Sometimes I think I oughta blog almost daily. All the bits and pieces I want to share pile up into a heap that makes no sense together so I end up scrapping it all.
One of my favorite Creative Jens is Jennifer of Hope Studio. Wind chimes or an artistic pair of wine glasses used to be my go-to wedding gift, but now that I found her it'll be one of Jen's frames for future events. Starting with John's oldest daughter's wedding this coming October. The hard part, just like writing on walls around here, is just picking a quote! Jen is a really funny blogger too. I enjoy reading her posts. Today she posted her prom and high school photos. I, of course, didn't walk the traditional course of growing up so I don't have the typical photos to share. I went to four high schools in three years and finally dropped out and got married after my junior year out of sheer exhaustion from the whole teenage thing. I did attend (one of my) high school's graduation ceremony. Only as a spectator.
1976 in all it's glory. My sweet young husband looks pretty hot there! Me...well; my mother had a baby four months prior to this photo so yes, I'm wearing my 40 year old mother's hand-me-down maternity clothes. All polyester, of course. The hat? A leftover from one of my bridal attendants who skipped town the night before the wedding. truly! Hey, it gets better. Here I am the next day sitting on the front porch of my mother's new house (she's still in that house today).
Yes, I am smoking. Six months pregnant and right near a little baby (my new brother). Sorry, but there's no denying; those were the times we were in. I guess the icing on the white trash cake of my shares above would have been if I had gotten married so early because I had to (wink wink) but no, I was just tired of what my teenage life entailed and luckily a nice boy offered to be my husband while I finished growing up. It was a good 13 years. Erica is one of the two best things to come of that life we had.
I get to go see her and Brian down in Monterey for a few days tomorrow. Always so nice to spend time with these two. I love them!!
Last week you may recall we travelled down to the old homestead for a family reunion of sorts. The party hostess was a cousin I hadn't seen since I was 12. She was four years old than me. I thought she was SO COOL back then. Had just the right straight blond hair. Her Lee's jeans were cut off just right. She introduced my ears to their first taste of James Taylor! Seeing her now was like, "Hey! You look just like you only old and chubbier!" "Hey! I was thinking the same about you!" LOL. My aunt loved the piece I made her. She took it around to everyone for closer inspection and would say, "See. Jennifer knew I should have been a princess!"
Here's a cute photo I snapped of the backseat traveler's we took with us.
I laughed at how they both have that tongue-out "HUH?" look on their faces.
I want to show you a quilt I found at an estate sale while down there.
(I photoshopped out the blue painted walls because they really fight with the quilt and they're not gonna be blue much longer anyway). There are 144 squares set on point in each of twenty blocks. Each little square is just under an inch wide.
What a delectable smorgasboard of 30's prints,huh? I LOVE this quilt. I did replace the binding with some 30's repros my mom gave me as well as some vintage fabrics from my own stash. Someone in the recent past had put on a horribly ugly solid purple binding and it just had to go! I like it so much that I'm entering it in our Guild's quilt show this summer. I want as many people as possible to see it. Speaking of the quilt show, I've got my Blue Zinger all but finished.
I'm going to have to hang this somewhere that I will see it several times a day because I always see something new in it. And it makes me smile.
I just have to sew on the four-inch borders, which really sucked up the last of my selvage stash! It'll take me years to build up that variety of stash again.
A final quilt pic. A smaller ABC quilt that I just knew I would like using my American Jane stash. I took this photo as an example for the ABC sets I'm selling on my terribly neglected etsy site.
I guess Sandy Klop has done five or six lines of fabric for her American Jane line now, and I love how they all just go nicely together. A seamless transition from one line to the next. Love it all!
John figured updating Internet Explorer might help out with my blog visiting grief I've been having lately. Thanks be to God it worked so I promise I'll get better about visiting you all soon!
ps: No Wednesday tutorial for this week. Have a good one!
Love your blog, especially the cigarette pic. I have some very similar photos (I was so skinny and cute back then...) The selvage quilt is gorgeous, as is the estate quilt. Lovely work; lively writing. I'm looking forward to reading more posts.
Posted by: Beverly | April 18, 2010 at 06:30 PM
What a darling quilt! I would like to create one myself and wondered if there was a particular pattern that you followed? Was there a certain size of letters you used?
Thanks so much!
Tricia Anne
Posted by: Tricia Anne | August 02, 2009 at 11:02 AM
LOVELY quilts, and what a fun walk down memory lane Jen, life is quite the journey isn't it? Unpredictable, crazy, wonderful - better than the alternative :)
Posted by: Sue McG | June 10, 2009 at 06:23 AM
I love those photos of you!!!! Except the cigarette part of course. lol
Glad you had fun at your reunion. I wish my family would have one. Guess I should plan it now huh??
Great quilt you found. I love the old ones.
Posted by: Sharon | June 08, 2009 at 09:13 PM
Got my letters Jen and LOVE THEM!! Just posted on my blog. Happy day to you!
Posted by: Cheryl | June 06, 2009 at 01:11 PM
this was a GREAT post! Zinger is seriously stunning!!!!!!
Posted by: Amanda Elizabeth | June 02, 2009 at 10:10 PM
I don't know what I loved the most...your story brought me back to my 70's...we were such hippies. The quilts are magnificent. Love the one on the bed with lavender, and the selvage, blue zinger is fantastic.
♥, Susan
Posted by: black eyed susans kitchen | June 01, 2009 at 05:52 AM
unbelievable! all of it. Those were the days photos are fun. Thats the way things were. Oh we've grown. Love the quilts! SOOO much. That tiny square one on point is like wowwwwie.
Posted by: Nanette | May 28, 2009 at 06:55 PM
I so enjoyed the peak into your past Jen! Cigs and all. I think I had the same maternity clothes, and even the same cigarettes as you. it was 1979/80 after all. GAWD... how dumb were we back then??!!! PLEASE don't answer that. We just didn't know any better.
Love the quilts, and love the pic of you (the smoking one). I SWEAR you have not changed or aged. If I didn't see that photo on your blog, I'd say... "that's Jen Duncan". Darling then... darling now.
Posted by: happy zombie | May 27, 2009 at 02:06 PM
Love the pictures Jen! Fab hat:)
The quilt is beautiful! Great find.
Tracy
Posted by: Tracy Nuskey-Dodson | May 27, 2009 at 01:48 PM
What a fun post. You are brave to post pictures and they are very indicative of our time style and all. I love your loving and learning about life attitude. The Blue Zinger is wonderfully fun and the vintage quilt a treasure. Looks like a great couple of days! ~Kelly
unDeniably Domestic
Posted by: Kelly | May 26, 2009 at 10:49 AM
Such a fun post!
Posted by: elizabeth | May 25, 2009 at 08:51 PM
Gorgeous quilt. Gorgeous people!
Posted by: Lotta | May 25, 2009 at 08:37 PM
What a great photo! Yes that was a sign of the times. I guess I'm about 5 years older and by the time I was pregnant there was no smoking.. had to quit for 9 months and that wasn't easy.
Love the quilts. And the getting to know you.xo7
Posted by: pam | May 25, 2009 at 08:27 PM
The blue zinger is wonderful. I am working on a green zinger that will be finished someday.
Posted by: Melinda | May 25, 2009 at 06:53 PM
Love love love it!!! That was how it was with the smoking. My mom drank a beer a day when she was pregnant with us, doctor's orders.
You look very current in that picture though! So, you have a sibling and a daughter who are less than a year apart? How fun!
The quilts are gorgeous, as usual.
Posted by: Jennifer Juniper | May 25, 2009 at 06:00 PM
okay, this is just what i needed to read RIGHT NOW. pregnant you and baby...smoking. priceless. i'm sorry, but it just really cracks me up. not very politically savvy, am i. I agree with cherry tree... you are gorgeous. and i think chubby is gorgeous so please choke out a new photo for me.
you and your estate finds. *heavy sigh*
please tell me what your hubby did about internet explorer. I'm having MAJOR issues with the new internet explorer 8 and now I can only comment on certain blogs with a certain comment field. can you say obnoxious?
Posted by: Des | May 25, 2009 at 04:37 PM
I love the quilts. SO CUTE. What a cute dog and best buddy photo too....the tongues do make it, I agree.
Posted by: Dandelion Quilts | May 25, 2009 at 01:54 PM
Beautiful post !!!!!!!
Posted by: Anna | May 25, 2009 at 01:24 PM
I love this post. Learning about you is fun.....and entertaining. The pic of you (smoking) is beautiful, in my opinion. I love it.
Posted by: CherryTreeLane | May 25, 2009 at 12:57 PM