lost, not found & a small, quilt-y finish

Finally, I've finished the quilt top

for my new, great-nieces' birth quilt/gift.

She was born on the 4th of May,
so now that she's here and named, 
and I've quilted her name into the quilt,
I've stitched up the binding this weekend.
It's a cute finish, if I do say so myself.

So, the Finally?  The: what's been the hold-up? 
Well, as I shared a few weeks ago,

I COULD NOT find my Lil Twister ruler.

Anywhere.
It wasn't in the "ruler stand" where it should have been...

I searched high and low,
at least twice daily all that week and the next, 

through folds of fabric in stacks,

through the small, "magic crock".
(the Magic Crock - that held over 50 patterns!!),

and I never did find it.

I finally gave in and bought a new Lil Twister ruler.
Now it will show up, won't it?

Something I did while searching for the missing ruler,
was to take a picture of the layout of the fabrics...

pieced charm squares, ready for sub-cutting.

I like to take pics beforehand as it helps me to "step back" 
to see if there are any little fabric squares not playing well with their neighbors.

Maybe I should "step-back" and

start taking photos of my rulers after I use them? :)

Memorial Day

In memory of and honor for 

those who have fought to keep our country free.

My deepest thanks to all who have served.

 



I hope your Memorial Day is a safe and wonderful one,

spent with those you love.

 

a little quilting

A little more quilting last week:

Sharon is working on "Our Flower Garden" -a pot holder quilt

at the Good Wives Co., and she asked me to quilt her blocks.

She's a new quilter, but you sure can't tell!

Sharon also made this:

Pink Patches Doll Quilt,

from the book "Civil War Sewing Circle".

I've been working on my POTC - Lucy Boston Blocks.

And, I'm pleased to say,

I'm up to date and still doing a block a week - YAY!

I'm not up to date on my Sally Post blocks though :(

but, that's OK -

no pressure at all from anyone other than myself.

Can't seem to get my act together at all!

I'd hoped to do three blocks a month.

They don't really take too long to make, I just need to get some blocks prepped so I can take them with me so I can do some needle-turn applique during sitting-time.

You know how it is when the sun is shining and the weeds are calling, and it's almost pool weather, and the grand kids have games I can go watch, and, and, and!!! Isn't life wonderful?  It's grand having too many things to do, isn't it?

Hope your May is going well -

Happy Stitching!

rhubarb memories

Rhubarb -
you either love it or hate it.

Me? I love rhubarb!
And, growing up a farm-girl,
rhubarb season brings back memories...
One of the best rhubarb memories I have
is going out after school
and pulling a fresh stalk of rhubarb:

My siblings and I,

each armed with our own pocket-knife

and little paper-tooth-brush-cup

(you know the little cups that I'm talking about)

a quarter filled with sugar,

would head out to "the patch"

to choose our own rhubarb stalk snack.

With a quick yank, we'd pluck the stalk from the clump

then flip out our pocketknife blade,

and whack off the rhubarb base and huge leaf.

After wiping the knife blades onto our jean shorts

 and stowing our knives back into our pockets,

we'd sit in the garden and devour our fresh treat,

dipping the freshly picked rhubarb stalk into our allotment of sugar. 

I loved the tartness and crisp, crunchy bite, lightly sugared.

I think my brothers probably ate the sugar more than the rhubarb,

just using the rhubarb stalk as an implement

to get the sugar to their mouth. :)

The only way the day could have been better was if it was Spring-raining...

we could use the huge rhubarb leaf we'd just cut off -

umbrella-like, on our heads like a cap!

 

Since it's the height of rhubarb season here in Ohio,
I used some of my first rhubarb "picking" and early strawberries

and made me and Sweetie a pie (crumb-topped, not two crusted).
And I know it's a going to be a great one, as it ran over in the oven!!

I think I'll have the grand kids over
and take them out to the rhubarb patch, too -
introduce them to the little paper-tooth-brush-cup of sugar.
Tart, but sweet memories.

fun, fun, fun & POTC

Happy Mother's Day weekend to all!

I probably should be cleaning

or

pulling those pesky weeds that

are Spring-springing.

I DID head out to the front flower bed area this morning.

 I decided that it's COLD outside!!

So, instead of weeds,

I pulled a few stalks

of rhubarb and headed back indoors. :)

 

I turned on the oven for a little heat...
the making of a strawberry-rhubarb pie,

Then I choose fabrics for more Lucy Boston blocks!!!

A girl DOES have to be prepared to stitch at a moments notice,
don't you know!

POTC / Lucy Boston blocks for April

OK, even though I scheduled it,
this didn't post for some reason - but better late than never...
 
End of April & beginning of May already! 
With all of the April showers (& flurries),
I've been able to be inside stitching,
so I've kept up on my personal goal of a block a week!
(Though not all of my POTC Lucy Boston blocks have borders yet -  minor things!)

Here's the latest pic:

my Lucy Boston - Patchwork of the Crosses blocks for April -
English Paper pieced
mylifeisastitch.blogspot .com

SO...
the end of April signifies the first quarter of the year gone...
and I'm up to date on my block a week goal!
Guess that means that I'm a quarter done with piecing this fabulous quilt top!

(Also, I'm still lovin' the fussy-cutting of fabrics and

the making of Swiss cheese from my fabrics:)

Since April is gone, this also means that
it's about time to choose a fabric for my connecting squares.
I'm leaning toward something in the blue/grey family. 

Off to stitch a little more -
and think about connecting-square fabric colors...

Happy Week!

more quilting fun

I love quilts for babies!!

And I got to meander over a couple more quilts  - for twins!!!
Little sock monkey quilts - aren't they so cute?

A green-backed quilt with green binding and a red-backed with red binding.

That sock monkey fabric made great little quilts,

so I quilted them with a design I call Monkey Tails :).

 

The twins that belong to these quilts

were just born this past Thursday night-

a little boy and a little girl - I've seen pics and they are sooo cute!!

They were just a little early (each was just above 4 pounds), but they are doing great!

Congrats to Gma Colleen!

 

On a similar note:
one of my nieces is in labor right now - which means there's a little girl coming SOON!
I'm waiting on the birth (and name) to finish quilting her birth-quilt-gift from me.

Hope you have a happy, sunny, & stitchin' weekend!!

No, "May Day" was not a call for help in this instance

No, I am not in Quilter's Distress.
Well, any more than normal :)
Just wanted to wish everyone a Happy May 1st...

Evidently, I alarmed some folks yesterday with my
May Day, May Day, May Day post title.
My thought?
All caps and BOLD:

MAY DAY - MAY DAY - MAY DAY!!!!!!!!!!

would signal alarm.

(If I ever type three, bold, all caps-May Days,
you know then that I'm distressing!)

But going back to read yesterday's after-the-fact post,
I can see now, my mistake.

 

I'd tried to pull an

old-fashioned tradition into this current time-period.

To top it off,
evidently, only people
"above a certain age"
know that the May Day tradition
of leaving little bouquets of flowers on doorsteps
is a sign of friendship and of welcoming Spring...

And, guess who's above a "certain age" ?
Me.  I'm claiming it.

Anyway, Happy May!

and here's another little floral bouquet picture for you -

this time in fabric, too:

Maybe next year I'll introduce
the May Pole dance tradition back into society! :)

p.s. Sorry about you folks that were hit by a snow storm for May Day.  That could have sent up the MAY DAY alarm :)

May Day, May Day, May Day!

Happy May Day to you!

Peonies budding in the foreground,
red bud bush in the center, 
and in the background, the cherry tree is full of blossoms!

 

I'm so excited!!

The sun is shining here,
it's going to be almost 80 degrees today,
and there are no storm clouds on the horizon.
AND, the blooms have exploded!

I'm not doing my usual May Day tradition
of leaving a small bouquet of blooms
on the neighbor's door steps...
That tradition may have gone by the wayside with most folks,
as I was afraid they would call the police 
if I dropped some flowers, rang the doorbell and ran! :)

So instead, I'll just leave you this photo and
wish you a happy 1st day of May!