Saturday, September 28, 2013

Satisfying Saturday

I slept in this morning - That's right - I didn't get up until 7:45 a.m.  We'll try and forget that I was up at 7 and went back to bed.  I realized I dozed off when I heard the coffee finish brewing.  Honey Do pushed the button to turn it on and I woke to freshly brewed coffee.  That was such a nice way to get up :)

So after watching Fons and Porter and Sewing with Nancy, I made breakfast, did dishes and put on a crockpot of vegetable beef soup, started the laundry and made a batch of rice krispie treats.
I talked to BFF while I did all this and then even got a chance to talk to Mom.  She requested a new recipe which I couldn't track down on line, but found something else that we both thought sounded interesting.  So I'm making that and we'll share on Thursday when I go to visit her.

Working on my stitchery last night I watched a French movie.  No I don't know French, I had to read the sub-titles, but it was so worth it.



Today, I'm listening to an audio book with Newton while I work on my stitchery.  He's done most of his chores, so it gives us some time to enjoy something together.

Thanks for stopping by . . .



Wishing you a creative weekend.

Fabulous Friday

Today was fabulous.  I started earlyticking things off my to-do list.  My weekend menu and shopping list are planned.  My day is planned - and planned to be productive.

Days are noticeably cooler for us.  Mornings are cool and damp, lots of dew.  Inevitably, I take the dogs out and forget to grab a bowl and the kitchen scissors.  I had a good harvest of fresh broccoli again this morning.  No bowl . . .


No problem . . .

Yes, that's my shirt :)  A vegetable pizza is planned for the weekend, this harvest will be perfect.  I picked the banana peppers earlier in the week.


I saw this pattern on Pinterest the other day - maybe I need to make one of these for harvesting in my garden.  Then I just have to remember to put it on :)


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


I spent my afternoon preparing for this evening's dinner .  The menu:

steamed top neck clams (this is for Honey Do - I don't touch them)
parsley buttered potatoes
corn on the cob
kielbasi 

I'm attempting to minimize clean up after dinner and get as much done before hand as I can.  I don't have a bit kitchen, so it minimizes how much space I won't have to work with.  Also, Newton has a program after school so I don't have the additional help.  It's really hard to ask either of them to help too much when they've been gone and working hard all day themselves.  It's also difficult for me to not want to sit and enjoy the evening when everyone else is sitting.

I purchased all of my weekend supplies.  Look at these gorgeous end of the season peaches !!!  I can't decide if I just want to eat them or make a pie !  They were only 99 cents per pound.  I'm thinking about going back and getting more and putting them in the freezer for the winter.


A stop at the library is affording me my entertainment for the weekend too.  Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks and Island of Flowers by Nora Roberts.  Two of my absolute favorite authors.


And let's not forget about the DVDs.  Somewhere I read about Foyle's War.  As I was checking out, another patron told me that it was a very good series, so I'm going to try and watch that while I'm working on my stitchery.


While I was out in the garden harvesting fresh parsley for dinner I noticed that some of the plants had gone to seed.  I collected the seeds to plant next spring.  There is a very good chance that seeds have already dropped but I don't want to chance a hard winter and be caught without.  Better to have too many plants than not enough.




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I have a unique finish to tell you about.  Several years ago Honey Do stayed home with kids.  Prior to foster care and adoption we both worked until he got hurt badly at one of his jobs.  He recovered and ended up working at several places before we made our decision about children.  Anyway, in an effort to keep him busy and creative, he thought he might enjoy playing with wood burning.  This was the precursor to pen making, which he is just a natural at and is paying the bills now.

This is the only project he made and this week I ran across it traveling though my sewing room.  I finally pulled out the colored pencils and colored it.  I thought about paint and decided I just wanted to keep it simple.  What do you think?  We make a pretty good team.  :)



Thanks for stopping by



Wishing you a creative weekend.






Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Wednesday with Friends

I took the day off from crafting today.  Not that I don't do that on a regular basis already.  I'm suffering from changes in routine and still trying to adjust to the new school schedule.  I met a couple of friends for lunch today.  These sweet ladies helped me get through a week of crafting for vacation bible school.  Not only that, but they spent a couple of months helping to get all the supplies purchased, prepped and bagged so all we had to do was hand them out.  I couldn't have done it without them.

We also discussed, among many other things, having our own sewing circle and meeting every other week.  I know there are a few of you out there already doing that.  It looks like so much fun.  Wish I would have thought of it sooner.  And now that the idea has been voiced, I'm very excited and can't wait for us to meet and get started.

I spent my morning putzing around my yard picking up the remnants of summer - empty flower pots, garden hoses, plant stakes, tools, etc. and have starting putting things away for the winter.  We still have about four weeks before we have to seriously consider the end of summer, but the forecast in the past week has mentioned words like "frost" and that's when the days start getting numbered.

When I got home the mail had arrived and I got a lovely surprise from Ms. Fee in Australia.


It was a pleasant surprise because I'd forgotten I placed an order and I am extremely pleased with the contents of the package.  I'm going to attempt to make my own little change purse with the hardware and doesn't the gingham binding look fabulous with the red tonal from my Beauty project?  I'm hoping it works out.

Well, I am off to draw off a new pattern to use up the scraps that Sister left me on Monday.  I'm going to try and make a cushion out of it.

Thank you for stopping by

**


Wishing you a creative evening.


** image downloaded from Pinterest.




Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Terrific Tuesday

What started out as an unmotivated, lazy day (for all about 30 minutes, anyway) has turned into a terrific day.

As you know, I spent yesterday with my sister working on a quilt top.  She admitted to starting one quite a few years ago.  She didn't finish it and claims that it's buried somewhere in her basement.  I told her I'd love to see it, but at this time she's not very willing.  Anyway . . .

I went to the basement to start my laundry.  While I was down there, I thought I should try and work on Beauty.  I have a plan for finishing - can picture it in my mind.  Executing it is another matter.  I tried to rush through some of the steps yesterday and let's just say that my inexperience is showing !!!  So I dropped back this morning and punted.



I original drew my potential idea on tear away stabilizer.  That worked ok.  It wasn't hard to draw or stitch.


The problem came later when I had to remove the stabilizer.  The initial tearing away was great, it was when I got into the stitches and the really small, tight places that was awful.  And of course, the stabilizer didn't come with any instructions and I didn't do any research before I started using it.  

And then I didn't like the end result.  At least not for this project.  I may cut these down and just use them to decorate some towels.

So about a week's worth of stitching won't be used on this project and I've dropped back and rethought my goals.  I've also come to some other conclusions:

First, I need to really stop and think through a project.  I don't have enough experience to just pick up an idea and run with it.  I waste time and resources.  The positive is that I am learning something from those experiences.  And that is definitely not a bad thing.  But I do have a lot to learn.

Second, several years ago Honey Do spent a good afternoon putting up shelves and helping me design my space.  No it's not pretty or fancy.  More importantly, he took the time to help, he did the labor and he put the love into making sure I had what I wanted and needed to help me be creative and productive.  

As I was working in "my" space I was ashamed for all the times I wanted something "better".  I have lots of room, lots of storage space, plenty of table space for cutting and laying out and sewing.  I don't have to move everything to a kitchen or dining room table that has to be cleaned up and put away or worried that a curious child will decide to figure out how it works and hurt himself or damage my machine.  If I run out of time, I can just close up shop and walk away.  When I have time later, I just have to pick up where I left off.  That makes me feel really special, loved and grateful for a man who cares that much about me.  I've decided I have the best space for me.


Thanks for stopping by


Wishing you a most creative day.


Monday, September 23, 2013

Marvelous Monday

I love Mondays . . .

Newton goes to school . . .

Honey Do goes to work . . .

I'm by myself . . .

Don't get  me wrong, I LOVE my family.  But I LOVE my time to myself.  Usually on Monday I catch up the laundry and straighten up the house from a weekend of everyone being home.

Today, was an exception to the rule:  Sister came over today.  After looking through Pinterest for some suggestions, we decided what she would like to do with the jelly roll of fabric she purchased a couple of weeks ago.  Such patience she possesses.


The fabric is called Snowman Gatherings from Moda.  It is very cute and I really like the overall prints that are included with the snowmen.  Not to mention the basic colors:  tan and blue.  It really doesn't get any better than that.

Sister got a new sewing machine and thought now was a good time to try it out.


She worked very hard to get the strips and rows sewn together.


She wanted to keep the fabric width and once it's all sewn together she'll have 4 1/2 inch blocks.

We did our best to sort the fabrics so we didn't have too much repetition of like colors.  I'd never worked with a jelly roll before, so I was a little out of my comfort zone too.

We ended up getting half the project finished.  I tried to encourage her to go home and get it finished.  Next day off we'll work on sandwiching and tying it off.


We make a good team, don't we?

I can't wait for the next day off.  I really enjoy spending time with my sister.  And I'm so honored that she chose to have me help her with this project.


Thanks for stopping by


Wishing you a creative day.

(the pumpkins are from Sister - isn't she just the most thoughtful sweet person?  I think so, but I'm more than a little prejudice. :)


Sunday Prep

Today after church was not my usual day.  I try really hard to keep Sunday as God intended - a day of rest.  Because of different obligations this week I didn't get as much done as I had planned.

Sister called me last weekend and asked if she could come and sew with me on Monday.  Of course I said yes.  My sister and I enjoy many of the same crafts - Mama raised us right :)  We both sew, she's better at crocheting than I am, she encouraged and got me addicted to scrap booking and now it's my turn to share what little quilting knowledge I have with her.  She found a new quilt shop in her little town - I have yet to check it out, but soon !!

Well in order to make room for us to both sew, I HAD to finish cleaning and organizing my space.  This project was begun a number of months ago and I just kept putting it off.  The problem is I have too much stuff.  But I'm not ready to part with much of it at this point.  I'm working my way there.  Much of the fabric will go into future projects; the scrap booking is still needed but on the back burner for right now.

I'm too embarrassed to show you how bad it looked before I started cleaning today.  Let's just say you couldn't see my work tables and if you use a little tiny bit of imagination you'll understand.  I'm forever reorganizing and moving and trying to come up with better ways to put things in their proper places, touch it once/deal with it theory.  But I never seem to quite get there.  Not sure when all this hording took over my life, but I've vowed to make my life simpler and I keep striving toward that end.


So now you can see my tables again.  Happy dance, happy dance . . .


This wall, behind my sewing machine, are all 
most my UFOs and KARTS.  I know it's a lot, but I've been sewing since I was a teenager and some of these projects go back to my days of retail in a couple of fabric stores.  And I have a really hard time letting anything go in the trash so I've managed to accumulate some things that were headed that way just because I knew I could use them.

I've tried to label every box and container so that when I'm looking for something specific I can just go straight to it.  Some of these items just need an afternoon and they would be done.

I also have a love a old, wooden thread spools.  Some still have the thread on them.  Eventually, when Newton grows up and moves out I'm going to take back (yes, I had it first) his bedroom and make it my sewing room again.  For now, I'm in the basement which does afford me more room - when it's cleaned and organized.


This cabinet was once in a toy store and they pitched it.  See what I mean about salvaging . . .
anyway, it's been used for tons of things since the mid-80s:  bathroom towels storage in a rental house that had little to no storage; books, scrap booking supplies and now my odds and ends of cotton fabrics (organized by color), interfacing and scraps (that you can't see on the very bottom) for scrap quilts.  I think eventually the plastic "shoe" boxes will go away and the bins will just hold the fabric.  The boxes were the first attempt at organizing, but I think they will end up just taking up valuable space.

All my cleaning and organizing took about 2 1/2 hours.  I wasn't sure how long it would take, so I put a crockpot on for dinner and a quiche in the oven for lunch.  By the time I finished in the basement, dinner was done:


There was only enough leftover for one bowl that Honey Do is taking for lunch tomorrow.  This is a sausage bean soup with spinach.  I pretty much butchered the original recipe which called for ground turkey or chicken and kale.  I had sausage and spinach, so I made due.  My family loved it.  Some of the sausage was left over from Labor Day grilling.  So I just cut it up and added a little more for good measure.  Over all, it was really good.


Off to my stitching and a movie. 

thanks for stopping by



Wishing you a creative evening.


Pictures of property of Edi's Crafting Life and may only be used with permission.
Scarecrow image downloaded from Internet.




Saturday, September 21, 2013

Finally a Finish

It's Saturday morning.  I've been up for almost two hours.  It's the one day of the week I should be able to sleep in.  Oh, well, if you're going to dream, dream big :)  But it's quiet.  And shortly Fons and Porter and Nancy Zeiman will be on and I can watch while I drink my coffee.  I'm going to make it a slow, relaxing start to my day.

It's raining.  And it's quiet so I don't mind.  I love the rain.  I love a good thunderstorm.  It's still fairly humid, but it will be a good day to be indoors catching up on all the things that didn't get done this week.  With my bum shoulder and a trip to Mom's, I didn't get as much done as I would have liked.

Once my chores are done, I'm going back to work on Shabby Roses Beauty.  I also have to prepare for Monday.  Sister is coming over for a day of quilting.  Can't wait.  She's going to try and it will be the first time she's trying something that I enjoy.  She's the one who taught me all about scrapbooking.  I will be forever grateful even though I haven't done much for awhile.  

 * / * / * / * / * / * /

Finally a finish . . .


I started the stitchery of this project back in June, 2012.  I was on a business trip with Honey Do and he graciously let me visit two different quilt shops.  I found this pattern and purchased the background fabric and started drawing it off as soon as we arrived at our destination.  (The pattern is a Bird Brains design). 

Now a year later, I can finally say it's FINISHED.  It's not perfect, 

but . . . 

happy dance, happy dance, happy dance.

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Thanks for stopping by

Wishing you a creative Saturday.




Friday, September 20, 2013

FNSI and Blog-aversaries Celebrations

I've been AWOL the last couple of days - have you missed me?  I've missed blogging.  Thursday, I helped Mom out with some things around her house and developed an awful pain in my right shoulder. So much so that I couldn't even lift my arm.  Today, all of a sudden, it's ok again.  I can't figure it out.


This was sunrise today - Isn't it gorgeous.  I never get tired of the wonders of nature and the blessings we receive through it.  It's hard to tell from this 9:00 a.m. shot that it was going to be in the mid-80s today.  And pretty humid as well.  We are expecting rain over the weekend, but that's ok too.

So it's FNSI - Friday Night Sew-In.  Not only do I have a project to work on, but I have one I am planning on finally finishing.  I've shown this to you before:


I love these brown beads for the center of my sunflowers . . .


just to add some texture, I pulled out a couple of scraps to "patch the knees" . . .


I used pre-packaged piping in place of sashing . . .


and found these tiny buttons for his straps.  It's hard to tell, but the shirt is yellow and red "plaid", so I used red and yellow buttons.  Just to add some silliness, I stitched them with opposite colored threads.  Isn't he the sweetest scarecrow you've ever seen?


The patchwork border was suggested by Wendy of Sugarlane.  I absolutely love the way it turned out.  The "bluish" border is actually almost a hunter green color and it's a brushed fabric, so it's adding a little more texture as well.


I used the flower as binding and backing.  I cut it big enough to bring it around front.  And I managed to have enough that I could also add the hanger on the back.  

It's not completely stitched together yet, but my plan is to finish it this evening.

* / * / * / * / * / * / * / *

There are alot of Blog-averseries this month.

The first is Wendy at http://sugarlanequilts.blogspot.com/
She's celebrating her 4th year with this adorable project.  I've already downloaded mine.  Wendy also has some designs for sale at her Craftsy store.  It's all linked on her site.  Thanks Wendy and happy blog-aversary.



She has a 12 piece project called Sentimental Journey.  Every Friday for four weeks she is sharing three blocks with us.  You can still catch up.  This is week two of the four.  So she's shared six blocks already.  Michelle has patterns for purchase and a new book coming out.  All the details are on her site.  Thanks Michelle and happy blog-aversary.


Third is Jenny at http://www.elefantz.com/.
Not only has she celebrated an anniversary recently, but she keeps sharing the wealth of her talent with more and more free designs.  Hop on over and check out her pattern store on Craftsy.  Jenny has patterns free and for purchase as well as an e-magazine that's very informative and, you guessed it, filled with more patterns to stitch.  Thanks Jenny and happy blog-aversary.



I'm sure there are a lot more celebrations going on out there in blog land.  These happen to be just three of my favor sites and very few days go by without my checking in on what these ladies are up to.

* \ * \ * \ * \ * \ * \ *

So it's time for FNSI.  Can't wait to finish my project.  What are you all working on?  

Thanks for stopping by


Wishing you a creative weekend.








Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Little of this......

Today started out pretty busy - laundry, groceries, pet supplies, dinner, etc.  There was time for some stitching and redecorating a bit for the new season

Dinner today started yesterday.  I made roasted cauliflower for dinner.  I had two heads that needed to be used.  I cut up the second one along with carrots, potatoes, onions and peppers to put in the crock pot this morning along with seasonings and tomato paste to make vegetable curry.  Honey Do asked for chicken to go along with it, so I baked that with a little seasoning salt.

Once I finished getting dinner together, I did my usual household chores and even got a load of laundry on the line outside to dry.  The days are numbered now that we have passed the midway point of September.  So I will take advantage of everyone that I can.  Now is when I will wash all the blankets and get ready for the coming colder months.

I ran out to run a couple of errands.  While I was at the grocery store, they were running a special on 3 quart containers of mums.  They only had white, but for $2.00 each, how could you pass them up.  I'd been wanting them, but hadn't purchased them yet.  This was the perfect price.

It was also the push I needed to get some of my autumn decorations out.  My mums went on my front porch


with my little straw people.  I just love this grouping.  The mums were a bit droopy when I purchased them, but after a good drink they not only perked up, but the flowers started to open as well.  They will go in the ground for next autumn before the first frost, which should be in about another month.  So that makes them a very economical purchase.

Thank you for stopping by


Wishing you a creative Wednesday.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Monday, Monday . . .

September is half over - ALREADY ! ! !  Have I accomplished half the things I wanted?  Of course not :)

                                        

We had a gorgeous weekend.  Clear skies, sunshine, cooler temperatures.  No one was complaining. 

                                                

We decided to spend Saturday evening outside, sitting around our chiminera.  


Autumn is the perfect time to sit outside and enjoy the lovely weather.


We roasted hot dogs . . . 


and marshmallows.  Well, some of us just burned them.


I, however, feel that I have mastered the perfectly roasted marshmallow.  Isn't it pretty?  
And yummy, too :)


Honey Do got the fire "roaring" for a bit. . . 




Typical guy - can't leave well enough alone :)


Newton had Young Marines this weekend.  So beyond playing his personal taxi, I did manage to get some stitching done.


This is block 5 of Shabby Roses Beauty designed by Jenny of Elefantz.  You can get pattern information here.  Now I'm working on getting the rest of the blocks done to finish the top.  My goal is to get this done by the end of the month.  Can't wait to show you the finished project.  I'm very excited about it.  I want to have it completely finished so I can use it for my wall hanging for February - Valentine's.  I would like the whole project done by the end of October.  Here's hoping.

We enjoyed much cooler temperatures today -  low 60s.  That means we are enjoying an early autumn.

I felt like it just couldn't decide what kind of day we were going to have - 

Overcast


OR


Sunny

:)

Pleasant, regardless.


While I was blog hopping I found a link for this pattern.

It's called Harrington and Hannah.

And it's FREE :)

The designer is Michelle May.  She has a new book coming out.  You can get all the information on the book and pattern here.

Thanks for stopping by . . .

 **


Wishing you a creative Monday.


** Image downloaded from Internet.