My Garden Blocks

Checking in. I’ve been playing in the garden. We had plenty of rainy days so the humidity is up. The Black Eyed Susan’s are blooming everywhere. Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and beans are being picked every day. What is it about peeling cucumbers, getting out the salt shaker and eating a cucumber like a banana that just makes summer great???




A friend and I have been sewing together. Yep…… never got to do that when I worked 7-4 everyday.

 We’re working through the My Garden BOM designed by Heart to Hand. It’s wool applique on cotton fabric. She purchased a Valdani thread kit. I opted for using my DMC floss.

 On the small details it gives me more freedom to use thinner threads. It’s a lot of fun to have someone to compare with and bounce ideas with.

 Until now, I’ve pretty much been a quilt “Loner”.

I had a couple extra blocks left over from a quilt I made for Chelsey. A friend of mine is the mother of 3 really active boys.

 I went and visited her last week for lunch. Boys love their Mom---and she thrives on being a good Mom. She was just having a tough day, so I decided every girl needs some pink in her life… so I stitched up a journal for her. Bottom line cost---33 cents of ribbon.

I’ve had a couple of panic attacks over the job thing, but Don says don’t worry about it and I love being at home… it’s just different.

Gratitudes:

Fabric Scraps

Vegetable Soup

Corn off the Cob:)

Verity’s Quilt

I’ve always wondered what it would be like. Never had the chance. It was announced on Sunday that there would be an after-church luncheon in honor of our church secretary’s first grandbaby. Quilting is almost always a plotted process for me. I knew I wanted to make a baby quilt. I went home--- ten minutes later I had the pattern, A Moda Bake Shop Ruffle Quilt. Fabric was the next item on the list. I had won ten jelly roll strips a while ago.

I kept seeing pink and brown, but the fabric cabinet kept saying something else. I threw in 4 fat quarters from Faded Memories line and we had enough for a top. The backing--- leftovers from a quilt from Chelsey. In a couple of hours I had the top made.

I don’t have a serger, so I pulled this out.

A ruffler…. It sat on the kitchen counter all of Sunday night. I asked Don—“You remember this..” He laughed--- how could he forget. The last time it was used was 22 years ago when I made curtains for Eric’s baby’s room. It was memorable…because I cried the entire time. It was not a fun process. The premise of the ruffler was great--- but actually using it was horrible for me. Don even tried to help to stop the tears. Yep—my guy was sewing… or at least trying to.

But 22 years later, I’m older, more mature, a better seamstress—and definitely not pregnant. It would be a no brainer, or so I thought.

The next morning I hemmed strips for ruffles. They were pieced and peachy—four similar fat quarters, but I really liked the look. I attached the ruffler and went to town….for about twelve inches. Floods of bad memories came pouring back all at once.

The only difference is that I’m older and wiser now--- and I didn’t cry. I just laughed. I disassembled the ruffler, put back on the sewing foot--- and sewed. I just started pushing and pleating the fabric as it went under the needle. They are a little wonky, but I think it made a great look.

I machine quilted the piece, and then attached the ruffles—finished.

A minor hiccup came when the quilting thread kept breaking. I went to town and purchase a new thread I have never used before. I loved it—no lint and the strength I needed.

The last baby quilt I made I spent about $50.00 in fabric. It took two weeks to piece. The pattern came from a quilt book that I paid $24.00 for. I still love the book, so I guess it doesn’t count.



The point is that quilting doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and maybe it’s a lot more fun when you don’t try so hard. I studied fabric choices for two weeks on the other quilt. The conquest of having the fabric already and fate taking over that the fabrics had been predestined for this quilt kind of appeals to me.

On the summer side of things….my blueberry bushes that weren’t suppose to produce blueberries for two years yielded enough blueberries for Blueberry pancakes for two last weekend. In my book it was a great harvest.

We’ve been tubing down lazy rivers this summer. The ratio of weeds to garden plants is low as the pups and I spent tons of time out there. The windows are open as the temps have stayed in the low 80’s.



I took some vacation time off of work. But seven days into it I was laid off indefinitely from my job. It happened last year, but this year it’s not the travesty it once seemed. Things happen for reasons we don’t know. Last year it was for two weeks, this year it could be permanent. I refuse to dwell on things I can’t help. No sympathies please---if I’m not sorry, you shouldn’t be either. Chin up…

Our church has a coffeehouse that is opened on weekends. We’re the hosts tonight. I’m bringing hand sewing just in case it’s quiet.

Gratitudes:

Watermelon---no seeds
Windfalls
A brand new spool thread.

A Summer Day in July

I completed my last two quilt tops and they have been binded and put out for use. The Harvest Home Quilt made fro the confeffti cake pattern with my own border. I pieced this quilt while I was going through a tough time so everytime I look at the finish product it makes me know I'm tougher than I think.....

My Baskets of Life Quilt was finished this afternoon. It was quilted with a meandering stitch all over even in the stitchery blocks.

Summer is in full swing.  The herbs are beautiful.  I guess we have just the right mix of sun and rain.  They seem to be thriving this year.

Here's a snapshot of the first pumpkin in the pumpkin patch....I guess every thing starts out small.

We've had a couple of 'hiccups' at our house.  But I realize they are just hiccups and when I look at the "big" picture I know all things happen for a reason.  Even though we may not know what it is right now, I do know that they'll work out for good.

I use to think we had issues or problems.. but now I kinda think we just have " Life".  Just like every one else.

Keep Quilting.....

Three Down One to Go.....

On June 1st, I had 4 full size quilts pieced but not quilted…as of July 2nd, I’m down to one….. I’ve been pretty focused. Two and ¾ are binded and ready for use. The last quilt will hopefully go on the frame tonight. I have a three day weekend and then it will mean I’m back to work.

One of the quilts that I quilted I did some line quilting that I was coached on by Linda. The lines are not evenly spaced, nor are they straight and parallel with one another.

It was fun to quilt together though I did go through two spools of thread. I did some loops around the flowers in the corner.

I still pretty much meander most quilts but it was fun to try something a little different.

A friend sent me fabric for my journalist daughter. Newspaper pieces splashed around will make a cute desk topper or journal cover for Chelsey. The Christmas pattern came with it. I just love holly and berries so I had a wonderful day at the mailbox. Thanks Again....

Gratitudes

My pups for company

Lunch with friends twice this week

Sparklers – My favorite fireworks….

The Weekend

Saturday morning I left the guys at home and ran errands. They did the housework, laundry, and yard work. No—this is not heaven, but it kind of feels like it. They were treating me and I wasn’t going to complain. It’s cloudy now, but it’s supposed to fair off and be a beautiful day.


I made pillows for the porch last week. We had dreams of new porch furniture, but after pricing it, I made the adult decision to paint what we had. I had spent 12 bucks on Walmart fabric—cheap and durable-- to make pillows in the colors I pictured the porch being in this summer Reds and Khaki. I purchased paint –‘oops paint’ or custom paint that someone decided not to purchase. When getting ‘oops’ paint you have to recognize your color choices are extremely limited…the paint choices were a blue-gray and sand.

I already purchased the fabric. I didn’t want to waste. I refused to admit a mistake had been made. So back to Walmart I went and $3.00 later I found the blue fabric I was going to use to pull all things together---porch, paint, and fabric.

Here are the finished products. Eight pillows were made for the hammock, swing, and chairs. I had wished over a Pottery Barn ad and knew I wasn’t going to let go of any kind of money for pillows.

Somehow I think the blue fabric just fits.

I finished quilting a quilt and have binding to hand stitch this afternoon. I've got naptime waiting on me.

Have a good weekend.

The First Week of Summer

All kinds of stuff going on this week. First off, I was driving by a garage sale and saw a table that would be perfect for my daughter’s scrapbooking table in her apartment. I rolled down the window (not even getting out of the car)to asked for the selling price and the lady told me 5 bucks. “Sold!” I started digging in my purse – and while I had a fat quarter, a quilt pattern and a spool of thread, I only had 3 bucks to my name. She walked over to the car and said the garage sale was over and the table had a piece missing on the edge and she’d give it to me free of charge. What a deal!! It’s solid oak with a leaf in the middle. Don sanded it and fixed the edge. It’s already whitewashed a little and I love the spindled legs… It just goes to show you timing is everything…..

More timing… I went by our local version of a Goodwill Store. I’ve fallen in love with quilting with wool and scanned the wool blazers and got lucky. I found these. I took them all apart and washed and dried them. I now have them folded up for projects….

There was a drawing over at Shakerwood Quilts and I was the second place winner and received the most beautiful hand-dyed wool. Looks like I ready for a project.

Here are the two patterns I’m kicking around with my winnings. The photos don’t do them justice. I can just picture the stockings—9 inches long, tied to Christmas packages.

Graitudes:
Strawberries – fresh picked ones from Pellegrinis
Tomato plants from a friend
Quilting Time

Addison's Bag

I've got everything ready for the baby... the baby just has to get here.  The Birdie Scraps made a cute bag. The quilt is going to be rolled and tied with ric rac and bound over to its new home.

If the pictures have seemed a little dark lately--- it's because they are.  I love outside pictures.  Everyday for a week it's been cloudy and rainy. We've really needed the rain, but a compromise of rainy nights is definitely in order.

Chelsey and her sweetie parted ways last week.  Both are great kids-- sometimes things just don't work out.  Like I told Chelsey, "He's just not the one..." Doesn't softened the tears though.  I guess I need to be this constructive parent and point out the faults on both sides, but there is nothing to be gained from doing that. She just needs to find her smile again. Doing the right thing isn't always easy.  Her brother will be up this weekend.  He's taking a class at the hospital in the town she lives in.  They will be the dynamic duo for a month. It be good for both of them.

Gratitudes:

1. Home by Michael Buble

2. Emails from friends

3. I survived the yearly Mammogram--you gotta do it.

Birdie Baby Quilt

It became "affectionately known" as the Ugly Baby Quilt at our house. I have a wonderful friend who has a daughter expecting a baby girl any day.  I've known for 8 months. This will definitely be an "uptown" baby, so I saved my quilting  allowance for the perfect fabric.  I studied patterns and chose a schibble pattern from Rosie's Quilt Co. and  then added an extra border.  At one point in the game, my daughter even questioned on whether to give the quilt or not. But geesh-- I had followed the pattern. I had used charm packs from the Birdie line from Moda.  There was a sizeable amount of funds in the project. Somehow every thing just didn't mesh together. But there was tons of heart in the piece so I quilted it and after I sewed the last stitch of binding I decided I liked it.

I'm adding a fat quarter and scraps to make a bag to go with it.  Funny how the smaller the baby the more "junk" they need.  This will be just a small bag for a quick trip or extra diapers.

These are sale fabrics to stash away for Chelsey "just because gifts". I love fabric with words on it. I figured these could keep her inspired with her writing. These aren't even my first picks. But playing the "sale" game it's a chance you take.

Napkins I found recently to go with my yellow dishes.

A friend gave me this wonderful salad bowl for my Green Kitchen.  I'm completely in love with it.

We've been in the middle of a drought, but this week we've had daily showers.  I know we desparately need it. I just wish it would do it at night. I've been catching up on reading and sewing. I finished  "The Nest".  I just have to frame it. This has been a great summer.

Gratitudes:

Friends stopping by for visits.

Embroidery Threads

Sprinklers for the garden

Wool Quilting

A few weeks ago I took a beginners wool quilting class with Lisa Bongean at Primitive Gatherings Quilt shop. It was three hours of fun. There were four of us in the class—one lady travelling from Nebraska, a gift from her husband. Here is the penny rug that we made in the class.

I went with a friend that has only been quilting for about three years. I learned a Quilter’s Knot. She looked at me, “you didn’t know that?” No, I didn’t, everything I’d learned about quilting I had read and taught myself.

Lisa taught us about different kinds of wool, techniques on transferring your patterns to fabric pieces and showed us different kinds of perle cotton threads. The backing of the penny rug was a brush cotton.


 I’d take the class weekly if I could. I really enjoyed myself.

In addition to the lesson material, Lisa shared her plans for quilt market, her plans for the shop in the coming year, and how she picks what to put in her shop.

I came home--- finished my class project--- and prepped by first solo wool project. While the photo doesn’t do it justice, it just seemed fitting to put it on a tree branch. It’s called ‘Nest’, from Lisa’s Summer Gatherings Book. Perfect to carry along or sit outside and work on.

Memorial Day -- Twenty Ten

First and foremost--- Happy Memorial Day… someone asked what the holiday meant to me----My immediate response was thankfulness to those kids who lost fathers in wars so that my kids did not lose their father. Such a healthy price for the freedoms we so many times take for granted.


My absence from posting is marked with busyness. Never a risk taker when it comes to planting flowers, I always stuck with the old reliables---marigolds, petunias, impatients. This time last year I never thought I’d plant flowers again much less have the money to buy them. I guess I’m living proof life goes on. This year after much research I opted for new kinds of flowers in my shaded flower bed in the front of the house. The house faces north. Being trim with tons of birch trees also means very little direct sun throughout the day. Here’s what I planted

 and here’s the finished product.

I received blueberry bushes for mother’s day so I planted them in my garden. It takes roughly two years for them to produce fruit, so I’m holding onto the fact that the U.P. will be my home for a while. There won’t be tons of berries--- I just think it would be fun to grab a handful here or there for pancakes.

The garden is planted and I have an official pumpkin patch this year. The seeds have sprouted. Since I really don’t have the garden for food survival (my husband says, ‘Thank God’)—I gave the sunniest spot to the pumpkins because they are my favorites. Don asked why I didn’t give it to the tomato or cucumbers or beans—something we actually eat---I gave this very convincing story about rotating my crops (he raised one eyebrow, “crops, huh?”), I caved under pressure and told him the truth—that I just liked the pumpkins best…He just laughs. He set up really awesome sprinklers to help with the watering this summer. We’ve been under a severe drought warning. We got our first thunderstorm of the season last night.

Quilting---I’ve found a new love—quilting with wool…I’ll write about it tomorrow. Take Care. Enjoy the holiday with those you love.

Sunday Thoughts

Happy Mother’s Day  a little late– . Both my kids are came home yesterday—weather prermitted it… we were expecting 3 to 5 inches of heavy wet snow and got about 2 1/2 inches of the heavy white stuff. I knew there was a reason I hadn’t planted anything yet. We had a Southern home cooked meal, cooked as a family-- fried chicken, corn on the cob, green beans, french fries and pecan pie. No dates... no friends....just Don, the kids and I.  Sounds selfish..but it was really nice.



I’m blessed to have my Mom still with me. Though she’s 1200 miles away, we chat almost daily. When they used to travel to visit, I was always nervous for them to see my family or my home. My folks never judged. But she was always, in my mind, the world’s best mom – a tough notch to reach. I realize now—maybe not then—that I’m the judging one, not her. She sewed for me, taught me to sew, took me to Dance lessons, piano practice and church. She cried with me over boyfriend breakups and covered for me when I cut school—and tore me up later….. She’s a wonderful lady.

I have a baby shower to attend next saturday. So I have been working on a baby quilt from the schnibbles book. I've had almost nine months to make this piece and I'm waiting to the last minute to get it together-- literally. I can rationalize anything, but I should have worked on it sooner. I'm more of a traditional girl, but the family is going with peacock murals and teal painted ceilings..

I picked out the bright Moda Line called Birdie. the jury is still out on whether I like it our not. We'll keep you posted.

I had a date with cleaning out the jeep.  It's still got the "Winter Blues" but after yesterday  ready for spring.

There's nothing like sunshine at 6 am to get your morning started right.

Hope everyone had a Happy Mother’s day . Thanks for being a parent through the rocky times. It’s easy to parent when things are rosey. You earn your stripes as a mother when you stick out the rough times. I hope every one was Queen for day.

Tuesday Morning --- Early

When you get up and 4 a.m. and don’t go to work until 7 a.m.--- it’s AMAZING the stuff you can get done. Only problem is I’ll probably be hungry for lunch at 9 a.m..


Don left for work early, so the pups and I got up for a quick cinnamon toast breakfast—dog food for them—and machine quilted for an hour before work this morning. I love doing it. If I get five or six bobbins threaded I can got to town. It’s just getting down there, getting the music turned on and getting the machine purring.

I’m motivated to get this piece off the frame as I have a baby shower the 15th and want to give a baby quilt. A friend sent a gift certificate to The Fat Quarter Shop and I ordered this book.

 It’s been in my lap every night when I watch television and I’ve toted it to work every day. The quilts are beautiful and I love the different fabric choices and sizes. It’s a great read for anyone. It’s full of personality and thoughts from the designer. No layer cakes or charm packs needed. You can make your own from your stash.



Dorky Parent Moment – You want your kids to do right. A Mother goes through life hoping they are teaching the good from the bad and that kids are making the right choices. I even resort to subliminal teaching. By every faucet in our house I have books with scriptures, clichés, and famous quotes teaching right from wrong. I always justified it as a two-minute opportunity to program the kids while they brush their teeth or wash their hands…. Yeah I’m a dork…I have one set with verses and quilt sayings… Here’s tomorrows post.

"Old quilts are true family treasures because of all the love they convey

 and all the treasured memories they hold..." Roy Lessin

I like the thought of that……

Even a Florist needs Flowers….

That’s what the writing said on the back of the postcards I made for my Mom and a friend. My friend is on the homestretch for a stuff chemo battle. And I think she’s winning. She has the most beautiful green house and floral shop… I mailed them yesterday. What to you give a florist? They have all the flowers they need… the postcard seem right. They measure 6 x 8 inches and it only took a 44 cent stamp for each.

The pattern for the tulip came from A legacy of stitches. Cute design.

I’ve finally finished painting for Chelsey’s apartment. The second set of mismatched chairs I painted ‘ballet slipper pink. I thought of Stina every time I opened the can. She loves pink. At first when we saw the two chairs at the Habitat Restore, Chelsey didn’t like them. I told her she had to have a vision. I brought them home and primed and painted them. Now they are her favorites---One of the days she going to have to trust me on things…..



Here’s a photo of her little dining room. You can see the pinwheel quilt in the background. It was going to be my summer quilt, but she needed it more. I sent a cup hook with the quilt. I sewed a three-inch strap on the back and told her if she didn’t have it on the table she could drape it on the wall. It looks sweet up there.

I kind of makes me feel good that my kid is hanging quilts on the wall…. Just like her Mom.



Gratitudes:

Don coming home tonight

Opened Windows and Doors – Spring is here

Ransom at my feet—who needs socks to keep your feet warm?!?