How is it almost a month has gone by since my last post?

 

Thank you Kate, for hostessing. Follow the link to see what everyone else is doing with their scraps.

I know I've been busy in the garden. Every time I think I'm done, something else comes up to distract me and keep me busy.

 

There is still a lot of activity in the yard . . . 

 

 

Over time, things like the concrete pad around the duck pen get really dirty, 

 

 and needs to be cleaned.

 

 

 

We took a Saturday morning and made the pen bigger. We left the ducks in the coop while we disassembled all of the fencing and reassembled to give them more "yard".

The lawn is getting mowed regularly.

It always makes me feel good to look out off the deck and see how clean it is.

We've also managed to do something fun . . . antique shopping.

 

 

 

Wooden cigar box.

My Sister has decorated her front porch with her husband's childhood sled and a pair of ice skates. I have always wanted to copy that look. I finally found a child size sled for my own front entrance (I don't have a front porch).

 

A wonderful find. The shop had this table and chairs sitting out front. It was painted in a teal blue and rust :) We discussed it on the way home and thought it was a really good buy ($75). So I called the next day and let them know that we would be back later that day to pick it up. We decided on a dark (forest) green for the repaint. Honey Do did a little welding on one of the chairs and we have a great set for our deck. I love it!!

 

 

 

A gorgeous piece of linen.

 

 

A fat quarter bundle - $5!!

An adorable rag doll that just had to come home with me.

 

So all that is keeping me out of the sewing room. But I did manage to get a few things done.

 

First, a new quilt. I always find a binder and keep my pattern and instructions together. So I found one for this project.

 

 

This binder has all the information to do Lori Holt's  BeeVintage quilt. I've linked you to the introduction of the quilt along. If you've never used her templates, you are in for a treat. I don't get paid to endorse any products, but I really love these. They are not inexpensive, but I think they are really worth it. As I go along, I will be labeling the templates so I know how they were used. The shapes are numbered, but that's all. 

 

These are some of the new fabrics I picked up over the weekend when Sister and I went shopping for supplies for this and the Woolie Gnome quilt. The quilt along began this week and I started by using fabrics in my stash and scraps of 1930s reproduction prints. But my supplies were limited and I wanted/needed to add more. I'm very excited. Sister helped me (her suggestion) to sort through and label where I wanted to use the fabrics. How sweet is she? She was having a good time playing with the fabrics and helping make the decisions. This is not a mystery quilt along, so we were able to look at each block and decide what would go with what block. There are three blocks per week, simple shapes, easy applique.

Woolie Gnome - Block 12

 

 

We're not quite in the home stretch yet. This is block 12, but there are still four more larger blocks to be stitched. They are all drawn off and pieces cut out. We cut more background fabrics over the weekend and made a shopping list of embellishments we need and don't have. I just love this little lamb looking so adoringly at baby Jesus. The designer did a great job. This was just a great project for using those tiny bits of scrap wool. We very rarely cut into a big piece.

These snowflakes will be alternating blocks. We took the centers and cut them out of scrap, glittered snowflake cotton. There will be a snowflake button in the very center. Isn't that background fabric gorgeous? This fleece was meant for another project that I decided not to make and it is perfect for these snowflakes. It is so soft !

There is some other scrappy, stitching going on, but they will be Christmas gifts, so I can't show you them yet.

 

And finally, we have a new neighbor !!

Meet Rudy :)

Enjoy your sewing, stitching, crafting time.