Moms Laugh (poem)

I heard a great joke the other day
I wanted to tell to you.
With hilarious characters and anecdotes
replete with humor too.

I thought of how your head'd tip back
and tears would fill your eyes.
Through gasps you'd beg for us to stop
to spare your aching sides.

No, no-one laughs like Mother would.
We loved to tell her more
We'd hop on one leg and flap fake wings
Until our cheeks were sore.

How I miss those moments spent
with her happy presence here.
But, oh the joy those memories bring
Of Mom laughing, Oh, so dear.

By- Sandra Dodge

Our beautiful Mother...Marlene Beaujeu



Moe & Marilyn in St George

My Dad & Marilyn Text'd me pictures of them with the wall hanging I made for them in their new home in St. George.

Here is Marilyn Beaujeu in her new

or should I say...additional home. ;)

Standing by where she hung her wall hanging.

Here is my Dad. Handsome guy isn't he?



I love their new digs in St. George and I'm glad my gift works out with the color scheme & decor. I cannot wait to come for a visit.

Love you guys!

~Sandi

Seasonal Mini-Quilts.

I have finished a few more of my 'little' quilts (Or, Mini-Quilt=MQ). I also took a picture of the stand that I purchased so you could see where they will be displayed in my house.

Here is the stand sitting up on my fireplace

mantle. The small quilts are a perfect fit.

See the top ornamental iron? It is 'flip-flops'.

I just put up my September quilt. And...

The top is accorns and a leaf. :)

It's changeable to match the season!

I'll post each month and show you the

CUTE toppers.

This view kinda gives a bit more proportion.

This MQ is for May.

This is for June. I am SO sorry the picture

quality is so bad. You cannot see the

little polka dots on the strawberry, nor

the great detail I embroidered on the leaves.

Also, I took this pic with the MQ laying

on my leather couch between seat cushions

so there is a 'dip'. It makes my MQ look all

scaddy-wompous. It is perfectly 12x14". ;)

Here is another Holloween MQ I finished.

This one's for November but It's kinda on

the plain side.

I found a darling pattern that has a turkey that has a dresden plate fan for the turkey tail that is yummy. So I may make another one for November. Again, in this pic you cannot see the ridges in the pumpkins. I am looking for a cute pattern for Easter, and Valentines Day. Christmas is an easy theme to find TONS of darling patterns. Thats the rub...I need to choose one or two and get busy making my Christmas mini's. :)

You know- I'll squeel on myself a little here. When I started quilting several years ago the scariest part for me was the binding of a quilt. I would put it off for months. So one of the reasons I chose to do all of these seasonal MQ's is because I knew I was going to have to back & bind every last one of them. Look at all those CORNERS (ok...don't look THAT close! Ha!) This project demanded that I stretch my skills, and do them over, and over again. I have done research, and taken many tutorials on the best ways to bind a quilt. I think in doing these I have found my favorite way. I tried to do some of the fancy short cuts...but short cuts don't mean better...sometimes they mean...lazy. Ok, I said it. So I'm NOT taking the lazy route. All my bindings are double bound (2 layers of material instead of 1) so the edges can take the wear & tear. I also have learned the best way to miter a corner...in-my-humble-oppinion. I love learning, couple that with creativity and I'm on it like ugly on an ape. ;)

I am happiest when my hands are busy. Happy quilting everyone!

~Sandi



A Gift for the NewlyWeds.

When I attended the wedding of my Dad & Marilyn in February I went home with the thought that I should make something for them. I knew they were trying to make a home together so I naturally thought I'd make something fun for their home. I decided on a Fall Wall Hanging since I knew it may take me a while. But I cannot just do things little...I seem to have an innate ability to complicate things. LOL. So as I began cutting the fabric I decided to make me one too. That turned into 4. But NOT 5...5 was just too many. LOL.

Here is the picture from the pattern book

Art to Heart by- Nancy Halvorsen.

She did a flip & finish. I quilted & bound mine.

I love to choose the fabrics.

Since I was doing 4 I did the pieces assembly style.

The little grape square called for purple

buttons as some of the grapes. So cute!

Applique is way fun.

Beginning assembly & adding sashing.

I love the added handmade feel of embroidery work.

The original pattern had 2 white angels. Nahhh.

Coming together nicely.

Backing, quilting & binding. So fun. :)

Finished! All 4. Right on time for fall.

These are the 2 styles I made. A tad different.

This one is mine...hanging on my wall.

I thought it would be fun and unifying to have something alike hanging in our homes. I heard from Dad & Marilyn that they really like theirs and have it hanging already. Me too. :) I'm so glad Marilyn's in our family. She's just great. I hope it brings them as much happiness as I had thinking of them while making it. The other two I put away for 'someday' for my girls. I know I need to make another one. Maybe next fall...and definately not 4. ;)

~Sandi



If Angels Are Around Us (poem)

If angels are around us,
and closer than we think.
Is it her perfume that I can smell
when I'm standing at the sink?
Can she hear my tender sigh
... and tell I miss her voice?
She left us because of cancer,
And not by her own choice.
If I could call to heaven
I'd tell her how she's missed,
And tell her I'd pay a million
to give her one more kiss.
To hear her tell a story
is what I'd like to do
And express just what she means to me
with a heartfelt I love you.

By- Sandi Dodge

I miss you Mom

My Besties- Cindy, Shannon, & Mom

(Oh, also Mandy and Sadie)