Peonies for Pearl

What is you favorite flower? I have many.
Lilly of the Valley I think is my all time favorite.
They are so tiny and cute.

I found this little jug in an antique shop.

I bought it with Lilly of the Valley in mind

I have always wanted to see a bridal bouquet of Lilly of the valley.
I had never seen one until Ms. Kate Middleton used them in her bouquet.

Loved that bouquet!

She placed it on the grave of the Unknown Warrior
inside of Westminster Abbey.
What a nice touch.

Lilacs - is there anything more fragrant than Lilacs?

And they bring back memories of my Grammie.

I also love peonies. Growing up the neighbors had a row of dark
Fuchsia peonies lining their curved driveway.
Pearl (the neighbor) passed away this winter,
leaving my mother with no one to call.
She and Pearl called each other almost daily.
I don't know of two ladies who exchanged recipes back and forth
more than Pearl and my Mom.
Here is one of their conversations.
Mom: Pearl could I have the recipe for your refrigerator sweet pickles.
Pearl: Just a minute I will get it….Here it is….Millie's Refrigerator Sweet Pickles….
My mother's name is Millie.
Yep Pearl's sweet pickle recipe was Mom's sweet pickle recipe.

Now when I pick a bouquet of peonies I will think of my mom's
good friend Pearl and her beautiful row of peonies.
May she rest in peace... among peonies.

Pick a bouquet of your favorite flowers and deliver them to a friend.

From my heart,
Sandy

Table Talk Book Tour - Last Day

Welcome to the last day of the Table Talk Book Tour.




Blogging along with Gudrun today will be be Diane McLendon of Kansas City Star

Check out their blogs, to find out what good things they have to offer
Wishing you all a fun and safe holiday weekend.
I am looking forward to taking a few days off to relax with family and friends.

From my heart,
Sandy

Winners! And Table Talk Book Tour Day 4

Hello and welcome to day 4 of the Table Talk Book Tour.

Hop on over to Gudrun's blog to see what she is talking about today.

Today my friend Kate Spain of Kate Spain Designs

will be also be blogging.
Go here to check out Kate's blog.

And now for the winners!
This time for the winners I hand picked one and I used random.org for the other two winners.
Karen W. was the first to post a comment. Everyone always says #1 is never picked in random. Soooo that is why I decided to choose Karen as she was the first to post a comment. Karen has won the box of Late Bloomers scraps.

Karen W.
Congratulations Karen.


Sharon S. is the winner of the Table Talk Book.



Marcia W.
Is the winner of the Late Bloomers Jelly Roll™

Congratulations to all of the winners and thanks to all who left a comment and to all who are following along.

Tomorrow will be the last day of the tour and the guest blogger will be Diane McLendon of Kansas City Star

See you tomorrow.

Here is hoping your are having a winner of a day.

From my heart,
Sandy

Lilacs in a Fruit Jar and Day 3 of Table Talk Book Tour

Hello again.
I will announce my winners tomorrow.
Today is day 3 of Gudrun's tour. Stop over to her blog to she what she has to share with us today.
Also blogging today will be Monique Dillard of Open Gate Quilts. Hop on over to her blog.

Tomorrow my friend and fellow Moda designer Kate Spain of Kate Spain Designs will be blogging along with Gudrun.

And now for Lilacs in a Fruit Jar.
My Grammie Fisher's house did not have one toy.
Yet as a child I loved going to Grammie Fisher's house for she had better things than toys.
Straight ahead as you entered the kitchen was the candy drawer - second drawer down - kid level.
Farther over was the bake-goods drawer full of homemade bread and pastries such as Kolaches and cinnamon twist.
Next was the big bin that held Grammie's baking flour.
I loved opening it and letting it go shut to see the little puff of flour rise.
Watching Grammie bake was real confusing to me. She did not use measuring spoons or cups as my mother did.
I can still see her shiny long fingers kneading the bread.
Every Sunday Grammie would cut the picture off the cover of the Picture Magazine that came with the Sunday paper and tack it to the wall above her buffet with stick pins. It was as pretty as any picture in a frame.
The buffet where she kept all of her Workbasket Magazines, with folded over corners on the pages containing projects she wanted to make.
Next was the corner hutch with a box of buttons - I spent a lot of time playing with the buttons.
Also in the corner hutch, setting in front of the family picture, was Grammies pretty watch.
It was covered in "diamonds" or something as pretty as diamonds. It had a little cover over the face of the watch - also covered in "diamonds". We never, never actually put the watch on but I never went to my Grammies house without pushing the little button on the watch that popped open the cover to revel the watch face.

My Grammie also did not own a vase.
But every Spring she picked a large bouquet of Lilacs and placed them in a fruit jar.
And they were as pretty as any bouquet in a vase.
Every spring I pick a large bouquet of lilacs…



place them in a fruit jar and think of my Grammie Fisher.

Here is hoping you are having a lilacs in a fruit jar kind of day.
See you tomorrow.

From my heart,
Sandy

Table Talk Book Tour Day 2 and My Day

Welcome to Table Talk Book Tour Day 2.
It is my day to blog.
And remember Gudrun is also blogging today and everyday of the tour.

Remember to leave a comment today to be eligible for prizes - see end of blog.
Gudrun was nice enough to send me a copy of her book.

(You can buy her book here or here.)

I love it!
It has many cool projects but the thing I checked out first was the recipes.
Yes I will take food over quilting any day.
I know that sounds bad since I am
selling quilting patterns and fabric and not cookbooks!

I am most intrigued by the Chicken Casserole With Bananas and Coconut Topping.
I know it sounds strange…
but I love all of the ingredients…
just never have tried them all together.
The kids are coming home this weekend, I think I will try it.

I also want to try the Caramelized Potatoes.
Potatoes are one of my favorite foods.
Well maybe it's not the potatoes but the "stuff" you put on the potatoes.
And this recipe has some good "stuff"!

Gudrun used my Lollipop line of fabric
to make her Sassy Blooms tablerunner.
It is very fun.
I just might have to make it for the table at the cabin.
I checked out the instructions and it looks
to be quite quick and easy.



And speaking of instructions. This book has very well written instructions with colored diagrams.
I give this book a 5 out of 5 star rating.

For those of you interested in other patterns using Lollipop, I have pictured the ones that I designed using the fabric.

501 Lollipop
502 Oopsie Daisy
503 Go Fish

504 Hopscotch

505 Flower Child

506 My ABC's

507 The Lollipop Tree

508 Under the Big Tops

Stop back tomorrow when Monique Dillard of Open Gate Quilts will be blogging as well as Gudrun.

Be sure to leave a comment here today to be eligible to win one of three prizes - a copy of Gudrun's book, a box of scarps or a jelly roll from my new line Late Bloomers line which will not be released until November. There will be three winners!

See you tomorrow.
From my heart,
Sandy

Table Talk Blog Tour Day 1

Table Talk Blog Tour Day 1

Today is the start of Gudrun Erla's Table Talk Blog Tour.



Check out her blog and leave a comment to win some really great prizes.



Also blogging today is Kimberly of Fat Quarters Shop.
Hop on over to her blog to read her book review.

Don't forget tomorrow is my day...and prizes are involved.
See you tomorrow.
From my heart,
Sandy

Blog Tour and More Market Pictures

Starting Monday - a blog tour.

I am happy to announce that I will be participating in a blog tour
with Gudrun Erla from GE Designs.

I met Gudrun several years ago on a flight to market in Portland.
We have stayed connected ever since.
This will be my third blog hop with Gudrun.
Gudrun was born and raised in Iceland and came to Minnesota
(my home state) to pursue her pattern career.
She does a lot of great pieced quilts and tablerunners.
She also designs fabric for Red Rooster.

During this blog hop she will be blogging about her new book Table Talk
featuring runners, topper, and family treats.
She used various designer's fabrics to make these projects.
Each of these designers and the editor of the book Kansas City Star
will be blogging one day of the tour.
(Gudrun will be blogging every day starting tomorrow.)

Here is the lineup for the week.

Posting every day of the week: Gudrun Erla - GE Designs
Monday May 23rd: Kimberly Jolly - Fat Quarter Shop
Tuesday May 24th: Sandy Gervais - Pieces From My Heart
Wednesday May 25th: Monique Dillard - Open Gate Quilts
Thursday May 26th: Kate Spain - Kate Spain Designs
Friday May 27th: Kansas City Star - Diane McLendon

And the great thing about this tour is Gudrun is giving away copies of the book! One for each day of the tour.
How great is that! But you have to visit each blogger's blog on their blogging day and leave a comment to be eligible to win.

And now for more market pictures - or picture.
Every market Moda takes a picture of the Moda designers.
As the shoot was being set up all of the designers husbands were getting ready to take a shot…
every husband but mine.
He was just standing on the sidelines watching the world go by. Bless his heart.
I told him to get the camera and take a picture.
Here is the ONE shot he got.

Do you recognize anyone???
I will help you.
Pictured left to right:
Joanna Figueroa of Fig Tree and Co.
Cheryl Freydberg, Moda's director of design
Liesl Gibson of Oliver +S
Rachel Brenchley of Basic Grey

Fortunately Kimberly or Kevin or somebody for Fat Quarters Shop
took a good shot of ALL of the designers.
We are in Camille Roskelley's booth.
I love love the star quilt on the right hand side.

Be sure to stop by Gudrun's blog tomorrow to get in on the start of the tour.
Hope you enjoy the tour.
From my heart,
Sandy