Time goes by ...

I'm continually amazed at how time can fly by and I don't get around to blogging or even quilting! It was an interesting Fall and even more interesting December. Most was good, some was dramatic (a tree fell on our house during the Northeast's big ice storm in December) and some was just kind of there ...

I'm back to focusing on quilting and enjoying every minute of it. I am hoping to join a sewing group and intend to begin attending my local quilt guild meetings again. This is the year that the guild has it's show and I'd really like to have some items to display and perhaps even participate in the show in other ways.

I have been doing some quilting and wanted to share a baby quilt I made in the Fall for my new grand-niece, Audrey. This was a sweet little pattern that included nine embroidery blocks. I wanted to use very cheerful colors for the setting, so I used a packet of 1930's fabrics I purchased a few years ago. The pattern is called "Baby's Day" and is published by Waltzing With Bears.

My favorite embroidery block:
And, here's a photo of the wee-one, Audrey. Born on December 2nd:
Well, I'm off to sew! Talk with you later!
Debbie

Nashville, TN

I guess I lied. Well, not really. I just ran out of time. I had planned on posting pictures and story about "Birds of a Feather," I didn't get around to it. If you haven't heard of this book, you can check out the book on Amazon ... here's the link:
Take a look ... I promise I'll post the blocks I've completed when I get home.

So, where am I? Well, Nashville, Tennessee, of course! Actually, this is a very strange place for me to be. I'm not much of a country music fan ... shhhhh ... don't tell anyone ... that's a very blasphemous thing to say here. I don't hate it or anything, just never acquired the taste for it. More of a rock and roll or classical music girl.

Anyway, we're here for a reunion of my DH's Army units ... the 7/17th Air Calvary ... and this year we ended up Nashville. I love to go to new places, so I always have a good time and it's great to see the women that I've come to know and love over the years.

We went on a bus tour of Nashville today and of course, we stopped at the Ryman Auditorium, so I thought I'd share a picture of my debut at the Ryman ...
I visited a couple of quilts shops when I was here. I highly recommend both of them, so if you're ever in the area, stop by ... here are the links: Quilter's Attic and The Quilting Squares Quilt Shop. Very friendly folks!

We're off to dinner ... see ya'll later!

How creative am I, really?

I generally think of myself as being a creative person. And, I always thought that if I didn't have to work, I'd be creating all day long. Designing new quilts, finishing projects, designing those tote bags I've had running around in my head for ever and all those little Christmas ornaments that peep from the corner of that oh so creative spot in my brain.

But, I haven't done any of it! I haven't been working for more than two months now and what original thing have I created? Nothing. Sure, I'm job searching, interviewing, etc., but I have plenty of extra time and I still daydream about those creative things, but I don't sit down and actually do them.

I think what I'm discovering is that creativity is also work. Daydreaming isn't enough.

So, my plan. Add one hour of creative time per day ... dream the dream and act on it. One hour a day!

More to come ...

By the way, the kitchen curtains didn't get made (surprise, surprise). I broke down and hung the cow curtains. And, now that it is nearly time to put up the Fall curtains (these are already made, thank God!), it's time to move on and think about other things. Enough of curtains for now.

I will post tomorrow about Birds of a Feather ... 'til then, night-night!

Debbie

I'm back!

Hey there everyone in blogland, I'm back! Maybe you didn't notice that I was gone and, in reality, I never left. I just haven't blogged. Life took a curious turn for me ... I was laid-off from my job, so my life has turned into a big job search. It's been nearly two months now, got some job hunting irons in fire and hopefully one of them will pan out.


In the meantime, I have been quilting. I finished two small projects and have started a new block of the month. I'm also "working" on (quotation marks because I have the fabric and know what I plan to do) new kitchen curtains. Not the bird houses I designed ever so long ago ... anyway, you'll see. I'm going to get these done this week and will post here. (My poor husband is tired of the bare windows in the kitchen ... I promised to get these done or else I'll have to hang the old cow curtains that I so tired of ... ugh!)


Here are the two small projects:

This was from a class I took on Flag Day in June (the 14th) ... very fun and very quick. The poem is embroidered:

This was from a class I took last summer (wool applique on cotton background), but never finished ... completed it up before 7/4 of this year:
Both projects are hand quilted.

I'm also working on making another one of these Scrappy Flags ... got this pattern from an episode of Simply Quilts on HGTV ... I made and finished this one last year, it hangs in the livingroom:

The half square triangles for the new quilt are made and squared up and ready to be sewn into stripes ... smooth sailing from here on out. I'll explain what the second quilts is for later when I show you the finished project ...

The block of the month is "Birds of a Feather" you may have heard of the book ... I love, love, LOVE this project and am really enjoying working on it. More about this in a couple of days.

Okay, enough for now, I'm off to visit other blogs and say hello ... I've missed visiting with you all, hope you stop by!

One final photo ... my flower gardens are a disaster this year, but my pots are doing great ... nasturtiums, blue lobelia and spikey grass-like plant (whatever that is called).
Debbie

My Favorite Tree

There are many trees that I love, but this one, is special. I love to watch it move through the seasons. This tree, stands strong through all weather, good and bad, it is a very a strong and determined tree. Here it is today with it's spring leaves finally unfurling:

It was my birthday recently (happy birthday to me) ... here's a couple of photos from the "big" celebration (well, we like our celebrations small, what can I say ... it was a wonderful birthday).

Lee and Pip singing "Happy Birthday" to me ... Bailey was singing as well, he was sitting on the floor, and I didn't get his picture (sorry Bailey!):
And here's my birthday ice cream adorned with a cute little candle and candle holder from Angela (thanks Angela!):
Quilting?? Oh yeah, this is a blog about quilting ... I nearly forgot! Only kidding! Right now, I'm basting the border pieces for Aster Blast and I've started a new project ... more about that, next time! :-)

Visit to Pickity Place

One of my favorite places to go, especially in the Spring, is Pickity Place in Mason, NH. I went there recently with my friends Marie and Angela. We had a wonderful meal (all meals are made with fresh herbs from their gardens) and then had a walk through the gift shop and gardens.

Here we are enjoying our lunch:

This was a special birthday treat for me ... thanks again, Angela and Marie! I had a wonderful time!

We all had Beef Wellington ... yummy! And the dessert ... lemon cake with blueberry sauce in the center and a lemon flavored whipped cream ... YUMMY!
The flower was from their garden and edible ... I did eat mine, because I am a mildly brave person as far as food goes ... it tasted like grass to me, and they always seem to taste like that for some reason. I guess I don't have the most sophisticated palate ... :-D

The cottage at Pickity Place was used in the illustrations for the Little Golden Books version of Little Red Riding Hood.


The big bad wolf is still waiting for Red (sleeping under a quilt, of course!):

Here are a few glimpses of the grounds ... it really is beautiful there ... even though we had a cold and rainy day.

Signs of Spring II

Finally, some quilting news ... I've completed the Signs of Spring wall hanging. This was begun ever so long ago ... when we were still under deep snow! It's now hanging in the planned space in the kitchen adding some Spring cheer on a cold and rainy day.


I haven't had a chance to decorate around it yet, so here's the wall hanging by itself:

One of the things I loved about making this was the embroidery! I learned to love sewing by doing embroidery and crewel work when I was young ... as I recall it all started at around age 9 or 10. I can remember sitting on the beach in the summer and stitching away. Doing the embroidery on this project brought those memories back. I also remember reading and laying on the beach all slathered up with baby oil. Ahhh! The glorious 70's!

Anyway, a couple of my favorite stitches were of course, the Lazy Daisy stitch and French Knots! I guess that's why all the memories came flooding back ... here's the detail:
What a sweet little face ...
Happy Spring!