Blog Header Porch

I've had several people ask me if the porch shown on the blog header is my porch.  Alas, it is not.  It is from my favorite house in the world, however, even though I don't own it!!  If I could pick that place up and move it, I think I'd do it.  Hang the cost.  Or, build a new one that looks just like it but would have to do lots of scouting to find the old materials. 


Anyway, I dream of that porch.  Sitting on that porch is beyond wonderful.  Its way out in the country and is now actually a bed and breakfast/antique shop.  I love it and it portrays the perfect atmosphere I was looking for here. 


Thanks for asking about it.  (Oh, I do change pictures from one end of the porch to the other occasionally.  Yes, its that long and wraps around both sides of the house a ways.) 


Y'all take care.  

Stitching and Stitching Away

I've been a busy bee just sewing, sewing away.  I got the idea to make each of my siblings a quilt for Christmas and I've been working on the tops.  Got one top completed, the blocks made for two more but need sashing, and one more set of blocks to make.

 I can't say they are the most challenging projects I've ever attempted, but given the time frame, they'll have to do.  And I hope they will appreciate the effort.     


I already had one top made that I'm going to give my sister-in-law (deceased brother's wife).  Well, for some reason the photo is not uploading.  It's an unusual Christmas quilt in that the color scheme is turquoise, coral, lime green, etc.  But I think she'll like it.  


I'm sure hoping that we'll have a change in the weather soon.  I'm ready to spend more time outside and right now it just beats me up to be outside very long.  


Y'all take care. 













  

Squares and Welcome Visitors

Two or three weeks ago, I attended a workshop by Kim Brackett and commenced working on her quilt called "Island Chain".  I think this is by far the most difficult quilt I've ever tackled.  It will be lovely when finished, but, wheweeeeeee!!!  It truly did tax my brain something fierce when trying to lay this out right.  Even being diligent, I did have to rip out some seams and re-do them.  

Island Chain by Kim Brackett 

There were lots and lots of seams to be matched up.  Or at least I tried to match them up.  Did a pretty good job and it is good enough!!  Now, on to the borders.

I've been practicing some free motion quilting on my new machine. A quilting friend came over this week and showed me a few things.  Mostly, I think she just wanted to prod me along and "give me permission" to jump right in and do it.  I'm sure most of you know what I'm talking about.  


We had a couple of early migrant birds this week.  A Black & White Warbler  showed up one day.  The very next day a  Blue-gray Gnatcatcher appeared in the same oak tree.  And, we've had a hummingbird visit our feeders several days.  Won't be long before there's a steady stream of migrants and the birdwatching will be good.  I'm really looking forward to that. 


Y'all take care. 

Twenty-One Years Gone

August 7, 1990 about noontime.  That's when I got the dreaded phone call telling me that Daddy had died due to a massive heart attack.  My sister-in-law's words were "Pack your bags.  We've lost Daddy."  Where have all those years gone? 

Paternal Great Grandfather

Paternal Grandparents 

Daddy with mules, Pat & Mike, 1934

Daddy and friend  mid 1950's

Daddy, early 1980's

Fall, 1986

My, how I miss him today.  


Y'all take care.  

First Hummer!

Late this afternoon we saw the first hummer of the fall migration at our house!!  Yippee!!   He didn't really stop but hovered long enough for me to see him.  


Now, to keep the windows clean and the camera handy. 


Y'all take care. 

Stitching in Dog Days

Ah, the dog days of summer!  Seems like we've had them since the first of May.  Hot, sultry days with nary a breeze to be had.  Sticky.  Slap you in the face and take your breath away days.  I'm so looking forward to that first day when you look around because something feels different and you know that the weather is about to change.  


Meanwhile, I'm spending lots of time indoors and working on my quilts.  Attended a workshop on Saturday that taxed my brain and eyes beyond imagination.   With the instructor's help, I finally got it laid out and pinned to the flannel background so it could be transported home.  No way was it going to be in pieces again!  Here it is laid on a guest bed, still on the flannel blanket. 

I've spent a good part of today squaring up blocks and then stitching blocks together to make rows, all the while being paranoid about getting a block turned the wrong way.

This isn't the best location to do the squaring up, but rather than run the risk of a block being turned wrong or getting out of order, I figured this worked as good as anywhere.  Thankfully, the bed is kind of tall and I could stack suitable hard boards so that I had a workable surface for the rotating cutting board.  When this is done, though, I think I'll be very happy with it.  

Recently, I bought myself a new toy.  My reasoning for it was that I could learn how to machine quilt and thus save myself all that money spent sending quilts out to a long arm quilter.  That's my story anyway, and I'm sticking to it. 

The juvenile finches were back on the hummer feeders today.  They were so cute. 

I know, its a terrible picture, but I had the wrong lens on the camera and I didn't want to get up to get the correct one for fear of causing him to leave.  He was so skinny and curious about what was inside the window.


Y'all take care.