Fast Forward

I think my blog has been suffering from a drought.  I do not recall how many times I would start a post in my head so I could sit down and type away.  Well I never got sat down or if I did I was exhausted and never picked up my laptop.  So on the last day of 2014, I will try to catch you up and once again we will try better next year. 

Thank you so much for sticking with me.  I love your comments and suggestions.  Several changes in 2015 should help me focus on the things that I enjoy.  I look forward to catching up with you in the coming weeks.  Here goes the last five months in fast forward.

August –

The heatwave in July took a toll on my garden and me.  My canning tomatoes and pickling cucumbers suffered the most.  The heat zapped my energy and I barely was functioning and the weeds in the garden took advantage of this opportunity.  I would never regain control of the weeds in the garden and around the yard.    

September –

Fall was in the air and the weather was so enjoyable. It does not seem like we accomplished much more than just keeping up with the normal yard work.  The weekend before our 24^th wedding anniversary, Don came home and asked if I wanted to go pick up a free boat and trailer.  It needs some engine work and a little TLC but this should give him something to do while I work on a couple of quilts that are in the piecing stage. 

October –

Never seems to be a dull moment and Barry made sure that my first aid skills were kept up to date after he had a disagreement with one of his siblings, Sadie or Cash.  They nicked his ear and as soon as I would have the bleeding stopped he would flap his hound ears and the bleeding would start again.  The month ended on a high note and this is where some big changes will be coming down our path.  We took the big plunge and bought a Baby Lock Crown Jewel longarm quilting machine so I can quilt professionally from home.  This is where the fun really began. 

November –

Time to make room for the longarm by cleaning out and finishing the basement, which will become the sewing and quilting studio.  Wow, we really packed a lot of “stuff” in the basement over the past eight years.  It took two trips to the local salvage company to recycle all the old computers, printers, and other electronic items we had stored in the basement.  As with all our home improvement projects they take a long time to complete since we can only work on them on the weekends and typically just on Saturday as Don has an early load time on Monday mornings.  Then add in a holiday and an extremely early Canadian winter cold front that dropped nighttime temperatures into the single digits, brrrr, our November progress did not see much progress. 

December –

In mid-October my Mom said she would need to have back surgery to alleviate pain that she had been enduring for two and half years.  Before she could ask, Don and I knew that I would be heading to the other side of the state to be with her during and after surgery.  The Monday before Thanksgiving she was given her surgery date of December 30st.  What a way to send a year out and start a new one.  Talk about lots of planning and thinking how are we going to handle this or that.  The everyday household and farm items have always been taken care of by myself since this has been home since I was a teenager.  Don had to request an adjusted work schedule so he would be home each night to keep the fire going (our main heat source) and of course feed the four-legged kids.  Our next worry was would my vehicle be reliable enough to make the 200+ mile journey over the mountain and across the rivers.  And the final worry was how would the weather be???  Mom’s surgery went well on the 30^th.  Then the last night of 2014, the night I started this post.  Boy, I cannot recall the last time that Don and I spent this night apart.  I’m guessing it had to be when he was still long haul trucking some fourteen to twenty-two years ago.  Strange indeed…now to a new and exciting New Year 2015!!!

Three Days Of Cooler Temperatures

Wow, it is so wonderful to finally pull the down comforter over myself during my afternoon nap today.  Yes, we have cooled down. Ten degrees really makes a difference and I will savor the cooler temperatures for the next two days before we head backup to the century mark or close to it for a week. I guess summer is not over yet.

DH has a three day weekend so hopefully we will accomplish some things around the place. So much to do and where to start? It would be great to pull a bunch of weeds especially the nasty tack weeds (goat heads or Tribulus terrestris) that are growing in the driveway. My poor garden has quite a few also, but I am not sure DH will help pull those. Here is what the bottom of my shoe looked like after walking across the driveway a few years ago when we did not get the tack weeds pulled before the dropped their seed pods. 

It's Downright Hot

In the month of July, our daytime highs were in the triple digits for 10 days.  Our hottest day was 108°F, which is just downright HOT!  Now we are in our second stint of hot weather with five out of eight days 100+. 

About the time that the temperatures skyrocketed, they started harvesting the onion field behind our house.  The heat and lack of moisture really intensifies the pungent odor.  Being outside is not very pleasant and that seems to be all that I can think about.  It must be my body craving that natural Vitamin D.  My garden has also been calling my name to water, weed or harvest it. 

The crockneck squash and cucumbers are thriving.  Tonight the tables turned and now the zucchini is going crazy.  The cukes are supposed to be pickling cukes, but they are acting like straight-eights as they are getting quite long and straight.  Guess they will be relish unless I find a recipe that will allow for a smaller batch size than my sweet chunks or bread 'n butter recipes normally take. 

As I am penning this post from my new smartphone it will be interesting to see.  My laptop had to be sent in for repairs and boy, am I missing it. 

Until the next time, take care and stay cool.

Wednesday Woof

Sadie Jo here, pawing another edition of the Wednesday Woof.  Yesterday was my birthday and for some reason I did not get my cupcakes.  I was so disappointed. 

All was almost forgiven this morning when mama put my doggie harness on and said just her and I were going in her vehicle.  That immediately changed when I got to the door of the dreaded place and figured out where I was.  Can you believe she took me to see Dr. Chuck?  I really prefer Dr. Todd, Dr. Chuck’s son, but Dr. Chuck has special training and endorsements.  Mama kept saying it was to help me. Yeah, right!  Dr. Chuck checked me over and said that I was very stoic about my pain and that my knee pain is more arthritic pain than a ligament beginning torn or stretched out.  This means that I do not need those expensive injections.  Dr. Chuck and the very nice gal did some crazy stuff (kinesiology) to see where I need to have my back and hips adjusted.  I am a little sore tonight but Mama says that I am holding my back legs upright better.  Dr. Chuck also said I need to drop some pounds which means my brothers are going to diet with me.  They are more overweight than I am.  I am not too worried about dieting since Mama said I can have more fresh veggies and fruits like watermelon.  Dr. Chuck also okayed me to go on walks again.  This evening I thought I heard Mama telling Daddy that I could have my gorilla balls back too.  I love rolling those all around the yard. 

Speaking of fresh veggies and fruits.  We have been gardening so much that we have not had any extra time lately.  Mama had Daddy till the garden area with the new tiller they got with the tractor last year.  She even increased the size of the garden since it was so easy to till the area.  Since it has been quite a few years since Mama has had a garden in our garden area, we are having to do lots of weeding.  I mean lots of weeding.  We have already had fresh tomatoes and radishes.  The gophers have eaten 6 of 8 cabbage plants, the parsley plant and the peppermint plant.  My brother Barry trampled the flat of marigolds within hours of Mama bringing them home.  We lost 6 of 12 marigolds to Mr. Bigfoot.  He has also trampled a couple of Daddy’s acorn plants and a hill of pickling cukes.  This is Barry’s first year to vegetable garden with us and he really gets on Mama’s nerves tromping through the garden.  Cash did this the first year we gardened with him but Mama waters a shady spot under the tart cherry tree and he stays out of the garden. 

I found that Mama is also growing one of my favorites…Raspberries!  Oh how I love those little red berries.  If Mama is not handing them to me quick enough, then I nudge the ripe ones and they fall off.  My silly brother Barry thinks that they grow on the ground and you have to ram yourself through the canes to find the yummy berries on the ground.  Such a novice gardener. 

Hope you had a woofunderal Wednesday, Sadie Jo   ^. .^

Wednesday Woof

Sadie Jo here, pawing another edition of the Wednesday Woof.  Boy, has it been busy around our home lately.  The most exciting thing to report was our trip to the Long Beach Peninsula on the Washington State coast.  My brothers and I knew something was going on especially the night before we headed out.  Our Daddy packed the truck while Mama was prepping food and then packing the food and all the other stuff out to the camp trailer.  I knew there was no question of us going but Cash was so nervous that he would not eat the night before.  It worried Mama a bit but that did not slow down here packing frenzy.  Trust me when she is doing laundry, prep food, and going back to her list you do not get in her way. 

This was our first trip in the truck that our parents bought after Thanksgiving last year.  Oh yes, I almost forgot Mama had to make a new seat cover since the new back seat was bigger than our old truck.  Daddy made me a special ramp to get in and out of the truck.  My brothers love it.  The verdict is still out for me on the ramp.  After six hours of driving which felt like days, we arrived at the beach.  It took Mama and Daddy no time to set up the camp trailer.  Good thing since it was quite warm.  Mama says that it was 83 degrees which is very warm for where we were.  Before we could have a romp on the beach, Mama and Daddy had to go buy razor clam digging licenses and buy a clam gun, which looked like a big white tube to me.  After this we got to drive the truck out on the beach.  There were lots of people so they decided we would go back to where we were camping and walk out across the dune grass to the beach.  Finally my favorite part of the whole trip racing on the beach and then rolling in the wet sand.  It is quite a delight to roll in the sand after racing around after your brothers.  Daddy caught me and told me not to do it again but Mama said it was fine.   I knew I loved her best. 

The next day we all went razor clam digging.  Okay we watch Mama and Daddy from the truck.  Between the two of them they caught 8 razor clams.  Then it was time for more racing on the beach and rolling in the sand.  This time I rolled in the sand when Daddy was not looking, but Mama was watching and snapped a couple pictures of me.  Then it was time to go back to the camp trailer and take a nap while Mama cleaned the razor clams.  For some crazy reason, Daddy went to bed early and Mama walked us out to the beach right before sunset.  She forgot to take her camera but there was a great sunset.  Would you believe they got up at 1 AM to rescue the canopy because the wind was going to carry it off?  I thought all was good until Mama started to make coffee.  Very strange indeed.  Next thing we know we are getting out harnesses on and being told to get into the truck.  We drove in the rain, then we sit in a parking lot and just when I am dozing off Daddy gets out, kisses Mama and takes his lunchbox and goes off in the dark.  Mama promised that it was fine as Daddy was going halibut fishing and it would be a good thing.  She then drove us back to the camp trailer and we went to bed.  I figured after a good nights sleep I would question her about this again.  We woke up to more rain.  Next thing we knew our Grammie Lady was there.  Oh I love my Grammie Lady.  This is Mama’s mom.  She has really great toes that I only like if they are painted red, which she did.  Oh how I love her.  Barry still is not sure about her but Cash agrees with me.  It was not long until Mama was telling us to get in the truck and we were going to pick our Daddy up.  We got him back, so all is good.  He caught a halibut, which means yummy dinners this summer.  We had dinner at the place Grammie was staying at.  She did not know it did not allow dogs so we protected the truck.  The rest of our stay was not too exciting because it rained and rained.  It did let up enough for Daddy to load the truck and get the camp trailer ready to head home.  We were exhausted and slept most of the way home. 

Here are a couple of snapshots from our trip

Now it is time to start gardening.  Mama has been going out to the gardening spot and planning what we will plant.  She was worried about planting before we went to the coast but now she says we have to get things in the ground and growing.  I love gardening but you do not run through it.  This will be interesting since Barry has never experienced vegetable gardening yet. 

Have a woofunderal Wednesday, Sadie Jo   ^. .^

May Turtle Trot Post

How can it be the 10^th of May already?  Oh wait 4 of those days were spent at the Washington coast so I guess it is okay that a third of the month is already past us.  With it being the 10^th of the month, it is time to post my stitching progress on the projects that I picked for the 2014 Turtle Trot SAL (stitch-a-long).  If you would like to find out more information about this SAL, click here.  Make sure to check out what the other participants have stitched on this past month. 

So back to what I have been doing besides preparing the camp trailer for our trip to the coast.  My stitching was set aside to make time for all the other projects that I had to get done during April.   So it is remarkable that I was able to stitch at all.  I stitched on two of my twelve remaining projects that I identified to work on this year.  The first project was a continued stitching on Paula Vaughan’s Good Neighbors.  I did not get through all the half stitches that I wanted to but I did get the roses and leaves on the climbing rose bush done. 

 

The second project Bent Creek’s Patriotic Row that I worked on was stitched in the last couple of days.  I took it with me to the coast hoping I would have some spare time here and there but I did not.  When I got home I was so wore out that I did not pick up my stitching until a couple of days ago.  I have made a couple of changes in floss since I changed the linen to a light blue instead of the natural that the pattern called for. 

 

Well that is all the stitching that I have done since my last Turtle Trot posting in April.  I finally made a decision on what project that I wanted to pull out of the dresser for my fourteenth project.  It is a Dimensions kits of Christmas ornaments.  I forgot to take pictures so I will get that next month.  Below is the listing of projects that I have selected for this year. 

My 2014 Turtle Trot List

1. Lizzie Kate, Summer Alphabet #148     Completed 03/2014
2. Textile Heritage, Comfrey Bookmark     Completed ?/2013 Assembled 03/2014
3. Paula Vaughan, Good Neighbors
4. Drawn Thread, Sampler Gameboard
5. Stoney Creek, 1 Corinthians 13 (Wedding Sampler)
6. Bent Creek, Patriotic Row
7. Rediscovered Worlds, Needleworker’s Prayer
8. M Designs, Peace Tree
9. Zweigart, Flags & Flowers, Petunias
10. Zweigart, Flags & Flowers, Daisies
11. Little House Needleworks, Pumpkins for Sale
12. Bent Creek, EduCATed
13. Pangaea, St. Basil’s Cathedral
14. Dimensions, Holiday Fun Ornaments Designed by Karen Avery

Remember if you would like more information about the Turtle Trot SAL, here is the link to what you can expect to see from myself and others.  Speaking of the other participants, you really should take a moment to see what my fellow stitchers have been working on.  Here is the link to BAP Attack’spage that we are linking up to for our May 10^th postings. 

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read my post. 

Happy Stitching!!!

 

 

April 2014 TUSAL Post

Looks like I am back to posting late…my TUSAL (Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long) was supposed to be posted on April 28^th.  Last month I reported my needles were smokin’ well this past month they had to be set aside for oodles of other project that had to take precedence.  Besides not stitching very much I was trying to make room on the table between my husband and mine chairs, I sat a bottle down inside my ORT (old ratty things) jar.  So my ORTs are a bit smooched down in the jar. 

This second picture of my ORT jar shows this great Christmas fabric that is going to be used as binding on a quilt that has all of these fantastic colors. 

Sorry for the short posting but I will be back as I have another posting deadline tomorrow.  Hopefully I will not be too tired to get it posted.  Our weather is supposed to be nice and the yard is looking a bit like a jungle.  Hubby has lots of mowing to do while I do some weeding and fingers crossed get some things planted in the garden. 

If you would like more information on TUSAL or ORTs.  Here is the link to our SAL host, Daffy Cat’s, webpage that will provide you this information, click here.  Also check out Daffy’s Cat’s current TUSALposting to see what the other participants have accumulated in their jars.  You will need to read the comments to see those of us that have linked up :) 

 

And yes there will be a posting to recap the great fun that we had

 

Have a great day!

 

April Turtle Trot Report

It’s Turtle Trot posting time!!!

As you may have read, I posted my March Turtle Trot Report posting 19 days late but that was just the posting not the pictures. I am so bad about taking the photos and then never getting them uploaded and making my post. So the photos are true to what I have stitched between the two posting dates, March 10th and April 10th.

This past month I was so driven to make it through a color block that I only stitched one, Paula Vaughan’s Good Neighbors, of my 14 projects that I have selected for the 2014 Turtle Trot SAL. Since 2 of those 14 are complete, it is really one of twelve. Hopefully my needles will be smokin’ and I can get through the half stitches quickly. At that time I will go ahead and rotate out to one of the other projects but which one is calling my name? Below is the listing of projects that I have selected for this year.
 

My 2014 Turtle Trot List

1. Lizzie Kate, Summer Alphabet #148 Completed 03/2014
2. Textile Heritage, Comfrey Bookmark Completed ?/2013 Assembled 03/2014
3. Paula Vaughan, Good Neighbors
4. Drawn Thread, Sampler Gameboard
5. Stoney Creek, 1 Corinthians 13 (Wedding Sampler)
6. Bent Creek, Patriotic Row
7. Rediscovered Worlds, Needleworker’s Prayer
8. M Designs, Peace Tree
9. Zweigart, Flags & Flowers, Petunias
10. Zweigart, Flags & Flowers, Daisies
11. Little House Needleworks, Pumpkins for Sale
12. Bent Creek, EduCATed
13. Pangaea, St. Basil’s Cathedral
14. Oh my some of these projects have not seen the light of day in years. So hopefully my fellow stitchers will keep me inspired and stitching on my long list of projects because 13 just barely scratches the surface of one drawer.

If you would like more information about the Turtle Trot SAL, here is the link to what you can expect to see from myself and others. Speaking of the other participants, you really should take a moment to see what my fellow stitchers have been working on. Here is the link to BAP Attack’s page that we are linking up to for our April 10th postings.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read my post. Happy Stitching!!!

2014 NewFO Challenge - March & February

The month of March is normally crunch month for finishing quilts to be entered into the local guilds annual quilt show.  Last year I was unable to finish binding two of my three entries.  The third was not even quilted.  So I had three no shows and boy did I hear about it.  Several of the gals made me feel so self-conscious that I was too timid to even think about entering something in this years show if it was not complete by the entry deadline which was back in February.  That is the normal March Madness for me.  But this year my husbands did something to his back that has caused him to be on a short term disability from work.  My husband is a wonderful man but he does prefer me to be in close proximity to him otherwise I get lots of checkup shoutouts.  If I do not respond, the next thing I know he is standing in the doorway of the sewing room.  To circumvent this I sit in my chair next to his and stitch.   This is best solution that leaves both of us happy.  With that said you may notice the lack of a February post.  Would you believe I typed it and then forgot to add the pictures and post it?  So you will find it after my two March NewFOs projects.  To see what my fellow quilters have start for their March NewFOs, click here for the list of participants.  Enjoy!

MARCH

1.      A Silent Auction Surprise

Sometimes you never know what you will find in the baskets that you are the highest bidder.  In one of the baskets I found these, I am calling them hidden gems because I thought I was getting a basket with a roll of heat resistant fabric and a bunch of patterns.  I was after one of the patterns and not the fabric or the hidden gems.  There are 20 blocks.  I believe they were made from a charm pack since the seamed edges are pinked.  This is not really my color palate but I have come to believe that as quilters we need to go outside our comfort palate.  There is a whole color wheel out there and this will be my jump into some new colors.  But first I will need to figure a fun way to arrange these gems. Design wall here we come.  Oh wait, I don’t have a design wall.  So Home Depot here I come to buy a sheet of polystyrene to make a design wall.   

2.      Quilt Show Inspiration

I’ve had this fabric for quite some time since this is my alma matter, Washington State University, and our mascot is the Cougar or Coug for short.  I figured one of these days I will figure out something to do with some of my WSU fabric. I'm not saying that I have a bunch, oh maybe I am.  Recently, I thought I had project but it fizzled out when realized that I would lose most of the graphics.  So back to the storage tub it went.  That was until the quilt show.  Thank you fellow WSU Cougar fan and proud Cougar Mom.  She used the Twister Tool to make her quilt.  I did not know that there was different sizes besides the mini twister tool until a couple of weeks ago when I visited a quilt shop  that is an hours drive from my home.  Now to start collecting gray and charcoal fabrics to go with my WSU fabric.  The organizer that you see sitting on my WSU fabric was the “basket” for one of the silent auction items that I was the highest bidder.  It had all kinds of cross stich fabric along with a few cross stitch pattern.  I was after the fabric even though it was Aida cloth.  I know one day that my eyes and possibly brain will say, “girl it is time to qui count to threads and worrying if you are still lined up”.

Well that is about all the New FOs that I could manage in March.  Here is a link to pictures from quilt show that one of the gals I know took.  Nan does such a wonderful job photographing the show. Hopefully in April, I will get a little time in with my rotary cutter or machine to tackle some of the projects that I have selected in the past three months.  It might be fun starting new stuff but there comes a time when you need to put your foot to the pedal.  Now my very late February post....
 

FEBRUARY

 

1.      Block of the Month 

When I first started to dabble in quilting, I took a hand appliqué and loved it.  The only problem is it takes a long time to make the blocks to complete a quilt.  I am still resisting fusible appliqué, so this project is the next best thing. We are using Penny Haren’s Pieced Appliqué book.   Here is the publishers, Landauer Publishing, link to purchase this book.  They have some great deals if you sign up for their updates.  

 

I have gotten as far as picking out my focus fabric, which is one of my ice dyed fabrics that I  made last summer.  It has so many fun colors in it and would you believe that I only used three dyes.  It is amazing the patterns you get when the ice melts.  The other thing that is fun to see is what colors come of the dyes.  In this piece I can only remember two of the three colors, Antique Lace and Eggplant.  The other must have been something along the red line.  The fabrics at the top of the picture are the ones that made it through the auditions.  The two piles on either side are still in the running.  Most likely they will be used as accents in the blocks.

Now that I am typing this out I guess I am a little further than I first thought.  I have the templates (not sure if that is what they are called) for the first three blocks cut out.  There are 25 blocks in this book.  They have you make all 25 and then you get to take out that one block that really does not go with the others.  Well that is what I have been told.  It will probably finds its way to the back of the quilt.   

 

2.      Fabric Challenge, Community Service Block

 

In some quilters worlds this fabric would come home and promptly be made into the required block and then returned.  Well that is not the case here.  I believe the fabric came home with me in October.  It has made several round trips to the cutting table and back to the ironing board.  Never once has it had to fear that it would be cut.  Oh just you wait you small rectangular piece of fabric.  You will be cut in the month of March but there is no guarantee that you will be pieced.  Oh wait, you have to be turned on March 20^th.  Now you have me worried. 

3.      Jelly Roll Addiction

Oh those 2 ½” strips are a bit too tempting for me.  Thanks goodness they don’t have any calories.  In February, the community service portion of our guild meeting had 2 ½” strips for us to make quilts out of.  Some call the pattern that we use the 1600 quilt but many in our guild refer to it as the lasagna quilt.  As the sewing portion of our meeting started many members were talking about a recent episode of Fons & Porter that used a lasagna quilt with a twist.  They free hand cut the top down the middle in a wavy fashion according to these ladies.  Oh this made the appeal even greater.  So I gathered my 40 strips since they are not bundled for us like the fancy ones in the stores are.  While doing this I would find a strip that really didn’t go with the others but oh it wanted to go home with me.  Then I found a few others that went well with that one that just didn't go with the others. 

So I started a second pile, then a third and oh my a fourth.  Thank goodness self control kicked in and I stopped at four.  Good thing these quilts go together fast, yeah right.  Remember me mentioning that fabric comes home with me and then falls into the never get started category?  I will not let it happen with these lovelies.  After the meeting I looked up that Fons &Portter episode.  I had to laugh when I watched the episode and saw that they used a ruler and not free handed like the ladies kept saying at the meeting.  What an interesting look it gives the lasagna quilt.  At the end of the episode they had one that they had zig-zagged or chevroned instead of scalloping.  I know what the patriotic strips are going to cut like. 

The Fons &Porter episode was # 2303, Stitch & Slice, that demonstrates what I have planned for these four jelly rolls.  On the Fons & Porter site, it says that this quilt will be featured in the May/June 2014 issue of Love of Quilting.  They also have a pattern available for purchase for the zig-zag effect.  Click here for that link.

Now to get started on these three projects. 

Oh wait, there are more since this post was forgotten about.  Uff dah!

Until the end of April....Happy Quilting!

 

 

March TUSAL Post - The Second New Moon

I am so excited to make this posting for the TUSAL (Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long).  My needles were smokin’ at the beginning of the month.  Just look at the progress that I made on my Paula Vaughan’s Good Neighbors.  Would you believe that was just 9 days worth of stitching? 

Our weather kept teasing us with a snippet of spring weather and then it would quickly turn back to our typical winter weather.  So I wanted to stitch on a project with color.  *insert rolling my eyes here*  You have probably noticed that my progress has been in the tans and beiges.  I think that is what kept me stitching is I kept hoping I would get to all those pretty colors that are waiting to be used on this project. 

Guess I have kept you waiting long enough…

After the 9 day stitching fest, I had to put my stitching aside.  Boy, was I itchin' to stitch but there was just not enough hours in the day to get all that I need to do and also spend some time stitching.  I also had to set my stitching aside while I prepared for my quilt guilds’ annual quilt show.  As Chair of Community Service, I am responsible for setting up and displaying community service quilts.  I also was overseeing the Silent Auction and Pay ‘n Take Room.  Most of the proceeds of this goes towards our community service quilts (batting, blending and backing fabrics).  Wore out and beat from the quilt show, the cold bug that has been going around hit me.  Good thing I recognized it and got it under control so I was not suffering with it for 3-4 weeks.  My immune system has taken an extended vacation.  So I have to plan on things hitting me harder than the average person.  Feeling so much better even with the sneezing and runny nose, but an afternoon nap is not out of the question. 

Anyhoo, I only had another day maybe a day and half of stitching to add ORTs to my jar.  Here is another view of my jar.  It is sitting on some fabric from the guild fabric closet that I am going to find a fun project to make a bright and cheery quilt from it.

Well I am itching to stitch so I am going to leave you with the information on how you can find out more about the TUSAL and ORTs.  Here is the link to our SAL host, Daffy Cat’s, webpage that will provide you  information so you know what I’m talking about, click here. 

Have a great day!

March Turtle Trot Report

I Would Never Upstage My Girl

I find it funny that the days that I have a moment to sit down and write a new post is on Wednesday.  Sadie Jo loves posting her Wednesday Woofs on that day so I try to remember to come back on Thursday and post.  Well, as you might see that has not been working out to well.  I also hate making two posting in one day.  Maybe I just need to get over the latter, but I would never upstage my girl. 

This posting is not days late but weeks late.  Guess I have to be thankful that it is not a month late.  If you recently started following my blog or have just found it.  I better explain why and what this posting is for…2014 Turtle Trot stitch-a-long (SAL).  It is a great SAL that allows you to pick 10 cross stitch projects that are considered UFOs (unfinished objects).  Since I like to challenge myself, I selected 14 seeing that it is 2014.  Plus several of my projects are small, so I feel that they would equal some of the other participants 10 projects.  If you would like to read more, click here.  There is also a listing of all the 2014 participants. 

In my February posting, I mentioned that I got new glasses.  Since I cannot get used to the bifocal that I need to counter my prescription so I can see to stitch and sew, I have designated my new glasses as my sewing and stitching glasses instead of my everyday glasses.  I am a bit sad about this since the frames are really nice.  I have to laugh this is my second pair of Linda Evans Eyewear frames.  I always thought she was so pretty when Dynasty was on the air. 

I may have not posted this on time but I did remember to get pictures taken on time.  Maybe that is my bottleneck point, hmmm.   I think the craziest thing I found was I had finished stitching one of my projects last year but I cannot recall when that was.  This project was a kit from Textile Heritage that I purchased locally from a gal who sold kits and patterns from the United Kingdom.  I have several different bookmark kits but this one caught my eye.  Even though the stitching was probably completed in 2013, I did put the ribbon on the back and attached the tassel. 

The next project that I really finished since my last update was the Lizzie Kate, Sumer Alphabet Sampler.  I had forgotten how long it takes to stitch with the over-dyed flosses.  I take extra time trying to make sure that the color progression looks natural.  On a couple of the flosses that I used I barely had enough to finish the sample.  I found my tails getting shorter and shorter towards the end of the piece. 

The third and final project that I worked on was Paula Vaughan’s Good Neighbors.  I picked this piece up because of the bright and cheery colors that I will eventually get to.  I had forgotten that I had not finished the porch siding.  Working on this project made my ORT (old ratty threads) jar start to fill quite nicely.  More about that in the next post hopefully later today. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My 2014 Turtle Trot List

1. Lizzie Kate, Summer Alphabet #148     Completed 03/2014

2. Textile Heritage, Comfrey Bookmark     Completed ?/2013 Assembled 03/2014

3. Paula Vaughan, Good Neighbors
4. Drawn Thread, Sampler Gameboard

5. Stoney Creek, 1 Corinthians 13 (Wedding Sampler)

6. Bent Creek, Patriotic Row

7. Rediscovered Worlds, Needleworker’s Prayer

8. M Designs, Peace Tree

9. Zweigart, Flags & Flowers, Petunias

10. Zweigart, Flags & Flowers, Daisies

11. Little House Needleworks, Pumpkins for Sale

12. Bent Creek, EduCATed

13. Pangaea, St. Basil’s Cathedral

14. Oh my some of these projects have not seen the light of day in years. So hopefully my fellow stitchers will keep me inspired and stitching on my long list of projects because 13 just barely scratches the surface of one drawer.

Remember if you would like more information about the Turtle Trot SAL, here is the link to what you can expect to see from myself and others.  Speaking of the other participants, you really should take a moment to see what my fellow stitchers have been working on.  Here is the link to BAP Attack's page that we are linking up to for our March 10^th postings. 

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read my post. 

Happy Stitching!!!

March TUSAL Post

Having posting deadlines on the weekends is such a hard one for me, and then I have been busy with a bunch of quilt guild items, so I am extremely late on my TUSAL (Totally Useless Stitch-A-Long) posting.  Some might think it is a little crazy but when I am stitching those tails have to go somewhere.  Dropping them in my little Ball canning jar works wonderfully.  We are supposed to make our postings on the day of the New Moon.  Well this month I am a bit closer to the Full Moon than the other phase of the moon.  Oh well, I did remember to take a picture which is a good thing since my fingers were itchin’ to stitch and the number of ORTs (Old Ratty Threads) has increased substantially.  Well I am getting ahead of myself.  Here is the picture of my ORT jar. 

It is propped against a quilt that I had recently machine quilted on.  I love quilting on Terra’s quilts.  They are a dream to quilt on the longarm quilt machine.  Yes, yes, focus, focus...back to the ORTs, most of them are from my Summer Alphabet Sampler from Lizzie Kate that I have been working on. 

Okay now I got one post off of my mind that I had neglected to get typed and posted.  Now I can focus on all the errands that I need to do today.  Hope you have a brilliant day.  The sun is shining once again, which gives me a little skip to my step and a bigger smile on my face. 

If you are wanting to know more about the TUSAL here is the link to our host, Daffy Cat’s, webpage that will fill you in on what I’m talking about, click here.  There is also a list of my fellow stitchers who are participating in this year’s TUSAL.  Have a great day!

Wednesday Woof

Just a quick little Wednesday Woof here today…the sun is out and there are flowers to check out. 

I love the sunshine and so does my brother Cash. 

 

Our brother Barry enjoys it too but he wouldn’t hold still long enough for mama to get a picture of him.  As mama was checking out the flowers and buds on the trees, we caught sister Sophie trying to use the flowerbed as her personal kittybox.  Naughty kitty!

Well I better get back to being the nurse for my daddy.  He hurt his back or maybe his hip the man at the funny smelling place (dr. office) is not sure.  This has really put a damper on my quality time with my Mama.  Daddy does not like us vacuuming while he is watching TV.  With all this sunshine, I really need to get rid of some extra hair and I really need a clean floor to deposit those hairs before Mama gets out the B-R-U-S-H!!!  With that said I better run and enjoy the sunshine.

Before I rush off Mama will have an update on all her SALs.  Boy, has she been busy stitching lately. 

Woofunderful Wednesday.  Sadie Jo ^. .^