I Love Presents, Don't You?

This particular present is for a friend of ours.  We've known her for a long, long time.  She has had some struggles, like most of us, but she always has something good to say.  I love her.

So, I wanted to make something for her that showed her that we love her.  Her name is Joyce.

I included a lot of my special fabrics in this little quilt, including some of the hand-dyed ones.  I did pre-wash them with no problem, by the way.

I also washed and dried the quilt before wrapping it.  Here it is in all its crinkly, wrinkly huggableness (if that isn't a word, it should be).  LOL

I used some of the decorative stitches on my sewing machine to sew down the binding.

I hope she likes it!

And I hope you have a wonderful day!

Hugs and kisses,

Oh, my friend Margaret has some good news on her blog today.  Her granddaughter Abbey was in a terrible auto accident last month.  She's been through a lot, but she is so much better!  Thank God!

Oh, and another thing......if you haven't entered my little giveaway for a tissue holder and you'd like one, please go to the previous post and leave a comment.  Be sure, too, to tell me which one you'd like if you win. ((Double Hugs))

Oh, Wow! Look at the Time.....

If you look on top of this nice little pile of cuteness you will see that the clock is reading 3:00.  That's a.m.  Oh, my, I just have such a hard time going to bed at night.  What can I say?  Inspiration strikes and I just go with it. 

Here, I've spread out and numbered the little pile.  That's because I'm going to give away three of these cute little tissue holders.  I started making them earlier in the evening and before I knew it I had a dozen made.  Here's the link if you'd like to give it a try for yourself.

They contain perfectly one of these little packets of tissues.  Or you could just fold a pile of tissues and put them into one.

This is what the back of each one looks like, correspondingly numbered.

If you would like to have one of these, just leave a comment, and be sure to mention which one you would like.  I will choose three winners on Monday night.  I will leave comments open until 6:00 p.m. my time Monday evening.

I finished the little pocket tissue holders early in the evening.  What kept me up was this little quilt.  I finished the quilt top on Wednesday and loaded it on the frame, but I had trouble.  I used some of the hand-dyed fabrics and the machine did not like them - kept skipping stitches.  Last night I decided to try a smaller needle and polyester thread.  It worked! 

So I worked, too.  I got a lot of it quilted!  Yippee!  If you look closely at the bottom right you will see that I had to piece the batting.

I do so hate to waste anything, so I usually piece batting scraps to make up whatever I need.

And oddly enough, I've found that the machine blanket stitch does a better job of holding it together without skewing it one way or the other.

I also got a pile of fat quarters in the mail from Connecting Threads.  I know, but I did not resist that sale.  Anyway, I like my fabrics washed before I use them.  My hands are not fond of the dyes and sizing.  I discovered Connecting Threads quite a while back on Quilt Taffy.  She had written about their beautiful thread and I had to try it.  I like it!  Their fabrics are nice, too - very soft.  Looking at these after laundering them, I was tempted to buy enough to make something to wear.  They feel so good!

I've made a start at folding them, because after all, we must have some sort of order, mustn't we? 

Please comment if you'd like one of the tissue holders and don't forget to tell me which one you'd like.  I'll post the winners Monday night.

Have a great day!

Hugs and kisses,

Happy Dance!

I finished the little black and white and red quilt last night!

 The chickens have viewed and approved it.

Her name (the roommate) is Cass, and I so hope she likes it.

Because I really do. 

And would you look at the plum bushes!!!  Whoooooooo......I can hardly wait.  Yes, I am counting my plums before they're here, and my mouth is watering.

Bruno and Chloe have pronounced it a lovely day, and there is plenty of activity in the chicken yard as well.  Spring is here.

So much to do outside, but I need to go first and get this quilt in the mail.

Hope your day is just simply wonderful!

Hugs and kisses,

Lots of Stuff

I saw this neat video on another blog this morning while I was cruising around trying to return to consciousness.  It perfectly illustrates the fun that is quilting.  Sorry, I have no idea where I saw it.  I went back to try to figure it out, but no go.

I thought I would share with you a simple recipe I made for lunch yesterday.  I now have more of this in the freezer, too, so another meal-in-waiting, always a good thing.

Santa Fe Soup

1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 - 14.5 ounce can chili-ready tomatoes
1 - 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 - 14.5 ounce tomato can filled with water
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup frozen pinto beans

Brown ground beef. Add both cans of tomatoes and the can of water, corn and pinto beans. Simmer until nice and hot.

Into each individual serving bowl put:

                                                         tortilla chips

shredded lettuce

shredded cheddar cheese

Ladle soup on top of that, then add a dollop of sour cream.










And for dessert

BROWNIES


3/4 cup cocoa
2/3 cup cooking oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup self-rising flour

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking pan, 13 X 9 X 2 inches.

Mix all ingredients together and spread in pan. Bake for 30 minutes,
or until brownies start to pull away from sides of pan. Do not overbake.

I frosted ours with buttercream frosting, which is just 1/2 cup butter, creamed; to which you add 3/4 cup cocoa, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 3 cups sifted confectioners sugar, and then a couple of teaspoons milk until desired consistency.  Beat with mixer until nice and fluffy and spread on top.
(You can see that I spread that frosting on top while the brownies were still warm, but it's good that way!)  (Especially if you put some vanilla ice cream on top.)  (I know.)

Also yesterday I got this awesome book in the mail.  I was so fortunate to win this on Millie's blog.  Thank you so much Millie and Kim at Magnolia Bay Quilts.  This  is such a good book.  I totally read the whole thing yesterday.  And would you look at that quilting!  My only problem is deciding which quilt I want to make first.  Seriously.

And.......I finished this quilt top last night.  I love how the sun shining through it makes it look almost like stained glass.

Hope you're having a wonderful day!  'Cause you know I love you.

Hugs and kisses,

Coffee with the Chickens

I had my coffee outside with the chickens this morning.  I didn't give  them any of my coffe, you understand.  They were just there.

So was Chloe.  She is not allowed outside except when one of us is right there.

She's a little too fond of "the wild".

Bruno keeps a close watch on everything.

He's such a good boy!  He's a good chicken-herder, too.  LOL  He really does a great job of putting them back into their pen. 

And yes, Susan, I'm afraid those are the ginger lilies, yet again.  At least they were not as overgrown as last year, but that's a lot of clean up waiting to be done.  If you click on the picture you should be able to enlarge it and if you look carefully - you'll see Chloe near the center and Bruno's nose far right.

I have an old metal dog crate in the chicken yard onto which I have piled some of the leaves and pine needles and litter from the chicken yard.  There is also a lot of it inside the crate.  The chickens like this since now they can be "King (or Queen as the case may be) of the Hill".    There are six of them on it right now looking toward my window.  And Ray is crowing.  Endlessly amusing.  AND.... they've started laying.  We've gathered a grand total of five eggs over the past few days!  Yippee!

And I got more done on the latest quilt top last night.  All of it except that bottom row is sewn together.  I really need a bigger design wall.  There's just no place to put one.  Oh, well.

It is overcast here right now with a wonderful breeze.  I LOVE this time of year.

I hope you are having a beautiful day where you are, too!

Hugs and kisses,

                                                         

I Don't Know About You

But these guys crack me up.

I had sort of an idea last night, so I started cutting and playing around with the cut squares and strips of mottled black fabric.

Then tonight there was lots of assembly line sewing of strips to squares,

and pressing of all those pieces.

And now my idea is starting to come together.  This one will be for our younger daughter's roommate.  She wants a black and red quilt, so this is what I've come up with for her.

We are still having some wonderful weather, and it should have moved me outside to work, but so far it has not.  I'm still trying to give my foot plenty of time to heal completely.  I've been going and doing quite a bit and I'm feeling it.  I've got errands that have to be run tomorrow, too.

My thoughts and prayers today have been with those in New Zealand.  And a dear friend whose granddaughter is recovering from an automobile accident.  My Miss Ru and I were talking last night about how grateful we are for our life.  We are blessed, and we know it.  We thank God for His great goodness to us!

I pray for you, too, dear friends.  I hope all is well with you!

Hugs and kisses,


P.S.  My friend Angela mentioned on her blog on Monday that this is National Pancake Month.  Since I had not known that -  I had not celebrated, but I made up for it tonight.  Blueberry pancakes with turkey bacon for supper.  Yummmmmm!  You should make some.   Really.  You should.