Yellow House Finis And Sweet Things!!!

Can you hear me whooping it up over here????  Well, I am because I finally finished the Yellow House Sampler yesterday (envision me dancing like Snoopy!!!!).

The Yellow House Sampler

Sheepish Designs

35 ct. Pearled Barley and DMC Threads

This sampler isn't large at all, but it gave me more fits than my kids do!!  The chart was a little mixed up as far as colors go and just about drove me to distraction, and then I made the fatal mistake of saving the border pretty much until the end!  DUMB!  Not loving borders, that was a lesson learned.  Don't do that again!!!  Anyway, this would have been finished during the Super Bowl when I parked my butt in the stitching chair, but I ran out of the green thread for the leaves!!!  I tore my stash apart, every project, every conceivable place where floss may be, thinking that surely I would have the color!  NOPE!!!  Thank goodness the boys were engrossed in the Super Bowl because I'm sure that they would have had me committed or gently led me to bed and told me to sleep it off!  Anyway, a quick trip to Joanne's yesterday remedied the situation and I did something I never do - slapped my behind in the stitching chair, turned on the noon news and finished the baby up.  For all the fits, I do love it!!!  

Michigan is finally, yes, finally getting some snow today!!!  I know, you people on the East Coast are probably mumbling obscenities under your breath at me (or possibly speaking in loud, nasty tones), but I'm thrilled.  I'm so tired of seeing brown grass!  I am hoping that the snow gods will look kindly me (and all the other mothers) and not give us enough snow that the kids have to be home tomorrow!  LOL  But they're predicting 6 to 10 so we'll see what happens.  

On the quilting front, I have almost all the blocks assembled for my quilt:

I just have to finish up sewing the last row on the blocks, and it's time to line them up and put the baby together!  

The scrap bowl is overflowing!!!!

I'm already dreaming about the next quilt.  I've got a few lined up, but the one that calls me the loudest involves loads and loads of circles, but I think this is going to be a fun one:

You basically cut out three sizes of circles, sew them on top of each other on a square base, cut those into quarters and reassemble.  You don't have to line the circles up, just go for it!  Sounds kind of fun, doesn't it?  After quilting, you throw it in the wash and because you sew 1/4" from the edges of the circles, the circles fray giving it a time worn look!  I can't wait to get started.  I'm so anal though, the directions say to cut the circles freehand.  Yeah, right!  My severe anal side probably won't let me do that.

And speaking of quilts, I was just minding my own business last week, taking an innocent drive (well, maybe not so innocent, I was in pursuit of spending money on stitching supplies - fabric to be exact), and I came across a quilt store that I hadn't seen before.  I don't drive up to this town very often, so that could explain why I never saw it.  But don't you just love coming across something unexpected like that - ah, the small joys in life!  Well, I hesitated checking it out because I know me, and the end result could be a smoking charge card.  I don't know what happened, but that darned van, she just turned the corner, went into the parking lot and refused to budge!  LOL   So, of course, I had to get out and investigate the store.  And after an hour, I came out with this - some Sweet Things - Jelly Rolls and Layer Cakes:

I have been very intrigued by the new things out in the quilting world, like Jelly Rolls, Layer Cakes, etc., since I haven't done much quilting for the past few years. But they sound good enough to eat, don't they?   Well, I couldn't pass up this Layer Cake from Moda called Aster Manor!  Ten inch squares of loveliness packaged together.  The colors aren't very true, due to no sunshine here today, but I just love the fabric, and of course, I needed a pattern for it!  

I also had to pick up a Jelly Roll (on the right) - it was on sale, (and you know when it says it's on sale, I'm drawn to that word like a magnet),  a book with different Jelly Roll quilt patterns, and then BBD's When The Cold Wind Blows book that I've wanted to add to my collection for some time!!  Ahh, quilty goodness!!  This store has the greatest things, so I'm sure that I'll be back there again (and my DH hopes that it's none too soon!!!).

Then I went to Stitches N Things.  The shop is small, but she's the only game in town for hand-dyed fabric.  I don't know how I managed not to come out with anything but the BBD book, Joyeaux Noel (love the cardinal piece in the book), but I did come out with the highly coveted fabric:

Do ya think I bought enough?  Well, I was so desperate for linen, and I'm not a fan of ordering through the mail, especially for a pattern where the fabric is no longer available and I don't have a clue what to order for it.  At least here, I can floss toss, etc.  And I love looking at all of it - touching, etc.  And btw, they do let you touch the fabric there!!!  Anyway, I don't think there is going to be any excuse for not getting in a lot of quality stitching time!!!  Now I'm wondering if I can convince DH that these were fraudulent charges.  A couple of weeks ago, our charge card was compromised with some lame brain charging computer supplies.  Do you think I could get away with telling DH that some crazed woman went on a craft rampage and the charges are all fraudulent?  Nah, he'll know it was me!  LOL

Well, that's all for me this week.  Stay safe and warm, especially everyone on the East Coast.  I hear that you're in for even more snow!!!  I can't believe all that you're getting.  And to all that read my blog, thanks so much for stopping by and leaving the wonderful comments that you do. 

So Little Stitching

It seems like I just can't my stitching mojo back since I've returned back from my trip.  Of course, you know it took me at least three days to clean up the mayhem that resulted while I was gone!  Then, of course, there was Thanksgiving and trying to get the tree up, etc.   I've barely gotten any stitching done this week:

Sorry for the rather dark pics.  Winter came to Michigan last night with a dusting of snow on the rooftops and deck.  And the sun doesn't want to stay out for anything.  Anyway, I stitched up the border to the point that I've gotten to (have I ever mentioned I don't like borders - bad for someone who likes samplers), got the grass in with more of the Florentine stitch and made no mistakes like I did with the upper portion.  Then I ran out of steam when I got to the over-one letters.  That and that fact that I've been so enabled by everyone's blogs who are doing Christmasy things that it's made me feel like a Scrooge.  So I went into the stash pile and picked out a couple of things to do.  One was Angel Song by Shepherd's Bush.  I had seen Isadarina's start on this a while ago and decided that I needed to do it.  Well, I pulled it out, but didn't start it (figures).  I started this instead:

Hark the Herald Angel

Ewe Eye & Friends (Twisted Threads)

Again, bad pic, but I thought this would be a fun, quick stitch to work on.  Considering I've only worked on it two nights, I've made good progress for me!  I also finally rounded up the supplies for the PS Alphabet SAL and hope to start in on that this weekend.

I received some goodies in the mail this week.  Be still my heart for these fabrics:

Fat quarters from Moda's French General line thanks to Kim (Enabler Extraordinaire)!  She was the one that made me order that Phebe quilt that I alluded to in my last post.  Twisted my arm and everything!  Only kidding, but ya gotta blame someone, right!  Anyway, I can't wait to get the rotary cutter in hand and go at these.  Although I still haven't settled on a quilt to make with them yet.

Speaking of the Phebe quilt, I finally found a fairly good picture of it:

I am so in love with this quilt.  The center reminds me of a sampler with those two A&E-ish people.  I can't wait to get it.  I can wait to do the applique because I'm not very good at that, but I will learn.  I want this quilt too badly not too.  There is another quilt from this company too that I would like called the Civil War Bride quilt and you can see it on this blog - Civil War Bride Quilt  But that one has a lot more applique, so I think I should get my feet wet with Phebe first.

Then a couple weeks ago I won Jennifer's giveaway and received this Sensibility chart from The Sampler Girl and Jennifer included a fat quarter in with the chart:

I love them both and I think the fabric is going to look great in the Phebe quilt when I make it.  Jennifer's and my wedding anniversaries (18 years for me) are the same day - the day after Thanksgiving.  Kind of a cool thing knowing someone who was married the same day as you!  Speaking of Jennifer, she's having a great give-away on her blog so you may want to check it out!!!

Pathetic person that I am, my tree is still being decorated.  I keep begging for one of those pre-lit trees, but DH whines in the background, "But this tree still looks so good" (read - I am cheap!  LOL).  Well, it does, but my hands look like a disaster after I put the danged thing together.  Last year, after I took it down, I managed to drag the thing in its box out to the curb for the trash collector.  DH intercepted it and I walked down the basement a few days later and discovered it partially hidden in the corner of the workroom!  UGH!  Like seeing something out of horror movie!!!  This will be my last year - mark my words!  Anyway, when I get all the lights on it, there are over 3,000.   I'm surprised I haven't burned the house down.  But it's still not finished, DD and I will do that tonight - she insists on doing the tree trimming this year.  Our tree is nothing fancy, but encompasses ornaments from our lives:

This one I painted probably 24 years ago when I had a little Yorkie and was in my artsy-fartsy painting mode.

These two I just collected - the bear for my daughter when she was little and the hot air balloon , just because I liked it.

Then, of course, there are always the ones that the kids make you in school.  This one is compliments of my DD.

Well, that's about it for me this week.  Now I'm off to peruse Ebay, Amazon and assorted places to see what items my kids have on watch for me to buy for them!  There's no telling what's in there!  DD has probably marked everything that has a Peace symbol on it as something she wants - she's going through a stage with Peace symbols.  But, heck, it makes life so much easier sitting at the computer and not having to fight the crowds.  Then I need to string garland up the stairs, lug up the rest of the ornaments (which if DD has her way, every single one will be on that tree), and do some other decorating. 

Thanks for all your comments again.  I'm so happy that you stop and say hello.  Have a great weekend and make a lot of X's.

Master of Disaster

Does Miss Emmie look disgusted? Well, she does in my opinion. She's my sewing room mascot and has been watching me turn my craft room into a disaster area!

Hence, the name Master of Disaster. Although I guess that should be Mistress of Disaster. You know, you think all this is going to go faster than it does, but then there is all the regular running, cleaning, cooking (why does my family need to eat), gardening (not too much of that - we had a hard frost again last night), etc. So this is a very slow go! Plus, you tend to take your time looking through everything that you've accumulated over a span of years and you come across some charts and wonder to yourself, "What was I thinking!!!!" LOL Then there are those charts you think, "Well, I'll stitch this, won't I"? I finally had to tell myself that with all the charts I love, I'll be stitching for the next bazillion years - so out go the ones that I sit on the fence with. Then there is just the sheer joy of fondling all the stash - looking at all the wonderful things you can stitch - if you only get the time! LOL And all this takes time.

I know that I'm going to be so much happier when this is cleared up. I have cleaned a little bit more since I took this picture. But there is an almost exhilarating feeling to destash the stash, so to speak. I've filled a whole Rubbermaid bin with things that are going to a new home. I'm not sure what to do with this stuff - Ebay or donate to the library for their booksale. I'd love to get some cash for the stuff, but some of these charts date back about 30 years (cutesy geese and bears, etc.), so I don't know if people would really pay money for any of it.

As a result of all the cleaning, very little progress has been on the stitching front.

I've made it over to the right side this week and almost have Eve completed (really need to fill in those leaves on A&E. This is not a hard stitch, except for the fact that there are quarter stitches (can't remember when I did those last), and backstitching in the leaves, etc. So, that, coupled with my not getting to sit down until later in the evening has made for a very slow go. I didn't pick up Shores yet, but I need to so that Block #4 can be finished before the end of the month. Although part of my crazy self has had strange urges to work on VoHRH, HoHRH or Ann Medd. Sticking to one project is something I don't handle well.

Since I've been so stitch-deficient, I thought I'd post a couple more of the quilts that I've done, mainly because one of them hangs in my craft room and since I was taking pictures of the disaster, I thought I'd take a picture of the one in there. I have had a tremendous urge to quilt lately - an overwhelming urge, actually. Probably brought on by all the blogs that I've visited recently. Plus I came across some great homespun and primitive fabrics and a pattern from The Buggy Barn (for those of you who quilt) that I can't wait to take the 'ole rotary cutter to. I'm hoping that my FIL is working on my table as I write this (of course, it would help if the room was painted too).

This is a wallhanging that needs to be backed and bound. I did this for a quilt shop that I practically lived in for a while (they have since gone out of business which makes me sad). I was cranking out quilts right and left and the shop owners asked me if I would do models for their shop. It's a great deal because they supply the pattern, I pick out the fabrics (with their guidance because they want a certain look), I sew it together, and after it hangs in the shop for awhile, it's mine to keep. Free to me except for a little bit of sweat labor!

This is another quilt I did for the shop. It was a Jinny Beyer kit called Mirage and believe me, this was not for the faint hearted. They convinced me that I could do it. Well, I was just stupid enough to believe them, but a couple of the blocks had to be almost all handpieced. Not my favorite thing to do as I've mentioned before. I think I also ran over their deadline by a couple of weeks because it was so complicated. This was a kit that retailed for $200+. Would I have purchased it? Probably not even though I was really drawn to it (I think I was remembering all the quilts I had cut out and that were waiting for me to sew), but since it was "free", except for my labor, I jumped on it. I think it's one of my favorite quilts.

And this is another one I did for the shop. I really like this one a lot. I actually hand stitched the applique onto this which is something I hate doing. It's made with Thimbleberry fabrics which I have a preference for. This is more of a wall hanging size quilt so I basically use it to cover my dining room table on and off during the year.

Well, that's it for now. I doubt I'll get much stitching done this week either. My dental surgery is on Wednesday. I've been told that I can't do much of anything for the next week because of it being a more complicated surgery. Plus I'm not suppose to bend my head for a few days! Now this doesn't bother me from the housework end, but not to be able to stitch! AUGHHH! So I'm on the search today for some things that are small and can be put into the Q-Snaps so I can hold them up and not bend my head. We'll see what happens.

Hope everyone has a wonderful week! And thank you again for all your nice comments!