This and That...

Wow, a third post yet this year. LoL! I think if I had a new laptop and more time I would do better (and no, honey, I do not want to head to Best Buy!).

I wanted to take just a moment to show you the latest Kelmscott needle minders..these are the cutest! They are about 2 inches and have matching scissors..I should have taken a picture of them together. Thanks, Paula!! LOVE them!

 

Another year winding down..I am so tired of making New Year's resolutions and not doing them, so I decided to try my best to finish up some things so that they don't have to be carried over yet again. I made this mini-quilt several years ago. I don't know why I put off finishing it..it's not like it took more than a couple of hours to get it done.

 

Here is the back:

 

 

And then there is this jolly table runner that I did several years ago, as well, and I just finished it yesterday for one of my daughters. It was fun! I still have another one with the fabrics from this line, just a little different than this one. I might try to make a pillow, instead.

 

I am not getting a LOT of stitching done right now, but I hope to have some finishes of the smalls I worked on during the summer next time.

 

Thanks you so much for stopping by, and I hope everyone has a great Halloween! I can't wait to sit on the front porch, complaining that it is too cold to sit still and freezing my posterior off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Forward, Fall Back...

Where has the time gone since my spring post? I have almost forgotten how to blog. I never meant to wait so long. I have visited my favorite blogs, always meaning to leave my comments, but most of my browsing is done on my iPad nowadays, and I cannot express how much I dislike trying to comment from it. Anyhow! I hope all have had a wonderful summer. We had a very late start to spring, with frost in May, and we almost missed summer...oh well, there is always another season just around the bend.

My first finish this year, and my favorite design, was A Yuletide Welcome by Plumstreet Samplers. This was such a fun design to work on, probably the most enjoyable I have ever done. Jill Rensel made it beautiful!

A little closeup..I changed the color of the over-one "this work..." to a red that was in the design. No reason..I just liked it.

 

And here is a closeup of the frame..I'm not sure if the "curve" is obvious in the picture, but it was quite an unexpected surprise when I saw it. I don't know what you call it, but I love it.

 

Along came Betsy's Stockings, also by Plumstreet, but I only had time to do one of them.

 

 

About the time I was finished with this, I decided it was time to do a few fall smalls..

 

October Word Play by Brenda Gervais

 

Beggar's Night by Threadwork Primitives

 

 

 

Enchanted Crow by Threadwork Primitives

 

And here is my bowl of smalls for this season

 

 

I am finished with what I set out to do but wish I could have done more..

 

Thank you so much for stopping by and taking a peek at what I have been up to..I have done tons of cooking, baking, gardening, and enjoying family and friends this beautiful summer. I hope you all have a wonderful fall! Until next time...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tis Spring!

I have either forgotten how to blog, or you have forgotten about me. :) Things just got busy in the way, and that includes Instagram. Not quite as personal as a blog, but wonderful for a quick peek into everyday lives.

Anyhow, I'm here to catch up whomever is interested in what I have been doing when not working. I will have to go back a bit...

After the smalls and quilt blocks I posted earlier in the year: My January start was Yuletide Welcome, by Plumstreet Samplers. I cannot remember when I have enjoyed such a big project, and for once, I stuck right with it until the very end. Here are a few pictures from when I was busy on it:

 

And the finish--sorry, I could not get it all in the lens

 

 

Then I did a little ornament. This is the first Prairie Schooler I have ever done.

 

 

I just started on October Word Play this weekend and am really enjoying it.

 

 

I'm playing around with a quilt with French General, Pom Pom de Paris

 

 

 

Finally, finally, spring has sprung in the heartland. It has been a very long winter, and we had snow earlier in the month as well as a frost warning a couple of weeks ago--right after I did my planting--anyhow, other than fall and the snow falling, this is the prettiest time of the year to me. Just a little of what is going on in my heartland...

 

And that about does it! Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you are having the lovliest of springs.

The Joys of January...

Good afternoon on this cold, sunny day! I hope everyone is having a productive beginning to 2013. I've read so many resolutions, and I am envious of those who can stick with them. I don't make resolutions myself; I am no good at them, but I do love to have a fresh start. The last week in December, I went scrounging around in my project boxes and made my list. I have to say, while I generally do everything that is NOT on the list, I have stuck with my plan and have had a very productive January, so far. Two years ago I started a Block-of-the-Month quilt (hanging head). I only had three blocks done before I laid it aside. So I am back to it, trying to do at least one block per month again. The first two blocks below are the ones I have completed this month..that ornament one looks a little strange, but it will all come together in the end. The second one is my very favorite so far..so much so that I took it out probably 3 times to get it right! I hate taking out sewing.

 

 

I also had several other things that needed some finishing touches..I haven't taken all of the pics yet, but here is one I finished that was stitched for me way back.

 

And here is a little design that I stitched just last week. I have been saying for years that I will do one small/ornament per month, so here I go again. If you have an iPhone or iPad and can download Instagram, a lot of us are still stitching holiday stuff and sharing our progress frequently, so drop by and share yours if you can. It's fun.

I hope to not be so long in posting again. I have been working on one of Plum Street Samplers' designs..she is putting them out as fast as I can say I want them! ;) Thank you so much for spending part of your day with me! I hope everyone's start to 2013 has been good and productive.

God bless us every one...

One of my favorite lines, and I wish each one a Happy New Year..

December Kindness...

First of all, let me say thank you to everyone who shared in the fun Paulette and I had with our Winter Sampler Exchange. Your comments and Emails are precious.

What can I say...I love presents..I LOVE presents! Especially unexpected ones! My husband brought in a package on Saturday; of course, not even knowing who it was for, I got excited thinking it was for me. LoL! It was! But I hadn't ordered anything else. I glance at the return address, from our very own Faye...hmm..I smile..but I was totally clueless right on, so after reading the sweet card that threatened to make my mascara run...

 

I tore into it gently opened it...I pulled out this very beautiful RED project tote. Oh my..the fabric!!

 

 

The details..

 

 

the wee little scissors zipper pull...

 

 

perfect!

 

 

Oh my goodness. I was giddy with excitement! How do you say thank you? Well, it doesn't seem enough, but Faye, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you so very much for your kindness, and your work is so beautiful. I cannot wait to put my New Year's Day (if I can hold out that long) project in it. How fun! (No, Paulette, you cannot borrow it!

 

I've been very busy in the kitchen this month, so not much time at all for stitching since I finished the smalls. Here are just a few more snaps of things that I have already shared on Instagram. I made this little Thimbleberries quilt years ago.

 

 

I love table runners!

 

 

 I've never met a cookie I don't like. These are lemon. Not my traditional holiday cookies, but I thought I would shake my kids all up a bit.

Ginger cookes..this is a new recipe for me, and these were really good dunked in coffee..I will definitely make them again. I'm sure my kids will devour them (picturing their eyes bugging out and saying yahoody what?).

Just assorted breads...

 

Thank you for sharing part of your day with me, even though it is freezing cold here in the Heartland..I hope everyone is looking forward to the rest of this year. Until next time...stay warm!

Annual Winter Sampler Exchange

What a FUN day Paulette and I had during our Winter Sampler Exchange yesterday. There is no way I can describe it like she does, so I hope you will head over to Plum Street Samplers to read her write-up and see the better photos that she took. Let me just say that we had such a silly fun time laughing like two kids opening their presents on Christmas morn...should you happen to be a new visitor, my daughter and I have done a sampler exchange during December for many years now..it has always been something we look forward to each and every time. We are waiting for the day we will stitch the same design for each other, because we love so many of the same designers. Anyhow, I must show you what she stitched for me!

 

This would be Sarah Spurr, Carriage House Samplings. Is she not beautiful? If you know me, you know I love RED, so I squealed over this one. I love it that she put her own name on it (it is not a repro) and the year of our exchange. Paulette, thank you from the bottom of my heart!! I will treasure this always, always! ILYSM!

 

For her, I chose a design by Ellen Chester, a repro sampler, Hannah Cummins. Here is the photo I snagged from PSS' blog, beacause I had no time to take pictures yesterday. Jill did an amazing job framing these. I don't know that this is clickable, but there are such wonderful little details in here. I am amazed that a 9-year-old probably stitched this faster than I did. I love what we today call "mistakes." I think we call them mistakes because a child did it or that it might not be "perfect" by today's standards, but it most certainly adds to the charm. The main reason I chose this was because the verse is so..so..well, Paulette.

 

 

Here is another little sampler that I did back in the late summer. It is a Primitive Betty design, and I just love the way it turned out..I changed the name to reflect my own (maiden). And, of course, Jill framed this one as well.

 

 

A couple of small things I finished..I made this little stocking from some Moda fabrics I had and put a little Kelmscott button on it. That white spot that you might see there is from the light, not from anything on the fabric.

 

 

A wee Kelmscott sampler. This is really tiny, and I love the way it turned out.

My December Word Play, finally hanging..just need my rusty pin, but there isn't enough time left to rust one up. lol. This was such a fun stitch.

 

My bowl of smalls. I did not intentionally put it together because it was red..it just turns out that way. :) The little Christmas saying pieces are what Paulette stitched for me last year as a little surprise..and was I. You cannot see the third one, but it is there. Love them.

 

 

And I leave you with just a few things about the house that I have already posted on Instagram...

 

 

If you are still with me, I so thank you for stopping by and visiting and sharing your day. I thank you for all of your sweet comments left on my last post. God Bless.