'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. :)

Time Flies!

Marcie, I didn't take a picture of the stitchery that I'm working on but I AM going to take it out on the boat with me!!! LOL I have even bought me a special 'toolbox' to put my sewing 'gear' in for boating trips!!! :D Guess I'll have to just jump in after it if a big wake dumps it overboard (yeah, right, like uhhh I'm NOT the best swimmer in the world!) ROFL, but one does what one has to do!!! LOL

Here are a few more spool blocks. Haven't made any the last couple of days. My energy level dropped out of sight, so I gave in to Randy today and called the dr. to start me back on the synthroid again. They had taken me off of it last month and said let them know if I noticed a difference. Weeelllll, YES, a HUGE difference. So I'll start back on it tomorrow, and hopefully, will notice some change within a couple of weeks.

I have been doing some embroidery that I had drawn out while waiting to see if I could find the issue of Country Threads that I wanted (the one Sheila 'aubirdwoman' sent to me :D). Haven't taken pictures of it yet but I will soon. Enjoy your weekend!

Awesome Aussie Friends

Look!!! All the way from SheilaC (Australian Birdwoman) in Australia!! Not ONLY the Country Threads issue I was looking (begging??:0) for, but this hand-stitched embroidery piece! Aren't blogging buddies just the best??? For someone who was really really hesitant about trying out the blogging world, I have made some of the most wonderful, generous and caring friends that I've ever had. Thank you soooo much, Sheila, for your generosity and friendship. :D Now I want to get some of the stitcheries transferred to muslin so I'll have handwork to take with me on the boat!! :D

Dewey and Badger got a new toy each the other day. Badger is always so cute with a new toy...he just walks around with it hanging from his mouth, and he looks so funny cause he's so short, and sometimes the toys are almost as big as he is. :) Dewey's just a little old man now and doesn't get to het up about new toys---only if he wants to let me know that it's his dinnertime and I'm not paying attention. He'll grab a toy up and start trying to shred it to make me pay attention to him (read food bowl). ROFL Sometimes he'll grab one of Badger's favorites just to aggravate his little brother. What would I do without my "boys"? LOL

I'm up to 17 spool blocks now! Can you believe it??? ROFL Pictures of those later. Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.

Barefoot Contessa's Red Zinger Tea

I know, two posts in one day--what's the world coming to??? LOL But I was just sitting on the porch enjoying a glass of ice tea , and it's just soooo good (and not so bad for you either--no sugar added to this brew LOL) that I thought I would share the recipe, with all cudos going, of course, to Ina, the Barefoot Contessa! :) 4 cups apple juice 4 red zinger tea bags (I use whatever berry tea bags I have on hand) 4 lemon zinger tea bags (I use Green Tea Citrus flavor) 4 cups water Bring water to a boil and steep all the tea bags together for 8 minutes. Mix tea and apple juice in pitcher. Chill and enjoy!

Shopping Bags

I just made my second trip with my canvas bags that I found on sale at WalMart last week. I was going to make me some, and still may make a couple of 'pretties' to carry around, but these were such a good price and so sturdy that I went ahead and bought a bunch of them. Had them load those puppies up with my groceries, etc., the very same day I bought them. :) I have just gotten back from a trip to the Post Office, Family Dollar, and a small grocery store that's near out P. O. The Family Dollar and IGA loaded those canvas bags and didn't bat an eye! Am I pleased or WHAT???? YESSSS! Also found out that IGA offers paper bags as well! I'm soooo glad to know that. I will be using paper at their store from now on IF I don't have a canvas with me OR not enough canvas bags with me. :D I'm determined to at least rid myself of as many of those plastic bags they're using in every store in the whole country as I can.

I made two more spool blocks before bed last night. Mmmmm, Darlene, looks like you're right again---they ARE addictive!! That's all I've thought about the whole time I've been out running around today (necessary chores)---I wanna go home and make SPOOL BLOCKS!!! LOL

Look What I Did Today!

Can you believe it??? I actually pieced these blocks today. Vicky started it, and then Darlene chimed in, so since I love the block, I decided it was time to make me some too! :D These are really fast and easy to make, so I plan on making lots more in the future.

My volunteer sunflowers are starting to bloom, and they look so cute with my bee balm. I also have this pale yellow lily that I need to put back in the ground somewhere. It's been in that pot a couple of months now.