Blessings From Our Nest

I Love Pincushions

2012-01-22T13:53:00.000-08:00

While visiting some fun blogs today I found that at Love Laugh Quilt was having a Pincushion Parade link party. I have not had the chance to look at all of those participating but I plan to. I thought it would be fun to share a few, or most of my pincushions.

This lavender scented pincushion sits by my bed for late night projects.

This pincushion I purchased at a little fabric store while visiting Maui a few years ago.

My sister Michele gave me this sweet little bird.

This pincushion was a gift from a librarian I worked with in San Diego in the 70's. I made her wedding suit and she brought this back from a trip to visit her family.

A pincushion from one of last years swaps.

This was my grandmothers little sewing box, I love the little pincushion.

Hearts and Flowers cross stitch pincushion.

Tomatoes made by my sister Lynda.

Fall pincushion I made for my sister's birthday gift.

Crocheted cupcake, flower pot and tea cup I made last year.

I was part of the Shabby Fabrics pincushion of the month last year and I did not keep up with making them. I will have several pincushion kits to work on throughout this year.

Visit Love Laugh Quilt and see the others participating in the Pincushion Parade.

Winter Table Top

2012-01-16T18:28:00.000-08:00

. After taking down Christmas decorations all table tops have remained blank, until now.

Today I spent a little time arranging a winter table top.

The inspiration was the fact that my new curtains are complete and hanging and the walls have been painted. I hope to share the completed before and after living room soon.

The bird candlestick was a Christmas gift from Micah and Lyndie.

The little cottage was a gift from my sister Lynda, several years ago.

The birds were a gift from my friend Sandy.

It is fun to "shop" around the house and move objects I have to a new place and create a new look.

We have snow on the ground and more coming down as I write this.

I hope you are all cozy and warm.

Linking with Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life

and Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House in the Roses

Scrappy Plate Club

2012-01-16T07:07:00.000-08:00

I have always wanted to make a Dresden Plate Quilt. That is probably because my grandmother made several in her lifetime and I always loved them. I have gathered a few scraps of fabrics over the years to use in my quilt but have not yet tried it. When I saw than Anne at Bunny Hill Designs was sponsoring a Scrappy Plate Club I knew that this was the time for my Dresden Plate Quilt.

I gathered my fabrics and a Dresden Template and I am ready to begin cutting and stitching. I chose to use some 1930's prints I had been given as a gift and I purchased a few small pieces. I will also use the scraps I have collected for years.

I will be posting about my progress, soon I hope.

Take a look at the Dresden Plate Flickr group and see what others are doing.

Winter Wishes and Stars

2012-01-14T17:26:00.000-08:00

This has been a relaxing Saturday and I spent much of it working at my sewing machine. Actually it is a loaner sewing machine while mine is being repaired. It is interesting that I still miss my machine even though the loaner is the same model.

I completed a pillow today that was fun to do and I love the design. It is called "Winter Wishes" and the pattern is available from Michelle at "The Raspberry Rabbits". It is stitched in Valdani 3 strand floss in a color called Vanilla Sky.

The other project I worked on was Block 8 of the Fat Quarter Stars Quilt-Along

Easy Spinning Star by Colleen M. Lunt

I was also able to get a couple of embroidery projects traced on to the fabric and ready to get started on. While all of this creativity was going on inside the snow was falling outside. Our first snow this year.

I opened the door and snapped a picture before our dog Emmy tracked up the porch.

She then zipped past me and ran around sniffing and eating snow.

We didn't get all that much snow but the house did look warm and inviting as I walked back from the mailbox.

It is now time to finish off the wonderful bread our daughter in law Lyndie made for us.

We will enjoy lemon chicken, rice pilaf, green beans and this yummy bread while staying warm and cozy at home. Happy Saturday!

12 of Hearts Finished and a Giveaway Win

2012-01-09T18:39:00.000-08:00

I completed my 12 of Hearts Block of the Month wall hanging. It was fun working on these blocks each month and I like the way the project came together.

This block of the month was designed by Michele at The Raspberry Rabbits. Her New Block of the Month begins January 15th and it is called

Harrington and Hannah

Visit Michele's blog and join the fun.

I am trying not to overwhelm myself with new projects but there are some that I just have to do.

I want to share a pillow I won when Carla of Grace and Favour participated in the Fat Quarter Shop Blog Hop Party in December. She also sent me a Studio magazine and a quilt pattern. I love the fine work on the embroidery, look at all of the french knots.

I am still working to put together the Blocks of the Month projects from last year and organizing for this year's projects. The hardest part is telling myself that I have enough to do already when I see another fun block of the month project, does anyone else have trouble with this?

Day 2 of the New Year

2012-01-02T12:34:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year

This picture is now hanging in our living room. I bought it last year and came across it while putting Christmas decorations away.

It is almost noon and I am still wearing the cozy pajamas and slippers which were a Christmas gift from my sister Michele. Sewing makes me hungry and I want to thank my hubby for bringing me a Subway sandwich so that I could regain my strength and focus.

I spent the morning working on blocks for the "Fat Quarter Stars" BOM and the "Bloggers" BOM.

Some of this was a challenge for me but I learn something new each time I make a new block. I am thankful for the talented people who share these blocks trough their blogs.

Fat Quarter Stars Block 6 designed by April Mazzoleni

Fat Quarter Stars Block 7 designed by Terry Griffin.

Bloggers Block 4 by Pat Sloan.

I hope that this has been a good day for you so far and again

Happy New Year!

December Blocks Finished

2011-12-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

I had hoped to get these two blocks completed before the end of the month. I have managed to keep up with these fun blocks this year. I would like to say thank you to Corey for the Birdie Stitches designs at Little Miss Shabby and to Michelle for the 12 of Hearts designs at The Raspberry Rabbits. It is great that these talented designers share these Block of The Month designs with us.

Birdie Stitches Block 12

12 of Hearts Block 12

Now to get these blocks pieced together.

I will be sure to share the finished projects, soon I hope.

"I Wish You..."

2011-12-27T17:34:00.000-08:00

I completed a gift for my sister a few days before Christmas but waited until she opened her gift before sharing it. It was made from a design created by Jenny of Elefantz. It is called "I Wish You..." a shabby roses design. I subscribe to Jenny's magazine called Elefantz Home and have enjoyed every issue so far. Visit Jenny's blog and get to know her and you will be blessed. I think my favorite kind of project is one that uses embroidery and fabric piecing which is true of many of Jenny's designs.

I used a French General jelly roll to use as borders.

My embroideries could not be centered because of the way I traced them on my linen but I kind of liked the way they "float" around the wall hanging.

Wishing You Love, Hope, Joy and Peace.

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-22T16:26:00.000-08:00

We did get our tree decorated with the help of two of our grandsons. I had intended to put white ribbon on it this year and not use my red cranberry beads. I thought that the white ribbon would make the tree look better with my new curtains. I guess that sounds a little silly. Oh well, maybe by next year the walls will be repainted and the whole room will look "finished".

The best part about decorating, besides the help from our grandsons, was taking out ornaments and remembering. Remembering who made it or gave it to us or when we bought it, a little trip back in time.

The beautiful hand painted ornaments below were made by my mother in law Virginia.

O Come, Let Us Adore Him

Now to get the gifts wrapped and under the tree.

Merry Christmas to all!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have been slow about decorating this year and have decided to do a lot less then I usually do. I had planned to participate in some of the blog parties and share my tabletops and our "bookcase mantle" but I was not able to get the decorating done and pictures taken.

I thought it would be fun to share just a few pictures from our living room.

I love bottle brush trees but did not bring all of my collection out this year, I chose to use the white trees.

This table was moved to our entryway to make room for the Christmas tree so I set my trees and pastel houses up here.

When I took the pictures we had not yet decorated our tree, you can see it in the background. With the help of some of our grandsons our tree is now fully decorated.

On our "mantle is our "Once Upon A Midnight Clear" village.

I made a little edging with old organ music sheets. The paper is old and fragile.

The Prince Of Peace

To us a Child of hope is born,

To us a Son is given;

Him shall the tribes of earth obey,

Him, all the hosts of Heaven.

His name shall be the Prince of Peace,

Forevermore adored'

The Wonderful, the Counselor,

The great and mighty Lord.

His power, increasing, still shall spread;

His reign no end shall know'

Justice shall guard His throne above,

And peace abound below.

To us a Child of hope is born,

To us a Son is given;

The Wonderful, the Counselor,

The might Lord of Heaven.

Author Unknown

Vintage Ornaments

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

I found this ornament tutorial on one of my favorite blogs My Desert Cottage. I decided to give it a try using what I had on hand. I had fun with it but you will have to visit Karen here and see her beautiful creations and her great tutorial.

I think that the silver one is my favorite.

It is great when bloggers take the time to share ideas and tutorials. I didn't have everything on hand that I might have used but now that I tried and found what I like best, I will try it again. I will be stocking up on silver pipe cleaners.

Giveaway Win!

2011-12-19T13:39:00.000-08:00

Look at this great Cosmetic Case!
I am sure that some of you remember having one or knowing someone who had one.

I won this and the things inside when Shannon at A Southern Belle With Northern Roots had a giveaway.

Inside there are red napkins, perfect for Christmas, a cameo, ice cream cone wrappers and a note from Shannon.

I don't think I will use this case as it was originally intended but I will share later where it ends up residing. Visit Shannon, you will enjoy your visit, she has a cooking blog too called North Dakota Kitchen so take a few minutes and say hello.

'Tis the Season

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

On Saturday December 10th we had a Ladies Luncheon at our church. The theme was 'Tis the Season and several ladies decorated tables with the theme in mind.

I went to the church at 10 am to decorate my table along with a few other ladies and took a few pictures of their tables decorated.

When I came back for the luncheon I forgot my camera so I missed the tables of those who decorated a little later.

I always enjoy seeing the creativity and care each lady uses when they decorate their tables for this event. Thank you to Cindy who planned this afternoon of fellowship and focus on the reason we celebrate.

Ornament Exchange 2011

2011-12-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Tonya of Hillbilly Handiworks hosted an Ornament Exchange again this year.

Last year I believe I exchanged four ornaments and this year I decided to do six.

The ornaments below are what I decided to make for the exchange this year.

I found the idea for these ornaments in this book. It is full fun designs and there are many I hope to try.

This was my inspiration. I used some scraps from a "honey bun" I had used for another project.

Below are the ornaments I have received in this exchange.

This lovely beaded snowflake was made by Evielynne, visit her here.

This beautiful ornament made from tiny pieces of fabric was made by Sharon of Vroomans Quilts

This wonderful Santa is from Fiona, she lives in Australia and you can visit her blog here

The mitten is from Laura in California

This Old World Santa ornament filled with Balsam Fir was made by Beth and you can visit her Etsy shop here

Sharon also sent this gingerbread man wooden button.

and this sweet birdhouse

Thank you Tonya for all of your hard work to make this fun exchange possible.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Tree Day

2011-12-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

We had our traditional Christmas Tree Party on the first Saturday in December. This year it was also our daughter Amy's birthday.

We all get out to the local tree farm at 9am and each family goes hunting for the "perfect" tree. This group includes each of our children that live in this area and four of my sisters and their families that are able to come.

Each of our children who were able to be there posed standing beside the trees they had chosen.

I am not sure about the setting on my camera , the sky seems to glow.

After finding trees there was time for hot chocolate and a little visiting.

We come back to the house for and amazing breakfast of wonderful egg dishes, caramel rolls, pumpkin muffins, cream cheese bread, bacon, coffee, juice, fruit and everyone is stuffed but happy.

Part of our tradition for this day is to make ornaments. We try to make something different each year and some of us make several. This year we made felt trees and paper santas.

I did not think to take pictures of the creative ornaments made by others but I do have my "Who ville" tree and my Santa to share with you.

It was a fun day spent with family.

Now two weeks have passed and I think I had better get that tree we cut decorated. It does have lights on it though. Our grandson Caleb has stopped asking if we have any ornaments, it is hard for a six year old to understand how we can wait so long to decorate our tree.

I will have to get it done today because they will be here tomorrow.

Leaves, Leaves and More Leaves

2011-11-30T06:30:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday morning it was not raining! Does that surprise anyone who lives in the Northwest? When I looked outside and noticed this I knew I had a decision to make. Ignore the fact that my husband was already busy working outside and go hide in my sewing room or get on my gardening clothes and head out to tackle our neglected leaf covered back yard. I made the choice to take advantage of the weather and the fact that I had a little energy and headed outside.

Before pictures

Nothing had been put away or cut back or raked etc.

The swimming pool was used at church for Fall Festival so there is an excuse for its presence in the back yard and not being safely tucked away in the garage.

We have a grove of 5 maple trees just behind the fence so we get plenty of leaf cover.

The piles are much thicker behind the fence where our back driveway is but that was saved for another day.

Now for the After pictures

We still have a few things to put away but I really enjoy the view from the back porch when the garden is cleaned up and ready for winter.

I would say that I made the right choice to spend the morning in the garden and I still had time for a couple of hours in my sewing room. I do have a few aches and pains and sore muscles I did not have before Saturday. I will have to say that it is just a little harder than it used to be.

It was a good day!

Block of the Month November Finishes

2011-11-29T19:13:00.000-08:00

I have been keeping up with my block of the month blocks so here I am sharing them again.

12 of Hearts November block

Birdie Stitches November block

Bloggers Block of the Month

Fat Quarter Stars Quilt Along

I have a link to each of these Block of the Month on my sidebar, some are near the end and some have just begun.

A Special Time in South Carolina

2011-11-21T06:30:00.000-08:00

I had the privilege to fly to South Carolina a couple of weeks ago. The purpose of my visit was to spend some time with my oldest son Nathan, his wife Kacy and their daughters Adria and Hannah. An added blessing to this trip was the opportunity to see Adria as Gretl in The Sound of Music.

My trip out involved flying first to Denver, then to Atlanta and then to Savannah, which is close to where Nathan and his family lives. I had a simpler flight back, Savannah to Atlanta, Atlanta to Seattle.

Nathan knew that I would love this road leading in to a neighborhood near his home.

The weather had been dreary and gray here in the Northwest so I just had do take a picture looking outside the bedroom window my first morning there.

I was able to attend three of the four performances of The Sound of Music presented by the Hilton Head Preparatory School.

The pictures below were taken by Janet Kelly.

We could not take flash pictures during the performance so with Janet's pictures I am able to share a little of the beautiful sets and costumes and of course I wanted to share pictures of Adria.

Janet took this picture of us after one of the shows.

Now for the pictures I took.

I took this picture of Hannah and her friend waiting for the show to start.

Nathan and Kacy

The family after the last performance.

"Maria" and "Gretl"

Mr Wolfe, the director with Adria

Dinner together after the last show.

My trip was short and busy but I had a wonderful time and was so happy to be able to be there.

New Quilt Block Finishes

2011-11-20T15:23:00.000-08:00

I have not had much time for keeping up with my blogging but have done a little sewing.

These are the last three blocks I have completed.

Block 3 Fat Quarter Stars Quilt Along

Block 4 Fat Quarter Stars Quilt Along

Block 2 Bloggers Block of the Month Quilt Along

Family Fun

2011-11-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Our daughter Amy found this great kit for making a Mr Potato Head pumpkin. Our grandson, Amy's nephew Noah loves Mr Potato Head and he was very excited about this gift. He had a hard time waiting for the pumpkin for putting this together. When the pumpkin arrived he and Amy got right to it.

Noah is very focused on the progress.

Noah appears to be pleased with the almost finished pumpkin.

Landon was busy putting his pumpkin together with the help of his dad and he had to pause to give me a cheesy grin.

Here they are with their Cowboy Pumpkin Heads.

Caleb joining in on the fun!

Little Matthew is eating his dinner while keeping an eye on his very busy cousins.

Joshua enjoying his pizza at the table with Matthew.

A kind of grainy picture of our two youngest (they also have the shortest hair) acting silly as usual.

Matt with his belated birthday cheesecake.

The girls relaxing.

Matthew likes his walking toy.

Uncle Matt and Uncle David playing with the little boys.

It is rarely quiet when we get together but we do enjoy it.

I always think about the rest of our family living in other parts of the country and how much we miss them.

Cottage Banner

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

I found this design in the April 2011 edition of Create & Decorate Magazine. This pattern was designed by Cathie Richardson. When I started to think about a gift for one of my sisters this came to mind so I traced the design on a piece of linen and did the embroidery.

I thought about what kind of fabric I wanted to use to put it together and decided that my Sewing Room Social fabrics by Jacquelynne Steves were perfect. Visit Jacquelynne Steves' blog The Noble Wife and see her new fabric lines and patterns.

My picture makes my banner look a little crooked but it is really much straighter than it appears.

It is fun to make little projects that are easy to complete, I enjoyed putting this together.

I hope the person I am sending it to enjoys it too.

Scraptastic Tote

2011-10-30T06:55:00.000-07:00

While visiting the 12 Gifts of Christmas blog hop I found some great ideas for fun things to make for gifts. This is one I have completed. I made it for a gift for one of my co-workers who is retiring after 25 years of working in the Mobile Library. When I saw this tutorial I knew I wanted to try it. I used a French General jelly roll and yardage I had recently purchased just because I loved the fabric.
I think this was a great way to use the fabric and there is plenty more for a couple of other projects I have in mind.

You can find Elizabeth's Scraptastic Tote Tutorial here.

I added a few pockets inside for the little gifts we will be adding to this bag.

I will be another change to adjust to in my work life, I will miss this friend I have worked with for almost 20 years. I hope that this change goes smoothly for her and is a time of blessing.

Two October Blocks of the Month

2011-10-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

I am still keeping up with my embroidery Blocks of the Month.

I have a button linking to each of these on my side bar.

12 of Hearts Block 10

Birdie Stitches Block 10

I have completed the blocks for the Out of the Box BOM but have not quite put them together. I hope to share them soon. I'll just do what I can do and take each day as it comes.

Happy Saturday!

Sisters Time

2011-10-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

I grew up with 5 sisters and 2 brothers. When the girls get the chance to get together and spend a little time it is always a blessing. Five of us were able to gather last weekend at Lynda's house and I thought I would share a few pictures of her welcoming home. We missed out sister Becky who lives to far away and was unable to be there. It is nice to see our brothers too but this was a girl's night.

The table was set beautifully.

Notice the S on the napkin, this was my place at the table.

I did not get a clear picture of the menu but we shared a wonderful meal of soup, salad and bread

This is a copy of the invitation Lynda made for this fun evening. We spent a little time asking each other some of the questions on the front of this card.

Don't they all look relaxed.

Part of our reason for getting together was to celebrate fall birthdays.

The table runner below is what I made for Laurie's gift. She is the one with the dark hair in the picture directly above.

This table runner was made using a great tutorial Shell at The Raspberry Rabbits shared. The tutorial is very clear and I had fun with this design. I hope to try it again.

This was Raydine's gift. She is the one pictured above looking at a book. She likes to sew so a pincushion seemed a good choice. I joined the pincushion of the month club at Shabby Fabrics and this was the pincushion for September.

Our sister Becky also has a fall birthday and I have a gift for her that I will share at another time. I have not sent it to her yet, I will get that ready to mail right away so that I can share it here soon.

Our time together was special and I am thankful for it.

Fat Quarter Stars Quilt Along

2011-10-14T17:00:00.000-07:00

Visit Konda at Moose On The Porch to check out the Fat Quarter Stars Quilt Along

Here are my first two blocks.

Star Block 1

Star Block 2

I am using Sandi Henderson's "Secret Garden" fat quarters with a couple of additions. This is the fabric I received from a giveaway at A Quilting Life that I mentioned in an earlier post here.

Visit Moose On the Porch and think about joining the Quilt Along.

Pumpkin Embroidery Pillow

2011-10-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

Jacquelynne Steves has a free embroidery design called Harvest Bouquet on her website The Noble Wife.

When I saw it I printed it out right away and started the embroidery on the drive to Cannon Beach, Oregon last week.

I finished it up when I got home and made a pillow for a friend.

Harvest Bouquet

Visit Jacquelynne's blog and see all of the fun things she is doing.

Linking to
Whatever Wednesday at Mama Hen's Coop
Wow Us Wednesday at Savy Southern Style

Craft Night At LCBC

2011-10-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we had a Craft Night at our church.

We all brought soup and salad to share and spent the evening together sewing and crafting and of course there was a little talking going on.

Danielle and Ginny provided the craft projects for those who wanted to participate and some brought things from home to work on.

These are the projects I completed.

I made this from a kit put together by Ginny

It is made from felted wool sweaters.

I wasn't too adventurous with my use of color so I added the orange to brighten it a little, thanks for the advice Ginny.

Danielle brought the materials for these fun pumpkins.

They were quick and fun to make.

There were many different colors of pumpkins created that night.

Many of the girls made some great ruffled pillows which is a project I hope to try sometime soon.

Thanks Danielle, Ginny and Tracey our organizer.

Beautiful Secret Garden Fabric

2011-10-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

While visiting Sherri's blog A Quilting Life she was having a giveaway sponsored by Quilt Essentials.

The giveaway was Sandi Henderson's Secret Garden fabric.

There are 14 beautiful fat quarters in this Secret Garden Bundle.

It is perfect for a quilt along I am joining with.

I made my first block for the Bloggers Block of the Month

I shared the fabric I will be using in an earlier post.

This is my first block.

This block was designed by Sherri at A Quilting Life.

I have a button on my sidebar linking to Bloggers BOM, come join the fun.

Have a great weekend.

Another Special Package

2011-09-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Kim at Savy Southern Style has a wonderful blog with a ton of ideas and inspiration. She had a giveaway recently and I won!

Ann of On Sutton Place has a great blog also.

As the winner of the giveaway I could visit Ann's shop Sutton Place Designs and choose a gift.

It was not easy to choose with so many great items in her shop.

My package arrived.

This is what was inside.

The pillow cover is 20" by 20"

I thought it would be a nice gift but it is such fun it may have to stay with us, it would brighten up our family room.

Thank you Kim and Ann.

More Fall Decorating

2011-09-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

Once I started putting out the fall decor I couldn't stop until I had everything placed about the house.

Our entry bench has new pillows and pumpkins.

My pumpkins were made last from a tutorial Karen shared on her blog, My Desert Cottage

Two of the pumpkins I crocheted last fall.

I love the table runner I made last year with the help of Tonya's stitch a long on her blog

Hillbilly Handiworks.

Our coffee station

Tempting caramels, my favorite, on a pumpkin plate.

Many of my fall decorations are from swaps I participated in last year.

Thank you Marsha and Doris

We have several large maple trees in our yard so the piles of leaves like in this Mary Engelbreit picture will soon be with us.

It was sunny and warm today but I felt the welcome crispness this morning.

Take time to enjoy the blessings of Fall

Autumn "Mantel"

2011-09-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

We do not have a fireplace so we use our oak bookcase as our mantel.

This is how it is decorated for fall.

I found the acorn runner on clearance last year.

The little sign was a gift in a swap from Pamela at From My Front Porch To Yours.

This fall arrangement was also a clearance item from last year so this is the first time I have used it.

I always seem to take pictures of myself with this mirror hanging above the bookcase but I like it hanging there.

These hand made wooden boxes my husband ordered for me many years ago when we were attending bible college. We didn't have much money but he found a way to surprise me and order them.

I will be linking with

Show Off Your Cottage Monday at The House in the Roses

Amaze Me Monday at Dittle Dattle

Sunday Showcase at Under the Table and Dreaming

Metamorphasis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch

Ideas for Fall at The Lettered Cottage

Bunny Hop Party at Bunny Jean's

Fall Party at Decor to Adore

Gift From Far Away

2011-09-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have shared in several posts the blocks I completed for my Vintage Nine Patch quilt. It was a block of the month created by Lyn of Bluebird Quilts. Lyn lives in Australia and it pretty amazing how people can share there talents and help teach others all over the world through their blogs. When I completed my little quilt I sent Lyn pictures of it and I received 2nd place in the judging of the 4 quilts completed and shared with Lyn.

Just a few days ago I received a package from Australia

All of these nice gifts were inside the box.

I am already thinking about what I should create with this l930's print fabric.

I am amazed by all of the generous people who are willing to share there talents and expertise to help others learn and enjoy a new skill. Thanks again Lyn for Vintage Nine Patch.

Blogger's Block of the Month

2011-09-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

I have decided to try another block of the month. This one is sponsored by Canton Village Quilt Works and is called "Bloggers Block of the Month" and you don't have to be a blogger to participate. The Block of the Month will begin in September 2011 and go until October 2012. Each pieced 8.5 inch block will be designed by different designers.

I have a button on my sidebar that looks like this that links to Canton Village Quilt Works.

I had these fat quarters that I purchased for another project that I didn't get to.

I think they will work fine for this new Block of the Month. Visit Jackie at Canton Village Quilt Works and see if you want to join in.

Sew Pink Stitched In Blue

2011-09-22T18:26:00.000-07:00

I have mentioned before that We Love French Knots is a blog written by Bari J Ackerman and I always enjoy visiting. Verna Mosquera of The Vintage Spool was a guest stitcher on Bari's blog . Verna is a fabric and pattern/quilt designer and she shared this embroidery design called "Sew Pink" Visit this page at We Love French Knots and scroll down to read the article about Verna and check out the free embroidery design.

I loved the design right away but my sewing room is going to have a blue and white focus I chose a different color for my stitching.

This picture was taken outside in the sun.

A closer picture taken inside.

This picture is closer to the true color of the off white linen I stitched on.

It is ready to be hung in my sewing room.

Maybe I should wait until I get the walls painted, hm mm way too much to think ab0ut.

In the meantime I will lean it up against the wall on my work table.

I Love Weddings

2011-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

There are many blessings that come with being a pastor's wife.

My husband is often officiating weddings and attending rehearsals and sometimes the rehearsal dinners and I often tag along. These times are an extra blessing when the bride is someone you have known since the day she was born.

The grooms mother added many wonderful details to the table to make the rehearsal dinner a special time.

Menu with a picture of Brandon and Makayla

I tried to get pictures of all of the special touches.

The bride and groom look pretty happy and relaxed.

Patti, the brides mom and a dear friend. We met when my husband became the pastor here over 22 years ago.

Makayla and her dad Randy

I pray that God will bless this marriage as they follow Him every day.

September Blocks

2011-09-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

My September blocks are done!

12 of Hearts

Out of the Box

Birdie Stitches

I have links to each of these Block of the Month designers on my sidebar.

Sewing Machine Cover

2011-09-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

Have you visited Bari at We Love French Knots?

I love her blog and have had a great time visiting and meeting new stitchers and designers.

Bari shared this sampler a while back and has tutorials on each of the stitches used. I have been doing embroidery for many years but watching the tutorials taught me new stitches.

Here is my sampler completed and waiting to be made into my new sewing machine cover.

I had been looking at this book by Bari J for a while and decided that it was a perfect way to use my JoAnn's coupon.

The book is full of beautiful projects and great instruction.

Here is my completed sewing machine cover. I had planned to make one for some time and this sampler was the motivation to get it done.

The fabric I used for this project is "Sewing Room Social" by Jacquelynne Steves. I have another project I am working on using this fabric line that I hope to finish soon.

Another fun thing about making Bari's sampler is that those who made them shared pictures on Flikr.

Bari picked several prize winners randomly and I was one of them.

I won a gift certificate to Daisy Cottage Quilting and of course I ordered fabric.

I had just ordered some fat quarters from Daisy Cottage Quilting a day or so before I found out I won this gift certificate so I added a few things to my order.

Here are my wrapped up items, it was hard to take the picture because I just wanted to tear the packages open and see the fabric.

I know this looks so beautiful to all of you fabric lovers.

So many plans, so little time.

I am linking with Wednesday's Bunny Hop Party at Bunny Jean's. Go visit and see what other bloggers are doing.

Paris Paper Piecing Project

2011-09-11T20:26:00.000-07:00

While visiting the Wantobe Quilter Campaign at Sew We Quilt I read a post by Kd of KdQuilts about paper piecing. I have wanted to try this for some time so what a perfect tutorial for me. Another fun thing about this paper piecing tutorial is that the project was the Eiffel Tower. I have a co-worker who just visited Paris with her daughter and they had a wonderful time. I decided I would learn something new and share this with someone who has seen the real thing and has memories from time spent there.

Here is my Eiffel Tower, Paris

Paper piecing is really quite fun and thank you to Kd for the great tutorial that inspired me to give it a try.

Goodwill Finds

2011-09-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since my last visit to a thrift shop. I decided to pop in to one of our local Goodwill stores the other day. I took a quick look at the dishes isle and then headed for the fabric and linens isle.

I was excited to find some patterns, and little bags of bias tape, lace, seam binding and buttons.

Look at all of that fun stuff, I love the yellow ric rac.

I have always like Crab.apple Hill designs and have made a few. I was excited to find these three and two other great patterns for 99 cents each.

Mini clothespins for 50 cents and 2 crocheted potholders 99 cents.

Total 13 dollars, well worth every penny to me.

I will be linking with Thrifty Thing Friday at The Thrifty Groove

2011-09-07T18:15:00.000-07:00

When I saw this design for this Shabby-style mini quilt I knew right away that I wanted to make it for a special friend. This friend has has had some life changing events this last year and her HOPE in the Lord has brought her through thus far.

This design is from Jenny of Elefantz

I thought I would show the inspiration and final project side by side.

It was fun to put this together with things I found in my creative space.

Thank you Jenny for the lovely design.

A Faithful Friend Stitch A-Long

2011-09-05T11:41:00.000-07:00

I have completed the embroidered blocks for my A Faithful Friend quilt. I love the way each one has turned out. The directions for piecing the quilt together will be posted on the 7th of September. Piecing the quilt will be more of a challenge for me because I do not have as much experience with this part of the project.

I am sure it is not to late to start this and you will love working on this quilt if you like to embroider. Visit Lenna Green at Little Green Cottage and learn more about this and her other great designs.

I also have a link to this stitch-a-long on my sidebar.

Here are the blocks laid out on our table with the fabrics I have chosen to complete it with. I chose many of the same fabrics used in the original design.

I love the simplicity of each block and the use of color and detail in the stitches Lenna chose.

I am looking forward to the next step, cutting the blocks down and beginning to cut and sew the fabrics in to a quilt.

I am linking to Bunny Hop Wednesday at Bunny Jean's

Birthdays and Family Time

2011-09-02T18:54:00.000-07:00

We spent some time with some of our grandchildren last Saturday which made us miss those that live far away even more. We watched four of the boys while their parents were at a youth group picnic. It was a nice day so we took the little plastic pool out and filled it before the boys arrived. They spent much of the afternoon getting in and out of the pool.

Joshua spent most of the time crawling in and out of the house.

Noah and Landon are testing out the water.

Landon tried hard to splash me with the water.

Noah is off to find my watering cans so that he can water the garden and maybe water his cousins a little too.

Caleb thought it would be fun to use Papa's garden gloves as shoes. Shh, don't tell him.

Baby Matthew is not sure what the older boys are up to.

We celebrated two birthdays, Pat's and our youngest son David's.

David is actually 24 years old today, Happy Birthday David.

We enjoyed the pleasant sunny weekend and it looks like this one will be the same. We expect to have a quiet weekend and hope to get our front deck stained. Sounds like fun huh.

August Blocks of the Month

2011-08-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

Here are my blocks of the month. I have completed them before the month is quite over! Yeah!

12 of Hearts

Birdie Stitches

Vicki's Out of the Box

Dawn's Out of the Box

I have links to each of the designers of these blocks on my sidebar.

Retro Nine Patch Quilt Completed

2011-08-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

I finished my "Retro Nine Patch" blocks and put them together with 4 basket pieced blocks to make a small quilt. Thanks so much to Lyn at Bluebird Quilts who shared this block of the month.

I had fun with the embroidery blocks, the pieced blocks were a challenge, I still have much to learn. I quilted this little quilt by "stitching in the ditch" around each block and around the borders. I look forward to being a little more adventurous when it comes to quilting. I do think I stretched myself quite a bit when it comes to using colors and designs in fabrics. The fabrics I used were "Boutique" by Chez Moi for Moda.

My pictures don't seem to show how bright and cheerful the embroidered blocks are. Every time I try to take a picture the sun seems to be shining pretty bright. That is not something to complain about around here though. We are enjoying our very late arriving summer.

Thanks again to Lyn.

It is so great that many talented people are sharing their designs and tutorials to help others learn to sew, quilt, embroider, decorate and be creative in so many ways. I had fun with this quilt and experienced a few new things like taking many, many, many stitches out. I machine quilted the center block to a backing before I added the outer borders, can you believe that? True story. I took every stitch out, hunted down another piece of backing fabric, added my borders and quilted it again. I hope I never do that again.

All in all I had fun with this bright cheerful little quilt.

I'm A Wantobe Quilter

2011-08-15T20:43:00.000-07:00

A short while ago Shell at The Raspberry Rabbits wrote a blog post about the fun things happening at Sew We Quilt. I signed up with Shell as a Wantobe Quilter and have visited Sew We Quilt almost every weekday so far to join in the fun. I have participated in a couple of sew alongs this year and have learned a lot but do not have many finishes when it comes to quilting
There are prizes to win and things to learn and quilters to meet. I have already won a prize, actually Shell and I both won. My package arrived today so I thought I would show you the fabulous Creative Grids I won.

They are so much nicer than what I have been using to cut measure and cut fabric.

Madame Sam of Sew We Quilt also sent me a nice card and a fun fat quarter of fabric.

I you are a Wantobe quilter like me, visit Shell and she will sign you up. While you are there visit Shell's website and spend a little time reading her blog.

If you are a real quilter, not a wantobe, you can win prizes on Tuesday's and Thursdays.

Every day you will meet some great quilters and designers and learn something new.

Don't miss the fun.

Blocks of the Month for July

2011-08-08T10:40:00.000-07:00

I was a little behind with my blocks this month. Many fun and exciting things happened in July. A new granddaughter and a wedding are the most important. I have had great fun with these blocks and learn new things with each one.

Dawn's Out of the Box Block 7

Vicki's Out of the Box block 7

12 of Hearts block 7

Birdie Stitches Block 7

I have links to each of these block of the month series on my sidebar. I will show you later the blocks I have completed for the "Faithful Friends" quilt.

A Cozy Place to Sit

2011-07-31T21:36:00.000-07:00

This little wicker love seat has been in our home for several years. It was first a natural color and sat in our living room. Our dog Joe was a puppy then and he enjoyed chewing on the legs and along the front. That was about 20 years ago. I then brush painted it with this blue and it has been on our front porch.

Three cans of periwinkle blue spray paint, two large pillows I purchased a a garage sale last year and a lace edged cloth cover for the seat (it also hides the chewed on front). It now resides in our dining room and adds a cozy place to sit and visit.

The pillow on the left was purchased at the same garage sale and the one on the right I made.

Oh, and I picked another bunch of lavender yesterday. It will be hung to dry.

I don't want to spend a lot of time on a permanent cushion cover until we decide that this is where our cozy love seat will stay.

I have another project I completed this week I would like to share with you

The picture below was taken by my brother in law Duane while he and my sister Lynda traveled around Europe.

The picture was taken in Rotterham, West Germany in 1977.

This photo hung on the wall in our home for several years. I decided to update it a little.

I covered the mat in light tan linen.

Placed the picture back behind the mat.

Spray painted the frame "Whisper white"

I have always liked this photograph and I really like how the "update" turned out.

It was fun to complete two of the many projects I have been thinking about doing. They weren't really on a list though, maybe I'll have to write them on a list so that I can cross them off.

I will be linking with Show off Your Cottage Monday at The House in the Roses

and

Metamorphasis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.

Lavender In Bloom

2011-07-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year around our area for garden tours and lavender festivals. With our schedule so far this summer I have not been able to attend anything like that. I decided to take a look at how the lavender was doing in our back garden. It is a little late blooming this year but I took my basket and this is what I found.

Just a little so far ready to cut. Cutting the lavender flowers was therapy for me.

I love the scent and look of lavender.

It makes me think of simpler times.

These are words to a song from the Cumberland Clark Flower Song Book 1929

"Lavender, sweet lavender:

come and buy my lavender,

hide it in your trousseau, lady fair.

Let its lovely fragrance flow

over you from head to toe,

lighting on your eyes, your cheek, your hair"

I will often make lavender wands to use around the house all year.

I don't have time today so I lay it out on the table.

Tie it with cream and green ribbon.

I hang it in my creative space to dry.

It smells and looks wonderful!

Super Fun Wins!

2011-07-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

I just have to share the fun things that have come in the mail to my house in the past couple of weeks.

Denise at Riverside Stitching had these wonderful pieces that she said she would never use. As many of you know I will have fun finding ways to use them.

The large piece on the left is beautiful.

Tonya of Hillbilly Handiworks sent me this stitchery pattern and some pieces of Christmas fabric. I have already begun planning to start the embroidery part of this project.

Linda at Pretty Is had a giveaway with two different gift packages and this is the one I received in the mail. It was waiting for me when I returned from vacation.

Isn't this little bunny adorable.

The tea in the carrot dish is yummy too.

Thank You to Denise, Tonya and Linda.

My Creative Space

2011-07-14T21:03:00.000-07:00

It is time for the Where Bloggers Create 2011party.

Visit Karen at My Desert Cottage to see many other creative spaces.

I shared my space last year and had big plans for changes to it for this year but have accomplished only a few of those ideas.
So here we go up the stairs.

Enter the door on the left at the top of the stairs

I am starting my tour looking left as you enter the door, a change in direction from last years tour, just mixing things up a little.

I had these wire shelf pieces downstairs in our sons old room taking up space. One day while blog hopping I cam across and Idea for putting these shelves together with plastic zip ties, so that is what I did. It stays together great and I can see my fabric, or most of it anyway. It fits nicely under the slanted ceiling.

This chest of drawers was on the painting list but is still waiting. A creamy white would be nice.

I have a few white buttons.

My grandfather built this green drop-leaf table for my grandmother not long after they were married.

My new tea towel valance with birds perched on top.

A place to sit and ponder, what shall I create next?

Everyone needs books and patterns for inspiration.

Bird thimbles, a gift from a dear friend.

The curtain helps to hide a little necessary clutter

Wooden spools on a little wooden shelf made for my grandmother by my grandfather.

My 12 of Hearts quilt blocks

We have reached the other side of the room where a tiny closet hides a little more necessary clutter.

I keep thinking about really "decorating" my space but I have been too busy creating to get it done,

maybe next year.

We hope you enjoyed your tour of my creative space.

Blocks of the Month - June

2011-07-14T06:30:00.000-07:00

Where did June go? I just completed the blocks of the month for June and downloaded the July blocks so that I can prepare them for stitching.

Out Of The Box block 6 by Vicki

Out Of The Box block 6 by Dawn

Faithful Friend Stitch-A-Long block 2

12 of hearts block 6

Birdie Stitches block 6

I have links to each of these Block of the Month designs on my sidebar.

Family, Fun and Sunshine

2011-07-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share a little more of our trip to Wisconsin and our time spent with our family there.

I shared in my previous post that I arrived just a few hours after baby Rose was born. That evening I went home with the three younger children and we had pizza and movie night in the living room. It is their family tradition to have this on Friday evenings but Rose's birth delayed things so we had Saturday pizza and movie night.

We watched Indian In The Cupboard and ate delicious pizza at the coffee table.

Dad and Mom and sleepy baby Rose

The family together when we visited Julie and Rose at the hospital.

Rose came home on the 4th of July so she received a special hat for her trip home.

The kids and I made a special cake for our 4th of July celebration.

Each of them were responsible for one stripe on our flag.

Lily did remind me that there are not the right number of stripes on our flag but we agreed that this would do for this occasion.

The neighbors shared in our celebration.

I have to share a picture of the beautiful rose in Julie's garden.

We took a few day trips with the kids to give Julie and Rose some quiet time at home.

These pictures are from a nice park not far from their home.

It was a hot day and there was not much shade so we didn't stay too long. We ended up at a McDonald's for lunch that had a nice play area.

This picture is from our trip to the movie theater at the mall and lunch at the food court.

The water park was fun and there was a great play area right next to it. We staked out a little shade tree where we managed to stay pretty cool.

I think Rose had had enough picture taking.

The family all together at home.

Wisconsin gourmet, brats and hot dogs.

Everyone's ready for Rose's first day at church.

Her little dress was a gift from Aunt Amy and her family.

Julie's neighbor gave Rose this little onesie.

Brad and Julie at the airport.

Hugs and a few tears, time to fly home.

We had a wonderful time!

Sweet Little Rose Lynn

2011-07-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

My flight from Seattle to Milwaukee was scheduled for Friday July 1st at 11:59 PM.
My plan was to be in Wisconsin for or soon after the birth of our 11th grandchild.
I received a call from Julie on July 1st at around 6 PM Seattle time and she said that she was in the beginning of labor and was headed for the hospital.
I landed in Milwaukee at about 5:40 AM Wisconsin time and had a message waiting on my phone when I turned it on.
Rose Lynn, 7 pounds 8 ounces, 18 1/4 inches long. was born at about 3:15 AM July 2nd, Wisconsin time.
Did I confuse you yet?
I am still unsure of the time but I am sure that Rose Lynn and family are all doing great.
(Rose doesn't know it yet but she will share a birthday with her great aunt Nancy)
Julie's friend Amy picked me up at the airport and took me straight to the hospital to see little Rose and her mom and dad.

First peek at their new little sister.

Everyone wants her to open her eyes, she seems content to keep them closed.

I will have to take a picture of little Rose with her Mom and Dad soon.

It is now 10 PM Wisconsin time and I have no idea how much sleep I have had in the last couple of days. A cup of tea and a cozy bed sounds good right now.

Pink Peonies Everywhere!

2011-07-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

My friend Kerri brought me this bouquet of peonies from her garden the other day. I should have taken a picture right away, they were even prettier when I first received them. The next day I decided to walk through our garden and cut come peonies before the rain beat them down.

I made several bouquets and placed them throughout the house.

A bouquet of peonies is rich to the senses

They added such beauty anywhere they were put.

Peonies, one of the many blessings of summer.

I am linking to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound for the first time.

A Faithful Friend Stitch Along

2011-06-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

I have completed my center piece for my A Faithful Friend Quilt. I had so much fun stitching it and hope to get a few of the smaller blocks ready for stitching this weekend. Block One, the verse below is available in the Homespun Magazine No95 Vol 12.4 and the remainder of the blocks can be downloaded here for free. I bought my copy of Homespun Magazine on line at Erica's Craft & Sewing Center. Visit the designer Leena Green at Stitching Cow or Little Green Cottage.

It is cloudy here and I can't seem to get the right light to show the creamy color of the fabric

The color is better in this photo. I bought some of the fat quarters to put the quilt together at one of my favorite quilt shops called Fabric Chicks. It is located in Coupeville on Whidbey Island, Washington. I love to visit the shop but there is also a web sight. I will have to pick up the rest of the fat quarters next month when I visit.

As I was leaving Fabric Chicks I saw this piece of fabric in the sale bin. I had to go back to buy this one yard bundle. Hm mm, what shall I do with this, I'm sure I will come up with something.

We'll Miss You

2011-06-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace who's mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee.

Isaiah 26:3

Our daughter in law Kacy's sweet mother went home to be with the Lord today. Kacy said that it was her Anniversary. When I heard that I thought of the gift Jolene had given us when we were in South Carolina visiting Nathan and Kacy and family. It was our anniversary and Jolene gave us this gift.

This lovely "Happy Anniversary" mirror. I thought that the verse next to it was appropriate also. Jolene is beginning her new life in the presence of the Lord.

We love you and will miss you Jolene.

IICor. 5: 7,8 For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Savoring Summer

2011-06-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

It is summer and today felt like it here in the Pacific Northwest.

Savoring Summer Memories

Grandchildren

At the Water Park

Playing dress up from the costume chest

Slip and Slide at Papa and Grandma's

All of the grandchildren's shoes lined up by the door.

Summer Decor

Simple changes to make the room lighter and brighter.

Summer curtains and bird pillow.

The sunshine in the window helps to show it is summer.

Summer Garden

1999 Victoria Magazine

I have read this many times and still enjoy the articles

"We've learned to do a lot with a little."

Jo Ann Gardner

I think we have been influenced by gardeners and gardens like the one in the article above.

I like to think that a lot can be done with a little in most everything we do.

We savor the time we are able to spend relaxing in our backyard garden in the summer.

The Summer Sun Shone Round Me

The summer sun shone round me,

The folded valley lay

In a stream of sun and odour,

That sultry summer day.

The tall trees stood in the sunlight

As still as still could be,

But the deep grass sighed and rustled

And bowed and beckoned me.

The deep grass moved and whispered

And bowed and brushed my face.

It whispered in the sunshine:

"The winter comes apace."

by Robert Louis Stevenson

Savor the minutes God gives you this summer.

They are a gift.

I am linking to Savoring Summer at A Delightsome Life

I have a button on my sidebar also.

Elefantz Home Magazine

2011-06-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

I have been following Jenny of ELEFANTZ's Give Thanks block of the month this year and have loved making my first wall hanging and hope to make more.

There are several phrases of encouragement to embroider and hang from the button. I neglected to take pictures of the blocks I made and I have given them as a gift. I guess I will have to get started on another wall hanging.

I have also visited Jenny's website and purchased a few of her other patterns.
I recently signed up for her new email newsletter.
In her newsletter she shared her upcoming release of her new magazine called
"Elefantz Home."
You have to visit her blog here and find out more about it. If you like to sew at all you will love her designs. When I read about Jenny's new magazine in her newsletter I subscribed right away and I am looking forward to the release of the first issue on June 29th. You have to go visit and see for yourself. Don't forget do it right now!
Jenny of ELEFANTZ

Fabric Flower Gift

2011-06-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

Isn't it wonderful when someone sends your something in the mail just because they are thoughtful people and want to bless others. Well that is what Sherry from Createology did for me. I commented on her post about a special time she had shared with some friends and a special gift of a fabric flower she had made for each of her guests. Guess what! Sherry sent me one of her little flowers.

I love the way my little gift was wrapped in the hankie and with purple ribbon.

Sherry made one of these for each of her guests, she shares this on her blog, here.

Here is a closer picture of my little fabric and lace flower pin.

I told Sherry that I really like the way she spells her name.

Have a great weekend!

Our Garden Is Beginning To Bloom!

2011-06-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

I have not spent much time at all out in our garden spaces, cold, rain and just plain yucky spring weather are my excuses. They seem to be doing quite well in spite of the neglect. I have had a couple of new friends that have been quite busy all spring. These cute little birds were a birthday gift from my sister Michele and have been busy in the back yard ever since they arrived here in April.

These two are the cutest little birds.

Caleb and Landon are resting after working with us in the flower beds and mowing the grass.

Here they are having a McDonald's picnic with Papa after their hard work, I think it was raining outside by then.

Landon is enjoying his fries.

Even before the patio had been swept and cleaned up this spring, Noah got busy watering the plants.

Landon left the sand box to join in on watering.

Caleb was on snail patrol.

The plants in this bed are pretty young, but I was happy to finally get it weeded. There is a story to tell about that big stack of wood in the left corner of the picture. We had to take a tree out of our front yard, I will share about our tree in another post.

Just a short time later the plants have grown quite a bit and things are blooming.

Verbascum

Geranium

Day Lily

My flowering currant looked great this year, it didn't flower much last year but I think it has settled in to its home now.

I am linking with Bloomin Tuesday, take a look at whats in bloom in other blogger's gardens,
also linking to Tuesday Garden Party at An Oregon Cottage.

May Block of the Month Blocks

2011-05-31T16:58:00.000-07:00

These are the block of the month designs that I have been able to keep up with. I realized that the pictures are really not that great that I took of my blocks. The colors are not very true. I have links to each of these block of the month patterns on my side bar. It is not too late to join in.

Retro Nine Patch

The colors are a little washed out in this picture, I used some light orange thread and you can't really see it.

Out of the Box Block 5

Twelve of Hearts Block 5

The fabric I am using is not as dark as it appears in this picture.

Birdie Stitches March

Birdie Stitches April

Birdie Stitches May

I had a little catching up to do on the Birdie Stitches Blocks.

Five months in to this and I am keeping up pretty well. It has been fun so far.

Cottage Charm Giveaway Winner!

2011-05-29T14:05:00.000-07:00

I used Random Number Generator to select my Cottage Charm Giveaway winner.

My winner is #24

I carefully counted down through the comments twice and found #24

Holly from Holly Days Closet you are the winner.

I will mail your package on Wednesday, my hubby and I are leaving for a two day getaway as soon as I get this posted. Thank you to all of you who stopped by and made a comment on my giveaway post.

Lilacs and My Mystery Quilt

2011-05-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

I was ab;e to catch a few pictures of the Lilac bush in our front yard. It seems that because of the weather I have missed some of the plants blooming in the yard. Just before the hail began I was able to snap a few pictures and cut a few flowers.

We have not had spots like this on the leaves before, I hope it is just this years weather causing the problem.

Lilacs in my Flora Doora

This was my Flora Doora with Tulips

I put lilacs in several places around the house.

I was pointing out both the lilacs and tulips because my Mystery Quilt has both in it. I had a great time with this and learned a few new things. I have always known that cutting things out accurately is an important step in sewing. I made a couple of mistakes that reminded me how important that is but plugged on and made it work. I cut one of the pinwheel blocks too small so decided to use it in place of another block and had to make another pinwheel. I really like the way my quilt turned out. Thank you Tonya at Hillbillly Handiworks for the sew along and all of your hard work.

I plan to do a little quilting practice on my machine when I finish this project. I will share the totally finished project when it it totally finished. I think I see the sun peeking out, I should take advantage and work a little in my backyard garden.

Have a great day!

Blessings

2011-05-27T18:42:00.000-07:00

I received a surprise blessing in the mail a couple of days ago. It was a gift from a blogger friend in Texas. Donna sent me this special little wall hanging. Her blog is called Morning Glory Craft Cottage. Visit her and see the wonderful things she creates.

The blue feather is from a feather fan she uses and the fiber feather she made years ago. It was fun to read her description of the items used in the wall hanging.

The gift was a blessing to me, it is hanging here on the wall right beside my computer.

Donna made the little birds nest from copper wire and the eggs from polymer clay.

This is the card Donna sent along with the gift.

Isn't a surprise in the mail fun? It was a blessing to our nest.

Cottage Charm Giveaway!

2011-05-27T16:05:00.000-07:00

One more day to enter my Cottage Charm Giveaway.

If you would like to enter click here to find the post and leave a comment. The winner will be announced early Sunday March 29th.