The end of another year 2019

Christmas has come and gone, once again.

And like I've been saying so much lately...

time is flying!

I can't believe we've just had another Christmas.

It makes me think about how I am "redeeming my time"  ( Ephesians 5:16)  No new year's resolutions, but lots to think about for 2020.

We had the pleasure of having all the grandkids here at one time again this year.  I was sad to see them go, but now it's time to get the house in order and start the New Year!

Our grandkids were able to play with other cousins that they rarely see..... lots of fun!

Until next year...

Happy 2020!

Fun Sewing --Senior Angel

I wanted to sew some quilt blocks yesterday, but my back was aching and would not allow me to spend too much time at my sewing machine.

So, instead, I did some hand stitching and made this cute little mat (mug rug) for my new Senior Angel.

Terra, at Terra Garden Blog, posted about being a Senior Angel recently,  It sounded like something I would enjoy doing, so I signed up, and now I am an angel, too.

This program offers a free service for seniors who need or want happy mail.  I think it originated as Chemo Angels,  a service providing encouragement for those undergoing chemotherapy.  As an angel, we send a weekly card and an occasional gift to our person... something just to brighten their day.

If you know of someone who would enjoy these mailbox greetings or if YOU are in need of this service, please click on the link :  Chemo/Senior Angels and sign up.  I signed up a dear homebound friend of mine, who lives alone, has no children, and is dependent on others for most everything.  She has started receiving cards from her Angel and seems to be enjoying the little mailbox treats.  The recipients are not required to return letters/respond to their angel, as many cannot do so.  My friend has crippling arthritis, and cannot hold a pen to write.  However, the  angel service checks in with me monthly, to make sure she is receiving her cards and to see how she is doing.  

https://www.chemoangels.com/

There are plenty of lonesome people out there, and sometimes,  just knowing that someone cares is enough to get through another day. 

Linking up with Kathy and Slow Sunday Stitching.  Hop over to her link and see what others are working on, away from the sewing machine.

Finished !

Yes, I did.... I completed something, once again.

 I struggled with how to fix the large black patch in the upper left corner and ended up adding an applique patch over it.  It does help break up the large area, but I'm not sure I like it. (see below)  I wish I had added another embroidery to that side, but alas, it's done and I'm over it.

It was a fun piece to make, but I'm ready to move on to something else.

September Stitches

Yes, I'm still stitching on my snowmen, but not as quickly as I had planned.  I'ml on track to finish before winter, so that's a good thing.

I tend to spend too much time watching what you all are doing on Instagram and Blogger, when I should  be stitching my own things.  Anyone else guilty?  Instagram really has a hold on me these days... there is just so much pretty there.

Thanks to YouTube, I learned how to do the required stitches for my borders.

I learned the herringbone stitch and the Cretan stitch.  Both were very easy to learn, just not something I had done before.   Don't inspect too closely, because there are a few places where my needle came up on the wrong side of the thread.  

I'm still reading (too much).  I try to go to the local thrift store that sells .10 cent books every week and I'm bringing in more that I'll probably ever read.  But I'm a sucker for books and keep thinking I will be set for winter, should something happen that I can't get out of the house like I want.

I picked up "another" Amish recipe book last week for ten cents and I've enjoyed reading the recipes.  There are a couple I want to try and wanted to share this one, to see if anyone has ever eaten this:

Chicken Pudding!(click to enlarge photo)  This just sounds yummy to me.  For years, I have had a taste for something that I think I ate somewhere a long time ago.  I can never pull it directly to mind, as to what exactly it was that I ate, but this may be similar.  I mean, it's chicken and gravy... it's got to be good, right???  I will let you know! 

 Edited * 

The chicken pudding was "ok".... you definitely need lots of gravy.  My homemade gravy tasted kind of bland.  If I were to make it again, I would buy the gravy mixes from the grocery store, since they have more flavor.  The men liked it, so I guess it was ok.

Still Redworking

I'm still working on the redwork for this little wall hanging.

I'm excited about working on this and hope to start putting it together this coming week.( Even though I still have all those little border stitcheries to trace and stitch.)

I had the house to myself yesterday and it was a lazy Saturday, just perfect for stitching.    I watched youtube video's , as I have finally learned how to watch them from the tv.  

Have any of you ever watched Appalachian Cooking with Brenda?  She is a mountain lady and cooks up some good food in her tiny cluttered kitchen.  She loves cooking and it humbles me to see how happy she is in her little kitchen with one tiny counter   in which to stir up her goodies.  If you want to check her out, here is her link:  Appalachian Cooking with Brenda.

I've been following #stitchingspot  #stitchyspot @ #commonthreadedstitcher on Instagram this week.  People are showing their stitching chairs and I have really enjoyed seeing everyone's favorite place to sew.  Some people really have a nice setup.  This is where I've been stitching this week.  I turned the chair so that I could see tv, and the lamp on my left side is the best position so that I don't get shadows.  My couch is getting too soft and I needed a firmer place to sit.  So far, this has been perfect, until I wear this chair out.  :-))  Wherever I stitch always tends to turn into my little "piggy corner"...  but it's my little world, and I am happy here.

I am linking to Kathy's Quilts for her slow Sunday stitching post.  Check her out to see what others are working on.

Slow Stitching

My fingers have been itching to get some stitching done by hand.  I love the feel of a sewing needle  in my hand.

I started this new project Friday night.  It will be a small wall hanging, and hopefully, something I can get done before winter.

I bought this pattern from ebay and couldn't wait to get started.  I'm not going to use the buffalo plain in the corners, but I plan to follow the rest of the design. I am enjoying stitching on a linen type fabric.  (even though tracing the design was a little more difficult on the linen)

The prep work (tracing patterns) is my least favorite part of the process.  But it's so nice to get it all prepared at once, so the relaxing part of stitching can then be done.  I've had this little light box from Hobby Lobby for years... it has truly been faithful.

I've got a little sewing kit made up and am leaving it by my spot on the couch.  Hopefully, I'll be inspired to work on it in the evenings, during our tv watching. 

I'm one of those people who gets real excited about a project and then soon pushes it aside for something else that catches my eye.  I really really need to get some things completed.

I'm linking up with Kathy at Sunday Slow Stitching.  Hop on over and see what others are working on with needle and thread.  I  always look forward to  visiting Kathy's "show and tell" posts on Sundays. 

Also, go to my previous post here for a chance to win my give away.  I will be drawing a winner's name on July 31.  **Ignore the "whoa is me" post.... I'm better now.**

Happy Birthday to YOU!

**Updated for Winner** R'sRue is the winner**


Well I had another birthday this past week and realized I was a year younger than I thought I was going to be.  Isn't that funny?

  This is the second time I have done this to myself and it's a great feeling to get to live a year younger than I had planned for another  whole year.  :-))

My birthday was quiet; no big celebrations, no hoopla.  I received a few phone calls, several texts, and lots of facebook greetings.

We had a busy week with appointments and we ate out one day and hubby bought my favorite milkshake from Cook Out on the way home.  I bought myself a few birthday gifts from Amazon.  :-))

My birthday was spent at the vet's office with one of my geriatric dogs who has a massive tumor that is growing like crazy.  It has been removed once , but has come back with a vengeance.  The vet felt with the malignant diagnosis and his age, it is best to just keep him comfortable.  Thankfully, he is in no pain, but he did break out in a weird itchy rash a few days ago.  I think we have it under control now.  We discussed euthanasia on my birthday, which we both agreed, my dog isn't ready for just yet.  However, I had a breakdown and cried my way out of the vet's office.  *sigh*

My mom died four days after my birthday in 2015.  I now have this looming sense of sadness around my birthday and not to mention, we lost our precious dog, Tumpy, last year this time.

I've got to snap out of it  and I will.  Life is still good! God is always good!

I won a couple of give aways recently.  One from Sluggy at DON' T  READ THIS blog and one from Belinda at Frugal Workshop.   Coming from a family of non gift givers, it's always fun to get a little surprise for myself.

Since it's so much fun, I have decided to share the fun with you.  I'm hosting a give away of this cute little gingham journal, one of my favorite writing pens, and a couple of blank gift cards for YOU.  I want one of you to have a fun mailbox surprise and hope it makes you smile, too.

Just leave a comment if you are interested in winning, and I'll pick a random winner on July 31st.  Please make sure I can contact you.  (USA only due to high shipping costs) Happy Birthday!

Me and my precious pooch snapped by Chandler

July is here!

I keep seeing people post that Christmas will be here  in less than six months.  As fast as this year as gone by so far, that makes me a little nervous.  But, thankfully, we don't have to shop and spend as much as we used to when the kids were at home.  Who's started shopping already?

My sister in law called me this week and asked for a little quilted something to put on her nightstand.  I already had this block from an exchange I participated in a few years ago.  (I don't remember who sent it, but if it was you, thank you again!!)  This block has her bedroom colors of gray, yellow, white and teal; so it seemed a perfect match to me.  I quickly sandwiched it together, did a little colorful big stitch quilting, and brought the backing up to the front to make binding.  It was an enjoyable afternoon project.

Do you ever get tired of sitting at the sewing machine or do you  sometimes feel overwhelmed with a big project?  That's kind of where I am right now.  I'm plugging away, making quilt blocks for a large quilt, for my son and his wife.  But my heart wants to do some hand stitching. The project above was a nice break.

This is a terrible picture, but it's the completed embroidery I was working on in my last post.  It's a Kathy Schmitz design and the first time I have used crayons to color my fabric.  I hope to trace out another one of her designs this week.  

SOMETHING NEW AND EXCITING :

SCRIBD

Click here for more:

 Scribd Digital Subscription Service

I received a free two month subscription by invitation from Laura over at Harvest Lane Cottage.  

After two months trial, it will cost me $8.95 a month for unlimited reading of ebooks, magazines, and available documents.   There are also audiobooks, which are great for listening while sewing or cleaning  or whatever.

I already listened to "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens.  It was such a good book.... about a young girl who practically raised herself in the marshlands of NC.  It was a 12 hour book and I finished it in 24 hours... lol.  I even listened in the grocery store! 

But for you quilters.... look what else is there..... included in your free trial: (and subscription)

Beautiful quilting and craft books.  This is like receiving lots of beautiful patterns and instructions free for two months.  Then you can decide if you want to continue. There are so many great books in their collection.  I invite you to go here

here and look around.  If you sign up with my link, I'll get an extra free month and you should get two free months.  

I also want to thank Sluggy at DON'T READ THIS  blog  for the items I received from her monthly giveaway.  She has a frugal living type blog and hosts a give away regularly.  Check her out and maybe you'll get lucky to win, too.

I received a box packed full of goodies:

Zoom in for a look at all these goodies.  It was truly a treat, as these are things I don't normally buy for myself.  I used the nail polish this afternoon!  (and hubby ate the fig newtons)

I leave you with this sweet picture of my daddy, my brother, brother's son, and now his little son, Levi.  Four sweet generations of men in my family.  

June 2019

*** I, too, am getting attacked by SPAM, so I am changing my comment section to owner approval before posting ***


I'm telling you folks, TIME IS A'Flying!!

I can't believe June is almost over; yikes!

I had all three of my girls for a couple weeks... it was so much fun!  The little girls played so well together and I was amazed at how grown up they have become.  

They asked for matching night gowns early during the visit.  They wore these gowns almost 24/7; I had to make them give them up from time to time for laundry services.

I think these girls could be BFF's if they lived closer together.  I do hope that they will grow up to know each other and be able to spend more time together.

They gave Grandma dancing lessons.

They helped Papa wash the little car.  

Kathy Schmitz design

There hasn't been much sewing go on these days.  I have picked up a little hand stitching and am enjoying a few stitches here and there.   

It's hot here in NC, so I am definitely spending most of my time indoors.  I can't believe I ever used to lay out to tan, in the hot backyard in the eastern NC humidity, back when I was a teenager! I can hardly stand to walk to the mailbox  these days!  

May 2019... and a lesson in vintage ... and dogs

I finished another scrap quilt for our other granddaughter, Brinley Kate.  She turned 5 years old this month!!

She seemed happy to get it and her brothers, who already have their full size quilts, seemed just as happy for her.  They are such sweet and sentimental children.... they get it from their mom, I'm sure.  (their dad is my son)

Brinley and Chandler checking out the label

This following is the best photo I have of the whole quilt.

Brinley and Annabelle are coming to stay with Grandma for two weeks soon.  I hope they will make lifetime memories together, as they don't see each other very often, due to distance in home locations.

Now to begin our lesson in vintage.

 I've been picking up vintage fabrics here and there, hoping to make a "new" vintage quilt for myself.  This is a pillow cover I removed from a pillow form. Nothing too special about this one, except for I love it.  It is yellowed (probably from a smoker), but I have it soaking in the sink as I type this.

This one was more interesting to me. 

 I bought this pillow because I liked the fabric cover, thinking it may be flour sack fabric.  If not a true flour sack, it is a nice reproduction.  The whole time I handled the pillow, before taking it apart to wash, I was thinking maybe it had a soft feather pillow inside.  It just felt so good in my hands.... so soft and could be molded  and positioned under the neck for perfect comfort.

So this was the next layer..... the pillow had been covered once before.  

And again...another recover layer.

And finally... this layer.   It was starting to make my black shorts very dusty and dirty at this point and I was  a little nervous about continuing ….. but I wanted to see the feathers!

There were no feathers..... only this!  

What is it???  Cotton?  Real cotton?  Zoom in to see closer.  Whatever it is, I quickly tied it up in a plastic bag and disposed of it.  Oh, but it would have been so comfortable.   I can understand why someone recovered it over and over again.... it was somebody's favorite!  The outside cover is now soaking in my sink, too.

This picture is just for my own blog documentation. ( I have fat , not so pretty legs, but I' m thankful for my legs and what they do for me.  )

   Back to story.... I received my first ever dog bite last week.  A friend of the family passed away and I stopped by the house to check on the wife.  Max is a cute little brown dachshund, that looks a lot like my own sweet dachshund girl .  He was very nervous , as there had been so much activity in the house, with the passing of his daddy.  He was trying to jump up onto his mommy's chair and I thought I would just give him a hand.  I tried to sweep him up like I do my own little dogs and he freaked out!!  He came after me and got a good bite through my blue jeans.  I didn't  tell his mom that he had bitten me, but what an experience!.  I can not even imagine how those who suffer "real" dog attacks must feel and the pain associated with it.  Yes, I've learned a new lesson.... All dogs aren't always friendly.  **I might add that I've been back to Max's house since the bite, and he was jumping up on my legs, wanting sugar and loves from me**