Spring rain and Spring flowers...........

 It was supposed to storm this afternoon (it's just raining...they cry wolf and then they wonder why people don't listen when there really is a serious weather event).  Anyway, I went out and picked some daffodils before they got beaten down in the "storm"...........

I got a few treasures in the mail from Thrift Books.......I've never read Wind in the Willows....there are no  pictures though..just the cover......I wish I had gotten a picture book

this is a book that Miranda Mills podcast recommended and Wind in the Willows is her book review this month so I need to get reading!

I also rummaged around to get out some St. Patrick's Day projects and Spring projects.........I got these last year.......

her name is Primrose....so cute!

I've done my chores for the day so now on to painting the bookshelf and working on the sock gusset.  What are you up to today?

Happy Trails!!!

Tuesday..........

 Well my red and cream block of the Month arrived!  I read through the directions and I hope I am up to the challenge.  It shouldn't be difficult but I've not done one of these before so we'll see.  I have 2 blocks to make for this month.......I'll keep my seam ripper handy! LOL!

Here's the material for the first 2 blocks....red and cream....imagine that!

Yesterday was the usual Monday chores along with a small grocery list.  I also made some orange cinnamon rolls.  I picked up groceries this morning along with a prescription refill and then put it all away.  I vacuumed and washed the kitchen and laundry room floors and that's pretty much it for today.  We have storms coming again...rain here, Iowa and Chicago is supposed to get ice and my friends in Minnesota are going to get more snow.   Just so no one loses power or gets hurt.  Stay safe wherever you are!

Happy Trails!!!

YOP Week #34 Year 12

 I didn't do too much this week.  There were the storms which, although no damage, seem to mess with my sleep and my schedule.  I did get my sewing area cleaned up and organized.  I worked on the Valentine's Day SAL of Strawberry Faire.........it's bigger than I thought and I barely made a dent in it....

Yesterday I wanted to make project bags but...the stars did not align correctly.....the fabric I got in the mail was not large enough for the linings, so I tried another pattern but didn't have the fusible webbing needed nor did I have any coordinating fabric....I gave up for now.  

I did have a final finish and advent gift #1 for this coming season for my daughter......I have an apple charm coming also to pin on it........(she's a teacher so I thought this would be cute)........

here's the back of it............

I also made some lavender sachets to put in our  knitting bags or a drawer; one for her and one for me...so that's advent gift #2.....

That's all for this week.  I did finish the 2nd Joan Aiken book in the Wolves Chronicles....it was good but not as good as the first one.  Now, I've started the 5th Phryne Fisher mystery; The Green Mill Murder....so far so good!

My red and cream BOM quilt was shipped but has not arrived yet.  I'm hoping tomorrow.  I've also ordered a wool applique BOM Louisa May Alcott quilt.  This week I am hoping to work on the Red and cream BOM, my bed quilt, hopefully a project bag, some XS progress, and get back to my sock knitting!

I also need to go back to painting the book shelves, more of the budget, piano, Spanish, cleaning and more organizing.  The yard man came and trimmed, spread weed killer, and  removed weed trees.  I am so lucky to have him and his wife.  They are the nicest, fairest priced, and hardest working people!

I hope you had a great week and that you have things to look forward to this coming week!

Happy Trails!!!

Rough night....

 The weather radio woke me up every 30 minutes with tornado watchs and severe thunderstorm warnings but then there was a tornado warning and that's when I headed to the basement.  I was down there for 1 1/2 hours.  I took a book with me and I have a headlamp but we never lost power and the tornado never materialized.  But by the time it was just a regular thunderstorm and all the warnings had expired it was 4:30 so I made coffee, journaled and then decided to try and get some more sleep.  I must have been tired because the coffee didn't keep me awake!  I slept until about 6:30.  I haven't heard of any tornados having touched down so that's good.  

I got some treasures yesterday.....my new glue  pen with refill for my hexies........

and some Lori Holt fabric........

I also got an email saying my BOM is on it's way!  So exciting!!!  I probably won't get it until Monday although Texas is fairly close so it could show up on Saturday?  A girl can hope!

I got a late start today but I managed to get my sewing machine cleaned....I was going to oil it but the newer machines don't require that...who knew?  I took it all apart and was able to get it all back together. I also caught up with my ironing...yes, I still iron.  I've never minded it and I like things ironed but it is time consuming.  I listened to Iowa Public Radio while I ironed.  The temp today was about 60 so not as warm as yesterday....evidently the storm took the warmth with it.

My lawn guy is coming this weekend to trim and cut down some weed trees before they take over and also to kill the weeds that are coming up through my mulch.  Weeds here never die....even though we had many weeks of below freezing weather this year.  

I hope you didn't have to spend the night in your basement! LOL!

Happy Trails!!! 

  

The calendar is wrong!

 Spring is here in the Ozarks!!!  Look at my daffodils blooming!

and the pansies made it through the winter....they've got new growth on them..............

There are tulips and hyacinths popping out in the front yard....this seems very early to me but I'll take it!

It's 71 with sunny skies and I have the windows open.  I love airing out the house when I get a chance.

I hope the weather is being kind to you.  Behind this wonderful weather is a storm coming tonight.  Here we go again.  I'll have my NOAA weather radio on for sure.

Happy Trails!!! 

Happy Valentine's Day !!!

I hope you are all enjoying the day.  I had the start of the Strawberry Faire SAL today and I got off to a good start........ here's a picture of the pattern.........

I had dyed some fabric and was stitching along.............I wasn't sure if I liked my dyed fabric but I didn't have to worry because before long I realized I had cut the material too small! 

So, I found a piece of 30 count ivory evenweave (lugana?) and started over.......I haven't gotten very far.........

I also found a free pattern on Pineberry Lane on Etsy if you're interested.........so cute....

I received a Valentine present in the mail from my family in Iowa.........so sweet...literally! LOL!

 

and some melties..........(not for eating)....I was late sending their package so they won't get it until Friday....bad Grandma!

BTW, remember when I said my T.V. was broke?  Well, I had called the t.v. people and they were no help, then I got on Roku as the T.V. people said it had to be Roku....no luck there either so long story short....I messed around with it as I knew the setting I needed and was finally able to get it set properly!  I wrote the t.v. people back and told them they needed to hire me! LOL!  Plus, I fixed it in time to watch the Super Bowl and not only that but The Chiefs won!  Yay!  It was a great game and both teams played their hearts out.  I'm so glad I got to watch it.

Yesterday was a busy Monday per usual.  I  had to run up to Franklin and mail the package for the grands and get stamps.  Then I had to go pickup my grocery order in Ash Flat, then I had to get the truck filled up with gas, then I had to pick up some prescriptions and then come home and put all the groceries away.  Plus,  I had to get the garbage out.  I slept good last night!  I wanted to get everything done as we were supposed to get rain and high winds today.   Well, it's raining and it's a little windy but not bad like they predicted.  We are in a black hole here when it comes to weather prediction.

I hope you are enjoying your Valentine's Day.

Happy Trails!!!     

YOP Week #33 Year 12

 Well, the t.v. is not working but I can get You Tube on my phone which is about all I watch anyway. Although I have Paramount Plus free from Walmart.  I imagine I will get a new t.v. eventually but right now I'm too busy! LOL!

I have a finish this week...........just in time for Valentine's Day........this was a free pattern from Colorado Cross Stitcher...........it will end  up as a small pillow....

I also have a fully finished object............this was a free pattern from Hands On Design during the pandemic..........the frame I got at The Dollar Tree and I painted it.  I found some ribbon I had and framed the XS with it.  The XS piece fit into the frame exactly but I needed to cover the zigzagged edges........I painted the beads too...........

I told you how I found my old hexie (English Paper Piecing) project but some of you are new here so I will show it all.......this is how it will look when done....

This is the book it came from and it is called The Pickle Dish.........these gals have a quilt shop in Pearl City which isn't too far from my hometown in Northern Illinois.  Hopefully, I'll be able to visit there some day and meet the designers.............

If you look at the photo you will see there are 11 full diamonds...I am just finishing up number 11....

Here they are...........some still have the basting stitches in them.......

These are all sewn by hand around a cardboard hexagon.....there are many different shapes though.  You might think I am almost done but you would be wrong..........I have the 11 whole diamonds but as you can see below there are 12 more partial diamonds not counting all the connecting diamonds if you look at the first photo.  So, my work here is not done, but I enjoy it, and I can do it while watching T.V. ......well, when I had a t.v.  Now, I listen to audio podcasts.  I did discover that now people use a glue pen to get the fabric around the cardboard hexie.  You still have to stitch them together but that still saves loads of time!  I have ordered a glue pen and refills!  This is one project I would love to finish and get up on my wall.  You will probably see my progress every week...that is if I make progress! LOL!

Now, for the best finish of all........my Christmas quilt.....finally!!!  There are many mistakes but I learned a lot especially on quilting it myself on my sewing machine.  I will be buying a free motion attachment and learning how to do that eventually.  I am just happy that when I washed and dried it that it didn't fall apart! 

My next quilting project will be my bed quilt and also the Block of the Month club that I will be receiving this month some time.

The Valentine's Day SAL will be starting and I am all set.  I found material, cut it to size, and zigzagged the edges so they won't fray.  I had some pink material but I coffee dyed it to tone it down a bit.

That's all for this week.  This coming week, I will be cleaning and oiling my sewing machine and cleaning my sewing area before starting on the bed quilt and hopefully, the BOM quilt if it arrives.  I'll do another final finish, work on the hexie project and work on a XS project.  I should do some crochet and knit on my sock.

I hope you have a great week ahead!

Happy Trails!!!