Remembering Grandma

The History of 'APRONS'

I don't think our kids know what an apron is.

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

This could my own Grandma in her apron.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold Grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.
Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

Remember when Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw.

People would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don't think anyone ever caught anything from an apron - but love...



Notice it says "Medium" is size 14-16!



Dressing a turkey

Shopping song

Get up early Friday after Thanksgiving and sing this song as out the door you go. The tune is to the traditional Thanksgiving song of Over the River and Through the Woods.

Over the river and through the woods
To local quilt shops we go.
The car knows the way to carry us all
Through black Friday crowds, oh no!

We’ll shop all day for that special buy
And bring home a lot more stash
We love to quilt and love to shop
Even though it gives our spouse a rash.


Over the river and through the crowds
We must find what is just right
We’ll shop this day and sew tomorrow
And have a great delight.

Have a great Holiday!

Baobab Blanket Kit "Follow the Stitch"

Follow the Stitch

Baobab Blanket Kit

New on our website is a set of very cute kits. They come in multiple choices for color. The top is a single panel with designs that look like they have been stitched on. You can stitch along those same lines or do your own quilting or even tie this quilt. Included is the backing and a satin binding in the same color as the quilt top. Makes into a darling quilt for a baby or toddler.

The fabric is all a very soft flannel. The kits come from RJR Fabrics, so you know it is great fabric. The design in from 2 mod moms. They did well.

See the options at http://www.beehivequilts.com/followthestitchkit

Keep on quilting.

Up coming shows to go see

In January there is Heart of the Valley Quilt & Textile Show in Modesto. It will be held at the Modesto Centre Plaza at 10th & K Streets in Modesto. The start time is 10 a.m. This is for all quilters and textile and fiber art crafters. Fun, raffles and all. For more information, go to www.countrycrossroadsquilters.com.


The next weekend, January 20 to 23rd is Road to California Quilt Show in Ontario. Gil and I went last year. It is great fun. Just wear good walking shoes and plan on spending a lot of time there. Be sure to take your patience with you, as there are lines and groups of people to get through or around. There is so much to see! For more information, go to http://www.road2ca.com/.

Love those shows.

Honey and Cinnamon

Okay, so this has nothing to do with quilting, but I think it is interesting information. I am going to try it. I figure it cannot hurt.

Cinnamon and Honey

Honey is the only food on the planet that will not spoil or rot. It will do what some call turning to sugar. In reality honey is always honey.. However, when left in a cool dark place for a long time it will do what I rather call "crystallizing". When this happens I loosen the lid, boil some water, and sit the honey container in the hot water, turn off the heat and let it liquefy. It is then as good as it ever was. Never boil honey or put it in a microwave. To do so will kill the enzymes in the honey.

Cinnamon and Honey

Bet the drug companies won't like this one getting around. Facts on Honey and Cinnamon: It is found that a mixture of honey and Cinnamon cures most diseases. Honey is produced in most of the countries of the world. Scientists of today also accept honey as a 'Ram Ban' (very effective) medicine for all kinds of diseases. Honey can be used without any side effects for any kind of diseases.


Today's science says that even though honey is sweet, if taken in the right dosage as a medicine, it does not harm diabetic patients. Weekly World News, a magazine in Canada , in its issue dated 17 January,1995 has given the following list of diseases that can be cured by honey and cinnamon as researched by western scientists:


HEART DISEASES:
Make a paste of honey and cinnamon powder, apply on bread, instead of jelly and jam, and eat it regularly for breakfast. It reduces the cholesterol in the arteries and saves the patient from heart attack. Also, those who have already had an attack, if they do this process daily, they are kept miles away from the next attack. Regular use of the above process relieves loss of breath and strengthens the heart beat. In America and Canada , various nursing homes have treated patients successfully and have found that as you age, the arteries and veins lose their flexibility and get clogged; honey and cinnamon revitalize the arteries and veins.


ARTHRITIS:
Arthritis patients may take daily, morning and night, one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and one small teaspoon of cinnamon powder. If taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. In a recent research conducted at the Copenhagen University, it was found that when the doctors treated their patients with a mixture of one tablespoon Honey and half teaspoon Cinnamon powder before breakfast, they found that within a week, out of the 200 people so treated, practically 73 patients were totally relieved of pain, and within a month, mostly all the patients who could not walk or move around because of arthritis started walking without pain.


BLADDER INFECTIONS:
Take two tablespoons of cinnamon powder and one teaspoon of honey in a glass of lukewarm water and drink it. It destroys the germs in the bladder.


CHOLESTEROL:
Two tablespoons of honey and three teaspoons of Cinnamon Powder mixed in 16 ounces of tea water, given to a cholesterol patient, was found to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood by 10 percent within two hours. As mentioned for arthritic patients, if taken three times a day, any chronic cholesterol is cured. According to information received in the said Journal, pure honey taken with food daily relieves complaints of cholesterol.


COLDS:
Those suffering from common or severe colds should take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 spoon cinnamon powder daily for three days. This process will cure most chronic cough, cold, and clear the sinuses.


UPSET STOMACH:
Honey taken with cinnamon powder cures stomach ache and also clears stomach ulcers from the root.


GAS:
According to the studies done in India and Japan , it is revealed that if Honey is taken with cinnamon powder the stomach is relieved of gas.


IMMUNE SYSTEM:
Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks. Scientists have found that honey has various vitamins and iron in large amounts. Constant use of Honey strengthens the white blood corpuscles to fight bacterial and viral diseases.


INDIGESTION:
Cinnamon powder sprinkled on two tablespoons of honey taken before food relieves acidity and digests the heaviest of meals.


INFLUENZA:
A scientist in Spain has proved that honey contains a natural ' Ingredient' which kills the influenza germs and saves the patient from flu..


LONGEVITY:
Tea made with honey and cinnamon powder, when taken regularly, arrests the ravages of old age. Take four spoons of honey, one spoon of cinnamon powder, and three cups of water and boil to make like tea. Drink 1/4 cup, three to four times a day. It keeps the skin fresh and soft and arrests old age. Life spans also increase and even a 100 year old, starts performing the chores of a 20-year-old.


PIMPLES:
Three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon powder paste. Apply this paste on the pimples before sleeping and wash it next morning with warm water. If done daily for two weeks, it removes pimples from the root.


SKIN INFECTIONS:
Applying honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts on the affected parts cures eczema, ringworm and all types of skin infections.


WEIGHT LOSS:
Daily in the morning one half hour before breakfast on an empty stomach, and at night before sleeping, drink honey and cinnamon powder boiled in one cup of water. If taken regularly, it reduces the weight of even the most obese person. Also, drinking this mixture regularly does not allow the fat to accumulate in the body even though the person may eat a high calorie diet.


CANCER:
Recent research in Japan and Australia has revealed that advanced cancer of the stomach and bones have been cured successfully. Patients suffering from these kinds of cancer should daily take one tablespoon of honey with one teaspoon of cinnamon powder for one month three times a day.


FATIGUE:
Recent studies have shown that the sugar content of honey is more helpful rather than being detrimental to the strength of the body. Senior citizens, who take honey and cinnamon powder in equal parts, are more alert and flexible. Dr. Milton, who has done research, says that a half tablespoon of honey taken in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon powder, taken daily after brushing and in the afternoon at about 3:00 P.M. when the vitality of the body starts to decrease, increases the vitality of the body within a week.


BAD BREATH:
People of South America , first thing in the morning, gargle with one teaspoon of honey and cinnamon powder mixed in hot water, so their breath stays fresh throughout the day.


HEARING LOSS:
Daily morning and night honey and cinnamon powder, taken in equal parts restores hearing. Remember when we were kids? We had toast with real butter and cinnamon sprinkled on it!

River City Quilt Guild Sacramento

Wow! What a fun day I have had today. Elisa and I went to River City Guild's annual quilt show. It is always fantastic featuring beautiful quilts, wonderful vendors, and a great country store. It is a quilt show that you have to plan to spend hours in, not just one to run in and run out of. Take your time and see it as it is. Wonderful!

There I was seeing wonderful quilts and realized I had forgotten a camera. Elisa had her phone camera and took the following pictures. Thanks, Elisa.

This took a second place. I thought it was the most beautiful. Love it.



This is Laurel Anderson's quilt. She is one of my favorite designers. Beautiful quilt. I guess I am not the only one that thinks she does wonderful work, but she took best of show with this quilt. Good job, Laurel.



El dia de los muertos. I do not normally like skeletons, but this one is fantastic. I love the use of color. Stunning.



This is the quilt ladder Gil made to donate to the raffle part of the show from Beehive Quilts.




This one was stunning, too. It took first place in its category AND best use of color. A lot of work went into this quilt.

Plus a great part was the show's raffle choices. Between Elisa and I we purchased 50 tickets. I thought we might have a chance to win something! Well I got a call an hour ago, and I had won a kit to make a popsicle quilt. Love it!

Best of all, we saw a lot of the people we met while our store in Woodland was open. It was wonderful to say hello to them all again. Miss you all.

Peggy