BOM Monday

I started the day with my annual mammogram appointment.........and I passed!!  Don't have to go back for another year.

Tonight, after much deliberation, I pulled out the BOM that I want to work on first.......following along with the BOM challenge at Pink Pincushion (see button on my sidebar).  I decided that I would start with something small, something that I had already made considerable progress on, and something that I still loved.........the choice was "A Tisket A Tasket" by Bunnyhill Designs.  It is available for sale now, but back when I started it, it was a freebie from Anne.  I had been working on it when our house flooded.....had completed blocks 1-8, and the blocks were on my sewing table when everything flooded.  Fortunately, the blocks and fabrics were okay, but I discovered later that the pattern for Block 11 was lost.  
A couple of months ago, I contacted Anne who generously emailed me the pattern for the lost block.  I never downloaded it off the computer.  Luckily everything is still all together, Block 11 is downloaded, and I am on my way.  I am doing the blocks with fusible and machine buttonhole applique.  After dinner tonight I got Blocks 9 & 10 fused and ready for stitching.  I hope to get 11 & 12 fused tomorrow.  Hopefully by the end of the week all of the blocks will be finished and ready for setting.  A little nudge is a good thing, Pink Pincushion!

Tomorrow Blake has a dental appointment and then we have to go buy a new stove......GRRRRRRRRRR.  I have wanted a new stove, but not right now.  Last week it was an a 

new HVAC unit for the main level.  At this point the only two mechanical things we haven't replaced in this house are the fridge and the hot water heater.........and I am not holding my breath.

GRATITUDES:

A normal mammogram, and my great doctor at Breast Care Specialists.

The happy chatter of grandchildren in the car on the way home from school.

Swinging on the back porch with my sweet little Rascal.

Take care,

Jennie

Finishes

I had a couple of finishes as of last night.......both of them hooked.  The first was long overdue, and probably.....no, certainly....would still be unfinished if it were not for our upcoming guild rugshow, Off the Hook.  Nothing like a little pressure to get you moving.  The rug, seen here previously, had been finished for awhile......except for the binding.  I just couldn't make a decision about how to finish the edge.  A braided border was the winner, and, I think, the right decision.  Many thanks to dear friend, Kathie Meyers (Simple Braided Borders for Hooked Rugs), for her wonderful instructions on braiding borders!!!

The next one was Blossom Bunny from Anita White's Cupboard series....just in time for Easter.

I love this series of little matts......they are quick and easy and the designs are really cute.  It is nice to be able to change them out with the seasons.

Tonight we went to The Bedford School for their annual Dinner/ Auction.  We have two grandchildren who attend there.  It is a wonderful school - a real blessing for these children with special learning needs.  We are always inspired by the slide presentations and the speakers, who are alumni and their parents.  It is heartening to see that these young people have utilized the skills they learn at Bedford to become successful in their lives.  I cannot express how wonderful and caring the staff at this school is.  

We worked in the yard for awhile today, and I cooked two loaves of "Extra Tangy Sourdough Bread"...two yummy loaves of bread quite different from the first recipe.  I cannot believe I am actually making good, homemade bread!!!

I came across this blog today, and lo and behold, my addiction has a name and other victims.  BOM addiction.  There, I have said it.  My name is Jennie, and I am a BOM addict.  What is it about getting those little packages of lovely fabrics and patterns in the mail each month, all picked out for you....all you have to do is stitch.....or not.  I wouldn't even venture to say how many BOMs I have in various stages of completion, and not even started, but neatly packaged together awaiting my attention.  Maybe this challenge is just what I need to get moving on them!  Time will tell, but it is worth a try.   Stay tuned.  At least I know that I am not alone..........

That is it for tonight.

GRATITUDES:

The Bedford School and its staff.

"Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young.

Retirement.

Take care,

Jennie

Blame Miss M

It is all her fault.....Miss M's.....you know.  She has occupied a large portion of my time this past week.  Miss M is my "new" old Macomber Add A Harness Loom.  Blake and I journeyed to Asheville, NC on Sunday, loaded her up on a borrowed pick up truck, spent the night in Asheville, went to Earth Guild on Monday and then headed home.  The trip was fun, the weather was gorgeous, and I am thrilled with Miss M.  Loading and unloading her was a bit of a challenge, as she weighs in at about 250#......and she required significant rearranging of my "Studio", but I think she will be worth it.  Ann Lynn and Diane came over on Tuesday and helped me get her set up and started on the warping process, then I finished last night and started a small weaving sample.  Boy, is it different weaving on a big girl loom!!

Last Saturday the Coweta County Genealogical Society (where Blake volunteers) had a nice program put on by the ladies of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  I know that my Kellum ancestor fought in the Revolutionary War.........perhaps it is time to delve into that.......in my spare time.  Or maybe Blake, the genealogist of the household, will do it for me.......

I had ordered Sourdough Starter from King Arthur, and it arrived last week before our mad dash to Asheville.  I got it going and turned out my first loaves..........Sourdough Artisan Bread.  It was pretty darned good, too!  Especially for a beginner.  We also had salad with fresh lettuce and spinach from the garden.  This week our mixed greens are ready to pick, so looks like that will be on the dinner menu for tomorrow.

I plugged along with the knitting......ended up with 7 new dish and face cloths and just a smidgen of cotton yarn left.

Spring is in full swing here in Georgia........along with pollen and allergy season.  The flowers are so pretty, though.  Blake and John set out 28 small azaleas, 3 roses, a camellia and a few other things yesterday.  And today we received a most welcome rain!

That is it for now.

GRATITUDES:

The instant bond you have with fiber people....quilters, weavers, whatever.

Renewal.......of the earth and our spirits.

The feel of fibers in my hands.

Take care,

Jennie

Where does it go.........

the time, that is??  It has been more than a week since I posted.  I don't know how the time gets by so quickly.

Blake got a new toy.......for the garden, you know :-)  He says it is because I wanted it.  Right!!

On Saturday my niece and her friend came up and we spent the day at Scott's Flea Market.  I always have lots of fun there, and never fail to find something I can't live without.  Faye brought me this pretty geranium.

Ann Lynn, Sandy and I went to Opelika, AL......again.....on Friday, but to a different place this time.  We went to a great yarn, weaving, spinning shop, Yarnhouse Studio.  They had gorgeous yarns and couldn't have been more welcoming.  I will be going back there.

I continue to work on the red and white towels at Ann Lynn's:

And on my rigid heddle loom at home, I am working on a scarf using Noro sock yarn and Perle cotton:

I have been plagued with a sweet tooth lately.

This is a little wool bag that I made as a Christmas gift......I gave it away without photographing it, but my friend had it with her at hooking the other night, so I quickly snapped a photo.  Sharon, one of the Sew Crazies, taught us how to make the bags with quilting fabric, and I just winged it with the wool applique.

The stitchery and frame I showed you in a previous post are now done and ready to hang.

I am sure that this is more than enough for everyone!!

GRATITUDES:

A day spent with friends Hooking and sharing.

Spring flowers.....and the surprises you find in your yard.

Fresh air circulating through open doors in the house.

Take care,

Jennie

Monday again......

Last week was full of activity, but today I have a chance to slow down and do a few things that I have put off......like blogging.

Last Tuesday my weaving class took a field trip to Mo-Purl in Auburn, AL.  There they make lovely yarns for weaving and knitting.  Bob, the owner, welcomed us and allowed us to wander about, perusing boxes and boxes of all kinds of yarns.  In the end, he assisted us with our purchases.  I didn't exactly know what I was looking for, being so new in this weaving business, however, I didn't have any trouble finding a few cones of things I liked.    The yarn in the basket is an interesting texture, a gift from Diane.  The unwrapped cones were ordered from Yarn Barn, the wrapped ones from Mo-Purl.  A girl has to have a stash, you know.

On Thursday, I started a BOM, Kisses from Your Beloved,  at Sewn with Luv.  Our teacher, Nettie, turned out to be someone I knew from the Emmaus community, which made it even more special.  The class uses a fancy ruler from Square in a Square to make piecing these blocks simpler.  I really like the fabrics they have chosen......it is hard to appreciate them in this photo.

Thursday night involved some babysitting activities with two of the grands, and on Friday night we  went to see Macy perform in her school's Lip Synch Night.  Hope to have photos on that later.

On Saturday morning it was time to do something with that over-ripe banana that was languishing in the bowl on the kitchen counter...........Banana nut muffins!

A bigger challenge for Saturday was completing the last of the fourth set of Just Takes 2 Blocks (four different reds, three backgrounds, all from stash).  The members of PFA Yahoo group had given me some good advice for making the foundation pieced blocks, and it served me well.  In addition, I set up a little trimming and pressing station at my sewing machine.......now this might seem like common sense to you, but I had avoided doing it because I think that it is good to get up and move about when stitching.  But with so many cuts and so much pressing with the foundation piecing, I bit the bullet.  I had purchased the miniature Dritz iron quite some time ago, and never tried it out.......it is GREAT!!!  It even has steam.  All that being said, the blocks were still a challenge..........and the main block for the next two week period makes me cringe.  I am wondering if I am in over my head.

I had the urge to knit a little yesterday.  Let me say, I am not a proficient knitter, but I enjoy an easy project.  Before Christmas I gathered all of my dishcloth yarn together thinking that I would use it all up, depleting a large chunk of my small knitting stash (yes, it is my only "small" stash and there is quite a bit of sock yarn waiting in it).  I made about seven dish and face cloths and set it aside.  I am left with a couple of full balls and lots of odds and ends, which is really fine for what I am doing.  I have made a lot of different face and dish cloths, but I found my favorite dishcloth pattern for free at Homespun Living Blog.  It is simple, attractive and wears well.  Thanks, Homespun Living!!

This is the second block in Over the Meadow, my BOM challenge.  I really like these blocks and will be happy to have this quilt done at the end of the year.  It is so whimsical.....the blocks just make me smile.

GRATITUDES:

Finding joy in the little things of life.

Watching the grandchildren grow up and become "real people", each with such distinct personalities.

Girl time with my daughters.

The music of the wind chimes on the back deck.

Take care,

Jennie

Sew Crazy Day.........

at Over the Hill Farm.  Yes, the Sew Crazies, minus Luella and Sandy, had a little mini retreat today at our place.  Amidst laughter, friendship and food we managed to work on table runners based on a You Tube from the Missouri Quilt Company using the Strip Tube Ruler.  My runner, made from stash,  is very Spring-like, which is what this glorious weather is deceiving us into thinking that it is.  We were even able to sit on the back porch to enjoy lunch.

The daffodils are in full bloom now, as are the little purple hyacinths that are so very fragrant.  The forsythias are hinting at the promise of their full glory with tiny yellow buds starting to appear.  I love Spring.  Sometimes, when Spring is full of promise, I forget that Fall is my favorite season.

This miniature Shoo Fly block, measuring in at 3" finished, was on its way to Vermont today to become a part of a little quilt for another friend from my Yahoo Prim group who is ill.  I hope that this tiny wish from friends near and far will cheer her.

At the garden, the early Spring crop is in........spinach, cabbage, lettuce, collards, onions, strawberries and blueberries.

Blueberry bloom

Lettuce, Spinach

Strawberry Plant

Blake and I found this old galvanized tub in an abandoned barn.  The bottom is nearly rotted out, but I thought that it made for a charming place to start a container herb garden.......as long as it still holds dirt, we are good!  Might I add, I am not sure Blake was able to understand why we were dragging this piece of junk home.........what does he know :-)  To his credit, he didn't say a word, just loaded it into the Expedition.

GRATITUDES:

Warm sunshine on my face.

The back porch swing.
A husband who accepts me just the way I am.

Cold, wet doggy noses pressed against my hand.

Take care,

Jennie

I promised you chickens.....

and I won't let you down!!  It was really hard to take good photos through the cage wires, but honestly, these chickens are the cutest and most handsome things!!  I wish I could remember the names of the varieties here....they sound very exotic.  When I have my very own flock of girls I will learn.  I hope to have a start on the coop soon.  I will definitely keep you posted!

As for now, I will have to settle for this fellow......a birthday gift from a girlfriend many years ago.  I believe that he will be the only rooster on this farm!

On Friday the Sew Crazies met at our LQS, Sewn with Luv, where the lovely owner, Kathleen, so generously allows us to meet and generally kick up a commotion in her shop with all of our laughter and teasing.  I am not totally sure that her customers know quite what to think of us.....but I think that they are sure we are having fun.  We continue to work on our QOV projects.  Kathleen donated this great kit with a preprinted panel in the Seven Sisters pattern.  I brought it home to add the borders....should be a quick do!

This week I completed the Disappearing 4 Patch top, which is now destined to be a donation quilt for one of the Sew Crazie's charities.  It was fun to put together, and I have a gazillion more of the blocks.  I must have thought I was making 3 king sized tops, honestly.  It is not the most gorgeous thing I ever saw......it is kind of psychedelic but it is done, a lot of stash was busted and it will go for a good cause.

I also completed this little stitchery from Summer Gatherings.  The applique is wool with Valdani floss. The lettering was done with one strand of DMC.

The really good thing is that it calls for a standard 8" x 10" frame.....so, I was off to Goodwill for that.  I found this ratty looking frame, already nicely distressed........all I need to do is paint it and distress a little more.  The price was right at two bucks.

Also worked on some other things, which I will share in another post.

The new arbor and fence got painted and now awaits some plantings to tie it to the site.

 This post went on forever, sorry.  I suspect you are on overload at this point.  Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

GRATITUDES:

Hopes and dreams......and the realization that they don't all need to come true for me to be truly happy.....I already am.

Family safely home from their respective Winter Breaks.

Warm slippers.

The laughter and camaraderie of friends.

Take care,

Jennie

Where did the w/e go?

As usual, the weekend just flew by.  We attended the Chattahoochee Valley Poultry Association show yesterday.......over 2000 fowl, all in one place.  I will try to post a few photos tomorrow.  I had my list and checked out the breeds I am interested in.  Added a couple :-)  They are just so darned cute!!!  Hopefully I will get my chicken house started in the next few weeks and then I can really get serious.

Got some stitching and prepping done.  Finished two more of the little Trick or Treat baskets, completed my February block for Over the Meadow (but I won't post it here until after the end of the month when I post it at my Yahoo PrimFolkArt group) and did some prep work on several more.  They are just so adorable that I can't believe I waited a whole year to start them.  Finished quilting and binding the Kathleen Tracy small quilt for this month.  The pattern in Broken Dishes, and I did the small version in reds and pinks.  Some folks used a valentine embroidery in the center square, but I fussy cut one of my favorite Jo Morton bird toiles.  It is machine pieced and quilted.  Everything from scraps or stash.

My quilt group, the Sew Crazies, have started their second QOV.  We are making 12" blocks in patriotic colors (some fabrics left over from the previous quilt and some of our own) that look more "girly".  Seems that we always think of soldiers as guys, and, of course, that is simply not the case these days.  That is why we decided to make something a little more feminine.  I made the Dresden Plate and Fan blocks using the Darlene Zimmerman E-Z Dresden template......and it truly was easy.  I used invisible machine applique on the Fan and Dresden Plate and they were done much faster than I would have ever imagined.  Now I want to make a whole Dresden Plate quilt as at the Bunnyhill Scrappy Plate Club.  Always something to add to the list.

DGS, Dillon, helped us in the garden on Friday.  We added a nice little strawberry bed next to the fence, and I planted 20 strawberry plants.  Also put in some spinach and lettuce.  I have never raised either before and am hoping that it doesn't get too warm here before they are ready to harvest.  The weekend brought some gentle rain for them.  The garlic is growing and I think the onions are looking okay.  Blake is already buying seed for this year's garden.....Spring Fever for sure.

GRATITUDES:

A place to live where we can indulge in our hobbies.

Wholesome community activities.

Curiosity to learn and try new things.

Take care,

Jennie

Wednesday

It is a beautiful day here in Georgia.....the sun is shining, it isn't too cold and we have had some nice rain over the past couple of days.  What more could you ask?

On top of that, I have been able to go to my weaving class for the past two days.....one was my regular lesson, the other a make up day for last week.  I am getting the loom ready to start my second project....some twill dish towels.  Ann Lynn is allowing me to work on the type of loom that I am hoping to buy soon, a Mighty Wolf.....after working on the Wolf Pup, it really seems like a "big girl" loom!  Now, mind you, it is not one of those wonderful, take up your whole room looms like my friend Diane has, but I don't see myself committing to one of those.......yet :-)

I spent last night working on set three of the Just Takes 2 blocks.  I am not adept at foundation piecing.  I spent an awful lot of time ripping out and redoing.  Not only am I not adept at this technique, I am not fond of it.  Maybe I need some lessons, as it appears we are going to be using this method a lot in the blocks for this quilt.  On this set I used two background colors and three reds....again, all from stash.

The small Crosses Mourning Quilt is hand quilted, bound and hung.  This clock is in my sewing room....I was pleased that the little quilt went with it so well!

Our Bible Study group donated Valentine baskets for the young women rescued from sexual abuse and slavery by Wellspring Ministries.  There are eight young women (ages 15-18) currently in this program.  Each of our ladies contributed with the generosity of loving hearts.  We delivered the baskets to the office on Monday along with the little bud vases filled with tiny carnations and baby's breath.  It is shocking that the Atlanta area is one of the worst in the country for this type of abuse.

GRATITUDES:

Grandchildren that are safe and loved by their families.
The feel of fibers in my hand.
Sweet memories of my mother.

Take care,
Jennie