Block Lotto stars and family

I am sorry I haven't posted for such a long time. I haven't been doing as much quilting as usual, but I'm planning to get back into the swing of things in the coming weeks.

 At left are 4 stars I made for the block lotto drawing this month. Aren't they great? I'd never think to make scrappy stars with a red background, but I think they really look sharp, and will make a fun quilt. That's why I love the Block Lotto; our fearless leader Sophie always comes up with block patterns I wish I'd thought of myself.















The main reason I haven't been sewing much lately is that my father died at the end of July. He's been suffering with Alzheimer's for about 8 years, but recently started to have problems with his balance and died about a week after a fall in which he broke his hip. He's with my mom in this photo---she's still doing great, but of course we all miss him very much.

The photo below is of my husband's extended family, who gathered over the weekend for a family reunion. I like every single one of them, so it was a lot of fun. I'm the one smack in the center of the photo in the back with the glasses on. The really good looking ones in the front row are my nephews and their significant others.