New Projects!

Well, I tried!  Yes, I really tried----to keep my new projects off my list.  But, it doesn't work when 

interesting things come up!  I can not resist! 

Heart Felt QAL begins in February 2022--but, I'm getting excited to see a heart

quilt block to make! 

Pat Speth of Nickel Quilts is hosting this smashing quilt along!!

how can you resist this beauty?!! Party of Six!

I can't!  you can purchase the pattern now on her website--

if you want to sew along check out her Facebook group where

she is releasing a block at a time--free!

Gratitude Quilt is a free pattern by Amy Smart-great for charity quilts or

signature quilts

Since I'm going down the rabbit hole--I'm going to drag you along with me!

Stay tuned for other 2022 projects to add to your list too!

 

One UFO Flew Out The Door!

 Slowly but surely, I'm tackling my pile of UFO's!  Several are being quilted with many waiting for the final stitches for the binding. 

Finally after years of stitching and assembly, the top was quilted—of course, it awaits binding! 

Technically, this was not a UFO waiting in the wings--it was a new project!,

I stumbled! and begin----and finished! this neat Christmas quilt--maybe, one

for my husband who loves old trucks--it's called Homestead Holiday by

Whimsical Workshop

I bought the panel but had all the fabrics to complete--loved my fabric for the stars,

wish I remembered where I bought that fabric!

Ok! OK!  I stumbled again!  Pat Sloan began her Fall Frolic quilt--these blocks

are easy and quick to assemble--so, yes, I jump in with both feet--

Shoe Box For Kids

 Our Cowboy Church is participating again in Operation Christmas Child sponsored by Samaritan's Purse--

Samaritan Purse has several ways you can participate with your family, church or just by yourself and friends. We have enjoyed gathering items for the shoebox.  We choose boy or girl and this year

along with our blond headed daughter, we chose 3 boys and one girl--maybe, next week we'll

see if any are still available and shop again!

Here was our list of items to buy--we had fun roaming the aisle of our local Wal-Mart, Dollar Store and Grocery store to fill our bags.  We'll return the bags to church and volunteers will place these items in shoe boxes to be sent off.  We also donate funds to assist with shipping.

Bags are filled and ready!

Boys bags are filled with cars, puzzles, crayons, coloring book,

deck of cards, personal hygiene items, etc.

Girl's bag is filled with girlie things and a plush toy!

It is a yearly goal of our small cowboy church to fill at least 100 shoe boxes

but each year we do far more than our goal!

What joy it will bring a child!  and this project filled our hearts too!

Small Loom Projects

 Recently, I celebrated a birthday--just another day in the real world.  I do have special people in my life who make the day just a little brighter and joyful.  Two of my friends worked together to create unique gifts for me.  Something I've never attempted or wanted to learn.  And I'm done quite a few crafts in my lifetime.  They gave me these interesting weavings from a small loom.  

Did you ever have one of those little loom for potholder ?  That's not how I started weaving--

it would have been a great introduction though--learning over under, etc.

They worked very hard to find different patterns and of course, got some of my favorite color in the mix--orange!

Stitched Modern has tutorials for this project.  My friends are still learning new and different 

patterns--well, after all they have the looms and all those loops that need to find a home.

Popshop America has several suggestions.  

and I leave you with the best possible thing you can do with a small loom

comes from my friend, Sharon Crary, who has won numerous awards with

her small loom weavings.

"Down in the Valley"

Thank you my friends for sharing your talents with me--I'll enjoy and share my

potholders with everyone!

What's Happening?!!

I love surfing the web!  As If I didn't have anything else to do!

Too bad I find so many great quilt sew alongs (SAL)

I discover too many!  I wish I could fit them into my schedule--but I bookmark

and hope to get to them when I find the time.

 Just found this SAL--looks interesting with couple of blocks already revealed.

For the Love of Geese

If you love wool work--this is a great one to do for Christmas!

Pennies with Santa and his reindeer!

If you enjoy blog hops--here are a couple upcoming that will give you lots of

ideas to explore--just what I need is more ideas!!

November fun at the above website!

Soooooo, what happening under my needle?  

I'm working on another orphan block quilt--stay tuned for the

results.

 

Is It Soup Weather Yet?

 Living in the South, there aren't many cool days but when we do have those days, I want soup!  Hearty tasty soup!  I don't like soup on hot days, just cooler days!  

I looked at the national trending day calendar and found that Today is National Gumbo Day!!  Yum!  Delicious gumbo!  

NATIONAL GUMBO DAY TIMELINE

1802

A gustatory delight

American surgeon John Sibley records his comments on gumbo, “which is made principally of the ochre into a thick kind of [soup] & eat with rice, it is the food of everybody for dinner and supper."

1824

It’s as easy as one, two, three

Mary Randolph’s cookbook, “The Virginian House-Wife,” publishes a gumbo recipe called “Gumbo — a West India Dish.”

1980s

“Good cooking, good eating, good loving!”

Chef Paul Prudhomme’s rise to television popularity multiplies the American interest in Creole and Cajun cooking.

1989

Not knowing it would snowball

Fewer than a dozen chefs participate in the inaugural World Championship Gumbo Cook Off in New Iberia, Louisiana.

But, which one should we make?  There are so many choices--

first, take an inventory of the pantry and freezer/refrigerator--what's in stock?  Don't want to run to the grocery when you want to cook gumbo!!  we can go with a traditional New Orleans Gumbo with chicken, sausage, shrimp or recipe that adds okra--don't have okra so we'll go with the traditional.  We'll use file'--

short history of gumbo is the way to begin, if you don't have any idea what gumbo is or where it came from.  Now, begin your gumbo, gather your veggies, chop, make your roux, and we're off to the races with a delicious gumbo!

There are so many recipes that you can search for gumbo--but different regions of Louisiana add potato salad to their bowl of gumbo!  We don't use rice but use riced cauliflower instead.

My mouth is watering as I write!

Here's to National Gumbo Day!

Eyes and Ears!

 I LOVE to read!  But there aren't enough hours in the day to read all the books I would like to!  I've discovered a few ways that I can add books to my daily routine--without picking up a physical book or e- reader.  

I found my favorite way to listen to podcasts--Podbean!  Almost all podcasts are found on this airway.  Here are just some of my favorites:

1. -My brother's podcast about music--KT and The Trout
2. Bible Recap--awesomeness!  Reading the Bible now is so understandable!
3. Craftlit--literature in public domain with excellent description of what it's all about--now playing "The Leavenworth Case" set in 1850's, authored by Anna Katharine Green--

Then, I found Modern Mrs. Darcy--this blog and podcast can be found on the website!  Can't find a book to read or listen to--just hop over to MMD website for vast suggestions of books to read with your eyes or ears!  I found WAY too many to add to my list!

If you like Fan Fiction, check out Wattpad!  Here is where you go to read with your eyes some outstanding authors, who do not have book deals yet!  Brown headed daughter writes here under Whoops Harry Styles!  She has many followers--although, she does have a published book on Amazon--she enjoys to write through this outlet.

Along comes Scribd--Holy Moley!  Everything I wanted to hear or read is there--all in one little app!  I first used their free offer and haven't looked back since--so many audiobooks plus magazines!  Yes!  Magazines!  I can stop those paid monthly subscriptions that come in the mail! 

Now, when I sew or knit or weave, a book is just a touch away!

Let's Gather Those Orphan Blocks!

I have found that I like working with orphan blocks!  I like finding them a 

home within a quilt.  The above one has been on my drawing board for awhile now--

and it's time to finish it up since I've found several other orphans roaming around

my stash bin.

I also found some precut squares!  why did I cut these?

Anyway, here is how I used them to make a quilt top with some

orphan squares

I added star points on each side and ta da--we have a nice block.

of course, the half square blocks were left over from another project that

had extras--and that's how the quilt goes around!

When I cut my half square triangles, I stitch a small area away so

I can cut between and another half square triangle!  Easy to do and

easy to square up if not the right size.

If you have orphan blocks--just assemble them in a fashion that

you like. 

orphan block ideas

Fabric 406

mama love quilts

Oops! Not just fabric!

 The other day I was talking about UFOS in my quilting studio--well, that's not the only place I have those neglected items lingering around!  I took a look at my knitting projects--why did I do that??

I looked up to see my knitting bag was overflowing with many UFOs too!  There they are! Several items that are half knitted, mostly knitted, hardly knitted--why do I do this?  Begin a project, then set it aside--sometimes,  I think I just lost my knitting mojo at times.  Oh, don't get me wrong--I love to knit but sometimes, I just put it aside and then something else comes along to take my attention away from the knitting project--sure, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!  I have a 'squirrel' moment--often!!

Here is 2021 International Lace project in progress--

I've lost my place, so I'm going to begin over--so I can get back in place.

Another lovely scarf pattern begin--all handspun but only

a short time into the pattern--this one I can pick up and continue--another

2021 start

Oh joy!  another handspun yarn lingering away and this one is almost

complete!  This will be the first one I pick up and finish!

OMgoodness!  This scarf is from 2019!  How can that be?

I love this handspun yarn--this will be #2 to finish--

guess what?  Won't be long before all the knit alongs for the 

holidays will begin and I'll need to have another UFO--  okay, there will be more UFOs if I keep looking at “new” patterns—like this cowl below!

Wendy Johnson has these fabulous cowls!  I just can't resist!

UFOS? Why??!!

 Why?? Why oh why?? do I have so many UFOs?  What are UFOs?  Unfinished Objects--mainly in the quilt closet and bins!  Why do I begin a project and not complete it?  Good question!  I'm sure No One else does that!

Here's one that wasn't even begun!  Unbelievable!  Really like this pattern and fabrics.

This one was begun years ago--even finished all the embroidery work--

cut out most of the blocks--but why didn't I finish it/  

This is one of the great quilt mysteries that Bonnie Hunter does every fall--

several blocks made--just lingering in the bin to be finished

When everyone else has a friendly neighbor quilt--I have only three blocks

finished--why did I put it aside for this long?

I even have all the plaids that I wanted to use for the blocks--go figure!

This one was begun last Christmas 2020--12 blocks ready and all

the necessary fabrics right there n the bin with the instructions!

Love this quillt--so why didn't I finish it!  Maybe, because it was each day of

December a block pattern was released--nope, can't use that as an excuse!

And this one!! I was on step 7 of 10--

Excuse?  It has lots and lots of flying geese and half square triangles--

could be the reason! I got just plain tried of cutting out and sewing!

Now, is the time to take action!  

• First, I must confess that I have these UFOs
• Then I'll make a list of neglected projects--not necessarily in any order
• Face up to the fact that some projects need to be ripped out and begun again
• Maybe, I can't find the pattern--well, guess again--most of them have the pattern and fabric--no excuse
• Must decide to cut my losses and leave it to the side.
• Commit to finishing one before beginning a new project--really hard to do!

Today, I'm turning over a new leaf! 

Ask me in three months if I stuck to my plan :-))