meanderings & Christmas

I have been quilting & meandering in the past couple of months,

not that this blog has shown it...

some of it is project work for the LQS and their shop hop,

so I can't share yet- sorry.

And it's some really GREAT stuff, too!

Some of the quilting I have been working on was my own, 
but I can't share it either at this point, as it's gifty stuff.
Yes, I said gifty stuff! 
As in I'm working on Christmas gifts!

For this coming Christmas,

not as in this past Christmas.

Shocking, I know!

Something must be wrong with me!
Take my temperature, quick!

Back to quilting: 
I have done some meandering for commissions.
A few of those I can't show, as they want surprises.
But I can share Louise's quilt:

I first met Louise when she was in a hand-embroidery class with me at a LQS about 5 or so years ago.  For her first project EVER she did Walking in a Winter Wonderland by Crabapple Hill.  Yes, as her first project!  All hand-embroidered center blocks, and all pointy-star blocks around the outside (wish I had a pic to share, somehow, I don't have a pic saved).  And, she let me quilt it! 

Anyway, she hasn't looked back!

She even comes up with something creative for the backs

Louise's quilt back

and makes each quilt very personalized for the receipent. 

I just love her and her quilts.

OK, back to the machine!  Christmas is calling!

Nice threads!

So, as I shared last week, I have started the "next up for me"
Crabapple Hills' "Gardener's Alphabet" quilt...
and as I didn't have all the flosses I needed for the project,
I found a nice shop online to order some of them.
I had not ordered from this shop before, but they had a whole lot of nice stuff!

I was so excited when the package arrived!
I spent just over $30. for the flosses.
Add  $5.45 for shipping.
That makes a grand total of $38.00.

I opened the package with such anticipation!
And this is what I found:

I was so disappointed...
There seems to have been  no care given in packaging or presentation.

Almost forty of my hard earned dollars.
and it looks like a wadded up mess.

(It was packed in plastic, with a business card thrown in.
And the whole thing was mailed in a bubble-wrap lined envelope.)
But, am I being too wanting or needy?
Are my expectations set too high?
WHAT happened to making the customer feel special?

It wouldn't have taken much to make this order "special" . 
Just by taking the time to lay the floss skeins beside each other.
Maybe a little piece of tissue or a little piece of curling ribbon...
And I know the cost of shipping has gone up, but this weighed only TWO OUNCES!
and, $5.45 for shipping seems just a tad high.

So, I'm just a little disenchanted.
I think I'll send off an email and let the online shop know my disappointment.
And that I had to immediately take them all out and straighten them:)

Am I the only one "OUT HERE" that would like a little nice-ness when I spend my money?

I can't wait to start stitching with them,
so I still say, nice threads!

treasured inheritance

While visiting in Florida,
I was gifted with a couple of beautiful items...
Grandpa had passed last September and
my momma and her siblings had divided his possessions, as was his wish. 
I received this great little sewing stand:

It needs a little tlc on the top, but is just a great piece
that I have already started to fill with my hand-stitching stuff.
This beautiful crocheted afghan was also gifted to me:

It was hand-crocheted in a soft cream yarn.
It looks like it was then
cross-stitch embellished
over each little stitch
to create the flowered pattern.
Now, I don't know much about crochet,
so I don't really know if it was
cross-stitched
over top of the crochet,
but that is what it looks like to me.

If you know what this method is called,
please let me know...
as I'd like to add a label.

I am so thankful for these treasured pieces.

more spring/sprung

Upon returning home recently from being out of town,

I knew Spring had sprung

when I saw this:

It's an old, cast iron hog feeder trough

that I have on my back deck.

Really!

I say, what's wrong with a hog feeder on the back deck?

I did re-purpose it,

'cause there are no piggies around here!
(well, there was a little pot-bellied piggy roaming the neighborhood one summer,
 but that's another story for another time:)

So, it now holds dirt :),

and I guess that's not far from the farm...

Anyway, sometimes I plant annual blooming things in it.

But check out what's coming up this year:

Aren't those some of the COOLEST mosses?

And it looks like they are blooming already!

I'm thinkin'
maybe I won't be planting
any annual blooming things
in the hog feeder trough this year!

Spring Sprung!

Well, finally had to do it...
I took Sweetie away...
He has recuperated well with his ankle surgery,
but NINE (LONG) WEEKS at home, he's just really bored.
And, he's not supposed to be doing anything...
the operative word there is "supposed".

Soooo, because he started getting more than a little antsy,
we packed the car and drove to southern Florida!
It was a wonderful week away -
sunshine, white sandy beaches,
no barn in which Sweetie could go out to "work".

Evidently, it was a wonderful week here at home, too.
Check out the blooms:

AND...
The grass grew really fast, too:

Really???!!!  Seventeen inch tall grass in a week?
And, don't know if you noticed
the flower bed in the background of the last picture...
Yes, those are weeds in front of the tulips -
weeds as tall as the tulips!

Good to be home :)
And, just in time,
Sweetie's off his medical leave
and back to work!
Speaking of work,
we'll tackle the
Spring grass and Sprung weeds
this week.

According to folklore, 
if March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb...
and vice versa...
Do you think that goes for more than the weather????!!!

I sure hope so, as my March sure
came in like a Lion (flu-wise),
but quilting-wise,
it was very lamb-like...
and that's not like me at all!
I'm hoping for more, more, more quilt-y stuff
for the rest of the month!

I did get started on the beginning of "Gardener's Alphabet"!

Crabapple Hill

Well, really, I've started on the END of the Gardener's Alphabet...

I know it's hard to see,
but that's my "Y" Yarrow -
traced, colored, heat-set, and ready to start stitching!
The "W & X" panel is also ready - YAY!

I had quite a few of the flosses from other projects

but I didn't have all the colors for this project,
so I ordered a few more of the Lecien/Cosmo variegates
because I love the variation of the variates...
that and they are so nice to stitch with and they don't fade or bleed.

So, seems like with some panels ready to stitch,
maybe I'm ready to get something going this month, after all!

forever and a week!

Seems like forever and a week
since I was down and out 
with the nastiest flu ever.  
It DID NOT want to leave!  
Also, seems like forever and a week since I've blogged...
I guess it was! :( so sorry, and thanks for all of you sweet folks 
who've checked in on me to make sure I was O.K.


NOW, my computer seems to have caught the viral bug -- 
UGH!  Hope it doesn't stay around as long as my virus did! :)
I've talked with my computer guru, though,  
and he's going to take it away today, so
I may be down and out for a few days or so...
Thank you computer guru!!
 Now, on the the important stuff - stitching!
I really haven't done much at all in the way of quilting...
(which means that I have not mailed out my Birthday Gifts yet, SO Sorry, Gals!!!
And, now with the computer problems, the mailing addresses are saved in a file on that infected computer -
soooo, really, I'll get them to you as soon as I can- promise!)
I did do a little hand stitching on my

Crabapple Hill-"How Does Your Garden Grow".

By the way, I do LOVE stitching with those Cosmo Threads...

The color variations are just wonderful!
Oh, I also I pulled together my fabrics so I can start the piecing.

Slowly getting back in the quilting motions...
And Oh, so glad.
Now, to get my computer back!!!

Birth Month gift winners

Thanks SO MUCH
for all of my great February birthday wishes last month!!!

I have decided that all that replied to my

birthday month question and were followers 

are gift winners!

(a little late, I know, but

here's the list & I've already sent an email) -

Pokey,
Diane K,
Where in the world is Jefferson City MO,
Cheryl at Teapots,
Debbie of S. Dakota, and
Ronnie.


Congratulations!, & I have some cool gifts
to give as soon as I get your snail mail addresses!
(As I didn't have email addresses for
Sandy and Sharon who left messages,
so sorry, I can't send gifts :(

I'll share pics soon of the birthday gifts, promise!,
but I want to keep the suspense just a little longer...
it's the same as celebrating my birthday all month long -
drawing it out a little more, & I love the suspense!!!

Happy March Stitching!!!

Happy 1st!

First day of March....already!
Whew!  Time does seem to be flying, at least for me...
I personally lost a week last month, it seems,
as I was down and out with the flu :(

I hope you'll understand that

I'm not mailing out my birthday gifts

to my followers this week.

I will wait until this bug has completely left the premises

before I start to work on getting the

presents all wrapped and shipped.

I would like to thank ya'll so much
for all of the Birthday Month wishes and greetings!
And, I heard about your birth month celebrations -
seems like we all love our family time, huh?

Now, I may try to stitch a little this afternoon...
That's a sure sign of recovery!

Here's where I left my

Crabapple Hill/How Does Your Garden Grow:

Hopefully it won't "hurt" to just hold my needle today:)

Happy 1st day of March,

and Happy Stitching!!!