New materials for two bucket bags and a very old quilt sample

Hello from another muggy day in PA. Have ticked off another project from my once extensive list - cleaning and staining our glider. Spouse bought it for me several years ago as a birthday gift. Love it and am going to move it to what we call the "Garden Deck". A lower deck with a great view of our back garden. At any rate I only have one outdoor project left and it is a biggy. Creating a mural in our basement stair well. Started on it - but weather has not cooperated and got stalled.

On to what this blog today is about - eldest daughter sent me a gift certificate to JoAnns and I purchased some true outdoor material to make a couple of beach bucket bags. Will get them done by next week. Putting them together will be fun, fun, fun.

Back in the 80's I took a quilt making class in Ft Worth, TX where we made a couple of sample blocks. I took the class to get my mother out of the house and hopefully interested in something besides herding me about (she was living with me at the time). It did not work for her but I fell in love with quilting. But, alas I had to work two jobs for awhile and sewing took a big back seat. Retired now and back into it. This sample is hand quilted - I use the machine for quilting now and love free motion quilting. There is something very soothing about hand quilting. A great connection to those before us that made some of the most beautiful quilts without all of the fancy gee gaws we have now. I am all for tools that make things easier, but never want to lose sight of how wonderful and creative those ladies were. Unfortunate that they made the quilts for daily use and fiber really is delicate in most cases so a good find of an old quilt is unique. I do not have the means to collect them and envy those that do. Now that I live in Amish country I have a big interest in their work with quilts.  Take a look at my first attempt at quilting. I believe this pattern is called Bear Claw. I had a very country decor in my house at the time.

May life treat you well,

Caroline