more spring

yep - spring is here...

and seems like with a vengeance!!!

Check out the snow!!!

we got today, March 30th.

Don't you love it?

I know, groan, groan

coming from you all out there.

While the snow was falling,
I did stitch on my Spring-y applique project .
The bunnies are coming along...

Only one more posie-flower block to hand applique,

then on to the putting-the-blocks-together and then borders...really close!

So what are you working on this fine spring day?

Happy stitching!

have I ever mentioned

that I love my family?


Here's the latest reason:
I have a niece that is marrying this summer.
My brother, her father, is getting all gung ho about the wedding
and his "responsibility" in the food department
(You have to give the Dad some responsibility, don't you know).


Background: 
My family,
well,
we always try to raise our food.
Always have.
Probably always will.

So, my Brother - the Father of the bride?

He's taking his assignment seriously...

1. He already has the beef  for the meal with an appointment for the freezer.
2. He planned ahead and ordered the eggs/hatchling chickens -

(no, not those)


so he is the proud father owner
of 100+ little chickees. 
These:

      3.  Oh yeah, he also ordered his spring seed...

Do you know how many lettuce seeds are in a pound???!!!

Maybe a bazillion-gazillion!
It's kind of like ordering a pound of feathers
(: I did that once - different story for a different time :)
Let's just say,
I think we'll be having plenty of lettuce for the wedding!


This is going to be some Goooooo-ooood wedding food, folks!
And, see, you have to love 'em when they go and do stuff like this!

meanderings

I got to do a little meandering on some little quilts -

quilts that will be gifts in NINE MONTHS!!

Again with the gals

who are so far ahead

in the next

Christmas gifty area!!!

These are Andrea's wall hangings:

 And these are Shirley's wall hangings:

Great job, don't you think? 

And way too far ahead of the game for me!!! 

I just can't get my little mind around it -

having Christmas gifts done in March!

for this coming year's gifting.?

Me?,

I'm finishing up something that was

already gifted last year

and just needs a little something -

like binding or labeling...

Oh, I always have good intentions...
but, somehow, life just gets in the way...

Are you a
"ready 9 months in advance"

or like me,
"stitching the last of the binding on the ride to the party"
type of gal?

F.A.R.T.

Fabric
Acquisition
Road
Trip

The week before National Quilting Day = Road Trip!!!

A road trip north to the Amish area of Ohio...

a great day of friendship and, yes, acquisition.
This was one of my constant companions for the day:

as I am still living with the end of the "crud"

aka sinus infection among other things.

Now, on to the acquisition part:
I found some great patriotics to add to my stash...

(OK, some are not patriotics - but great stash to have on hand!)

 Also found some great fall colors

for my upcoming block of the month...

 And, found some great border fabric -

maybe a "pic-i-nic" quilt in my future,

as Yogi would say?

Sometimes on these trips,

you even get to acquire fabric for others!!!

This is a line that a friend, Caroline, was looking for -

so called her and added to her stash!!!:

Isn't it cute? She is planning a bag for a knitting friend.

(And, truth be told, I bought just a little myself to make a bag for a s-i-l gift!)

And, lastly, just a little sustenance

for the long drive home!

spring storm

ahhh...I love the spring storms rolling in.
You can feel the air pressure change as they arrive.
The sky darkens
and the little rain drops come
with the quickening of the winds.

Then....
quietness,
followed by
big claps of THUNDER and
RAIN...
WIND...
LIGHTENING across the horizon...
today, even a little hail arrived to greet the afternoon.
Yes, Spring is making it's statement!  It has arrived!

I unplugged...
unplugged the quilting machine,
and stood in the doorway and greeted the spring...
enjoying the sights and sounds and dampness.

even if you make it a month...not enough time

Bad news:  National Quilting Day has come and gone again this year...
Good News:  National Quilting Month is still alive and kicking!!!!

I spent the weekend with a friend
and we sewed
and sewed and sewed...

I have great intentions...

Self, I say,

don't start anything new

until you finish something already going.

Well, what did self do? 

Self started something new...

Friend and I both had purchased the same kit at one time or another...
We thought we would get together and stitch this up... together, a finished top.
We got together over the weekend -
in honor of National Quilting Day/Month...
And stitch we did.

Until we came to the blue with stars...

Here's the pattern:

Here's the fabric in the kit:

Notice that the stars are off-set,
so anyway you cut it, stars are hacked off through the points.
Even if you cut it on the bias, the stars were still going to be cut off.

Neither friend nor I could put this

blue star fabric into our quilt with the stars cut off.

Here are the bars all finished:

and the sashings:

So, this left me with another started project...

I purchased (on the way out of town) some blue fabric,
and got home to my wool stash...

So, I say to self,

start cutting out little wool stars to applique

and this project will be done in no time!!!

Right???  Right... Right!!!

my spring color palette

I pulled a pattern and some floss
for a 6 month Block of the Month class
that I'm going to try to get going...

The pattern has three good sized panels
to hand embroidery stitch - one each over three months,

and four smaller panels
to hand embroidery stitch - two each over two months,

then piecing and borders all around - to be divided among the five months....

That's five months to do
all of the hand embroidery stitching & all of the piecing;
then the last month, the sixth,
will be to put together all of the pieces!

We can start in April, and have a top by September!

Here are the flosses, laying on the stitching fabric...

on the far left, the Spring-y colors...

 the colors that the pattern called for:

The colors that I changed to are in the same order, on the right...

and some of the fabrics for the pattern across the bottom...

(double click on the pic to get a close up of the fabrics and flosses)

Yes, my choices are a little darker, but more in my color palette...

(: I have been told that I live on the dark side of the fabric world :)

OK, my choices are not really spring colors,
but it's a Halloween pattern,
so I had to go with what's right for me and my Halloween!
More later,

Happy Stitching!

Welcome Spring

Just a couple of days ago,

there were little dirt/mulch humps in the flower beds...

Something was trying to

push through to reach the sunlight...

This is what sprung up almost overnight!

Welcome, spring crocus!

And look what Winter left behind...

all of those dried leaves and twigs and pine needles.

I had them all cleaned up, really, I thought I did.

Happy National Quilting Day!!! & Winners!!!

or as I like to call it...
National Quilting Month!
(Give us a day, we'll take a month!)

My way of celebrating?
Sounds like the same ways that you all will be celebrating:

Cutting, piecing,
sewing, quilting,
hand stitching,
eating, laughing with friends,
a little shopping,
more laughing, more eating,
a little organization...
and, oh, yeah, a little giveaway...
well you get it- a lot of a little bit of things -
all in the vein  thread of this quilting hobby obsession  fun.

But, on to the giveaway:

Thanks, everyone for taking the time to enter -
I enjoyed reading your plans.
Seems like I am not the only one celebrating more than just the day!

Congratulations,

WINNERS!!!

 of my

National Quilting Day/Month Giveaway:

 #2 - the Woolen Cellar -

five half yard cuts from my Civil War Fabric collection,

including the cheddar
(:that I have drooled all over! just kidding, really!:)

#9 - Marlene - Stitching By the Lake -

the four half yard cuts of Fig Tree Fabrics,

 (: also drooled all over - not really :)

#13 - Mary on Lake Pulaski -

the Itty Bitty Primitive Pinwheels pattern/ruler and top fabric kit

(: this one I have my own, so no drool, sorry! :)

Girlies, I will send you an email -

 please respond with your mailing address

 so I can get this loot on it's way to you!!!

(Sorry, everyone else - wish I had more to give away) -

But I hope you have a great National Quilting Day/Month also,

with lots of laughter, accomplishment, enjoyment & Stitching!

Happy Stitching!

My Irish wish to you...(& GIVEAWAY- last day)

on this, St. Patrick's Day...

First, I will say - I'm not Irish...

Second, I don't drink Green anything! :)

Third, I still wish you the luck of the Irish Saint Patrick!

And lastly,
may you have
the time and luxury today
to sit upon a bouquet of green shamrocks and enjoy life...
Say what???!???
But I do like the vintage card picture,
 and, oh, to have the leisure time to just sit around...

Anyway,
even if you don't have the time
to just sit around in a bouquet of shamrocks,

I do have a recipe to share with you...

this WAS a hot sandwich on the German side of the family...

I made it a dip recipe

when we were invited to an Irish family's St. Patrick's day gathering.

It's quick and easy, and besides that,

it's now a favorite of many and is always requested...so,

here's my contribution to the little neighborhood
St. Patrick's day gathering:

Hot Reuben Dip

8 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream or Woeber's sandwich dressing
1/2 pound corned beef, thinly sliced & chopped
16 oz. sauerkraut with juice
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese (1/2 pound)
1 cup shredded marble cheese (1/2 pound)

Mix all together in a small fondue or crock pot and heat thoroughly, stirring often.  Keep warm and serve with rye bread, garlic bagel chips or tortilla chips. 

It is delicious!!!

 And don't wrinkle up your nose

because there is 'kraut in there. 

(yes, the 'kraut is the German in me coming out!)

After it's all cooked up and hot and juicy,

you don't even know the 'kraut is there--promise!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you from this English/German gal.

I think I'll stitch a little something green today!
How about you?  A little green stitching for you, too?

PS...Today's the last day to sign up for my National Quilting Day/Month Giveaway!
click here and leave a comment!

I have a problem (& GIVEAWAY, don't forget, only two days left)

OK, you regular readers -
you know I have a problem problems.
But...Usually it's the problem of well...
don't let me kid around here, there are many...

Here are a few of my problems:

• I am a snow freak.  I love snow.  But, wait, I love Spring. And I love Summer.  And I love Autumn.         (OK, I Love the Good Life- every bit of every day, every change of every season.)
• I like to write - so this bloggy thing is an outlet, but really, I don't know why you all come back sometimes (but I say thanks so very much).
• I like to cook and bake and knead dough..  That could be a really BIG problem if I let it... he he

But, the problem that I'd like to address today?

• I work part-time in a quilt shop...

There, I said it...

I love my work...

I really, really love my work...
So, you say, what's the problem?
Loving your work should not be a problem....
Well,

I work in a quilt shop...

And almost everyday that I am there
I am bombarded by New Stuff...
Books, patterns, gadgets!
And the fabric!
Oh, all of the yummy fabric.

I.like.it.all.

I didn't used to say that.
I used to only mostly use the more traditional fabrics.
And the reproduction/early 1900 fabrics.  And the tickings.
Those repros - well there didn't used to be so many of them to be found,
 a few choices of calicoes here and there...or maybe some scraps in an antique store or at an auction.
Now there are SOOOOOO many new lines, so many great designers, so many scrumptious colors and designs.
How's a person to choose?!
And now, the beautiful 30's! and the batiks! and the tonals! and the black/whites! and the brights! and the seasonals!

There are nine, repeat, NINE quilt shops withing a 45 minute drive of my home!!!
Quality quilt fabric everywhere I turn...
See?  It's difficult!  Bombarded, I say...


Then there are all of the Books and Patterns!!!


If you have seen any of the myriad of new books out on the stands recently,
then you will soon realize, as I did, that this could be another problem...
here's the latest one (book or problem? you choose!) that has jumped into my hands and begged to go home with me:

From peeks that I've shown in the last couple of weeks, you might recognize the cover of this book and what I'm working on now... 

(It has Ticking!!! one of my problems... 

It has cross stitch! 

It has applique!! 

Trouble-maker...)

my spring project from In My Garden, by Dawn Heese.
 (click on her name and visit her blog - she's has a new book coming=can't wait!)

And I am loving this project!!! 
Thanks, Dawn!  [I want Dawn to know that she is one of "those contributors to my problem!" j.k.  :) ]

I guess I will have to accept that this
"Liking your job" is really just a minor problem...
(if I can control myself)!
And, all of this drooling over and touching fabrics,
scanning all of the new books and patterns as they come in? 
Well, I suppose that this keeps me out of major trouble...

Just don't ask how many projects I have going at one time!!!

PS.  Don't forget to sign up for my GIVEAWAY! 
Just click on the GIVEAWAY and go leave a comment!
I'm celebrating National Quilting Day/Month!  (yep, I am a contributor, too!)

Happy Stitching!!!

Good bye snowmen, hello spring (almost)

(I think there is a song there - Hello Sunshine, Good Bye Rain?)
 

I love the snow
and winter
and the wind
and the quietness of the season,
and, and, and...

It's a sad day...

taking down all of my paper snowflakes... packing them away;

making the snowmen go back into their hiding places for a few seasons.

(But, hey, they're snowmen, they're used to it!) 

(good bye, snowmen)

And don't feel bad for them, they get to take the winter quilts with them!

Oh, look! 

They have their own jeering cheering fans - left and right! 

(Yeah, I'm weird, but it made you smile, too, didn't it?)

Here in central Ohio we welcome

the beginning of Daylight Savings Time

TODAY, the 13th of March...

and the

arrival of Spring

is not officially until next week,

on the 20th of March...

Here's the thing: 
I have that scratchy-froggy-throat-sinus-drainage STUFF.
And I don't really feel like doing much else the last couple of days...
except drink hot tea and melt vitamin C lozenges in my cheek and sit in my lazy-girl chair.
But, I really can't just sit and do nothing!,
Really,
I've tried - soooo boring!

SO...
my applique project to the rescue.
And it just happens to be a spring thing.
(I hinted at this a couple of days ago with a couple of pics.)

OK, so maybe a whole lot of green bias strips don't exactly scream "Spring",

but the flower heads that have their raw edges pressed under,

and the few leaves that are the same? 

I think they are "spring-y". 

Down in the bottom right corner? 

A stack of about 70 chunks of fabric

that are just waiting to turn into pressed leaves! 

Now that's Spring-y!

Yep, I guess I'm

"thinking Spring"...

I'm stitching feverishly (no pun intended),

 so this one might just happen in a timely manner!

I guess it does sound as if I'm chasing away the snowflakes and snowmen;

Are you also "thinking Spring"?

More spring thinking & GIVEAWAY

What was I thinking?

Maybe it's just the

Spring Fever

rattling around in my brain...

I started this definitely "spring" project...

a project that will probably take more than just this month to get done,

what with all of the applique...

so probably maybe won't be done for THIS Spring!

Anyway,

here's a peek:

And another peek:

Yep, I'm blaming it on the Spring Fever!

p.s. Maybe it's not Spring fever - maybe it's Ma Nature that's confusing me...- Spring officially arrives in just over a week, and we are expecting many inches of snow overnight...but I say: Yay! there's more snow coming!  Yep, I know, I've a snow problem...

Happy Stitching!

p.p.s Don't for get to enter my National Quilt Day/Month GIVEAWAY here.

meanderings again...(& P.S. giveaway reminder)

First - look at this spring beauty! 

Joell has done it again, another finish that is beautiful!

Next up, a surprise for an Alabama fan

(when I first heard she had an "Alabama" quilt, I just assumed the football team...

that's the type of t-shirt quilts I usually get to do...)

But, no, a total shocker when I pulled it out!

It's a great collection of memorabilia!

And, last, a little repair job...

the smoking end of something

got on the fabric part of the bed cover...

so...yep, burnt right through...

top, batting, stitching and backing.

You can tell where the repair place is if you look for it, but probably good enough job to make it usable again.

So, that was part of last week's fun that I got to have!

What about you?  

Having any fun?

P.S. don't forget about my giveaway!

Click  giveaway HERE togo leave a comment to enter!