quilting down the stairs

my week

2012-01-22T12:38:00.000-08:00

This week I made a sock monkey, knitted socks and started a shawl. I made a mat for my cardinal photos, taken by Kate of Chronicles of a Country Girl. She takes awesome photos and sells them in her etsy shop. I used a piece of stash fabric....one of my gorgeous gradients from Vicki. I painted the rickrack black, it was bright red. I'm very pleased with the project especially since I used things I had here. They are hanging in my kitchen and I'm loving them. I also played with watercolors and a did a bit of drawing. Of course, I was highly entertained by the kitties. Hope you had a great week.

fabric and a hawk

2012-01-04T16:37:00.000-08:00

I finally chose my fabrics for the color palette challenge. Except for the white and black, I'm using Vicki's hand dyes. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to make but I'm leaning towards a cover for my embroidery machine.

We spent a good part of the morning watching this guy eat his breakfast.

I'm taking some online classes from Carla Sonheim and this is one of her sidewalk photos. You try and find a picture within the cracks. I saw this little guy. Along with learning to draw, I'm spending time each day learning photoshop....it's a challenge!

Hope you have a wonderful day.....thanks for stopping by. :)

Have yourself

2011-12-24T19:33:00.000-08:00

ufo challenge 2012

2011-12-22T14:14:00.000-08:00

1. blue and white star snowballs
2. nana's gardens
3. dolpins and turtles
4. sunrise
5. sunset
6. yellow brick road
7. underground railroad
8. butterfly quilt
9. cat stars
10. christmas trees
11. flannel quilt
12. garden club

This is my list from 2011....I'm optimistic that I'll do much better this year. Head on over to Judy's to see who's playing.

2011-10-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

a few unfinished dresden plates, some black sulky 12 wt thread and several decorative stitches........

2011-07-17T18:06:00.000-07:00

I made myself a new purse.....my old one was starting to get ragged. I loved the size of the old one, so I fashioned the new one after it. I'm pretty happy with the results.

The bag below was painted by

Terri Stegmiller.....I love it and I'm going to use it for my knitting bag. It makes me smile. She has lots of great art for sale. My bag is very well made and her service is very prompt. Go check it out!

I'm leaving in the morning with my good friend, Cindy......we are heading to PA for a retreat with Jamie Wallen and DeLoa Jones. I'm hoping to soak up lots of good quilty knowledge from Jamie.

2011-06-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a watercolor class from Sue Bleiweiss and I'm really enjoying it. I haven't played with watercolors since I was in grade school.

Our mini-vacation up north was so much more than we had hoped for. The weather was perfect....we sat out on the deck, listening to music and reading. We had some visitors out on the water....couldn't have asked for anything more.

2011-06-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

This will be our view for the next couple of days.

2011-06-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

Not much quilting going on but I'm making good progress on the sweater. The color is not showing up right....it's a nice deep rich red. I'm learning a lot with this project and am enjoying knitting it.

2011-06-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

I made myself a Kindle case with some fabric that I had fused and did some thread play on. I had those closures hanging around forever. Several times, I almost tossed them.....so glad I didn't.

She looks so sweet, doesn't she? Dont let that fool you, she can be such a little stinker.....

2011-05-31T17:45:00.000-07:00

Instead of quilting down the stairs, I've been knitting up the stairs. I've finished 3 pairs of socks. The yummy green yarn was dyed by the very talented Deb Levy. She's a very generous friend.

I'm also working on a sweater for a friend who shall remain nameless. It's coming along very nicely now but not so much in the begininng. Of course, once I figured out that the designer really did know what she was doing and me, not so much, everything started to move along fabulously. It's not fun to unknit row after row of more than 200 stitches because you couldn't follow directions in the first place. The upside of all that unpicking is that I got to know the pattern repeats very well. It's knit from the bottom up in one piece. It's a KnitPick's pattern....http://www.knitpicks.com/patterns/Harumi_Cardigan__D10614220.html

In case you were missing my kitties...

willing subjects

2011-02-22T13:53:00.000-08:00

I'm taking an online photography course and no one wants their picture taken....even the cats are starting to look and walk away when they see the camera. Good thing for my little friends.......

2011-01-31T19:10:00.000-08:00

So, I thought I would be sewing up a storm while hubby is recuperating from his rotator cuff surgery but nary a stitch has been taken. Between helping him out and taken over the snow removal duties, the day just flies by. We have another storm coming with the possibility of two more feet of snow and PT started this week....x3 for the next 6 weeks. I have been knitting.....good thing I have lots of projects.

Queensland Flood Appeal Auction

2011-01-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

Carole over at Quilting Adventures is having an auction to help the flood victims. She is auctioning off a Civil War Chronicles kit to the highest bidder. Please go over and check it out.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2010-12-24T04:35:00.000-08:00

From our house to yours.....wishing you all a very Merry Christmas filled with much love and joy!

ufo challenge 2011

2010-12-20T09:46:00.000-08:00

I've picked out my 12 quilts for the challenge.

1. blue and white star snowballs
2. nana's gardens
3. dolpins and turtles
4. sunrise
5. sunset
6. yellow brick road
7. underground railroad
8. butterfly quilt
9. cat stars
10. christmas trees
11. flannel quilt
12. garden club

Head on over to JudyL blog for all the details. I'm looking forward to the challenge and completing some of my projects.

for those that wondered

2010-12-12T06:21:00.000-08:00

The kitty quilt is a pattern from Buggy Barn Quilts in one of their books called.... That Crazy Thing We Do.

it's ready for quilting

2010-12-09T18:35:00.000-08:00

two of my favorite things

2010-12-06T18:33:00.000-08:00

are hanging on my design wall this week. Go on over to Judy's blog to see what others have hanging on theirs.

design wall monday

2010-11-22T09:38:00.000-08:00

Thought it was time for my chickens to come out and play......they are going to become a quilted curtain for my pantry. Go on over to JudyL's and see what fabulous projects are being created.

2010-11-09T15:17:00.000-08:00

And then there were two.....yes, I finally finished a pair of socks.

This is the pair I started for JudyL's knit along. I tried several times to knit two at a time but my yarn gets tangles and I get so frustrated. I've decided that it will be one at a time for me.....I like to enjoy my knitting time. :)

This gorgeous yarn was gifted to me by Deb Levy.....she dyed it herself. It's awesome.......the colors are so pretty.

This one too.....I couldn't wait to start a pair of socks with this yarn.....the colors are really yummy. Love the lime green....makes it sparkle. Thank you so much Deb!

I've been making some bibs for my sister's grandson.....he's disabled and drools quite a bit. These seem to work out well for him.

In case you were missing my kitty pictures......

2010-10-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

It's only taken me 3 and a half years to make a sock but I finally did it. And it really only took me a week to make it. I'm off to start it's mate. Hope you are having a wonderful day!

2010-09-16T05:40:00.000-07:00

you don't think I'm too spoiled, do you ???

she looks so pretty

2010-09-10T09:41:00.000-07:00

I picked up " Maggie" from the framer and I am so pleased with the great job he did.

I'm happy with my choice of mats and frame. I still can't believe she's mine.....thank you so much, Vicki! She makes me smile and is such an inspiration for me. Knowing that Vicki finished the project even she hated it, inspires me to focus in on some of my many (bazillion) works in progress.
Things have changed here....my last birdie has flown the coop. I'm happy to say he is doing very well and is happy in his new place. I've been sewing alot of stuff for him.....a couple more things to do and I can focus on my own projects. I'm moving things around in the sewing room and will soon have a much more functional workroom. I will then have no excuse for not finishing up some of my projects. Great workspace and wonderful inspiration.......what more could a quilter ask for? Have an awesome day....thanks for stopping by!

my view for the week

2010-08-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

We're in in Maine for the week.....this is our view off the deck. It's so peaceful.

I'm so excited

2010-08-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

If you follow Vicki's blog, you know about Maggie. It's a cross stitched project that she started in 2001. I've been watching her progress for quite some time. Last week, Vicki posted that she was going to give Maggie away to someone who wanted her. I jumped at the chance to give my reasons why I wanted her. I'm so very happy to say that I won. Thank you so much Vicki!

a kitty mat

2010-06-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

Take some gorgeous hand dyed fabric, some rope and lots of thread and you can make a mat for your kitty. A little bit of yarn for decoration.

She approves.

around the garden

2010-06-29T06:46:00.000-07:00

We planted a few garden boxes this year and I'm happy to say my plants are growing. I have baby cucumbers and tomatoes and some peppers. It's fun watching them grow. My garden lady, Ida Mae, is making sure no varmits are eating my veggies.

a blogger friend

2010-06-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

I had the chance to meet Lynne of patchery menagerie yesterday. We had a wonderful visit. She brought some cool quilts to show me. The afternoon flew by. She's not only a quilter but an artist as well. I lifted this from her blog....it's her son when he was 14. I love it! I'm looking forward to seeing her artwork up close and personal. Thanks for a great afternoon Lynne.

trying to get out of my own way

2010-05-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

Ever have a day like that? Seems like the last couple of months have been that way for me. Had some minor issues that I'm hoping are behind us. Haven't done much in the sewing dept but I have been practicing feathers on paper.....now to get to the machine. This is my version of Jamie Wallen's flurry feather

I'm working on some bags....hope to have some pictures to share this week. The weather here has been really gorgeous.....it's been nice to be outdoors. I got a few pictures of these guys yesterday.....they were helping out with the lawn care. Hope you have a wonderful day.....thanks for stopping by.

a finish and a wish

2010-04-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

I finally finished my liberated amish top. I'm happy with the results....it was a fun challenge. My wish is for everyone to enjoy a Happy and Blessed Easter. The sun is shining here and it has the makings of a beautiful day. Thanks for stopping by.

new project

2010-02-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

I'm working on a free form amish quilt.....these will be part of my borders. The blocks are going to be log cabins. The letters were fun to do. Tonya has a great tutorial on free form letters. She started a Liberated Amish Get Together to share our projects. I'm ready for some liberated quilting....seems like a good direction for me.

stash report week 2

2010-01-18T05:31:00.000-08:00

I used up two more yards of fabric bringing my total to 9 for the year. I haven't added anything new. :)

added to date: 0 yds
used to date: 9 yds

quiltathon progress

2010-01-16T12:36:00.000-08:00

Judy is hosting a quiltathon this weekend.....go on over and check out what everyone is up to. So far I've pieced a 30" baby quilt for my newborn charity group. Tonight is family night so I'm done for today. Since I have the whole day tomorrow to sew I'm hoping to get a couple more pieced. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend.....thanks for stopping by.

stash report week 2

2010-01-10T16:08:00.000-08:00

I've been working in my sewing area...... cleaning, sorting and rearranging. It's almost where I want it to be. Found a few projects that I'm hoping to finish up. I haven't used any stash this week and I haven't added any. I plan to use up some fabric this week for sure. :)

this week: zero in and zero out
net use for the year: 6 yds

design wall monday

2010-01-04T06:02:00.000-08:00

These are the blocks I'm working on.....I have the larger sides to sew on 22 blocks. I'm hoping to finish them tonight and work on the borders tomorrow.

stash report week one

2010-01-03T12:15:00.000-08:00

Nothing in and nothing out but I am working with a grab bag of fabrics that I got from the Fat Quarter Shop. I figure there is about 6 yards of fabric and I plan to use it all up in some donation quilts. I'm looking forward to busting lots of stash on donation quilts this year.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T13:40:00.000-08:00

I wish you all a new year filled with much love, happiness and enough of whatever makes you smile.
I've spent the last week or so making plans and goals for the new year. Besides the usual lose weight, exercise more and eat healthier, I have goals to grow my skills in photography and quilting. Since I'm such a good blogger....haha....I thought I would add a second one. I'm attempting the challenge of taking a daily photo of something in my day and journaling about it. I sure hope to last longer than a week or so. :)
I'd like to grow in a more creative direction with my quilting. I would like to make some portrait quilts and really nail down being able to quilt some gorgeous feathers. So I plan to practice and be fearless in honing my new skills. In case you care to peek at my other blog....it's my 365 day challenge .
I've tried doing things today I love....reading, sewing, knitting and some computer stuff. We'll see where the new year brings us. Thanks for stopping by.....I love it when you do.

2009-12-24T06:31:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas filled with love, joy and the magical wonder of Christmas.

O Christmas Tree

2009-12-16T04:45:00.001-08:00

We got our tree 5 years ago……it was a whim purchase after my Mom passed away. It looked really beautiful on my computer screen. A prelit tree that would be delivered right to my door.....be still my beating heart. Prelit….I wouldn’t have to string lights any more....woohoo! I like lots and lots of lights and here my tree would be prelit with eleven hundred lights. Yes, that’s right, in my beautiful tree were 1100 of the most blindingly, clearest and brightest of lights you could ever want. A tree so bright and blinding that you didn’t want to leave it on unless you were wearing sunglasses.
The last few years have found excuses to leave the tree in storage. A little Charlie Brown tree was purchased for a fraction of what that big bright tree under the stairs cost. And there it sat.
I decided this year it was time to bring out the big beautiful prelit tree. I really do love the tree….it looks very real. But, I do NOT love the 1100 very bright clear lights. No problem I thought, I will change them out…..how bad can it be? I took strings of lights and removed all those tiny colored lights bulbs. And then I began to pull the clear bulbs from the tree. Swapping out a bright clear light for a red or green one. I had blue, yellow and purple ones too. Oh boy, I’m on my way now…..a tree with colored light……1100 of them! Seemed like a really good idea when I began. Halfway through it didn’t seem like such a great idea anymore but I had gone too far to stop…..way past the point of no return. Maybe a few band-aids will help. Yes, that’s much better….I’m on a roll once more. The top section is done, a few branches on the bottom and most of the middle section is transformed. I’m down to the last couple hundred that need to be swapped…..I’m fading fast, my fingers are throbbing. Thankfully Josh asked if I needed any help and he swapped out the last of them. And now…..I have prelit tree with 1100 beautiful colored lights. It was worth every little cut, blister and sore finger(s). I'm enjoying the tree so much I may have to leave it up for awhile.........
Have a wonderful day and I hope your tree makes you happy. Thanks for stopping by.....your visits hightlight my day!

a finish

2009-11-29T07:13:00.001-08:00

I made this quilt for my niece who is due to have her baby next month. I got the pattern from
Amanda Jean....she has some great tutorials.

I did a simple wavy line grid for the quilting. I used a moda jelly roll.....love is in the air and some white on white for the sashings. All fabrics came out of my stash.

I used Judy's technique for machine stitching the binding....I was pleased with how it came out. I did have to unstitch and restitch in a few places but I was pleased with my first attempt. I will using this method in the future for sure. Judy has a great little video on how to do this.

My machine does not like to go over pins. I usually pull them out before I get to them....this one I missed.

I leave you with a picture of my baby.....I'm sure he's reflecting on what mayhem is next on the agenda. Have a wonderful day.....thanks for stopping by.

2009-11-26T07:25:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. I have much to be thankful for.....my family, good friends and my freedom. I'm thankful for all the wonderful blogging people I've come to know and I'm especially thankful today to our Soldiers and families who give up so much for us. Wishing you all a wonderful day!

a finish

2009-11-12T09:59:00.000-08:00

I finished up my Christmas project this week.....I made 101 Christmas stockings for Neighbors Helping Newborns. They will deliver the stockings to the area hospitals. The nurses will dress the babies in them during Christmas week. It means alot to the families that have to be there during the holidays....brings a bit of Christmas cheer.

I had lots of help working on them.

These are some of my knitting projects....scarves, hats and dishrags. They will be ongoing until Christmas, worked on in free moments.

My baby is getting big.....he continues to amuse me and get himself into lots of mischief.

Tuesday was our wedding anniversary.....it's hard to believe it's been 31 years. I've been very blessed with a wonderful man. Although he doesn't understand why I do the things I do, he lets me do them anyways. I'm looking forward to the next 31 years.

I hope you have a wonderful day.....thanks for stopping by.

Break is Over

2009-10-22T05:01:00.000-07:00

And I didn't even mean to take a break. The days turned into weeks and then months. I'm back and hope to have lots to share.

I had a wonderful visit with Libby yesterday. She's as warm and friendly as I thought she would be. We chatted away and the time just flew by. I think it will become quite habitforming. :)

I've been knitting the past few weeks. I've made a few dishrags, a scarf and a hat for hubby, thanks to a great pattern from Paula.

Kim gave us a challenge in August to finish 3 things. I did finish 3 tops, thanks to her. Now, I'm working on a portrait quilt. I'm taking Jean Shute's class at MQResource. I'm having fun with it....it surely is a learning process.

I've gotten some more of Vicki's wonderful hand dyes that I plan to use in another art quilt. Vicki's has lots of gorgeous fabrics in her esty shop, her service is excellent and special orders are welcomed.

I don't have all my pictures ready to go with this post but I'm going to put it up anyways. Don't want it to be weeks before I actually post it. Thanks for stopping by.....your visits are always the highlight of my day.

a finished block

2009-07-03T06:17:00.000-07:00

This is my version of the tulip block....I'm happy with how it came out.

It's very seldom that you see the three cats together. I went outside to chase a squirrel off my birdfeeder. They were quite interested in what I was doing and in what the pesky squirrel was doing.

This is Maggie lounging......it's hard work smacking Frankie away from her.

Frankie was enjoying himself surrounded by bubblewrap.

He was quite tuckered out after playing in the wrap.

I wish everyone a very Happy Fourth weekend. Thanks for stopping by, I love it when you do.

luscious hand dyes

2009-06-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

I've been drooling over Vicki's hand dyed fabrics ever since she first began posting pictures of them. They are wonderful and I was so excited when she opened her Esty shop. Now I can buy some of those gorgeous fabrics for my very own. The colors are scrumptious.

The color palettes are really nice!

I should have opened them up so you could see them better. Believe me, they're gorgeous. :)

Look at this wonderful sunprint.....aren't the colors fabulous? Vicki also does tye-dyed T-shirts. Go on over and have a look....you won't be sorry.

I leave you with a picture of Frankie.....hubby calls this his Superman pose.

Have a wonderful day....thanks for stopping by.

Tagged Alert

2009-06-05T17:49:00.000-07:00

Seems there's something fishy going on. If you receive anything from me saying I tagged you....nope, I did not. Vicky emailed me because she got some from me and others. I got one from Paula and I've also gotten some from other people. I did not send anyone any invitations, so please ignore anything you get. Sorry for the trouble. :(

garden party

2009-06-04T13:31:00.000-07:00

These are my snake blocks which I will now refer to as Libby's worms.....sounds so much more pleasant, don't you think. I do not mind worms in the garden but snakes......ewwwwwwww, they give me the willies. My flower basket block needs a bit more work....the flower centers still need to be stitched on. I was going to start this block all over because one of my flowers ended up displaced and rather pale looking and my dragonfly is a bit cockeyed. I ripped off the pale flower, added a couple more and figured my dragonfly was just a bit juiced on some nectar. I'm going to just be happy with it. Libby has real garden worms and her garden is stupendous!

I think I spend a squillion hours on the stars.....who knew paper piecing could be so hard. I think I need pp for really dumb dummies 101. When I finally got to the last star, I inverted the colors in one of the parts. Oh well.....it's done and I am very pleased with it.

I'm making one of those baskets where you cover rope with fabric and zigzag the coils together. The one I'm making is called a CapNap Bowl. I'm using a Bali Pop which is a jelly roll of batiks.

Someone can't wait until it's finished to take her nap.

While I was outside taking the pictures of my blocks I couldn't resist the roses.

Thanks for stopping by.....I love it when you do.

thank you

2009-05-25T13:13:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank all the brave men and women who have served in our armed forces and are now serving. I'm grateful for the sacrifices they and their families have made to give our freedoms. And to those that have given the ultimate sacrifice, words seem to fall short. My family and I thank you all!

well.....it sure has been awhile

2009-05-09T12:08:00.000-07:00

And that's because I am such a procratinator. I've been meaning to post and take some pictures and the day gets away from me. So, I think, okay, I'll do it tomorrow.......hmmmmmm.......it sure has been a lot of tomorrows.

Spring has finally sprung up here in the northeast. Everything is so green and the flowers are getting ready to bloom. The lilacs are blossoming and they smell so divinely. The irises are getting ready to pop and I saw a cute little baby bunny run across the driveway this morning.

I've been stitching up some hexes. I tried them last year and I think they were too big and I didn't really enjoy them. These are 1" and I'm loving them. Thanks to inspiration and many hints from Libby, I think I've got it. The first one I did "wrong" so that will be my "humility block." At least I got it right by the second one. :)

I've really been enjoying these Buggy Barn blocks. I love the wonkiness of them and how can you go wrong with homespuns. All the blocks are made, I just have to iron and square them up. I'm already drooling over my next project.....churn dash done in tan and red.

This is my stitchery from Primitive Gatherings. I was going to frame it but I'm now I'm thinking that I will face it with some black wool and a buttonhole stitch.

I'd like to wish all the moms a Happy Mother's Day. I'll be spending the day with my sons....what could be finer, I ask you.
Thanks for stopping by.....I'm hoping to be a little more proficient with my blogging posts. :)

Katy's Hope III Raffle Quilt

2009-04-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

It's time again for the raffle quilt to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. Perry's Granddaughter Katy is the sweet little one who has CF. JudyL so generously donated the quilt this year. Go take a look at Perry's blog and if you can take a chance on a very worthwhile cause.

from winterwonderland......

2009-03-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is how the yard looks two days later....it's raining and close to 50 degrees. We should be feeling springlike by the weekend.

This is my bearpaw block....the center square is from Peg's shorts. This is one of JudyL's project and I think it will make a wonderful quilt for Jim.

This is little Frankie who isn't really so little anymore. He loves boxes...climbing in them, eating them, hiding and jumping out at the girls....he loves it all.

What a face.....he's quite a mischievous little fellow.

He's getting big....he's heavier than Maggie and he's discovered how to get into the cabinets. He makes me laugh everyday....I'm so glad we got him. :)

Thanks for stopping by.....I hope you have a wonderful day!

It's not quite Spring yet......

2009-03-09T05:26:00.000-07:00

This is how my world looks this morning. Saturday it was 60 degrees out and the ground was bare but this is New England. A warm day or two and the ground will be visible again. :)

I've been working on my bear paw squares and hope to have some pictures to show later. It's a good day to stitch while the snow flakes fall. I hope you have a wonderful day....thanks for stopping by.

stringblocks

2009-02-27T16:57:00.000-08:00

These are what I've been working on.....I find them to be very soul soothing. Some of them will become comfort quilts for members of Peg's family. I'd like to thank each and every one of you who have offered prayers, kind words of encouragement or just quietly prayed for us in the background. It has been most appreciated and yes, it helped. I'm looking forward to spring and with it new growth and a renewed appreciation of just how blessed my life is. I hope you have a wonderful weekend....thanks for stopping by.

thank you

2009-02-13T10:10:00.000-08:00

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.....Peg passed away peacefully at home this morning.

Peg

2009-02-07T07:11:00.000-08:00

Peg will be coming home on Tuesday....hospice has been called in. The cancer is very advanced. Please pray for a peaceful and painless passing for her. Thank you all so much for your prayers....they are most appreciated.

thread catcher

2009-02-04T14:38:00.001-08:00

I had planned to do a small project a month....my January project is on hold....my snowman melted into the background. I'm taking this little bag, compliments of Leanne from the Stitching Room, as my February project. It was fun, it is finished and a good place to keep thread scraps away from naughty little kitties.

update on Peg

2009-01-31T07:58:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all of you who are praying for Peg. Her surgery is still on hold for now. They did take out the feeding tube and she's been able to eat some soft foods. She will be moving to the rehab center soon. The goal right now is to get her strong enough to have the surgery. She is alert and seems happy to have company. I can imagine it must be so frustrating to her that she can't talk. Please continue to keep her in your prayers and I will keep you updated on her progress.

***Peg is now at the Rehab center and they will be working with her starting this morning. They have guaranteed 3 hours of therapy daily. I feel that she in good hands.

for those that pray

2009-01-23T13:36:00.000-08:00

Please pray for my sister in law Peg. She had a massive stroke on Friday and has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer as well. Please pray for my brother in law Jim too....it's going to be a long hard road ahead of them. Right now Peg is not strong enough for surgery and does not yet know about her cancer. The doctor from Boston will evaluate her on Thursday.

Thank you so much!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T14:34:00.001-08:00

Wishing you all a very blessed Christmas filled with much happiness and joy! I wish you all enough.....hope your day is filled with love, family and friends.

Ice Storm

2008-12-14T08:15:00.001-08:00

This is what the trees along the driveway look like on a normal day and this is what we woke up to on Friday morning.

Luckily it was just bent over from the weight of the ice and wasn't broken.

Everything was covered in ice. We lost our power for 24 hours.....many are still without it. It was a little chilly but not so bad that we couldn't get warm. Thankfully the house is well insulated.

Tim and the cats were awake most of the night during the storm.....I slept through all the racket. He said all you could hear was cracking and limbs crashing down. We are very blessed and have no damage to our house or the cars. Many were not so lucky.

This is what the yard looks like now....it will be quite a cleanup.

We're counting our blessings and very happy that we have a chainsaw. :)

Santa's elves are a little behind in their work and need to get busy in the workshop. The time is flying by so quickly.

Thanks for stopping by.....your visits are always welcomed and enjoyed!

2008-11-27T04:46:00.000-08:00

I like to wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving. I have much to be thankful for and I count you among my blessings. Have a wonderful day!

Sparkling Stars and boxes of kitties

2008-10-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

This is my version of Marcie's quilt pattern that she so generously put on her website for us. I added the outer border. The colors aren't showing the greatest....I took the picture tonight down in my sewing room. I'm thinking I might do some big stitch quilting on it.

This is where my silly cats sleep a good part of the day....of course the littlest one is in the biggest box. :)

yup....I'm still here

2008-10-15T03:56:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe it's the middle of October! I'm not really sure what happened to September....I blinked and the month was over. It's been a bit busy settling in with the little guy. The girls are learning to deal with him....at least they've stopped hissing and growling everytime they pass by him. Not that it matters to him...... .he's going to play with them whether they like it or not....lol

I have been busy sewing up swap committments. I did a postcard swap at MQR. Vicki is the swap host and the theme was Gone with the Wind. It was fun receiving the cards and seeing how differently the theme was interpreted. This was the one I made and the ones I received.

I did Linda's bag swap. I received a wonderful bag from Annie of Australia. I love it! She did a wonderful job and it's a different pattern from any I've seen. It's going to make a wonderful project bag. She was also kind enough to send me a little kit to make some cute owls. Thanks so much Annie! Cally likes it too.

I had Priscilla from New Zealand for my partner and I made her this bag. I was happy to know that she too was happy with hers.

I still have two swaps to go....the stitchers angel and secret santa. I've been stitching away working on those and my PIFs.

Speaking of those, I got this wonderful project bag and embroidered dish towels from Mar. Aren't they just the cutest? Thanks so much, I really love them. :)

And that brings me to my part......if there are 3 of you that would like handmade something from me.....I have 3 open slots. :)

I hope to get caught up on Judy's Bom....I'm sorta of a little (alot) behind! as I haven't even started yet and she'll be posting Block 6 today. That's my plan for the weekend....I do believe Judy is hosting another Quiltathon. :)

I have more stuff that I've been working on and I'll share that a bit later. Thanks for stopping by....I hope to be a much better blogger from now on. :)

just call me crazy

2008-08-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

Hey, can't we just be friends?

If two are good, then three must be better??????

Let me introduce my new ragbaby, Frankie. He's 4 months old and he's a little snuggler. I think he's wonderful but the girls do not share my opinion at all. They have hissed and growled and hissed some more. They were growling and hissing at each other which I thought rather strange. Frankie is not intimidated in the least by them....he just wants to play. The good thing is after only two days, Maggie and Cally have made up and they are sorta warming up to the little guy. Maggie more than Cally which was a very big surprise to me. I thought Cally would be just fine with him....NOT!!!! All in all, it's going much better than I expected. I'm hoping by the end of the weekend Frankie will have won them over. He already has us wrapped around his cute little itty bitty paws.

We had a wonderful time up north....the weather was just perfect! Thanks for stopping by....I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

just stuff

2008-08-21T03:39:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast the days just fly by. I did finish a pumpkin applique block. I was megged into buying this BOM last year from Vicky. She kept tempting me with her finished blocks. I really enjoyed making this one. It's needleturned and I'm pleased with how it came out. I'm especially glad to finally be working on the project. I hope you're feeling better Vicky. She has pneumonia so you might want to check up on her. I hope you're taking it easy and resting alot!

We are leaving this morning to go up north to Pittsburgh, NH....it's so peaceful up there and we love it. I have a bag filled with handwork, some magazines and a couple of books to read. We'll be home Monday. My niece will be staying with the girls while we are away. She considers it her vacation....she's a sweetie and we couldn't go without her. :)

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

go on over

2008-08-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

Cheryl over at Polka Dots and Rick Rack is celebrating her one year Blogaversary. Congratulations to Cheryl who is also a brand new Grandma to baby Luke! She's having an awesome give away so run on over and congratulate her.

Have a wonderful day!

my redesign

2008-07-24T09:26:00.001-07:00

This was the project we were supposed to make. I didn't love it so I decided to change a few things. I must say that I'm liking it. :)

I'm going to do some raw edge applique.

***I just discovered that I'm a terrible freemotion stitcher but a pretty good buttonhole stitcher. I guess I'll be buttonholing my applique pieces. :)

These are my new toys and I have big plans for them....

Thanks for stopping by....I hope you have a wonderful day!

BOM fabric choices

2008-07-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

I pulled fabrics from my stash for the BOM that Judy is doing for us. It took me awhile to get the right combinations with the right yardages. This is what I'm going to use....I'm not going to second guess my choices. I'm going forward....lol

Thanks for stopping by....I hope you have a wonderful day!

CSA

2008-07-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

Today was our first vegetable share pickup. Got to meet Farmer Dave and this is what we got. I'm very glad that Libby shared her CSA experience. I learned something new and we're very happy to get fresh organic veggies. :)

I actually finished something........

2008-06-28T19:26:00.000-07:00

Yep....that's right....I finished a tote bag. I plan to make several more.

Maggie wanted to try out the box too. Doesn't she look disgruntled....lol She's playing hide and seek right now with Tim who is starting to feel better. :)

I hope you've had a wonderful day....thanks for stopping by. :)

Cally has a new bed

2008-06-27T04:28:00.001-07:00

I put the coins in to give you a size reference. Josh got a new cd the other day and Cally claimed the box for herself.....lol I find her sleeping in it alot of the day. She's such a silly kitty!

I hope you have a great day and a wonderful weekend. Judy is having a quiltathon. :)

an update

2008-06-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

I was told by a friend to please "update" my blog. I have nothing fabricy to show you. Instead, I'll show you a photo I played with in photoshop. You can do some amazing stuff with that program. I'm enjoying learning it and even more, actually "getting it". I just love bleeding hearts.....they are so amazing to me. I'm wowwed, is that a word, everytime I see them.
Tim has been battling shingles for over two months. We are starting to feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel....woohoo.
I haven't done a lot of sewing. When I do, I'm working on getting some PIF's finished and a little something for a couple of friends. I hope you are all well....thanks for stopping by. :)

It's been awhile

2008-06-08T05:11:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize it's been so long since I've posted. We are still battling a nasty case of shingles....we sorely underestimated this beast. I anxiously await the day when I ask him how he's feeling and he says "painfree" !

You would think I would have gotten lots of sewing done but no....that's not the case. I have been working on some totebags and Judy's QFAH. I have caught up on lots of reading.

The good thing is I haven't poked one button, not a one, even though Miss Vicky has been tempting me with her poking abilities. She's has gotten some gorgeous fabrics. :) NO fabric in and when I finish this quilt and the totes, it will be gone from the stash.

In my unending quest for an organized sewing room, I went to the Home Depot this morning to purchase more shelves and whatnots. I'm going down there to organize even though I don't have a clue where to begin. :( If there is a flat surface available, I can fill it faster than you can turn around. Yes, it's true....I'm a slob! I'm not so brave as to show any before pictures. Any hints, tips, moral support....all is welcome.

another give away....go check it out

2008-05-17T03:56:00.000-07:00

Erin is giving away this cute little Raggedy Annie. She's starting a new online business called Hannies Annies. Go check it out and wish her good luck!

Motivation Friday

2008-05-16T16:31:00.000-07:00

I have to report that nary a stitch has been sewn this week. I've been a bit out of sorts....dear hubby is battling an awful case of shingles. I'll admit that I've been playing on the computer, learning more digiscrapping with photoshop. I've amazed myself....some of it is actually starting to sink it. Since I have no fabric to wow you with, I'll share my latest assignment. Hope you have a wonderful weekend. I plan to join in Judy's quiltathon this weekend. Have a few little projects in mind.

and the winner is.............

2008-05-11T15:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's Kimmy....woohoo! Thank you all so much for playing along. I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day....I did!

I did it....oh, yes I did!

2008-05-10T11:29:00.001-07:00

I managed to make a digital scrapbook page, oh yes I did!!!! I'm taking an online course from Jessica Sprague.
I managed to get through the first lesson with minimal cursing and pulling of hair. But.....when it came to the midweek assignment there was much angst, cursing and hairpulling. Unlike my usual MO, which is to shut down the program for a very long time, never to be opened again or very rarely....if the truth be known. This time I stuck with it, and with it, and then with it some more. Eventually, some things began to click in my pea sized brain and voila....my layout!

how 'bout a little give-away

2008-05-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

I'm giving my sewing room a much need cleaning and I came across these rulers. I had bought them for someone but she already had a set. Since I have a set too, I thought I would have a little give-away. Leave me a comment on this post and I will pull a name on Sunday. Who knows what I might find down there.....maybe some more goodies to give away. :)

stash report

2008-05-04T07:15:00.000-07:00

This week I worked on the little lovies, not snugglies as I thought they were called. They are used in the ICN to help promote bonding between the mamas and the babies. I will bust 10 yards of flannel on them. I haven't added anything and I hope to bust a few more yards on some backing this week.

Motivation Friday

2008-05-02T16:44:00.000-07:00

Vicky has challenged us to post what we have done for the week. I can't say that I accomplished a great deal. I did a few more stringblocks and some 10" little snugglies for preemie babies. I hope to get a lot more done this weekend along with putting the stringblock quilt top together.

Photo of the day....what you see IS the essence of Maggie's personality.

my new toy

2008-05-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

I've always been fascinated by really good photography....something I'm not very good at. I'll blame it on Ree over at Pioneer Woman.....I got a new camera. It's a Nikon d80 and although I don't really know how to work all the buttons, I just love it. I'm starting an online digital scrapbooking course which I'm hoping will teach me how to use photoshop. Anyways, a challenge was put out to take and post a photo everyday. So since I have nothing quilty to show you, I'll share a few photos I took out in the yard today.

Sunday report

2008-04-27T16:27:00.001-07:00

I'm happy to report that nothing was added to the stash this week. I did manage to sew 48 string blocks....I'll be putting the top together this week.

Today I took a class with Jackie Paton.....we did a quilt scene using paint sticks. It was a fun day and I was happy with the outcome. There were 12 of us taking the class and each top was so different. The next photo shows how she finished the quilt. I'm going to go through my stash and pull some fabrics to finish mine. :)

This is another one of Jackie's designs and that is her peeking over the top. I really like this one too!

Thimble Blossom's Giveaway

2008-04-23T17:49:00.000-07:00

Camille is celebrating her first year in business.....way to go! She's giving away one of her gorgeous quilts....hurry....go check it out. This is her business site and this is her blog where you can leave a comment to try and win. :) I can't seem to link to her blog but you can get to it from Mar's.

A Worthy Cause

2008-04-23T04:39:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd come out of the woodwork and tell you about a very special cause. Our blogging buddy Perry has the sweetest little granddaughter, Katy who has CF. They are doing a fund raiser to raise money for a cure. Go to Perry's site and read all about it and donate if you can. They are raffling off a gorgeous quilt made by Cindy. Go check it out....you won't be sorry. :)

dishrags and kitty cats

2008-04-04T05:35:00.000-07:00

Since I have nothing quilty to show you I thought I would entertain with my knitting skills and pictures of "the girls". This is the second dishcloth I knitted....the first one was too big. I'm happy with the results and so I've started another one.

I very often find the girls sitting in the same position....they are looking for the birds. We've had a lot of crows lately and those just drive them wild. They run from window to window chattering away.

This is MY chair. It's a canadian rocker that my Dad had bought for my Mom....she loved it so.

Did I tell you that this is MY chair.....I'm really excited for the day when I might get to use it. :)

I hope you have a wonderful day! I might even sew today......

April Fools

2008-04-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

I got an email from Kim in regards to my cake post awhile back. Seems as though Jay Leno had the very same picture on his show last week. I emailed the cousin from whom I had snagged the pictures to ask if he had heard about it. He thought it was a very funny April Fool's joke. I thought oh boy....she got me...lol I thought that was very clever of her and couldn't believe she got me. I emailed her and it's true.....LOLOL Here is the link she sent me http://www.nbc.com/The_Tonight_Show_with_Jay_Leno/headlines/H_3520/21.shtml#headline

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day enjoying being made a fool of or not. :)

Sunday report

2008-03-16T05:49:00.000-07:00

While I have nothing to report on the quilting front, I thought I would entertain you with some pictures of Maggie trying to drink water from "my cup".

Here she is dipping her paw into the water.

And of course she needs to check it out with the other paw.

This is good she thinks as she licks the water from her paw.

Yummmmmm.....I want more.

Okay but paw dipping is just too time consuming.

Have a wonderful day!

Thank You

2008-03-09T16:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you all so much for your kind words and prayers.....they have meant the world to me. My Dad was laid to rest Saturday with a beautiful latin Mass attended by all his beloved family and friends. The wake, funeral and mercy meal were a culmination of his life. I couldn't have been more pleased with the way things went and how we as a family said our goodbyes. We are all at peace and happy to know he is at peace. So thank you all from the bottom of my heart.....you make a difficult week easier to deal with.

Bye Daddy

2008-03-04T00:32:00.001-08:00

This is a picture of my Dad surrounded by some of his grandchildren and most of his great-grandchildren. He was so proud them.....he would light up whenever they were around. He went home to his final reward yesterday and while I am happy for him, I'm very sad for those of us who loved him....he will be sorely missed.

quiltathon, stash report, ironing board and Dave Mason

2008-03-02T20:23:00.000-08:00

I had high hopes of joining in on this weekend's quiltathon hosted by Judy but that plan never really came to pass. I did sew some here and there....stitched up a couple more of the small quilts for NIN. I'm happy I did those but I had planned on much more.... There is another one planned for March 18 and I plan to spend the day stitching away. :)

I didn't purchase any new fabric and I did use some in the little quilts...not sure how much. I haven't really kept a good record of what I've been using but I do know that I have using some and I'm happy with that.

I missed joining in on Libby's Sadie Hawkins ironing board game but here is what mine looks like anyways

Some of you have asked me where I got the pattern for the wonky cats....it's in this Buggy Barn book.

The highlight of the weekend was seeing Dave Mason in concert tonight. We were so close I could see the sweat dripping onto his guitar strap. Our table was right in front of the stage. We had a ball and after all these years the man still plays a mean guitar.

stash report

2008-02-25T20:01:00.000-08:00

Last week I put together two small quilts for newborns in need and I have blocks made for 4 more. I'm not sure how much stash I've used this month because I didn't really keep track. I did buy some fqs to use for my wonky cats but used them all up and they won't be going into the stash. :)

I'm looking forward to Judy's quiltathon this weekend. I plan to the quilting on the small quilts and if time permits work on my thimbleberries.

I've been tagged

2008-02-20T14:41:00.000-08:00

Colleen over at Crazy for Primitive Quilts and Gardens has tagged me to name 7 things about myself. Let's see.......

1. I married my darling hubby 29 years ago after dating him for 3 months....married in November, pregnant by December.

2. We are both the middle child of 7 children.

3. I have 2 sons who are programmers.....you would think I wouldn't be so computer challenged.

4. I have an older brother and 3 younger sisters. We all have children, either two boys or three girls and it seems to go in order age wise....kinda strange. I have 2 deceased siblings in case you were wondering about # 2.

5. I had the most wonderful mother and father-in-law.....couldn't have handpicked them any better.

6. I used to play guitar and sing.....loved folk music.

7. I'm learning to play the fiddle.....I love Irish fiddling.

There you have it. The rules say I have to name 7 but since I'm sort of a rebel I'll just tag you all and you can play if you like. I hope you are having a wonderful day.

too busy or bored

2008-02-16T06:42:00.000-08:00

Kim asked me if I was too busy or too bored to blog. I would have to say a big "no" to both....lol. I think the fact of the matter is that I'm just a "bad blogger." The days just seem to get away from me and before I know it a few weeks have passed. I started this post on Saturday......

I have been working on a few things....some wonky cats, a small quilt for valentines day, a quilt for nin and of course my thimbleberries. I've been doing some stitching on my Quilter's Journey and I did prep block one of my butterflies quilt.

My friend Cindy made this for me....isn't it just the cutest?

I really am going to try and be a better blogger. Hope you are all having a wonderful day!

Pray for Gina

2008-02-14T07:14:00.000-08:00

Please keep Gina and her family in your prayers. While on vacation they got word that their two sons were in a car accident....one died and the other is in ICU. I can't even begin to imagine.

With a little help from a friend

2008-01-31T06:31:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to try making a Grandmother's Flower Garden. Libby had posted the stars she's been working on. I commented that I wanted to try one and she emailed me where I could get the papers, gave me suggestions as to size and I was off and running. Now Libby prefers the 1/2" size but I thought....nope no way, I'm not working with something that small. I'm going bigger. I'm going for the 1.5" ones. So I place my order and it arrives days later. I'm excited....I'm ready to start my flower garden. I cut out my patches and proceed to stitch them around these 1.5" papers. After trying 6 or 7 of them with very poor results I"m ready to throw the whole thing in the trash. I should have listened to Libby and gotten the 1/2" ones because they would be much easier to stitch since they are much smaller and easier to handle. I emailed her again telling her of the error of my ways....how I didn't listen to her because Libby really did know best. Being the sweet dear lady that she is she told me not to fret....there really was light at the end of the tunnel. She gave me a few tips and here is my flower. Aren't bloggy friends just the best!!!!

Nothing to show

2008-01-28T14:58:00.001-08:00

I don't really have anything to show this week. No fabric came into the house. :) I'm plugging along with my projects from last week. Judy asked us to estimate how much fabric we've busted for the month. I'm thinking I've used about 10 yards between the few projects I'm working on. I hope everyone is having a wonderful week!

Stash busting or not

2008-01-20T06:41:00.000-08:00

I did make several stringblocks and sew some more on my pink 4 patch project. I visited my favorite quilt shop to pick up some thread for my friend. I got 6 yards of this Christmas fabric that I can use as a neutral. It was 40% off. I thought this Nancy Halvorsen kit was cute and would be nice for next Christmas.

A few patterns made their way into my arms also.

And....I joined Thimbleberries Club so I have this kit also. It was a fun week. :)

You make my day X2

2008-01-19T07:30:00.000-08:00

Deb over at RagsNQuilts also gave me the award. I'm really touched. If you haven't been over to her blog, you really should check it out. She does the most gorgeous machine quilting and she often shares pictures of her two gorgeous ragbabies.
Again, I would have too many of you to list so I give the award to all of you. You make my day in so many ways!

You make my day

2008-01-16T09:45:00.000-08:00

Jeanne awarded me the "you make my day" award. I'm touched and very happy to think that I make your day. Blogging has been a wonderful addition to my life and I visit so many blogs that make me smile. I would have a hard time picking a few so I thank you all for "making my day"!

I've been working on some stringblocks and I have a bin of strings. Seems like it makes a nice cushy bed and the girls are taking turns napping in it.

Thanks for stopping by....I hope you have a wonderful day!