Tiny Stitches in the Country

Disbelief

2007-04-17T16:47:00.000-05:00

We were in shock yesterday over the tragic events at Virginia Tech.

Many years ago, Lee and I lived in Blacksburg, just a couple blocks from campus, and I worked at Virginia Tech for a while. Even though we missed our real "home" and moved back here to WV, we've always kept such fond memories of the two years we spent there.

Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone forever changed by this horrible event.

wishin' it was spring already...

2007-02-06T21:03:00.000-05:00

I hate winter. Have I mentioned that lately?

Yesterday and today has been "freeze your butt off" cold. School was cancelled. Yesterday's coldest temp was around -8 F. This morning, my sweetie was nice enough to walk Skye for her first potty of the day, and it was -14. Yes, that is a minus sign in front of the number. UGH!

Today we spent the better part of the day dealing with a frozen water situation. We get our water from an old spring house at the edge of the woods. The water then goes into two different holding tanks, then continues down to us as needed. Well, the main gate valve was not covered properly (for whatever reason) and it froze. Lee and Daddy made a reflector around the valve and had a Coleman propane heater on it for many hours. Meanwhile, we were doing our best to scrounge up breakfast and lunch that did not require lots of pots/dishes/etc. And of course, no toilet flushing. Thank God for baby wipes and hand sanitizer. Hours passed and then finally....water!! So now the gate valve is really super-duper insulated.

Then later tonight, after washing up most of the dishes, we noticed that the tub had begun to collect water. Yep...another problem. The main drainage pipe was frozen. Luckily, the toilet has a seperate drain directly to the septic. So, the water in the tub was just handwashing water and dishwater. Anyway, now that's been taken care of, too.

And....we're getting lots and lots of snow as I'm typing this. School is already on a two-hour delay, and I'm guessing they will decide to close it for tomorrow, too. We've been hearing 1-3", other forecasts say 2-4", and we even heard a forecast earlier that said up to five in low-lying areas and up to 12" in the mountainous regions.

Winter sucks.

Here are some fabrics that make me think of spring, sherbert, and warm sunshine. The colors are actually a little less intense in person, but you get the idea.

that #@^$ white stuff

2007-01-23T22:32:00.000-05:00

We got some of that horrid white stuff on Sunday...and someone had lots of fun!

Being that I hate snow...and I certainly didn't want to get out in it, or take a chance on slipping and hurting my back again...I chose to take these photos from the safety of my living room window!!!

Lee built a fire, and they stayed warm in between sled rides. Of course, Morgan came to the door to get the obligatory marshmallows for roasting. And faithful Ben kept them company. They had a great father-daughter afternoon.

yes...I'm weird

2007-01-20T21:32:00.000-05:00

I've been tagged by Jhoanna at One Red Robin:

Rules - People who get tagged need to write a blog post of 6 weird things about them as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says “you are tagged” in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

1. I eat popcorn with a spoon, ever since I was a little girl.

2. I fold clothing before putting it in the dirty laundry hamper.

3. I have fingers that are crooked/twisted. Especially my left index finger . (Caused from cracking my knuckles sideways for years when I was growing up. Don't let your kids do this!)

4. I absolutely, positively hate to get dirty, especially my hands. (When I was little, an elderly neighbor bought me a sandcastle playset and told my mother that he needed to see me play in the dirt at least once - and no, I never did. He swore that I was the cleanest child he'd ever known.) I guess this is why I'm a terrible gardener!

5. I stir corn into my mashed potatoes. Now Morgan does the same.

ok...and number 6...I almost didn't put this....because it's really weird....
I shave my toes. Yes, bizarre, I know. (Because Lee teased me endlessly for years about how my big toes were so hairy.)

Now...I'm not going to follow the rules *exactly*...so, if you haven't done this yet...consider yourself tagged!

On the mend...

2007-01-20T21:08:00.000-05:00

First of all...thank you for the well-wishes!

My back is not the greatest yet, but it is healing and feeling much better...considering the pain I was in at this time last week. I can move now without wanting to scream. Still using the heating pad, still taking the Flexeril (at night only now). Continuing with the chiropractic, too. No more Percocet needed, thank God. It's good if the pain is unbearable, but it makes me so space-y and "out of it", and I really hate that feeling.

Then yesterday, I had another migraine complete with vomiting. Fun fun.

Yesterday, we also had something happen that set our tiny corner of the world on end, but I don't feel like going into it right now...maybe never. (I always struggle with how personal I should get here in blogland.)

So...as promised, I still have several projects to share, and they are coming soon. Please bear with me!

OUCH!!!

2007-01-11T19:45:00.000-05:00

Double OUCH!! And that's putting it mildly. Here's the scoop:

Yesterday, we'd had snow overnight and school was on a 2-hour delay. (Lee always takes Morgan to school on his way to work.) So I needed to take her to school. I went out to sweep the walk, continued down the driveway, and cleaned off the car and let it warm up. Then I made sure I could get the back door open - the latch is messed up and it's tricky...and of course it was mostly frozen, I had a hard time with it. Well, as I turned around to head back to the house....walking was excrutiatingly painful...I couldn't even stand up straight. But I *had* to fight through it and get the Mo to school.

When I got home and walked into the house I was completely in tears, yelping in pain. I called Lee and told him I needed to go to the chiropractor.

Long story short - I have a severe sprain/strain to the lumbar and sacral regions and a displaced tailbone. Yikes!!! My chiro could barely adjust me because my muscles were in such spasms. His office is closed on Thursdays, so I have to go back tomorrow for more adjusting.

I'm not real hip on taking a lot of meds, but I must say that I'm quite thankful for my left-over percocet from my kidney stone last year.

finding my groove again...

2007-01-08T20:59:00.000-05:00

Hello! I'm still here....really, I am.

I guess that break was just a little too enjoyable, because I'm finding it hard to get back into the groove. I've been reading the same thing from some other bloggers, too, so at least I'm not alone in my post-holiday laziness!

Our Christmas was so wonderful. I hope all of you reading this had a wonderful one, as well. I found myself enjoying it more after it was over though. Not in a bad way. What I mean is that I just felt so pressed for time and so busy in the days before, that after it was over and the dust had settled, that's when I had time to relax and enjoy the tree, and the bits of Christmas beauty all around me. So much in fact, that we just took down the all the decorations and the tree yesterday...January 7th! We've never left the tree up that long. In fact, I'm usually tired of it and want it down on the 26th. Hmm...so different for me this year.

I love this picture of Morgan. The joy and excitement on her face! She had just started to open a gift from her Grandma and Papaw that she had been really, really, really wanting. I'm so glad Lee was able to capture that moment!

*****

As some of you know, I'm a massage therapist, but haven't really been too active in many moons. This past Friday and Saturday I worked at a resort spa. It's mostly an on-call situation at the moment, so they don't even know when they'll need me again. Boy was I sore yesterday!! As you can imagine, bodywork is physically demanding...and let's just say that I'm not in the greatest shape lately!! That needs to change!

*****

Stay tuned...I have some things to show soon...

Hello 2007...

2007-01-01T09:30:00.000-05:00

Christmas break...

2006-12-20T08:21:00.000-05:00

Well, it's time to take a little blogging break now. I'll still be checking my e-mail, etc.

There's still lots of wrapping to do around here, among other things. Have a look at Trip....I'm hoping that I won't be this exhausted when I'm done!

I'll have more things to share when I return.

I wish everyone a safe and wonderful Christmas!!! I'll be back after New Year's Day...see you in 2007!

coasting along...

2006-12-20T07:20:00.000-05:00

Did you see the great coaster tutorial over at allsorts? These are fun, easy and just begging for a hot cup of tea. I found these beautiful Alex Anderson fabrics at my local quilt shop, and knew that the patriotic colors would be just perfect for some people on our gift list.

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Speaking of tea...I've got some new teas to enjoy during my gift-wrapping sessions. The last one, Bigelow, says on the back that the other seasonal flavors are Apple Cider, Ginger Snappish, and Eggnogg'n. I'd love to try the eggnog flavor, but can't find it at the stores. :(

ok...I got a little carried away

2006-12-19T22:26:00.000-05:00

Remember earlier this month when I showed the holiday magazines I'd gotten? Remember that the Cutting Edge had adorable wee ornament/package decorations by the very talented Hillary Lang? Well I started out with two....aren't they cute?!
Then I got caught up in the cuteness and decided to make a few more...well...14 more actually!! (Watch for upcoming info about a cool new-to-me stuffing that I used for these.) Created assembly-line fashion from beginning to end. But I severly underestimated the length of time they would take. Why do I *always* do that????

Regardless, I'm really pleased with them...and they will be gracing many a gift.

warmed up the knitting needles...

2006-12-19T07:30:00.000-05:00

Ok, first of all...I don't consider myself a knitter. Haven't knitted in over a year, at least. But someone on my Christmas list wanted their own fashion scarf like one I had made a few years ago...but in a different color. So I got out those long-ignored needles and got to work. This was made on size 13 (9mm) needles; Lion Brand Fun Fur in color "Tropical". Because you can't see the stitches well with eyelash yarn anyway, I did the whole scarf in garter stitch.

remember the recent WIP photo?....

2006-12-18T07:23:00.000-05:00

Well, that pile of green fabric became a Chelsea Tote from Lazy Girl Designs. It has seven interior pockets in the circumference. And at one pocket edge, I added a small loop which I slipped a little lanyard clip onto. (A little blurry, but I think you can distinguish what I'm referring to.) This is so a spare key can be clipped in...never be locked out of the car again! This is a feature I've been adding to all my most recent bags/purses. Just seems like a nice "extra" to me.

just like falling off a log...

2006-12-15T17:35:00.000-05:00

...a pretzel log. Well, *lots* of pretzel logs. Oodles and Oodles. One end dipped in dark chocolate, the other dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with multi-colored nonpareils. Mmmmm....love that salty-sweet combo.

Easy peasy....just very, very time consuming (at least for as many as I did). Then to package them up, I got the clear Wilton treat bags from the craft department at WallyWorld. I used a Hero Arts stamp on cardstock, then filled in with colored pencils. Folded down the top of bag, then stapled on the cardstock (shaped like tent cards).

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The tree got done last night...sort of. It's sitting there naked, well, except for lights. Ornaments go on tonight...hopefully.

Tick Tock...Tick Tock...

2006-12-14T07:19:00.000-05:00

Do you hear it? I hear it constantly...tick tock tick tock....Christmas is almost here. I got one package out Monday, and still have one to finish and get shippped. Absolutely nothing is wrapped. Our tree is not yet up, although I did get the living room rearranged a few days ago for it. (If I didn't have a kid...I'd probably skip it this year. That's just how I'm feeling.) I'll be at the sewing machine again today.

I keep getting seed catalogs in the mail. C'mon people! How am I supposed to keep my head in the game, so to speak, when I'm seeing spring in my mailbox.

I feel guilty for making grandiose Christmas plans, then not accomplishing the whole list. Then I feel even guiltier because in my heart I know that's not what this time is about anyway. The true meaning of Christmas gets so lost these days. I hate the commercialism of it. The pressure of it.

I took a break Monday evening and watched Mary Poppins on the Hallmark channel. It's been years since I've seen that and I've been humming Spoonful of Sugar ever since.

Well, Morgan recently got her own little tree for her room. She's been wanting one for many years, and she's loving it. And of course it needed to have pink all over it!

I'll do my best to post again real soon and show some of the things I've made. I really didn't mean to let so much time pass since my last post. Be back soon...

would you want these knees?!......and sadness...

2006-12-07T08:11:00.000-05:00

the knees of a speed skater.....

******
and on a different note:
I'm so sad this morning upon hearing the news of James Kim. I've been following this story of survival and hope regarding the whole Kim family. I understand that Kati has had a big impact on so many in the crafting/blogging community. My heart and prayers go out to them all.

And let us remember that today is, of course, the anniversary of the attack at Pearl Harbor, too.

the weekend's WIP...

2006-12-05T07:53:00.000-05:00

wicked wind!

2006-12-03T17:05:00.000-05:00

This past Friday, after a lot of the country got snow, we got that same storm system in the form of drenching rains for first half of day, rapidly dropping temps (71 degrees F at 8am and 29 degrees F by bedtime) and high wind warnings.

Well, for those of you that don't know my husband, he loves to tease and BS about things. Anyway, late Friday afternoon, he was outside making sure everything that could possibly be secured down, was. He rushed back inside and yelled that Morgan's trampoline had just flown away. I, of course, stood my ground and said that I was not falling for it. But he started yelling about how we needed to go catch it, and rushed back outside.

Imagine our surprise when he was completely serious!

Ok....here is where the trampoline normally sits:

And here is where we found it:

Here are some limbs that didn't fare well:

So after retrieving it, Lee decided that he'd better weight down the legs with cinder blocks!:

Now that's wicked wind!!!

gettin' into gear...

2006-12-01T20:20:00.000-05:00

Oh wow...December 1st already. I'm behind this year. I prefer to be better prepared for Christmas by this time, but it just didn't happen this year. So I gotta step it up a bit.

I love magazines, but especially during the holidays. Sooooo many great inspirations. The Quilts and More has a really cute handbag that I've GOT to make. Hillary of Wee Wonderfuls has adorable ornaments/package decorations in Cutting Edge...my jingle bells are ready and waiting.

And the Martha Stewart Holiday Handmade Gifts...oh my...where to begin??!! So many great things in there. I love the first paragraph of the Editor's Letter:

"It's the thought that counts. In the hectic run-up to the holidays, I find myself coming back again and again to this powerful bit of conventional wisdom for some much-needed perspective. The thoughtfulness behind an act of giving really shines through when the gift has a personal touch. Even the humblest offerings - a recycled tin packed with home-baked cookies or a bar of handmade soap tied with a soft washcloth and a snippet of satin ribbon - are real treasures because they're from the heart, and the hands, of the giver."

I'm trying to be realistic and honest with myself as to what I can really get done in time. So, there will be some editing of my holiday to-do list, I'm sure.

Well, back to the sewing machine!

the season's official start...

2006-11-29T09:54:00.000-05:00

Monday night was Clarksburg's Christmas Parade. Once again, we were involved because of the model railroad club. Thankfully, the weather was good...not too cold, and dry. (Although I was really glad I had worn my wool socks.) Morgan helped carry one of the trains, and I helped to carry the banner. The clubhouse was kept open for all the foot traffic to pop in and check out the displays. Lee stayed there mostly, because that morning, he'd gone to the doctor (strep-type throat and brochitis).

These photos were taken while still waiting in the line-up.

Anyway, it was fun. The parade-goers (the little ones especially) loved seeing their favorite Thomas the Tank Engine characters. This year was the best so far, because we were much further up in the line than previous years. So after we got done, we actually got to see the rest of the parade.

Ollie and I want to welcome all you new visitors!!

2006-11-27T07:44:00.000-05:00

Wow...my site meter has exploded lately!!! Seems as though a lot of you have been visiting me from Anna Maria Horner's blog, and also from Maria's One Hour Craft. Hello to you!! This little blog is still just getting off the ground, but I'm so glad you've stopped by. Please take a minute to leave a comment and say hi...I'd love to hear from you.

Please meet Ollie. (Morgan thought it should be a girl, but the name Ollie popped in my head as soon as he was finished, and it's stuck.) He's my first attempt at a tiny teddy, and he's certainly not "heirloom quality", but I think he's bear-y cute!! Heehee!

Ollie is thread jointed, so he was quite happy to pose for his first photo shoot.

she went to skate and became a Viking warrior princess...

2006-11-26T20:54:00.000-05:00

Night before Thanksgiving, we went to SkateWorld.

A man who visits a few times a year came by, and made balloons for kids all evening long. His name is Gilbert Adams and he is a 3-time world champion balloon artist. He's currently setting up a website, and you can check it out so far here.

After the skate session, we had an opportunity to speak personally with Gilbert. Very interesting fellow. He spent several years in both the Air Force and the Army, and is a Desert Storm veteran.

p.s. - hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

being thankful...

2006-11-22T22:51:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, November 23, is our Thanksgiving holiday here in the US. Being such, I'd like to take a few minutes to list just a few of the many things that I am so thankful for:

* a wonderful husband, who's alive and well today

* a great daughter, who's so intelligent, creative and beautiful (inside and out)

* eyes to see with, and hands to create with

* a home filled with love and laughter

* great family and friends

* our family's favorite hangout - SkateWorld

* my electric blanket

* our cats - Elsie, Earl Grey, Izzy and Trip

* our dogs - Ben and Skye (although maybe not Skye so much...because she's going through a rotten phase lately!!)

* tea, tea, and more tea

{{{Thank you, Lord, for all your many blessings.}}}

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

yummy fabrics and buttons...

2006-11-20T22:26:00.000-05:00

A recent shopping trip yielded some good finds. I went to a local quilt shop and got several gorgeous fat quarters.

And I also took a short trip up the interstate to a shop in Fairmont I've never been to. It is mostly upholstery fabrics and foams, but on one side they have an interesting selection of quilting fabrics, stencils, and other interesting odds-n-ends. Found some good fabrics there, too. Ooooh, and they have two large plastic tubs full of buttons, by the piece or by the pound. It was heaven sifting through all those buttons! I really could have spent even longer, but my time was running short. I managed to find several of the red/white buttons in two sizes, and couldn't pass them up. And I thought the ones with the black and white honeycomb design were really unique. Can you believe all these buttons only cost me 19 cents?! Definitely won't be my only trip to that well-kept-secret!

won't you join me for tea?

2006-11-18T22:33:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, the weekend. Made cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Mmmm. Then while the oven was already hot, I made some cherry chip cookies.

As they were coming out of the oven, Morgan was setting up a teeny tiny tea party. See the cherry chips on the plates?! Even some Littlest Pet Shop guests joined us.

Morgan went to her first speed skate practice today, even though she had the jitters about it. She did great, and now she can't wait to go back next time!

Have a great weekend!!

that BAD puppy!!!

2006-11-15T22:10:00.000-05:00

Oh, my poor chibi kitty. She was finished just recently, and I hadn't gotten around to taking a pic of her. Then today, while I was out, she fell victim to a vicious and senseless attack. She was damn cute, too. I still haven't found her eyes.

hug a veteran

2006-11-10T19:15:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. I believe that everyone who serves in the military deserves our respect and gratitude.

Lee's father is a Cold War veteran, and my father served in Viet Nam. I'll be hugging a veteran tomorrow, and I hope you will be too.

Someone passed this video along to me today, and so I'd like to share with you here.

thoughts...

2006-11-08T11:41:00.000-05:00

Well, there was a recent article about sewing becoming trendy once again. Which got me thinking....when was it ever untrendy? Really. The article mentioned the societal changes of the '60s and '70s, and I'm sure that had a big impact, but I've always known people who've sewn and quilted. And I've been doing it for many years now myself. I really think sewing is a wonderful and magical thing, and it will never be "untrendy" with me. Anyway, you can read the article here.

This all got me thinking about my own sewing and where it began. And as I thought about it more and more, I realized that I had forgotten the *true* beginning of my sewing. Home Ec in junior high. We had to make a simple alternating block baby quilt. I sewed mine on my mother's old green and white machine. This big and bulky beast only does a straight stitch, forward and reverse. Plain jane. I even remember when she bought it at a yard sale when I was about six or seven. That machine still lives today. I don't think my mother ever uses it, but occasionally my father does! (Go Daddy!!)

Well, my seams didn't match perfect on every block. And somehow I managed to machine quilt this without a walking foot, without too many puckers. The beast did a simple but effective job. And I got an A+.

Sadly, it didn't even get used much when Morgan was a baby, because of the blue. (People always commented that she was a cute boy, even when she was dressed in pink from head to toe. Argh!)

So I thought now would be a good time to document it with some digital pics. Hmm...I really do love this quilt.

she's such a doll....NOT!!!

2006-11-06T07:43:00.000-05:00

Wanted to switch gears a little and do something I've never done before...make a doll. There are some adorable dolls out there, and this one on angry chicken's blog caught my eye. (I've never been fond of raggedy ann, but this one is really cute.) So I found this free doll body pattern, and got to work on her last night.

I was hoping that she would come out well enough that we could include her in the shoe box for our Operation Christmas Child package.

Unfortunately, she's frightening! I mean she's really bad!!! Lee said we'll be lucky if she doesn't come back to haunt us when I discard her! I made several mistakes on this poor doll, and she's deformed in more ways than one. I didn't even bother to stuff her. I have to say, though, that I sure learned a lot from making her.

To spare you, I will not post a picture. I don't want to be personally responsible for causing anyone nightmares! Instead I'll post pics of two things that are cute.

This is Ben, our golden retriever. He's about 7 years old. (He was still growing back his fur from his summer haircut in this pic.)

And this is Skye, half pomeranian/half beagle. She's almost 8 months old.

drum roll, please.............

2006-11-03T23:22:00.000-05:00

ta-da!!!! Here is the Jedi costume that I was all wrapped up with (for what felt like forever...sorry, Honey). I made everything here except the pants. Inner tunic, outer tunic, cloak, belt, even boot covers. The boot covers were made the night before Halloweeen...bought the pattern, came home and got right to work on them. They are just a "make do" for now because he couldn't find appropriate boots. The belt was actually finished about 15 minutes before leaving for trick-or-treating because I ran out of matching thread and had to get more that afternoon (thanks Shirley...glad you were there!!!).

Oh, btw...he grew the beard specifically for this costume. And after this photo shoot, he went into the house and proceeded to go back his old clean-shaven self! Yay!!

Btw - I loaded these photos on the small side, for those of you on dial-up. Just click on a photo if you'd like to see more detail in a larger pic.

she can see clearly now....

2006-11-02T08:10:00.000-05:00

Well, Morgan inherited my bad eyes. She mentioned last week that things on the chalkboard and overhead project have been fuzzy. When I spoke with her teacher about it, she said she had recently noticed that Morgan was getting up, or leaning in, to look at things. We took her for an eye exam Monday evening and her vision was 20/40.

Yesterday after school we went frame shopping and at the fourth store she found what she liked the best. An hour later....she was seeing great!

It's hard to tell in these pics, but the frames are a gorgeous purple metal. She was in a silly mood...can ya tell?!?!!

doing the happy dance!

2006-11-02T07:55:00.000-05:00

Phewww.....Halloween is done and so is the big project I was doing. As some of you guessed, it was a costume. A jedi costume, for Lee, to be exact. (The big kids are more trouble than the little kids!!) I promise I will get pictures up soon. We are planning a photo shoot after he gets home today. Halloween weather just wasn't cooperating for pics....it got really gloomy and starting pouring rain before he could get the costume on. Yes....trick-or-treating was done in the rain this year. :(

Here is Morgan as a southern belle, taken before the school parade and party. (And no, I didn't make this...I certainly wouldn't have had time!!!!)

getting ready for Halloween...

2006-10-30T09:32:00.000-05:00

Here's the extent of our Halloween decorating. Yes, that's right...just two jack-o-lanterns. These were crafted over the weekend.

I'll let you in on a (not-so-secret) secret....ready?...I don't like Halloween. Now please don't throw rotten eggs and tomatoes at me! I just don't care about it. Never really have. Oh, of course I dressed up as a kid and went trick-or-treating. (There's a rule somewhere that says you have to, right??) But honestly, I don't remember going for too many years. It just doesn't appeal to me. I could really get on a soapbox here...but I'll spare you.

Having an 8-yr old daughter, I have to "play along" somewhat, although she knows this is a holiday I could do without. But of course she thinks it's fun to dress up, have a school party, and trick-or-treat. Oh...what a mother won't do!!

an update...

2006-10-25T11:03:00.000-05:00

Dark Brown Allova Micro-suede
Dark Brown Vinyl
Beige Cotton Crinkle Gauze
White Muslin

What do these things have in common? Well, they are all part of that huge project I've been working on. That project that looms over me like a bad dream! Within the next several days, I should be able to reveal this project in it's entirety.

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I've also been working on a butterfly pouch from the Omiyage book, handstitching bits here and there when not at home (waiting for my daughter at school, etc.).

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Look at the weather we've had lately! ACK!!! We've barely had fall, and already, the snow is flying.

a sea of leaves...

2006-10-22T07:25:00.000-05:00

...and they're still falling. With the rain and breeze we've had lately, we've had leaves swirling everywhere lately. These pics were taken on Friday, and they're all taken around our home.

Not sure what tree this is, but I love the vibrant red berries. A good splash of color amid all the dreariness. If you look closely, you can see the rain dripping off.

I think we're already past peak fall colors, but we still see some beautiful reds and oranges when we look out our front door and up the hill.

With the rain and chilliness, even the neighbor's cows that use our field across the road feel too lazy to do anything!

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Lately, a H-U-G-E sewing project has been ruling my life. And remember...I like working on small projects!! "Oh what have I gotten myself into" moments have frequently been occurring. More on this project soon.

a new early morning fave...

2006-10-20T06:52:00.000-05:00

Those of you that know me, you know that I love tea. I *really* love tea. (Though my urologist thinks I shouldn't love it quite so much!) Well, I've found a new favorite for early mornings when it's not time to start the caffeine. (I usually don't drink anything caffeinated until about 11 am - dont' know why, just don't.)

This decaf Raspberry and White Tea from Stash is simply delicious!

Please ignore the poor old toaster oven in the background. It looks a little sad these days, with paint chipped off and surface rust, etc. But we love this toaster oven...a wedding gift from my aunt and uncle over fifteen years ago. Used daily, and it keeps on goin'! Woohoo!

a quilt for an old friend...

2006-10-18T10:59:00.000-05:00

Please allow me to introduce you to Bertram Bear. Isn't he charming!

He was a gift to my daughter several years back at Christmas time from an aunt and uncle. He's a bear from Christmas Around the World. He even talks thanks to a small recording chip...he'll playback your message whenever you press his hand.

Well, way back I promised Mr. Betram that I would make him his very own quilt sometime, but unfortunately I had never gotten around to it.

On Saturday, dear hubby went with some model railroad buddies to Horseshoe Curve in PA. So...needing a quilty fix and contemplating what to make, I remembered Bertram and the idea I've had stored away in my brain for his quilt.

The general idea came from an article in Miniature Quilt Ideas Magazine #30 regarding an antique chinese coins quilt for an 1800's doll bed.

I expanded on the chinese coin idea and created a strippy-quilt for Bertram with old-fashioned scrappy charm. It measures 10-1/2" by 13-1/2".

most recent LGD purses

2006-10-13T19:34:00.000-05:00

Well, as I promised someone ...*wink*... here are the two most recent purses I've made, both by Lazy Girl Designs. I really love her patterns...very clear, with excellent photos for each step. Hmmm, guess that's why I own just about every purse pattern she's made. She has a great yahoo group too, by the same name. The group has a great bunch of ladies. And, as a member, you can check out pics of all the gorgeous purses others have made with the LGD patterns.

This first one was made with the Veronica pattern.

And this was made with the Chloe pattern. I really like the look of the stacked buttons.

omiyage daffodil pouches

2006-10-11T07:06:00.000-05:00

Oh my gosh these are fun!! "Betcha can't stop at just one" should be the warning for this pattern!! They're great take-along projects. All of these were cut out before I acquired the asian themed fabrics over the weekend. Hmmm....now maybe some in the asian prints?!??...................

successful Asian fabric hunt

2006-10-07T21:30:00.000-05:00

This weekend, my hubby's model railroad club is having a show at our mall. My daughter and I went out this evening to eat dinner with him and hang out for a bit.

After we ate, I walked down to Joann Fabrics to check for good cloak fabric for dh's Jedi costume and to search out Asian fabrics. Mission successful! Found some possible cloak fabrics, and will make a purchase after dh's approval (I have a 50% off coupon good through Monday!!!!) Anyway...back to the important stuff...heehee!...I managed to find some Asian fabrics, and they were all on sale for $1 less per yard. Cool thing about the Omiyage projects, they take such small amounts of fabric, so I was able to buy pretty much every Asian themed fabric I found. (A pitiful selection to be honest. But, since I had none in my stash, it's a good start.) The ones I liked best I got quarter yards, the others I got as eighth yards.

It's hard to tell in the photos, but most have gold highlights. They are sooooo rich looking. I think by carefully combining with current stash fabrics, any further Omiyage projects should look much more authentic.

I couldn't resist posting the second picture. That's our youngest furbaby, Skye, in the lower right corner checking out mama's new stuff. She approved :)

first Omiyage projects...

2006-10-07T21:18:00.000-05:00

I'm really enjoying my new Omiyage book. The photographs are beautiful.

I set out to make a daffodil pouch right away. Here's my first one.

My daughter was excited when she found out there were dolls in the book. She chose this one, called the raindrop doll. It's a pouch as well. The main fabric is from a fat quarter she picked out at the quilt shop a long time ago. She also picked out the beads.

ufo - snowman quilt

2006-10-05T19:13:00.000-05:00

Here's an in-progress snowman quilt. The pattern is in this book. So far, I've hand appliqued the snowman figure, hand buttonhole stitched the hat/scarf/star, and hand sewn the saw-toothed borders.

ooooh goodie!!!

2006-10-04T06:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I was able to pick up my copy of the book Omiyage by Kumiko Sudo. Wow, what beautiful projects. (I had to order it from our local Borders store. Not a single book store or quilt shop within an hour's drive had it. It's something of a wasteland around here at times.) Anyway, I was practically giddy! I've seen around the net several of the daffodil pouches others have made, and I was so intrigued. I can't wait to get started. Yes, of course I have plenty of quilting UFO's I could be working on, but they've been UFO's for a while now....they can wait a little longer!!!

first postcard

2006-10-02T20:59:00.000-05:00

Well, I know that lots of folks have already been making fabric postcards. But I just made my first one. I'm very pleased with how it came out. Of course, I already have ideas for many more. Including a special series. But just like everything else, I have more ideas than time!! We'll see :)

I've done it!

2006-09-30T08:54:00.000-05:00

Well, time to do the next internet thing...so I've created this blog! Hopefully, I will be able to post regularly, depending on the time I can devote to my quilting and sewing, etc.