I Am Finally Back!

Now I just hope I can remember how to make a post. LOL I took a long, 2 month break. I always have trouble getting back in the groove after Christmas and this year was no different. I have been working on some things and will show those soon. I just didn't feel like writing about anything, I guess. Several times I came to my blog and intended to post, then shut it down without doing anything. I think I needed the break because I feel like it is time to come back now.

We have had a wonderful winter, with warm temps and very little snow. I believe we are working towards setting a record for warmest winter ever. Now it feels like spring is here. We have watched the squirrels play like crazy today. The geese have been flying north all week and the grass is starting to green up. No robins, yet, though. We are thinking about the garden. I have my seeds ordered. I also ordered some baby chicks. They aren't due to arrive till the first week in May, though, so we have plenty of time to get their brooding area all ready.

The family is all doing well and all the furbabies are getting feisty in hopes that spring is here. LOL I have been working on some projects, but that Kindle sure has detoured me. LOL I get started reading on a book and can't put it down till I am finished. I am back to reading again. I have always loved reading, but put it on the back burner for a few years. I read on the computer and quilted. Now I am trying to work a little of everything in to my day.

I finished the Dec. block of Birdie Stitches. It was another fun block.

  After I got it embroidered, I decided to go ahead and put the blocks together in a top. This was such a fun BOM to do. I am working on several more BOMs, but more about them another time. Here is the top after I got it together.

I'll share some closeups. It is too big to get the whole thing closely. This is the Jan. and Feb. blocks at the top and the Apr. and May at the bottom.

These are the Feb. and Mar. blocks at the top and the May and Jun. blocks at the bottom.

Here are the Jul. and Aug. blocks at the top and the Oct. and Nov. blocks at the bottom.

Finally here are the Aug. and Sep. blocks at the top and the Nov. and Dec. blocks at the bottom.

Here is another view of the whole top. Then I am done with pictures today. (grin)

I feels good to be back. I am going to try to make a post or two a week, but gardening season is coming up, so that may not happen. Sometimes life just gets in the way. LOL If anyone is still out there reading this, thank you. Everyone have a good day. I'll be back in a day or so with another project I am working on. I figure as slow as I am, I better just share one project at a time. LOL

Several different things to share.

I am glad Monday is here. Sunday was a long day for me. To start out,  the time change is once again kicking my behind. Oh, don't want to forget about the beagle waking us up at such an early hour. LOL I think my talk with her yesterday helped. Either that, or I was so tired that I slept through her barking last night. LOL  Then Kevin decided to watch a Lord of the Rings marathon. Oh my goodness! I was so bored. (No offense if you like these video's, just not my thing.) He has one of these marathons about once a year. I spent as much time on the computer as I could stand. Then I worked on redwork with my head phones on. I listened to a local country music station. At least I got one redwork project done and started another. (grin)  I forgot to talk about this yesterday, but if you love hand quilting, click on the button over on the right side of my blog that says 'Celebrate Hand Quilting'. Caron has a list of hand quilters' blogs. I believe there are at least 45 that have listed a post highlighting some of their quilting on the list now. I enjoyed checking all of them out.

Last week I got block # 11 of Birdie Stitches done. I finished it in the first week after it was posted. Yea!

I am doing a really cute Christmas SAL. It is supposed to be turned into a banner, but I will probably turn mine into a little wall quilt. All seven of the blocks have been posted. The blocks were removed each week, so if you want them you will have to buy them. These were created by Lesley. I am on block 6. Only one more to stitch. I don't know the order of the blocks. It doesn't really matter. I traced off the first 4 at the same time and just picked one to start on.

Aren't these cute?  I think Lesley did a great job.

I finished putting a lap quilt top together for Kevin last week. I have never made a lap quilt for him. He likes to cover up when he takes a nap or just stretches out to rest. I bought a charm pack at Walmart. Probably won't do that again. I was in a hurry to get them together, so didn't measure. They are't all cut exact, so some of the seams don't match up. It is what it is, though. It is together and is staying that way. I think he will like this. I was playing around with these charms one day and he suggested I lay it out like this. So I did. I am sure he has forgotten about it by now, since I just work on it while he is at work. What do you think?

I think Kevin will be very surprised and I hope he loves it. I am thinking I will try machine quilting a cross hatch in this one, since my time is getting short. I would love to have 3/4 of the gifts I am making done by the first of December. Not sure that will happen, but I am trying. That way I can relax and enjoy the holiday season. Last year was so stressful with me trying to get the quilts done, that I didn't take time to enjoy the whole holiday experience. (grin)

Well, better get off the computer and get started on some sewing. Thank you for visiting. Please come again. Have a great Monday.

Birdie Stitches - Blocks 7-10

It has been quite a week around here. After hearing about Wayne's passing, I tried to spend as much time with MIL as I could. I sat with her quite a bit on Monday. On Tuesday I had to get our clothes ready for the funeral. Needed to make a trip to town for hose. I seldom wear them, so didn't have any decent ones on hand. Wednesday was the funeral. It was sad, but also very touching. He was a very loved man. Three of his grandkids wrote letters about their time spent with him. His oldest grandchild is a mortician. She works at a funeral home out in Kansas, but the funeral home here, let her help push her grandpa's casket out of the church and drive the hearse to the cemetery. I was quite touched. It was good to see so many of Kevin's aunts, uncles, and cousins. I want to thank all of you for your kind words to us. It means a lot to know that so many of you out there in blogland care for us.  I spent Thursday cleaning the house. It was really needed. (grin) Today was town day. We are now stocked with groceries for the next two weeks. I even came in under budget. That is always a good feeling.

My evenings have been spent quilting and doing redwork. I finished hand quilting the Daisy Star this week. I will probably wait till I get the binding on before taking a picture to share. I also got caught up with Birdie Stitches. I haven't shared any of these blocks since the June block, so here goes. This is the July block.

Here is the August block.

 September's block was a lot of fun. I tried to get a variety of leaf colors.

Of course, I enjoyed the October block. I love pumpkins. I even enjoyed stitching those little spiders. LOL

There are only 2 blocks left to this cute BOM. I am so glad that I have kept up with it. Now while I wait for the next block to be posted, I am working on a Christmas Stitchery. I forgot to write down the blog I am getting these from. She posts a new stitchery block each Friday. I think she only has one or two more to post. These are supposed to be made into a banner, but I plan to make mine a little Christmas quilt. I'll share these next time. For now, I am tired, and just want to sit in front of the tv and work on some handwork. Thank you for visiting. Please come again. Have a wonderful weekend.

Caught up on Birdie Stitches.

Good afternoon,

It is really hot here today. Supposed to be in the upper 90's with a heat index of 107*. Can you say yuck! LOL I went out to take a walk about 9. Waited too long. About 20 minutes into the walk, I was getting hot and had a cramp in my leg. So I decided to wait till the sun goes down for the rest of my walk. I may have to settle for doing a video if it doesn't cool down enough. My blood pressure is doing really good. Blood glucose is good when I eat as I should. (grin) I have lost 21 lbs. Need to kick it up a notch since I go back to the doc in about 3 weeks. Would like to lose at least 25 lbs.

Since it is too hot outside to do anything, I have been getting a little bit of sewing and handwork done. I am on the 3rd border of the pink baby quilt. I can stand to hand quilt as long as I have the ac on. (grin) I also just finished the June block for Birdie Stitches. I struggled with this one. The pattern posted didn't click with my other blocks. So I put off doing it till I saw Terry's post. She changed it. A light bulb went off in my head. Well why not? It is my quilt. I can do whatever I want. Right?  Now since I cannot draw, at all, I used parts from the June block and pieces from previous blocks to create this. I like it and it fits in with the other blocks. After all, June has been spent watching my garden grow. LOL Thanks Terry, for the idea.
Block #6

Now without going back through my blog, I cannot remember which of these blocks I have posted, so I am going to just post all of them. I know some will be repeats. Oh well.
Block #1

Block #2

Block #3

Block #4

Block #5

I also got block #6 of Henrietta Whiskers done. I will take a picture and post as soon as I get the little bit of embroidery done on it.  I came up with a way to put my Retro Nine Patch blocks together, but not sure I like how it looks. Just doesn't click with me, so it is put on the back burner while I think about it. I took a picture, but it didn't turn out good. What is new, huh? LOL  I decided to make actual 9-patch blocks using the colors that I had used in the embroidery. I think I should have separated things with sashing. Not sure what it needs, so thinking about it. Here is the rather lousy picture of it. I may try to have Kevin hold it up so I can get a better picture. Lots of times, seeing a picture helps me decide what needs to be done.

A couple of weeks ago, our son, Jon, and his friend, Kim came to visit. They brought stuff for a BBQ. We had such a fun afternoon. I just took a few pictures. Of course, Jon is like his dad and doesn't like to have his picture taken. (big sigh)

Jon was playing ball with Buddy.  Buddy loves this ball.

Here is a picture of Kim. She is a lovely young woman. Kevin and I really like her.

Well, that is it for me today. Please keep the Missouri River areas in your prayers. It is not good. Our county is having some severe floods. Several towns have been evacuated. This will go on till at least the middle of August. So a long time to be on the watch for flooding. Kevin is still able to work, but that all depends on if the river goes over the levee or breaches. Bad situation for all concerned.

Thank you for visiting. Please come again and have a wonderful day!

Winona

Happy Valentine's Day!

I had decided that I would not post today, but after reading everyone's Valentine's Day posts, it got me in the mood. (grin) Kevin and I are not big on this day, but I did sneak a Snickers bar wrapped with a love note in his lunch this morning. LOL He has to work late tonight, so I will spend the evening with Buddy, Callie, and Aeris in front of the tv with some quilting in my lap. (grin) Not a bad evening, but it would be better with my honey here.

Last night I finished block #2 of Birdie Stitches. I am really enjoying this BOM.

I added the buttons of all the BOM's that I am working on right now. They are Raggedy and Friends, Birdie Stitches, Retro Nine Patch, Things We Love, and Henrietta Whiskers. I am also working on Home Sweet Home BOM, but Paula doesn't have her button ready yet. I really have to quit finding these BOM's . LOL I am really enjoying them, though. Now to just keep all caught up with them. (grin)

We had a nice weekend. Our temps were in the 50's and lots of snow melted. Of course, now we are ankle deep in mud, but the wind will dry it. I got our bedding all washed, even the comforter and quilt. I left the quilt off the bed since it is getting warmer. We ate Subway subs. Kevin put some gravel down to make us paths where we need to go every day. Makes it much easier to get around. I cut Kevin's hair and made a loaf of whole wheat bread. Kevin made beef jerky. He says it is good. He used our dehydrator. It is an Open Country dehydrator that we bought at Cabela's last year. Sure works good.

Our house smelled so good yesterday. Made my mouth water.

I think he had five trays. Here he had already scooted them over to the side to dump them out to cool. Then he used our sealer to package them.

He plans to take them in his lunch. He can eat a few during breaks.

He has a jerky making gadget, but I forgot to get a picture of it.

I guess that is it for me today. I am off to do some quilting. Thanks for visiting. Please come again.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!