Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Gosh - Has It Almost Been a Month?

Yes, it has, and I guess it's time to make a post.  I have been so remiss the past few weeks in reading blogs and making comments and I apologize.  I think that now that summer is here (or almost here), I've been spending more time outside than I have inside.  So I've been a bad blogger.  But I do have a finish:


Martha Jones 1792
35 ct. Vintage Examplar
DMC Threads
(http://samplers-berlin.com)

I love how she came out and the colors.  What I didn't like were the tulips in the border.  For some reason they gave me headaches!  I love how the words "Paradife" and "difgrac'd" are spelled.  I've never seen that in a sampler - replacing an 's' with an 'f'.


I also liked that there were some different stitches in this piece - like the Algerian Eye baskets and the satin stitching.  There were a couple caveats in the chart though.  There were a couple colors called for that were never used - as far as I could tell.  The blue bird in the tree was suppose to be a different color, but as blue was called for in the list of threads, yet I never came across the symbol in the chart for it,  I made the bird blue.  There was also one other color called for that was never used - 407. Some of the symbols were also a little hard to differentiate also, but all in all, it was a fun stitch.

On the quilting side, I've managed to stay on top of the Cotton Club blocks, and finished up the six that I had sitting around.   Good thing too because the next month of blocks came today:


I love working on these blocks, and I think that I only have a couple more months and the quilt can be put together.

I've also been working on the Chippewa Nine Patch quilt here and there:  All the strips have been made into nine patch blocks:


And they're ready to be assembled into this - I only (yes, only) need 25 of them:

They'll all look a little different depending on how I put the individual nine patch blocks together.  I can't wait to get through these so that I can put the quilt together.  The rest of the fabric looks like this (sorry for the dark pic):


And last but not least, the Phebe quilt.  No, I really haven't started it, but I have traced out all the pieces:

Not the best picture - sorry.  But by my estimation, there are about 209 pieces in just the very center of this quilt.  You hear that Margaret and Cari????  OY!  I think that I've bitten off more than I should have with this.  Because after this, there is another border that is appliqued.  I don't know what the third month will bring, but I'm breaking out in beads of sweat just thinking about it!!

So that's what I've been up to the past month or so.  Part of the reason I haven't been parking my behind the computer so much is that last month I celebrated another birthday (thank you again to all you that remembered) and even though it wasn't a milestone (that's a couple years off), I just decided that I sit too much gazing into the wonderful world of the internet being enabled and getting myself into trouble.  So, I've been doing a lot of this:

Last week I walked 33 miles.

And a lot of this (until I blew out one of my tires):

And eating things like this - yum:


Salmon Fruit Salad w/Raspberry-Maple Vinaigrette

And I'm not going to make this into a cooking blog, but this dressing is wonderful and non-fat:

Raspberry-Maple Vinaigrette

1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbl. Dijon Mustard

Put it all in a lidded container and shake!  This stuff is great - low fat and big on taste - you don't need a lot!!

So that's what I've been up to and why I haven't been a good blogger.  I find that getting up and taking Bailey for his morning walk,  I don't feel like sitting down after and I then take off on my own either on foot or bike.  You can only cover so much distance or go so fast with a dog that likes to visit every mailbox in the neighborhood!  LOL  My son has also been getting me to do PX-90 with him.  We won't talk about that one!  I hope to goodness that he never makes a video of me doing it and puts it on YouTube.  I'd never be able to live it down.  So anyway, all of this is good for me, but not good for blogging obviously!  But I will get back to it and catch up with everyone.  There are some days - like today when it's going to be 95 - that unless its early morning or late evening, you don't want to be out in the heat.  So today it's catch up time.

Hope that everyone has a great week!  And thank you for all the wonderful comments that you leave.  I love hearing from everyone!






60 comments:

Ineke said...

You have been very busy! The sampler is beautiful. And the nine patch quilt is going to be huge I guess. Have a great week too.

Diane (di) said...

Wow! You really have some smokin' needles, Woman. :) The CC blocks are wonderful and your sampler is gorgeous (I'm lovin' those colors)! Congratulations on a beautiful finish Deb. Happy Dance!!!!

And that salad... my goodness it looks sooo good. :)

Patty C. said...

What a great post!
I love the sampler - as a matter of fact i bid for another A&E Sampler that you posted on your blog & won it on ebay -now i am going to have to get this one - lol

Love the quilt blocks &
Im feeling hungry all of a sudden;)
Hugs!

Annie said...

I love your sampler, tulips and all!

I can't believe how many little shapes you have to piece. The tulips don't give me a headache, but the the thought of doing that sure does! Glad you enjoy it and the results are beautiful.

And aren't you the new fitness queen! Congrats on living such a healthy lifestyle.

Laurie in Iowa said...

Congrats on your finish... the sampler looks wonderful. Love all your quilt blocks too.

BrendaS said...

Your sampler is just beautiful! I love the colors you've chosen in your quilts too:)

Thanks for sharing the salad dressing recipe. It looks very refreshing!

Me and My Stitches said...

You have been very busy! I can't believe you have that sampler finished already - it is wonderful. I am still in awe of Phebe's quilt - it is so amazing - and having all of those pieces traced is a big undertaking!

Jenny said...

Wow - Martha is stunning! Love all your pretty quilt squares too.
And well done on walking 33 miles in one week - that is great!

Siobhán said...

Oh my gosh!! Your sampler looks FANTASTIC!! I love it. The f looking things in the middle of the words are actually Ss--in previous centuries they wrote them to look like Fs for some reason, but yeah--those thingies are Ss! ;)

I am SO so impressed with all of your fitness stuff, and the salad. YUM-O! I can't get raspberry vinegar here but found some Greek dressing on Pinterest that I'm going to try. DD & I went out for the first walk in the woods of the summer today and I need to seriously get my backside in gear! 33 miles--Oh. My. Gosh.

Beautiful quilt squares, too! YGG!

Kim said...

Deb!! It's all fabulous! The sampler finish is wonderful! Though I've vowed to NOT add any more to the 'to stitch' pile, this one is lovely! The quilt blocks..love that Cotton Club fabric! As a matter of fact I've got a fat quarter bundle that will be incorporated into a quilt very soon! The Chippewa Nine Patch...what a stunner that will be! And I'm not even going to say anything about Phebe. I didn't go down that path....yet....and am trying to resist. The activity level is amazing and I'm definitely going to try that salad dressing. YAY YOU!!!

Vickie said...

Good, good, good for you! Very impressive. I use a store bought raspberry viniagrette dressing, I love it. And you do not need much, you are right. Such lovely work you have done.:) http://astitchersstory.blogspot.com/

Melissa said...

I can just imagine your busy life! The exercising is impressive. I copied the vinaigrette and will give it a try!

Martha is gorgeous. Of course I love it because of all the pinks but I do like that bluebird!

Your quilts are going to be gorgeous! Have fun, busy gal!

Lanie said...

Hi Deb ... glad to hear from you again! Congrats on finishing "Martha Jones" ... she's pretty! I love the tulip border even if it did give you fits. And how about that sassy Adam & Eve with their hands on their hips?!

Good for you getting with a good exercise routine. I need to get my backside in gear and get started ... again. I did just have a milestone bday this weekend and "things" just don't operate like the used to ... gotta get stuff jumpstarted. Thanks for the inspiration! Can't wait to try your salad dressing.

dulcinella said...

Congrats on the finish! It's very beautiful... Don't worry about blogging: if it's enjoyable weather outside, it's better to be outside!

Juels said...

You sure have been busy, Deb! Cooton Club looks great as does Martha. And I like the fabrics in Chippewa. Congrats on another birthday and all the exercise you are doing!

Cathy B said...

Your sampler is beautiful; I like the color palette too. And of course, your quilt blocks -- wish I could quilt like you do!

Keep up the walking and biking - better get your tire fixed! :)

Sharon said...

Your finish and your quilt pieces are all gorgeous!

Cari said...

Deb, oh Deb, oh Deb...what can I say? Martha is BEAUTIFUL. I so love all of the colors, and thanks for the heads up on the floss. I'll keep that in mind when I get started on mine. All of your quilt blocks are to die for and an enabler you are my dear...209 pieces???!!!?? All the supplies, freezer paper and pattern copies are sitting on my work table. I will start Phebe and finish Phebe !! Now if I could just drag myself outside for a walk or bike ride. I really should join the nearby A/C'd gym and bike on a stationery bike. Wonder if I could do appliqué, stitch and knit on that bike?? LOL

Love you tons dear friend. Big HUGS

Elizabeth said...

Congratulations on your finish - Martha is a beauty. I love her Adam and Eve. Hope you're enjoying the warm weather :)

WoolenSails said...

I can see why you haven't posted, you have been very busy and making some wonderful new pieces.

Debbie

samplerlover said...

OMG Martha is beautiful. I know that you hated doing the tulip border but they are really lovely. She will look lovely with your other A&E's.

All of your quilt pieces look lovely. Looking forward to seeing them all together = Sandra.

Loraine said...

Oh my goodness, I love this post! Your sampler is beautiful, and your quilts are stunning. You have accomplished a lot! I can't believe that Phebe has 209 pieces. (gulp) Oh my, that is going to be huge challenge. You can do it though! You are so super talented.

Wow, you are really inspiring me to eat more healthy. I've actually been really needing to make some changes. I've got the exercise thing down, it's just the eating that needs an adjustment. Your salad looks fabulous! I'm so going to try that this week. Thanks for the recipe.
Yea on 33 miles! That is a lot of walking!
I'm glad your summer is going well. TTYS dear friend.

Margaret said...

Ok, I really have to stitch Martha Jones. Don't be surprised if I do that I will be asking you for those DMC colors that caused problems again. At least it was DMC and not something expensive. Martha is gorgeous though! Love your Cotton Club blocks and your Chippewa too. Did I ever mention I was making that Chippewa? lol! I wonder when I'll ever get back to it. You've gotten me so scared about Phebe now, I don't dare start it. lol! Good for you for being so healthy too. I need to do that.

Nancy M said...

Your sampler looks great. It will be a great addition to your wall! Your quilts can keep you busy for years! They do look so interesting though. Good job on the mileage. I think about it, but that's as far as I get! It's been brutally hot lately, I don't want to get out of the house!

valerie said...

Congratulations on finishing Martha...she looks fantastic! Good for you for getting yourself out there and being healthy. It's so hard! I just had cobbler and cake for lunch...two things I shouldn't have had so the guilt means I have to at least go do 3 miles at the gym today! I love your salad...it looks scrumptious. I'll have to try your salad dressing recipe soon!

Catherine said...

What a fantastically beautiful sampler!!!
Your quilt blocks look great.
Congrats on the exercise ~ and that food looks yummy!

Christine said...

Wow! The samplers are gorgeous and the quilts you have going are going to be as well and then you gift us by sharing this wonderful dressing recipe! Thank you!

pj said...

Deb
What a gorgeous sampler! Love the colors and that Adam and Eve! I may need to get this one too...as I can't resist A&E samplers.

That salad looks so good! And thanks for the dressing recipe as I am always looking for a good one. Summer berries are wonderful and good for you. 33 miles? wow!!! I love to walk but not alone.

Take care...happy summer, pam in iowa

aprilmecheelesdulllife said...

Your sampler is beautiful! I Have to go look for that chart. I love A & E designs. Then you show all those Beautiful quilt squares.. colors are wonderful. But the last is great! Salad looks so good! Yummmmm.Thanks for the dressing recipe! Can't wait to try it!

Ellen said...

Martha is gorgeous, love her! Love your quilt blocks too! I have no patience, so many blocks loh!

That salad looks yummy, must try this dressing, thanks!

Hugs,

Cathy Lloyd said...

Love your new finish! I {heart} the colors! Your quilting is fabulous as always too! I have also been putting on the gym shoes and hitting the gym everyday for the last 10 months...that's another hour out of my stitching time...along with the courses I'm taking for the next year. My stitching is really taking a back seat. I know you'll be able to do Phoebe...just keep at it and pretty soon...you'll have the quilt of all quilts! Have a fabulous summer, my friend!

Chris said...

Wonderful post!
I love Mary! She is going to look great hanging on one of your walls.
I still love the colors in that Nine Patch quilt, it is going to be wonderful.
Great job on the exercise and the wonderful salad. YUM!
The exercise take such a huge time commitment.
Hoping for another update soon :)

Giovanna said...

Congrats on the great finish!

Mouse said...

weyyy heyyy on the finish :) just love it and sorry those tulips gave you some fits .... well done on the fab quilt you will get it done in no time ....
and way to go on the fitness routine too ... :)
love mouse xxxx

Linda said...

The sampler is beautiful! I also love the quilt! Those colors are gorgeous and the design lets them really "sing"!

Katherine said...

Wow, your cotton club blocks are wonderful - and have POINTS! Good on you for the exercise - I could use a LOT of that too!

Myra said...

You weren't kidding about having a finish - wow! Gorgeous. I am finding I don't want to spend much time at the computer these days either.
Wonderful quilt blocks too but I have to say all those applique pieces are scary. :o) (I am not a appliquer.)

Linda said...

Love the sampler - the colors are very appealing to me!

And the quilt! How I wish I could quilt! You are truly a talented woman!

Linda in VA

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

Beautiful finish, Deb! And you know... it has all those pretty colors I love!! Very pretty!
Awesome progress on your quilts. I am always so amazed by how much you get done.
P90X, huh??? We'll have to talk about that over drinks. My P90X workout almost killed me yesterday, we ran in the heat... yuck is all I can say about that.
Anyway, good for you with all the exercise and good eating!

Lana said...

Your finish is just beautiful!! Good job on the quilt blocks, so beautiful! I am currently doing p90, and have P90X to do when I'm done with this, I think the results are worth it! Great job on taking time to be healthy AND still do your needle hobbies!

Carol said...

What a truly lovely finish, Deb! I agree--those colors are splendid...

Great work on your walking and biking...I try to do 3 miles a day on my treadmill, but seem to be a bit lazier this summer for some reason. Thanks so much for the recipe--it looks delicious. Don't you love this time of year with all those fresh berries?!

Poussy Stitches My Love said...

Hello my Dear, I love your beautiful sampler Adam & Eve .... Bisous de FRANCE !!!!

Ruth said...

209 pieces!!! I know you said Martha's tulips gave you a headache -- imagine what 209 pieces will do! I'll get the Tylenol shall I?

Congrats on the wonderful accomplishments! Everything is beautiful... but 209?!! Are you nuts??!?!!?!?

BeckySC said...

Oh Deb, what a gorgeous, gorgeous sampler. WOW!!!!

robindefender said...

Love your A&E sampler!

Mary said...

You gotta love that gigantic parrot! Congrats on the amazing finish.

Susan said...

Congratulations on your finish. Lovin' the quilts. 200+ pieces!?? You are a better woman than I.

Jackie's Stitches said...

Love, love, love Martha! The colors in this are wonderful. I love the tree and your blue bird!

Like you, I've been staying pretty caught up with Cotton Club. It hasn't been easy...but we're almost done with blocks!

I'd call tracing 209 pieces as getting started! I can't wait to see your progress on this. I don't think you've bitten off more than you should have - you're a beautiful quilter and I know you're up to the challenge.

33 miles in one week? That's a LOT!

woolwoman said...

Martha Jones is beautiful - I saw on Sampler World on FB. Your Chippewa Nine patch is just gorgeous - I love the colors - so warm and rich. I have a friend doing Cotton Club and that is a really pretty one too. I need to be doing the walking thing too but with the heat of summer upon us - I would have to start real slow - I get overcome so easily by the extreme heat and humidity here in NE FL. That salad looks yummy with all the fresh berries - I'm not a salmon eater but the dressing sounds great - I'll have to give it a try. Can't wait to see your next stitching focus piece. Mel

Kathy Ellen said...

My goodness, but you have been one very busy woman! 'Martha Jones' is truly beautiful, and your Cotton Club blocks are all great! 'Chippewa Nine Patch' looks like it is coming together nicely too, and what a challenge you have with your newest quilt.

Congratulations on celebrating another birthday last month, and starting such an energetic exercise regime. I absolutely love a wonderful salad any day, and yours looks incrediblly delicious.

Blessings!

Brigitte said...

Going for some more fitness is certainly one of the best reasons for staying away from the computer. (And stitching is the second best, isn't it? Lol. I wish I could get up from my stitching and reading couch a bit more often but besides when I go to work it's just for half an hour of fitness per day. Sigh.
Congratualtions on that wonderful finish. And your quilting is always a great motivation for me.

Angela said...

Congrats on the Martha Jones finish, I love it! Your quilt squares always look so pretty.

Karoline said...

Martha is gorgeous, congratulations and your quilt blocks are looking lovely

Marie said...

Martha Jones is gorgeous.

You have made so many quilt blocks. I especially like nine patch and look forward to see the quilt progress.

Anne said...

Stunning finish Deb! I really love this sampler! The tulip border, the large parrot and the algerian eyelet vase are probably my favourite! Even though the tulips gave you a headache, the look amazing. As for the "f"s that's how they wrote 's'. I don't know the exact history but I think it goes back to Elizabethan times. Jane Philpott's 's' look like 'f's too! Your quilt is coming together beautifully too!!

Happy Birthday!!! Well done on working out and eating healthily!! I always feel better after both :D

Sherry :o) said...

Margaret is absolutely beautiful...if not at the framers already and you're coming to KSSG - bring her!

The Chippewa is pretty - love your colors, the Cotton Club bottom center is way too cool, the others too. And Phebe looks way too awesome, but yikes!

Good for you walking and riding - I need to do that and soon! Been a bit too hot for me outside the past few days.

Hope to see you soon.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful sampler finish. Your quilt is looking great.

Jeanne said...

Your sampler finish is lovely!! I am afraid of serpents so I don't do A&E samplers but I will overlook that tiny element here and just admire how beautiful it is LOL. I admire your quilt blocks too...love the color combination which has the old-timey look. Someday I hope to make a repro quilt, I've been stashing fabrics here and there but don't know when I'll get the time to do it.

33 miles - Oh my!! I've been trying to walk every morning but I have to get out by 5:30 or it's too hot. Some days when I can't budge myself up to do it I go to the mall in the evening and walk there. (It's hot here in the desert!). I usally can do between 2-3 miles a day so you must be really moving!

Patricia Lessell said...

you have been mega busy - unlike couch potato me!! I love that Coton Club BOM and I thin you'll find that you are gonna be finished this month. Thanks too for the GREAT recipe. Just for a change I'm on a diet!!!
Lots of Love
Patti xxx

Poussy Stitches My Love said...

I love your sampler !
bisous bisous