Suburbs and Girls Getaway Progress

I am very happy to report that all of the blocks and stitching are completed on the Girls Getaway. Unfortunately, because I have so many projects going right now, some exchange gifts to make and Christmas looming (I was reminded that it's only 60 days away !!!!) I need to focus on other things. So Girls Getaway is taking a break until January, end of December at the earliest. I'm very pleased and excited to work on getting it together and finishing it.

I'm continuing to make progress on Suburbs. All of the houses are made. The trees are in process and need their stumps attached and they will be finished. With any luck, I will begin sewing rows together on Saturday.

Saturday's priority, however, is making soup bowl cozies. This is for a swap I signed up for at the beginning of the month and completely forgot about. They don't look hard to make, so really shouldn't take that long.

I may end up making sets for Christmas gifts, just because :)

Honey Do had Monday off for doctors appointments - follow ups and check ups, all good reports :)

I got to spend the day with him. It's been a long while since we could - work is insane for him.

 

 

We stopped at Panera for salads and went to the metropark for lunch. It was a gorgeous day. A little cool, but sunny. The leaves are almost at peak color.

Looking north from my back yard, we had some interesting clouds. This was Thursday morning around 6 a.m. (we are very early risers). It was really windy. I've never seen this before and thought it was worth sharing. Otherwise, the week has been pleasant. Still no frost for us. November is on the horizon, it will be here soon.

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with the things that make and keep you happy.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NIVUK

HQAL - October 2019

I missed the last posting for HQAL. So I'm making sure to participate in this one. You are linked so you can check what everyone else was up to the last three weeks.

I was kept busy trying to finish a quilt in time for Susan's visit. It got done :) More about that in a minute.

Here's what I've been up to since my last posting:

Choosing flannels from the scrap bin to make a quilt for myself for the winter. Strips are cut and ready to sew.

Several months ago, I prepped all the pieces of this wall hanging as a gift for Susan when she came to visit at the beginning of October. I finally got all the hand stitching done and finished it by machine. I loved this little project.

And the one I'm most pleased with is this one. I call it what it is . . . 

JoAnn 1997

That's where and when I purchased the kits and I finally have it all piece, assembled and machine quilted. As is my usual, the binding I did by hand.

I've been stitching on Girls Getaway, too. I took a break from it the week Susan was here because we spent so much time at our sewing machines working on Suburbs.

Two of the four bicycles are finished. The third one is almost finished. Then the fourth needs to be done. I'm really hoping to get it all completed this week. It will be the first quilt to get worked on in January for finishing.

I was reminded yesterday, that it is almost PJ season. I have at least eight pairs to make, so I need to do inventory for patterns and sizes. 

Exactly where did this year go????

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with the things that make and keep you happy.

For we live by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 NIVUK

No Shortage of Things To Do

(image from Yahoo)

There is never a shortage of things to do for me. Just when I think I can sit down and stitch or read, I think of something else that I need to do . . . now !!!

This week started with a full moon.

 

Talking to Mom, a long time gardener, the October full moon usually means there's a killing, heavy frost coming.  That means all the delicate, fragile plants need to be protected over the coming winter months. Any vegetables in the garden need to be harvested.

My sister has been supplying me with uneaten hay from her horses to use as mulch. I used it in the vegetable garden last season and now it will be used in the flower beds.

There was no sewing on Friday, as Newton and I helped Mom dismantle one of her gardens. She has these really large stones - 30 to 50 pound stones - that had to be removed so the area can go back to grass and mown. Once that was done, we went to my sister's to pick up hay. I spent about an hour Saturday morning emptying the bags and spreading the hay.

We are ready for frost and snow :)

Then I took a walk around the yard to see what was left of summer . . . 

 

 

 

Once my Saturday chores were finished, I could sit down an sew. The project on tab is the Suburbs quilt. I still needed to finish "roofing" the houses. That takes a while when there are 68 of them to do !!!

The first four rows are laid out, five is done and six is in the works. Then I only have three more rows and I can start making trees :)

Even though the mornings have been a little chilly, Rocky and I continue to walk. Friday morning, we had company.

 

The pictures don't come out great at 5 a.m., but you can see that it's a buck. We only typically see them during autumn. The does we see all year around.

We also walk during the evening hours. Friday evening's sunset was absolutely gorgeous. These colors are true to what we actually saw. No distortions or enhancements from me.

Aren't they gorgeous !!!!

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a weekend filled with the things that make and keep you happy.

Trust in the LORD for ever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.

Isaiah 26:4 NIVUK

The Wind's . . . they are a changin'

Yes, they are !!

Literally, it's windy here. Sustained about 20 mph, with gusts upwards of 30 mph. And it's a northerly wind coming across Lake Erie. We had lake effect rain on Wednesday. We still need more after the dry, hot summer. We are finally seeing a more seasonal weather pattern.

It's hard to see wind blowing in still photography, but it's still a pretty morning when the sun is trying to come through all the clouds.

Temperatures are in the 50s. That makes it my favorite seasonal clothing weather . . . 

Slippers and sweatshirts and jeans. It was still in the upper 70s last week during Susan's visit, but not too hot. We enjoyed six full days of sewing, shopping and some of the best conversations on numerous topics.

Shopping, we went to a new shop. Actually, it's an older shop that relocated and built a new shop. It is run by a mom and daughter and only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

It's bright and beautiful and I found several of the fat quarters I need for my shoebox exchange at the end of the November. I was a little behind and thanks to Susan's visit am now almost done collecting. I'm hoping to finish the last few this month.

Liberty Green Quilt Shop

After a visit to the shop, we picked up lunch and headed to Mom's for a visit. Both she and Susan were looking forward to catching up. They met last year for Susan's visit. All of us enjoyed the time together.

Pins and Needles Quilt Shop

This is a local shop that I go to regularly, but I've been putting it off in anticipation of Susan's visit. I did find some beautiful fabric for a birthday gift, as well as some beautiful greens.

They had an event going on, so the store was crowded and busy and honestly, not very pleasant to shop. I couldn't wait to get out.

Quilter's Source Quilt Shop

This is my most local shop, five minutes from home :) The staff and the owner are all very nice and accommodating. I also found a couple more of the fat quarters I needed.

Sewing, we worked on a quilt together. Earlier in the year, Susan found a couple of patterns on Cluck, Cluck, Sew. One was for evergreen trees, the other was called Suburbs.

Susan order patterns for both of us, along with some great fabrics from Fort Worth Fabric Studio - one of our favorite on line shops.

Susan brought some of her stash with her and I pulled from mine and together we came up with some great houses.

We had a great time choosing and matching the doors. 

Susan chose to make her's a throw size which required 40 of the houses. I chose queen size and needed 68 houses.

Susan got the first two rows sewn together and it actually fit across the queen size bed. You can see her rows here.

I got all my houses sewn and was working on the roofs and sky Monday after Susan left, between chores and loads of laundry. My goal is to have the top assembled by the end of the month.

The yard work and gardens are done for the year.

I've been keeping upwith the house. Conversations have turned to employment opportunities. Yes, there are some on the horizon. I've been contacted about the annual inventory job in December and have accepted. Honey Do has given me a few odd jobs and inventory recently with the promise of more to come shortly and even the potential for permanent part time next year. Nothing definite yet, but hopeful. I'm looking forward to that to some degree. We are both geting older and staying active and busy is good. Newton graduates in June and obviously won't need me as much. And a few extra dollars never hurts anyone :)

Beyond that, I have been staying busy stitching on Girls Getaway this week. There have been several days out and about, so stitching is pretty much all I've been able to manage. I'm thinking it will be the first quilt I finish in 2020.

2020 . . . are you ready? Are you making plans? UFOs? New projects?

It's kind of hard not to :)

Thanks for stopping by,

Wishing you a day filled with the things that make and keep you happy.

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Hebrews 7:25 NIVUK