Embroidery Block No. 2

Embroidery Block No. 2
Embroidery Blocks Nos. 1 and 2
I finally finished the second embroidery block that I've been working on. I just love these little pieces! I'm really slow at it, tho, cause I have developed either a tendon or ligament problem in my right thumb...and yes, I'm right-handed. Makes it really difficult to do hand work which is my favorite type of sewing. :/

Amy (our daughter) and her boyfriend are supposed to arrive here tomorrow from Chicago, so I guess I better work on getting some of the dust up today, and get the guest rooms spiffied up a bit. :) They will probably be here until Sunday. It always seems that when I really get in the mood to sew, there's something else that demands my attention. Why is that!

I have an applique project that I'm slowly working on that I haven't shown any pictures of yet, and I have a pieced basket block that I've cut out but can't sew until I get the tablerunner that I'm machine-quilting out of the sewing machine. LOL So, see, I really have been puttering around with some quilt stuff what time I haven't been either working or fishing! :D

Update: Amy just called that they are on their way here today, rather than tomorrow. So I'll catch you all later! :)

'Pieces from Finn's Scrapbag'

Look what arrived in the mail from Finn! I LOVE them!! Thank you sooo much,
Finn, for these treasures! I will have to think up a special way to incorporate them into a wallhanging so that they will be out where I can see them all the time. :>

Gone Fishin'

It's hilarious that Simple Girl Libby started off her post yesterday with 'you either fish or cut bait' ROFL!! Dazy Darlene wanted to know the other day if I was off playing in the dirt again...well, while Darlene sews....and Libby freezes and cans......I'M GONE FISHIN!!! LOL (And I actually caught that 6 pounder that I'm holding there...on top-water bait....in the dog-days of summer!!!) I'll be back later to post pictures of another sort!! :D

I'm Still Here...Muddling Along

I know it's been ages since I've posted. I simply don't know where the time goes, but one day whizzes by, into the next day, and all of a sudden I feel like I've lost about a month. There's nothing different or unusual going on here to make the time speed by like that, but that's the patch I'm in right now. :/ I have been puttering around with applique and embroidery, but nothing to show right now. I'll be back with a more lengthy post later. Hope all is well with everyone!

The Good Ole Red/White/Blue

Here it is Sunday already. In a way, it doesn't seem possible that Randy has really been gone since Wednesday a.m., and will be back late tonight. Where did the time go? Sug (one of my seesters :D and pronounced like sugar :D) came and spent the night with me on Friday night. We had a slumber party!! :) I even took her out for a boat ride on Friday evening! :) And we took not narry a picture--Sug, are we dense, or what???? Tom really did raise some slow-witted cheedren!!! ROFLOL It was a really fun time. We spent a lot of time outside prowling in my flowerbeds. And of course she got her manicure AND pedicure done while she was here. :) After all, it was a slumber party!! LOL

Mrs. Goodneedle asked about the pattern name and designer of my little embroidery piece in the last post. It's called "Cups of Kindness" and is one of those Aussie patterns by Jan Knight. It's in Australian Country Threads 'A Special Patchwork Edition' Vol. 6 No. 11. I just don't think you can beat the Aussie designers when it comes to stichery!! And if I were ready to spend $80+ for a magazine subscription, this would be the magazine I would want to get every month. Ready or not, I may just have to do it anyway!! LOL I LOVE this magazine. It has wonderful quilt patterns, doll patterns, bag patterns, and of course, stitchery patterns in it. I have several issues that I've picked up here and there over time and I've worn them out looking through them. A couple of places that you might check for them are www.this-n-thatfabrics.com and
and ericas.com (an online quilt shop).

I told you I would have to cut some red/white/blue fabric, didn't I? LOL Well, I didn't get around to doing that until today, but I did cut and piece the Big Block Star quilt top today. It's not wonky (for a change LOL), the ceiling fans are making the right corner blow around. :D I'm trying to decide about borders. I'm thinking that if I have enough of the background fabric that I will add maybe a 5 or 6 inch border of that, for a couple of reasons: one, I want the quilt a bit bigger than the pattern is, and two, it will make the star float. :) So, what do you think? Of course, that's IF I have enough of the border fabric. So, I'm going back to the 'stewdio' now and check on that, and Dewey and Badger are anxiously waiting for Mom to feed them. :)

Hope everyone had a lovely July 4th holiday, and a super weekend!

Stitchery

I haven't washed or pressed this piece yet but I wanted to share a picture of it cause I think it's just too cute!! :) There are 4 of them in the quilt. This is the first one that I've finished. Although you can see the hoop creases on it, I ended up not using the hoop. It's just much easier for me to do the various stitches if the fabric isn't taut. To you embroiderers out there, do you use a hoop or not?

I have two wienie dogs down on me now. Dewey's been walking really stiff-legged for the last week or so, and yesterday afternoon couldn't take but a couple of steps without sitting down. Badger's back has also flared up on him again, so now I have TWO wienies to carry outside for potty time. :/ Dewey has been crated all day. I called the vet, and she is sending me more prednisone and pain med for both of them. So, for the next few days, I'm doing the puppy-shuffle when it comes to carrying them from one place to another. And the rest of that story is trying not to roam around in the house too much because they want to follow me. I may end up having to crate Badger as well. He has been really, really wobbly in the hindquarters today. So, I'm just holding my breath (LOL well, and a couple of wienie dogs too LOL). Needless to say, I have NOT done the sewing that I wanted to do. For now, I'm just playing with the embroidery, altho I have pulled some quilt books to look thru (for the gazillionth time LOL), and I've been in the 'stash room' several times looking at fat quarters. I just got Laps from Fats and More Laps from Fats this past week, and I really like the quilts in them. Now I guess I'll have to get the third one, Laps from Fats for Family and Friends. :)

Happy 4th of July! Happy Birthday, Barbara

Happy July 1st

Just a quick post to say Happy July to everyone. Hope you have a wonderful barbeque planned, complete with watermelon, for the 4th! I have my July wallhangings spread over the back of the sofa waiting for me to hang. :) I'm almost finished with one small embroidery piece, and I'll post a picture as soon as I've finished it. I always want to make 'new' things at the beginning of the 'holiday'--whatever holiday it may be-- NOT months in advance, which is what one should do if they want them completed in time to display for the holiday. LOL But, I've never been one that was able to think about Christmas in the heat of Summer, nor July and August quilts in December, so...yup, you guessed it, I will HAVE to cut some red/white/blue fabric irregardless of the fact that it will probably end up being another UFO for a while. :D Randy is leaving Wednesday morning (yes, I know, on the 4th of July) for Memphis, and won't be back until late Sunday night, so I'm hoping to have some quilty time, as well as some short boating excursions while he's away. :)

I'll leave you with some sights of Summer here at Ship's Landing: my coneflowers in bloom, a lovely lovely waterfowl of some sort, Randy's buddy and his daughter getting ready for a boat ride, and the sweet little hummingbird sitting on the 'dish' wires. :)