More house quilts #2

"This is the Life #1", 24"w x 22"h. I've made a whole series of "This is the Life" quilts, just using different colors. I teach a workshop where people learn to make the house and the borders using a curved piecing technique.


"Over the Hill", 15"w x 12"h. I made this highly embellished piece in a workshop taught by Susan Shie. I've always enjoyed her quilts.


"Good Neighbors #2", 16" x 24". This is a class sample for one of my quilting workshops. The pattern for these three houses was taken from the border of my quilt "Make an Appointment". In this workshop I teach the students to draw their own whimsical cartoony houses, and make them in fusible applique. People think they can't draw, but when given permission to draw in a childlike way, they really have fun.

Tara's 17th Birthday

Our beautiful daughter Tara is 17 today. Here is her photo when she was six. (Click on photos to make them bigger.)



This is her first formal, which she wore to the Rose Prom in 2006.



Here is a cute photo of her in August 2008.
We are so proud of her, and are so thankful we had one rose amongst all our thorns.

Cheaper than cheap

I just read "Places That Are Your Friend in a Recession" by Jeffrey Strain, and I had to say "DUH!" I was already doing everything he suggested. Here are the "places" where he said to go to save money.

Have a Garden: I've never done one before, but after reading about the current severe drought in California, it will be really wise to grow our own salad ingredients this year. I bought vermiculite and cow manure mulch Tuesday, and will be making a Square Foot Garden soon. Stay tuned for my progress on this.

Stay in your kitchen instead of going out to eat: I heard that someone on the Oprah show challenged the audience to only eat out once a month, and the whole audience groaned. I really never eat out, so this is not a change for me.

I am starting to try all different meals made exclusively from my food storage. Tuesday I made northern beans with TVP ham in it. I cooked it in the crockpot, Wayne didn't like the taste of the ham TVP but I liked it ok. I also made cornbread using powdered eggs and powdered milk, and it was great.

Local Library: I have read thousands of books over the years from the library. It is one of my favorite places. Why pay for books when you can get them for free?

I used to check out huge piles of books for my kids every week. In 2001 when the Cary library card system was changed, I asked them if there was a record of all the books I had checked out. From 1995-2001 I had checked out 4428 books. After that, they changed the system and didn't have it on record anymore.

Used-goods sellers: I love yard sales, I love Goodwill, I love to shop second-hand stores and thrift stores. It is like a treasure hunt.

The Internet: I am one of the reasons newspapers and magazines are going broke. I get all my news from the Internet.

Hobbies: Just let me sew all day and I won't have to pay for any other entertainment.

If I have been this cheap for years, and now I'm supposed to live cheaper, I don't even know where to start! I guess everyone else can save money switching to these things, but I'm already there.

A Near Tragedy in the Lake

Wayne and I went on a walk a week ago, after we got 6 inches of snow. We have a lake in our neighborhood, and there is a parkbench on a tall bank by the lake. I went over to it and brushed the snow off the bench, and suddenly I slipped on the steep snowcovered bank and started sliding down toward the water. (Above: You can see in the snow the place where I slid down.)

Miraculously I grabbed the park bench and stopped sliding. I was so shocked, I realized I almost fell into the icy cold water. I kept thinking of it the rest of the day, what would have happened? I guess it was shallow enough for me to have gotten right out, but I would have been so cold and wet and it was about a half mile to our house. Moral of the story- stay far away from the edge of the cliff. You never know when you will slip and fall.

Below: I took that photo from the other side of the lake. You can see the bench at the top of the bank. (click on photos to make them bigger.)

(P.S. Lyric had read my Chuck It List, and commented that I should be careful what I say I will never do, because it might happen. "Never go swimming again" is on the list. She was right, I almost went swimming.)

More house quilts #1

Anytime I can't think of what to put on a quilt, it is natural for me to put houses. Its about my favorite subject, I don't know why. Above: "Little Neighborhood", 17" w x 21"h. Below: "Frazzled", 17"w x 18"h.
Bottom photo: "Ragtag Houses", 17"w x 50"h.

"Make an Appointment" quilt

I have made many quilts over the years with houses on them. This is one of my most famous quilts. It is 81" high x 66" wide. I made it in 2001, and it has been published several times and won many awards. I made the houses using fusible applique with satin stitching around them.

It says, "If you want to see me, come over anytime. If you want to see my house, MAKE AN APPOINTMENT".

The Shape of a House

For some reason, the shape of a house (square with pointy triangle roof) is my very favorite shape of all. My friend Lyric puts a lot of circles on her art quilts, I tend to put houses on mine.
I collect little houses, and other things shaped like houses, like these printers trays(below) or these salt and pepper shakers (right).





I really like this "Old Woman in a Shoe" piggy bank, it was one of my first "house" purchases, I got it at an antique store.

You Tube "How Joseph Smith Wrote Book of Mormon"

Great video on YouTube "How Joseph Smith Wrote the Book of Mormon".

Bryce's Mission Photos #3

Bryce on his mission in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Here is photo of Bryce's companion and some other people. I noticed that there are at least 6 different tablecloths in this photo. And look at the top photo, there is a vintage Christmas tablecloth on top of the fridge. I keep noticing that in almost every photo he sends, there are some really fun vintage textiles that I wish I could use in some of my quilts. (Just cloth tablecloths, I wouldn't use the plastic ones of course.)

Bryce's Mission Photos #2

Here are Bryce's living quarters in the Oaxaca, Mexico mission. Pretty bare. Sorry the picture is sideways, I don't know how to turn it yet. (Click on photos to make them bigger).

Actually, these are the best living quarters he has ever had on his mission. He had one place that was just a shack.

Bryce's Mission photos #1

Bryce just sent us a CD of his photos from the past six months. He is on a mission in Oaxaca, Mexico and will come home July 27.

Right: Here is a street in Mexico.

Below: Its a tradition that when a missionary hits his one-year mark, he burns a shirt. Bryce is about to burn this one.



Right: No comment.

More Joy of Being Amy

(this is the second half of the talk I gave in Tara's Laurel class at church on Sunday.)
I was called to be the Public Affairs chairman for the Raleigh temple open house around July 1999, and I accepted the calling, but I went home discouraged because I had wanted to enter the Church International Art competition and the deadline was Nov. 1999. The temple open house was Dec. 1999, and I didn't think I could do both. I know the Lord helped me, because even though I was dreadfully busy doing the planning for the open house, it was like I had a timeturner from the Harry Potter books, because I miraculously finished my "Book of Mormon Stories" quilt in time for the competition, and the quilt was accepted into the museum. The Lord blessed me with what I wanted, because I was willing to do the work he called me to do.

We were blessed with money for our boys' missions. I was miraculously hired to do a large commission quilt for the A.J. Fletcher Opera Theater in 2001-2002, and it more than paid for Adam's mission, and it gave me joy to feel that I was a success at my quilting career

Because of the way the Lord has helped me in the past, I know that He would help me now to teach seminary and to continue my quilting business. I struggled with it for the first year I was teaching seminary, but by the second year I decided I just couldn't stand to do both.

So it is my own decision to take a sabbatical from teaching quilting, I just can't take the stress of the business plus prepare a seminary lesson every day. But I don't feel bad about it, because I know that the Lord didn't force me to quit my business, I know it was my own decision.

I know that the Lord wants us to have joy, and helps us with our joy. If it is important to us, the Lord will help us because He loves us. I know that the Lord helps us in our responsibilities and in our church callings.

The Joy of Being Amy

Yesterday Tara gave the lesson in her Laurel class, and she asked me to speak and tell about the Joy of Being a Woman. I spoke for 10 minutes. I said I would speak on the Joy of Being Amy, because I have had lots of joy in my life, and how do I know how much of it is because of being a woman, and how much of it is just because I have the personality I have.

I loved to sew from the time I was 12 years old, and I remember it was difficult when I was a young mother, because I felt like I had to get everything done before I could have fun and sew. Therefore, days went by without having any fun. I went to my brother Larry's graduation from BYU, and they told about the apostle Boyd K. Packer's hobby of carving beautiful bird statues. I realized then that even an apostle is allowed to find joy in an artistic hobby and I didn't have to feel guilty.

So from then on, I have tried to give myself a little "happy time" every day or at least several times a week. I have a testimony that the Lord wants us to have joy in life. I told the girls that they all need to find something that brings them joy and make time to fit it into their lives.

I have a testimony that the Lord will help us in our quest for joy. I was trying to make a 50th anniversary quilt for Wayne's parents in 1998 with family pictures on it. The photo transfers were not working, and time was running out to send the quilt to them by their anniversary. I prayed about the problem, and as clear as a newspaper headline, the answer appeared written in my brain "USE SATIN".

I was shocked and wondered how in the world would God know how to use that particular brand of photo transfer paper. I found satin, and ironed the photo on, and it peeled off perfectly. Every photo I did on satin is beautiful, and all the ones I had done using cotton look faded and rough, and in fact half of them didn't even transfer. So God knew it would work to use satin.

I never could have predicted that God would help me on something that probably wasn't important to Him, but He knew it was important to me.

Hill Cumorah 2003, 2005

We got accepted into the cast of the Hill Cumorah Pageant for our third time, and we are so excited! Here are photos of our family in our costumes from the last two times we have been in the pageant.


July 2003: Wayne, Amy, Seth, Bryce, Tara and Zac.



July 2005: Wayne, Amy, Bryce, Tara, and Zac.

And for July 2009, there will just be 4 of us. Bryce will come home from his mission a week after we come home.

Climbing

Our family climbed at Triangle Rock Club while Seth was home for Christmas break. (Click on photos to make them bigger.) Wayne came too, but somehow he isn't in any of the photos.


Isaac's family came and watched Isaac climb too.




Above, I only belay, I never climb.
Left, Tara is belaying Seth. Below, Zac is belaying Isaac.

Camping in the Swamp

Doesn't this look like a great place to be on Dec. 28? Wayne, Seth, and Zac all went with the scout troop to canoe and camp at Merchant's Mill Pond, which is connected to the Great Dismal Swamp. They had a great time.

I wouldn't be caught dead at a place like that. (Click on photo to make it bigger.)

"Hot Stuff" quilt

This is a "Crooked Log Cabin" quilt I made last year, called "Hot Stuff". It is 25" x 25", and is embellished with couched yarn. To couch, I use a free-motion foot, and zigzag using monofilament in the top and regular thread in the bobbin. You can click on the photos to make them bigger and see the stitching.

My Chuck It List

Things I never want to do.


Never go swimming again.
Never mow the lawn.
Never do a block-of-the-month or kit quilt.
Never attend a sales pitch in order to get a free vacation.
Never buy something from a telemarketer. Don't even talk to them.
Never wear uncomfortable shoes.
Never wear hose in the summer.
Never pass a stranded woman and child without helping them.
Never let a stranger come to church without greeting them.
Never be alone with someone without asking them the golden question.
Never eat peach or licorice flavored anything.
Never cook a turkey (Wayne always does it.)
Never own a pet.
Never have live plants in the house.
Never have so much food in the freezer that we'll lose a lot in an ice storm or hurricane
Never eat shellfish, crustaceans, or mullusks.
Never pierce my ears.
Never wait in long lines.
Never fight traffic close to a parade.
Never go camping again.
Never go to the bathroom on the ground again.
Never sleep under the stars.
Never hold a bug.
Never sing a solo.
Never bungee jump.
Never go skinny dipping.
Never run a marathon.
Never go sky diving.
Never break a bone.
Never get a tattoo.

My Bucket List

I thought of this list of Stuff I Want To Do Before I Die after I watched the movie The Bucket List, of course. (I liked that movie.)


See the Church's Granite storage vaults
Write my Life Story #2
Be in the audience of a TV show.
Attend Paducah, Kentucky AQS quilt show.
Go to Pigeon Forge car show with Wayne
Wear a Glinda the Good Witch dress in public.
See what its like to stand behind a 2-way mirror in some store or public building.
Go to all my children's and grandchildren's temple marriages.
Go to Newport CT and tour The Breakers
Go to Hearst Castle. California
Take kids and their families to England
Go on a cruise
Stay in one of the famous wooden National Park lodges
Go to New York City- see a musical on Broadway
Have a beautiful sky painted on a ceiling in my home.
Make baby quilts for every grandchild.
Ride a Segway- rent one for an hour or more.
Grow vegetables.
Publish a book.

My Mother's Necklace

I have a necklace in my jewelry box that my mom gave me. It is fun to look at her old photo and see her wearing it.

It makes me hope my kids will have something of mine someday that they feel nostalgic about.

"Book of Mormon Stories" Quilt, post #5

At the end of the Book of Mormon, the Nephites and Lamanites had a huge war, and all the Nephites were destroyed. (See Mormon chapters 6-8) That left only the dark-skinned Lamanites on this continent. We believe that the Lamanites are the ancestors of the Native Americans.
After all of his people were destroyed, Moroni was the only Nephite left. He finished engraving his record upon the gold plates, and buried them. (see Moroni 10) These gold plates were delivered by an an angel to Joseph Smith in 1827, and he translated them and published them as the Book of Mormon (see Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith).

"Book of Mormon Quilt" post #4

Of course there really wasn't a "Wanted" poster in Jerusalem, but Lehi and his family did have to flee for their lives after Lehi prophesied that Jerusalem would soon be destroyed. (see 1 Nephi 1:18-20).
This is a picture of Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life (see 1 Nephi 8)
Here is Alma baptizing at the Waters of Mormon (see Mosiah 18).

"Book of Mormon Stories" Quilt, post #3

The three dark sides surrounding Christ's panel portray the three days of darkness when the tempests, earthquakes, fires, whirlwinds, physical upheavals and destruction occurred in the New World just after the time of Jesus' crucifixion in the Old World. (See 3 Nephi chapter 8 in the Book of Mormon) Click on the photos to make them bigger.

The fabric colors I used to make the people, buildings, and trees in those sections are the same colors I used throughout the quilt. However, I covered those sections with black organza to make it look like darkness.