YOP Week #18

Happy Halloween!!!
 

My favorite month is almost over and one of my favorite holidays....boo hoo!  This month went very fast!

I was able to finish my Halloween cross stitch...........it's not framed but it will be by the time the next Halloween rolls around..................

I also dyed some fingering weight yarn with marigolds.  I thought it would come out yellow but I included the entire flower not just the petals so I got a green........not bad but just not what I expected...............but that's part of the fun of it.........I do like the variegation of color from light to dark and vice versa..........it will eventually become a pair of socks..............

Remember my September cross stitch?  I can't find it ...it must have gotten buried underneath something but I did find a fall XS small that I had started last year so I'm working on it...........eventually it will say "Give Thanks"..............

I also started a t.v. project of granny squares but haven't decided if I want the solid color or the changing colors.....I just made one solid so far.............what do you think?

Today is not only Halloween but also The Chicago Bears play at noon.  Yesterday I listened to the Iowa Hawkeyes get trounced by the Wisconsin Badgers.....so sad....they were 6-1 and now they are 6-2.  I'm hoping the Bears do better than last week.  I got some candy for my Halloween and I am making 7-Layer dip for the game.  Here's the recipe  and you serve it with tortilla chips.........

 Now that the Halloween ornaments and cross stitch are done it is time to focus on Christmas!  It will be here before we know it! 

I hope you had a great week and plans for another!

Happy Trails!!!
 
 
 
 

Friday is craft day !!! Yay! Yippee!

 Today I am dyeing yarn with my marigolds.....it's a long process for me since it is my first time.  I found a 2-burner hotplate that I used to use when I dyed wool years ago.  I cleaned it  up and I'm using it for my big old canning pot........this is my bare fingering weight yarn that I got from KnitPicks.  I just got done soaking it in hot water, some alum and cream of tartar that will help it hold the color better.

Now I have the marigolds heating up in water and then I will put the yarn in with the marigolds.  It will sit in the dye bath probably until tomorrow morning....don't worry...I'll take it off the burner!  So, I won't have any pictures of it until Sunday probably as it has to hang and drip dry pretty much.

I'm excited to see how it turns out!

While I was waiting for the water to heat etc...I did some decorating..........

My daughter gave me the crow and the truck full of pumpkins.  The Pumpkin sign I got several years ago but I don't remember where.

The Black Hat Society sign I got at the Dollar Tree for, you guessed it....$1!  Also, the pumpkin boxes.  The gourds I crocheted a few years back.  I gave my leaf banner to my daughter so I need to make another one.

Another Dollar store bargain....... the scarecrow

This is my first Halloween cross stitch from a few years back...

and last but not least I made these black cats several years ago and I think they are my favorite.

 

 I still haven't gotten my ornaments out.....I'm running late this year.

I hope you have a fun friday!

Happy Trails!!!

 

Sausage gravy and biscuits

 I made made pork sausage gravy today and then homemade baking powder biscuits.  My biscuits didn't rise and my baking powder is new but who knows how long it was in the store.  I got it at our little grocery store here in town which doesn't always have the turnover of the big stores

I was able to slice them and have them with some butter and honey and they were great but thin! LOL!

It['s raining here today and I could take a nap but it's getting too late now.  I hope you are all fine.

Happy Trails!!!
 

My favorite month has been overrun with busyness!

 Of course being sick for a week didn't help but now I'm trying to make up for lost time.  It is raining now and will for the next 2 days so before the rain came I went and got my prescriptions.  I was going to get my pneumonia shot but they were busy with COVID booster shot people so I held off.  I came home and harvested all my marigolds which I hated to do as they were so beautiful but I knew the rain would make them mushy.  They will have more blossoms as we haven't had a frost....yet.  I'm soaking them in hot water until tomorrow when I will make the dye bath and dye my sock yarn.  It wasn't what I had planned but harvest time is harvest time!  I'm still getting banana peppers and green peppers and there are some tiny egg plant but not sure if they will have time to mature.  There are green tomatoes and I got 1 red one.

Colors are getting pretty here and probably peak the end of this week.....they haven't been that colorful this year though..........

I need to harvest the little Bradford Pears.....they  make a nice filler around candles and for decorating.  I should try dyeing them...that might be interesting...........

I did a little decorating outside........

I also brought in wood for the fireplace and now I'm done for the day!

Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #17

 The 2021 Annual Halloween Ornaments are finished!  TaDa!!!  That is all I was able to accomplish this week.  So here they are...........this one is mine....the front..........

the back...............

Sam's ornament...the front.......

the back.......

Grayson's.................the front

the back...................

The stoic that I am would not admit I was sick so I struggled all week trying to work through it and convinced myself that "old age" was upon me and that this was the best it would ever be!  I had nausea, the dry heaves, achy limbs and so tired I couldn't stay out of bed for very long.  At the end of the week I started feeling better...Hallelujah!!!  I was so happy it wasn't "the end of the line" for my life as I know it!  Whew!  Whether it was from the flu shot or it was actually the flu but I am so grateful to be back among the living!  If I would have realized I was actually sick and would recover, it would have been a lot easier on me...lol!  I hope that's the last of it.  It was a busy week too.  Grocery shopping, I was supposed to get the pneumonia shot but I put it off, had the termite and pest control guy here and today the chimney sweep came.  I'm hoping this next week will be better and calmer.

I didn't get all my decorations  up yet but I did manage to get the pumpkin in the window!  My Aunt Alice made this years ago and it has been well used and well loved!  Thank you, Aunt Alice!

Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #16

I haven't blogged all week mostly because I haven't done anything.  I'm not sure if it's the change in the season or temps or what but I was pretty much exhausted all week.  I did have a lot going on but not to make me so tired.  I had annual taxes to pay, annual termite inspection and pest control, and a flu shot.  I was supposed to get a pneumonia shot too but the BCBS website was down so I will go in this week for that.  I got a few more Fall/Halloween decorations up but didn't take any photos.....I will this week.

I did finish my quilt top!  Here it is...........I learned so much from Celeste and chain piecing which I had heard of but never done......it's the bee's knees!  That tip alone saves hours!  Next will be cutting and sewing the backing and then sandwiching the batting and backing fabric and quilt top....then pin basting and then quilting and binding.  Still a ways to go but all enjoyable especially when I think of the finished project I will be able to enjoy for years to come each Christmas.   

 

I did not get the ornaments final finished but I did work on my ornament.  I made several mistakes in this one but at least the ones I am gifting are fine.........it's not finished yet but getting there

I had Rottweilers most of my adult life and now I am dog-less and really miss them and the fact that there will be no more dogs in my life but I saw this picture and it brought a smile to my face........look at those big feet!!! LOL!  Too cute!

I hope you had a better week than me and more energy for sure!

Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #15

Not too much going on here craft-wise as there is too much beauty outside to stay in!  This is my favorite time of year!

I did finish the grands ornaments except for the final finish.............the yellow is from the lighting and not on the cross stitch...........

I started one for me also...........the moon

I tried a brighter yellow but I think I will take it out as I don't care for it...........

I did work on my Christmas quilt but only to press the seams and now I am ready to sew the rows together but it doesn't look any different............

That's all for this week...no treasures, no crochet, no knitting.....but I am enjoying the fall here and getting some painting done and cleaning and clearing....prepping for winter!

I hope you had a great week and I hope you have great plans for the week ahead!

Happy Trails!!!

Sewing Friday.........

 I try to reserve Friday for sewing otherwise I never do it.  Ignoring everything else that needs to be done is hard though....but I persevered!

I got all the rows sewn together for my Christmas quilt. and hopefully I will have a quilt top to show on Sunday.  A quilt top that has been sewn but not quilted is called a "flimsy".  This is a lap size quilt.  I made it out of reproduction vintage Christmas material.

That's all for today...it's beautiful here....blue skies, sunshine and 83 with no humidity.....perfection!

Happy Trails!!!

Happy Fall Y'all

 Fall has arrived with a bang...cooler temps, rain and my little hummer boy, Buddy left yesterday....I can't believe how sad it makes me.  I get so attached and he was so distinguishable.  I pray he has a safe trip.  They travel alone for hundreds of miles.  I will leave the feeder up as hummers from the north or east pass through and need a rest stop.  I have no idea how they know but they do.  They must fly low and look for spots of red.  They are amazing creatures.

Monday, I ordered groceries to pickup.  I didn't need a lot just some staples.  I think I ordered like 13 items and after I placed the order it stated they only had 3 of the items!  What?  I think they are trying to wean people off the pickup part...what else could it be?  I decided to go to the store and go inside and shop which I haven't done in over a year!  They had most of the things I needed so why did they say they didn't?  Very fishy if you ask me!  I do spend more when I go in the store but it was nice because I was able to get 2 mums: one for inside and one for outside, 2 pumpkins and some gourds.  I also got some Halloween candy...oh!  No trick or treaters?  That's okay.....lol! It did feel good to get out and all the employees wear masks but very few customers but it wasn't crowded.  By the time I got home though and unloaded and disinfected and put away the groceries, I was toast!  I took a 2 hour nap!

Today is raining and cozy.....here's my indoor mum...it really is a houseplant!  It practically glows it is so beautiful!

I'm burning my cozy cabin candle and starting to drag out the Fall and Halloween decorations.....

 here's  some gourds I picked up too.............

I've got a cherry dump cake in the oven for dessert tonight with ice cream.  I don't use cherry pie filling though.  I use canned tart cherries.  I find the pie filling too sweet for my taste.

Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #14

 

I have a finish!  Not a final finish but a finish.  I will wait until all the ornaments are done and then final finish them all at the same time.  Here's the first ornament..........

I started the second one...a  pumpkin...............

and I worked a bit on my Fall alphabet sampler............

and When Witches Go Riding.............

I am very excited because I got all my QAL blocks sewn!!!  Yippee!  It's just a pile but later today I'll be laying them  out to see how I want the final quilt to look and then hopefully next week I will  have a quilt top to show you!  This is a Christmas quilt.

  

That's all for this week!  The Hawkeyes won their game against Maryland on Friday night but I didn't listen to it as it was past my bedtime! LOL!  So far they are 5 wins and 0 losses....go Hawks!  Today I 'll listen to the Bear's.  I wish they would do as well as the Hawks! LOL!  

We had lots of rain this past week and I woke up Friday morning and lo and behold...the trees changed color overnight!  They're just starting but that also means that Buddy, the little hummer boy, will be heading South before too long.  As much as I love Fall, I will miss that little guy!

I hope you are enjoying whatever season you are in. 

Happy Trails!!!