A Faithful Friend Stitch Along

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

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

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

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

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!

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.