Framing, Finishing and Frogging (Lots of Pics)

Hello dear friends!  Wow, two weeks have gone by since I lasted posted - I honestly don't know where the time goes sometimes.  I hate always using the word "busy", but that is what it's been around here (again - *sigh*).  I'm going to have to come up with a new excuse, don't you think?

I picked up another piece of framing this week:

Mary Corey

The Goode Huswife

30 ct. Apple Brown Bitty

DMC Threads and Walnut Ink Stain

I just love the frame for this with the bits of red in it.  I thought it went well with the little bit of red in the piece.  Another one down for the sampler wall.  Speaking of which - a lot of people have asked me about the sampler wall.  It's going to be awhile.  Reason being is that Ann Medd is an integral part to the wall.  All my A&E Samplers are going to go up a stairway with an L-bend.  ATS is currently on one wall, Ann Medd is going on the adjoining wall, and the rest placed around the two.  So no pictures of the sampler wall as of yet.  Plus there are still three more to be framed.  But once Ann is finished, and hopefully the other three finishes framed, then it will be time to party.  I would love to put some of them up now, but my DH is so anal about the walls that he gets massive headaches when he sees me with a hammer!  I figure I'll wait until Ann is done and start pounding - if I had to rearrange pieces his eye would definitely zero in on that small pinhole if I moved one.

Speaking of Ann, there was a bit of frogging going on with this woman, and it hampered what little progress I could make on her.

Last post:

This week:

You have to bear with me.  I like to see my before and after picks when I post.  I use it as incentive to not stop working on her.  Anyway, not tons of progress, but some.  But frogging involved that pink thing (flower) and the leaves below it and the leaves on the other side of what is to be the river.  I couldn't seem to get them placed right!  UGH.  I was hoping that I would have all the area around the sheep filled in and his outlining done, but that didn't happen.  I'm still loving this thing so much, but that fill-in can really be a killer!!!

I did manage to have some finishes in the past two weeks.  I managed to get seven more blocks done on the Farmer's Wife Quilt (well, almost done - there is a handle to sew on the basket block):

I'm just loving this quilt.  I had this crazy thought that before I started in on sewing, I would cut all four of the months that I had remaining and then sew.  So that was mainly what I did when I had time - cut out four months' worth of blocks.  All that cutting was just trashing my craft room (when I get on a tear, fabric flies all over the place) and I thought that I would trash it all at once and clean it and could sew in a nice clean area.  Anyway, I just love working on this quilt!!  But I'm going to have to put pedal to the metal because the next installment will probably be here next week!

With all those fabrics, I've been left with a bunch of selvages.  I have seen a lot of quilting blogs talking about selvages and using them in quilts, pin tuffets, purses, etc., so I decided to start saving them.  Thelma posted her selvages that she keeps in a large jar, so I thought that I would post mine.  I think the sizes that these are would make great pin tuffets:

I found this snifter at Walmart a few weeks ago, and thought it would be the perfect place to store these little pieces of fabric until I had time to get around to making something out of them.  You have to love the cashier at Walmart - she asked me if I was going to make a big drink - and she was serious!  I chuckled over that one all day.  But after cutting out all those quilt blocks, I seriously thought about having a drink - although that size would have killed me for sure!

Another finish I had this week was actually a little piece that I worked on while DD was dancing for those two weekends.  There is not much for a backstage mom really to do but make sure that the kids don't do silly things like eating or acting crazy (you know how teenagers can be), so I stitched:

Blackbird Designs

Buttons & Blooms for The Cure

This was such a fun stitch and quick!  Right up my alley.  I was so happy with this one, I pulled out a couple other smaller pieces that I've had laying around.  Have I started them yet?  Of course not, but I hope to soon.

And then there are more pincushions.  At the rate that I'm going - first it was the frogs and now pincushions, I'm going to need two sewing rooms!  I found these and I wasn't even looking for them (and I did find some frogs, but I'll post those another time - forgot to take a picture of them). 

The small one in the very front was a gift from my Sampler Guild, Kindred Spirits, for helping out at their annual auction.  The other two I picked up in a little antique store that I went by one day on an errand run.  I just love, love the little chair, and I was happy to find the globe as I had seen one when Terri and I were out a while ago, but that one was not in very good shape.   

I managed to get a couple more pics of DD while she was in her dance costumes.  Not the best because the weather was horrible and I had to reply on those ugly painted block walls in the school as a backdrop:

Okay, this picture is a little dark, but DD decided to be funny and wear her UGG Boots.  Not quite the look I was hoping for.  I managed to convince her that I needed a better picture.  Ballerinas don't go on stage with UGG Boots:

Okay, that's better dear!

And one in her Jazz costume.  She is my sweetie!!

One other thing that was kind of funny the past couple of weeks was that one day I was driving out of my subdivision and saw this:

A coyote!  I was floored.  But as I found out, this was a decoy that the people who owned the property put out there to keep the geese out of their yard.  For a week or so, you would not have believed the number of people who were gullible (like Moi) and slowed down, took pictures, etc.  A couple days later I went out for a walk only to observe a man pulling up to the curb, getting out of his car and slowly sneaking up on the thing, ready to run if the coyote went towards him.  You would have laughed if you had seen him.  All the while, his wife was in the car taking a video of the whole thing.  I was getting a real chuckle out of it.  When the man realized that it was fake, he looked so dejected.  Now I'm wondering, would it have been more fun for the man if the coyote was real and took after him?  Like what was he hoping for?  Makes you wonder, doesn't it?  Would have made a good piece for America's Funniest Videos, I think!  LOL

Well, that's it in my part of the world.  I hope that everyone is having a wonderful week and will have a wonderful weekend!  And thank you so much again for all your wonderful comments.  I truly love reading each and every one of them.  It's so nice to know that there are kindred spirits out in blogging land and that friendships are made.  Speaking of which, next weekend a dear blogging friend,  Robin is coming into town to visit her mother who lives near me.  Terri and I are going to take her out and fill her full of antique/quilt store goodness.  She'll never be the same!  I'm really looking forward it.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.