leaping

well, not exactly leaping yet,
after that nasty flu...
but thinking about leaping  (sure sign that I'm on the mend).

Really, today is an EXTRA day!!
It only happens once every four years, you know?
So, I do something special- just take the time OUT.

I usually pack a picnic, and depending on Leap Day weather,
Sweetie and I go picnic.  Somewhere.
The local park, the resevoir, the trail head of the local hiking path, the living room floor.
We visit with each other.
Talk about our family, dreams, plans...

So, this year, I have gathered some quilts,
my three crackers and Sweetie's ice chips
(hey-I told you it was a nasty virus-this is what we've worked up to),
And we are celebrating our extra day for this four years:
on the couch with our quilts snuggled around,
with our crackers and ice and
stale (read as no bubbles as bubbles=bad) 7UP.
No leaping around, though :)

So, what do you have planned for your extra day?

Oh, my goodness

Oh.
My.
Goodness.

I've seen recently, from blogs that I've visited,
that there is a bug going around.

Understatement!

I won't go into details, you are welcome...
But, my even my hair hurts.
It's so bad that
my cat hurts,
and I don't have a cat.

Now, I'm not blaming those bloggy friends that
were may have been contagious when I visited.
But 'm thinking this strain was virulent enough
to be passed via internet connections!

I'm through the worst, I think, but
I'm not doing any stitching again today,
so you know it's bad around here if
I've not had a needle and thread in hand
for a couple of days.

I waited until I was no longer contagious to do this posting,
so, here's hoping it doesn't hit your home.

OK, back to the stale 7UP for me.

all up, down, and around

SO...pictures as promised in yesterday's post...
First, from a quilt shop I visited
while in Rhode Island...
Here's the entrance:

Folk Art Quilts, Wakefield, RI

A very quaint shop, in a very quaint town, the owner and her sister were both pleasant; she/or they loved the large scale, two color print fabric, so there was a great collection of that. And they had the newest line of Lecien fabrics by Crabapple Hill!
My camera evidently didn't flash, so no inside picture, sorry -
but, here's the stash I gathered:

that's all the fabrics that I need, (yes, Need) for my

hand-embroidery project for this year -

Snow Days/Crabapple Hill.

The fabric on the left is Primitive Muslin by Primitive Gatherings, that I chose for my stitchery blocks.  Then, look at all of those great lights and mediums for the block piecings!
 Next I drove through a corner of Massachusetts and back into Rhode Island 
(!, not as bad as it sounds, it was only 25 minutes:)
and stopped in this shop:

Just Quilts, Bristol, RI

I picked up this cool tree fabric:

Don't know what I'll do with it, but I LOVE trees,

so I will find something to make, I'm sure.

Then on the drive home,
Sweetie, being bored in the car at only two hours into our 12+ hour drive,
plugged "quilts" into the GPS-thingy
(without me asking, btw; that's one of the reasons I call him Sweetie:)
and found a quilt shop only 20 minutes off the path home!
And he must have been really bored already,
as he suggested we make the side trip!
We found this quilt shop in the corner of an "L"-shaped strip center.

Quilting By The Yard, Vernon, CT

But, as we walked in, it was totally different
than the impression given by the strip center!
Each of those alcoves, pictured above, is a different family of color in their color wall!!
Totally worth the side-trip, even if it had been 3 times longer/out of the way!
Great selection of fabrics, friendly, and brightly lit.
Laura, one of the owners, was very friendly,
and will ship by phone order-
(which you will want to do when you see the stash I got).
If you give them a call or visit, Tell them that I said HI!
My acquisitions?

I totally spent my b-day money all up :)

when I saw Rouenneries Duex by French General:

THEN...

The entire line of

Blueberry Crumbcake by Blackbird Designs!

That's when I spent my b-day money 

not just all up,

but all down and around, too:)

visiting & chunks

Sweetie is getting really, really, really bored
as he is recovering from his foot surgery.

So I took him on a drive.
Well, I drove, he was a passenger- so I took him on a ride.
I drove North/East for twelve and a half hours.
We did stop for food, gas, and pit stops.
Not necessarily all three of those in the same stop,
which allows more stopping :) .
It was a good drive/ride. 
Especially as we got to Rhode Island
as that is where our favorite daughter lives :)

We visited for five days - she worked a couple of those afternoons and evenings, and we went with her and watched some high school sports, including Seniors nights.  Almost forgot how fun those times were!
We did a little touring in a couple of historic towns of the northeast,
tried some new-to-us restaurants,
played a couple of card/dice games (I left my "quawtaws" there :) ,
and, of course, hit a couple of quilt shops...pics tomorrow, promise.

Change of subject...

Did you know that it can snow in "CHUNKS"?
Evidently it does this in Rhode Island:

This was early morning snow - that covered the ground very quickly,

as you can tell from the size of those flakes chunks.

Back to the quilt shop subject:

One of the shops I visited, a cute quilt shop in Wakefield, RI,
I added to my project list...surprise, surprise...
as I chose fabrics for my Snow Days/Crabapple Hill project (pics tomorrow, really!).

And, I stitched a little on my
How does your Garden Grow/Crabapple Hill project,
as I had the floss kit shipped to daughter's address! :)

It was a GREAT visit, and we hated to leave.

Then we I drove back home - another twelve and a half hours plus snow/white-out delays.
Sweetie will maybe make it a few more days at home before he is bored again!
Then I'll have to see what we can get into next :)

Happy Saturday!!!

hearts to you

Thanks for all of the birthday month wishes!

I'm getting my birthday gifts

ready to send out

to all of the followers who have already responded-

(GIFTS = hearts, of course, 

fat quarters, roses, make-dos,

& chocolates are getting packaged & ready to ship)

Don't forget,

if you still want to get my birthday gift to you,

you have until the end of February...

just become a follower,

 leave a message telling me your birth month

 and what you do for your birthday.

Happy February!

smiles & my b-day month GIVEAWAY

My iron that I use for piecing?
Well, the handle doesn't stay up...
the clip inside that made the handle stay out in "pressing mode"
no longer works --- it just magically didn't work one day.
Bummer!

And I've sort of gotten used to it, I guess.

Because it's a small, travel iron size,

and the whole time I'm sewing,

I leave it on the highest setting, 

it gets  just a little warm in the body -

right were my fingers are pressing the handle down onto the body of the iron...

OK, more than a little warm - almost hot.

But these fingers of mine -

they are used to the heat of the kitchen,

so maybe, just maybe,

 are a little de-sensitized.

So, the smile part:

I got a new iron :)
and the handle stays up!
Yep, I had already gotten used to pressing with the handle that didn't stay up!
Now, to get to work.
I want to again be used to the iron with the handle that stays up!

Little things that make me smile...

Happy Stitching!
ps. To be in my birthday month GIVEAWAY, just become a follower and leave me a comment on how you celebrate your birthday & what month it is.  (I just have to be able to email you for contact info)

blue bird finial of happiness

This pic, this week,

is out my back door, off the deck:

Don't know for sure,

but the way they are lined up on the railing,

you'd think they are auditioning to be finials!

What I do know,

is that they are back in the neighborhood earlier this year.

When they do come back to visit (usually in March)

they head right to the berries in the holly shrubs.  

And by the the chattering and chirping going on,

they sure enjoy a slightly frozen holly berry treat!

And they made me smile.

What more could you ask for

besides snow and bluebirds on the same day? :)

Hope you have a bluebird of happiness day also!

Sweetie, "Hunny" & a little meandering

Well, I don't know how or why,

but that last week just FLEW by!

Can't believe that today is already Valentine's Day!

Did you think that the

 Sweetie and "Hunny"

had to do with the holiday???

No, really about some stuff going on here at the homestead...

I'm thinking that maybe, just maybe, 

that the time flying by is all the stuff

that Sweetie has been planning for me

as he sits on the couch again this week:

this is week 4 of nine in his foot surgery recovery.

Not that I'm counting or anything :)

And, the "Hunny" and meadering is quilt fun!!:

I got the chance to do some meandering

all over a couple of really cute baby quilts last week!

The first that I'll share is Janet's...

she did awesome hand-embroideries of Pooh and friends,

then pieced around her stitched blocks with really cute fabrics and border!

Really, I should have taken a pic of the back of her hand-embroidery blocks...

they were as good on the back as the front, and that was perfect!

Unbelievable!!!

Here's a close-up of her hand work, with my echo quilting around it: 

 Isn't that just the cutiest little Pooh?

(: can't believe I just asked if that wasn't the cutest little Pooh! :)

Anyway, here's a close-up of the design I decided to meander with...

 my hand-guided "hunny" bees and loopy paths.

Then, if that wasn't just a great quilt to work on,

I also got to meander across a quilt by Stella:

 Another great baby quilt!!!

This one I stitched (also hand-guided) the words from the nursery rhymn:

"Snips and snails and puppy dog tails,

that's what little boys are made of".

Those were some great quilts to be able to play with!

Thanks, Gals!!!

Hope your Valentine's Day was great, and
Happy Stitching!

p.s. don't forget about my Followers Giveaways this month -
gifts are yours for the asking (check it out here).

happy birthday month giveaway

February is a GREAT month...
Not only is there Valentine's Day,
it's also the month of my wedding anniversary.

AND, to top it off, it SNOWED again yesterday - YAY!!!
Oh, yeah, AND it's my birth month!

Every year,

as my gift to myself,

I get my annual check-up:

you know -

oil change, tire pressure check,

and the smash-'em/squishies.

I think that's one of the best gifts I can give myself.

And then there's this that came to my house:

Singer 160

That's a pretty great gift too!

Don't forget...
I'm giving away gifts for my birthday -
(check out the original post by clicking here)
Followers, leave me a note on this post or the original post by clicking on the above link...


(if you are not yet a follower, become one,
just make sure I can access your email address)
tell me your birth month &
how you celebrate it (or don't celebrate it),
as I'm giving away
a couple of little birthday ditties
each week of February.
(Birthday ditties= hearts, chocolate, fabric, maybe a rose or two thrown in).

Happy Birthday

confusing time/party time

I finished my Snowy Days -

wool on cottons and homespuns. 

Right in time for Winter...

What Winter, I say...

CONFUSING:
Old Man Winter is confused...
It's early February, and I'm here in central Ohio -
it should be snowing and blowing.
But, alas, very little snow...
well, there was a little Thunder Snow!
That was exciting.  But it didn't last. 
The next day it was back to 50 degrees.
Today, there are some snow flurries-YAY.
But tomorrow, back to rain...confusing.

Then there was the second day of February -
and the whole shadow/groundhog thing...
Sunny here all day, but
20 miles to the north,
heavy cloud cover the entire day!
Even the local Groundhog is confused...
snow/no snow/rain/freezing rain.

Well enough of this rain!
Bring on the SNOW - IT'S FEBRUARY!!! 

What I do know is that I'm ready for a party!

I hosted the neighbors for the Super Bowl viewing.

Or in some cases,

the Commercials of the Super Bowl viewing.    :)

But, that's not the party-ing that I was thinking of.

I'm thinking it's February, and

well,

February is my birth month.

THAT calls for a PARTY, don't you think???!!!

Yep, all month long!

So, rain or snow,

shadow or no,

It's party time!

Followers, leave me a note,

(if you are not yet a follower, become one, 

just make sure I can access your email address)

tell me your birth month and

how you celebrate it (or don't celebrate it),

and I'll give away

a couple of little birthday ditties

each week of February.

(Birthday ditties= hearts, chocolate, fabric, maybe a rose or two thrown in)

Happy confusing February!

blue winter

Not blue as in sad
(well, maybe a little sad, as there is very little snow :(
No, I'm talking blue as in number 336.
DMC 336...


Yes, it's raining/snowing
and blowing outside.
But, I'm stitching away inside-
on my blue winter...

Yep, I've started stitching another Winter Wonderland.
Remember that Crabapple Hill beauty that I stitched three years ago?
The one in red?
The one that I finally got quilted and hung in the great room this year?


Well, I have two children.
The older, the sonny, saw the red one and asked if it was for someone.
I said "me".
He asked if his name could go on it.


A few weeks later, my second child, the girlie?
Well, she said basically the same thing -
could her name go on it?


Now, my children,
neither really gives a fig about
my quilting. 
They like it and look at it (sometimes)
kind of like they are interested in what dear ol' momma is doing.
But, neither really has taken much of an interest before.


That is,
until the one quilt that has about
47,000 enjoyable hours of work
in it came along!
Yep, 47,000  hours.
(no, I didn't keep track of stitching time - I'm just guessing here.
and I may have rounded up just a smidgen).


So anyway, right then and there,
I started stitching another Winter Wonderland,
this time in blue.

That will give those kiddos something to think about...
Eventually, they'll have to choose amongst themselves:
red winter or blue winter.