Bitty Block Bee meets Clock-Along!!

 This past year I have participated in the Bitty Block Bee.  There were 14 of us and each month one of us was Queen/King Bee, picked a theme and received two 3 1/2" or 6 1/2" blocks from each member for a total of 26 blocks.
The month of May rolled in and it was my turn to be Queen!  I was inspired by some fruit and veggie blocks on text fabrics seen while perusing Flickr AND wanted to make a clock.  Yo peeps, could you each pick a Roman numeral 1-12 and a fruit or veggie and one of you  make me some clock hands?

They were game and more than rose to the occasion! Here are the blocks all put together that those crazy creative folks made for me!! 

All I did was highlight the numerals with a black running stitch and do a bit of quilting.

At the Mini QT Swap we are having a Clock-Along.  A couple of the lovely ladies (Marilyn and Ruthie) made up a tutorial for us to follow which made it soooo easy for me! 

In this photo you can just make out some buttons we received when our girl was at West Virginia University...left them there so you could see how big it is....21" square!

I love it!  Thanks Bee Buddies!

I bought more clock works because it's a great gift to make with orphan blocks!

I was going to put some buttons on the clock then I found the huge hands so that idea went out the window but my buttons now have a new home cause...

...my pal Sandie gave me this HUGE glass Ball jar for my perle cottons!!:)

See that little project next to my sewing machine?

Now it's an oh so cute little zippy bag made from a pattern called 

This and That Suzy's Sack and some Shelburne Falls!!:)

Gotta love plaid!:)

~d

Guess where we went last week?!:)

The Outer Banks of North Carolina!! WhoooHooo!

Hubby had to put some crown molding up in a condo in Kill Devil Hills so we got to stay there for the week...for free!:)

 We finally found some sea glass!

 Collected buckets and buckets of shells!

(This was the only day with ANY clouds at all!!)

 Enjoyed the near empty beaches!

Found a skull-shaped shell!

 Took some selfies!

Because of the government shutdown there were no vehicles at Oregon Inlet which is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Never seen that before!

 They have a really hard time keeping the sand off the roads on these barrier islands and to show you how skinny some areas are I borrowed a photo...

 ....from the Outer Banks website.  Can you get over this...it's an amazing place!! Go look at the map to see these barrier islands along the coast of North Carolina!

 On the way home we visited my folks....and a farmers market.  

 Oh....and I found a quilt shop at the beach and bought a few treasures!:)

~d

A Few Finishes With a POW!:)

Been working on a few sample items for the Shop. I wanted to show how many pincushions you could get from three pieces of the hand dyed wool we offer so I found a pattern (Buttons and Lace by the Sunflower Fields Pattern Co.) picked pink, gold and brown wool and got to work.

 A little wool felt, some perle cotton and a few buttons later I had six pincushions.  The flowerpot and five petal flower in the back were my own creations.  Love that heart tree!:) If I had cut a little more carefully I think I could have made a seventh one!

We needed a new mini to hang from the magnetic hanger at work so I played with some Collage by Carrie Bloomston for Windham Fabrics. Great colors and text prints!

Here is the POW! I was talking about...Quilt Girl, Super Hero and a Grunge background! Pattern from the book my pal Amy at Diary of a Quilter sent me...Sweet Celebrations.

Pow! Press! Wham! Rip! Bonk! Bind! Boom! Stitch! Zoom!

 Perfect combo don't you think?:)

I'll have some other finishes to share soon, until then here is a peek of the clock I'm making with the bitties I received this past May from the Bitty Block Bee.  There's a Clock Along going on at the Mini QT Swap inspired by these blocks...go check it out!:)
~d

UK Good Timing Part III Scotland!

Four and a half hours after getting on the train at Paddington Station we were in Edinburgh...foggy, foggy Edinburgh!  

(All blocked off for The Fringe)

 Jo told us to stand on the side of North Bridge that faces the sea to catch the bus to our B&B....um....couldn't see it! But I remembered which side we went to last year! Phew!

All of Edinburgh is abuzz in August with The Fringe, The International Book Festival and The Art Festival.  Too much to choose from but the girl took care of us!

(Fireworks just for us?:)

 First night was spent at Assembly Hall watching Puppet Up! which is the very grown up version of Jim Henson's muppets...in fact his son was there. So Funny! 

(At our breakfast table every morning!)

Friday morning after a lovely night sleep at our B&B and the fantastic breakfast made for us by the owner Clarissa we headed out to visit Edinburgh Castle.

(Photo taken 287 steps up on the Scott Monument!)

Castle is top center.  To the left with the twin red vertical banners is Assembly Hall.  

In the center is the National Gallery. 

That afternoon we took a train to visit Jo and Jonathan, owners of Avery Homestore.  After an amazing lunch which included Jonathan's delicious homemade bread we walked around their beautiful property taking in all the work they have done planting hundreds of native trees and shrubs...and their view of the Forth Rail Bridge!!!  I can't believe we forgot to take pictures! Thanks so much for a wonderful afternoon!

 After our short train ride back to Edinburgh we returned to the castle to see the 

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo!!  Attendees were from all over the world as were the performers.

 You haven't seen anything until you see hundreds of musicians and dancers and a castle all dressed up in the Union Jack!!

 For a girl who did Color Guard four years in high school and four years in College this was the ultimate thumbs up!

(stairs at Bedlam Theatre)

Saturday...after walking the 287 steps up the Scott Monument...was another puppet show this time at Bedlam Theatre and an evening comedy show at the Pleasance Dome but in the middle of the day there was....

 ....another talk and book signing with Neil Gaiman!!  This was a promotion for his new children's book Fortunately The Milk. We were able to get a advanced copy which the girl read in the queue then had signed...he drew her a stegosaurus!:)

 Sunday the family dropped me off at The Stitch Gathering (blogged here). So while I was sewing and chatting and stuffing my face they were...

 ...enjoying Glasgow!

 I think I had it harder...I mean these views out our classroom window made it so hard to concentrate!

(Castle on left....Scott Monument tallest spire on right)

 I mean....I was in the middle of a fairy tale....guess they were too!;)

 Monday morning bright and early we hopped back on the train to Stirling and toured Stirling Castle....another stone edifice up in the clouds.

 The views are spectacular.  This is The King's Knot as seen from the castle.

 Now standing on The King's Knot!:)

That afternoon while I enjoyed this lunch on Ladies Rock at the Church of the Holy Rude cemetery...

...and drew this picture...

...hubby and the girl took a bike ride...she's worried it's going to rain...just a little!:)

That evening we had curry at a great restaurant with our pals Lynz, Al and their Chookie....and once again neglected to take pictures.  We were living in the moment!:) 

Two days later we are back at Heathrow.  Dr. Who was still following us around. I really didn't take as many photos this time around...we did so much more than recorded here but I think the best time was seeing the girl and being able to visit with our UK friends...no photos necessary!:)

xo

~d

Good Timing in the UK Part II

OXFORD!!

Love that place!! A week wasn't enough time!!

Started out with private tour of The Story Museum...where the girl works. 

 This place is amazing...I can't properly explain it but it's like going into a fairy tale...right across the street from Oxford University's Christ Church main gate, Tom Tower!!

(One day the main entrance will look like this!)

 This is the world of J. R. R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Lewis Carroll to name a few! The museum is as they say "in their pumpkin stage" and is only open for special occasions and workshops but if you live there go TODAY, Sept 14th is "Open Doors" in Oxford!

(In Christ Church Meadow)

 While there we were lucky to participate in a Story Museum "Wonder Walk" going through the world of the above authors.  It was one of the last walks for the summer! The girl was part of putting it all together...it was fantastic!

(Jack and Jonno and hubby)

 We had a barbecue with her roommates and friends...a lot of meat was charred!:)

We saw  some rowing on the Thames or Isis (as they call it in Ox) with my lovely buddy

Jo and her equally lovely hubby Dennis...we used to be online buddies....but now we are just plain old friends!;) xo

Look what my buddy gave me!!  Gotta love homemade goodness. Look at that amazing embroidery on the pincushion...and the yellow rose pin!!! Awesome!

We also went to a classic car show...

 ...that little Mini would fit in the back of hubby's truck!!

 The weather was perfect for a visit to Oxford University's Harcourt Arboretum.  Have you ever seen a Monkey Puzzle tree?  Definitely not for climbing!!

 The wildflower meadow was full of color!

(Big yellow and blue bags are full of yard debris!)

We cleaned out a lot of weeds and brush in the girl's backyard and did laundry!:)

 We ate a lot...a LOT of good food!

 Visited some cool cemeteries.

 Went back to the Story Museum for a great Print Workshop.

 Those letter cases full of moveable type are antiques from Oxford University Press....where they make the Oxford Dictionary!  Mr. Nash was our very knowledgeable and interesting teacher.

 The antique presses are on loan from the Bodleian Library, it was so exciting to actually use them!  Like my paper hat?

 We topped the week off with an evening at the Oxford Playhouse for a conversation with Philip Pullman and Neil Gaiman!  The girl had her signed US 1st edition of
Ocean at the End of the Lane to be...

....resigned!:) She had Mr. Pullman sign her copy of 

Once Upon a Time in the North...good day!:)

Following day we took a train to our next adventure...

...Edinburgh!

~d