Saturday, December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas

PS. I am having oysters and crab cakes for our Christmas dinner.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Hand Knit and Crochet

I am almost finished making all the wash clothes for everyone on my list. I made blue for the guys and ping for the gals -- adding some Bath and Body Works in the package...

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Off to Texas

My daughter loves anything that has moose. Her pillowcases just got mailed this morning in her Christmas box. They were made entirely from my stash for king-size pillows. Do you recognize the Thimbleberries?

Monday, December 12, 2011

More in the mail

I finished and mailed out more Christmas presents -
A set of pillowcases to Mississippi
and a set to Florida
And then I decided I wanted Christmas curtains in the powder room. I looked through my stash and I found blue snowmen!

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

More pillowcases

Out the door. There are flannels going to Syracuse NY. The best part was finding the flannel for $2.99/yd at the hardware store in Quarryville. Do you recognize the Judy Rothermel civil war print?

Monday, December 5, 2011

Pillowcases for Christmas

I have been working on Christmas. One of the projects involves pillowcases for everyone - some seasonal and some not.

Had to make one for my super king size pillow that I have to sleep on! It is the one in the Bernina (made from fabric in my stash).
First one to get mailed out is going to Brice in Texas.

Friday, November 18, 2011

Thanksgiving

I did a little decorating for Fall and Thanksgiving. This a picture of one of my displays.

Friday, November 11, 2011

Thrifting on Kent Island

Last weekend I was home alone. I had fun flitting around to some of my favorite stores. First, I found a klutz glove at Tuesday Mornings for @$7. I think I need to wear one when using twister templates!
 I got a yarn fix for $8 at the Second Hand Rose shop. The yarn came from a shop in Ontario, Canada according to the business card that was in the bag. I put it in this basket I found a Living Waters Thrift store. It has that unusual slit.
 I love this find. The farm in NY has lots of old milk cans but none escaped with me. This one has my favorite Canadian geese painted on.
 I found some Winterberry to add to my collection.

Monday, November 7, 2011

October's Quilt Retreat

Loved it! I love going to quilt retreat. I can just relax, not clean and cook, quilt, catch up with friends and the view looking out over the Chester River is awesome.
Peggy showed off her Trip Around the World made with batiks. It is the biggest quilt I have ever seen!

One participant was using a Singer featherweight (well loved). She hand embroidered her blocks. She said her machine cannot do the fancy piecing ours did.


The back is as nice as the front.
Look at the hand work on her applique block -- gorgeous.
Here is another quilter's outstanding work...
What did I do? Gossiped with Jo Anne, Barbara, and Denise. Ran around Kent Island. Got a manicure. visited the library. Shopped at Peggy's for more quilt stuff. Worked on my tumbler quilt & 1600 jelly roll & flannel kit from Michigan & Pampered Pooch charm quilt (which I have taken all apart) & made my first twister.
 I can hardly wait for the annual Powder Puff quilt retreat!!!

Monday, October 24, 2011

This Saturday

I woke up my usual very early time and took a picture of my very messy quilting area, aka the kitchen table.
I decided today was the day, especially since some of the mess was getting packed up to take to the BOM quilt shop.
So BOM went slowly, but this followed me home.
I already have it packed for quilt retreat.
Home at last and time to clean. I decided to rearrange.

I think I am going to enjoy this arrangement. When I press I look out to the yard and bird feeders.I can look up from the chair to the TV (on for background as my grandson Thomas would say).
I got busy working on some baby items:

Burp clothes

I put binding on the bib (held my breath the whole time)


Finished up my 10 minute table runner (which took a lot more than 10 minutes!).


I almost forgot my thrifty buys: I stopped in the local consignment shop in Centreville just to browse: one maternity dress and corn on the cob holders for my everyday dishes.

Monday, October 17, 2011

The Past Two Saturdays

On Saturday 10/8, I took advantage of the Columbus Days sales at the ocean. It was a beautiful day. I got lots of bargains, got to stop at a quilt shop, and got to sit on the beach.
This past Saturday 10/15, I did my thrift store shopping. I found somethings for Fall decorating.
I found some kits to satisfy my needlework, some fabric for quilting, a key chain with a patchwork motif (Longaberger still in the package) a book for 13 cents, and an addition to my Pfaltzgraff dishes and my modest floral frogs.

When I got home, I realized my quilting table (kitchen table) needed an organizational overhaul.
OOPS!!!

I do have a full design wall with projects. I added more as the day progressed.

The paper bag holds finished blocks for random placement whenever I decide to give up control and replace it with randomness.

I worked on a baby bib. All the fabric is from my stash. The green flower is on the back and the green dots will be the binding. My daughter loves anything that has a moose. She is left handed so the Velcro will be on the left.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Thrifty Finds

It was a very productive weekend. I mowed the lawn, went to the attic decorated for fall worked on my quilting, did a little kntteing, cleaned the house, did  the laundry, went to the grocery store, cooked, finished my book, etc.
The highlight was my thrifty finds! From the thrift store came a vintage sewing basket packed with darning supplies - event the darning egg!
 From the consignment shop, all this yarn and book at 50% off their price. There was a storewide sale.

Scrappy was very tired by Sunday night. He followed me around all weekend. He missed the Ravens game and I had to carry him up to the big bed.


Tuesday, September 27, 2011

New on my Design Wall

I think I need to lay this out on the floor. It is a pattern from Moda Bake Shop. I made the blocks at the spring retreat. Hmmm...Maybe just pull them out of a paper bag and not drive myself nuts.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Flowers, 2 Finishes, Saturday Thrift Store Finds

I finished 2 quilts this weekend.
Mary Beth's flannel moose
And Brice's Cowboy
 This UFO has been in my pile for a very long time. This is the first quilt I have made with mitered corners and that was why it remained unfinished until Sunday.

Saturday, I went to my usual thrift stores. I came home with a quilt book and a Thimbleberries pattern -- all for $3.18 (including tax).


There was a flower delivery Saturday afternoon. Thank you Thomas, Anne Marie, and Ross. I love them.

Beautiful!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Tumbler Quilt

I love Pampered Pooch by Moda. What better way to use my 5" charm tumbler ruler and brooklyn revolver. I do a few whenever I passby. I am getting ready for my retreat at the end of October. I plan to just sit and piece these -- mindlessly!!!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Over the Weekend

I had a semi productive weekend. Went to the quilt shop for BOM. I did not take one of my machines since the Elna was already there to be cleaned. When I turned on the switch, it made a horrible noise. So I left it there - hopefully to be fixed. It is my oldest computerized sewing machine.
I managed to get some more of MB's quilt done.
Sunday morning I was searching for my Halloween/fall stash. I had purchased some fabric to make my grandsons pillowcases. I found the perfect piece to make myself this!
I  am in love with this king size feather pillow. I had only one pillowcase for it. Now I have two.The print is acorns and oal leaves.
Here are my Halloween projects for everyone---
If they look on my blog, they will know what will be in their packages.Still have 2 more dishcloths to knit and of course all the rug mats (candy corn). Do you believe I found kitchen towels to match?


Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Catching up - Texas

I love going to Texas and this visit was fantastic despite the record breaking heat and grasshoppers.
Mary Beth and Brice took me to my favorite quilt shop in Stephenville.
Brice was not that charmed about this stop.
But Mary Beth enjoyed herself.

In fact, she picked out some moose flannel for a quilt. I started working on it this weekend. The brown flannel was back in clearance at $4/yd!

Nana, Jane Marks (MB's mother-in-law) took Brice and me to Granbury for lunch and some shopping. Here is Brice in a nifty antique/vintage/gift store. He scored some Coke memorablia.
Afterwards, we strolled down to Houston Mercantile Quilt Shop and Nana and I dropped some $. I n all fairness, I bought yardage in clearance at $5/yard - Moda that goes with some of my quilts I am making.
I had to pack that fabric very carefully to keep my suitcase under 50 lbs.
I did work on my knitting - making hats for preemies and newborns.


Look how dry it is there. It did rain very hard early one Saturday morning.



We did a trip to Fort Worth and I got to go in Cabbage Rose. Again, I purchased Moda fat quarters on clearance. It was an awesome shop and I hope when I return I get to visit again.


Finally, it was time to leave. I think Brice was almost as sad as me.