Second Quilt for the Boys' Home!

My friend Sandy pieced this top and I quilted it last night.  I think it turned out really well.

 

 

I had a piece of this men's shirting fabric just the right size for the backing.  Added a dark blue and a mottled green border and brown stripe binding.  DONE is good!

 

There are two more tops I need to get the borders sewn onto, and then I'll see about quilting them.  Moving right along!  It helps to have friends to help you.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, taking a little walk around the yard I see the chicken brigade is hard at work doing what they do best - scratching around!

 

And look who else I spotted amid all the frantic chirping of Mama and Daddy Cardinal.  I would hate to have the job of teaching those little ones to fly.  It must be awfully stressful, especially with all the cats, dogs and chickens around here!

 

Lots pretty to see outside.  The rain we've been getting lately has made a lot of things around here happy!

 

Hope there's plenty of happiness at your place, too!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Clara

This is the "secret" project I was working on earlier.  Our younger daughter recently had a birthday - her 29th and we did give her a nice gift, but I wanted to do something fun for her, too. 

 

Our baby girl has always been a fan of frogs.

 

I found this cute Melly & Me pattern and Clara came to life (sort of).

 

I improvised a felt jacket for her.  It's still cold in northern New York State, you know, and wrapped her with a Clara-sized little quilt for the journey.  She made the trip just fine.  And I think she was a hit with our daughter.  I thought perhaps Mary's cat, LB, would claim the little quilt.  But no.

 

He said he'd rather have the box.  Isn't he a pretty boy?  He was one of a litter of semi-wild kittens born in our chicken house years ago.  The mother belonged to our next door neighbors and they took the family home when we found them.  But LB came to live here when he was old enough.  He's done a lot of travelling in his life.

 

I finished the scrappy churn dash quilt top last night but I'm not sure when I'll get it quilted.  I've been doing lots more cutting and sewing and cutting and sewing.  You know the drill.

 

I hope things are going well in your neighborhood and you have an interesting weekend planned.  Me?  I'm trying to get over a cold.  Booo!  Not fun.

 

Hugs and kisses,

Scrappy

I think I may have been reading Bonnie Hunter's blog a little too much.  I've been wanting to make a churn dash quilt for quite a while now.  I've drooled over the ones on Wonky Girl's blog and then Sheila, in an email conversation, gave me the formula she got from her friend Sharon for making these.  They go together very easily and are a lot of fun to make.  I sewed these together with the sashing to give me a better idea of how they would look.  I like them!

 

Lots going on out in the back yard.  I see plenty of new growth and so many things that just make my heart happy.  I am SO thankful for all this beauty!

 

I love this view outside my sewing room window.  I am a blessed woman!

 

Have a wonderful day and enjoy the beauty where you are.  It's there.  You may have to look for it, but it IS there.

 

Hugs and kisses,

Weekend Sewing

I've been cutting and sewing and sorting lots of fabric this weekend.

I finally found some of these flat little aluminum cookie sheets at a dollar store.  Two for a dollar!  They are really good for sorting and then can be stacked safely away.  Wanda at Exuberant Color is the one who gave me this great idea.

The first vintage Singer I bought has been busily humming away.

And there are beginnings of ideas on the design wall.

This book I picked up from the library SO inspired me.

 

I'm especially liking the looks of this one.

 

I had plenty of time to sew because the one my heart loves, Mr. Muddling, was not feeling at all well this weekend.  So we stayed in and he took it very easy.  When I wasn't taking care of him, I was nearby cutting and sewing and sorting.

 

The mugs above were a Christmas gift from my sister Carolyn.  I love them and I really love that scripture.

 

I did finish this pretty quilt, and I think I mentioned that I was not sure it would go to the boys' home.  I was right.  When I read this post at Patchwork Times I knew where it had to go.  I just need to get a label on it and it will be on its way.  My heart aches for all those who've been impacted by these terrible things that have happened lately here in our country. 

 

We also support, in a very small way, Mercy Chefs - a charity that goes quickly into ravaged areas and feeds those who need good and nourishing meals.  I appreciate the good that so many people do to help those who've been hurt.  It's just sad that so many feel the need to deliberately hurt others. 

 

 

This is a closer look at the border and binding fabrics, and the cloud fabric is the backing.

 

I hope you've had a good weekend and that the week ahead will hold only good things for you.

 

Hugs and kisses,

Happy Wednesday!

Last night I finished piecing this top.  I think this one will also go to the boys' home.  I have a backing fabric picked out, just need to get it sewn together and then I'll be ready to quilt this one.  I made most of this quilt top as a leader/ender project.  It is amazing to me how much you can do just in the process of doing another quilt!  It's a good thing.

Today out in the garden I noticed there were some turnips begging to be eaten.  So I brought them inside.

 

 

This is the second batch I've made of these Chewy Granola Bars.  They are GOOD!!  The only change I made in the recipe was to substitute dried cranberries for half of the raisins.

 

 This is a little project I have in the works.  I'll show you more when it's finished.

 

There is hand sewing involved in that one, and as you can see, my helpers have gone to sleep on the job.

 

I had sad news last night that my last remaining aunt had passed away on Monday.  She had just had her eighty-ninth birthday, so a rich, full life.  I'm not sad for her, but for her loss to our family.  I look forward to seeing her and so many who have gone before when I join their number in heaven.  Yes, I do plan to go!  (Just not right now.)

 

It looks like we might get some rain and I hope we do.  We're doing well on the rainfall this Spring, but we are still very far behind on our normal amount.

 

I hope you are finding lots to do and see and be a part of in your world.

 

Hugs and kisses,

After the Rain

I just like how this looks - through the chicken yard into the back yard with the sun going down.

 

Everything looks happy after the rain we've had the past couple of days.  Look at that red rose - it is still hoarding water in its petals!  The yellow flowers center left are the mustard greens going to seed.  Time to pull them out of there and replace with something else.

 

This is just a little example.  I saw a cute and easy tutorial on Missouri Star's YouTube page, the Won't You Be My Neighbor quilt.  Looks like a good one for the boys' home.

 

Hope everything is happy in your neighborhood!

 

Hugs and kisses,

First Quilt Finished for the Boys' Home

I finished the first quilt for the home for troubled boys that the couple at our church will be starting.  I am so excited to have a part in this beginning that will I believe be a blessing to many.  This top is made from men's shirting fabric.

 

It is backed with this nice chocolate brown flannel print and bound with a brown and white stripe.  I think it is a quilt a boy would love, and hopefully he will also feel the love sewn into it.

 

Lady looked it over pretty good and gave her approval.

 

 

The dogwood at the side gate is in full glorious bloom.

 

 

 

And the pink jasmine at the back is outdoing itself in blooms and fragrance.  I do so love this time of year!

 

I'm going to try to get a little sewing done.  My helpers seem to be sleeping on the job.

 

  I hope you have a wonderful week, full of lots of things you love!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Inside and Out

Inside today the last orchid is about to go, roses from outside are brightening my windowsill and the African violets are about to bloom again.

Lady last night after Daddy gave her a bath.  Isn't that just the sweetest, most innocent little thing you've seen today?

Meanwhile, out in the back yard the dogwood is blooming.  You can see how hard the rain was at some point, the petals are bruised.

 

The Blaze climbing rose on the back fence is covered with buds and blooms.

Miss Birdy's rose is glorious.  I do not know the correct name for this rose, but I do know that it came from a rose bush well over fifty years old.

The little wild plum trees have an abundance of little green plums.

The red geranium outside my sewing room window is giving me lots of pleasure every time I see it.

Our next door neighbor's banana tree has a very large bunch of bananas started.

And our blackberry vines have various stages of blackberries in the works.

 

I've been using these blocks as a leader/ender project while I've been working on this quilt.  I had never done that before, but it's a good idea, saves cutting threads so often and gives you a good start on a different project.  I've learned a lot from Bonnie Hunter!

 

Hope you're having a productive day!

 

Hugs and kisses,