UNDER THE ROSE

De-clutter

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

I have been looking at some different web sites these last couple of weeks trying to get some ideas for my window coverings. I have come across several blogs that have a lot of nice photos and great ideas.Then I stumbled on Nony A Slob Comes Clean .This gal is great. Her blog is funny, watch some of her videos. I think I am her twin sister, not for real but her closet reminds me of mine. I am not a good housekeeper, all I want to do is sew and it has gotten me into trouble.....so....

I am de-cluttering here. I think I mentioned in my last post that I had 6 bags to take to the thrift store. Those are gone and there are more waiting. I think I am a bit of a pack rat. Just trying to get things straightened out so I can do some sewing...one of these days soon I hope.

The photo is one I took while I was at my Mom's. Just too pretty not to post it. Actually I thought that would be better than some of my messes. Maybe if I get brave enough I will show some before and after photos. Then again maybe not. Enjoy Nony's blog and let me know if you have any tricks for de-cluttering

Hot Air Balloons

2011-10-21T05:00:00.000-05:00

While I was at my Mom's the local town had their annual Hot Air Balloon Rally. It has changed a lot since we used to go to it and was on the committee. We had a friend that had a balloon and used to crew for him and traveled to several different Rally's with him. It was a lot of fun, he took us for a ride several times. If you have never been up in a Hot Air Balloon it is amazing. Anyway I thought I would share a couple of photos with you.

This one was going for what they call a "Splash and Dash". There is a big marsh on the other side of those trees. He was going to go in low enough so he could dip down in the water and then take off again. I wish I could have been on the other side of the trees so I could have taken a photo of that.

This one was getting ready to land and was about 8 miles or so from where the first two were.

My Internet has been "intermittent" as the recording says now for about 10 days. The only thing that they have done so far is change the recording. And this blogger thing is all messed up when I add photos so bear with me. I don't care much for the new blogger dashboard or how it posts. Two of the photos I had problems with so if they are not there please let me know.

That Is What Thought Did For Me.....

2011-10-18T14:37:00.000-05:00

I thought when I got back that I would have some time for blogging again and most important sewing....yeah well that didn't work out. The weather was nice so we finished up on the outside of the house. Still more to go but it may have to wait till spring. So I moved inside the last couple of days and started on it. Whew! what a mess.

We put the ceiling up on the porches and got some lights. I also got a finish on the inside of the windows and got them washed. My hubby worked on the rest of the porch putting up some cedar to cover the white along the top. One of these days the white will be gone. We also need to replace the floor of the front porch. Now we need to concentrate on some frames for the inside of the windows and then I will have to figure out what I want to do for curtains.

I also painted a this table that someone gave us quite some time ago. It has a marble top that goes on it and has been broken but it is fine for outside. It was an ugly gold color and I painted it white. It will sit on the front porch under the big window. In the spring I hope to put a couple of pots of flowers on it.

Then some guy plowed through our fence and into our field and left the scene of the accident but our good Sheriff's Department caught the guy so we are waiting on all of that before the fence can get fixed. No hurry as we don't have any cows right now.

I am working on getting some old clothes cleaned out. I got a good start and lots of stuff for the thrift store. I have a long way to go in the cleaning out department but I have all winter to do it in. I hope to get back to some sewing shortly but I just need to get a handle on some of this.

Hope to see you all soon.

Before I Left

2011-09-10T18:13:00.000-05:00

This is what the house looked like as I was leaving for the summer. Looking now at the new siding and how it was when I left I just can't get over how bad it was. We should have done something with it a few years ago but you all know how that goes....

Then we needed some sort of a roof over this door because it is on the south side and gets all the wind and rain in the spring and summer. The new siding is on and I got a nice octagon window in there too. I know the new photo is at a different angle but you get the idea. I just thought you might like to see the difference. We are still working on the porches and getting the place buttoned up for winter. I am so not ready for winter.

Long Time Gone

2011-09-05T20:48:00.000-05:00

I am back home now. Whew, I was gone a long time. It seems so good to be home again and wow what a change. I had posted a few photos of the re do on the house. I can't believe it all, it all looks so nice. The new windows, siding and the porch. There is still a lot of work to do yet but slowly it will get done. The inside of the house, well I don't even want to discuss that right now.

I hope to be posting some photos as I get time. I didn't get to take as many photos as I wanted to because I was working for my Auctioneer brother. We had lots of fun and I need to get rested up. See ya all later.

Thrift Store Finds and Hot Air Balloon Rally

2011-07-18T10:45:00.000-05:00

I found this fabric vintage fabric in the thrift store and the vintage sheet as well. The 2 pieces of fabric were not too big but I am sure I will mix them into a scrap quilt. The sheet I will use for the back of a quilt, I think it is a twin size.

The only way I can get a photo on here is to use the camera in the computer. I need to get home and call to see what is wrong with my SD card reader on here. It will be a while before I get to do that. I took a lot of photos of the Hot Air Balloon Rally that I went to over the weekend and am excited to get some of the photos on here but they will have to wait till I get home. So look for the photos of that later in August. :>(

Meeting A Fellow Blogger

2011-07-12T16:59:00.000-05:00

I went to meet a fellow blogger today, Susan. She is such a lovely person. I took Mom with me and we had a grand time. We had lunch at a small diner there where my Mom and Dad used to eat quite often. I took a few fat quarters of vintage sheets with me to give to Susan and she brought me some of hers. I did buy some Fandango to add to my stash. No photos because my SD card reader has decided not to work. I will have lots of photos to post when I get home.

Not sure I like this new format that Blogger has now.....I think I am almost lost with it and things are really different now. I think I liked the old set up better for several reasons, one is because I could navigate a bit better...Well I guess I will get used to it maybe.

Here is a new photo of the front of the house.....almost done. I am really loving the new windows! Thanks for sending all those photos Amy. They sure are working fast on it and it has been HOT there...temps. are 102 during the day. Poor guys.

Thanks Susan for such a lovely day! I really enjoyed it and thanks for the vintage sheets.

New Windows

2011-07-05T14:06:00.001-05:00

Finally we are getting things under control here. 4 of the new windows are all in. Just waiting on the big one for the front. I can't wait to see all of this in person, it is looking great. I am sure the inside is a disaster!!!!!!

I will, hopefully, be meeting with Susan next week. I am looking forward to it. I am just doing a bit of hand sewing that I brought with me and I am making a bit of progress on that. I have not had much time for any sewing or computer since I have been here. I have a bit of time right now so I am going to catch up on some blog reading.

Progress!

2011-06-30T15:55:00.000-05:00

Cedar siding and a new Octagon window

Well at least my hubby and Joey are making some progress. It is looking good so far I love it. Amy sends me photos when she can. I understand that I have 4 new windows in as of today, can't wait to see the photos of them. The Octagon windows I love, there are two of them, one in the bathroom, the one that was there was ugly, really ugly, and one in the laundry area.

Amy has been using my quilt frame while I am gone, plus cooking for the guys and trying to keep them cool with lots of water in the 100+ temperatures they are having. I think she has done about 5 quilts since I left. Have fun Amy! Glad your using it!

Life Gets In The Way

2011-06-25T09:38:00.002-05:00

Joey and Norm hard at work!

It has been quite some time since I was even on the blog let alone be able to post anything. We started some much needed work on our house and it went down hill from there. The house has been much more work than we first thought. Had several problems and then thought we had better get some new windows as well. We had to tear everything off the house and start new so it has been a lot of work for the guys.

Amy and her husband are between jobs so they are parked at our house. Photos courtesy of Amy. They have been a great help to us because this is more than a two person job for sure. Amy emailed me this photo of the siding starting to go up. I am visiting my mom now and am missing out on the whole deal. I told her when I left that she had better send photos and lots of them. I am waiting for a photo of one of one of my new windows all put in. Um do you hear that Amy????

The library is the only internet connection that I have and they have very limited hours and I can't always get up here or have time to do much of anything on the internet so sorry to all of you that have blogs and I have not visited lately. I am sure I am missing a lot of good stuff by not being able to blog.

Hope to "see" you all soon in blog land!

We Have Been Busy

2011-06-06T18:07:00.000-05:00

We have been very busy around here lately. We have had some problems with the south side of the house. We knew it need to be done but the torrential downpours that we have had lately have made it a bit of an emergency to get done. We have plenty of good help and I am thankful for that.

The stuff on the side of the house was sort of like pressed board, not sure what else to call it. I refer to it as glued cardboard. We knew it was bad and it gets all that bad weather in the south. We have needed to do something with, like put a roof over the door and replace the siding but you all know how it goes with all of that time and money just never seem to be there. Now it has to be there because it has to be done. The casing on the door was rotting and the floor inside where the door leaked was starting to rot as well. All fixed now.

We got some siding and the boys started to tear off the old siding. We will build a roof over the door and a small patio out there. It isn't going very quickly but it is progressing.

And we here are some more good helpers! Thanks!

WIP Wednesday #6

2011-06-01T01:42:00.004-05:00

Well I have not even been on here for over a week. Last week I had to miss WIP Wednesday because of thunderstorms. When they are violent like they were last week I just shut the computer off and I have been busy since then and have not had a chance to get on much.

I am linking up with Lee at Freshly Pieced. Looks like the WIP Wednesday has been move to Don't Call Me Betsy blog.

First....Amy and I have been cutting up sheets. We took some of hers and some of mine and split them in half. I cut some of mine up into fat quarters. Some I folded and put away for later.

Then I made some small blocks because I didn't really want to get into anything big right now. I am going to finish them off so they can be used for table toppers or whatever. I have a couple of them quilted but not bound yet. Also a small table runner to finish up.

I also tried some FMQ. It didn't turn out all that bad. In fact I was rather happy with it. It is a block that I made some time ago and never did anything with it. It will sit under my coffee pot so it is easier to slide on the counter.

Dresden Plate....waiting
Hexies..... some progress
String Quilt....waiting till after summer to be quilted
Everything else is the same. I will be loosing access to my machine in two weeks so I am trying to get the machine sewing all done then I will have the hand work to keep me sane.

I hope you all have made a lot of progress. I really feel like I have done something, maybe a lot because I have not been on the computer hardly at all. I will have to catch up with all of you since I missed last week. I really hate missing WIP Wednesdays.

Blue Bird of Happiness

2011-05-20T18:49:00.000-05:00

We have had a pair of Bluebirds around here for a few years and I have wanted to get a photo of them forever. Finally, last night I got my chance. They are such a pretty bird and sort of rare from what I understand but they are on a come back. They do make me happy when I see them, especially with their little ones.

I have also been waiting for this Quail to show herself so I could get a photo of her. My husband noticed her the last time he mowed the lawn and we have been watching every day for a couple of weeks. We thought they had a nest in one of my flower gardens but we are not too sure if they do or not but we see her almost every day. I just finally today got a chance to take the photo. They are very hard to see in the grass and as you can tell it needs to be mowed again. If she is living in the flower garden hopefully we will get some photos of the babies.

Tonight is Friday Night Sew In so I had better get busy.

WIP Wednesday #5

2011-05-18T01:37:00.000-05:00

It is hard to believe that May is half over with and that WIP Wednesday has come around again. Where did the week go? I have once again linked up with Lee at Freshly Pieced, hostess of this WIP Wednesday.

I don't feel like I have made too much progress this week. I have been working on the hexies and have the background fabric almost all the way around one diamond. Not too sure I am really happy with the background fabric. I really didn't want to use white because I was afraid that it would get too dirty while handling it all the time. You will probably get sick of seeing these hexies and I will probably get sick of sewing them.

I did get the backing finished for the 9-Patch or H-quilt as it has been referred to. I took some of the leftover strips and pieced them in a bit of an improv style. I will put this on hold till late August. I don't want to rush with the quilting on it and if I started it now I would feel like I had to hurry up and get it done. This will be done on my frame and I am not that great at using it so I want to take my time on it.

Everything else still sits and waits. I did get some cleaning done and had to reorganize my stash a bit, I have a small closet that I keep everything in and it was getting a bit out of hand. I also found this partially done Flower Garden. I had gotten a box of old fabric at an auction years ago and years after that I started it. I have stopped working on it several times. I still have the fabrics but was thinking I was going to end it where it was and even up the sides. Not sure what I have left for the fabrics. Some of the pieces were small and I pinned the hexie on and cut the fabric around it with the shears. I may add a few to it depending on what I have left for fabric.

I hope to show a bit more progress next week on my Postage Stamp quilt. I did find some more white/off white today while I was doing a bit of cleaning so now I can continue on that.

See you all next week!

Vintage Sheets

2011-05-16T18:36:00.000-05:00

Well I think blogger is getting straightened out. I know some people lost posts and some just lost the comments from the posts. I have not really been on because my feed was all messed up as well. I thought I would try and post this and see if it worked.

I have been buying some vintage sheets. I love the feel of them and some of the prints are wonderful. These are a few of the ones I have been collecting. There are a few pillow cases there too. (I bought some nice navy blue pillow cases and hubby claimed them.) When I get some other projects done, I want to make a quilt out of them. Hopefully this winter.

WIP Wednesday Week 4

2011-05-11T00:01:00.001-05:00

This week certainly flew by and here it is WIP Wednesday again. I am linking up with Lee over at Freshly Pieced for another week of blog hopping to see what every one else is up to. I really like having the opportunity of linking up and keeping track of my WIP's.

1.5 inch strips, Postage Stamp quilt

First up is my Postage Stamp quilt. I had started this forever ago and had just about forgotten about it but then I started linking up with WIP Wednesdays and got it back out to work on. It has been a little over a year now. I did quiet a bit of work on it this week. It takes a while to sew these 17 strips together. I usually work on 2 sets at a time. I completed 6 strip sets and had 7 already done. The ones I just did are on the left side of the photo. I ran out of the white/off white for it. I have been using whatever I had. I will buy some remnants from the scrap basket at the LQS to finish this up. I have no idea how much more I will need. I wanted to make it a bit larger than a twin size but we will see how it goes. It will be an on going project for quiet some time.

Hexie Diamonds, 1 inch

Next, my hexies. I have been sitting in the evenings and working on them. I wanted to see how they were going to look. I need to cut the background squares or at least some of them. I did come up with a plan but I am not sure that I will stick to it, depends on what it looks like and if I feel like doing more. Originally I had planned on just 9 diamonds, I wanted to keep it small but we shall have to wait and see.

Everything else is still the way it was last week. I didn't have a lot of time to sew this week as I had a lot of errands to run and was not home 2 different days. I would love to prepare the backing for the 9 -Patch quilt so it will be ready later in the summer. I also have a string quilt that I made a couple of months ago that needs to be quilted but it will have to wait as well. Photo of that maybe next week.

Thanks again everyone for coming and your wonderful comments. I feel so encouraged by all of them and hopefully I will get these projects finished up in the next few months and will move onto new ones. I enjoy visiting your blogs.

A Cool App

2011-05-10T09:36:00.000-05:00

Not sure how I found this app but I am glad that I did. Robert Kaufman Quilting Calculator. It is free for iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad. It is easy to use. Here is the link to the Kaufman site to get the calculator or just search iTunes for Robert Kaufman. I love FREE!

Download the FREE Offical Robert Kaufman Quilting Calculator App for iPhone

Problems

2011-05-09T21:23:00.002-05:00

Ever since last week I have been having problems with my dashboard. I am not ignoring anyone it is just difficult to get the updates on the blog posts. I have not changed any settings on my computer so it can't be that. Not sure what is up but I am going to look into it and email blogger and see.

WIP Wednesday #3

2011-05-04T08:28:00.004-05:00

It is Wednesday again already. Well let's see, it has been a busy week with not much sewing going on here but I did manage to get my centers made for my Dresden Plate. Now to start hand stitching them down.

And I got some some hexies cut. I printed out a sheet from the paper piecing site and figured out what it is that I want to do. I didn't want this to be a long on going project and just wanted to make a small wall hanging. I picked a few fat quarters that I had here for 9 diamond shapes and will be using a tan for the background, those aren't cut yet. I had to order more hexies. I am using the 1 inch. They seem easy to work with.

Other projects:

The 9 patch still sits there without the backing. I still have to sew that and a small Grandmother's Flower Garden that I did and never finished that off. I will have to dig them out and get going on that.

I did get my Paddle Wheel table topper all done and it is ready to be mailed off to my friend. I put cotton batting in the Paddle Wheel and I used an 80/20 batting for the small D-4 Patch. I think I like using the cotton batting for a table topper better. Also I didn't do much quilting on the D-4 patch so it is a bit more crinklie than I would like it to be.

I also have a Postage Stamp quilt that I started quiet some time ago. That has been untouched for a long time. With the WIP Wednesdays over at Freshly Pieced I have re found it and would like to start sewing on that again. If you are not a follower of the WIP Wednesdays go and check out all the nice blogs.

I had a lot of wonderful comments last week, thank you all so much. I know I visited a lot of blogs and some new to me. I will try again this week to visit as many as I can and I hope to see you next week and show a lot more progress.

AN ADDED NOTE------I don't seem to be able to get to my Blogs I am Following. I was on earlier and wanted to come back and look at some more of the links but can't get to any of them. Nothing shows up on my dashboard except edit the posts.....sorry I will get there as soon as I can.

WIP Wednesday

2011-04-27T00:01:00.080-05:00

This is the second WIP Wednesday for me. I hope I am a bit more organized this time after seeing all of the other bloggers WIP's posts.

First up is my Dresden Plate....I have made some progress on it. I got all the wedges sewn together and placed on the blocks. It will take me a while to hand stitch them down but I plan on working on this over the summer because I will be without a sewing machine for a while. The cream print squares will be the made into the circles for the centers. There will be sashing between the blocks. I have one of the green prints for that and the binding.

Next is a quilt that I made last year (a 9 Patch) and had problems getting the fabric for the border. I tried to order some and it was on backorder for about 3 months. Finally, they said they couldn't get any more. Then after that while my hubby and I were traveling about I found some in a quilt shop about 3 hours from here, lucky me. The top is done but I need to piece the backing yet, it is put on hold for now.

My best friend had a birthday earlier this month and I made her a table topper. I am late I know but it is almost done. I finally got all the quilting threads pulled in tonight and started hand stitching the binding down. This is the Paddle Wheel block from Kim Brackett's book, Scrap Basket Sensations. What a fun block to make. She has so many nice quilts in that book and they are all 2.5 inch strip quilts.

I am also starting to cut fabric for some one inch hexagons to work on over the summer months. I have plenty of small scraps to use up and some more hand stitching is in order. I will keep you up to date on that one as well.

Thanks for all the great comments from last week I really enjoyed reading them. I also enjoyed visiting your blogs, what inspiration you all give to me. I did try and visit everyone's blog but I am sure that I missed a few, sorry about that. Click on over to Freshly Pieced and enjoy some great blogs.

Wooden Birds

2011-04-25T09:47:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I were out riding yesterday and saw this. It was on a busy narrow road and we held up traffic while I was taking the photo. I had to be quick as there was no place to pull over because of a steep drop off and the pond was fenced off so I had to take the photo through the fence.

What a pretty spot these people have, lots of trees and ducks and geese in their yard. Not sure if you can see the ducks sitting at the bottom of the tree in the first photo. I didn't see them till my hubby pointed them out to me. Here is a close up of the tree so you can see the carving on the side of the tree as well.

Easter Blessings

2011-04-24T10:30:00.000-05:00

Easter Blessings to you and your families .............

Nice Block

2011-04-22T11:38:00.000-05:00

Table toppers are a nice way to try out blocks you have never done before. This will be sent with the Disappearing 4 Patch block that I made a week or so ago during the Friday Night Sew In.

WIP Wednesday

2011-04-20T01:23:00.000-05:00

Freshly Pieced hosts a WIP Wednesday, for the link click on my side bar. This is my first time linking up. I only have one project to show but that is because I thought I would start with this one.

This is a small wall hanging that I am working on. The fabric is Dragonfly Summer by Holly Taylor for Moda. I have over half of the wedges made and the rest of them cut. I am going to use the cream that is in this line of fabric for the background, I think. I also have a fabric that is a little darker and will figure that out once I get the wedges all made and laid out. I may change some of the wedges out for some lighter ones if I use the darker background. At this point I am undecided about it. I wanted to wait and see what they look like all sewn. The centers for the wedges will be the lighter prints. I am using 2 charm packs for this wall hanging. You can get 2 wedges out of one charm and they make a nice size wedge to work with. I am planning on hand stitching them onto the fabric, I hope that isn't a mistake.

Dresden Plate Tea Towel

2011-04-18T18:45:00.000-05:00

I finished the binding on my little frog and forgot I had a cute little button to put on there too. I also decorated a nice towel for another friend of mine, she loves green. I got this towel at the quilt shop and found one fat quarter of the green floral fabric to go with it. I made a small Dresden Plate to decorate the towel with, and I mean small. I cut the wedges at 2 inches, then the circle was so huge and I didn't really have anything to go with it so I just used the same fabric. I could have gotten my circle on a bit better but it still looks OK. I machine stitched around the circle and the wedges I thought it would be more durable. I really don't think she will use it but you never know. I don't think I would use it only to decorate with. Do you have any decorative towels you use??

Friday Night Sew In Project

2011-04-16T03:38:00.000-05:00

I just finished up my sewing for the Friday Night Sew In. I didn't get the binding hand stitched down but I will hand stitch that tomorrow, or I should say later today. I had done the embroidery this past week and wanted to make a block out of it. This is a gift for a friend of mine. Every time I ask him how he is he says, "Finer than Frog hair". The white and green frog fabric Amy gave that to me so I put on the back. It was a bit tricky getting the lettering embroidered on the fabric and then cut so it would be in the right place.

I had a lot of fun doing this little project, I guess sometimes we need to just do some thing that is fun.

FNSI & A Disappearing 4-Patch Block

2011-04-15T16:02:00.000-05:00

One night Amy were on the phone and blog surfing at the same time and we found this blog with a tutorial for the D 4-Patch block. I liked the block so I thought I would try it. It is super simple and looks great when it is done. I started with a 5.5 inch block and cut them at 1.5 inches on each side of the center. She cut hers at 1 inch on each side of the center. My block measures about 18.5 when done and I pressed my seams open. This one I will make into a small table topper for a friend of mine.

Friday Night Sew In is tonight as well and I will be working on a little project for a friend of mine, just a little Mug Rug but I have done some embroidery on it. I hope to finish it up tonight and will post photos tomorrow. It is rainy and nasty out there so it is a good night to sew, sew, sew.

Two More Finished

2011-04-13T17:29:00.000-05:00

Disappearing 9-Patch

I finally finished these two small quilts. I made them about a year ago and figured it was about time I got them done. This first one I made from a couple of Charm Packs. The other one is just a simple box block. If you click on the photo you can see how I quilted it. It took forever because of all the ends I had to pull in. I should have done it a different way but I thought this would look nice and I am pleased with the result. They are both on their way to a good home along with the white Coin Quilt that I had posted earlier.

ZOOM ZOOM

2011-04-12T22:03:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I took the afternoon and went to a grand opening for a new home improvement store here. Menards. I don't know if you all have them around where you are but wow what a nice store. Huge but nice. For the grand opening they had Paul Menard, the owners nephew, Paul drives the # 27 car for NASCAR and Matt Crafton who drives the #88 truck in the NASCAR series.

Hubby and I really like NASCAR and it was a real treat for us to be able to see the vehicles and the drivers.
Matt Crafton is on the right and Paul Menard is on the left. I didn't get an autograph because there was a long line but hubby and I did enjoy the store and will be going back to purchase a few things we need for the house.

Sign of Spring

2011-04-11T11:30:00.000-05:00

Yup Spring is here! The trees are getting green and so is the lawn. Flowers are popping up and so is the temperature. Back to sewing.

Hail

2011-04-04T12:27:00.001-05:00

It was a record 92 degrees here yesterday. Today is 48 with a stiff North wind. This was in between. With some strong storms hail ranged in size from quarter to golf ball with 70 to 80 mph winds.

Fabric Shopping

2011-03-31T15:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I met Amy for a bit of fabric shopping at my favorite quilt shop in the area. It is a bit of a hike but I do love Sarah's as I had blogged about her store before.

I got caught in a bit of a traffic jam while leaving home. I had to stop so they could get this big thing up the road. It is the bottom of a windmill and it was headed for Illinois. They were going the long way around because they were headed north. I couldn't believe how big it was.

So then on to some fun. Amy and I had a great time, we actually went to two shops. The first one carries the Amy Bradley Designs and have a lot of her quilts in their shop as well. Amy is a local designer and is friends with the shop owner. You can see Amy Bradley's site here. She has some really cute patterns. Amy has one of a quilt lady and it reminds me of Madame Samm when I see it.

Then we went onto Sarah's and tried to see everything that Sarah has in the store, I really don't think that is possible but we gave it a good try. Amy got some nice fabrics and here are the ones that I got one yard cuts of each.....click on over to Amy's site and see her things. Oh and the cute little lady frog I found in the first shop we went into. She was so cute I just could not resist buying her. Every rose garden needs a frog. I am going to keep her around so you will see more of her. Any suggestions for a name for Miss Frog?

Ten Minutes? -----Yeah!

2011-03-27T19:29:00.000-05:00

Amy got a pattern for a 10 Minute Table Runner the other day when we went shopping. She has been making them and getting some emails about the pattern. She posted a tutorial this afternoon so I thought I would make one up just to see. Well it worked great. I just pulled some fabric that I have had for ages and ages and made one. I wish I had some cute buttons to put on it but I can just sew the edges down since I think I will send this to my Mom for one of her tables.

Go and check out Amy's tutorial here. Thanks Amy for the great job on the tutorial.

Lazy Saturday

2011-03-26T13:40:00.003-05:00

Lazy Saturday

No Internet So I Went Shopping......

2011-03-25T12:12:00.000-05:00

I have not had a phone or the internet since Wednesday. Actually it started on Monday. Apparently there was a bad wire on the box outside the house. We are finally back up and running now and I am way behind on blog reading and everything else.

I took the day off yesterday and met Amy at another quilt shop. In fact we did go back to one of the ones from last week. We both got some fabrics and had a great time. I just got some fat quarters and these charm packs. Two of the charm packs I got last week and thought I would get another of Punctuation. The Swell charm pack I bought last week with Amy.

We also saw this 10 minute table runner. Amy bought a kit for it and made one you can see it here. I am going to make a couple of them as gifts. I like something that makes up quick. It calls for 1/2 a yard of a focus fabric and 1/3 yard of an accent fabric, just a couple of seams and your done.

Next Amy wants to go to Sarah's (I posted about Sarah's here) we will have to save up some before we go there.

Be sure and check out Amy's blog to see the table runner she made and the fabrics she bought. Talk to you all later.

I See Spring

2011-03-22T16:32:00.001-05:00

Looks good to me! Just noticed these in the old flower bed. Now we are under a Tornado Watch. Yup, it is Spring.

Also I forgot to mention, I am looking for a nice Frog drawing to either applique or embroider. Any one know where I can get one? Just thought I would ask.

This Took Forever

2011-03-21T22:37:00.002-05:00

I made this baby quilt a little more than a year ago. Now it is finally done. I straight line quilted this and it took forever to pull in all those threads but it was worth it. I am working on two more that were made about the same time. One just needs the binding hand stitched down and the other one I am just starting to quilt. I just thought it would be nice to get a few things done and out of the way.

Friday Night Sew In

2011-03-19T19:25:00.000-05:00

Last night was the March Friday Night Sew In....I was a bit tired but managed to get a couple of little things done. I had met Amy for a long trek to two quilt shops in the area(sort of). We had a good time and after driving almost 200 miles, including a huge detour, I was a bit pooped. I did find the fabric for this block(below) and the Dresden Plate ruler that I have been wanting. The one I had was not really to my liking.

I did sew this block for the Untied Notions/Moda...Just One Star Project I might make another one since you know that they will get thousands of blocks and not just 100. It will be exciting to see the quilts they make with all of the blocks.

I also did more hand sewing on this Dresden Plate block I have been working on. I still have to sew the circles down but that shouldn't take long. I will be putting a bit of a border on it and have it for a table topper or a wall hanging. I hope your Friday Night Sew In went well.

Antique Quilt Needs Washing...any ideas for me?

2011-03-17T15:45:00.000-05:00

My Mom sent me this old quilt she got for me. It is in good shape, the binding is a bit worn and it really looks like it could use "washing" but I am not going to throw it in the washer.

It is really a nice quilt, set on point and around the edges she used half star blocks with different fabrics. The fabrics are really nice.

And then there is the backing fabric.............

None of the fabrics look as though they are faded or have been exposed to sunlight at all. The backing on it doesn't feel like cotton. Not sure what is inside for batting.

Any suggestions on cleaning this quilt up would be appreciated.

A Quilt For My Mom

2011-03-13T21:12:00.000-05:00

I finally finished my Mom's quilt. I did some free motion quilting on the middle section of it. I have not done that much of it so I am really happy that I didn't mess it up. I just did small parts of the middle section and tried to emphasize the field parts and did around the trees. You can enlarge the photos so you can see what I did.

Front of Quilt showing side blocks

I love the crinkly look that it has. I used an 80/20 binding. I straight line quilted around the side blocks and the borders. I used the barn fabric for the back but it was a bit narrow so I had to put the outer border fabric on the back as well, along with a label for her.

Back of Quilt

I am going to mail this out tomorrow. I am anxious for her to get it. She has that arthritis and gets so cold that she uses a blanket to cover up with when she sits and watches her movies, even in the summer time. I thought this would be a nice size for her to use. She loves barns and that is why I picked this fabric last fall when I saw it. I have a little left and may make her a table runner when I get a chance.

This is crazy!

2011-03-11T21:38:00.000-06:00

Enlarge to see the print on the red tag.

Not sure what this is all about but hubby said they probably needed some security on these because they are so small and could be easily put in a pocket. Don't you think they could have left the words off the tag?

Went Thrift Store Shopping

2011-03-09T22:49:00.000-06:00

This past Saturday I went to the one thrift store here and got these sheets.They are all cotton, the bottom one says Muslin on the tag.

I have been so busy that I haven't even been on the computer. The Iditarod started on Friday and I have only been on with hubby as he checks the race progress.

I got my Mom's quilt all done and all I have to do is hand sew the binding on. Then tonight I got a baby quilt ready to start quilting, I have 2 more of those to do and one large quilt to quilt, plus one to finish a border on. I am trying to get some of these projects out of the way to make room for new ones. How are you coming on getting some projects finished up?

Trouble

2011-03-04T22:56:00.000-06:00

Click to enlarge

I was doing some straight line quilting on my Mom's quilt and found a "spot" in the outer border. You can see in the photo(it is about in the center.) that it looks like a hole in the fabric but it was actually more like the color lifted off the fabric. Not really sure what happened but I am sure it wasn't there before. I put my money on the safety pin because as I took the pins out it looked like I would have another spot that would be a problem but it worked itself out when I rubbed the fabric with my finger. I have never had a problem with the pins before. I think I had better start getting some new ones. They are very nice to use rather than baste with needle and thread. How do you put your quilts together?

It's Sinking In

2011-02-27T23:27:00.000-06:00

I did some more practice on my quilting frame today and I think it is finally sinking in. I finally figured out what I was doing wrong. For one, I am not having the quilt, in this case sheets, stretched as tight as I did before and I was trying to quilt in too small of an area. I found all that out by accident but at least I found out. I only have a little more room left on the sheet and I can take it off and really get to work. Any of you with a frame have any tips for me?

It Took Forever Mr. Mailman

2011-02-24T11:15:00.000-06:00

Well it took forever for Mr. Mailman to get this fabric package to me from the UK but finally it arrived and I got right busy on Trudi's blocks. Trudi is the last of the Bees Knees blocks. This was a super simple block to make and I love the fabrics that she chose for them. They will be on their way back to Trudi as soon as this weather clears and I can get to the post office. Hopefully, Mr. Mailman will not take so long to get them back to her. We are having a lovely snow storm with ice today. Yesterday was sunny and about 67 so it is quiet the change and I hope the last of the snow storms.

Tumblers....and More Practice

2011-02-22T22:10:00.000-06:00

Now that I have my new light for my frame and I can see I think I am getting the hang of this quilting thing. I practiced this morning and am happy with the results. Then this afternoon I started putting some Tumblers together that Amy gave me for Christmas. I only have them in pairs right now but they are fun and easy to sew together. I have a block to do for the Bees Knees that took forever to get here(mailed out on the 10th of Jan. and I got them today!) from the UK and put some backing together for my Mom's quilt. I really need to get that finished soon! Then I am going to get a quilt top done that has been sitting here for a year, had problems with getting the right fabric for it. Then I will go back and finish the Tumblers up. Too many projects and too little time but lots of desire to sew.

New Light

2011-02-21T16:04:00.000-06:00

Just got home from picking up my machine from the shop. Yay feels good to have it back in my possession. I will have to give it a try later. I also went to Joann's and got this light to put on my quilting frame so I can see better. It was half off! Love the sales at Joann's.

Practice

2011-02-19T23:01:00.000-06:00

Here is what I did for Friday Night Sew In..I need the practice. I have only quilted one quilt this way(on my frame) the rest were straight stitched so I need the practice and I discovered a better light! I just put two plain sheets from the thrift store together and some batting. I am using thread from previous quilts as well. Might as well get it used up.

Quilting

2011-02-17T22:51:00.000-06:00

I just started quilting my scrap quilt. Tomorrow night, Friday the 18th is the Friday Night Sew In. I will continue to work on the quilting and hope to finish it up then.

First Try

2011-02-15T09:41:00.000-06:00

I have always loved the Dresden Plate block and seeing a lot of them around blogland lately I thought I would try one. They are easier than I thought and fun to make. I must make more.

Quick Projects

2011-02-13T18:19:00.000-06:00

I love these quick projects..yes, more hot pads. Another gift for a friend.

Hot Pads

2011-02-11T17:00:00.000-06:00

Thought I would like to try and make some hot pads, not that they are hard to do but I just didn't want any big projects at the moment and these have been fun to do. I saw this in a magazine, it is a spilt Snowball.

These are the 1,000 Pyramid block. I love the scrappy look. I used inslu-brite(if that is how you spell it) in both of them. Never have used it before but it isn't difficult to work with.

What do you use for your hot pads and pot holders?

A Nice Surprise!

2011-02-09T09:38:00.000-06:00

Quilting friends are the nicest people! I got to know Jenna through the Bees Knees, the virtual quilt bee that I am in. We are almost done with that now but Jenna and I have had occasion to email back and forth and her blog Jennadesigns is a regular read of mine. She is super sweet. She made some ipod cases using the nicest fabric. I had commented on how nice they were so she surprised me and sent me one. Also in the package was a huge bar of dark chocolate, one of my favorites. Jenna knows me well.

I just love the little button on the outside of the case and the fabric she used for the inside of it. So thank you so very much Jenna for the nicest surprise. Quilting friends are always best friends. Hop on over to her blog and take a look at all her crafty projects.

Delayed Finish

2011-02-07T23:55:00.000-06:00

For my Mom

I had made a wrong cut on the fabric that I was using for my Mom's quilt so I had to wait and go back to the quilt shop for more. I went to the sale they had this weekend and got more of the fabric I needed plus some for the outer border. I got a few other things too. Oh and I got some silk ribbon, she is now carrying a small amount of it. I hope she gets more in. I would do more silk ribbon embroidery if it were more easily available. Anyway here is a peek at Mom's quilt. Not sure when I will get it quilted I need to take my machine in for yearly service soon. I am overdue with that. I hate to part with it. How often do you take your machine in for service?

String Quilt Top Finished

2011-02-03T23:47:00.000-06:00

I finished this top about an hour ago. It is the first one in the Use It Up that I started and the 4th top I have made. I wanted to run the blocks in columns but I was a little concerned with sewing them that way. It may have been nice with the sashing but was easier to add a piece of sashing onto the side of each block and then sew them together and into rows. Let me tell you that thing is heavy. I did the blocks on muslin and this will be one warm quilt. I only put a 2 inch border on it because it is plenty big enough and didn't want to fool with more borders. I didn't measure the quilt but it is about the size of the last one I just finished and will go nicely on a twin size bed.

I will finish Mom's up after I go to the quilt shop for some border fabric for it. They are having a big sale this weekend and I don't want to miss it. Any Super Bowl sales in your local quilt shops?

String Blocks

2011-02-03T10:42:00.000-06:00

I had started these a while back you can see them here. In fact it was before I did the last two quilts. Since I came to a sudden stop on my Mom's quilt I thought I would try and finish this top up. I had the fabric I just needed to get the blocks out and cut the strips to go in between the blocks.

Machine Needles

2011-02-02T14:15:00.004-06:00

A while back I Have A Notion had a needle exchange program, I sent in a used machine needle and she sent me new one back. I liked this needle much better than the ones that I have been using for years so I bought some. One of these needles out lasted my normal brand of needle by about twice the time. I say twice the time because I think it was even longer. I ordered a couple of different sizes to try. Even though the initial price is a bit more than the needles that I usually buy they are cheaper in the long run because I am not changing my needle as much. I am not advertising for Kelly but I just like this needle that much and her service is quick and cheap.I thought I would let you know about it and also ask you about yours.

What brand of needle do you use and how often do you change it? Also what size do you normally use?

In Progress.......

2011-01-31T14:56:00.000-06:00

For my Mom

I just started this for my Mom. I have had the fabric for a while now but have not been able to get to it. I was working up some plans for this quilt when I saw this pattern in Keepsake Quilting and ordered it. I fussy cut the blocks for the side and the bottom from the extra width of the panel. The red is a border around the panel and I forgot where I am using the other two fabrics but I will figure it out, I hope.

We had an ice storm and are now waiting for 6 to 10 inches of snow by tomorrow night. I know a lot of people are getting snow from this storm so stay safe. I think it is a good time for me to just sit and sew. How about you?

YAY!

2011-01-29T18:48:00.000-06:00

Bricks and Stones

I just now finished this quilt top that I have been posting progress of for the last couple of weeks. I am so happy with it. The final quilt measures 72 X 84. No border on this one. I am not 100% certain what I will be using for binding but I am leaning toward a dark fabric. I am going to leave it sit for a few days while I do some other things and then quilt it with an all over meander.

The Last 12

2011-01-27T14:02:00.000-06:00

I just finished the last 12 blocks for my quilt. It will be so much nicer now. 70 something by 80 something and no border which is what I wanted for this quilt. I don't think I have enough of the light blue to use for binding so I will have to dig up something else from my stash but that is what stash is for. Now to sew the blocks together.

48 More

2011-01-25T19:31:00.000-06:00

Just 48 more 4-patches, then turn them into 12 double 4-patches and I will have a quilt that is a more suitable size. I did get some made today but I am withering tonight, too many distractions and too many things going hay wire today. Well tomorrow is another day...............

More Thrift Store Sheets

2011-01-24T17:13:00.000-06:00

Thrift Store

I went to the local thrift store and picked these up. Not as cheap as I picked up the other ones from the other day but still a good deal..

I also got more pieces cut for that scrap quilt I am working on. I need it to be a bit bigger than it was going to be. So I am making 12 more blocks. It should make a big difference since it is a double 4-patch and the blocks are 12 inches.

Friday Night Sew In.....

2011-01-22T15:21:00.000-06:00

Last night was the first Sew In of the New Year. Hubby went to work and I sat at the sewing machine, put my 4-patch blocks together and watched John Wayne movies. Now, after laying them out I need to make about 12 more blocks. I need it to be a bit wider and a bit longer. So back to cutting.

Blind Quilter

2011-01-21T15:53:00.000-06:00

Saw this on Kim Komando's web site. Amazing.

Another 60

2011-01-20T15:33:00.002-06:00

Finished up the other 60 blocks. Now to pair these 4 patches with the other 4 patches and I am all set to sew them into a top.......starting to slow down a bit now. Friday Night Sew In is tomorrow night....that will help.

I also updated the "Crock Pot" tab to let you know how I am doing with it.

Next Step...

2011-01-19T13:40:00.001-06:00

All pressed and ready to sew into a 4-patch. The other 120 will be paired with a solid block. This will make 60 blocks.

Also tried another crock pot recipe the other night.....very good. I will put it on my crock pot tab soon.

It is snowing like crazy here, so many places are closed already. Supposed to get 5 to 9 inches and they say it could be more. Yikes. I feel bad for people that have to drive in it for work, like hubby. Stay safe everyone!

$1.99 will buy......

2011-01-18T18:05:00.001-06:00

We took a day off and....I got these at a favorite thrift store that I can't get to very often. I am never disappointed when I go. I got these for a $1.99 each

and this, 4 different panels

and this vintage sheet for just the right project........

and

this lovely hand sewn quilt.....................

And don't forget about Friday Night Sew In this Friday!

The link for her site is on my Quilt Link tab at the top of the page.

Pile of Bricks

2011-01-17T10:59:00.000-06:00

Pile of Bricks

And now to clip apart, iron, then sew in pairs again..........

700+

2011-01-16T12:33:00.000-06:00

Here they are.....all 700+ of them. Now to get that dust off the sewing machine.

UNBROKEN

2011-01-15T14:58:00.000-06:00

This by far is the best book I have ever read! It is the true story of Mr. Louis Zamperini, a WWII POW and an Olympic runner. The book was written by Laura Hillenbrand. She has truly captured this man's story. I do admit that it was difficult in some places because of what happened to Mr. Zamperini while he was a prisoner but it was well written and worth it. I couldn't put the book down. Also I was very interested in the book because he was born not too far from where I was born but they moved to California when he 8. He is 93 and truly an American Hero.

Ms. Hillenbrand's web site:

http://laurahillenbrandbooks.com/

Mr. Zamperini's site

http://www.louiezamperini.com/

Cutting......Cooking

2011-01-13T23:12:00.000-06:00

More Scraps

I am in the process of cutting up 2 X 3.5 inch rectangles. I would have loved to have done this with all strips but a lot of my pieces were small. Some were so small that I could only get two pieces out of them. Others are in strips but not enough of them to make it worth while sewing together. I hope it doesn't take as long as I think it will to sew them all. I need a little over 700 and so far I have almost 500, if I didn't count wrong that is.

I was thinking about putting them in a basket or a bag and just grab two and sew them but I am not sure if I will do that or not. I am only sewing them in pairs and then I will put the pairs together into a 4 patch. This is one of Bonnie Hunters quilts. It's called Fun with Bricks.

We had another crock pot meal the other night and it turned out great. However, I am not sure my hubby and I were a big fan of this recipe so onto something else. I think I have one for sausage and one for chicken coming up next.

It has been very cold here and snowy. I heard today that every state in the United States has snow except Florida. I think they said that last year and the one state was Hawaii. So every one stay warm and dry.

Madame Samm is on the prowl.....

2011-01-10T22:12:00.000-06:00

I have a new look to my header thanks to Madame Samm. I have been following her for just a short time and if you have not seen either one of the blogs that she does your missing something. If you click on her name you will go to her blog and she does the Stash Manicure and has guest bloggers on there.

She liked the photo that I was using and thought my blog was nice but I needed help with the header. She has a great eye for these sort of things and is SEW(as she says) nice to do this. She has done several other blog makeovers. Hope on over and take a look at the wonders she has done. THANKS Madame Samm!!!

My Mom Did It Again!

2011-01-09T14:57:00.000-06:00

Old Quilt Magazines and Books

Here are some 50+ magazines and about 4 books that my Mom sent me from an estate that she worked on. I didn't look at all of them yet nor all of the dates but one was from 1981. I love to look at the old magazines. Most of them are in black and white but some of the later ones are in color. Still they are fun to look at. Like the one that has the article on scrap quilts and the pattern for a tumbler quilt. Amy included about 100 or so tumblers that she cut for me in the Christmas box. Then she said if I wanted some more tumblers cut to make it a bit bigger then let her know. I decided that I wanted to make my quilt a bit bigger so she is cutting me some more tumblers. Hooray for Amy and thanks a bunch, your the best.

On another note we are due to have a big storm come in tonight and leave us with 5 to 8 inches of snow. We shall see. Some snow I don't mind but when it makes driving hazardous then I don't like it. It should be a good time to cut some more fabric for those 2 scrap quilts I am working on. Everyone stay safe.

First One

2011-01-04T18:52:00.000-06:00

Calico Ham and Bean Soup

A success and I am amazed. I made Calico Ham and Bean Soup in the crock pot. My husband is a quiet man and doesn't usually say very much. He took his first spoonful of soup and raised his eyebrow, I knew he liked it. Lots of times he will say, "It's fine" but never say, "It's good". Well I got a good out of him.

The recipe was way more than what we need for the two of us but we will have left overs and I will have another night of not cooking. Hooray! More time to sew. This is a good winter meal and I am sure that at some point in time I will make it again. I think I am going to like this crock pot cooking.

Thanks to everyone who gave me their recipes for crock pots. I am going to try them as well.

Resolutions?

2011-01-02T21:40:00.000-06:00

I am not much on making resolutions because I always forget about them or I just don't 'hang in there' with them. However, this year I am sick of eating the same old thing and I don't like cooking much either so that is why we eat the same old thing all the time.

My hubby has this awful shift and we have a small house, as I have mentioned before, so I stay quiet while he is sleeping. He doesn't leave till late at night and that leaves little time for my sewing and there are other things that have to be done. It never fails that I just get to sewing and have to stop and cook.

A while back I bought a crock pot and thought I would like to start using it, well it just sits there so a few weeks ago I got a crock pot cook book and you know what I am going to say..... Yup, I am going to start using that crock pot more often. When I went to get groceries I took the book with me and got what was needed for 2 different recipes. If I can keep this up we will be eating some different things for a change and I won't have to give up a lot of sewing time. Now don't expect a lot of great recipes from me because I am not sure how all this will turn out. I will probably drop the whole thing after while and go back to eating the same old thing. If anyone has any great crock pot recipes they can send my way I would love it.

I also see some new quilted pot holders in my future.............

I hope you all had a safe and Happy New Year.

Memories of Christmas Past

2010-12-30T11:29:00.002-06:00

When I was growing up my brother and I used to play in the cemetery a lot. The cemetery is right behind our house. In the Summer we would play hide n seek and in the winter have snowball fights. after dark was the best time. There were usually 5 or 6 of us and quiet often more. During the day time in the winter we would use that wonderful hill for our sleds. Sometimes more than half the kids in town would be there. We were usually there all day every day that we could be or until Dad whistled for us to come and have supper. We never even thought maybe we shouldn't use the cemetery for a play ground. It is an extremely small town and not much to do or any place to go there. That was it, the best hill ever.

One year my parents got us a 6 foot toboggan for Christmas. The boys had built a ramp out of the snow because they wanted a ski jump. We would get 4 or 5 of us on the toboggan, get a push and over the ski jump and down the hill, crashing most of the time. Then lay there in the snow and laugh. I do need to tell you that there were not as many tombstones then as there is now. That hill used to be bare but there were a few graves at the bottom of the hill. One time 3 of us went at breakneck speed down the hill on the toboggan and smacked into one of the tombstones so hard that we bounced and flew off. We were fine and we didn't hurt a thing, not even the toboggan. We had so many hours of fun on that toboggan. I wonder what my Dad was thinking when he bought it. That is also the only Christmas I remember my Dad and Mom going Christmas shopping together.

Mom and I had a good laugh about all of this while I was there so I took a photo of the hill. Then I forgot about it until I talked to Mom last night so I thought I would share it with you. I think that was my best Christmas ever because I have enjoyed it many times and not just that one time. Thanks for listening.

HST's Done

2010-12-29T00:00:00.000-06:00

Bees Knees Block

These are the HST's I started to work on last night. I just finished them and I am happy with the way they turned out. I like the fabric that she chose for the block. It will be a pretty quilt. The block is 24 inches. Each HST was 6.5. They are in the mail tomorrow and now I can get to my projects.

Ooops!

2010-12-27T22:58:00.000-06:00

This is for the Bees Knees group that I am in. You might know that the very first one that I did was wrong, at least it was an easy fix. I don't like doing HST's the way she wanted you to do them so maybe I was thinking too much about that. She wanted us to cut our triangles before we sew them and I would much rather put the two squares together, sew and then cut them apart. Much easier for me to do. I will finish them tomorrow.

I hope you all had a nice Christmas with family. And Happy New Year everyone!

Keep Stitching,
kwiltmar

At Last Thou Art Come,

2010-12-25T02:32:00.000-06:00

At Last Thou art come, little Saviour,

And Thine angels fill midnight with song,

Thou art come to us, gentle Creator,

Whom Thy creatures have sighed for so long.

Nativity at my Church, 2010

Thou hast brought with Thee plentiful pardon,

And our souls overflow with delight,

Our hearts are half broken dear Jesus,

With the joy of this wonderful night.

(unknown)

Silent Night

2010-12-24T19:09:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas to all and to all a.......good night!

WOW! Look At The Goodies

2010-12-23T15:13:00.004-06:00

My dear friend Amy from Not Always With Thread blog fame sent me the most wonderful package! Talk about loot! The beautiful Batiks, the sweet panel, and the tumblers! She cut them with her new AccuQuilt cutter. I have been dying to make a tumbler quilt and these are perfect! Plus all the other goodies wow, I can't get over it. She is very generous and has brightened my Christmas with her gift.

Here is a better photo of the panel that Amy sent. It matches the fabric in this quilt I did a while back. I am going to practice some hand quilting on it. Actually there are two panels, one is on the back so I have two of them to do.

I ate one of the candies, she knows I love chocolate, like life itself. These little yummies are chocolate covered chocolate and each bite is delicious, maybe I should say each chew because I am greedy when it comes to chocolate and shove the whole thing in my mouth. Believe me, they won't last long and Norm better get one soon if he wants one or else.... So good Amy. I love everything in the box! Thanks so very much, your the best! Love ya!

The Other One

2010-12-21T14:00:00.001-06:00

Use It Up..Quilt #2

I worked on sewing the binding down on this through out the day yesterday and got it in the washing machine about midnight last night. Again I had everything I needed for this quilt but that was the whole point in this Use It Up thing. I used the poly/cotton batting in this one too and really like it. I never thought I would but I do. The backing is a thrift store twin size sheet I had, it looked like it had been washed once maybe. I have another set of blocks started so I will have to see about them but first I have some other projects that I need to get done.

I wanted to see the lunar eclipse last night but it was cloudy here so I stayed in my warm bed and slept. Did any of you see it?

Out Of The Dryer and Ready To Go!

2010-12-20T15:16:00.001-06:00

Use It Up..Quilt #1

Back of Use It Up Quilt #1

Finally I got one done. I had everything that I needed for this quilt except the batting. I even had the old sheet. I think it worked well for the back. It was a double size flat sheet and worked out great to put the butterflies up the side. I used a poly/cotton batting in it and it is so thin and soft. I think I like it. That green fabric was so very nice to work with and even nicer when I hand stitched. The needle went through so easily. I like projects like these, almost no money involved. Quilt # 2 will be done soon I hope.

Finished One

2010-12-19T23:43:00.000-06:00

I finally finished the hand stitching the binding on one of the quilts. It is in the washer. It seems so good to have it done. Now on to the next one. If I can get hubby to hold it up for me tomorrow after he gets up I will post a nice photo of it.

Hand Stitching and Needles

2010-12-18T23:00:00.000-06:00

Hand Stitching the Binding

I am trying to get these two Use It Up quilts done. I got them both quilted before I left and the one I actually got the binding on it. The blue one I put the binding on the other day, now I am trying to get the binding hand stitched down on both of them. I had the wrong needle and it was going so slowly. I hunted for another needle and finally found a sharp #10. I can never remember what needles are for what and which one I like and works best for me. I did a little research on needles and found some helpful sites. Hopefully now I will remember which one I like.

http://www.sewing.org/files/guidelines/22_110_hand_sewing_needle_guide.pdf

http://www.craftstylish.com/item/2405/know-your-hand-sewing-needles

The #10 sharp is the smallest one but one web site did say they had a #12. The # 10 is the best one for me. What size needle to do you like for hand stitching? By the way, I love the clips for the binding, so much nicer than using pins, don't you think?

Wizard Candles

2010-12-17T14:27:00.001-06:00

Northern Lights Candles

While I was home Mom took me to the Northern Lights Candle Shop. I forgot to take a photo of the outside of the building because I was concerned with getting Mom to the car. The place is super nice. This man started making candles in an old building in the town where I grew up. Now he sends candles all over the world. He used to make all sorts of hand carved candles like the ones in the photo but he doesn't do too much of that any more. Here is a link to their site.https://www.northernlightscandles.com/homepage.cfm
I got a couple of gifts and a candle warmer. I love the warmer because I can put a jar candle on it and let it go. I have had a candle on there for two days and it is hardly gone down any. I wish I would have gotten one of those for a gift as well. It is so much nicer than lighting a candle and it will last longer too.

Doing Dishes

2010-12-15T22:58:00.000-06:00

Me, about 5 yrs. old

This is a photo of me when I was about 5. Guess Mom's like to start us in young doing dishes. I don't sit on a stool anymore but I still have to wash them by hand. Note the washing machine there on the right.

Not Flying Weather

2010-12-15T11:18:00.000-06:00

Airport Rochester, NY

I flew out of the Northeast yesterday and it wasn't exactly my kind of flying weather. Actually I hate to fly anyway but this made it worse for me. The roads getting to the airport were good until we got with in 25 miles of Rochester then it hit. We saw 5 accidents and it wasn't looking good. There were a lot of delays and some cancellations but my flight wasn't one of them. You can see in this photo an airplane and there is a small truck out there on the right. They had to de ice every plane, I felt so sorry for the guy up in the bucket doing the de icing. Winds were about 30mph with gusts up to 35 or 40. Not a fun job for him.

Posted?

2010-12-13T17:44:00.000-06:00

OK, this land is posted but......? The little stream there and then it is a very steep hill. I don't think I would worry about trespassing.

Just some scenery from the area where I grew up. I have a few more photos to post at a later date and I didn't get to take all the photos I wanted to time went by all too fast. Hopefully, I will be able to fly out but we are expecting a big storm with a lot of wind so we shall see.

I Got Them!

2010-12-12T16:28:00.000-06:00

Quilts from the Auction

Mom and I went to the auction and I got the quilts and another old one too that I didn't expect to get. I will take a photo of that when I get home.

A Nasty Job!

2010-12-10T13:43:00.002-06:00

Only a little more time with my Mom left. We did start another dresser today. This one is really nasty and I don't think we will have enough time to finish it before I go but we will get most of it done. I didn't get a photo of it before we started it but it is a nice old dresser with 3 drawers and it is made of what they call tiger oak. Should be really pretty when it is done. Mom always does such a good job on refinishing furniture. I wish I had more time with her so I could learn a little more. You can also see that there is another one waiting to get started. Mom hates paint!

Here is a photo of the other one we did, it turned out great and will look nice when the finish and the tear drop handles are put on. The door needs to be glued and there is a small piece to be glued on at the top left.

I have to run, there is an auction tonight and I am going to try and bid on two old quilts that are for sale. I hope I get them! Have a safe weekend everyone. We are supposed to get freezing rain on top of all the snow we already have. Hope it doesn't make the roads too slippery.

I hope to be able to catch up with everyone when I get home!

The Dog Ate It!

2010-12-08T10:33:00.003-06:00

Angel, Mom's dog

When I came to my Mom's I brought some fruit cake that I had made for her and for Norma, the lady next door. Norma gave me the recipe, it was her husband's mother's recipe. Norma is 90 years old so that will give you an idea of how old the recipe is, you bake it and then soak it in Rum, anyhoo, we accidentally left it on the counter while we were out one day. Needless to say, the dog or dogs ate it. The one dog I don't think felt too good for a couple of days but we both laughed and said too bad for them! This is a photo of one of the dogs. I did get some more brazil nuts to make another one and guess what? Yup the dog(s) ate the brazil nuts too. I got more nuts and made another one and finally gave it to Norma before something happened to it. Norma was so thrilled with it but I have not had the chance to tell her the story yet. I am sure that she will enjoy the story as much as she enjoys the fruit cake.

Stripping......Paint

2010-12-07T16:39:00.000-06:00

Mom is stripping a piece of furniture. I have been helping her a little bit. She has taught me a lot about furniture stripping in the years past and I enjoy doing it. She was getting tired so I helped her a little. It is almost done, I admit that it doesn't look like much right now but when it is done it will be very nice, it's golden oak and not very big so it has been a quick job. It has been very neglected in the past but it will be very pretty when she is done with it.

My View Of The World Today

2010-12-01T10:51:00.000-06:00

I look out the window today and this is what I see...........yuck! It is pretty but it makes travel difficult. Will have to shovel the walk way for Mom.

Been Busy!

2010-11-16T16:59:00.000-06:00

Among other things I have been working on lately I finally finished this table runner. I had started it some time ago and got a bit disgusted with it so I put it up. I had wanted to hand quilt around the border but could not find a marking tool that I could see well enough to follow the lines. Finally I just said forget it and did a line of straight stitch around it, put the binding on it and hand stitched that down. I was afraid the marking would not come out of the fabric but they all did. I think I tried about 3 or 4 different marking tools including chalk and various colors. I guess sometimes there is nothing else you can do. What do you do in a case like that?

What has been happening since I was away?

2010-11-12T21:40:00.000-06:00

Hello everyone! I have been absent and my visits to blog-town have been sparse lately. I have just been away for a while. I have started quilting both of those Use It Up quilts! Finally! I have another one that I have the blocks all made but need to get them sewn together.

I just changed my profile photo to the photo on this post. Hope all of you are busy creating and staying warm now that the weather has changed. Actually I am trying out this new computer!

Another Day Trip!

2010-10-27T23:31:00.001-05:00

Tuesday hubby and I took another day trip. This time we went south. We had never been down in that direction and thought it would be a nice little trip. He took me to two different quilt shops down there. We would have gone to another one but there was some construction and NO detour signs set up so we said forget that one. Maybe another time we will get to that one.

I just love this T-shirt we saw in the first store which is called Hen and Feathers. Nice little shop. I got a Fandango layer cake to go with some yardage of the same line that I had gotten at Sarah's a while back. We had a great time and got lost(sort of) on another detour on our way back. You know how those detours are on those country roads, they take you like 40 miles out of the way and then send you another 50 miles to get back to the road you were on to begin with. Hubby said forget that and went straight. We finally got home safe and sound but very late. Also saw a sign for a bank called the Tightwad Bank in one of those little blink and you'll miss it towns. Too funny! Hubby didn't want to turn around just to snap a photo because it was getting so late.

Well blogger is still taking a long time to load photos and then I couldn't move them where I wanted them so sorry if this looks a bit bunched up.

Walked In or....dumped?

2010-10-25T12:47:00.000-05:00

A week or so ago I had the back door open to the porch, I heard a noise and looked down. My goodness there was a cat. I thought where did he (she) come from? We don't know if someone dumped it or it wandered in. It looked to be in good health but when it meowed it was like the cat had laryngitis or something. It hung around the porch trying to meow. So my hubby finally took it out to the barn to see if we had any cat food left over from when we fed the coons last year, they were eating all the cubes we give to the cows and that was the only way to catch the coons. Anyway, there was some cat food left so he fed the cat and gave it some water and left it in the barn. The cat now resides in the barn, sleeping on top of the hay bales and meows to greet you when you walk in the barn, happy as can be.

Weekend Photo

2010-10-23T18:34:00.001-05:00

This is the end of a nice day, warm and a bit windy.

Improv Blocks

2010-10-22T00:18:00.002-05:00

Improvisational Blocks

We were to do 2 12.5 blocks for this months Bees Knees. They were Improvisational Log Cabin style blocks. I love the little fish and the octopus fabric. I have not done any of this style of quilting so I really wasn't sure what to do. Also I am always a nervous wreck when using another person's fabric. I am not really happy with them, not sure why I am just not. Maybe it is this improvisational style that stumped me but perhaps with a little more practice I would be more comfortable with it. Has any one else done any of these style blocks?

Everyone have a good weekend and stay healthy, I hear there are a lot of people are sick. I hope we all have an easy winter.Personally I am all for warm temperatures and NO snow or ice.