spring fruit

I finally took down my glass, crystal, and plastic snowflakes.  :(

I had told sweetie that I was waiting on the last snow before I took them down. 

You know the old saying?

"Three snows after the forsythia blooms" ?

It usually holds true. 
But this year, only two snows after those great yellow blooms.  Though it has been cold enough the last few nights - down to 30 degrees and frost. 
Anyway, this year we celebrated Easter here at the ole homestead with my family and with my few Spring/Easter decorations of German candy containers (that are rabbits) scattered around AND the snowflakes still hanging across the back glass patio doors! 

No one in the family even said a thing about the snow still hanging around the rabbits in here!  Do you think they are getting a little more "gentle" as they age?  I was thinking that maybe someone switched out both of my brothers.  And, go ahead and lump my sis in there too! (hehe!) They all  feel free to rib me about every thing else under the sun, so I don't really know what's up with that.

So, back to the snowflakes being down... I finally gave up on getting the last of the three snows after the forsythia, 'cause I found this in the garden:

Rhubarb!

Rhubarb is the most wonderful fruit! 

So tart and puckery and fresh. 

And the first thing from the garden for the season! 

Maybe that's why I like rhubarb so well...

it's just springs from the cold, frosty and sometimes snowy ground
and announces that is is spring...
and I always have to make something with it immediately!
So many rhubarb recipes to choose from...

 so I chose Rhubarb Crunch from all of the rhubarb recipes.

Rhubarb, (I add strawberries), oats, butter, vanilla....yuuuuummmmm!

It's a grandma recipe... from both my grandma and from Sweetie's grandma.

And similar to a couple of those great church/local cookbook recipes. 

Rhubarb Crunch...

Even if you don't think you like rhubarb, I bet you would like this recipe...

The strawberries with the rhubarb...

well, it just makes a melt in your mouth,

scrumpt-dilly-ishes-ness that is not too sweet,

not too tart,

mouth watering,

packed with freshness crumble/crisp,

that just makes you think that winter is gone and

spring is here!

If you'd like the recipe, leave me a note and I will email you a pdf file!  You won't be sorry you did!

Maybe I will have to start taking the first rhubarb dish of the season as a sign to take down the last of the winter decor!!!

trouble and wool

I have worked on a couple of ongoing projects recently...
Yay for me!  Working on something that is already started!
That is a rather novel idea...
Wool Crazy is one of the ongoing projects:

I added the flag and the pear "make-do" sitting on a spool of thread.
Not a lot accomplished, but a little here and there.

Then, remember this book:

From this point on, this book should be known as The Troublemaker...

Notice the "stuff" around the book??

Yep, while I was playing in the wool bins for my Wool Crazy,

out jumped some Blue Wool.

Then the white and yellow wool followed their cousin, Blue.

Pretty soon,

you guessed it,

there was a little kit calling to be cut out!

And right after that, there was a needle in my hand, a thimble on my finger, and some silk thread and scissors on the table next to me!

Isn't it just so cute?

Troublemaker!

And I made YOU promise to not let me start something else!!!

But really, stitching.

Think of all the trouble I didn't get in while I was doing this!

That is my story, I'm sticking with it!

Happy Stitching to you today!

announcing the new MLQ

From my last post, I only had three comments, so not quite enough support to justify changing this nations'
"Great American Pastime "
from baseball to quilting. 

But, really, imagine what could be accomplished in quilting in the time it takes to watch a major league game!!   How many games a season? 
We may have to create the MLQ...

Major League Quilting.

We'll have to work on making that change, won't we?

Quilting is what I have been working on, though.
Here are a few pics of customer quilts:

The first is a great baby quilt that is Julie's - for her first grandbaby!

I quilted with waves, 'cause there's some of that great Hawaiian themed fabric in it and as the backing.

Then, this is my Great-Aunt Mary's.  String pieced stars that is humongous! and just great colors - so patriotic!

Next up is Mary's.  This is a Bullseye quilt...all of those circles are raw edge, so she is now working on binding and then washing it so all those circles on circles will become fluffy.  I can't wait to see this one all washed and crinkly!!

Then, last, but not least, these two are Carolyn's.  The star one is a mystery night project, I think.  I love the stars and then how the green fabric creates a secondary pattern within the block and the quilt.  And then the adorable leaping frogs!  I quilted loopy meandering with random dragonflys.  I think the recipient will love all the bright, jumping frogs!

And, finally,
a picture of my front flowers...

the jonquils and daffodils are now loosing their blooms,

but these purple things are blooming nicely above the grape hyacinth.....I purchased these "hanging head" bulbs many years ago when I took my mama to Williamsburg, Virginia. 

I can not remember what they were called (let me know if you know what they are), but wish now that I had quite a few more, as they bloom for a while and after the color is gone from all the daffodils. 

Please don't notice how badly this bed needs a cleaning after that winter we had...

Just know that I took the time to smell the flowers today...

have you?

pastime

A great american pastime...

That would be baseball, right?

This past weekend there was a baseball game that went for hours...

Nearly seven hours to be exact!  

Yes, I said SEVEN HOURS. 

(sorry about the yelling, but I still cannot believe a ballgame went for seven stinkin' hours!)

Can you imagine sitting in that ball stadium, watching that game?
I can't.
Can you imagine how hard the seats would become. 
And more stadium food for the second meal, then the third meal of the day??? (Yes, I can eat three times in seven hours!)
I like watching baseball.  But I don't think I could do seven hours. 

I think we may have to change

"the great american pastime"

to, say,

.....quilting???

That I could do for seven hours and not even know the time had passed.

How about you?
Just think of the quilting that could be accomplished in
seven consecutive hours!

 Are you with me?

quilt colors of spring

The blues... this is Kay's - it's about 60x80 inches and I did the quilting in an in and out paisley meander.

The oranges & greens..... is Bonnie's  and finished at 62x75; I quilted it with a windy, swirly meandering that I thought went with the fall leaf border.

The pinks & browns... this is Jennifer's first quilt and she really enjoyed making it.  Hopefully we can suck her into becoming a full-fledged quilter someday soon!  It's about 60x70 inches and she did perfect points and matching.  Can't tell she hasn't done this before!

The white, blacks & fuschia red... Bev's is also about the same size, and just spectacular as usual. 

This one (I believe) and a couple of the others will be going to the

Kids N Kamp

auction that is coming up at

"Quilts at the Shoe" in October.

Red and grey and black...you might even see this one there at the shoe... 

If you don't know about Kids n Kamp, it's a non-profit group that is a "Lifeline of Support for Families Touched by Childhood Cancer".   It actually started as just a "camp experience", but now has follow-up and counseling and activities for the whole family, siblings and child effected by cancer.  It's a wonderful group of people that are involved and helps a wonderful group of people, too.  If you have a minute, click on this LINK and check out the organization and Bev (click on their calendar to see all of the projects they have going). 

(And they always take finished quilts for the quilt auction in the fall!!)

All of those quilty colors - just like the flowers and birds - a little brightness in my day.
Hope it added a little brightness to your day also.
Now, back to work at the HQ Fusion for me -
Thanks for stoppin' by and hope your weekend is great!

excitement

Remeber, I mentioned that I was not so patiently awaiting arrival of a NEW BOOK???

Well, yesterday in the a.m.

I had a confirmation email that my order was being processed....

Yay, Yipee, Yahoo, etc.

Confirmation that I would soon have my goodies!!

Then, look what Sweetie brought in from the post box last night:

It's a really big white envelope with my name on it...

It came on the day that the company said it was processed!!!!!!!!!

You can't beat that for service, can you?!

That was a 500 mile trip and across three states --

and all done in the same day?

Sooooo

I tore into the packaging.....

and out spilled the greatest loveliness

in books and wool and floss.....

It's "Summer Gatherings"
by Lisa Bongean and Carole Charles

And, yes, I got a kit!!! ....

I don't usually purchase kits, but I just loved the color choices in wool for the geraniums.....

see, the colors are so luscious they almost make you drool.  

This is the "potted geranium pillow"

that will be my next project...

Because I promised myself that I

Would Not Start Another Project

until I completely

(notice that is completely)

finished.

Not mostly, or almost, 

but totally,

wholly,

entirely,

absolutely,

from top to bottom,

down to the last stitch in the label

FINISHED

my Small Catch hand/wool project.

Will you hold me to it???

Got to go, I have more drooling perusing to do over this new book.
Oh, yeah, here's the latest on my small catch:

One more dog-tooth border to finish, a little embroidery and a couple of applique stars. 

Then let the madness start---another project...drooling included.

memories and spring

I was taking a break after loading another quilt on the machine...and I took the time to look out my windows.  Really took the time to look around.  Look.....I think Spring has finally sprung!!! These wonderful spring flowers were looking back at me!

The redbud and lilac were starts from Sweeties' Grandma.  She passed just two years ago at 95 years of age.  She shared more than just flowers with us, you can be sure.

The roses are climbing over the fence; these roses were a gift, planted in memory of my father...he has been gone for seven years.

The helleborus is coming to the end of it's bloom.  Helleborus starts to come through the soil and blooms start to bud in February.  A sure sign that renewal is coming to this patch of earth. 

This helleborus was a gift from Grandma Holland, when she was here visiting.  (She really is from Holland, and not my grandma, but I claim her as mine through an exchange student & family that I also claim as mine).  I didn't know that this flower would be my memory of Grandma Holland, but it is.  She has been gone for three years now. 

Note that the bird house has a little sprig of twig hanging out...a sure sign that the birds think that it is spring!.  The house is also leaning from all the heavy snow that is now long gone.  (well, we hope the snow is long gong....I only counted "two snows after the forsythia bloomed", not three as the saying goes, and I believe in the folklore passed on by my Great-Grandma B and others.

Anyway, spring flowers and birds building nests and sweet memories...

Spring has Sprung...

What a wonderful life...

now back to quilting and making more memories!

There are just a dozen (or so) awaiting meandering. 

I must be slacking!

But I'm not going to stop taking the time to check out the blooming flowers occasionally!

accusations

I have been accused...
yes, accused!

But in this case, the
accusation was a compliment.
I think...

I have been told that I am
"optimisitic".
And I don't think that it was said sarcastically...
That's a compliment, right?
Right??

I'm taking it as a compliment...
No question!

These pictures are part of the reason for the accusation.

First, as a little set-up:
my quilting machine is set up in the back sun-room.  (I suppose it could also be called the porch, but this is enclosed and doored and we already have a deck, so I just go with sun-room, 'cause it does get the sun and it's bright and it makes me smile.  If I was in Florida, it would be called the Lanai, but this is Ohio, so sun-room.  This room also occasionally serves as a "summer kitchen", but that is another story.)

Here's a picture of the corner of my quilting room...
It holds an old kitchen cupboard with all my quilting machine related stuff in it, on it and beside it.  You can see the end of the quilting maching rollers in the foreground. 
There is a great bank of windows to the right of this, which would be behind where I stand to run the machine.
Then the other end of the machine:

there is another bank of windows and that is the view out the back of the sun room.  The sign and crocks and flowers are on the window ledge and at the end of the quilting machine.

Isn't that a great view? 

The lattice is for a couple of climbing flowers. 

And, that is where I planted those giaganto climbing "tree tomato" plants last year.

Anyway, back to the accusation:

The signs in the pictures. 

Scroll back up and check out the signs.

But mostly, the accusation is because of the flowers...

I told someone that I really think that the flowers added to the cheerfulness of the room...

Check out those flowers.

 Dandelions.

The person did not agree that dandelions are flowers. 

Why would I want dandelions in my special room. 

Where I had to see them all the time? 

They were weeds, and weeds are not cheerful,

they just keep coming back and spreading vile seeds

and choking out other plants and etc, etc.

Yes, I call them flowers. 

Not weeds.

Bright and sunny yellow FLOWERS.

I think that they are beautiful and cheery and

how could I not be happy and optimistic,

in this environment,

doing what I love to do,

with the signs,

and the flowers,

and the sun,

and even if it's cloudy outside, still a lot of  natural lighting.

Yep,

I confess...

I'm guilty!!

If the accusation is optimism...

Completely guilty.

SO, I wish you a Dandelion Week!

Optimistically, of course.

more meanderings

Meanderings in thread ...
The first two are Billie's.  She was on a deadline - a birthday and a day of birth!

Next, is Tammy's:

It's a darling little baby quilt, with minkie borders.  Have I ever mentioned how it's not fun to quilt minkie???  Especially not on borders???  But it turned out oh, so cute!

The next two are from Joell.  She is finishing up a bunch of flimsies.  I think both of these are from the LQS Mystery series. 

This one was Austria... I think I can see those Alps... and I think I was singing "the hills are alive..."  Be glad you missed that!

So that was my week working here at home.

I guess that's pretty productive. 

For some reason, I felt I wasn't accomplishing much.

The pictures help me see the finishes, I guess.

Oh, I guess I did stitch some too...

on my "Small Catch" project -

just a top border left to hand-stitch those silly dog-teeth. 

Oh, and I ordered a new book...

('cause I need another book...you know how it is!)

it's primitive and was just released and I can't wait to share with you.

Thanks for stopping by and hope everyone has a great weekend!

time...

I had some helpers the other day...

It was exactly a year ago, to the day, 

that a niece came over and made her first ever quilt block.

She was patient and accurate and oh so excited.

And we kept planning on getting her back over here

to sewing more blocks.

You know about best-laid plans...

Anyway, fast forward one year:

the same niece and a nephew came to sew with me.

I thought the niece was eight and the nephew was seven...

Well, I was informed by the niece that she is TEN!!!,

and then by the nephew that he is NINE!!!

Don't know what happened, but not 8 and 7!!!

Then, the nephew explained it to me:

"Time flies".

Here are her two finishes for the couple of hours that we worked.  She has the ambition to make a quilt big enough to cover up with (I guess the longer we wait, the bigger it will have to be!).

And here is his almost finish. 

He is making a gift - shhh...(and it still needs one more side).Anyway, now I know why I get not enough accomplished every day.

Explained to me by a seven  nine year old:

Time flies!

Indeed...

bad puppy update

Remember this...

And this....

And this...

With the owner's consent, I lopped off the top "points" and used the undamaged pieces to repair the puppy chewed areas.

Well, I worked and worked. 

 It became this (above)...

And this:

After many hours, I am glad to return the "bad puppy" quilt to it's home.

Down?

I have a new friend today - acetaminophen.
Ok, I am a litte under the weather.
We had a great Easter gathering with my family. 
(Sweetie thinks I was just trying to get out of the after-party clean-up :))

Spring has arrived in central Ohio, so I just thought...
so had the allergies arrived. 
But, no,
a bug arrived instead.
I had my flu shot for H1N1.  Thankfully, THAT bug did not arrive!
This bug is holding on tight to my head (and stomach, but the headache is worse).
I'm going with a 24 hour bug.
That's all I'm taking the time for!!!
(power of positive thinking and all).
Tried loading a quilt on the HQ.
Found that that is not a project to do when your head is spliting.
Next thought, I would work on my flock of birds...

No, who would have thought that the sewing machine is tooooooo loud?

No flock of birds today.

Then I pulled out my Easy Catch, work in progress.

I still have two sides on which to hand-stitch red dog ears.
Even hand stitching is a no go. 
It is only lunch time;  I may be trying to push the 24 hour thing back to a 12 hour thing.
So, I guess, I will just go lie back down and dream up new quilt projects.
Down, by not out!