Hearts and Flowers

 

 

I finished this one last night and here it is for its "glamor shot". I love it so much. It is so interesting to me that two totally different styles of fabric - the boldly colorful large prints from Kaffe Fassett and Philip Jacobs and the more muted colors from many different designers of the Civil War type reproduction fabrics are playing together so happily in this quilt!

I backed it with a Grunge flannel, and surprisingly enough the quilt is not heavy at all.

 

Mr. Muddling (of course) has done a quality check on this quilt and so it is going to live here and make us happy!

 

 

This one started off as a Betsy Chutchian design, "Boardwalk", from the book Snuggle Up by Moda All Stars. I used her blocks, but changed up the layout, and it has changed more since these pictures. It is now ready to quilt and hopefully I'll get to it soon - since I have MORE that need to be made. 

 

 

And finally, just to encourage me, this little gardenia bloom appeared last week. It made my day! So much of our beautiful back yard was completely demolished by that huge tree that fell across our fence. But, there were things that needed to be changed, so this is a good opportunity to do that!

 

We are still far from done with clean up and renovation from Hurricane Beryl, but one bite at a time, as they say of how to eat an elephant, we are getting it done.

 

Today the county clean up truck cleared most of the stacked up tree debris from our front yard. We were so glad to see it go!

 

I hope all is well in your world. You know, we all have trials and struggles, but with the Lord's help, we will get through them!

 

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

 

 

 

 

News from Muddle Manor

 

First I'd like to show you this fun "potato chip" quilt I finished for the USO. It was so easy and so much fun to make, and I think it turned out to be a quilt the USO Lounge at our local airport will enjoy.

 

This pretty one was made by my friend Sandy for the USO as well. I love the little extra zip she put on the backing!

 

This little cutie is a freebie from Taryn at Reproduction Quilt Lover.

Clicking on her name should take you to the free pattern if you're interested. It was fun. I cannot even pretend that I did a wonderful job, but I like it anyway! 

 

 

And now for the not so fun news. Perhaps you heard about Hurricane Beryl visiting our city on Monday. This is the aftermath in our back yard. The picture in the far right center shows the culprit - our neighbor's huge pine tree fell into our back yard, bringing with it parts of his pecan tree and doing a number on our fence, our chicken yard, and the greenhouse. We don't even have any trees in our back yard, so all that you see is storm damage.  That was Monday. 

We had a wonderful tree crew come in on Tuesday and clear all of that out. Now we just have to do repairs after the adjuster makes his report. We are still without electricity, but so thankful to have a whole house generator. And really thankful that tree didn't fall across our house instead! 

Our friend Sandy's house got a branch through the roof. It was right over their bed and had they still been in it, I do not want to think about. 

Through all this, God had been good. As always. There are many people here still without power. And it is really hot as it always is in Houston in the summertime (and lots of other times as well!)

But, we are a resilient country, I believe. There will always be challenges, but I believe our good God will help us to overcome them.

 

I really hope all is well for you and that you are finding fun things to do!

 

Hugs and love,

Elaine 

 

 

Oh, Happy Day

 

I was up early (for a change) this morning so I went outside and took some photos. It always makes me happy to see things growing and looking so happy out in our very own back yard!

 

Another thing that makes me happy is when I do something smart. 

I remembered a couple of nights ago that I had put some 2 inch squares together for nine patches. I took them out of their box and had some fun! 

 

Aren't they just the cutest?

 

Happy, happy, happy!

 

And the really good part is that I have a box with lots more pieces ready to go!

 

I've had some medical issues for a while now, and it took forever to get an appointment with a doctor. Then, she was not the one I needed, so another wait. But today I saw the right one, and I really believe all is well! Hallelujah!!! I am so happy and so relieved for a good and an easy resolution. Mr. Muddling is beyond happy. 

 

Thank you for sharing my life and for caring. You know that I care about you, too. God is so good to us all. Much better than I deserve, I know!

 

I hope you are rejoicing over something really good in your life, too!

 

Hugs and kisses, and lots of love,

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

 

 

My Problem

 

My problem is that I try to do too many things at once. I am so interested in so many things, and I want to try so many things. And I do love flowers of all kinds. Everywhere.

 

Of course you know I like chickens. It is a definite personality disorder. They make me laugh! Thank God, Mr. Muddling tolerates and even abets my chicken love!

 

 

And then, I have this really big problem that I like to make quilts. And I like to put silly surprises in them. 

This one will go to the USO Lounge at the local airport. We need to get a few more to go with it first though.

 

And here is a really big problem. I like to make cakes and pies and cookies and don't forget banana pudding. And we like to eat them!

 

Well, guess what! After looking through all those pictures to add these to this post, I've decided I don't have any problems at all. I am a blessed woman and I am very thankful for my life!

 

You know I was just being silly. And I have it on good authority that being silly is all right!

 

I hope you are having fun where you are and still accomplishing things, too!

 

God is still good. All the time.

 

Hugs and kisses and love,

Elaine

 

Springtime Happenings

 

I chanced upon these cute little pouches and just had to make a few. And then I began to think of all the people I'd like to give one to, and the number grew.

It is a free pattern called Bit of Kindness Pouch at SewCanShe. I was amazed at all the sweet makes she has available for free.

I had bought this fabric a while back because I saw it in a quilting magazine and just had to have it. I made two baby quilts from it and had about a yard and bits and pieces left, waiting patiently for a project to come along. I ordered the fasteners and key rings recommended at amazon and assorted wool blend felt. The so sweet chocolate you can see in the first photo on the top left was Russel Stover Easter bunnies. I'm pretty sure they are no longer to be found. I spent three very intensive nights making these (and an enormous mess!) and I don't regret a minute of it!

 

Meanwhile, outside here at Muddle Manor, Springtime is really making me happy with all the pretty flowers! I was concerned how many of the amaryllis would bloom. The cold we had was much more intense than anticipated and a goodly number of those plants looked absolutely melted. But, as you can see, they made a complete recovery. Thank God! The roses and the dogwood are really pretty, too.

On the bottom row, left, is a little vignette telling you how I feel about Texas. And in the center is some delicious bacon, scrambled eggs and cranberry orange scones. Yummy! On the bottom right is the greeting of my very good boy Buddy when we returned after being gone far too long (in his opinion) running errands! I do love that big ole dog!

 

I will freely admit that I have a somewhat weird sense of humor, and this calendar page really made me laugh!

 

I have been rearranging (again) some of the storage in the sewing room and ran across some triangles left over from this quilt I made for our niece in 2017. As you can see, I had to play with them. I love leftovers!

I hope there are lots of really good and fun things going on in your part of the world. And if there are not, just create some! Life is still good and God is still good. All the time.

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine

 

Glorious Springtime

 

Here we are almost at the end of March. Time just seems to fly past, doesn't it? I had never seen the redbud have flowers all up the trunk of the tree before. But, there it is! My Buddy is well and happy and the sweetest boy ever! And on the bottom right you can see some pretty new eggs.

 

These are some of the new girls who laid those eggs. The two on the ends are Cuckoo Marans. Don't you love that name? They lay a very dark brown egg. The middle girl is a Black Australorp. There are four more of the new girls out there, and as nearly as I can tell, they are all laying! The eggs are on the small side right now since they are so young, but they will soon be regular size. I wish I could send you some of the surplus eggs!

 

I had a message from our niece not long ago. She said that her son had outgrown the quilt I made for him when he was a baby and would really like a new one. Well, of course I had to get that request answered right away!

 

I had so much fun making this one. The tumbler quilt is really quick and easy to make and I love all the fun fabrics I was able to include. I've sent a picture and she says he loves it already. Hopefully they can come and get it soon for him to really enjoy. He is such a sweet boy. It was a joy to do something for him. 

I had pulled a lot of fabrics for him to approve before I started on the quilt. He surprised me because he liked all of them! So I used some of every one! There are so many fun fabrics, and you KNOW I like sock monkeys!

 

 

I did not make this pretty jelly roll quilt. My friend Sandy made it for a raffle quilt for a friend of hers. I quilted it for her. Isn't it pretty! I hope they raise lots of money. It's for a scholarship of some kind.

 

Meanwhile on our table I have once again been playing with some of my toys. I guess I could grow up and stop, but I don't want to do that! 

Mr. Muddling's older brother passed away the middle of the month after a very long battle with COPD. There is nothing fun about a funeral service, but. It was truly one of the most touching and respectful funerals I've ever attended. Paul had worked in law enforcement for a very long time, and was an Army veteran. His wife recently retired from law enforcement, too. There was a Sheriff's Department Honor Guard at the funeral home, a motorcycle escort to the cemetery, a Military Honor Guard there and a bagpiper in full regalia. 

Sorrow, sickness and death touch all of us sooner or later in one way or another. I am so thankful the Lord is so merciful to those who grieve. He is truly the Comforter.

I hope all is well in your world and that you have the joy of the Lord in full measure!

Hugs and kisses,

Elaine