit the Secret Garden.

On to the sculpture garden about Jesus.

What's this one about, Grandpa?

This one is about Joseph Smith. . .

and how he was visited by Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Now I want to do some hard walking.

I'll try this rocky perimeter.

Did I make it pretty far Grandpa?

Thanks for taking me on a walk to the BIG Water before taking me to the temple to meet my parents.  I liked this place!

Now that I have mistakenly purchased more memory than I can use, I feel less inclined to edit out pictures!

Another series coming from BBC

I  just finished this memoir, The Midwife, by Jennifer Worth who was a midwife during the 1950's in London's East End. It was an engaging read and I enjoyed it immensely.  Any woman who has ever given birth and really anyone else will find the midwife's work interesting and informative.  But most of all, I enjoyed the story of the personal growth of a young woman has she stretches and gains skills in her service as a midwife while coming to understand and strengthen herself.  Loved it!

It pays to read one's emails from PBS for that is where I learned about a new BBC series entitled Call the Midwife which is based on Jennifer Worth's book.  It is also when I became aware of the book as well and then found it at the library.  The series is slated to begin broadcasting in the United States this Fall on PBS stations. I can't wait!