November Update

Look, it's a new post! Wow, I don't even have an excuse. I have not been overly busy but I have become consumed with cross stitch. Did I need another craft? No but I have one.

I finished stitching Take Time.

I found this kit at Walmart.

I need to frame it and add the shells.

It will be displayed in the bus at the beach.

I learned to coffee/tea dye Aida.

I followed this video but paid close attention to time because my fabric was different from their's.

I really like how it turned out and can't wait to dye more.

Because bright white isn't necessary for everything. 

Then I started stitching this for the grands.

I bought the pdf chart from Aliton Embroidery Etsy shop.

I'm still thinking about pulling out the gold and restitching in a darker gold.

Next up is sewing news. 

I finally made my blocks for our quilting group Christmas party.

I'll show you those after the party.

I cut out and sewed a new knit shirt. 

I'd show you but it's sitting on the machine waiting for a hem.

I love mixing up the textures of knits.

This is a raglan top with the stripes for the sleeves.

I pulled fabrics finally for the new Quiltville Mystery Frolic.

It took me a while to decide on my fabric.

I'm using stash and I have almost no blues at all.

I have lots of purples so that's what I'm using.

I thought about using bright yellow since I have very few aquas.

Daughter Crystal and I went mystery fabric shopping and

I decided to buy 1 piece of aqua and use that.

I did add a few more purples and of course I had to add to my neutral stash.

These aquas were put back in the bin.

I'm happy with my fabrics. 

I have not quilted anything since Hawaiian Sunset 1845.

I've made backs and now need to have a basting party.

I pulled out some little Churn Dash blocks to use as leader/enders 

and decided to finish making up these blocks 

so I can get them turned into the top I have designed in my head..

Of course it's not fun until the seam ripper comes out. 

It seemed like everything I touched that day had to be taken out and redone. 

Farm News

Hubby decided he wanted to hatch out some chicks.

He put 22 eggs in the incubator and we now have 19 babies.

We had a raccoon problem and lost quite a few of our hens.

The kids have fun with the names.

In this group are Peanut Butter, Peanut, Peanuts 1-5, Banana Split, Turtle.

Honestly I only know Peanut Butter because she is the only red chick. 

Always fun on the farm.

Until next time........

Our Christmas Club Block Exchange

Each year at the Christmas Club party, 

we choose a block to exchange each of the member.

The year before we chose to do a 6" calendar block.

One member opted out so I volunteered to make 2 sets of blocks.

Mine are the umbrella for April and the Maple leaf for September. 

I chose to make my little sashings from 1" strips so my sashing sets total 1 1/2" wide.

Skinny little sashings can be a challenge to work with.

I finished my wall hanging earlier in the year and

chose not to reveal until our party.

I still have my 2nd set of blocks.

I plan to put them together for a wall hanging in the motor home.

I'm thrilled with how it turned out.

This year we exchanged 9" Churn Dash blocks.

I cannot wait to work on this project.

This year our block is a barn. 

Any barn, any size.

I'm still thinking about this one. 

Design Wall Monday

What a fun, full week I've had! 

My plan was to quilt and quilt I did.

Tuesday was a good day to channel my friend Julie and get some basting done.

I set up my basting tables and basted 4 quilts,

2 baby quilts, 1 twin and 1 queen.

I had one already basted and on the machine with the quilting started.

When Ernie is away hunting for the day,

I take advantage of no interruptions.

This is the Calendar Wall Hanging that was 1st up.

I can't show it to you until I share it with the gals at Christmas Club.

I'm so happy to have it finished finally and can't wait to hang it.

Next up is baby quilt 1.

I don't know who designed this block. 

I've searched and searched but have no idea.

It was fun to sit down at EQ7 and figure it out.

Baby quilt #2

These will both go to a local charity.

I loved digging in my strip bins and using up strips from our swaps.

It was also fun deciding on backs for these.

I wanted fun and bright (and fabric out of my stash!).

My next retreat is next weekend.

I had already planned to work on Virginia Bound from

Bonnie Hunter's book Scraps & Shirttales.

My string bins are overflowing and I've wanted to make this one for a very long time.

Friday I decided to cook up my last Blue Moon pumpkin

and get the puree in the freezer.

My friend Pam gave me 3 of these,

I gave 1 to Crystal.

I saved the seeds from my 2 to share.

She saved her seeds too.

We are going to have plenty of pumpkins next year.

Isn't it pretty.

I don't think mine is going to last very long.

Hubs has decided he really really likes pumpkin bars.

We celebrated this weekend with Leland.

He's in the blonde in the middle.

Happy 9th birthday Big Guy! 💗

My plan for this week is to take a short break from quilting.

I'm going to make some doll clothes for some special girls

 and a couple sweaters for myself.

Then it's back to quilting.

This is the next quilt to be quilted.

Have you watched Angela Walters' on You Tube?

She has a series on Dot To Dot quilting.

That's what I'm going to do on this one. 

Or we can say that's my plan. 😉

Check out other design walls around Blogland at

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts Design Wall Monday.

Design Wall Monday

It was a slow sewing week for me.

Every time I thought I would be able to sew for the day, 

something came up.

I spent some time Sunday morning cleaning and clearing in my sewing room.

 In the afternoon after a trip to see the grandkiddos for a bit, 

I decided to sit down and sew my

Fun On The Farm block for October. 

I think it turned out cute. 

Then I figured I better get my hinnie busy and get my Christmas Club blocks made.

I have all my half square triangles sewn and most of them are trimmed.

I am hoping to finish them on Monday.

I wish I could convey how much I love that Bloc-Loc ruler!

Then it's back to the baby quilts.

This week I have no plans except for Wednesday,

so lets all cross our fingers for a good sewing week while the hubs is a hunter.

While emptying a bin this morning,

I came across this rug project from several years ago.

I had to ask in our retreat Facebook group who taught us this technique and 

what was it called.

After I failed at finding any information on Google, 

one of our friends said it was called locker hooking.

More searching and I found some instruction on You Tube

and I'm a happy locker hooker again!

Isn't the internet amazing!

When I put this down to get ready for bed,

I had 2 more rows in the middle of this section to complete. 

It didn't take long to get into the rhythm again.

Check out what other quilters are up to at

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts Design Wall Monday.

Design Wall Monday

The sewing mojo has returned home! 

On Ringo Lake is a finished quilt top!

Even that one sashing block has been turned the right direction.

I'm waiting on the backing to arrive this week and the basting will begin.

After ORL, I grabbed the board the had these cute 6" calendar blocks layed out on it.

These were our Christmas Club exchange blocks for 2017.

I knew all last year how I was going to sash them!

This will hang in the bus at the beach when it's completed.

Then I started sewing Oklahoma Backroads blocks into a top.

I've been making these blocks as leader/enders for a while.

The pattern is at Quiltville in the free patterns tab.

Sorry for the horrible picture.

It needs a good pressing and then the sashing will go on.

Lots of tv time with the Olympics and then yesterday was the Daytona 500.

We have really missed watching NASCAR the past couple years.

I sat down thinking I could get the last row finished on The On The Road Quilt

(found at MDQuilts)

but I was wrong.

I had one yellow/orange rosette stitched wrong so unsewing and resewing had to happen

before anything else.

I have the final 4 finishing rosettes and 1 little edge section left.

Today? Maybe~

Snow and ice and freezing temps are here again.

Spring tried to show herself around here.

Daffodils are up with buds ready to open, trees are starting to grow their buds,

then WHAM!! Winter tells us who is still boss.

These days are perfect sew days. 

See what's happening in Blogland at

Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

Design Wall Monday

When my world is in chaos and I can do nothing about any of it,

I retreat into myself and seek my quiet.

My quiet is in my sewing room.

It's been a while since I've spent so much time with just me, my machine, 

my thoughts and my prayers.

The borders for Midnight Flight are complete.

Now it's time to lay out the blocks and get them sewn together.

I'll have grandhelpers here today,

maybe it will happen or maybe it won't.

Next up were the exchange blocks for our Christmas Club party.

(It's not really called the Christmas Club, 

but I needed to name it. 😉 )

I can't believe I am this ready so early in the year!

Since I didn't have anything else ready to work on, 

I kitted up several more Oklahoma Backroads blocks.

Free pattern from Quiltville!!

All the piece for a block are pinned together, ready to lay out.

I'm using this quilt for my current leader/ender project.

And since I wasn't finished retreating,

I just sat and sewed several together.

Now I need to kit some more.

Several more blocks were added to the stack.

And of course some had to be layed out just to see. 😍

I can't believe I haven't done a DWM in over a month!

I'm linking to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts Design Wall Monday.

OMGosh, the things that are posted over there,

I can't wait to go visiting!!!

I truly love Monday in Blogland.