Lets' Not Forget!

The silouette speaks for itself. Honor our soldiers in your heart today. Realize THEIR sacrifice for our freedom. Be responsible as a personal citizen here.
Even as our first Commander George Washington led his men in the bitter and cold winter for us, our men in uniform are led today and deserve our prayers and respect.
Our oldest son served in the Army for over 11 years before his medical discharge due to injury to his back obtained by jumping out of aircraft with heavy gear on his back and then rucking to his destination with this gear that actually did "break his back". He still serves us in the government in the NSA. These men, our interpreter's, that serve in this way are all but forgotten, but they are disciplined men that are dedicated to complete the task and still protect this country just the same.
My husband served years ago in a war that was declared "unwinable", coming home to rotten eggs and garbage at their feet by this same country. The present war may be running longer than we in America want, but we should not forget that they are there, day after day, serving. Most of them want to be there, even those that were killed in Baghdad in a roadside bomb this weekend.
I am sorry if I sound like I am griping; I am not. Concern just floods over me when I hear more news about the price of gas than the health and hope of our soldiers in harms way. They are winning the war, just as we could have years ago in the "unwinable" one!!
Don't loose heart, sweet American! Believe in the living document that they have taken an oath to serve; our Constitution.
My son is going to receive a quilt called Old Glory from us this year. Please make a quilt to honor a soldier or soldiers' family that you may know or connect to some sewing effort for the soldier.
I thank you ahead for your efforts!
God Bless You today!! and as always, Quilting Blessings!!! Kari

Writings

Do you remember when you were a kid and you had to write sentences for class? We would sit there with our palm of our hand to the side of our face, unless you had just broken your collar bone by falling off the monkey bars, then you just had to think hard, ready to write that great thought down! I would look around the room at the other kids, some would be writing, some just wanting the moment to pass! As you see, I am an observer. My soul seems to look inside the eyes of others as I get older more and more. Maybe the training as a nurse helps me look at the whole person. There are many hurting souls out there that I would love to help. I am totally hoping that my quilt shop in my cabin (to open soon) will be a source of encouragement and even instruction to those that pass into our home..I won't give you a writing assignment and I would never pry into your personal affairs but I would offer you a muffin or hot cup of coffee as we gather and explore the "writing" of quilts together! My love since "forever"!!! Have a blessed day! Let my know how I can help you get started or finish that UFO in your stash! Quilted Blessings!! Kari

Make up your mind~!

Have you heard that comment before? Make up your mind!...wow! lets' see....hummm..yes, I have! We can all make the list!
Today I worked on my Prairie Claws Quilt pattern using my now favorite tool idol-- square in a square..I cut the fabric out..got the piles going!...now tomorrow is the big day! sew it together!!
This evening I spent time studying on my Fons' and Porter site; if you join there, you can watch the archive instruction videos as many times as you want to..it is great! they even included me in a decision and survey on picking out the next cover for the issue of their magazine! I am excited to see which one will be picked by them of the three choices they gave; I will give you a hint on what I picked out..blue..

I have always been in love with history.
When I was a kid, I would hop on my older sister (Judys) 24 inch bike ( I could not sit on the seat at age 4 when I started riding it and I continued to stand for many years before I sat on the seat!). I would head to the library when I was old enough to go uptown by myself. I headed to my favorite fiction and history section of the all quiet atmosphere and carefully choose my book (most probably an Alcott selection) and then found a chair at a table..There I would sit and get into the book before heading back home..I came from a big family and it was nice to sit in a quiet place once in awhile!...anyways!
I tried to pass that love of history onto our own kids as they were growing up ,and I think we did a pretty good job of getting them all hooked! Now, I am middle age and so wanting to do a Dear Jane Quilt.
I had heard of her a couple years ago but have not been able to start up for one reason or another, but tonight when I was "mama surfing" the web before my video study with f&p I found the coolest blog in Australia and in her list of folks who have written her there was a gal that was working on a Dear Jane Quilt! I immediately added both of their blogs to my tumblr site and was inspired to hit the road with Jane!!!...why not?! we grew up with "go Jane go" didn't we?, in Dick and Sally books! haha
Ok! so a little crazy has hit I know!!(maybe it was the Italian cooking competition I also watched while viewing the first video)!
I am so thankful for the sunshine that was glistening across our pond (that the rain has made into a threatening lake)..... And I see it is promised for tomorrow. sunshine that is!..and then we have to pray for no rain and snow for the next day! Will the weather please make up its' mind!!!
Oh, by the way!!! HAPPY SPRING!!!!
Ok, so One day at a time!! yes, an old song, but a true one for sure!!.....Hope you are dry and safe wherever you may roam!
(pause)
So, I have made up my mind for tomorrow, have you?.... Just call me Jane.
Quilted Blessings!!! Kari

Are You Ready For Some Tulips?

We are trully ready for some "tulips"! Lori and I planted some at the shop near the goldfish pond in the fall, GW said they were poking up their "heads". I celebrate Spring this year!!! (notice vintage tulip pattern at the top) :)!

I know St. Pats' Day passed us yesterday! Here in Northern Indiana, since we live near the "Irish" we have been educated in the true Irish celebration....then the areas Polish celebrate by cooking great sausage and dishes that came with them from the "old world"..the mix in South Bend is interesting. I found as a Hospice Nurse a few years ago, a unique combo and very family related. Large and close knit groups, but different ways of living, in some ways, different sections in the Mishawaka area that is connected to South Bend.
I took care of an old Irish woman who had gangrene in her leg but would not "doctor" it...so we were in her home alot, even protecting her at times, her neighborhood that she had been brought to as a bride had fallen to discouraged living and abandoned homes...she had married a soldier from the WW2 period of time in Europe and then moved to his "home town"....another patient was a prof. from Notre Dame, living in two different areas of the community, but needs all the same; support, caring, and continuing care.
I hope that our quilting business also meets some of these needs found in each one of us...we do care, we support when we can ,and we do continue to carry on, even though we are in two separate vicinities at this time.
I will continue to offer photos I find online or videos for you to watch. If you would like to sell some of your work online, try etsy.com . It is a very interesting site for us "sewers"!!
Happy St. Pats' Day, even a day late...here it is a celebration of a length of time! Quilted Blessings! Kari

Have you seen any Dandelions?

Dandelions? hummmm....Have you seen any pop up yet? not here in the "just now warming up" north!! But Lori is offering that class in her home..don't forget!! She has 5 coming this week..get in touch with her if you want to take it in Lebanon area...I will do mine when we actually have some in the grass....we figure it is every Moms' sweetest bouquet!! "Let the sunshine in, let the sunshine in..."! I thought the tote idea would be a good match for the quilt!! You go girls!!!... Quilted Blessings! Kari

Inspired.......AGAIN!!!

You know some days you just wake up and know it is going to be a good day!! That is today!...I finished my day by watching a video on Jodi Barrows site, Squareinasquare.com...yes, I am going crazy with my new revolutionary tools!! Anyways, I got on Youtube, looking for some more interesting videos to post for you guys, and here comes a new one by Karen Mctavish! My first Quilting Idol!!!!..HEY!!! she is putting her "Whitework Quilting" book back into print for a short time!! Go to her designerquilts.com to pre-order this very limited edition..You will not be disappointed!!! Have a Sweet and Quilted Blessings Day!! Kari

Bless You!

Now..I am really not sure if anyone really read this blog but even if no one does these pictures just bless me!!..and I hope they will you!!
The well....reminds me of what Easter is soon to celebrate! the Eternal Living Water...the other one; purely delightful babies...this one is my youngest Grandbaby Cora last year, she and my other grandables give us eternal joy!!....
Delight! I love that word!! Kari

IT WORKS!

Hope I am not boring you with my square in a square! I am just "beyond" being full of excitement about it because is works!! NO MORE long strips of sewing pieces together and hoping they are straight enough to cut my next pieces from them..Of Course, you have to sew straight on these, but she just broke some rules I guess! Sharp points drove me away!! NO more! and flying geese!! Thank you JODI!!!!... Jodi is also making 12 more applications of the square in a square(sns), more diamond patterns...and the ideas she uses for the borders are just tremendous too!
My sis and friend Lori is busy working at the school. The snows drove my hubby home and now he has bursitis in his elbow! So, he is resting it! My son is recording a band here, they are such great kids!
Back to the topic"... Now! have I inspired you to actually go to the squareinasquare.com website and watch her video!! Maybe we can organize a retreat here at the cabin and teach it! Sounds like a plan to me!!
Oh, also! do try the stack of sticky notes taped onto your sewing machine at the 1/4 inch (scant) for guiding your chain sewing! It totally works....ok, so what does not work? Making a piece 1/2 inch wider than it is suppose to be! Sorry, got the wrong measurement in my head and never realized it until I had to try to fit it against a smaller already in place piece in the top1 so! yep! remeasured and resewn!
So, now! confession of a quilter!!! and Quilted Blessings to you!! Kari

Square!

When we were growing up it seemed sometimes we felt like a square peg in a round hole! But, today, after working with the square in a square method I am so happy to say the I finally do fit into a square!! haha! The method is great and it must open up endless possibiltys too!! I subscribe to blockcentral..and in that you get new news in quilting, blogs, show your quilts off and find links that they have fallen in love with..today I went to the Jenny Beyer page and looked into her free patterns...yes, excitement was the word..I began to show my husband all the square in a square areas of the blocks that just a few days ago I would have been thinking that I was not on that level yet! Well, I think the new technique just put my feet up a few rungs on the ladder! Inspired? Yes, I am! Have a great week! I am babysitting my pond, rain maybe later in the week...our son has a band recording here for 4 days, they love our accoustics in the cabin with the loft area above....so I am going to be in the basement working on quilt tops, longarming, doing embroidery work...and sneaking out to visit Mindy and Cora...If you are in the southern Ohio area, hope you have dug yourself out from the snows....I do feel your pain!!! Quilted Blessings!!! Kari

Forces!

What happens when two sister join "forces" such as we have!! Floods, Blizzards! in our backyards!! who would have thought!! I know we have been letting you know that we are changing our plans...there are so many reasons...Lori will be letting you know about the classes offered in her area if you signed into the guest book. I am planning retreats as you know! In the past couple days I have been "taking classes" in the technique developed by Jodi Barrows of northern Texas..it is awesome and I have actually been "reborn" in my piecing techniques!! You HAVE TO VISIT HER SITE!!!! at squareinasqaure.com....PLEASE!!..do yourself a favor today!! I can't wait to get my pjs on and get started using the tools and patterns...I wonder too who is snoring louder..Gary K after driving 4 hours to get home from Dublin, Ohio or Gary F after working 12 hours in Xenia Er and then driving home to northern Indiana, driving out of the blizzard..route 42 was the last road to even be attempted to be cleaned off per his call to state patrol..so! he is amazing!!..and I am so glad he is on the couch now...snoring!!!..safe and sound!....and Gary K is also with his Lori!!
So, why the pictures of our "backyards"...well!! you know sisters!! my flood vs. her blizzard!...I am actually so glad the snow did not hit us..due to melting snow that we already have come this week and rain on Wed and Thurs....yep! got the shovel ready to hoist the sand onto the already placed sand bags if we need too!!!!
Hey! Never a dull moment in our lives!!! Life is a trip! we might as well "enjoy yourself" as the song goes and complete the journey set before us!!!
Nothing ventured, nothing gained....as for our Quilt Shop! we gained all you as friends...and that will continue!!...be open to a quilt retreat! It will be created as time passes..just like our quilts!!!!!!!!
Life is just so grand!!! Quilted Blessings from Lori and Karis' Backyards!!!!
Where is that barbeque?

Changes

Not sure if many of our regular customers come to our blog or not but thought it might be a good place to catch a few of you..We are shutting down our shop..Gary and I will be finishing the remodel and putting it on the market. I am moving the fabric, etc back to our cabin in Indiana. We will be able to offer quilting retreats here by the summertime...we will try to keep you informed...if you want to let us have your email address please put it in the comments at the end of this note and I will put it in our file. It was great to get to know you and I hope we continue to see each other and I surely hope you will consider coming here for a relaxing time! We have alot to offer in the area of Northern Indiana, explore!! We are 2 hours from Chicago and an hour from Lake Michigan (which is gorgeous!)...also there is the Amish near by and Shipshewana 45 minutes to the NE. Along the way there is Amish Acres in Nappannee which offers the Round Barn Theater too. Of course there is Holland Michigan full of tulips in the Spring and St.Joeseph, Mi. offers many festivals too. I must not forget the Irish! You know I am a Buckeye at heart! But Notre Dame is a beautiful campus! In the fall we have the Blueberry Festival in Plymouth that draws 500000 over Labor Day, so consider coming sometime...set up a time for your guild or group of friends, we would love to have you visit us. Old Glory here in Indiana will be online with fabric in the future also, so I can send you what you may want and did not get while we were in Lebanon. Lori is planning to continue teaching some quilting in her home..I am going to begin to bring the fabric back to the cabin this coming week, so we can get it online and I can really start to make and sell quilts. Also, just so you know, when you do come for a retreat or overnighter, I am offering my longarm for you to rent for a small fee after you have been trained in its' use...so that should be alot of fun too! We just wanted to let you know what was going on if you stopped by and did not see us open. I was so happy to meet you all! We are not done! We are just changing the course abit! Please leave me a comment anytime if you need anything or have a concern...I am at ksflick@gmail.com also ... my cell is 5747804562 Lori will be sending out a note to you soon letting you know what she has planned! God Bless and Quilted Blessings! and really don't forget to check out squareinasquare.com!! Kari

It is Never NO Never Too Late to Learn!

I am home again this week babysitting my cabin...we are to get 4 more inches of snow..I am ready with instructions from my GW that if it would rain and start getting closer to the sandbags, I am to shovel sand onto the bags and call him home! and of course, call Kev to help! We are to get straight rain next week for 3 days, so I think I will be shoveling by then..God is in Control!!
I am determining what quilts I want to do next and so I was in "class" alot today! I just finished the "flickering stars" quilt on the longarm! yea!
Yesterday, I found a site that will totally change my quilting/piecing life! and it could yours too!!! It is called squareinasquare.com Where have I been?..I hope it works as well as she made it look on the video..Jodi Barrows from Northern Texas...We salute You!!..take a look at her site and see what you think! I am amazed really! can you tell? You know my mama said there would be days like this, my mama said (old song) sorry, it is a secret but I think in song lyrics alot!! and humm!! and if I didn't have my braces on I would whistle alot...I was told by another nurse in a hospital that I had just started at..."OH NO!!! You are one of those humming, whistling nurses..yikes!" haha yep!
Life is a trip! You never know what challenge is ahead for you but you must look for the silver linings in every difficulty and see it as an opportunity to "shine"! God Bless You all! Continuing Quilted Blessings! Kari

You Gotta Love It!

Hope you enjoy the techniques! Get a cup of coffee, a brownie and enjoy!! Quilted Blessings!!! Kari

Can you smell Spring in the Air?

Spring brings change!! This year we will be so glad!! I am still struggling here in Northern Indiana with water water everywhere!! The water is just 2 feet from the back door. We were permitted to miss the last big storm, but the snow is flying tonight. I will be staying home this week to watch the water "fall" I hope and not "rise". Gary will be at work and not able to really work on the building on Sycamore Street too much. We are planning to get busy on the upstairs next week, if the water permits us to go!
God is in control. We believe that. We don't understand His timing in our lives at times....God is directing us to make a change at the shop in Lebanon, please keep checking back for updates and information. Lori will be setting up her lessons for you in that area and I will be doing the same here in Indiana..I am hoping to be able to invite you all to my cabin in the early summer for our first retreat.we are also busy finishing the bedroom and bath area that we had left to do....Also, we will be offering our fabric online soon also; that will take some time to set up but we continue to be diligent here to get it all going for you!
It has been a sheer delight in my life to meet you all and make new friends..I hope we continue to be friends, even if the "avenue of friendship" takes a little twist in the road. Lori will be picking up hours of work in the school system soon also...leave a note on our emails if you have any questions.
Keep quilting!!!! and Blessed may it be for you!!! Kari

Changes

Thank you if you came in to the shoppe during the Quilt Show at the Historical Society this past weekend in Lebanon. We enjoyed meeting you! Hope you come again. I hope you enjoyed Kathleen Smiths' Trunk Show also. Please visit her website to enjoy more of her work at texrepro.com. She would love to hear from you I am sure. Be sure to be checking back to the website we offer at oldgloryquilting.com We are going to be making big changes and offering fabric online also. Also, I will be offering quilting retreats at my cabin in Northern Indiana. We need to get a few more things completed here before that can happen, but if you are interested in even coming to stay here while your guild explores the area close by, you are welcome to contact me at ksflick@gmail.com...there is an Amish area close by, a Farmers Market near Elkhart, and the Shipshewana area is also not too far, plus, hey, we are on the way to Chicago too. So, give it some thought and let us know what your needs are and we will see what we can do here too! Quilted Blessings!! Kari