It is OFF THE FRAME!!!

I have sew much to share this week with you my friends!!!

As autumn approaches we can already feel the coolness in the morning air and the pilot light has been lit on our gas log fireplace… in fact I enjoyed a morning in the low 50 ‘s with a fire !!!

Molly snuggled under a little quilt she pulled down from the head rest too 💕

Rick finished the master bath renovation…

We are so happy with the finish!!!

Next to share…

The Purple Heart 💜 Quilt is off the frame!!! And as I write this that and napkins will be my Sunday slow stitching projects!

Sewing on the binding to the quilt… today I will start hand stitching it into place 🙂

Linking that part of this post to Kathy’s slow stitching Sunday post… come one and all friends to post or just check out in a separate tab what other kinds of slow stitching is going on!!! >>> HERE <<< No blog or Instagram needed… you can post a photo of your progress on her linky party 🎉!!!

I want to share some up close moments of these napkins also… here is napkin # 5…

Then I started # 6… I made some pics for y’all… a pic tutorial of sorts to share how I am stitching with plain 12 wt Aurifil cotton thread on these napkins… I have 25 to make total too!!!

Firstly… I used a light to copy my master onto each napkin lightly with graphite! Next I stitch starting with a quilters knot from the top and backstitching 2 stitches like this…

Then I trim off the knot carefully not to trim my fabric too!

Now with my needle where I want to start my embroidery stitching I stitch right over those stitches…

And I continue until that specific area is complete… I do NOT travel!!!

Back side…

Finished front!

I have 2 more I already have traced… I hope to finish 1 per day most days… So between slow stitching these napkins AND stitching down the binding on my large queen quilt ( 92 x 98″) … Purple Heart… I am machine stitching!!!

I dug out of the depths of my closet the Fusion Quilt Squares with urgings from my bestie…

I cut batting to size for my remaining quilt blocks… 41 of them 😏

And now have them ready at my machine to sew and turn… ready to ladder stitch closed then topstitch quilt and buttonhole stitch precisely 20 times on each side for crocheting… for now my bestie has agreed to do this part as my brain can’t wrap around it very fast AND I have plenty of projects going!!!

I am also planning a secret project too for a special mommy in my life…. Using some fabrics I pulled. A panel I purchased and fabric from some great friends!!!

The panel that sets the tone…

The cornerstones from Connie!

Lots of fun butterflies fabrics for the quilt from Denise!

I’m excited to start this quilt!!! It will go as I develop it… come back next week if this project interests you!!!

I got a rose gold new watch band for my Fitbit…

And Renew Hope remains my mani this week…

You can see my colorful whole cloth in the back ground…

With my quilt frame put up this is my space atm…

So I think with ALL the projects I have at my fingertips this week ahead this meme by Bonnie Hunter is appropriate…

And as I bid you adieu!!!

Have a blessed week and thanks for visiting!!!

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September 11, 2022 !

21 years since that attack on America!!!

I will never forget! I hope you will join me in a moment of silence for the United States of America as we go through another very tough time now AND look back at that time too!

Before this wild realization struck me this morning… I wanted to invite you each to see this weeks progress!!!

I couldn’t stand the poor application I had made of Dallas Darling… so I took it off this week and added “Renew Hope” a special color made which proceeds going to defend against child abuse!!!

Such a pretty color and so easy to apply!!!

Here’s all the new colors I got this week!

Most of my week has been spent doing housework … and quilting at my frame!!! Then I took a detour and made some simple valances to go with the new-to-us ceiling fan my honey got mounted this week too!

We thought they turned out quite nice!!!

Here are pics now of my main focus this week… slow stitching!!! Linking this to Kathy’s Slow Stitching Crew HERE!!! Kathy shares her and her daughters’ finished projects 🙂

I started my week here…

Drawing the design completely to the top!

Now this section is ready to roll and I am scooting down the quilt for the final pinwheel stitching!!!

Unfortunately I didn’t snap a shot of the end of the quilting on that row before rolling!!!

So here’s where you will catch me today!!!

I love my life here in the North Carolina mountains and I hope wherever you live you will stop over to Kathy’s at the link above and take in all the incredible slow stitching this week!!! I love my Sunday posts and a time to reflect on my progress!

Make sure to come back next week though as things will get shaken up around here once this quilt exits the frame!

Have a blessed week my friends!!!

Happy September Y’all!

It has been a more chill week in our cabin home this week as September proclaimed itself!

Although not quite autumn yet… here in North Carolina the weather is cooling some and the days are shortening!

A long shot of our little gem in the mountains…

And a close up….

This week we changed out a chandelier in our entry…

For this ceiling fan…

It adds so much air circulation to this big open space 🙂

Most of my week though was consumed in slow stitching on Purple Heart quilt and napkin embroidery!!!

Last week I left y’all on the Purple Heart quilt just being rolled! Now I’m getting close to the end if that row!

This is my focus today along with that right outer border!

I did take time to freshen up my nails… I put on “Dallas Darling “…

I completed napkin 4 and on the napkin 5 of 24 to do! Making progress!

Today I am linking all this handy progress to Kathy’s Slow Stitching Gang HERE <<<<

Meanwhile I’ve been listening to “The Boys” still! Should finish it today as it is the end of the rental period!!! Lol

Here are Ron and Clint Howard today !

I sew believe this saying…

So it’s off to post this and get back to the hand-y work and following Ron and Clint’s chat about their lives!

Have a blessed September y’all… whatever season this brings you💕

As August 2022 rolls quickly to a close…

Grab a cuppa something yummy and come join me as I sharing our week!

We are preparing for the autumn season by washing the house and cleaning the windows! Definitely a busy time!!! I guess we are following the above motto shared by my bestie on Facebook!

We definitely have love in this house between the 3 of us!

Taking time for love 💕

I have also been listening to a great book on the life of Ron Howard and his brother Clint!

Very interesting listen! They had very involved parents too!

I finished the binding on the table runner I shared last week…

Then it was washed and dried… with other laundry… and ready for photos!!!

Didn’t it turn out fun with the extra quilting I did!!? I’ve been quilting interspersed with hand embroidering since that finish too!!!

First my quilting progress…

Which leads me to a roll!!!!

And a real view of the top!!! Maybe 4 rolls left now and shooting for October finish!!!

On the embroidery front … there are 24 napkins in all to embroider… I am perfecting my process as I go. I also found gold in this arena on YouTube that I now follow … “Sarah Homfrey Embroidery “ is her channel name click on it to go to her main youtube page :)… if you want to brush up or learn more about it!!!

First I marked 8 napkins to start… 1/3 of the total napkins needed for the November wedding!

Above is my homemade light board using my iPad flashlight… a 1” thick book to hold it up some from the light for better imagery ( below is a pic of what I see at that level away from the light!). Perfect!

Also used ate some wonder clips and blue tape… graphite quality lead in my pencil and a good quality eraser for lead…

First I learned from Sarah’s videos how to start your stitches without a knot!!! Awestruck with her techniques!!!

Leaving me a finished backside that is as neat as the front…

I am using Sarah’s stitch on the date… a wrapped back stitch… stem stitch with lazy daisies for the olive leaves on either side of the chain stitched monogram 🙂

I have 2 complete and the 3rd is almost done… I am stitching with Aurifil 12 weight threads in colors the couple chose… and using a DMC size 7 between needle for my stitching! I’m also hooping this most of the time in a little hoop I have by clover…

Here is napkin # 3 in process 😉

Linking all this fun hand work to Kathy Slow Sunday Stitching crew >>> HERE <<<. Feel free to link a pic of your hand stitching even if it doesn’t lead to a blog or Instagram!!!

Otherwise I have just been keeping up with house chores and being my honeys assistant 🙂 I do enjoy this job as I learn sooo much from him !!!!

WordPress tells me today I’ve been with them for 2 years this week!!! I am looking for a new blog home beginning in December though… any suggestions??? I love to keep a diary of weekly happenings but WordPress is a paid service and we are trying to decrease monthly expenditures! Plus for a paid service they have terrible customer service options!

In that vein … we are leaving Dish Network as well and getting a Roku device … anyone have a Roku on their tv??? Pros and cons in the comments are appreciated!

In other news… I got some excellent information for figuring things without math or easy conversions for quilting from my friend Gretchen…

Each sheet is double sided too! Chock full of useful info!

And… I found this key ring my parents gifted to me when I left home after rededicating my life to Christ! I did that at 21 then completed nursing school and left Florida at 24 and move back to Nashville to live with my grandmother I called Gaga!!! What wonderful memories flooded me when I found this key ring!!! It is now on my daily keys!!!

I hope you have enjoyed your visit today… have a wonderful week as we welcome September!!!

August 2022 is speeding by y’all!!!

Hope your month is going well!

Bonnie Hunter really hit my week perfectly well with this meme this week!!! How about you??? Have you kept busy enough not to worry, fret, or be jealous??

We celebrated Molly’s addition to our home 4 years ago this week!!! 💕

And I finished all the cutting in the sewing room for Sunny Lanes blocks…

I had to use 2 different whites and piece some of the orange as well as add in some darker orange squares to have enough from my stash … but God provided!!!

I got a card from my mom with some welcomed white strips…

Isn’t the card just beautiful 🤩

I made hand quilting progress this week…

This is where I am now!

Hoping to have rolled the quilt before next Sunday’s post!!!

I spoke with my nephew and his bride to be and got their wishes for napkin monograms..

My mom had fashioned 25 from the fabric she bought !!! We need 12 for the wedding party at the couples desire and 12 for them to keep for their own use. I will do something unique for Rick and I with the remaining 1… lol!

So I made my own light board after making a pattern for the monogram…

I used my own drawing skills and several rough drafts before I was happy with what I think the couple will like!

Then I used the flashlight feature on my iPad, a square ruler some blue tape and a napkin fashioned by my mom…

And the final look will be all olive green with the gold for their wedding date!

And for their wedding / engagement gift I plan on us getting them this picnic blanket from their registry!!!

Isn’t that cool to keep in the back of the vehicle for dates at the park or when out for a hike?!!

Meanwhile I machine quilted the center and hand quilted the outer edges of our table runner… now I will spend today tacking down the binding!!! Yippee 🙌

I am linking up to Kathy’s Quilts link up party again this week HERE <<<. She has made it available to all with just a photo now too… NO BLOG NEEDED! Isn’t that nice 🙂

Fresh polish on with some beautiful red daisies in the background… now there are 3 red Gerber daisies too!

Another view of my fresh polish on the other hand…

Over our verbena hanging plant!!!

Belated birthday mail from a friend who is a great gift giver and knows me well!!!

Love this meme I found this week!!!

So that’s it for this weekend folks!!! Thanks for sharing your time with me reading and seeing all I’ve been up to!!! Have a wonderful week ahead!

I would be honored if you left me a comment if you read till the end… I love replying personally and privately to each one!

Lots to share this week!

Mom and dad received their box…

And sent us this photo!!!

We were so happy they were happy with the table runner and placemats too!

I used the remaining 2 1/2” strips to fashion us a table runner as well…

I will be machine quilting the inside and hand quilt only those outer borders on top and bottom… the center of ours will simply have cross hatching there!

Rick has been working on our bathroom this week. He finished the cabinet recessed into the wall in there…

Now for it to cure then he’ll cut the doors and add the hardware … each shelf is already assigned a job! Lol

Here is the valance I fashioned for this bathroom…

It came hanging long for $2 thrift shop find so I took out the hems and joined them horizontally to make a nice valance!!!

We rearranged some furniture and found a special place for our fish cart!

Above is a dead spot that needed something in our hallway 🙂

Here is a different angle for you…

We found an astounding deal on lights this week so we ordered 4 of them… 3 will go in the living room kitchen area and 1 I in our master bathroom over the mirror…

It does not come with the light bulb but the glass is bubbly and hand blown!!!

I’ve had a chance since finishing those kitchen/dining items to straighten my sewing room some and start cutting my next project! It requires 20 blocks of 2 main colors and 32 2” blocks per block!

Here are the 2” blocks … there are no repeated 2” blocks within each block either 😉

The 2 colors to the right will be in the blocks and the purple will be the outer border!!!

I’m very excited about this because it will be for me!!!

This pattern was first seen by me from my friend Gretchen who blogs here <<

Now for my hand quilting progress…

I rolled the quilt!!!

Look what I can see after rolling at the very top!!!

The top of the quilt!!!

I’m sooo excited!!! linking this fun progress to Kathy’s slow stitching Sunday post! Go see what she has going on there today!

I didn’t share our yard updates yet…

Crepe myrtle in pink…

And in white…

Repotting a plant wound up giving us one for the foyer and 1 for the bedroom!

2 beautiful red daisies….

Our latest acquisition from our local Lowes!

Hope you have a fun Sunday and enjoy your week ahead….

Already August 2022 Y’all!!!

How is it that it is already August 7!!!

It has been a busy week around here!

I gave myself a fresh manicure… with Color Street’s “Coming in Hot”

I also finished the table runner and washed it too!!!! Here is a close up of the center that I did all the lazy Daisy fill in the butterflies…

You should also be able to see my hand quilting on the long outer edges!!!

My honey really loved this finish out of the dryer!!! It went in 16×90” and finished at 14×84” so that’s a lot of shrinking!!! But it’s done and I am working on coordinating placemats now!!! Once they are all gifted I will share them here!!! Lol

Love 💕 this!

I also have been hand quilting intermittently….

This is center of the row….

I am linking all this hand quilting fun 🤩 to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching Crew > HERE!!! come see what everyone is stitching then come back here!!!

Been working in the front bathroom with a score on thrifted curtains for it ….

I love this bathroom now! And my honey is currently working on the back one!!! Yippee 🙌!!!!

We have been working a bit in the yard sprucing it up….

A blooming red daisy… see the second bloom coming out also???!

Begonia repotted in a nice gifted metal hanger…

Same hanger for the verbena… it is full of fresh blooms now too!!!

Milkweed progress…

???? Anyone know about these yellow balls under the leaves of the milkweed ???? 👇👇👇👇

Our second fave kitchen tool now is a hard boiled egg maker we thrifted!

Your FAVE though was gifted by my mom and dad…

It is called a Big Boss it is a convection oven with halogen lights on steroids!!! I cooked this👇bacon in it…

I made is fresh oven mitts too this week from an online free pattern my Spruce Crafts…

The darker grey side has the heat resistant batting and a layer of regular batting behind that… excited to use them in a heated situation now!

During all my sewing this week I won bobbin chicken 2 times and otherwise never lost!!!

All the machine quilting and massive making this week occurred on my vintage 1956 Singer 319w…

I also made a coordinating hand towel to match the hand oven mitts :). I used the last of the toweling in my stash for that make 😢

I don’t know the weight of it only that I bought it online… 2 years ago or so… and it is flimsy til washed then it puffs up and becomes very absorbent!!!! Anyone have a source for toweling???

I sold this kit this week… the quilt I shared last week is still available though 🙂

Our bedroom….

Closet was totally gutted and redone too but my honey says some things are too personal and that includes our closet! Ha ha!!!

Washi tape makes a great line to follow when stitching things.. blue tape works too… but it is more sticky!

Well that’s about it for this week… if you have made it this far…. Leave me a message so I can respond privately!!! I love hearing what you are up to also!!!

Have a good August week!

Happy End of a Busy Month!

July has been fun and very, very busy! Has it been for you?

I had a productive week of puzzle making, hand quilting AND sewing too! Then ended the week with a good clean and reorganizing of our bedroom and closet! Yippee 🙌!!!

First… I got all finished with the row I was quilting on the Purple Heart quilt & the puzzle separating started! Soon I was able to roll the quilt too… as my spritzing had dried!!!

I had a bit more done than You see above when Rick woke and started working on it last Monday….

By dinner time we had a completed puzzle!!!

And the next morning rick filled our thrifted frame with the quilty puzzle!!!

I love how this looks in our living room and how we could incorporate 2 of his hand crafted barn quilts to the left of the framed barn quilt puzzle!

The other side of the fireplace has a vintage puzzle framed vibe…

Other side of French doors… I finally framed the hand painted card I gifted my parents and they gifted me back at my birthday party!!!

I found this meme this week.. oh so true!!!

Speaking of good fabric … my hand quilting journey on the Purple Heart quilt gifted to us by my bestie Connie is the best fabric!!!

Left outer border…

Area next is complete…

Today I’ll work on this center section…

Loving this fabric and this quilt!! Linking all this hand-ie stuff to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching friends!!! <<< HERE. Kathy was under the weather last week… come wish her well!

Want this one of a kind quilt? Email me directly for invoicing as it is posted other places as well!

I also did the necessary machine quilting on the loooong table runner and am working on hand quilting now too!

Once I finish all the hand quilting I will add a dark chocolate binding :). Then fashion 4 coordinating placemats to make it a nice fall set for my parents!

No pics to share because my honey said no pics of the closet… but our bedroom closet got a MAJOR OVERHAUL including turning the door around that enters the closet!!!

It did enter INTO the closet cutting off space… now you open the door and step into lots of space!!!

We also reorganized and cleaned our bedroom and my desk area and now all cords are virtually non existent to the eye and there were plenty!!!! Lol. I’ll try to get photos for next weeks post!

So until next week… I hope you each have a blessed week and enjoy all August has to offer in our coming week!

Happy Birthday to my Honey & sew much more!

This week I focused on my honey and his birthday with a delicious T-bone steak on sale… and one for next week too thanks to our bestie Connie!!! As well as butterfly stitching 😊

Below you see a weather station on the buffet as you enter our cabin 🤩. And we love it!

He also got an Uber cool video of Dolly Parton singing a birthday song to him with his name & all included from blue mountain cards and some very cozy cotton ankle socks… the gold toe brand 😍. I got him a sappy card and replaced our 12 + year old hairbrush with a nice new one! We also invested in a nicer rug for the kitchen sink area…

My daughter got a new doo as her birthday is coming up this coming week on the 26th…

She likes it and loves bed head look with this new haircut too! Lol

Her brothers are throwing her a birthday party today! Wish I could be there!!!🎉🥳

Meanwhile, I saw the nurse practitioner at the pain consultants of the Carolina’s office near my home…. I have a deep muscle off kilter in my right buttock and sacro-iliitis and bursitis in my right hip! She said this is a result of my pelvis realigned awkwardly after my knee replacements… so she prescribed lidocaine patches and continued pt exercises like I’ve been doing to strengthen my pelvic floor . This coming week I see a doctor there to give me a injection in this sacro iliac space of steroids to help numb that pain … please pray this works as the lidocaine patches just aren’t doing the job AND they are pricey too!

Meanwhile.. between exercises and extra steps I have been stitching!

And some panoramic shots of the top pinned and ready for quilting…

And the pieced back … as this table runner is 90” long right now!!!

I am so pleased with this thus far and have ideas for the placemats I’ll make too with the remaining jelly roll pieces!!! First to get this quilted and binding attached though!!! Plan is for machine and hand quilting on this table runner! Linking this fun project to Kathy’s July challenge at Sewing Etc HERE <<<

I’ll start today between hand quilting the Purple Heart quilt too! I’ve made some progress on that to share too!!!

My set up with a new lamp shade for my floor lamp…

And that last area finished this morning before linking this progress to Kathy at Kathy quilts linky party today <<< come see!

Now I’m ready for the right border and then can roll!!! Yahoo!!!!

Finally I wanna share what I wanna fit in Timmy busy schedule…

Puzzles!

We found this frame at a thrift shop for $6 that is just the right size for this puzzle…

Then also this puzzle…

with this frame gifted to us by our fave neighbors!!! It is a tad big but we can work with it using the Matt on the other larger frame we think…

Both frames are wood and will make excellent decor for our cabin too!

We found this beautiful glass and plastic bottomed hummingbird feeder at our local free trade building at the trash dump! Exciting find!

I found this meme that though I don’t struggle with depression I struggle with getting more steps in and molly helps me get out and walk!!!

My friend Gretchen posted this quilt with pattern on her blog this week here! I plan to use my plethora of 2” blocks for this quilt as a lap quilt for me… I 💕it!!!

Enjoy all the links in this weeks post!

Have a blessed week ahead and have a great day!!

An enjoyable mid July week to share!

Did you see the first image shared from the James Webb telescope launched into outer space recently???

The single photo shows several universes in outer space!!!! In a very very small space in our understanding… I am so gob smacked by this technology I wanted to share!

The weather here this week has been so delightful I decided to finish sewing a wallet then let me mom choose my wallet with some issues fixed….

How I fixed the magnetic snaps coming out of the side pocket when opening it …

Or this new one I made over the weekend last weekend and finished Monday morning…

She chose the second one that I made new and I mailed it out to her… she LOVED it 🙂 She has used all the different parts of it happily too 😀 I sewed this entire wallet from a pattern by the author in my stash I bought and have made several wallets from this pattern! I have made my own personal revisions in the last 2 versions and enjoy being able to make it in just a couple days 🙂

Outside… even though we aren’t experiencing the heat wave much of the USA is … we are having to water regularly to keep everything happy on the front porch…

ferns, a coral begonia, and christmas cactuses summering on the front porch!

Our growing fledgling milkweed waiting to feed monarchs if they come this way this year….

The nearby butterfly bush that will feed butterflies and bees until the monarchs show up!

Aside from enjoying our outdoors and building a bag I have made some progress on the Purple Heart Quilt having rolled the quilt and moved to past the midpoint….

And built a table runner for my parents’ dining room table formal area called a French Braid pattern… but I have also heard it referred to as a Friendship Braid.. either way that part is done….

I trimmed off the jagged borders and it measured only 14″ then so I added a border to the sides then marked my desired stitching design on this and started embroidering by hand that center block…

I plan to do some machine AND hand quilting on this but today I will continue working on the hand embroidery with this as my inspiration on how to fill in the butterflies with some cool variegated perle cotton… Linking this hand embroidery that will consume my day…. to Kathy’s Quilts Linky Party <<<< HERE to open a new tab to her blog post so you can enjoy what everyone is doing by hand!

You can see the variegated thread along with the merlot colored perle used in the monogram and chocolate brown thread used to outline the butterfly motifs… prior to adding daisies 🙂

I am very happy my friend Denise found this pic to inspire me on how to fill the butterflies with this cool perle 12 cotton!

Also… I did play along with last weeks organize along I talked about last week….

This weeks focus is organizing fabric… I will ponder how to show my organization of my fabric in a closet on shelving my honey built and share that with you next weekend 🙂

One of my faves is my latest mani… by Colorstreet called Nuclear Fuschian!

I found this in one of my Facebook groups…. reminds me of me! lol

Finally… masked or not… do you smile when out and about with other people????

Thanks for stopping by… I appreciate you taking time to come see all I’m up to and i REALLY appreciate you leaving a message below so I know you were here 😀