In Case You Wondered

Mr. Muddling and I took a little trip last week.  We drove up to Branson, Missouri, for a prayer conference.  If ever our country needed prayer this is the time!

 

  This was our view from the balcony in the little motel where we stayed.  We had a chance to visit with some friends there that we haven't seen in a while, and just enjoyed the time away.

 

We are back now, but I'll share a few of the scenes along our way home.

 

This is such a beautiful land.  The trees were just starting to change colors.

This was a quarry in Arkansas.  Really majestic, in its way.

 

The trip was good, but it's even better to be back home.  Isn't that funny?  I always feel that way.  I love to go, but I love even more to come back home.  (And Bruno and Chloe were SO glad to see us!)

 

Our younger daughter, Mary, lives in New York State, outside Schenectady.  They are already feeling the effects of Hurricane Sandy.  It looks to be a bad situation for a lot of the upper east coast. 

 

Our country has veered so far off the path envisaged by the Founding Fathers, and some of the things perpetrated by our national leaders have brought judgement upon our nation.  I know that's not talked about much, but it's still the truth.  God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, (and of us) is not mocked.  His Word is very specific about right and wrong.  As I said earlier in this post, it's a time to pray.  I know a lot of you don't believe as I do, but I urge you to find out God's opinion.  He took the time to have it written down in His Word - the Bible.

 

You do still love me, don't you?  I love you!

 

Hugs and kisses,

 

By the way, our Mary has a blog now.  Stop by and see her four legged friends!

Now to catch up on my blog reading.

There's a Full Grown Man

behind this quilt.  Sometimes it's hard to think of a title for a post, can you tell?

 

 

 

I got the fabric ordered for the binding on Thursday, and last night I got the binding sewn on.

 

So, YES, we have a finish!  This is another quilt that is going to a different couple who were such a blessing to us recently.  I'm glad to have both of these quilts done and they will be delivered next week.  Can't wait to see their reactions.  I think they'll be surprised, and I'm pretty sure they'll like their quilts.

 

Here's the back, which is mostly a 1930's reproduction print with that row of blocks that I foolishly trimmed a little too much to fit in with the others.  They look nice on the back, though, don't they?  I do love a good save!

 

I think this will be the final layout for this one.  I made more blocks and did some rearranging.  I got three of the blocks sewn together last night.  I love to watch quilts grow and develop, don't you?

 

A friend came over last night and used my quilt frame/machine to quilt a beautiful quilt she had made for her granddaughter.  I am so impressed with her!  This is only her third quilt and she did such a good job.

 

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend and lots of fun!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Busy Day

Monday night I made cinnamon rolls.  I know.  But they were so good.  So good in fact that I had to put a lot of them in the freezer.  They kept begging me to eat them.

Yesterday I decided that the crepe myrtle outside my sewing room window had to come down.  So it did.  Sometimes it just feels good to do something physical.  I've been watching a pesky squirrel come down that little tree for months and steal food from the bird feeder.  He won't be doing that any more - at least not for a while.  There is still a trunk of the tree left.  And it will most likely come back.  It's hard to actually get rid of them here unless you dig them up by the roots.

Back inside for a nice little lunch.  Hard work makes me hungry!

I started putting blocks up on the design wall.

 

There are three blocks more that I need to get sewn and then I'll start sewing this top together.  I have the strips cut already.  It's just that in my muddling I did not get quite enough done to finish.  Not an unusual occurrance for me at all. 

 

Got to get out of here and get some errands run, so I'd better get moving.  Hope you have a wonderful day!

 

Hugs and kisses,

New Blocks

I've been playing the past couple of days with some "tube quilting".  I've done these blocks before and they are a lot of fun.  I saw them quite a while back on the wonderful Missouri Star Quilt Company's YouTube tutorial page.  Here's a link to this one. You should be able to open the video by clicking on the highlighted text.

I'm using the 1930's reproduction fabrics. 

As you can see, there is a nice little stack of these blocks growing.  I'll press the rest, probably tomorrow (later today) and start arranging them on my design wall.  More on that later.

I started out sewing the strips together on the treadle machine on Saturday and then switched over to this Singer Model 237 when I got tired of treadling.  It is a perfect little workhorse and sews like a dream.

Tonight I sewed on my little Singer Model 99 with the knee control.   This  beauty was manufactured in 1927!

 

 I can't decide which machine I like best.  I guess I'll just have to be impartial and love them all.  I really admire the craftsmanship that went into these old machines.  Can you imagine any of the sewing machines being made today lasting that long?

 

Now to finish cleaning the stove and then I'm off to bed.

 

Have a good day!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Stars Quilt

I finished putting the binding on this one last night and as soon as I get a label made for it, it's ready to go.  I love it.  There are so many of my favorite fabrics in it, and what can I say - there's a lot of red!

The back. 

 

There were two couples who really reached out to us a couple of months ago when our family went through a tough time.  This quilt is for one of those couples.  We'll be seeing them later this month and will give it to them then.  I hope they like it.  I believe in blessing those who bless me.

Out in the garden the mustard greens and turnip greens are starting to make themselves seen.  I can almost see the chickens licking their lips (if they had any) already. 

 

 

The other night I went back into the bedroom for something and turned on the light.  You can see that I had just tossed my jeans there on the bed when I changed, and Miss Chloe had settled herself in for a little nap.  She was NOT pleased when I turned the light on.  If you look closely, you can see that one eye glaring!

I attended a baby shower this morning and both of the baby quilts shown in the last post were delivered, petted and admired.  A few of the younger women there asked if I would teach them to make quilts.  I would love to do that.  Perhaps that would be a way to use those old sewing machines Mr. Muddling is refurbishing for me.  I do love sewing on those!  Matter of fact, I'm planning to do some sewing on my treadle machine this afternoon.

It's still summer here in Houston, but I can feel Fall in the air early in the morning and late at night.  It's coming!

For those of you who are enjoying Autumn already, I wish you joy, and for those in the other hemisphere who are welcoming Spring - joy as well!

My love to you all!

Hugs and kisses,

Baby Boy and Baby Girl

FINALLY I finished the little baby boy quilt.  I had messed it up badly in quilting and just put it aside.  But it is fixed, washed, dried and nicely crinkly and ready to go to the expectant Mommy on Saturday.

This is the back.  She wanted browns and greens, very masculine, and you just can't get much more masculine than shirting.

 

And here's the baby girl quilt.  She's not here yet either, but I'll give this to her mommy on Saturday, too.  I didn't ask this Mommy what she wanted.  I just gave her a lot of fun prints.  (And as you see, some of the Paddington Bear found its way into the border.)

The backing is some fun fabric I've had for years. 

 

You can see a little bit of green stuff hanging on in the garden.  The red you can see is some pimiento peppers I planted for the first time this year.  I really like them.  They have very thick walls and a very good flavor.

 

 

As you can see, there is still quite a bit that's pretty out there in the back yard right now.  Those angel's trumpets in the upper right are just dripping off the little tree like rain! 

 

And for my friend Betty,

 

a couple of gratuitous chicken pictures.  They DO love to maraud out there!

 

I finished quilting a couple of bigger quilts the past few nights and will hopefully get them bound tonight.  So I'll post photos of them soon.

 

Hope you're having a wonderful day!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Sometimes........I really,

really should go to bed.  I was working on more blocks the other night and it was late.  As usual.  I was tired, and I should have gone to bed, but no.  I had to keep going.  Somehow my blocks were not going together right, so I trimmed them.  It didn't even occur to me that they would then be a different size from the other blocks I'd already completed.

I was really mad at myself for a while, but then I had a thought.  I think I'll just use that shorter strip of blocks as a part of the backing.  I like a nice save, don't you?

Our children are all in Jamaica this week. We are so glad that they all still like, as well as love, each other and enjoy spending time together.  Here are Larry and Ruthie on the plane heading out with the beautiful Lisa (our precious daughter in law) in the middle.  Do they look excited or what?
 

Ruthie and Larry doing a little kayaking.

And Mary and Larry getting some sun.  Life is good.

Meanwhile here at home there are two extra dogs (yes, we're "babysitting" Larry and Lisa's two while they're away. I hope you're having a good week, and NOT tripping over dogs like I am!

                                  Hugs and kisses,