Progress

Lovely, lovely days...but I've been hunched over a sewing machine and haven't experienced any of that loveliness:)  But I'm having a really great time, and that's all that matters, right? I haven't done this kind of piecing in many, many years. I forgot how much I enjoy it and am already thinking about what project I can do next.  I also have loved doing something small. It's so satisfying to see it come together so quickly. My BFF (she taught me to quilt) and I used to piece together. I would take my sewing machine to her house and we would sew and chat while the kids played.   Every year during the Super Bowl we would get together and while our husbands watched the game we would work on one of our projects. Each year we switched, one year she would help me piece or quilt mine, next year would be her turn.  What great memories!

This is a quilt we worked on together, we each made one. It was easy, only two templates, 4 pieces per block. The quilt is tied on the blocks, but hand quilted on the borders. It's my favorite full sized quilt. It's made mostly from decorator books of fabrics so it's really heavy.  It was such fun putting the fabrics together. Ahh, good times!

But back to the present, and my current project.  I have enjoyed this little table runner so much. I love the colors of autumn. I love the quick-piecing method of doing all those little triangles. I love that I can lay it out on my dining room table instead of having to do it on the floor (my back really appreciates it!).

I better get back to it...I"m anxious to get it sewed, backed and quilted. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Spring to Summer

Happy summer! We have been experiencing some very pretty weather. I've managed to get outside and take a few pictures, but mostly I've been inside sewing. I'm a bit disappointed in the garden this year. I've been so focused on my table runner that I haven't been spraying to keep the deer away.  They have enjoyed dining on my daylillies, which are (or would have been ) a big part of my garden right now.  I keep the gardener's mantra in my head...there's always next year.

This is the only thing I dislike about gardenias. They don't drop their petals and you end up with an unsightly bush full of dead blooms.  It's quite the chore to deadhead...especially if you're too busy having fun at the sewing machine!

I hope you're having a wonderful Saturday! Thanks for stopping by!

Super Lucky Me

I am one lucky girl!  Just look at this wonderful package I received in the mail!  Faye over at Carolina Stitcher had a fabulous and fun giveaway. You had to guess the name of the stitching project she was working on (Dame of the Needles by With Thy Needle and Thread). I was so happy to guess and get it right! And just look at the fun I received! Some absolutely beautiful, drool-worthy linen, some lovely threads, a little stitching project, recipe cards, a list tablet, and a cute little notebook.  Wow!

Faye has a beautiful cross stitch blog. She is a prolific stitcher. Visit her blog and look at her lovely work. Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you're having a great Friday!

Quilt Project

 

Hello! How's it going?  I've been busy working on my new quilt project and am so happy with how it's going. It's called Rhubarb Crisp, a fall table runner with Sawtooth stars and Flying Geese. It's designed by Jo Morton. I first saw the runner on Pinterest and found that the pattern and directions were in a book called Skinny Quilts II, which I promptly ordered.   I like doing these small projects, something you can actually see the end in a short period of time.  My only problem is my back.  It has been giving me trouble the last month and sitting at the sewing machine for hours is really making it hurt. I am trying to remember to get up and move around often, but by the end of the day I'm walking like I'm 100 years old:)  I've got the stars completed and am working on the Flying Geese -  need about 128 of them.

I hope you're having a great Wednesday, thanks for stopping by!

Garden Time

It's hard to think of how it could get any better than this! Pretty blue skies, light wind, precious little things blooming, just plain ol' fun!  I got my Skinny Quilts book in the mail to day. I always get a little freaked out when I start a new project and read the directions. Am I smart enough to make this complicated thing???  What were you thinking? You have to measure 1 and 7/8 inch!  Wah!!!  That's kind of the stage I'm at right now.  I've made several quilts, I don't know why this little one is making me feel so...incapable. I think once I dive into it I'll be ok. Looks like a trip to the fabric store is in the near future...yippeee! 

Hope you're having a great Friday. Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Fun days/Sun Days

 Can you see all the turtles on the branch in the picture above?  So darn cute. I think there's 8.

Slow and easy days.  I've been enjoying my early mornings of unrushed cups of coffee and no where I have to be.  What a lovely time I'm having.  And though we are entering days of over 90 degrees, I am feeling so cool and wintry with my fun Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow stitching project.  I am close to being through with June's block.  I am glad to get ahead a bit, because I've ordered a book that has a table top quilt runner that I fell in love with.  I can't wait to get the book and buy the fabric.  It's going to be a fall runner, you can see it here in my Pinterest collection.  Don't you love Pinterest?  I have gotten so many wonderful ideas. I wish I had a "go do it" spirit!  I find I do a lot of looking and not much doing!

My Gardenia bush is in full bloom. It smells heavenly on my back deck.  We have had so much rain, and this and that have interfered with our yard work.  Right now a pretty garden is being hidden by 6-7 inch grass.  We should dry out nicely and get it done tomorrow. 

 I think I might be having some kind of diverticulosis right now.  I'm kind of in a dilemma because my doctor of 25 years suddenly up and left (seriously, over night) and then his partner also left last month!  Now here I am needing to see a doctor and the closest appointment I can get with someone new is TWO MONTHS away! Can you believe that? The one I called will not see you before they give you a physical.  I think that's awful.  They should not be able to dictate that I have a physical! I will have to use Urgent Care facilities if I think I'm not getting better.  Oh goodness, sorry!  I should not be boring you with all this!

I hope you are having lovely Spring days and aren't roasting too much in the hot temps that seem to be gripping the nation.  Thanks so much for stopping by! 

Busy Birds

Do you remember this?

I had to leave the wreath up all Spring because of the Wrens building their nest.  So sweet.  I left the wreath up this year hoping they would come back, but they didn't.  So imagine my surprise when I saw them building in this...

 My son bought a new TV and we had the box on the back porch waiting for a good time to burn it. 

Two eggs! I hope the parents are ok.  I haven't noticed them flying in.  I have a dastardly cat and am hoping she hasn't found out. I don't know how the babies can get out of this box.  I don't think they can.  Not sure what to do to help when the time comes.  Maybe something will come to me before they hatch.

I hope you're having a lovely Saturday.  Thanks for stopping by!

Lillies and Such

Finally! The last day of school has come and I am looking forward to working 2 weeks with no phones, visitors, children, etc.  I have nothing against the children, it's just nice to work a while without being interrupted.  The last days of a school are so stressful, the calm is almost surreal!  

The garden is just so-so this year.  Everything is different.  Each plant is pretty, but I swear I can never get everything to be where they will be their best.  I am going to concentrate this year on getting all the holes filled.  That might take more than a year, but I can give it a good start.  The lilies do very well in my shady garden, so I need lots of them.  Plus, this time of year they're one of the few things I have blooming.  I had a beautiful purple Clematis that bloomed so heavily, but the last few years it hasn't bloomed at all.  It bloomed well when I had it on a tall trellis. I just realized that I replaced that trellis with a very short one and am thinking I need to get it up high again, as the light is much better. 

I am making wonderful progress on the Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow project.  The stitching is relaxing and each square is so fun. June's square is pretty heavily stitched, so I was glad that May's was finished early allowing me to get a good head start on June.

I hope you're having success with your Spring plans! Thanks so much for stopping by!

Prettiness

I have a feeling we are going to go straight from winter to summer around here.  We have been so unusually  cold lately, and goodness, the wind has been creating all kinds of extra work ! We have a huge limb in the yard that we just haven't had the energy to deal with yet.  Thank goodness it didn't land on the house! Then there are the lesser limbs and sticks and leaves and squishy-squashy ground. But today the sky is a beautiful blue - the prettiest blue ever. No clouds. None. And the temperatures are more seasonable.  Yes, it was a lovely day. 

The school year is winding down and I am starting to get excited about my time off.  I'm thinking about what fun things I want to do while I have 5 weeks off.  I would love to make a small quilt, just a little throw. I've been looking for a pattern and haven't decided anything yet, though I do know I want to do it in autumn browns and golds.  It's an awful lot of fun to go Pinteresting looking for ideas:)  I am also going to continue working on my Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow cross stitch project.  I hope to do an update soon, I am finishing up May's block.  Can't wait to show you. 

I am so glad you stopped by (leave a comment, okay?).  I hope you're having a great Wednesday. I'm joining Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer.

Glorious Spring!

Beautiful days! The trees are so green. The air is still a little pollen-y, but not near as bad as a few weeks ago.  I've got plants to move, soil to work,  garden shopping to do, ah life in the garden! What could be better?  Our days have been cool, which has made the flowers last. How nice!

 I'm always so envious of people who say they spent all day in the garden. I spend a lot of time, but it's not all at once.  I just can't seem to do that.  I'll go out and dig for a little while, or plant a plant, then come in and rest for a minute or two, cool down.  But then I'm back at it.  I was thinking yesterday about how much I got done even though I was in and out so much.  Not as much as the all-dayers, but I was happy with my progress. I'm about half done prepping  the water feature area.  Can't wait to start planting!

I'm participating in Mosaic Monday at the Little Red House, and Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer. Come join the fun!

I hope you've had a great day! Thanks for stopping by!

April Garden

Hard to believe April is almost over!      After the tulips bloom in my garden the iris begin.  They've been beautiful this year. I'm so disappointed that the grass didn't live that we worked so hard on last year.  We are going to try again this week.  We're a lot later than last year, but hopefully it will be okay. The garden is hard to photograph, the red dirt distracting from the prettiness.  

I've been busy in the garden today. I've started working in the area with the little water feature, turning the soil, getting ready to add some conditioner.  We are expecting a lot of rain for the next few days so I'm trying to get as much done as I can.

I hope you're having a wonderful Saturday! Thanks for stopping by!