I was born, raised and married in Michigan, then spent 22 years following my military husband all over, even in other countries, have been to even more countries aside from his career. I really enjoyed living in housing because it was an international community where I could meet interesting women from so many different cultures, and trade craft lessons with them too. After retiring from the military he spent 10 more years in the reserves and for over 20 years now, we have been living in NW Florida.

I have seldom ever worked for money...more volunteer work than anything else. Money doesn't usually motivate me, or impress me. But there are exceptions to every rule. Meeting a Millionaire with holes in his jeans who shared what he had...now that impressed me.
People motivate me, children and animals do as well. Kindness, generosity, patience, those are some of the things that impress me. I am just philanthropic in nature, and have always been.

Have been to colleges and universities since I was 15, and still don't have even an associates degree...too many moves, and no one told me I had a time limit to achieve that first degree or none of it counts...so while I am smart in some areas, I am dense in others. Oh well, I enjoyed the classes, and still know what I know. But it would have been nice to leave the legacy of a higher education for my descendants to see.

I love family history, and I think of myself as a family historian. I mentally use my arts and crafting as a way to relate to my ancestors...and my travels as a way to understand what they went through and their loneliness at leaving their families behind, or at being the older ones left behind...

We have four adult daughters, and currently eleven grandchildren. We have only ever been married to each other.
We have four horses (2 Morgan's, 2 Ponies) and two dogs (1 cocker spaniel-poodle mix and 1 Mastiff).

I grew up in a multi-generational home on a large farm.
I had a needle and thread in my hand before I was old enough to attend school. So while I learned how to do some of what I do from my ancestors, I have also taken classes, and studied several libraries worth of books...when you move over 9 times in 22 years, you have access to lots more libraries.

To relax, I do hand work..marking by hand with a pencil, cutting with scissors, pinning and sewing by hand, hand applique, hand quilt...slower paced, piece-ful and peaceful...and often listen to quieting music while I sew...or design.

I am also having to learn how to do machine work.
I am not a perfectionist, but I do believe in doing my personal best, and that when I find I am not pleased with the quality or look of my own work, I need to figure out how to make my best better. I want my work to lay flat and for the points to meet and touch when they are supposed to. So far I can not do that by machine.

I am not a high productivity person.
I am also not so great at organization, staying on task, or only working on one project at a time, and working to completion.
Its more like a juggling act...and "what do I feel like today", unless it is a gift with a time line...and then I force myself to budget in time, and set more rigid goals. But the work itself is less enjoyable to me that way.

I do have one good long term quilt/doll making friend, and she is helping me wade slowly into the world of machine work.
It's hard to keep friends when you can't drive and can barely walk. She is willing to come to me, no matter where I may be, including various hospitals.
I work well in groups (they can motivate, and inspire, plus help me to set a goal of how to surprise them for the next time we meet) and particularly enjoy making quilts to donate to others...if you have read the book "The Quilt Maker's Gift"...I rather feel like that about my quilts. Let those with money go buy one. But when I donate, I like to do it quietly...While it can feel great to be the one giving, it can feel humbling or embarrassing to be on the other end of the donation.

I took a drawing class while in college in 2005. What I discovered was that my brain is wired rather like Picasso...I see what everyone else sees, but somewhere between my eyes, my brain and my pencil, the object I am trying to draw sprouts extra stuff that no one else sees, not even me. So my work did not produce anything I really wanted to claim...nor encourage me to think I might someday be designing beautiful applique designs of my own...the other students saw things that were interesting in my work...a pregnant woman with 5 bellies and numerous left legs, while her arms showed marching penguins, and waving flags...bizarre.

So I stick pretty close to patterns other women draw up, and traditional blocks I can customize somehow.
I can do a traditional quilt that looks just like it ought to.
That is what computer generated images from quilt programs enable me to do, or books with patterns I do not have to enlarge, and magazines...but in my dreams at night are all those Picasso style tops that make me restless and want to take on these new machine skills.

My sewing room is in shambles thanks to Hurricanes Ivan and Dennis of 2004 & 2005. Now my fabrics that I have left are stuck in big bins too heavy for me to handle (I am disabled), and my family puts my work at a low priority compared to other needs, like fixing the horse fences and repairing the roof so it does not leak, putting up new siding etc. We are a do it yourself type family...and they too juggle projects.

Some day I will have a sewing room customized so I can handle smaller tubs or bins of fabrics, and get back to work.
My husband has set aside the room for me, and it has walls, windows, and a roof, but no heat or air conditioning...and it's 3 steps down to get in there. So for now I work on much smaller stuff...in my bedroom. More baby quilts, lap quilts and wall hanging size stuff. Good thing I enjoy working by hand.

I hope this was good enough for an introduction...oh, one more item. My teenage live in grandson is the one showing me how this computer stuff works. I have known how to type for decades, have used the Internet to do research on family history for a long time...but You Tube quilt lessons, Face Book, and this Message Board ...they were new to me. He has earned another quilt...wants a space design that is "more mature" than what is out there on the market. So my quilt making friend is introducing me to a set of books in her personal library by Louisa L Smith...and has my grandson ever got grand ideas now... :-)

Mary Ellen
Cantonment, Florida

Welcome, Waving from Indiana, USA

Hello and welcome from SW Iowa. Glad to have you here. I love your quilts and your quilting is awesome.

Welcome form Louisiana. Beautiful Quilts.
Great quilting.

Hi and welcome from Lakeland, FL. I feel like I know sew much about you in just a short amount of time. Glad you joined us and you'll have fun!!
Beautiful quilts!

Hello and Welcome from Northern Indiana ! You will love it here , everyone is so wonderful :thumbup: Ask any questions and you will receive the answers and if we can't get you the answer you will get great advice :lol:

Love you quilts

Hello Mary Ellen, what a story! You could be a writer! A very big welcome from Australia, Therese

Welcome Mary Ellen, so glad you joined us.

Hello from Perth, Western Australia. Thank you for sharing your story and your work.

A big welcome from Ireland - so glad you found us, and at least we can provide some continuity if you are still going to be moving around.

Hi, Mary Ellen. Welcome from Kentucky

Good Morning Mary Ellen from Southeast Michigan!
Glad to have you on board! :-D great job on the quilts! Love the churn dash in the 30's..i have all my fabrics together, just have to get started! Kim

:thumbup: Howdy and welcome from Pipe Creek Texas!!!

Welcome from Wisconsin!

Hi and Welcome from southern Indiana!! You will just love it here!!

All of your quilts are just GORGEOUS and I'm especially in love with the purple one.... :D

Welcome Mary Ellen from North Central PA.
Loved reading your intro, I agree, you definitely could be an author. You write in a way that just draws one right into the midst of the story!
So glad you found us and your grandson is helping you out with some new computer stuff.
Yours quilts are totally awesome and I love the Lavender white work.

:D

Hello and welcome from Michigan! I enjoyed reading all about you! Good luck with your machine work! I hand quilt, and hand applique, but I machine piece and do a little machine quilting.

Hello and welcome from Ontario

Hi, my hubby is retired military, too. We lived like Gypsies for 20+ years, but have put down some roots in Southern Illinois. Welcome.

Thought I would add a few more small quilts for show & tell.
This way, if I have it in a pic (and most of them sprout legs, and walk away to their new homes so fast, that I don't get pictures of them completed...) You get to see.

I love show & tell, and would love to see your works too.

There is a story behind the cheater panel I hand quilted.
Sometimes we need to break a rule...
At a quilt show years ago, the quilt police decided "only REAL quilts, no crazy patch, and nothing that was not ...."

This hurt the feelings of a girlfriend who had worked so hard to complete a crazy patch that was simply glorious. I tried to tell her, just do some hand quilting and it will qualify. But she sat and cried instead.

To me, a quilt show should not only show off your best work, it should also inspire new quilters with the thought "I could do that" instead of "I could never do anything that amazing."

I had been working on this quilt for a now deceased Auntie who just wanted something for holidays, and from me. As we shopped at her local fabric store, she saw the panel, and so it became a lap project during that trip. She wanted just as much hand quilting on it, as if I had appliqued the pieces myself.

To find a cheater panel hand quilted at a judged show...that would be surprising, and some new quilter to be just might say if she can do it, so can I.
And it gave me naughty pleasure to find a way to beat their strict rules.

So I pushed hard to give Auntie her heart's desire, have it completed in time for the show, and then gave it to her. I forget now if she got to display it on her empty wall for one or two holidays, but I did hear her three children were arguing over who got to inherit it...imagine thinking of that cheater as an important inheritance? LOL

Mary Ellen

Last set I have for show & tell for now...

Notice that even though I could not make the Log Cabin quilt lay flat, my granddaughter was instantly taken with it, and it's colors.

So I am posting it twice so you can see the design layout, and how she picked up her wee body for the first time to get a better look.

Lesson for newby quilters, give it to a child. They will love it, even if you are crying over the mistakes...they will only see and feel the love.

I visited Ireland back in 2008 for 3 whole months.
Stayed with one of my daughters, her husband and son while we waited for the second child to be born...they have a home in Shannon.

Found knit shops in Limerick, but no quilt shops.

Loving history the way I do, it was amazing to see the old castles turned into apartments, and the old buildings and shops nestled right next to the new.

But now I know why the grass and plants are so green, year round...it rained every day save one. I should have brought a rain slicker! LOL

Welcome to the board from Southern California!!
Glad to have you here.
My DH spent 20 years in the Navy and we did a lot of moving, though spent all our time in the states (except for deployments) I enjoyed living in housing when it was available too, so many friends made so quickly!!!
DH retired 8 years ago and after going to seminary is a pastor here at our church.
Your quilts are beautiful and your grands are precious! Thanks for sharing!

Welcome Mary Ellen from southern Indiana! Glad you joined us!

A warm welcome from Ireland. Beautiful work.

welcome to you maryellen,you have quite a story, you will enjoy the QB it is habit forming you will be back every day just to read all the entries and to see everyones pictures of beatiful quilts. Geting late for me will sign off for now.

[img]http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/s...um/welcome.gif[/img]
So happy that you have joined us!!!

Your quilts are beautiful!!!

Welcome, Mary Ellen. Missouri here, and we all hope you will be sharing pictures of the dolls you make! 'glad to have you join us!

Hi and welcome from Oklahoma.

mary ellen, you just made my day! i enjoyed reading your heartfelt introduction, feel as if i know you and your family. just wonderful!

Hello Mary Ellen,
Your introduction was great! your quilts are very, very nice. The lavender quilting stitches are fantastic.

BUT, I do not see your art quilts (yet?)... the pregnant lady with several left legs? That is your gift to the art/quilt world. As a retired art and gifted specialist, I admire and treasure your type of creativity. Go for it! Break out of the box NOW! You obviously can do traditional piecing and have a wild flair for color. You can do this!

and... welcome from northern Ohio.... I expect to hear/see more from you!

Regards,
cpfrog

Welcome from California Mary Ellen!
I'm with cpfrog...let's see some of
those art quilts that are floating
around in your creative brain. At
least get them down on paper and
work from there.
Your quilts are wonderful and full
of color and cheer.

Welcome Mary Ellen! Loved hearing your introduction, and loved seeing your quilts. You are an amazing women! Talk to you later!

Hello and glad you are here to enjoy conversation with us on the Board. As for your creative ways, I bet free motion and you are going to turn out some outstanding inspirations. Give it a BIG try. I love it even though some of my first pieces made it to the trash can. Happy Threads to you!

Hi and welcome from Michigan. Loved your quilts.

Most excellent intro. Welcome.

Blessings,

Sharon

Hi Mary Ellen,

Glad you finally come let us meet you. Welcome, from SW FL, Punta Gorda, FL. I too love your style of writing. Seems you should write a story of your life, as you have the skills necessary :-) And if you've not noticed yet many of us here struggle with limitations and disabilities too. You'll not find a better bunch of women and men to be associated with. Hugs, Melody

Welcome, I just like you very new to this group. bye bye Caroline

Welcome to you also Carolinepaco!!
This is a great group of quilters!