Four Patch Stars

You may remember that I have been making four patches and turning them into sixteen patches and then making them into these four patch star blocks from a Missouri Star Quilt Company video. (Thank you Jenny Doan!) I was glad to have so many made already.

Our great nephew and his wife recently lost a newborn baby boy. I got this one finished up and we gave it to them.

This is the backing.

And a little close up of a section that includes the border. I liked the cloud fabric. It reminds us that we have treasure in heaven. I cannot imagine how they must be feeling, but I hope the quilt will help a little.

I'm still playing with the kite blocks. I had put some of them on this fabric on the design wall, but that will not be the one I use. Still pondering. You know how that goes!

Mr. Muddling gave me a food saver vacuum system for my birthday and I made a big batch of salad the other night and put some into quart jars.

Isn't it pretty! I have to say, it works pretty well. The vacuuming keeps the ingredients fresher. Now I have several salads left ready for eating!

Here's another little thing on the other design wall. The dresden plate blades are not sewn together, nor is the kite block sewn on, just playing. But it is pretty, isn't it?

And then, Bruno and I have to take a break sometimes!

It does seem to be taking me longer to blog this summer. I'm doing things, just don't seem to stop and document them. I need to do better. It's good to have a record of what I've done and when.

I had such high hopes for our little vegetable garden this year after all the rain we had in the Spring, but it just didn't happen. I've replanted cucumbers, so we'll see how this bunch fares.  You really do have to be an optimist to garden. But I am so thankful for our little patch of earth and the things growing there.

I hope you have interesting things going on in your world and that you are finding much for which to be thankful. With all its trials, it is still a good life.

Hugs and kisses,

Two New Quilts and a Lovely Gift

I finally got the binding sewn on this one this week. Mr. Muddling has claimed this quilt for his very own, so it will live here.

The backing is a mottled blue with these sweet patriotic teddy bears. 

I also finished this one that our pastor asked me to make for a young girl, the daughter of a friend of hers. It turned out even better than I had hoped! 

The backing is this wonderful paper doll fabric I've been saving for just the right project. It's bordered with a Laura Ashley print. I think it will be a happy little girl when she sees this!

My so sweet sister-in-law Karen made this thread catcher/pin cushion for me. It is just perfect! And it's a bright red, which I seem to be unable to capture with my camera.

It's been getting a lot of use.

My faithful helper Bruno. He is always at my side.

And believe me, chocolate chip cookies help a lot, too!

Now, just for grins, here's Miss Dinah this morning being her usual cute self.

Hope you're having a truly wonderful week.

Hugs and kisses,

Refreshing

First of all, let's do a little catching up. This is finished now and waiting patiently for us to take it to our son and daughter in law. (I made sure to put her name on it, too, or our darling son will claim it as his only!) Such a striking quilt, and yet so easy to make. I like it!

The backing is this Jinny Beyer print. This is also the border on the front of the quilt.

I quilted this one, which will live here. You know Mr. Muddling wants almost every quilt I make, and it seems only right to let him keep one once in a while. I still need to sew binding on it.

This is the beginning of a quilt requested by our pastor for a girl who likes pink and green.

I'm using the Janome for the slow process of blanket stitching around each heart. She's such a sweet little machine I feel bad for neglecting her, but the 1940 Singer 201 is just so much better for piecing. At any rate, she's getting a workout now!

This is Midnight. He lives next door, but refuses to live inside. He is also completed entitled to use our yard as his own any time he chooses. We don't mind. He's a pretty boy and minds his own business. Here he is enjoying the view from atop the chicken yard.

Last night we had thunder and lots of lightning and rain!!! It wasn't much rain, but what there was refreshed our world. Everything looks so much happier today.

I hope you are enjoying your day and that you have something going on around you that makes  you happy! I am so thankful for so many things. As Robert Louis Stevenson said, "The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings."

Hugs and kisses,

Inspiration

I was inspired to create this flag wall hanging by this:

I've had fun with so many of the projects from the prolifically creative mind of Jenny Doan. I didn't really follow the pattern in this latest issue of Block. But it was the inspiration, the "jumping off" point.  I used the smaller tumbler Go! die, and changed the layout just a bit.

It went to our son for his birthday. He likes it. And that's what matters, isn't it?

It is SO hot and dry here now after the wet Spring we had. This is my poor yellow angel trumpet plant. Sad, isn't it?

But there are still things thriving out there in the back yard.

This is the sky I saw last night. Isn't it gorgeous! The sun's rays shining out from behind the cloud are beautiful, even if it is hot.

The four patch stars are multiplying. I'm not sure how big this will grow. Right now I'm having fun making those blocks, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Our granddaughter and her boyfriend stopped by on Wednesday and brought me a birthday card and these pretty RED miniature roses. It was so good to see her and to meet her beau for the first time.

I am so thankful for so many things. With the difficulties that we each face every day, it's still good to be in the world. It's still good to find inspiration in so many places and from so many people. Thank you for being part of my world!

Hugs and kisses,