Strings Completed!

The latest strip quilt is finished and delivered.  That's a good feeling. It went to a young man we know and love. I hope he enjoys it. 

Here's a shot just after I finished quilting it. I did not measure it, but it will cover a twin sized bed generously.

And a look at the backing. Don't you love those Mustangs and hibiscus?

Meanwhile, we still have lots of pollen around here. That's what all those yellow spots are on the roses.  It comes mostly from the pine trees abundant in our neighborhood.

But, those pine trees tend to make the soil perfect for azaleas, so I would say it's a pretty good trade-off.

Here's a sneak peek at what I'm working on now. I saw this video from Jenny at Missouri Star Quilt Company and just had to give it a try. Can I just say, "WARNING!!! These blocks are addictive." But oh, so much fun.

Mr. Muddling and I were getting some work done out in the yard this past week, so I haven't been on here so much. But we DO have tomato plants in the garden now!

I hope you've had a wonderful weekend.

Hugs and kisses,

Strings

Kathy asked me what I was making with the string "fabric", so I thought I'd show. I did start out sewing many strings together. I then cut those into 5 inch wide strips.

I sewed the 5 inch strips together until I got close to the length that would work - in this case around 60 inches.

I have seven of those rows done and now I am sewing black 2 1/2 inch sashing between those strips.  Mary Johnson has a much better tutorial here.

And just because I love you, I show you the perfect coffee or tea mug. I bought one of these for Mr. Muddling a while back and he liked it so much I bought one for Miss Ru and one for me. They are thermal, made by Aladdin. I bought ours in WalMart. They hold a full 16 ounces! I don't know about you, but in the morning.....I really want that much coffee!

Outside in the Land of Muddle, Spring has burst into full glorious bloom. The azaleas are just gorgeous! Of course I can also see so much work that needs to be done, but for now, I'm just going to enjoy the beauty.

And no, that is not dust. That is pollen, the downside to the bursting forth of Spring. LOL It's mostly tree pollen and at its height, it looks like a cloud of dust floating in the air. Not a lot of fun for people with allergies, but I'll take it in exchange for the cold weather we had any day!

Right now our windows are open and I am listening to so many birds singing. If I didn't know better I would think we were out in the countryside somewhere instead of a neighborhood in one of the biggest cities in the country! The mockingbirds have been singing almost around the clock. There is something so peaceful in going to sleep at night hearing birdsong.

I do hope it's peaceful and beautiful in your neighborhood!  Have a good weekend.

Hugs and kisses,

Mexican Cornbread Casserole

Lunch today. I don't think I've ever shown this on the blog. It's a very easy recipe and so good!

Mexican Cornbread Casserole


1 package cornbread mix
1 pound ground beef, browned
1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 - 17 oz. can corn, drained
1 - 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained
1/2 cup picante sauce
8 oz. (2 cups) shredded cheddar cheese


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix cornbread according to package directions and set aside.  In a 9" X 13" X 2" baking pan, combine ground beef, tomato sauce, corn, beans, picante sauce.  Sprinkle cheese over mixture and then pour corn bread mix over cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes, until corn bread topping is lightly browned.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

The chickens have taken to "camping out" right outside the patio whenever I let them out. Mr. Muddling says they want to come inside. I doubt that. I think they just want to be sure to be there if I decide to give them any kitchen scraps!

I've been sewing strings of fabric - 1 inch, 1 1/2 inch and two inch strips, with a few odd sizes thrown in - together, then cutting that "fabric" into 5 inch rows.  

I don't seem to have made the slightest dint in the string bins. It's a mystery! LOL

It's been another beautiful day here in the Land of Muddle.  I hope you're having good weather, too.

Hugs and kisses,

Colors - Red and Blue and Green and So Many More

I've had these little disappearing nine patch blocks for a long time.  They were leftover from a previous quilt and I just forgot about them.  After finishing the floating circles quilt, I've been at sort of a loose end, not really knowing what I want to do next. So, in  looking through my various caches of stash, I found these and there were just enough to set them six rows by seven rows. I bordered them in a solid red and then with the red and white print.

The backing is two red flannel fabrics.  Don't you like the Mickey Mouse?

Here's a closer look at the binding with the backing on the bottom and the front on top. I think some child will really like it one of these days. My friend Sandy and I are making quilts now for a woman's shelter. 

Meanwhile outside the minions (chickens) are busily cleaning out the flower beds.

The sky today has been such a beautiful, brilliant blue.  The bare tree is a pecan in our neighbor's yard.  They are always the last to get their leaves. The leaves you can see in front of that are peach tree leaves. Spring is well and truly here, thank God! I was beginning to think Winter would never end.

Our yellow angel trumpet has all dead big, tall branches, but as you can see, new growth has already appeared at the base.  It's time to get those dead branches taken out now.  I have been waiting to be sure we were through with freezing weather.

This is new growth on the fig tree.  We have had a more normal (that is, rainy) Spring this year, so hopefully we'll have some figs!

And here's a little look at other parts of the back yard and patio.  Don't you love seeing the flowers come back?  I sure do!

I hope you are seeing something in your world that gives you hope for a brighter future.

Hugs and kisses,

Floating Circles

At last, the floating circles quilt is finished! This is a bigger quilt than I usually make, so it definitely took a bit longer.  I wanted to make it a special one since it is for my sister Carolyn.

She likes blue, and there is a lot of blue in here.  I hope it will be enough blue to make her happy.

I had fun doodling with my longarm.

Each circle seemed to want something a little different.

You can see I did a little scribbling along the contours of these flowers.

I think all of the fabrics in here are pretty and they all play well together.

Carolyn is one of the sweetest people I know.  She's always helping someone else.  So I wanted to make something extra special for her.

Hope your weekend is off to a good start!

Hugs and kisses,