Springtime in Muddle Land

 

Of course, we start with a quilt. I had just finished this flannel half hexie quilt when our son came over for a visit. He seemed to feel that it was just the thing he needed, so he took it home with him! I love that picture with the guitar and the quilt together. He is quite a talented guitarist.

 

 

SO many pretty things to see out in our back yard, and after a very long dry spell we are getting some nice rain today. So refreshing for the plants, and for us, too.

 

 

Julie at MyThreadBear life had such an interesting and inspiring post  (as she always does) about some egg pockets she had made. I followed the link on her blog to an Instagram post showing instructions, and decided I needed to make some! 

Mine are in a totally different direction from hers, but I like them a lot. I used 1930's reproduction fabrics that look so very happy. These little happy pockets will be going to some friends of mine tomorrow. As you may be able to figure out from the pics above, each little egg pocket holds an Easter hanging decoration (thank you, Amazon), a small rolled up napkin and a chocolate bunny or two. I am very pleased how they turned out. 

 

 

As you can see, there are a few chocolate bunnies hiding in the lower part of the blue glass egg on the dining room table. Just in case of emergency, you know.

 

I was so pleased to hear President Trump unashamedly call Jesus Christ his Lord and Savior. He is mine, too!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine 

 

 

 

 

Flannel Quilt

 

Our daughter came for a visit recently. She was here for a week and I took advantage of that to make a flannel quilt for her to take back to Upper New York State with her. She is back there now and enjoying the warmth and the love of that quilt!  I think Buddy had an idea the quilt might be for him. Doesn't he look heartbroken? He is such an entertainer!

 

 

The backing is also flannel, and yes, Buddy had to supervise this shot as well.

 

We've had a bit of colder weather here, too, so vegetable beef soup and a pan of Southern cornbread were the menu, and mighty good it was, too!

 

 

 

Before our daughter got here, I completed this rather masculine quilt for a friend of ours. He (and his wife!) were very happy with it. I like it a lot myself!

 

 

My sister sent me such a pleasant surprise this week! This live evergreen candle arrangement is so pretty. We are really enjoying seeing it on our table every day.

 

 

 

And here is Buddy watching television with Mr. Muddling. Would you like to see what has him so interested?

 

 I think he might be a John Wayne fan. The movie was Donovan's Reef, and he was just mesmerized by it.

 

I cannot tell you how very thankful I am for this little boy. He has really made our life interesting, and a lot more fun (and frustration, too!). Buddy really does want to be a good boy, and I'm sure he'll grow into it soon.

 

Till then, we'll just enjoy his antics, and there are quite a few of them!

 

I do hope you're having an interesting time of it as well. Christmas will soon be here. We've had several family gatherings while our daughter Mary was here and it was so good to have our family around us.

 

May God bless you and keep you and make his face shine upon you! Life is good.

 

Until next time

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June, the Flower of the Year

 

But first, a couple of quilts! This one is made of 2 1/2" by 4 1/2" rectangles. I have Karen of Sunburnt Quilts to thank for this idea. She made one in blue and white and I loved it so much I had to make one, too.

 

This one will be going to the USO Lounge at our local airport. We have almost enough of them ready to take!!!

 

Don't you like this colorful backing and striped binding?

 

Perhaps you remember the leftover triangles I was playing with a while back. This is what they became.

 

I have had this fabric in my stash for quite a while. I think it's perfect for this one!

 

One of the pretty reproduction fabrics seemed perfect for the binding.

 

Mothers Day was really sweet for me. I love the mug from our son and daughter, and the lighted picture frame our granddaughter sent. Isn't she a cutie! Nothing to do with Mothers Day, but I made some more candied orange peel. So good. And some of it found its way into some cranberry orange scones tonight!

 

 

Meanwhile, outside in the back yard we have rampant growth. Not very well manicured, but it IS growing! And incidentally giving me a lot of joy.

 

I hope there are lots of things in your world that are giving you joy. It seems that everything in this world tries to bring doom and disaster into our thoughts every minute. BUT. We don't have to give those thoughts a home. And I choose to replace them with thoughts of good. And to remember that God has good thoughts for us, to give us a hope and a future. Look at Jeremiah 29:11!

 

Hugs and kisses, and lots of love,

Elaine

 

 

Happy New Year

 

Hello, Strangers! I've been absent for so long, you've probably forgotten me, but here I am at last with a little keeping in touch post.

 

Lots happening, just like with all of you, and very poor documenting of the things! The cookies on the bottom row went to New York State for our two girls there. We had a lot of fun decorating our little nest, Mr. Muddling and me. I did hang the Christmas banner I made earlier. I like it! Christmas decorating makes me happy and still having flowers blooming outside at the very end of the year makes me happy, too!

 

I made this little quilt to go to the USO Lounge at the local airport. I need to get more made to join it. 

 

You may recall that I made this quilt before, Jellystone is the name from Miss Rosie's Quilt Company. It's from her book, Miss Rosie's Spice of Life Quilts. I love it so much. I gave the first one to our cousin, so I'm making another one for myself.

 

Here we are with a brand new year! I'm going to try to make it better one. How about you?

 

Thank God, He helps us!

 

Hugs and kisses,

 Elaine

 

 

 

Anniversary Quilt

 

We made a little trip recently to join the celebration of our cousin's 34 years in ministry. Of course I had to make a quilt for her!

 

She is such a pretty, dainty lady and these fabrics seemed just right for her. (She likes red, too!)

 

I really love how it came together. I had several ideas, but this one is the one I chose, and I think it worked out well!

 

As always, I am so thankful for my quilt machine! I've had it for a while now, and I have never regretted buying it. Or being thankful for my sweet Mr. Muddling being with me every step along the way. It does help to have a cheering section!

 

I used this golden print as backing and bound it with the same solid red as the borders and sashing.

 

 

It did look mighty comfortable out on the patio, but she is enjoying it in her home!

 

 

We've had temperatures of near 100F (or more) every day for a couple of weeks, and it's not over yet. So far everything is staying alive. Matter of fact, it looks rather like a jungle in spots! We do have rain barrels and are thankful for that added resource in these hot days. 

I hope all is well in your part of the world. I know I've been absent for far too long. Somehow, I just couldn't seem to get to it. I have another quilt to show, but we'll let that wait for later!

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

 

Half Rectangle Triangles

 

What a lot of fun I had making this quilt! 

 

First I sewed a light and a dark half rectangle together and then I just kept on going! I really like this one.

 

And the crinkliness and softness straight out of the washer and dryer are SO nice. Of course it helps that I backed it with cozy flannel.

 

I was so happy to see the little camellia bush start flowering (lower right). Aren't those reds gorgeous! And Dinah in the center is just a mess. She has her own ideas of how things should be, and those are the only ideas that interest her! Cats!

 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! It will be here soon. 

We had our family Thanksgiving dinner today. We (Buddy and I) were a little puny on the real day. But thankfulness is good every day of the year!

 

I hope things are interesting and happy in your part of the world and that you are finding lots of things to make you smile!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

 

A Quilt for My Friend

 

More years ago than I care to remember I met my friend Carmen. She and her husband lived in the apartment right next door. They had a son the age of our son. Needless to say we became friends and have remained so all these years, even though we seldom see each other in person.

Carmen has a milestone birthday coming up next month and I wanted to make a special quilt for her.

 

 

I like it a lot and I hope she will, too.   

 

 

Mr. Muddling had a birthday last weekend and of course I made a cake for him.

It was delicious.

 

So many pretty things going on. The second from left photo on top is an orb weaver spider who was here for a couple of weeks. The photo to the right of it is the egg sac she left when she moved on.

 

Our daughter Ruthie had a friend in the UK, Dawn. They met years and years ago in an online support group for chronic pain. Though they never physically met, they talked and video messaged and typed a lot and ended up being great friends.  The stone on the lower left is Dawn's latest gift to us. She has always remembered to send us some sort of sweet remembrance on Ruthie's birthday and Christmas. We adopted her after Ruthie left us and she was so proud and happy to be a part of her "Texas family"! We had a sweet message from Dawn's daughter on Tuesday telling us Dawn had passed away last Friday. I know she is no longer in pain and I am so happy for her. I know that she and Ruthie are still catching up. But there is a big hole in our hearts knowing we won't hear those sweet messages of hers. I miss her.

 

This is now a queen size quilt top. Sooner or later, it will be quilted.

    

While I had all those batiks out I cut a nice stack of tumblers. I've been sewing some of them together in between other things. And I'm pretty sure I'll need to pull those batiks back out and cut more!

I really have been busy even though I haven't been telling you about it! One thing I can tell you for sure is I am ready for some cooler weather! 

I hope you are staying cool (or warm as the case may be!), and that you are finding lots of things to do and for which to be thankful. God is still good. And He is good all the time. If you don't already, I hope you get to know Him.

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

Happy Easter!

I wish you a very Happy Easter! I recently finished quilting this Lion and the Lamb panel.  We are loving seeing it hanging in the hallway. It seems to say so many things about The Lion of the Tribe of Judah, who is also the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world.

In much lighter news, I've been playing again, this time with decoupage. These are a few of my finished projects. It's fun, and I guess it keeps me out of trouble! There are Facebook groups aplenty and lots of tutorials on YouTube as well if you're interested..

This is a little "slice and dice" project I'm making for a friend of our sons. More about it later.

A block I made with a new GO! die, Goose Tracks. I like it! I'm sure there will be more of these showing up around here in the near future.

I hope you have a wonderful Easter, and that you celebrate the life you've been given!

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