Sweet land of liberty #2

February is a short month, I know, 
but it seemed to me to fly by.
I did seem to accomplish quite a bit in 28 days though!!
I made 66 churn dash blocks for a swap.
I did a couple of Dear Jane blocks to send to a friend who's under the weather.
I'm working on a small quilt for a swap.
AND...
I have my second month of blocks done for the
Sweet Land of Liberty sew-along 
(LINK to see all the fun:  hosted by Lori of Humble Quilts):

Looking at this picture, 
I think I'll add some stitched eyes now 
instead of buttons later, though.
It's fun to be back working on this one again after a long vacation from it.

Oh, and I had a birthday this month!
I get to be 59!!!! 
A friend made me a decadent cake

It's now one candle per decade they said, 
and they rounded up to 60 for me 😊

and Sweetie and friends took me out for a pizza party!

I'm thankful for another birthday to celebrate, wonderful family, and special friends and celebrations of any kind.

Happy Stitching everyone!
Hope your February was sweet and
you had some time to spend with your stitching 
or whatever trouble fun you like to participate in.

March.... March.... March

Sweetie and I had the grandsons over 
for sleepover a couple of weeks ago,
and at the ages of five and three,
it seems as though they can always teach me something.
For instance, did you know that 
March comes after Jan-bary? 
And that Moms and Grandmas use 
the wintertime (wintertime is after Christmas) 
to march around and clean up the house?  
And that's why it's called March - 
march, march, marching orders, you know!  Cracking me up!!

Guess I do normally, kind of use the time before 
Spring arrives to do some clean up. lol
My own 'marching orders' 
(after putting away all the Christmas decor)
is to get out the Winter stuff - snowmen and snowflakes,
wintery table toppers, etc.
And as of today, we are finally getting
some WINTER WEATHER!! SNOW HAS ARRIVED!! 
(Finally Winter! And I'll enjoy it as long as it lasts!) 
But soon, since Spring's arrival is just around the corner of the week,
all that snowy decor will come down and 
it will be time to put out the Spring-y table toppers 
and bouquets, bunnies and chicks.
Do you do a seasonal change over?

In the quilting department, I've also been taking time to continue piecing the
little one-inch stamps
of my 42-Cents Forever Stamp quilt.
Eighty stamp blocks made, and the alternate
piecing strips and blocks are ready to piece together, too.
It does look rather Spring-like,
so I guess I'm March, March, Marching ahead toward Spring!    

Hope you're enjoying your end of Winter, too!

the last of the Christmas quilts 2016

I think this is the last of the pictures
that I haven't yet shared...

Christmas-y quilts for the grandkiddos!
The Grinch quilt for the ten-year-old:

back of the Grinch quilt

Micky and friends for the three-year-old:

back of the Mickey & friends quilt

Charlie & friends for the five-year-old:

back of Charlie & friends

And finally, a little quilt for the two-year-old great-niece -
Christmas cows 😀 :

back of the Christmas cows

That wraps up the last of the secret sewing/quilting from 2016... 
unless I come across more pictures on my FOUND camera!!

I have been cutting fabric strips for the next quilt project.  
And a little embroidery stitching has been happening, too!

The grandkiddos are all here tonight for a SLEEPOVER! 
Fun, fun! Though we're still awaiting the arrival of snow.
Originally when we planned this over-nighter, we
talked about going sled riding tonight 
(instead we took a walk in the Spring-like weather).

Hope your week has been nice,
and happy stitching!!

quilty Christmas gift for my momma

Sharing another quilty finish from last year...

It had been a while since I'd made a quilt as a gift for my Mom,
so when I attended the One Stop Shop Hop (in Dayton, Ohio) last October and saw a shop sample made with Chickadee fabric, I immediately knew it would be perfect for my mother.

I purchased the kit mid-October, I stitched it together at a retreat mid-November, quilted it after Thanksgiving, and mailed it on it's way to arrive for Christmas! 

 close up of hand-guided, long-arm quilting 
"Merry Christmas Mom" and holly leaves meandering

 One of the last stitches in the binding:

 The finished quilt, picture taken late night:

The coloring is a little off, but I do like the finish.  And, she absolutely LOVED it!

For inquiring minds:  the fabric line was called Chickadees and Berries, 
and I purchased the kit from Creative Fires Quilt & Stove Shop, Springfield, Ohio.

Greetings from Central Ohio!

Friends, I wish you:

I hope that this year finishes with happiness & love, 

and that 

brings you great health & prosperity, 

abundance & positivism,

time with loved ones, 

and plenty of time for pursuing your hobbies!

Do you love the busy-ness of the season?

 I do, and it's a good thing, because, 

this morning I have planned:

to attend a cooking class with my daughter.

After lunch,  I'm going to try to sneak in just a little time 

cutting some fabrics in preparation of a new quilt project.

Late afternoon, I'll prep a feast of foods, 

as I'm hosting a dinner and Bowl game/football party 

for about a dozen friends, 

followed by ringing in the New Year together!

Hope your time is just as blessed!  

And see you next year!!! 

💖💖💖💖💖

Just a little Christmas Eve story...

Yes, it has a slight Griswold twist 😒😒 ( ← those are un-amused faces)
Let me set the scene for Christmas Eve:
I'd cleaned and prepped for
The Annual Christmas Eve Family and Friends Feast... 
including, seven appetizers, steak and chicken marinating, twice-baked potatoes and homemade rolls ready to heat, vegetables and salads made and chilling, table set and kitchen back to clean after all the prep... Even had the stockings filled and the gifts all wrapped and under the tree for the grand-kiddos.
It's going on four o'clock, and I have about a half hour before the first arrivals.
I decide I will just sit and put my feet up, awaiting our guests...
dear daughter gets herself a plate of appetizers, Sweetie grabs himself a dinner roll, and I have my big glass of ice water.  Ahhhh.  Half an hour of relaxation and the place looks great, and smells even better!
And...........
The ten foot tree crashes to the living room floor!!!

Daughter took the picture before we started the clean up.

Did you know that when a decorated tree falls, that 
all the lights and garlands shift to the floor side of the tree?  LOL
Oh My Goodness.  What a mess.
Broken ornaments everywhere, at least a gallon and half of water went all over the wrapped gifts and old, old quilt/tree skirt and carpet.  

The three of us who had just sat down for a little relaxation had the tree back to it's upright position and were cleaning up the shattered ornaments as the first arrivals (the in-laws) came in.  They thought it was the nights' entertainment and just sat on the couch in front of the disaster and watched cleanup and re-wrap. Wish I had recorded the commentary!! lol 

We all agreed that the 'Christmas Eve Feast 2016' story is one that will be told and retold in the coming decades, and thankfully no one was injured.  
Oh, by the way, the tree is now wired/tethered to the wall.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday, and that there wasn't quite the excitement that we had!

Welcome December! and happy Friday!

That wonderful time of the year!
I'm anxiously awaiting...
the snow!! 
There, I said it.  
I love snow.
I love it all!:  the sharp bite of coldness in the air, 
the crunchiness underfoot when it's so cold that the snow squeaks, 
the sun glistening on the drifts 
making little rainbows of light refracting and twinkling across the meadows.

And, yes, I know that some people H A T E snow.
If I could, I'd gladly take yours that you don't want. 😊❄❅❆

I'm ready for the snow, 
but I've NOT started any holiday decorating around the house, yet...
There's the the long-standing family rule...
that rule is - no decorating until after the first of December
the day of my daughter's birthday!
So AFTER that we can start the holiday decorating.
All I've done toward that so far,
is to remove some of the Autumn decor and quilts.

The 2nd of December?
Fair game!!
Looking for snow and decorating time!!!
And I probably should get to work on those
quilting gift projects!! 

So.... what do you have planned for the weekend??
 
Happy beginning of December!!

Thankful, blessed, & happy Thanksgiving my friends

It seems to me that time is a whirlwind-
blowing through like a Derecho...
I can not believe it's already the end of November!!

So many things to be thankful for!!
In the last couple of weeks, I've enjoyed some quilting retreat time,
and so thankful for time with 117 friends.

Then home to cake baking and party for the now three-year-old grandson -
I'd asked him weeks previously about cake preference and 
he'd answered a 'red monster' cake...
Just the day before the party it changed to a 'green dragon' cake.
Glad I asked before I made the red icing.  😍

Then came Thanksgiving prep times two, 
including hosting my family on Saturday.
I love that all the nieces and nephews are now bringing their friends and/or future spouses.   It was a wonderful house-full of family, good eats, and laughter.

Table for 27

I don't usually share about health issues, but
I'm so very thankful for my Plexus (Probio5, BioCleanse & Pink Drink) supplements
and the great health benefits I've gained in the last year and a half...
they truly have been life-changing and I thank Lori for
all the information she's provided about getting my 'gut' healthy,
that I feel energized, younger, and I'm able to keep up with my grandkiddos and family activities!!   (Seriously - google your 'issue + gut health' ... it's all connected!!!!)

AND, I'm thankful for all of you - my blog friends!
I'm thankful for everyone that takes the time to read and comment on my ramblings.
AND for the opportunity to visit each of your blogs.
To me, it's like having the best next-door-neighbors/friends EVER,
instead of being spread around the whole globe!

Happy, happy Thanksgiving
I feel totally blessed! and grateful for winds that blow!

busy, busy

Happy middle of November already!
Do you ever keep thinking you'll sit down to write a little...
then it just doesn't happen???

I'm a list maker -
which I think helps me stay organized,
but when I started writing my list, it made me realize
how much I've accomplished!

Here's some of my recent list:
With the holidays approaching,
I've done a lot of my gift shopping,
pretty much planned my gatherings,
stocked up on foodstuff for the pantry and freezer,
and had the grandkiddos for sleepovers on the weekends quite a few times. 

I've quilted for others for their upcoming gift giving,
(but still have three or four more to quilt before the beginning of the December),
hosted the annual neighborhood Chili Cookoff/Bonfire on a beautiful evening the end of October.
Made birthday cakes, there were/are family weddings - one last month, one next,
plus two new family engagements - so excited for a nephew and a niece!

I have had some stitching time of my own, in little increments...
and am working on four different quilt gifts,
Also have on my list, five woolen stockings for Sonny boy and his family.
I participated in a block swap with blog friends through the Fun with Barb blog.
I participated in a sew-along with blog friends through Lori's Humble Quilts blog.
And in between all those times,
I exercised my right to vote,
and spent with family and friends, 
and cooked and cleaned, and, and, and!

That List! ^
Therefore, the title of this post! lol
You know how it is, I'm sure!!!
 
Good times! Good food! Good friends! Good life!

Hope your week is wonderful, and
happy middle of November!
Back soon with quilty pictures!!!

welcome September

Yes, I know I'm a week late - that's my style... lol
August was a great month -
reunions, plural; 
birthday celebrations, plural;
vacations, kind of plural - 
we had a family/friend vacation, which I shared about previously,
then I kept the three grand kiddos for five days over the long holiday weekend while sonny-boy and sweet wifey vacationed/went to New Hampshire for a friend's wedding/camp.
So much fun to have the grand kiddos stay for sleepovers.  They are probably as excited as I am about the time!  Really, no kidding about this... I so look forward to making these memories!  :)
 
I can not believe that another Summer is winding down -
(I don't count it gone until the calendar officially changes to Autumn, though.)

So with all the fun family times here,
not a whole lot of stitching getting done...

• I'm sewing along on my Gwennie Inspired Medallion Sew Along, and that definitely suffered from the too-busy-not-enough-time-to-stitch, during the month of August.  I have stars and more stars sewn into blocks, but not attached as of yet for the previous 'round'/border.
•  I'm still stitching on my Circa 2016 blocks (by Temecula Quilt Company), which I don't believe I've shared any pictures to date.
• Still slow stitching on my Sweet Surrender applique blocks - with the emphasis on the SLOW!
• And, because it's been soooooo hot and steamy, our air conditioners (yes, plural - haha) decided it was time for them both to take a break, so it's been a little hot inside, too.
• With THOSE ^ air conditioner problems, came the additional issue of my Long Arm machine - BigDD, not wanting to work, too... I really think she decided if it was too hot for the airco to work, it was too hot for her!  So I've had fun trying to get that figured out while sweating away the days. 

some of my stars for the Gwennie inspired stitch along

Circa 2016 - I think these were the blocks from May

Sweet Surrender - slow stitching

But no worries, here - I'm ready to tackle the month of September!

Thanks for visiting, and hope your August was wonderful!

August is running out...

Not a whole lotta-stitching going on, but
lots and lots of fun times with the family this month -
we revived an old vacation plan and it was a blast.
(I think I've shared before that I love my family and friends?)
 
It started 20 years ago and every Summer for a decade,
a group of family and friends,
about 50 total, traveled about 5 hours south and
'roughed it'...rustic cabins, campers, tents, or boat living
on a lake for the week...

This time, this year, with all of us being 20 years older,
I didn't know what to expect...
There were 22 total that went.
Three cabins, two campers, and one couple that slept on their boat.
Also four ski boats and a few jet skis.
The cabins were a little more updated, 
but basically it was the same vacation experience that we had 20 years ago...
still good food, still good times, so many laughs and amazing relaxation.
Totally no cell phone service 
(which I thought might be a problem for a certain age group),
was not a problem, at all.
And, the week? It Was Fantastic, and Unplugged.
 

missing a couple, but for the record, Fun Times!

I did learn that this older body of mine
does not water-ski well any more.  At all.
But I tried and laughed and tried again and again.
And I'll try it again next year.
'Cause that's the plan - to go again next year.
Every single person that went WANTS to do it again,
from the two- and four-year olds up to us pushing-60 folks.
Even the ones that were leery of going in the first place.
Multi-generational vacations are just,
well, a wonderful and fun learning experience. 
For every age group.
Making memories. Making laugh lines. Bonding.
Learning skills or trying to relearn. lol 
Sweet times with family and friends.

Happy end of August!

Blazing heat, computer crashes, secret stitching,

and did I mention blazing hot? LOL
With the temps in the high nineties, 
and the heat index to be well above 100 degrees each day this week,
THAT is a little much.
It does probably mean a little more stitching time indoors 
in the air conditioned coolness, though, and that is good.

My computer has been in the shop.  Again... Which really is a blessing in disguise; being able to have it repaired means I didn't have to purchase a new one.   I'll try to take a few minutes at lunchtime each day this week and visit all my blog friends and try to get caught up on all the fun.

Secret stitching:
Sweetie's nephew asked me to create a quilt gift for his wife, in honor of their 12th anniversary.  They are such a sweet couple and family, and I'm proud to claim them! lol
He told me the some of her favorite colors, I chose the fabrics, sent secret messages and pictures back and forth, and got to work. Delivered ahead of schedule, so just had to wait out the gifting before I could share with you all.
Their anniversary date has passed, so I won't ruin his surprise if I share now.
Queen sized, teals and corals, Crazy 9 Patch pattern:

Hard to make out, I know, but he asked for his/hers initials with wedding date, enclosed within a heart:

 I also made a couple of large pillowcase/shams with leftover fabrics:

 And probably my favorite picture - the trimmings from squaring up the blocks:

 Binding time:

I'm off to have some lunch and do some MORE secret stitching! 
Hope your week is wonderful!!!
 

baby quilt gifted

Isn't that the greatest quilt picture, ever ?!?!?!
I didn't get a picture of the quilt I made
with the new baby when I gifted it, 
so I requested a picture from the new parents, 
and THAT ^^ is the picture I received!
I just adore it!
A much better picture than the ones that I took. :)
The pictures I took pale by comparison - 
Front:

Back:

This quilt is the one that I pieced together last month at retreat.
I used my favorite block layout
of the X block and 16-patch block,
(aka: Good Night Irene).
I had about 50 different prints of fabric,
cut at 2.5 inches wide.
Makes it nice and scrappy, I think - a good 'Eye Spy' !
But since it's all strip-pieced, it really goes together
much quicker than it looks like it would.
And, yes, I did stitch in her name and mine in the quilting:

 Another good finish,
and great memories made! 

Last of the missing quilt posts...

I think!!
Finishing up with Patty's quilts from December gifting;
reminder - she used the table-decor bandanas from her
50th wedding anniversary party and made quilts for each of her
grandchildren as memories of their help
in hosting the special party for their grandparents.
She made herself this one -
s small lap quilt with Autumn colors and bittersweet berries:

 

Then after Christmas,
she decided she wanted to use up the rest of the bandanas
and made herself a bed-sized quilt:

So sweet that she made EIGHT memory quilts!! I just love how she used the wedding anniversary bandana decor!

Continuation

of the missing quilted quilt posts.

More from Patty -
These were from mid-December;
she used the Bandanas from the table decor
from her 50th wedding anniversary party,
and incorporated them into quilts for her grandchildren...
She chose fabric to go with the bandanas that fit each of their interests.
Great idea, and I'm sure SO special for each of the grandchildren
for memories of their grandparents' 50th anniversary
that they helped in planning!!!
Pinwheels, bandanas, Republicans, and flowers:

 Rail Fences, Bandanas and Patriotic:

 Rail Fences, bandanas and musical notes:

 Finally, The Stack!:

Are they not just SO sweet??