Lucky Me

Oh my goodness!!!!
My name was drawn …me….can you believe it!!!!
Look at these goodies from Linda of Thistledown & Co!
Can’t wait till I see it all in person!!
Will have a gal pal over to enjoy the goodies and we can work on that BFF pattern too!!!
Thanks so much Linda for the great GIVEAWAY sharing your talent and allowing us all to play!!
Go check out Linda's neat patterns on her web page too!!


I got lots done yesterday!! For some reason I was energized.
I am blaming the sunshine...yes I tried to soak some up!!
Hope I am not into slow mode today!!
Have my goals set so better get to it!!

Weekend that was...

Was spent inside mostly. Had the horrid rain Saturday then Sunday was sunshine and 70’s.
Sadly wind was huffing right along so could not enjoy it outside!!!
I tried to do my morning coffee on porch but had to give it up.
I did have to run out , well hobble out, once to catch my small table I use at clothes line to put basket on. Was headed across field down to the woods… ha!!

I did get some things done, just in a slow lazy fashion.
I had personal mail to catch up on, some orders to place and I also did some blog hopping!!
Always such fun to visit new ones and catch up on some as well.
Also spent some time chatting on the phone with some of my sweet fav folks, catching up on all the news of family and friends.

Really just spent a lovely weekend hanging out.
DH cooked French Toast for breakfast Sunday..yum!
I prepared the later meal of comfy(diner) food, beef sirloin burgers in onion gravy , mashed taters and garden peas.

I will have to say I did get the sewing room sort of cleaned up again…getting ready for my next project!!
I also got some BOM patterns printed off.
I have some ready to take to machine to appliqué.
I also have my Feed Sack Bunny runner ready to quilt.
Did pull out a SPRINGISH runner to put on sofa chest.
This is a Pat Sloan design I did from a magazine a couple years ago.

Today I am determined to clean out some clutter in our guestroom.
It is not a large room and I use it as my closet/ dressing room too.
I am getting bad about not putting things away! Got to nip that in the bud!!!

I want to get the dining room ready for some company sewing…;-)
So today and Tuesday I will be the maid , organizer, cook, etc.
Maybe I can squeeze in some fun quilting in the afternoon!!!
I mean it can’t be all work and no play!!


Some Easter Cuteness!
Now if you have lil ones coming for Easter you have to check out these cuties
from Bakerella!! Oh my my such stinking cuteness!!!!

Next is Peeps from Pumpkin Patch Primitives. Cute lil quilts to be sure!!

Rainy Friday....

I sure hope all this mess will bring us some pretty flowers and more green!!!

We are up to an inch so far today. Got most over night.

More water in the well and swamp and pond and creeks and lakes...yes we may not sound like it but we are grateful indeed!

Our local market farmer did get his potatoes in finally. He also put in some other things from his green house.

Just too messy and wet to work in our garden this weekend. Reckon I will just have to force myself to play in my sewing room and eat DH's home baked bread... oh dear me I suffer soo...;-)

Yesterday was spent at BFF Deb's(no blog) home. We sewed up the oven dresses.

Here is mine. Deb's was not done when I left so no pic to share.

Here is a pic of Deb working on it though...ha!!

Here is a pic of Cocoa Kitty this AM.

"oh do hurry Mama I am so HUNGRY..." ;-)

LOOK!!
GIVEAWAY at Thistledown &Co. ends Sunday night so check it out!

Very fun pattern, goodies and some fabs too!!

A Finish...

...from a while ago! I begin this shopping bag and it got laid aside. I used an old tablecloth that had some issues. So I did not mind using what I could from it for a new purpose.

Anyway here is is. I do think maybe the handles could have been a bit longer but I am happy with it. Nice size bag..18" tall by 16" wide at top, down to 12" and the bottom is 6"...will add maybe a plastic canvas bottom inside. Is lined with a new fabric to support the vintage fabric. Thought I could do a TUT for it but not sure how to make sense of the pics I managed to get!! Some were blurry.. did not look that way till I loaded them up..ugh!!

I have my own way of doing 'things' and can be hard to explain... ha!!

Like the pot holders, if there is a step I am not 'fond of' will find an easier way, at least to me!

I do have some 'retro' sheets that I want to make more of these bags from so will try very hard to set up tripod and get 'my very easy (lazy) way' recorded with pics!

I am off tomorrow to BFF Deb's for a sewing day.

She wants to make some of the oven dress towels.

These have been around for a long while now.

Simple and fun you can really have fun doing them up!!

selvages and sweet lovelies

My selvedge collection is growing. I sure wish I had kept all the ones that got tossed in the trash!
Would have enough for my bag by now….who knew I would need them one day! ha!!


Are these not sweet loveliness !?!?!
They are a group of fat qts from Windham Fabrics 1930’s Feed Sack line.
Bought them this past Sunday at LQS, Bella’s Fabrics.
I love the small cottage blocks Lurline made up and had a swap with!!
Won’t they be sweet in these 30’s prints!
Maybe a bit of rick rack here.. a wee bit of lace there.... ;-)

Hello!!!

Ya know on the one hand I am glad this past week is behind us but yet I do feel sad that it sure seems like time is flying by!!
If only the bad stuff would fly by and the good stuff would linger…would that not be wonderful??
We have a nice fresh new week ahead of us so best to make the most of it!!

We have sunshine and pretty flowers all a bloom!
Cool with wind yes but gotta love the SUNSHINE!!

Here are some of the gifts I was working on the past couple weeks.
They were for my niece D, who is very good to me and we adore her!
She is a lover of all things Fall and Halloween!!
So it is not odd for her to receive such gifts on BD’s and at Christmas!!
As the saying goes “it is not about the GIFT but the RECEIVER.”

This is a Thimbleberries Panel quilt called Punkin Boy from the Cover Story line.
All layered and quilted.

Remember Pat Sloan’s OP(orange pile) Challenge?
Made the runner below using 3 of the 12 blocks I did.
Quilted it with Superior’s King Tut ‘fallish’ colors variegated thread…LOVE THAT STUFF!!
Bought some to try at the past quilt show. I am sold on it so now I have to order more!!

Last here she is with a pilla I made using her own cross stitch project!
CUTE!!!
She seemed very pleased with all her goodies so I am a happy Auntie!!

Today is National Quilting Day!

The National Quilting Association has said so! ;-)
They offer a nice free pattern for a block called Welcome Home, which is sporting a pieced house in the block's center surrounded by a star and Four-Patch design.
To get a printable copy of the pattern, go check it out.

Sadly I will not be doing anything quilt related today…;-(
Will have to make up for that later!!
Look forward to cruising your blogs to see what you all got done though!!

Here is another one of my Favs from the MAQ Show. Just love the color and FUNK of it!!!

Spring...it is trying

In between the cold and rain Spring has still pushed forward.
All the hyacinths have bloomed out..some purple, pink and a few pale yellow ones.
The japonica and baby’s breath is also blooming.
I did cut some forsythia branches a week ago to force in the house, and they are all bloomed out now.
Yesterday and today we have sunshine..finally.
Sadly it will not last long as rain coming in again later this evening…and cold! UGH!
I am happy about the rain cause it helps fill our well with water and bring us out of drought.
Only thing is a I wish we could have a day or two of sunshine then maybe day rain, etc. Ha!!

I am working on some sewing projects I can’t show as they are gifts.
After they are given will share.
I HOPE to get caught up on all my BOM’s next week.

We also have some family health issues going on too.
We just never know what the next day may hold .
So may posts may be few for a bit.

If you have sunshine enjoy it!!!!

Happy St. Paddy's Day !!!

Wishing every one a wonderful fun day today!!

Here is Miz Sadie wearing the 'green'.


Cocoa Kitty would have none of it, she will just go with her pretty green/gold eyes…!!!

Here is a cute pic of my gals Cocoa Kitty and Sadie the Beagle. Cocoa sort of just looks at Sadie with that “You just ain’t right” look all the time. ;-)
Here Cocoa is saying “I said No Sadie!! I am not letting you out of there! Yes that's right bow to the Queen!!” haa!!
Sadie will just wait till Cocoa moves then she will go out..yes she obeys the cat( her pup sitter) better than her peep parents!


Here are 2 Fun Sounding Giveaways for you to sign up for…I have!!
Not that my luck is all that good which could be a good thing for someone else…;-)
Lani's and Kaye's!

Now you have to go check out this TUT on an Easter Egg Quilt at Freda's Hive!!
So cute and would work up fast with neat patterned prints.

Weekend Project

I decided I really need to work on my ‘smallish’ cutting and piecing.
Has been a while since I have been able to. Did not cut myself!! YES! Ha!!
Yes I need more practice for sure. …or just stick to my easier patterns.;-)
I did use the white cotton and some of the fabric I was given.
Picked the small basket pattern.
I made a wall hanging for the guest room.
The window treatments have those blue colors with some rose/pink.

Like that is what I SHOULD have been doing!! NOT!

Have a couple projects that NEED to be done in a few days!

Need therapy yes I really do..;-)

The cook top is good to go also.
We have given it a work out! JOY! JOY!
DH got the wiring all done for a new outlet so we can use the auto light.
So much easier now to do the clean up after cooking, love those sealed burners!!

Rain and Rain…we are into day 4 of dark gray and rain.
Today so far is only drizzle though.
We have a total of 2.5 inches so far.
I almost wish it was snow!!
NO!! SLAP ME!! I DID NOT SAY THAT!

Sew'in, Cuss'in and Wash'in

Did sew ..some..;-)
Just these dog scarves .
Made them for a pal of DH’s 3 dogs.

I have also been TRYING to get the hang of the new serger.
Well I must admit there has been some ugly words spoken!!
I have to say I have got it threaded and can do some stitching.
Sadly the ‘stitch’ I bought it for I can’t seem to figure out!!!
The manual really is not done up very well.
Janome did email me some setting info but not working.
It looks as if I will have to take it to class and be taught how to use it!!


I have been washing up some fabrics.
Was given a basket full a while back and just stored it.
Decided to pull out, wash up and see what can be done with it.
Some will make its way into some quilts and other projects.

Was some wonderful white and cream cotton yardage in the pile!!
Some has some rust on it but can be cut around I think.
About 8 yards of the pink!!

There is a lot of yardage of cotton/poly.
Bright colors too. I have decide to make up some dog kennel quilts with it.
Really should be quite sturdy and hold up to a few washings.
Think I have some poly batting somewhere.
That strip on top is all cotton though, but so soft.
Maybe PJ Bottoms...;-)

I hope to be sewing on some projects again this coming week and cooking on my new gas cook top!!

Cook'n with Gas

Yesterday we had a young fella here putting in a new gas line for a new gas cook top!
Have had the cook top a while now but for one reason and another never got in.
Elec was a learning experience for me. For myself I do not like it prefer the gas.
We have our gas logs on propane so just added a new line from the tank to under house and hooking it up!!

Well he was going to get cook top all hooked up and set up too but ran into some problems.
1. 30” to one company is NOT 30” to another.
2. The counter top had to be trimmed up for it to fit.
3. He did not have the right size tool for changing out the burners from natural gas to propane.( strange as they are the gas people)

So my DH had to come home and work on the project too.
He got the counter trimmed and cook top in. He also changed out the
burner things. It is all ready for the gas fella to come back tomorrow, do the gas check and light her up.
DH will do the elec on it later.
So we did not get to use it last night but maybe tonight!!
Love those grates I can slide pots easily from burner to burner. It has a simmer burner too.

Next hope we get in the new dishwasher, sink and new spigots!!
Can wait on the counter tops and painting the cabinets a bit longer.

Course still have a mess in the dining room/kitchen with all the cabinet stuff from under there cleaned out!
Did find the mouse hole.. so got that fixed!!! ;-)

Don’t ya just love NEW!!!!
Now I HAVE to clean the vent fan ..hate that.
One of those things I do but do not like it!!!!!

A Few More...

Here are a few more quilt show quilts that we liked.
Was not too many traditional pieced quits .
We did not really look at a lot of the dolls, clothing and other items in the show this year.
Stuck to the quilts.

Here is a quilt that is both pieced and appliqued.
Has those penny rug tongues on the sides. I thought was very unique.


I just loved the fallish colors of this one.
So pretty. Not a large quilt more a lap or wall.




Above is a very pretty blue and white small wall quilt.
Hard to see the blue in this pic.
It really was beautiful.
The quilting on it was outstanding as well.

D and S liked some that had beads and embellishments.
Will share them in another post.
We did not take too many pics this year.

Family Heirloom Quilt

This quilt was made by my Great Grandmother Nora.
It is all done by hand.
The fabrics were from clothing.

The backing is chicken feed sacks.
The batting is cotton picked in the field, not processed in any way.
Still feel seeds and stems in places.
It has a few worn spots, not too many.

I have a bed covering that was done by my Great Great Grandmother for Great Grandmother Nora’s hope chest.
It is all crocheted. It is a strange size to what we know now and has the corners for the bed posts.
Will get a pic of that too when I pull it out.
I like to use it on our bed in the warmer months.

I also have some quilts made by my Grandmother Lola.
Will blog about them in another post.
They are 20’s & 30’s type.

I do feel blessed to have the ones I have . Most were used not put away for just special!!

I have other textiles too from my Mama, Aunts, Mother in Law, and DH's Grandmother Belle.

Too me these are treasures beyond value.

I hope to pass them on to our kids for them in turn pass on to their children.

Okay maybe Spring is coming….

…we shall see. Been fooled before! Picked these pretties Sat.
Have one vase on dining room table other in living room on chest.
Just SCREAM Spring don’t they!

Not much sewing got done over weekend.
Sat was spent doing chores and we had company Sunday.

We had a nice dinner of prime rib, twice baked potatoes and steamed broccoli with Hollandaise .

Then for dessert DH made homemade eclairs!!

Can we all say FULL!!

I plan to work on my pretty patch work bags later today.
Have other things I must attend to in the AM.
I sure wish I had ‘people’.
You know ...so I could just sit and sew doing what I want but all the other stuff would still get done…by my 'people'! Ha!!

So who else was up at 6AM Sunday morn??????
Besides US that is!!!!!
Siggghhh… oh well we will get used to it right before time to Fall back!!!


Happy Monday Ya’ll!!

The Ghost of Bobby Dunbar

In 1912 a four year-old boy named Bobby Dunbar went missing in a swamp in Louisiana. Eight months later, he was found in the hands of a wandering handyman in Mississippi. (The picture at left was taken just days later.) In 2004, his granddaughter discovered a secret beneath the legend of her grandfather's kidnapping, a secret whose revelation would divide her own family, bring redemption to another, and become the answer to a third family's century-old prayer.
The American Life PBS Radio Show.

I think you can listen to an episode here.

I had never heard of this tale in my life!
Surprising as I am a child of southern parents and older relatives often spoke of old tales or news.
Was cruising home from shopping one Sat and had radio on our local PBS station.
The program This American Life came on an it was this episode.
I was hooked from the beginning.
So I drove slowly home from big city.. so I could hear it all!!
If this was a book I would be all over it !!!

Here is a blog that has a take on it as well. Very interesting and pretty much sums up some of my thinking as well.

Loads more reading here as well.

Mt. Baby Blanket and Time...

Mountain Baby Blanket 1 'All my Froggy Friends' is done and ready to travel.
Came out so cute!
Sure hope it will keep a sweet precious baby warm and brighten up a Mama’s spirits too!!
Now I have to get to work on some other projects (WIP) that need to be done soon!
Also my BOM’s are behind!! NO!!!
So have lots to do around here in the sewing department not even thinking on the maid duties, cooks job, etc..well you get the idea!!
I mean Spring cleaning is upon us right.. we still have to do that right??

No ..you say NO.. well works for me!!!

We have sunshine and warmth! YEE HAW..this country gal is happy!!
Casting away or blowing away as the wind is gusting….the Winter Blues!!!!

Don’t forget to Spring Forward one hour tonight with your clocks!
Now for me I just now feel like I am used to the Fall Back time.. ha!!!
Oh well we will have more daylight now to do outside stuff.
Check here for some tips on this new sleep transition …;-)

Some wonderful quilts...

Pat and I had fun pulling our little prank on you all but now on with the Show…;-)

Here are some of my favs at Mid Atlantic Quilt Show. Darn it, once again I forgot to write down the names of the quilters!!!

Granted #1, one with Pat and I, was beautiful in its own way but I was more in love with #2, see below .
If you ever have a dream of being perfect with appliqué well this quilt would be an inspiration.

These dog quilts were awesome !! Such a wonderful job done in fabric and thread.
Course my fav block was the beagle one and it is almost a Sadie portrait . Ha!!
Also had a cat one with a close to Cocoa..my pics came out a tad blurry on that one.

Next is one I would love to hang in my home!!
The Light House!!
Wonderful work here as well!!!

Judges Choice I think it was.

Will share a couple more later!!!

..and....

...the rest of the story…..!!

Gotcha !!!Gotcha!!!
Pat and I are soooo bad…well really Pat is the culprit !!! ;-)
Course I did go along… so I am just as bad I reckon!
Well not bad as in evil just triffling!!!
Haaaaaaaaaaa!!

We were not at show at same time…no really we were not!
Yes it was a plot!!! A plot to fool our readers to thinking we were!!
We had a pic taken at the Best of Show quilt of us at different times…Pat from Delaware on Thur then me on Sunday!!

Pat’s DH is a pretty good fella with Photo Shop !!
He managed to take both pics and PUT US TOGETHER there at the show!!
How cool is that!!!!! FUNNY!!!
It was as close as we could come to being there at same time…this year!!!

Haa …well if you can’t find the fun in life what is the point!!!!
Hope you all enjoyed our lil humorous mess and maybe smiled about it!!!

One more pic from MA Quilt Show

One last pic…Pat from A Little of This and a Little of Pat and Lola did make it to the quilt show in Hampton, Va!!!
Here is the pair checking out the Best in Show quilt.

Lola just said… nothing as swell as that is ever gonna come outta my sewing room!!

Pat likes it too but said... come on lets go find more FABRIC!!! I am all about the fabric… ha!!!

Lola replied....okay .. let me at those fat qts!!!

Stay tuned for a shocking revelation , as dear Paul Harvey would say..stay tuned for the rest of the story!!!!!!!

COLD!!!!
For us this is horrid cold!
My reading right now is 13!!!!!
We are on dial up here for pc/internet and the last few days we have had a stay connected problem.
I really think these vintage phone lines we have are being affected by this ice and cold !!
Most of the snow/ice stuff is gone but ground is frozen.
The poor flowers that were so pretty a few days ago look like some kind of frozen in time art work!!
Now the lil spoiled beagle is in high gear, even though she gets cold mind you, she is off with her nose going in over time!!
The cool crisp air brings her all kinds of fun pup smells.
Off we go, more like she is walking me!!!!
I sure am looking so forward to those high 60’s we are to be getting this weekend!!!!
Come on time for our Winter to be OVER!!!
After all this we need NEW WEATHER to complain about… haa!!!

Today....

..woke up to ice and snow..with wind blowing a gale!! Now here at noonish, snow back at it again heavier!

Mostly ice under everything and we are going down to 13 tonight, only 25 right now.

Man here we thought we had made it through Winter with none of this mess.

Power has already been off a couple times. We are sure hoping it does not go off for an extended period of time.

TV News in AM said some 111,ooo household in VA were out then!!

So many traffic accident and folks stuck in traffic for long periods of time!!

Just folks going to fast on ice . Ice is the great equalizer. No matter what you drive or how much experience you have had!! I can handle snow, was raised on lots more in Indiana/Mo then we normally get here but ice different matter. No chains or studded tires here either.

VDOT did not salt/sand any at all last night so some bridges closed as frozen.

Budget does not allow for much winter road care as we do not get that much of it.

Poor frozen jonquils were so pretty just yesterday!!

So will stay in nice and snug as possible by the warm logs and just watch the pretty snow fall.

Have my mug of warm tea now and DH made chili yesterday so we are good to go on warm comfy food too!!

I think I will fondle and pet my new Fat Qts some too... ha!!!

Hey all you folks further up the coast and over please take care, stay warm and safe!!!