Friday, March 18, 2011

WELCOME TO MYSTERY FRIDAYS

CHAPTER TWO - THE FIND

Into the dryer it went. I put it on delicate for about thirty minutes. I walked through to the kitchen and put a bottle of champagne on ice. As I placed the bottle into the refrigerator I thought, now to find Karen.

I heard a noise coming from the living room and checking it out I found Karen curled up on the couch. She looked like a fairytale princess: sound asleep waiting for me, her Prince Charming, to bend over and kiss her lightly on the lips. I said to myself "I can actually do this!" This whole day seemed to be a dream anyway, so bending on one knee, I leaned over and and gave her a kiss on the lips. And as in all fairy tales she very slowly, and on cue, woke up and said "I love you". Looking at her for a moment I said "This is a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life".

"Thank you." She said "Do you like how I am putting the house together? Is there anything you would like me to change?" I said "Absolutely not". I still can't understand how everything was arranged... everything had a place and was in it's place, like a complicated puzzle. Karen said "I have a big surprise for you...I want you to see what I've done with the room upstairs, the one I'm turning into your study." "I have a surprise for you, too." She looked at me and said "You do?" I answered "Yes...I found it first thing this morning. I know you are going to like it." Karen said "What are you talking about? This sounds very intriguing." "It is. But it's not done yet. By-the-way, I put champagne on ice...I think we should toast this nice house of ours. While it's chilling, I'll start a fire...Meet me in the living room?"

I went looking for wood in the backyard. I thought, what else could I ask for? As I grabbed the logs and went back through the house, I could see that Karen had drifted off to sleep again.

When the fire was under control, I quietly tiptoed into the kitchen to see if the champagne was chilled. Was rooting around for some caviar, when the buzzer on the dryer went off. "The quilt!!" I thought, oh please, don't let it be ruined. I raced to the laundry room, crossed my fingers and opened the door. Reaching in the dryer I felt the warmth of the quilt. It was in great condition. As I turned it over, the vibrant squares and triangles of multicolored fabric started to sing in my arms. NOT RUINED!. It looked brand new. I folded it up and decided to sneak back into the living room.

I quietly stepped into the room and she was gone. "Where are you?" I asked. "Up here. I'll be down in a minute," she said. Folding the quilt to the wrong side, I placed it on the couch and sat in a chair waiting for her to join me. I heard her lovely voice coming down the stairs. "Here I am." She was wearing a beautiful off white silk thing, you know, with lace. And her old terry cloth robe loosely opened. Dreams really do come true!

She noticed the folded quilt..."What do we have here?? she said. "This is my surprise for you. I found it early this morning in the solarium. Look at this-our first treasure," I said. I slowly unfolded it. She was dumbstruck. She asked "You found that this morning?" "First thing." I answered. "What a wonderful old quilt. It's lovely! Thank you darling." "I thought we could cuddle under it tonight" I said. Then I asked "What was that thing your Grandmother used to say about quilts? What did Grandma say when she gave us the quilt?" Karen thought a minute and said...

"With this, a quilt I made for thee, always you will remember me,
Be safe and warm within my arms, from day to night from dust till dawn."

"Let's try it out and see if it works," Karen said. I reached over and handed her a glass of champagne. We interlocked our arms, like young married couples do, I said to her "I love you my darling. Let's not let this moment end." As we drank the bubbly, the events of the day started to slowly creep upon us. We held each other tightly and drifted off to sleep under the quilt.


Copyright 2011 Curtis Boehringer

Saturday We will have the first two
free patterns to make this quilt.
Be safe and warm. Till tomorrow.
Best Wishes and Happy Stitching

Friday, March 11, 2011

WELCOME TO MYSTERY FRIDAYS

CHAPTER ONE - THE HOUSE

Walking through the front hall I noticed it's grandeur with a circular staircase that went on forever, though in reality it only went to the forth floor. It also looked as if the front hall had been freshly painted. I asked Karen "Who lived here before us?" She just smiled and said, "That old woman I told you about...".


Exploring the first floor off the hallway with its gorgeous walnut floors, I entered what would become our living room. The north side of it had a beautiful fireplace with all sorts of elaborate moldings and a mantle. There were windows on the side facing front. The room was dark even though it was a bright sunny day. The dancing shadows of the trees on the walls gave the room a rather mysterious look. I noticed, on the south wall, what was a funny looking green house or solarium. All the plants, which were left, had died many years before. Maybe that's why they couldn't sell the place.

I thought it might be fun if we got the solarium back in order to grow orchids and exotic plants. Looking across the room I noticed what looked like a pile of old rags. Looks can be deceiving. I found it was a dirty and smelly old patchwork quilt. I thought I'd surprise Karen by secretly washing it. Lets see what happens. Leaving the solarium, I walked to the back of the house searching for the laundry room.

I threw the quilt into the washer and put it on delicate with some detergent that had been left behind. I don't think I can hurt this any more than it already has been. "Quilts are meant to be used" Karen always told me. As I walked back to the front of the house, Karen was calling me. The moving van had finally arrived.

All day they moved our precious belongings into what was turning out to be a fabulous showcase home like in the magazines. I was amazed at Karen standing in the center hallway, telling the six men exactly where

to place things in the house; what room, what wall... The most unbelievable thing was how beautifully everything fit in this wonderful house. It was as though our possessions were meant to be here.

Everything had moved so quickly that the end of the day was upon us. The movers had been gone a couple of hours before I had even noticed. I had been working in the attic, making sure boxes were put away when I realized I had found that quilt. Did it survive the washer and if it had would it survive the dryer? Down to the laundry room. I opened the washing machine to see what had happened. Miraculously it looked great. What I thought were mildew stains were patches of paisleys and patterns. It looked glorious. It was strange because I didn't remember the quilt being so large...large enough for two people to snuggle under. When it was dry, wouldn't it be nice to present it to Karen as the first treasure we found in the house and to sleep under our very first night in our new home?


copyright 2011 Curtis Boehringer

WELCOME TO MYSTERY FRIDAY"S
Each week for the next 13 weeks we will be building a Sampler Quilt.
Next week I will have the first of 12 free block patterns to make this quilt.

I hope you will enjoy the story too!

Best Wishes and Happy Stitching,


Wednesday, March 9, 2011

VISITING AN OLD FRIEND


THE GREAT AMERICAN APPLE PIE QUILT

When I was being interviewed for a job at Better Homes and Gardens, I thought I was going to be illustrating cookbooks and such. But I ended up in the craft department. Designing needlepoints and quilts... never did a cookbook drawing for them.

Later on in my designing when I had my own pattern company one of the ideas I had was putting quilting and cooking together...DAH! DAH! Cookbook quilting... The pie series.

The first in this series was THE GREAT AMERICAN APPLE PIE QUILT.

When I was drawing this out, I thought it would be fun to embroider the recipe on to the front of the wall hanging. And a good working recipe at that. Something different for the kitchen. And I would make sure that the recipe would be easy to make. You can MAKE IT OR BAKE IT !!! We used tans and light browns and antique golds for the stars on the quilt. The stars to emulate the pie crust baking and turning brown...almost ready to come out of the oven...!!!

And who doesn't love apple pie. This was one of first times using embroidery on one of my quilts.
I have also baked this quilt, lol, too. The wall hanging measures 25" x 54". A nice size.

If you are interested in MAKING OR BAKING this quilt you can purchase the pattern on my EBAY store...just push the button. It will take you to all of my patterns.

See you all on Friday when I will start a MYSTERY quilt in 13 parts.

Best Wishes and Happy Stitching!





P.S. More pie quilts will be coming...NEW ones too.