Cottage Garden.....

Keeping true to fashion...and staying just about a season behind,
I saw this book clearance on Connecting Threads and treated myself along with batting for Harvest Home. Last week they had it $14.00. I'll probably have it worn out before ever quilting a stitch. Gorgeous photographs capture the quilts perfectly. And some quilts just aren't seasonal, they're beauties year-round. Order it while they still have some.

I had a friend over for soup and salad Tuesday night. It is all part of that thing that people say I need to be more social. Being social is exhausting after working all day. I've decided not to be pressured with that anymore... if it happens it happens. I'm pretty content with work, sewing, and my sunday school class right now.

A rainy weekend is forecasted, so I just might get Harvest Home stretched on the quilting frame. I'm planning on tearing down my garden some this evening---a couple of rows a day. It's a lot more fun to put up than tear down.

Kind of missing my kids today -- I'd just like them home for supper. I'd send them back to their busy lives...but supper would be nice. Went to church last night. Completely fun....It's never something I look back on and say--"man, wish I hadn't done that..." Sleepy today, but it was worth it.

Gratitudes:
That riding lawn mower
My new tires for my jeep
Hebrews 11, 1 John 1: 6-8

Summer/Fall Pinwheels

I’m still here. I got socked with a huge cold – but thanks to Nyquil and Dayquil, I am on the mend. What turned out to be an incredibly cool summer as transformed in to a really warm Fall. We’ve had a couple of frost warnings, but I’ve turned it over to fate---and the garden is still growing. Tomatoes, cucumbers, and snap beans are still getting picked daily.

I’m that quilter that is always a season behind in projects. My home is decorated in the Northwoods cabin look with evergreens and browns and rust. Perfect for the fall – but springtime and summer occasionally run short on seasonal colors.

I had intended on starting a quilt for Eric when I walked into my sewing room and decided to pull a project on the table rather than put it away. I had two packs of charm squares sitting right next to the quilt frame. Dandelion Girl- by Figtree quilts. I have a set of yellow graniteware and wanted a table cloth for the dishes. I love charm square packs--- I’ve bought several just to share. This is the first chance I’ve had at cutting them up. Yep—I’m that person that usually keeps one in her purse just to wish on.

I had been admiring pinwheel quilts. Vanessa, and Jodi have displayed different styles on their journals. I’ve been guilty of doodling patterns on legal pads when I was supposed to be paying attention to conference calls. So after research, here’s the color scheme and my first stab at pinwheels. I had read the horrors of bulky points, but Jodi gave a tutorial on the Moda bake shop and I decided that would be the way to go.

I’ll finish with 81 pinwheels -- each pinwheel measuring four inches in width. Muslin is the alternating color. I’ve been on a kick with Muslin. I even have a backup plan that if the quilt is too bright for my kitchen I could tea-dye it to blend. Hopefully I’ll get to work on it tonight.

My yard needs mowing – but it is raining today – I think the good Lord is demanding I quilt instead. I have a friend coming over for supper tomorrow night. I want to show her my progress.

Gratitudes:
Camp Road
The Good side of Rainy Days and Mondays
Wintergreen TicTacs

Thank you Mary—She put me on a list to receive this award. I’ve felt a little less an “awesome” lately, so the kindness was truly felt. I’ve been trying to think of ten random things about myself that would be of any interest … we’re really struggling here but here goes ---

1. I’m a mayonnaise only kind of girl. Mayonnaise only on my burger, my ham sandwich, and my BLT (bacon lettuce tomato—does that count). I always looked at it as if I wanted a salad I’d order it… Mayo-Meat-bread… that’s me.

2. I’m really realizing what a recluse I am --- never much for girlfriends (in person). I’m working on it. I realized my life is My Husband, my kids, my job and my quilting. Three weeks ago, I sorta lost 3 out of four. I was laid off. My husband far away and my kids back at college --- thank goodness for quilting and the pups.

3. Definitely a dog person. Love cat pictures, but life is better with a pup.

4. There can never be too much dark chocolate in your life --- ever.

5. I love fabric for the sake of it being fabric. A wicker basket full of fabric is as beautiful to me as a $100.00 flower arrangement – probably more. Don’t you wish you could grow fabric from seeds out in the garden?!?!?

6. I don’t believe in coincidences – I believe everything happens for a reason and my faith tells me everything is a gift, I just need to find it.

7. When I get a favorite song in my head, or a favorite CD – I can literally listen to it over and over again – drives my family nuts!!!!

8. I believe you impact people when you least expect it… that’s why … as tough as it is… you need to be the best version of yourself. Looking back, there have been times when I wish I had been that ‘better’ person---it’s bitten me in the hiney—for not. I’m a work in progress.

9. Life is better for eating raw cookie dough and cake batter before it has been cooked (please do not leave me comments on food poisoning—I know it—as this is probably the riskiest thing I do in my life!!!!)

10. I love cookbooks have tons – but seldom use them. I think it’s because I grew up with money being tight and you had to eat everything on your plate so I seldom tried anything new. Don and the kids are working with me on this. I thrive on routine – when you find something you like I’m not one to change it….I’m learning that’s pretty boring….And I try cooking something new once a week.


There you have it....Saturday is housecleaning, sheet washing days for me. There's a lawn to mow, and I'm judging a Bible Bee at church. I plan on sewing some -- so nap time is out. I have so much fun to do... Everyone have a great weekend.

A Finish --- Almost----

Every quilt starts with a vision….. at least for me it does. My famous line is that “ I read more about quilting than I actually get to accomplish.” Well, my Harvest home quilt started with this vision. It’s a four year old picture torn out of a Sundance Catalog.
I must have stared at this clipping for hours. I had it taped to the wall in front of my desk. The quilt looked “labor intensive” to say the least to me. Short of cutting out the individual squares ---I never could figure out the pattern to make the assembly easy. That, coupled with the two color combination that I loved but figured I would get bored with before completing the project --made it seem impossible --- no matter how I drooled over the quilt. I even emailed a friend with EQ software thinking I could maneuver a short cut or too. I still just kept it as a quilt “wish”.

Then I ran across a Pattern Basket Pattern called Confetti Cake. It uses Strip Piecing and a layer cake to create this: I used muslin as a background fabric. It still needs a 7 inch border around it. I haven’t decided on muslin or some yardage from the Blackbird Designs Harvest Home line. It was a fun quilt to cut out. I loved mixing and match the fabric strips. I can’t wait to stretch and quilt it.

I’m a complete NFL junkie. Tonight is the first game of the season, so I’m completely psyched.

Confession ---my television has four remotes. Don is a ‘Teckno-geek’ and we have every high-def gadget hooked to it possible. I have always refused to learn anything about it. It was just easier to yell for Don or the kids– or throw a fit when it came to using it or when it didn’t work. I simply chose to place no effort in learning about the TV or the remotes. Well – spending considerable time alone, last night I popped in a DVD for sewing and the DVD remote didn’t work. Without a sigh – I rationalized I hadn’t dropped it… no one else had touched it….it must be the batteries. And without hesitation I changed them and was back in business…No fit required….

I may just be growing up………

Labor Day 2009

It’s Labor Day --- A long weekend was appreciated. Our leaves are starting to turn. Here are the maple leaves from the front porch. A fluorescent orange…. It seems like the trees change every year… which ones change color first, their shades of yellow and orange.

I’m grilling pork ribs for Chelsey and friend who came home yesterday. I’ve never done them before… always had Don to do it, so this should be interesting.
The pumpkins are beginning to turn orange. These are Baby Bear pumpkins.

I give them regular pep talks about growing to their full potential and getting the color game going.
All twenty blocks for my Harvest Home quilt are complete. The wind get blowing leaves on the blocks--- so I decided they were meant to be there... I have to square them up and attach the borders. The inner borders will be Muslin. The outer borders, I‘m thinking, will be six-inch in width and will be a selection of the Blackbird Designs Harvest Home fabric line. It just depends on what I can get. I’m saving up for fabric.

A long weekend – I made it that full week back to work. I definitely don’t have as much free time in the evenings. My Sunday school class got all new bulletin boards for Fall. We now have a “Pumpkin Patch” of Bible verses.

I’m definitely tired of being angry and sad over the entire job loss thing for Don. It’s wasted energy and I don’t want to look back and say I missed out on life being angry over something I have no control over.

Things happen for a reason….Life goes on.

Moms Just Know....

My folks don't know about the stresses in our lives lately. They don't believe in the internet and living far away and with my acting skills over the phone they have no clue the job stresses were facing. But look what surprised me in the mail yesterday:



I think my Mom probably knows something's up--- just not what.... but what treats. A cookbook, a bookmark and socks.

I finished my second day back at work. I feel kind of like I have wobbly knees -- just because my feelings are hurt -- but this too, shall pass.

Twelve blocks are completed on my Harvest Home quilt--- pictures to follow soon.

Monday we awoke to 38 degrees and supposedly frost -- I refused to cover anything up...just chalked it up to fate. The plants seems to fair OK.

Kind of getting a routine down...Life goes on...I don't want to waste it...