Merry Christmas

From our house to yours and with all my heart

I wish each and every one of you a very

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

Getting Ready for Christmas

I decided to hang the little red truck quilt I made last year along with the new Christmas Quilt. They are playing nicely together and I like looking at them!

I finished my second clamshell quilt. I gave the other one to our daughter when she came last year for Christmas, and I missed it so much I had to make another.

This is after the binding was finished.

After a run through the washer and dryer. I do so love the quilts freshly crinkly and cuddly!

And yes, I have another project in the works. Just playing around and seeing where it goes.

We are still loving the flowers growing outside and the ones my sister sent inside! Waffles may have been enjoyed, too! 

Our baby girl is coming for Christmas again this year and we are so excited! There will be extended family get togethers and lots of good food! Can't wait!

I hope there are lots of things making you happy and excited this magical time of the year.

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you've had a really good one, for those of you who celebrate. There is so much for which to be thankful!

Buddy looks a little perplexed there and I think it might be that he was trying to figure out what Mr. Muddling was doing. He was placing some concrete pavers upright to border that bed along the fence. We planted some bulbs in there, and I am hoping for some pretty flowers come Spring!  In the meantime, there are still plenty of pretty things (and chickens) to see. Life is good!

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

Autumnal and Christmas Around the Corner

I was thinking of a design for a Christmas quilt, and I settled on using more of the 49-patches of 2 inch squares alternating with a Christmas tree. I like it. The trees are made with GO! triangle dies and zig-zagged onto white squares.

Now it's all snuggly crinkly and ready to decorate for Christmas. It is an unusual thing for me to be ahead of time! YAY!

Right now I have another little panel I quilted on the curtain rod in the hallway with the pumpkin quilt I made last year. Recognize the 49-patches?  Hey, it worked before, and it worked again!

Meanwhile out in the back yard there are still lots of pretty things to see, including belll peppers and banana peppers in the garden. Notice, I've moved my rooster to peer into the kitchen window. I know. I'm silly sometimes, but I do have a good time!

Speaking of a good time, my friend Sandy gave us an oatmeal cookie mix which of course we had to try.  It made some delicious cookies!

I hope there are lots and lots of things in your world that make you happy!  We  are all so blessed in so many ways, even when things are not exactly as we want them.

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

Bitcoin

Here are some process shots of Bonnie Hunter's pattern, Bitcoin. When I saw it, I HAD to make it!  I'm really thankful for my Accuquilt Studio cutter. It made it oh, so much easier. I did not make my version as big as her pattern. It is more a lap size, but that is what I wanted.

And as you can see, it looks right at home on the swing on our screened patio. I foresee some serious lounging out there!

Of course I have started a couple of new projects. Our darling Mary took the clamshell quilt I made earlier with her when she was here at the beginning of the year. I like it so much I had to start another. I'm also playing with 2 inch squares, sewing them into 49-patches. Now I just need to figure out the alternate block to go in between them.

So many beautiful things outside in the back. We are enjoying all the blessings!

This morning Mr. Muddling was working out in the back assembling a new swing for the back yard. He said that he noticed a spider web stretched across one of our pathways and had been avoiding it. When I went outside the spider had decided it was time to pack it in and rest a while. If you look very closely at the end of that big green leaf, you'll see a little critter with a lightweight web blanket covering it. 

I thought how very sweet that the Lord had enabled that spider to create its own little safe resting spot. And then I realized He has also enabled each one of us to do the very same thing. Even in the midst of turmoil and uncertainty we can still bow our head and ask HIM for help. He always hears and answers our prayers. And we can rest in His love!

Hope you are doing just that!

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

Peter Rabbit and Friends

Another baby boy quilt for a different girl at our veterinarian's office!

I do love the  Beatrix Potter illustrated tales, and this fabric line, which I've had for some years is so pretty. She asked for baby blue with red accent, and this seems to fill the bill.

I used this Mary Fons pale blue print on the back, and light blue binding.

Here is its crinkly shot.

I am so happy with this one, too. I hope she likes it as much as I do.

Mr. Muddling put up a curtain rod for my bluebonnet wall hanging. I'm pretty happy with it, too!

And here in the Land of Muddling, there have been nighttime shots of the moon, beautiful RED hibiscus, sweet smelling four o'clocks, comfort food, and a new project started. The two pictures on the lower right are the beginning of a Bonnie  Hunter pattern, Bitcoin. It called my name and I answered!

The rain finally stopped, and we had no damage at all from Nicholas, which did come ashore as a hurricane. I'm so thankful! I hope all is well in your world.

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

Winnie the Pooh

We have a wonderful veterinarian. When our former vet retired, we were a bit uncertain how the man who had bought his practice could possibly be as good. Fortunately, he is. We really like him.  And we like his staff. One of our favorites is a holdover from the previous vet. She recently had a baby boy.  When I asked her if she would like a quilt for him, she said YES! 

Winnie the Pooh is her son's nursery theme, and I was so happy to find this fabric in my stash.

It is so sweet!

A blue backing and binding finished it off. She was really happy with it. 

Doesn't the crinkliness of it look inviting after being washed and dried!

I also quilted this fabric panel for our house. Of  course, bluebonnets are a big deal in Texas, and we have enjoyed seeing them in our travels for many years. This is a Hoffman screen print and does them full justice.

Mr. Muddling's Lady is at the top left. She is such a sweet little girl and takes very good care of her "Daddy"!  Directly under her are a couple of items of nostalgia - a fried bologna sandwich with garden fresh tomatoes, and a little bowl of ripe muscadines (a Southern variety of grape frequently growing in old woodlands). I planted seeds many years ago and enjoy a small harvest each year.

One the right side you can see a plant I brought inside to hang. After noticing a lot of damage to its leaves over the first few days, I found the culprit, upper left. (A watery grave was his destination.)

Center is a view of the moon above our house one night. Buddy and I like to make a final tour at night before bed to be sure all is well. It is always interesting to see how different things looks by night, or by flashlight, and Buddy just likes to see if there is anything out there that needs his attention.

There are so many things that seem to need attention these days. Unfortunately, no one seems to be doing a very good job of taking care of those things.

Fortunately, God is still watching over His own, and HE is well able to take care of us all! He is worthy of our trust.

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

What Is That

What is that bubbling out of the crock?

Why, I do believe it's a new table runner! I just needed a quick happy project, and this was it.

Next I started a new one for the USO. I emailed with the sweet lady who I always deal with there at the airport USO Lounge. She told me they will soon (hopefully) be accepting our quilts again. So we started making more!

This is the finished producct.

The backing is a blue print and it has a solid blue binding.

Here it is nice and crinkly after its run through the washer and dryer. It's all ready for active service as soon as it is called!

Pretty bits of things growing and being around here, including a couple of shots of the sky. Buddy and I usually go out in the back yard before we head to bed. He takes his guard duties seriously. I like to take pictures of the night sky. My phone doesn't do the best job, but I still enjoy what it shows. And yes, we have had some delicious meals from our Instant Pot. Those are beef carnitas on tortillas. Delicious! And of course the chickens are still being chickens. They bear vigilant watching!

Hope you're having a good weekend, and that things are happy and interesting in your part of the world. God is still good!  All the time!

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

Summer Fun

So many pretty things in and around Muddle Manor. I do love our flowers and plants!

I was so impressed with this tomato plant I saw out in the garden. One of the branches had fallen to the ground and rooted. Abundantly. How could I NOT plant it! Of course I did. And it is growing splendidly.

Our son and I celebrated our birthdays last week. I made these placemats for him and our sweet Lisa. Christmas and Fourth of July all in one.

Another quilt was started. Kansas Troubles Quilting tempted me with a deal on a layer cake on Instagram.

There was also a pattern included in the deal. It turned into this!

I used some of my own stash and changed the border from blue to green. It's a bit different from most quilts I make, but I like it.

Especially when it is so delightfully crinkled and cuddly!

I do love quilts, don't you?

We had a wonderful surprise rain shower this afternoon. It cooled everything down for a bit. Unfortunately it is back to HOT now!

I  hope you're having lots of good things in your part of the world!

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

What Can I Say

First of all, I finally finished this Maple Leaf/25 Patch quilt. I feel like I was working on it forever. I got tired of it several times, but eventually got it out again and got it done at last. I do love it. I knew I would. As you can see, it is  " Buddy Approved"!

I have fallen in love with the reproduction prints from so many wonderful talented designers, but Kim Diehl's fabrics more than most, just seem to glow.

I put these little blocks at the end of one of the quilts I finished recently on the same backing and batting. I do love efficiency, don't you?

I got the Accuquilt Go! Snowball die recently and I wanted to give it a try. The first picture is with all the corners the burgundy, but that did not do it for me, so I alternated light and dark corners and that made another design element in the quilt.. The same burgundy fabric is on the back and a Kim Diehl print for binding. This one will go to a dear friend of ours with whom we had lost touch over the years.

Ruthie's (and now our) friend Dawn always sends flowers for Christmas and for Ruthie's birthday. She lives in London. Aren't they pretty and isn't she a sweetheart!

I had to buy this little black sheep. Had to. He fits in so nicely with the rest of my cheering section while I'm taking a break with a nice hot cuppa tea. And he is extremely snuggly if you need a hug. Which I sometimes do.

Meanwhile, we have been having more rain, so many days. Vegetation loves it. Until it doesn't. There are snails all over the gardens munching (or whatever they do other than slime) way too many of our plants. Lower left, second from left. That's Dinah on the left. She is a menace. The top row center is a lovely spider web. I see them at night in different locations. Buddy and I usually go out last thing at night to look around. He's pretty sure there is some kind of varmint out there he needs to crunch.

I have been busy, and I have accomplished a good bit, but blogging was definitely not one of those things. I will try to do better.

I do hope you are well and happy and accomplishing all you wish!

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine