Starting over again....

Where did autumn go? I couldn't believe it when I was gently nudged (thanks Susan!) that my blog hadn't been updated since August - wow.... so - I wanted to update it once more before the year end and before I join a new blog ring that requires me to post weekly! What fun - will encourage my stitching as well.... what am I working on now? Well, tonight I'm "cleaning" my art room - that's always fun to discover things you have that you forgot you have - spawns new ideas and excitement about doing a project that's been in the back of your mind awhile! Quilting wise, I'm still going to Ruby's on Monday evenings w/a few friends and we are doing "A Road to Oklahoma" strip quilt (see pic - 4 blocks are not yet sewn, just laid together for photo - that's why it's a bit crooked lol) - it's been fun and I have about 15 blocks done out of 40+.... so I still have a bit more on that journey to complete! Working on alphabet letters in my online cq stitching group - will post those photos after the weekend. My goal is to start the new year "caught up", ok, as caught up as we can be when we're involved in so many different projects!!! My blessings of the year have been sewing - those who know me are still surprised at what I am learning and accomplishing - me who doesn't like to measure but is more of a free spirit... and I have been pleasantly surprised as the friendships and shared knowledge that is so freely given... whether it be 93 year old Ruby who loves to share and help us learn or one of the online cq friends who was once a beginner and is always there for a kind word or answer to a question... or my friend Joyce, a quilter since a child who graciously gifts me with quilting gifts she has made (see photo of table top) or helps me "fix" something or just shares my love of lots of creative projects. I guess it just shows that creativeness goes along with kind-heartedness usually, and for that, I am blessed as a recipient many times over from wonderful women near and far....what a way to end the year!!!!

Weekend Wanderings...

Well, the house is finally getting put back together - no rugs for 30 days, but furniture and things can go back, so we spent the weekend doing that. Thought you might enjoy seeing the finished product of at least one room! Other weekend happenings were a visit to Michigan where I had a belated birthday celebration with school friend Joyce and a very nice visit w/my Mom (Judy). After a day of appointments, my treat to myself was going to be a stop off on the way back to Indiana at a quilt store a former colleague had opened in Schoolcraft MI -- but, I was disappointed, as her shop isn't open on Monday's! Drat! But I did stop at the Kalamazoo embroidery store and picked up embroidery needs so I can get busy on my hearts!!

A few more album photos - inside

Here's the inside cover of Barb's album (my secret sister) and the last page. I will have to try and get her one of the heart's (once I get the hang of it!)... it was great fun shopping for her and imaginging her personality... am looking forward to "meeting" her someday soon!

Now onto a real crazy quilt project - I'm so ready, thanks to my secret sister Candi who supplied me with more than enough to get started!! Going to cut out my first heart tomorrow.... I'm also taking an Encaustics class from joggles (bet you wonder what that means! More later about that!) - will post my homework from that next week as well! Never enough moments in the day to do it all.......... Oh well, just something to look forward to I guess - more soon!

My newest venture - crazy quilting

I recently joined a 6 month swap (which ends this month) which was a Secret Sister CQ swap. I thought it would be a good way to learn more about this beautiful art form, get some advice and embellishments (ribbons, material, beads, charms, etc) so that I could maybe have what I needed to start to learn how to crazy quilt. I was so blessed by my wonderful, giving secret sister Candi Harris from California - each month she serenaded me with another great box of goodies (thanks, Candi!).... my secret sister is in Oregon and I"m sending the last package to her Tuesday! I wanted to "make" her something as since I'm not quite a crazy quilter yet, I couldn't make anything in that form...so I decided to put together a photo album that she could keep snapshots of her own crazyquilt projects in... the album has a linen cover... so I made a tiny patch and with the help of my friend Joyce who has some fancy stitches on her new machine, machine embellished the patch and put on a few embellishments related to quilting. Then, I took my first shot at making a ribbon flower - it was great fun and I have a long way to go, but it was a start that got me over the block I always get of starting something new!! Hope my secret sister enjoys it. Inside the pages there's several little quilting sayings that are kind of fun, ie "Crazy Quilters aren't greedy, they're just materialistic" and "Crazy Quilters come with strings attached"... Here's a picture of the cover!

Back yard fawns & flora

Today began early - looking out into the back yard first thing this morning, twin fawns, racing around the apple tree! They played a game of tag and zipped up and down the paths, into the high grass, chasing each other...What fun.....also a shot of the wildflowers who have finally decided to make an appearance! The last day of rain must have been exactly what they needed!!!

Wood Floors

...who would have thought my first post on my first blog would be about wood floors? But - it's the big event at our house this month... the smell of the oak being sanded, stained.... mmmm....a few more days and we can move back upstairs!! I think they'll be beautiful ... a few more special touches, a few sticks of furniture, and the upstairs should be almost done...feeling more and more like "home"...... then it's on to the "next" project!