"Kids Can"

The "Kids Can" quilt is finished at last! This snap shows how the machine quilting is filled in between the two halves after they are sewn together. You really can't tell where the quilting on the separate halves ends and the middle quilting begins. Probably because the join is not on a straight line. I deliberately vary how close to the middle the quilting on the halves is done.

I did find my new Janome "Horizon" with its 11" of throat space very nice going. Even when working on the center section the quilt did not seem too cumbersome for the space.

I always used to quilt very sparingly, usually just in the "ditch" so these last two quilts have been a departure for me. I did find it took a lot of time to do that much stitching. I've enjoyed doing the more intense machine quilting, but still try to keep the quilting quite open. Too much stitching on a quilt makes it too stiff, IMHO.

This quilt was made of mostly "gifted"

materials from a friend of mine. I think I bought three pieces of fabric to fill it out. The pattern is called "Turning Twenty," which my friend Linda loaned to me. Since the material is so busy I wanted a simple pattern. It went together really fast.

I just love the material I found for the binding! It picks up all the colours in the quilt, and provides a nice, happy finish.

I named the quilt "Kids Can" because many of the materials used have bright sayings on them, including: "Kids can make a difference!" and "Go Green."

We had planned to visit daughter #2, and were going to take this quilt along as a present for her daughter. But our schedule has become so crowded we decided not to go. It's a disappointment because she and her family recently moved to another city, and now have their own four bedroom house with a fenced-in backyard, after 10 years in a

small condo. I'm so happy for them!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch....last year we sold 600 tomato seedlings to one fellow. Actually, he first bought 300, all of which accidentally froze when his small greenhouse lost power one cold night. He then came back for another 300. He was here off and on all summer for various plants, shrubs, etc., and told us he would want lots and lots of tomato seedlings the coming year.

So when Jim did the seeding, he started oodles of tomato plants. Now, unfortunately for us with all those seedlings, that fellow is now in jail, awaiting trial on a ponzi scheme which defrauded many people of much money. So we had waaayy too many tomatoes to sell this spring. What to do with the extra? Well, you can't just throw them out, can you? So they were planted here, there, and everywhere. Now, of course, comes the "payoff"--oodles and oodles of tomatoes.

Well, we can use lots, but they all have to be processed, so that's what we started this morning. Here's the first batch in the pressure canner, ready to go. Hope they all seal well!