Our Plum Tree, A Finished Block and One in Progress, and a pretty gift I received

I sewed the last day or so instead of prepping more blocks. Here is the one I finished.

Here is the one I am sewing on now. I went back to the way I usually do needle turn and have the pieces not sewn yet on a piece of felt.

Here is our plum tree. Lots of flowers this year. Last year due to hubby's accident he wasn't able to trim it at the proper time so the tree didn't produce well. In the past we have harvested some years enough to enjoy as much as we could eat in plums, and I have canned over 40 jars of preserves some years. I am out of preserves so hoping this year is one with lots of plums.

Here is a lovely plant one of our guests gave me Easter.

Linking up to Fiber Tuesday at Mel's Quilting Room

Busy Morning and New Tool Review

This morning I met hubby at the orthopedic surgeon for his 6 months visit. He isn't ready to have the reverse replacement surgery so Workers Comp requires he go every 6 months to keep the case open. Everything was still as it was last time so that's good.

Came home and started chicken wings in the crockpot for supper. Hopefully the nasty storms won't knock out our electricity. I didn't think about that when I defrosted the chicken yesterday. Oh well if it goes out I will finish in the power cooker tonight.

Ate breakfast, did devotional, next up is dishes from breakfast and quilt. I am still trying to finish up the surprise quilt for grandson. They know he is getting a quilt but not the pattern, etc. I promise plenty of pictures of it once he gets it in May for his birthday. Once this one is finished I will have lots of updates as I will be working on lots of other projects.

Here is my latest tool. I really like it. Due to RA in most of my body (diagnosed at 3 with it in 98% of my body. My grandma had it really bad), my hands don't always play right closing pins to baste for hand quilting.

It's called the Kwik Klip and why did I wait so long to get one??? A lot of you probably already use it, but I used it on grandson's quilt for the first time a few days ago. I love it!!

Keep us in good thoughts, prayers, whatever you can, we are in south Louisiana and starting today they are predicting up to 10" of rain over the next few days. I am praying for all of you who are in the projected areas also.

Hi There!

No pictures today. The quilt I am working on right now is a birthday quilt for our youngest grandson who will be 3 in May. His mom stalks my blogs sometimes and since it is a surprise I won't show it until his birthday. But it is super cute!

I'll have pictures to update on the hexie sampler and possibly the applique tomorrow or later today.

This was mostly to say I am still here lol. Hopefully I will be posting more regularly on here and stalking all my favorite blogs and actually have time to comment. I read them everyday but had started reading them in bed at night and not as easy to comment from my kindle. Trying to go back to reading on the computer so I can post comments.

Update on Hubby, AC and Slow Stitching Sunday

First of all, hubby saw the doctor (shoulder) that ordered the MRI on his back. He has to see a spine doctor. Waiting for WC to approve the visits. Doc wants him to see one that is surgical and one that isn't.

AC is fixed, $175 ugh. But at least it is cool in here again. Had a freon leak.

This is row 4 of Scott's quilt. Have one more block to quilt and add to this row and then 4 more blocks for row 5, bind and label and it will be done!

Off to finish getting the house and yard ready for our youngest grandson's second birthday party!

Check out Kathy's Quilts for more slow stitching Sunday blog photos.

AC is out!

Waiting for the ac repairman. Our ac went out last night. He called a little while ago and said he'll be here in about 45 minutes. Can't be soon enough. It is HOT. Doing nothing all day to try and stay cool. To hot to move around and to hot to sit under a quilt to hand quilt. Oh well tonight I will quilt a little (maybe?) and there is always tomorrow.

2013 Projects

The projects I hope to do this year include:

Miscellaneous baby projects for grandson due in May.

A transporation quilt for him.

Baltimore Blue - Hand quilting in progress

Dancing Stars - Have pattern and fabric

Quilted Diamonds 2 - Have 4 blocks done, a few more prepped

Dear Hannah - Have 4 blocks done, 1 triangle done, 1 triangle prepped

Baskets and More Baskets - all blocks done, need to purchase fabric to finish

Double Irish Chain - fabric cut for part of the quilt, need to cut a few more strips

The baby projects, the transportation quilt, double irish chain, baskets and dancing stars will all be made on the machine. The baby quilt will be machine quilted possibly. All others will be hand quilted. All the others will be hand pieced or hand appliqued.


Edited to include: I am going to try and do the RSC this year.

Happy New Year!

May this new year be wonderful for all of us.

Very Sad Day

My son's dog had to be put to sleep this morning. She was 14 years old. He has had her since she was born. He had her since he was 8 years old. They grew up together. She will be very missed.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone. Ham is in the oven, hubby is about to make pancakes on the electric griddle someone from work gave him for Christmas.  The weather is nasty. Rainy and dark. But that is not gonna dampen my Christmas spirit. I plan on a nice relaxing, peaceful day. I may even sew or knit a little. Hope today is all you want it to be and more.

Please remember the true reason for the season as you celebrate with family and friends today.

Fabric Scraps?

If you like small (and some very small) pieces of scraps to make leaders/enders or whatever and would like the scraps I am keeping of the Ricky Tims hand dyes that I am using in the Dear Hannah quilt, leave me a comment telling me you are interested. I will ship them off to you when I have a full container. If more then one is interested, when the container fills up again I will ship it off to the next person. Most of the scraps will be hand dyes but I am using a muslin background and there may be some scraps of that too. Some of the pieces may be to small to do anything with, but I don't want to toss something you might be able to use, so am keeping all scraps. So you may have to go through them and throw out the smallest pieces. Most are hopefully big enough you can make something out of .

It's a boy !!!

At the ultrasound today it was confirmed Kaci is having a boy. He is due May 23rd and will be named David Michael Phillips. David for Scott's uncle who died when he was young. Michael is Scott's middle name. He let us see he is a boy, but wouldn't show his sweet face.

I won!!!

I was notified last night by C & T Publishing that I won the giveaway! I am so very excited. It is my first blog giveaway win! 

This is what I won:  Wash Away Applique . Can't wait to get it now. lol

Woohoo!!!!

Only shopping I did today was to be at Joann's when they opened at six. I got the serger, thread cabinet, two battings for price of one, 8 spools of serger thread for price of 4, and a bolt of bleached muslin for 60% off. Then at the register she allowed me to use the 60 off and a 25 % off total including sale items!! Now to watch video and learn to use the serger lol.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am up early and already have cornbread baking and the giblets simmering for the oyster and cornbread dressing. Still have to make a sugar free pea picking cake, sweet potato casserole, hubby is frying a turkey in his new Christmas gift, an oil less turkey fryer. He and I always give each other out gifts for thanksgiving lol. Tomorrow I am headed to Joann's to get a serger and one of the cases full of gutterman thread. Will take pictures if I am able to score both tomorrow.

Ok, off to finish up the things we are cooking here and carrying to daughters. We get there early cause there is plenty to help with there too.

Have an incredible blessed day today.

Cleaned up the sewing room!

Well as much as it will be cleaned before Wednesday lol. Now I can start fresh in there on Saturday or Sunday after company leaves and make a mess again. lol

Sigh

I messed up something with my phone while in Houston and lost all my blog pictures. Will retake the ones I can and readd them. Also I have alot of pictures from Houston but need to figure out what happened before posting them (or trying to anyway).

I am home but just barely and exhausted so will try to figure it out tomorrow or later tonight.

Headed to Houston Tomorrow!!

I am leaving here soon to finish up the errands so I can leave early in the morning. I hope to be on the road by 8:30. That will mostly depend on pregnant daughter coming with me though lol.

I will try and post in the evenings while there. I have an amazing friend who leaves near Houston and she is so gracious to allow me to crash at her house for the show.

I can't wait to see Ricky Tims and Justin Shults. Justin is my friends brother and if you have met them you know they are fun, and so amazing. I always get pictures with them and will post one I am sure.

I will try and take some decent pictures with my phone of quilts and post.  Ricky has won an award for a quilt he entered but as of yesterday he didn't know what award. Can't wait to see his winning quilt.

So if I am absent a few days (I return home sometime Sunday) you will know I am off having a mini vacation.

Stay safe and have fun quilting!

Not My Design Wall, But What I am Working on Today

I am basting the Baltimore Blue quilt so that I can hand quilt without a hoop or frame. Normally, for a small quilt top I will just spray baste, but since this is rather large, I am afraid it may shift some with all the adjusting in my lap. So I started out spray basting to put it on the floor frame, shoulders couldn't handle all the stretching for that, so then I decided I would use the hoop, to large and uncomfortable for the shoulders too, so now I will lap quilt without anything lol. I use the Sharon Schamber method to baste where she uses the two pieces of wood. It works really well for all sizes however I don't use it for baby quilts. They are small enough I usually just spray baste them. Here is a picture of the basting in progress. I am right at half finished with the basting.

Edited: I am not able to replace the lost pictures. sorry but there are newer pictures in a more recent post of the blocks.

Blue Water Soluble Marking Pens

Ever use these? Ever have trouble getting them to go away?

On the applique for Spring Bouquet, my white chalk pencil isn't showing up on some of the fabrics. So I am using the blue pen on those peices. Here is a tip for if it won't wash out.

Mix up 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/4 cup hot water. Pour over the marked area and it should disappear forever.

1 less UFO

It is great having a daughter (two actually lol) who quilt. I now have one less ufo since one of them took one home with them. woohooo!