Good Time was had by All!

December started out with a BANG, loads of snow and some Holiday makes.

 Snow is the perfect setting for all the little birdies made from this tutorial.

 So much fun. So easy and fast.  Hardest part was picking out the button embellishments!

I had my mom for Secret Santa. Easy peasy!:)

 The boy had a great time visiting his sister in Oxford...brought back these adorable mugs and...

 ....loads of the girl's stuff.  Two whole suitcases full!!  Countdown has begun for her return on February 1st then she can put all this stuff away!! Yipeeee!

 My guys surprised me with this Holly tree...that we have named Chookie!:)  Tomorrow it goes outside to be planted in the front yard.

Christmas day at my folks...good company and food! 

 Next day more good food and laughter at the in-laws'.

A new face has joined the extended family.  Bro-in-law's new pup Findley....welcome!!:)

Third Christmas was today at our house....hubby, the boy and his girl and me.  There is a new Kindle HD Fire and Roku in the house...we are on technology and candy overload!:)

Happy, Happy!!!

~d

The Boy is with The Girl in OX!:)

Man do I wish we were there too!:) 

 Though unable to be there I did send some more stuff for her to give her peeps.

 A couple pillowcases.

 More mug rugs with fun printing prints!:)  It's on Rose's quilt but I can't show that yet!

 Had a leftover piece of a block and it called to be made into a little bag....

...with some Batman inside!:)

Sent a lot of Christmas themed snack foods too...gotta keep the roommates happy!:)

 I still sooooo love to do English paper piecing....Slate likes to watch.  Haven't decided what to do with this yet, might be a clock, pillow, table topper...any other ideas?

We are doing Secret Santa on both sides of our family....my folks needed bigger stockings so they could still give us stuff....I complied!:)

This tray of bits and bobs became 25 items....any ideas? 

While sewing the above these guys (gals?) visited.  We've seen them several times right outside our window...what a joy!

This I'm not so sure about.  Have you ever heard that Woolly Bear Caterpillars predict  Winter's severity? Legend has it the more brown segments (there are 13) the milder your Winter.  Well....this one has 7....the other one is totally black and huge (it's rolled up)...there is 5 inches of snow outside and it's not even winter yet!!!

~d

Hoping for some good Karma!

This past March I was lucky enough to go to the first ever Sew South Retreat where I got to hang out with my buddy Dana of Old Red Barn Co.  Dana gave me a load of lovely presents but this one really touched my heart....

 Eighteen almost finished 12" hand pieced antique quilt blocks.  Almost because they still needed their corners.  I think she bought them at a flea market or yard sale.  Dana also gave me some turquoise and green fabric for a perfect finish!

Corners sewn....added two squares of Lark.....

 ...Voila!!  Don't you love it?!!!:) It is just awesome!

 The ladies at the shop think these may be 1940s fabrics.

 What do you think?  They are fabulous!  Some of the blocks are a bit faded but who cares?!:)

 This just makes me sooooo happy!

 But mostly I hope some good karma has happened and someone somewhere ;) is happy because the blocks are finally all together!  Thanks so much Dana!! xoxoxox

 Keeping with feel good quilting is this stack of red, white and blue which became....

 ...this patriotic cuddle!  Our shop was trying to collect 100 quilts that will be given to returning soldiers next month.  I wanted to be one of the 100.  I ended up being is one of over 135+ quilts for our troops!!!!  

A big heartfelt virtual hug to all you wonderful quilters from Virginia, Maryland, DC and across the USA (we received many by mail) bearing warmth from your loving hands.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!!

~d

Beautiful Song for a Wonderful Museum!

Greetings all! I just wanted to take a moment to tell you about something close to our hearts and our girl's heart.

Faithful readers all know the girl has been living and working these past three years in the city of  dreaming spires, Oxford, UK.

She's been working for several non profits but  

the one closest to her heart is The Story Museum, a center of children's literature and storytelling, a place of wonder and magic!  

One day the museum will be totally open to the public but in the meantime in their words, 

"The pumpkin is being 

transformed into a coach and taking us one step 

closer to the ball!"

One of the lovely interns, Nat Mahri, has written a song and the proceeds are going to the museum.

Spaces is a beautiful song and can be downloaded for whatever you wish to pay...your call! 

Go give it a listen and hear for yourself!:)

Thanks Natalie!!

~d

Blogger's Quilt Fest 2013 Part II of the Duo

(scraps sewn together then cut to make flying geese)

Part II of my scrappy adventures started with the chain stitched like crazy flying geese.

Before I trimmed off the corners of said geese I turned that chain of flying fowl around and stitched 1/2" on the other side of the seams to make half square triangles (HSTs)!!!:)

Each goose gave me two HST now I had 100 5.5" HSTs!:)

Hence my second entrance in the Blogger's Quilt Fest Scrappy Quilt category!:)

 Scrappy  Rainbow Geese on the right and Scrappy Paths on the left!

 I had such fun playing with all the squares making different designs. In the end this pattern was the winner.  I did some hand quilting on the Fusion Ombre straw background fabric.

 Backing is a Dutch Wax Print from Africa courtesy of my sister-in-law. This quilt now belongs to my pal Sally's lovely daughter who graduated from college this year!:)

Hopefully you will all join me over at the Fest taking in all the other talents of our worldwide online community of quilters!

Thanks for visiting!

~d

Blogger's Quilt Fest Fall 2013 Tale of Two Quilts Part I

Five years ago Amy of Amy's Creative Side came up the idea of the 

Blogger's Quilt Fest to celebrate the creative fun of our online community.

This year I thought I'd enter a quilt or two!

Remember this photo I took of scraps sewn together by color? These sat around for a long time while an idea percolated.

 Finally I figured out what to make.  After cutting out some rectangles then adding two squares to each corner....chain stitching like crazy...finally I had...

 ....my Scrappy Rainbow Flying Geese!  My pal Linda did the awesome quilting, sort of like a breeze!

 Twenty-five geese duos, each duo is 12" square.

 The background is Robert Kaufman Fusion Ombre in Straw.

I wish I had a whole bolt of that stuff!

 Backing is Jane Sassaman Willow Wands from her Garden Divas collection.

I really like this quilt. I see something different in it every day. 

I am submitting this one in the  

ROY G BIV Quilt category!  It makes me happy!

But remember this a tale of two quilts.

Next post will be about Part II!!:)

Now go visit some other online Fest  friends and leave them a comment.

It makes us feel good!:)  

Thanks for visiting and thank you Amy for all the fun!!

~d

Twenty-eight Years?!!

 Last weekend my little bro brought up his portable sawmill and....

...set up shop where a couple years ago hubby had plopped two huge pine logs. 

They did some measuring and calculating...

...adjusting and readjusting....

...then got down to milling lumber that will one day...

 ...be steps going up to our second floor!:)

 While they were milling....the boy was collecting wood and kindling and making....

 ...a great stone surround so we could have...

 ...an anniversary fire complete with smores and hot cider compliments of James' friends!:)

Next day hubby and I took a drive over to West Virginia and then back down into Western Virginia and back to our favorite pumpkin patch.

 Nall's never disappoints! I had a hard time not bringing one of those wee gnomes home!

Guard dog?:)

What a perfect weekend...thanks  hubby for 28 years of great weekends!

For those of you going to the International Quilt Festival in Houston....Carly and some of the Webfabrics team will be vendor number 1336 right in the middle of the convention center under the flag....a little bit of me will be there too so go say hi to my wee zippy bag!:)

~d