2 blog hops in 1 time frame

Mdm. Samm our head cheerleader from sewwequilt is being assisted by Carla of Creatin' in the Sticks with TWO blog hops over the next week or so, run alternating days.  We start tomorrow, Monday  January 27th and the whole deal wraps up on February 7th.

The first is She Who Sews and I'll post that schedule first:

Monday, January 27
Joy Studio

Marjorie's Busy Corner

Tea Time Creations

Just Sew Quilter

I like to Quilt Blog

Shepody Mountain Crafter

Creatin' in the Sticks

Wednesday, January 29th

Why-Knot-Kwilt

BumbleberryStitches
Quilt Doodle Designs

Sew Incredibly Crazy
Thimblemouse and Spouse
Words & Stitches
The Cosmic Quilter

Friday, January 31st

More Stars in Comanche
Stitchin’ By The Lake
selina quilt
Jane's Quilting
Baa's Amazing Adventures!
Quiltscapes
Grandmama's Stories

Tuesday, February 4th

Just Let Me Quilt
Hill Valley Quilter
Sew Much 2 Luv
My Whittle Adventures
Kids and Sewing

Moosestash Quilting
I Piece 2 Mary

Thursday, February 6th

Lixie Makes It
How ART you?
Seams To Be Sew
threads on my socks
Quilted Delights
Life in the Scrapatch
krislovesfabric
Sew We Quilt

Then on the alternate days, we do the door stop/draft dodger day.  Here is the schedule for that!  Some are doing both, I see.  Not me but I am  up on day one, LOL.

Tuesday, January 28th
threads on my socks
How ART you?
Den syende himmel
Moosestash Quilting
life, quilts and a cat too   <<THAT's ME>>


Thursday, January 30th
Just Let Me Quilt
Quilted Delights
Meadowbrook
Hill Valley Quilter
Pampered Pettit
Life in the Scrapatch
Seams To Be Sew


Monday, February 3rd
Why-Knot-Kwilt
Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Marjorie's Busy Corner
Shepody Mountain Crafter 
Lydsfire Sewing
Creatin' in the Sticks


Wednesday, February 5th
More Stars in Comanche
Buzzing and Bumbling
Sew and Sow Farm
Purl Buttons Blog
Carretel E Agulha
The Quilting Queen
Pig Tales and Quilts


Friday, February 7th
GrammieQs
Pickles Quilting
Made by Me in Red
A Passion for Applique
Living With Purpose
Tipsy Teacup Creations
Sew We Quilt

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And as a personal note about the only creative stuff that got done here yesterday was this:

I had gone on the grocery run and DJ said while we were eating lunch "You didn't get me any cookies, did you?"  Well, I don't eat those awful things so he has to tell me if he needs them.  I said if he talked nice to me, I might just bake him some.  I did obviously about 5 dozen of the family favorite Pride of Iowa oatmeal cookies.  Trust me, they like them at quilt guild too, LOL.  

Also we don't normally have flowers in the kitchen either.  Today is our 15th wedding anniversary however.  I told him NOT to get me any flowers as he had paid for the quarter round and door threshholds when we did the flooring---30 bucks worth of that plus what was left of the paint practically.  (I had picked up a little something I thought he could use earlier in the week so no surprises today except for the cards).  After some discussion, we decided to go out tomorrow as it will be less crowded and a little less expensive on a week day at Golden Corral.

Later, I did finish up one foundation pieced block for the Hugs and Kisses Blog Hop.  I know what I am making with the blocks and I will get back to sewing in a bit.  Nope, I don't think I am supposed to share a picture of THAT just yet though we are all basically working with the same three patterns.  It is the what we do with them and the fabric choices that is more a secret, LOL.

Anyway, I spent some time today getting some pictures for my blog hop post.  I am up on Tuesday so I hope you will come on back to see what I have been up to!  Thankfully, we had a warmer day of it and I was able to get some outside shots of my items.  We are headed to another arctic blast again come Tuesday, with the weather dude saying overnight temps in the teens and maybe even single digits.  UHHHH, I live in northeast central Alabama and it is not normally this cold.  If I wanted to freeze, I could have stayed in Illinois!    What a weird winter all across the country!  Stay warm if you are having a similar weather pattern.

Happy Anniversary!

It was two days ago actually---and our 13th one.  We have been a couple since 1978. We both knew what we were getting but tied the knot anyway back in 1999.

Look what greeted me when I got home from the quilt meeting on Tuesday.  When I first walked in the door loaded down with stuff, I gasped as it looked like he had bought a whole bush of plants.  Two days early after all and that wasn't sitting on the table when I had left. He had not cut the stems down to fit the vase better and it looked even larger.  I am told these are Peruvian lilies, quite hardy and more "bang for your buck" for cut flowers.  They are still holding up well and brightening our kitchen..  THX, Honey!

He had gotten me an "anniversary" present a couple weeks and something that I truly did need----a squeegie/sponge thing like you see at the gas station for washing your windshield.  The one I/we had completely sheared off at the wooden handle since we stick it on the fence to dry out.  The one he found at the automotive store has a nice heavy molded plastic handle so no wood to rot off.  THX, Honey!

Present number two:  a new set of car floor mats.  A couple months back I had finally had it with the crumpled up, would not stay put one on the drivers side and tossed it out.  They were not standard Ford issue when we bought the car and just never seemed to fit right.  Good riddance!  He replaced them---can you tell he is the Car Fleet Guy around here, LOL??  My car has that ubiquitous grayish tan Ford interior but he went with gray. THX, Honey!

Not very romantic but definitely not something I would have gone out to get even if I do go by one automotive place with some degree of regularity.  He is a practical man, one of his more admirable traits actually.  My Mr. Fix-it.  He is paying attention.    You can barely see Skyler in the recliner with DJ but there are my two boys.  With those black slacks and white socks, black shoes and mix in a tuxedo cat, Skyler is almost camouflaged, LOL.

Car Fleet Guy was not done yet though.  For some time I have had a hole in the back tail light lens--someone, somewhere must have tapped it just right in a parking lot because I didn't do it.  Well, come to find out, the rain must have been coming down at just the right angle the other day as there was water standing in there!  DJ thought it might short out or be rendered totally inoperable.  He had called ahead to an   automobile selvage/parts store just north of here and they did have one available.  The guy at the automotive place where he gets the oil changes done had said they would put it on for him if he tracked one down for 30 minutes labor.  Well, Chris didn't charge him anything for the job after all and worked him into the schedule after lunch yesterday.  I had gone with him as we were not entirely sure where the auto yard was and then ran a grocery errand.

We had gone out to dinner at our favorite catfish place Top of the River for dinner Thursday night.  Mostly we go there when we have friends or family visiting from out of town and our anniversary.  They run a January special, Monday through Thursday where you get their half pound catfish filet dinner for two bucks less than the normal price.   We have a gift card for Outback Steakhouse from his son and his family for Christmas to spend as well but we can use that for some lunches out.  He gave me a choice or I could have picked somewhere else as well.  We had leftovers, re-heated for lunch yesterday.  I was a cheaper date but also practical!

And speaking of cars, LOL.  I had misplaced my car keys earlier in the week and was using the spare set.  I try to make a habit of either sticking my keys back in my purse or they are in my coat pocket if I forget.  I do NOT leave them laying around if I can help it.  When they still had not turned up in spite of my searching, he told me to go get some keys made up and slipped a few of the ones I needed to duplicate off his key ring.  The guys at the hardware store said they could cut the Ford Key but it would only open the door---there is a chip in it. It would be a good idea to keep looking for my lost set as the replacement from the dealership would be pricey.  Finally two heads being better than one, DJ recalled that I had left with my raincoat on when I had gotten groceries-----had I checked that pocket?  It was mild weather, I had gone two days in a row and thought sure I had just worn a sweater.  I hate wearing that raincoat but I hate carrying an umbrella more. Yep, they turned up--thank heavens!  Now we have a few backups for the other doors in the house---not a bad thing.

I think today will be PopStix cutting day. My plan is that I can make my giant mess of the floor in here BEFORE I dial it back to keep things clean.  DJ's guest's stopover is coming up Tuesday or Wednesday so we will hit the cleaning thing Sunday and Monday.  Once he is here and they head out to the golf course, I am back to messing it up again.  They just need me to cook, not entertain anyway.  I hide out in the sewing/computer room (nothing new there!) and let them visit

Off to start my day---hope you have a wonderful weekend in whatever you have planned.

Tada!

I have a couple of reasons to celebrate!  First, today is my 10th anniversary.  DJ picked up these lovely tulips for me on Saturday.  Second, I have a couple of finishes to report.
The FAB “Summer in Winter” challenge was completed on Thursday and set on its merry way to Norma.  I also finished the binding on a bonus project on Friday but I can’t show that to you yet.  Yeah, another secret.

Next up in my sewing/creative schedule was the “Be Warm” Be-attitudes mini quilt.  I fused the motifs, machine buttonhole appliqued around them and machine quilted it. The directions call for just “birthing” the mini quilts but I have never been pleased with the results when I have tried that.  It was my choice to do the more conventional binding even if it meant more hand finishing.  UGH!

I had forgotten that some hand embroidery for snowflakes was needed along with some bead embellishments so I have some threads showing on the back that could not be hidden.   Oh well!  IIWII.  I’ll read a little closer next time.   I just finished that needed handwork and beading plus sewing the tabs on with the buttons before I sat down to right this. 

Hot off the press!   I should have used the darker red check for the letters and will do so on the rest of them now that I got a bit more yardage in.  I can’t wait to do the next one with the Valentine theme---Be Loving.

DJ and I went out for our anniversary dinner at one of our favorite catfish restaurants where they run a January special for about 3 dollars off the usual price---its their anniversary too.  His golfing friend is due in sometime tonight.  When I got word that he was coming and DJ told me the dates ”ah, that is our anniversary, honey.”   I insisted that he call him right back and tell him we would be unavailable till later in the evening.  That supposedly would work better for him anyway as he would not feel rushed to get down here from central Illinois. 

Other than cleaning house and working on Be Warm there is not much happening around here.  It is time for quilt group to meet again tomorrow. The boys will head off to the golf course, provided it does not rain.  It is in the forecast but that is nothing compared to the cold and ice that I see forecast for the Midwest.

Next up in the sewing department-- I have a WTIL challenge quilt I want to cut out and sew.  I had left 4 tops at the meeting place to pin so may come home with them but quilting can wait.  I am also thinking about which project box to pull off the shelf and get that moved along a bit.  4 patch posie, I think. 

I know I have some knitting on the horizon too.  DJ came in with a 3 wood cover that had 3 holes in it.  I had made a set of head covers for him maybe 5 years ago.  I believe he thinks I can mend anything and everything so he was hopeful that this would be an easy fix.  It would be easier to just knit him another one.  Naturally I had already passed on the yard leftover from the covers and had to get some more.  Mom sent me a pattern for a knit dishcloth that I want to do as well—can never have too many of those.

Guess that’s it for now----thanks for stopping by.

checking in

Today is our 8th wedding anniversary. In a previous post I spoke about how this came about and showed our wedding picture. It does not seem possible that we have known each other for about 29 years! How did that happen?

The mums are one of my presents--there was some lovely green paper on the pot but I had to take that off when I put some water in the pot. Pippi is enjoying one of my other gifts---it is pretty cuddly, after all. Baby blue polar fleece top, hooded pullover with pocket and Eeyore on the front. It says "BORED" on the front. That is a bit odd as I am rarely, rarely bored. I think he liked the color and the hood part, LOL. We went out for catfish--about the only time we go to this particular restaurant is for a special event or when visitors come from out of town so it was a nice treat.

I have been sewing a bit the last two days as I really did not feel like quilting though I did get one done for my pal Marilyn on Wednesday. The fabric I ordered for the commission t-shirt quilt is NOT here yet--a week later. I pulled out some blocks that Pam had sent me that Nancy had shared with her. It was my understanding that Nancy did not care who had the blocks as long as they would be used in a donation quilt. And they will be.

I believe that the blocks may have been from a centralized swap at one time. I kept finding labels on the back of the blocks as I squared them up---thought that might be a good idea when things came from more than one sewing machine. There was a goodly number of pinkish/brown framed four patches that I set aside for their own special quilt which will be set a bit differently. Below (or somewhere) on the page is the top that I finished up this morning. There were a lot of

blue and green blocks---maybe that was part of the swap plan or just that the block makers had a lot of those colors in their stash at the time. A few teals and purples worked in as well---I just tried to distribute the color evenly throughout.

The 9 patch blocks are some that Carolyn and Ada made at the fall sew-in from my 3 1/2 inch squares and strip box. How about that?--stashbusting and I didn't even do any of the block sewing, LOL. Even the muslin alternating squares were cut from backing cutaways. I really thought about setting these in a more enticing way but since I already had the squares cut, thought I best use them. Naturally, I overcut the number of squares but the leftovers can be used for heartstring blocks. I marked the blocks as I joined the rows in a simple 3 x 3 grid but didn't prep any quilt backs or binding. It can wait and I'm having too much fun assembling.


Tomorrow? Borders on two tops that Jeanne shared with the Belles probably. Fed Ex better be getting here one of these days!!

Guess that's it for today-------