Another Fun and Productive Week

Happy Monday!  Wow, after trying all day to get into Blogger, it finally worked.  I don't know if anyone else had problems, but I couldn't post or comment since yesterday afternoon.  Thank goodness they got the problem taken care of.  I probably would go through withdrawals if I couldn't read everyone's blogs!  LOL


Last week on my birthday, I read Faye's blog and found out that I had won her giveaway.  What a great birthday present, don't you think?  And what Faye sent is wonderful (all pictures are clickable):

Look at these great things that she sent.  The pincushion is a work of art and I say that because I'm finishing-challenged and admire people that can make such wonderful things.  This pincushion is beautiful and it feels so good.  I asked Faye what she used and she said crushed walnut shells.  I love both the charts so much and that red floss is such a luscious shade of red I can't wait to stitch with it.  I think that Quaker pattern would be perfect, don't you?  Thank you, thank you Faye, I love everything.


Then another piece of birthday fun was a present that I ordered for myself.  Can't have a birthday without buying yourself something, can you?

This is from Eldreth Pottery and someone that I know talked about this plate and before I could run over and scarf the thing up, another "Sister" friend (you know who you are) snatched the plate and it was gone.  But thank goodness the great people at Eldreth Pottery said that they would gladly make another one.  I think this will look good with the A&E Samplers don't you???


Then a mystery package came in the mail.  Just a note telling me thank you for my generosity.  Now I don't have a clue who sent it or what I was so generous with, but look at these goodies:

Oh my goodness am I going to have fun with these or what?  The sender said that she noted that I liked hornbooks and so two of these are hornbooks.  And the other charts I didn't have.  Woo Hoo.  But now I need to know who the sender is.  It's going to bug me unless I find out - I will get to the bottom of the mystery!!!  But thank you, thank you whoever you are!!!


I've been busy in the stitching/quilting area this week too.  I had to put Ann down before she drove me up the wall.  I'm still working on her - putting a thread a night into her.  The background is just a killer - or maybe not - maybe I'm just not in the mood.  So I started two projects - one is almost done so I'll wait until it's finished to show you, but I also started Sarah Seifer by the Goode Huswife:

This is a fun stitch and I got all this done in about two nights - pretty good for me.  Although lately at night I've been burning the midnight oil doing these:

Yep, a whole lot of quilt blocks!  Love, love them.  For some reason I'm going through one of those stages where I don't want to go to sleep at night, so why waste the time!  I'm now caught up through May.  June's arrived right before the holiday weekend so I've got some cutting out to do, but it felt good to get these done!!!
Here's a better picture:

One block among these has to be torn apart because I sewed one square upside down - I think it was about 2:00 a.m. when I was trying to finish it up - the red, green and yellow one in the second row, and one block came out so bad that I'm going to do it over again.  But woo hoo was I glad to get caught up!  I think I've done about 33 blocks so far.  Only 78 more to go!!


Last weekend while I was out with the girls antique/quilt shopping, I picked up a few things and thought that I'd post them now before I forget:

Not much but a few fun things (couldn't afford much - I spent so much at the quilt stores I had to restrain myself somewhere!!!) - a jar of buttons, a cute plate and some thimbles, the two mannequins (although the wire one came from the Salvation Army), some great old spools of thread that I think someone wound newer thread around, but the ends are stamped with some old companies.  And the little toile piece - it has a candle inside, but thought that it would make a good holder for a pin cushion when I burn the candle out.

Then this little beaten set of drawers.  I think someone just slapped a coat of white paint over it, but it works for me!


So it was another great week.  And you know what else was great about it?  Well, look at these pictures - it does a mother's heart proud:

DD wasn't feeling too well yesterday (can you tell by that messy hair?), and she was just moping around the house so I got her stitching.  Pulled out the Ott light, grabbed a chart out of stash, she picked the floss and away she went.  She decided on BBD's Souvenier de France and this is the progress she made:

You go girl!  Does this make a stitchy mother proud, or what?  She's doing a great job!  I told her that we'd sew it together into a pin pillow with a beaded edge.   By the end of the evening she was completely done with the Eiffel Tower and starting on some of the motifs.  She says she loves it.  Oh my happy heart!!!  Now I know that my stash will be in good hands in the future!!


Well that's it for me except for this picture.  Everyone is posting pictures of their gardens and so thought I'd show a couple pictures of my clematis as of last week:

The flowers were just huge this year.  But they're no more.  We had some bad storms come through here this weekend (and tornados south of us) and the winds and rain just blew all those petals off.  But there are still a lot of buds so hopefully it will look like this again.


Oh, and before I forget.  I mentioned Barbie dolls in my last post and was amazed at how many people commented or emailed about those dolls and that they had theirs from when they were young or collected them too.  I'll try to pull some out this week and post them on my next post.


That's about it for me!  I'm hoping to get a lot more quilting and stitching in during the next week.  I'm kind of taking it off for myself before the kids get out of school and the summer games begin!


Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving all your wonderful comments once again.  Now I'm off to try to catch up on two days' worth of posts by all of you.  I can't wait to see what everyone has been up to!!!


Have a wonderful week.

Words That Start with "F"

I know that I've been so remiss with blogging lately and I'm going to try to do better. Every time I turn around I realize that it's been two weeks or so since I last posted.  Always busy, but this past week has been filled with words that start with "F": - Friends, Fun, Fabric, Festivities and Framing!  It's been a great week!!!


I'll start with the framing:

Adam & Eve

The Goode Huswife

40 ct. Daily Grind & DMC Threads

Woo Hoo - another finish for the A&E Wall! I just love the frame for this one - really picks up the blues in the piece - what little there are!!

Last Saturday was a really special day.  Terri and I got to meet up with a dear blogging friend, Robin.  We had such a great time.  You know how it is when you first meet someone - you're nervous, wonder if you'll have things to talk about.  Well, no fears here - Robin got in the car, our mouths started going and we spent the rest of the day jawing to beat the band - I don't think we ever stopped talking - well, except when we were all lost in the antique mall.  We had such a great time!  We hit up two little antique stores, two quilting stores and then a large antique mall.  Such great fun!!!  It was about an hour's drive, but we stocked up with breakfast sandwiches and sweet tea and we hit the road!!

I managed to get a couple pictures of the girls at lunch:

Here's Robin holding up the gift that Terri gave her.  Aren't they cute?  Or for that matter, isn't Robin cute?

And here's Terri showing off the wonderful pincushion that Robin had made her.  Sorry for the glare behind you, Terri. We stopped for a quick lunch at Arby's (a wonder of fine dining) and Terri was sitting near the window.    I think we were going to try for a little fancier place to eat, but we spent so much time shopping, that we had to do a quick lunch.

This is the pinkeep that Robin made for me:

Isn't is wonderful?  I love it Robin and how did you know that blue is my favorite color?  Thank you so much dear friend!!

Now, no pictures of me.  I'm camera shy you see.  I don't like having my picture taken.  Ask anyone that knows me - I run from cameras.  Even my wedding photographer had a lot of issues with me.  I blink, I scowl or just plain close my eyes and grimace.  Both Terri and Robin wanted to post a picture of me and I told them no.  Well, Robin was a little bit concerned about that because if there wasn't a picture of me, then it wouldn't look like I went on this trip.  She asked if she could put a smiley face over my head.  I told her that was fine - or how about someone like Heidi Klum?  Well, I was just kidding, of course.  But lo and behold, Robin came up with my picture:

Okay girls, there I am in startling proportions!  Heidi Klum!  LOL  Is this picture not a riot?  I've been told I have a big head........hmmmmm!!  When I saw this posted on Robin's blog this morning I couldn't stop laughing.  Not good because I had a dentist appointment and all my makeup came completely off and I had to run quick like a bunny and repair it before I left.  I was just about crying I was laughing so hard!  Great job Robin!  

Now truly, I don't look anything like Heidi.  Heck, if I was Heidi Klum I wouldn't have a blog about stitching.  No way!  I'd have a blog telling you all about the new benefits and youthful appearance your breasts would have in the latest Victoria's Secret underwear - how your "girls" would kiss the sunshine, five times bigger than what they are, and your rear would look like two beautifully risen loaves of bread.  All the while telling you how Seal and I are going to have our 15th child tomorrow, and then the next day I'm going to be back into shape prancing down the runway for a VS fashion show!  LOL   Of course, I suppose that I could stitch some cute designs on the backs of the underwear or perhaps come out with a quilted bra!  Can you tell that Robin has a wonderful sense of humor?  I can't wait until I can meet up with her again.

Now, there was some buying going on that day and the charge card was melted - or semi melted.  It melted the rest of the way a couple days later.  Anyway, look at all this wonderful goodness:

For a black, red and white quilt that I want to make.  I forgot to take a picture of the pattern - OOPS.

Some cute trims - the toile box came from another shopping trip I did a couple days later with my girlfriend Diane (more on that later).  It's another one of those wonderful Moda kits I couldn't resist.  I don't know if it was the fabric and pattern (again no pic) or the cute toile box that got me.

More beautiful Moda fabrics - ymmmmm!!

Sorry for the dark photo - but some new patterns which I need like another hole in the head - and some hexagons.  I'd like to try my hand at that one of these days....soon.

And more beautiful fabrics that I still haven't unpacked yet (or at least weren't unpacked at picture time).
We had such a wonderful time.  I did pick up some antiquey finds, but I'll post them later.  

Since Saturday things have been really fast paced.  Monday was my birthday and I'll post one of the highlights.  The cake my kids and DH got me was beautiful, but the camera with the picture in it is nowhere to be seen - probably my daughter took it to school since it's nearing the end of the year.  But one of the gifts that I got that was very special to me was this:

This gift was from my sister.  She loves to paint and she painted this picture for me and I love it.  It reminds me of her place on Long Island that I love to visit.  Not her house exactly, but when you walk out her back yard to the Sound, there is a house to the side that reminds me of this picture.  Then she also sent me a bottle of Ice Wine since Long Island has quite a few vineyards on it - pop that baby in the freezer for a while and enjoy!  Pure heaven.  She also sent me a copy of Barbie Collector.  Yes, I collect Barbies.  Haven't bought any new ones in a while but I have tons of them - from the very first one that came out in the striped bathing suit, to all my dolls and their clothes from when I was growing up.  My collection grew over the years - I guess it helps that my mom used to work for Mattel toys.  But this catalog gives the news on the latest dolls.  And for you Twilight fans - feast your eyes on this:

Yes, now you too can have dolls from the Twilight series.  My daughter's already got her wish list put together!!!

Well, I have a million other things to yak about, but I'll save them for later.  There were more gifts, thrifty purchases and antique finds from last weekend, and of course, dear old Ann Medd and quilt blocks.  I managed to get almost caught up sewing those on by birthday.  That was one of the gifts to myself - spending the day sewing away, plus I bought myself a little present (shhhh, don't tell and I'll post that next time too).  

Thank you again for all your wonderful comments - they truly make me happy.  And I am thankful for all the friendships that I've made through blogging.  I thought it was so wonderful to actually meet a blogging friend this past week, and I hope that I have the opportunity to meet more of you in the future. 

Happy Stitching! 

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.

Framing and Stuff

Happy Thursday everyone!  Hope that it's a great day where you are.  Our weather has been wonderful around here, 80 yesterday and in the 60's with sun today.  You just have to love spring!  Although rain is forecast for this weekend.  It seems like we've been getting a lot of that lately.

I am so tickled because I finally got some of my framing done.  I figured it was about time because I've had those Adam and Eve pieces sitting around and I won't have an A&E wall if I don't get them framed.  So I took in the two oldest finishes (all pictures are clickable):

The Evil Serpent Sampler

The Goode Huswife

32 count Vintage Country Mocha

GAST Threads

This was such a fun one because it was so different from A&E's that you usually see.  And then my favorite - or just about:

Adam Alone

Sheepish Designs

40 count Vintage Meadowrue

DMC Threads

I'm just tickled with how these came out.  I know that a lot of people complain about Joanne's/Michaels, but I have a couple wonderful framers at my two stores (they're both men, do you think that helps?).  

As far as stitchy/quilty time, I haven't had a lot of that once again.  Weeks and weekends are busy.  DD had dance recitals all last weekend and more this weekend, but then we're done.  But I thought I'd post a picture of her tap costume:

The picture of her in her ballet costume looks better, but for some reason it won't upload (I'll try to put it in next time).  She looks like an angel.  Quite a difference from seeing her run track.  Which, since I need to brag for a bit, she's never been involved in track before and came in second in the 100 m. dash.  I was impressed!  Where was my camera during this momentous event?  At home!  

I did manage to get a little bit more quilting done before the weekend arrived last week.  I'm trying to keep up with Kim on the Farmer's Wife quilt, but she's a speed demon with these little blocks:

These are so much fun to work on, but I've got a lot of catching up to do.  I think we just got Month Five of our Block of the Month, and I haven't even started cutting out Month Two!  UGH!  So anyway, here are the first six blocks out of 111 blocks!  A long way to go!!  Probably would have helped if I had stayed home yesterday instead of celebrating Cinco de Mayo with a friend of mine and having one too many margaritas!  LOL

Progress on Ann has been rather slow, but she's a great piece to work on with all the fill in.  I know, who likes fill in?  I certainly don't!!!  But by the time I hit the stitching chair the thought that I don't have to count, at least right now, is a good thing:

Last week's progress:

This week's progress:

Now that I look at the two pictures, I guess I've gotten quite a bit done.  Plus I've gone through almost two skeins of blue floss already for this background!!!  My hope is to have this section finished this weekend, but I highly doubt that I'm going to make it with recitals, etc.  I am just chomping at the bit to get to the next section.

Well, that's all I have to shout about around here - I'll keep this post short and sweet.    I have to thank everyone for all the wonderful comments you made to my last post.  I love reading all of them and they all really brighten my day.  I hope that everyone has a very Happy Mother's Day, that you're treated extra special, and can maybe have a little added stitching time thrown in too!!!

Good Morning Sunshine!!

Well, first off, I've been a bad blogger.  I don't think that I've read more than a few blogs over  the past couple of weeks.  Bad, bad!!!  Okay, busy, busy would be more like it and it's going to be this way for the next couple of weeks!  UGH!  I don't know if it's due to all the craziness around here, but I've been in the biggest crafty slump imaginable.  Not enough time, too many things I want to do (did you see Margaret's new start with SL's Jane Atkinson? - OMG be.......still..........my.........heart - BIG SIGH HERE) and I can't get there.  I think of all the things I can do and then go through stash, look at my WIPs (boring), but can't settle on anything or find the time.  But I finally settled on something - actually went down the path of least resistance.  Remember this monster:

Yes, Ann Medd shown here lying on the floor have an absolute fit from lack of attention.  Well, her screams were just getting too loud, so I gave her some stitching love.  First I stitched Mr. Sunshine:

Then I stitched a little more:

Very odd things going on in this section.  That bird-like thing looks like a oddly colored, nose-diving penguin.

The whole reason that I've resisted picking up this sampler again is the fact that most of the stitching in this section and the section below is ONE OVER ONE ON 35 CT FABRIC!!!  UGH!  Now there is no way on God's green earth that I could live through that - I'd be pulling my hair out, so this is my rendition of Ann - stitched two over two on 35 ct. fabric, and I will be a much happier, full haired and saner person for it.  It can work because the nutso penguin and the other things near the sun are done two over two on the chart, so this is going to work!  Yahoo!!.  Do you think that Ann will be mortified at what I'm doing - will she roll over in her grave?  Hopefully not because this is how it's going to be!!  BTW, this is two weeks of stitching so you can definitely see that I haven't had much time.  All the fill in is perfect for life right now - not much thinking - just stitch!!!  That is if my eyes are still open when I hit the stitching chair.

I've managed to do a little bit of quilting too when I could find an hour or so.  A couple weeks ago I spent some time cutting out blocks just so that something would be ready for piecing if I could find time (this is the time of year of school plays - yes I raise my hand to help - I've got to stop doing that;  track meets - did I raise my hand to be a timer or did someone lift my hand for me?;  dance rehearsals and recitals - oh dear, someone raised my hand again and now I'm a backstage mom; confirmations, etc., so it's hectic).  Anyway, I got those blocks sewn together that were sleeping on the cutting table:

And then a couple more - these four blocks are for the Women's Voices Civil War Quilt:

Then because you know that I just can't stay away from anything that resembles a Big A$$ed Project, I started this quilt:

The Farmer's Wife Quilt.  I know, I know, I must be nuts!!!  I really wanted to start the Dear Jane Quilt which would definitely make me certifiable, but I thought this one would be the lesser of two evils for the time being.  Dear Jane is still on the radar screen for a start soon.  Anyway, The Farmer's Wife is a Block of the Month that I'll be getting over the next 18 months - each month has 6 or 7 blocks to complete.  I got the first set cut out and the first block finished:

Autumn Tints

Block #2 - The Farmer's Wife Quilt

I can't wait to get to the rest of them.  They're so much fun to make.

Before everything got crazy and when I was able to get out and make some road trips, I managed to find some thrifty and fun things:

Okay, nothing spectacular here, but I just could not resist little Adam!  There was no Eve with him, but he looked so cute and was all by his lonesome, so I just had to bring him home.  The tins I use to store all my different sewing pins in.

Then behind the counter where I don't normally look, I found this doll!  Isn't she sweet?  She's signed and dated on the back and all of $12.00 at the good old Salvation Army!!!  $12.00 is usually way over my limit on the the SA, but I could not resist her.  She's slightly stained on her backside, but otherwise in perfect condition.  Now I need to make her some clothing!

Then at one of the antique shops I came across:

A bag of strawberry emery's, an old tin pincushion and a jar of buttons - all for $7.00.  

Then this sweet lady.  I had seen one identical to this in another antique shop, but in really tattered condition.  They wanted $60.00 for her.  This one in much better condition (although I think I need to add a little blue paint to one of her eyes), was $10.00.  Again, usually more than I would pay, but considering what I had seen the other one go for, I thought this was a great deal.

Then what would be a trip to the antique store be if I didn't find at least one of these?:

But I found two!!  The white milk glass frog is a good sized one, about seven inches wide.   The other one is quite a bit smaller.  I think that I have to stop buying these things - I'm running out of room and pairs of scissors to put in them.  But I suppose I could use them for what they're intended for - flowers!  Novel thought, right?

Well, that is it for me.  Have to get moving again.  If I haven't visited your blog, I'll get there.  I think I have today and tomorrow for some fun reading (and being enabled), so I'll catch up.  Thank you again for all your wonderful comments - I really love reading them.  Hope you have a wonderful week and stitch something fun.