orange, purple, blue and plaid . . .

One of my sweet sisters spent the past week with me . . . it was the first time she'd been down without husband or kids, so it was a true sisters week (except for the fact that we spent a lot of it with my husband and kids and grandkids)! Actually, since I knew she was happy to get her hands on some babies, the grandkids were part of the charm of the visit!

We had a lovely visit, though not near as long as I'd have liked for it to have been! One day we got our craft on and played around a little with painting drop cloth door hangers:

I wanted a candy corn and my sister wanted the pumpkin.  They were such fun to make!  I still need to finish mine up (it won't take much), but we wanted to make sure she could take a finished happy home! (And I'll probably go back and make another one -- a pumpkin -- just in case you were wondering.  Haha!)

Oh, the elephant fabric came in . . . and even though I had company, I couldn't resist playing with it just a bit!

So "Dot" is cut out!  I've got to stitch down the ear, stitch and fill the tail and place it, and then I can stitch up Dot's sides.  Whoohoo!  The fabric is even prettier in person . . . and what you're seeing is the 'wrong' side!

So . . . like I said, the fabric came in.  Which means I have stash to report again this week!

And I could only buy those two prints in one yard increments, even though I only needed a quarter yard of each print. Which means I only used a half a yard. Que sera, right??!  Linking this up to the stash report at Patchwork Times!

Spent yesterday making a cheese ball (a manly-man cheese ball, with pimento, bacon, and onion) and cream cheese mints for a couples baby shower we're having a church today:

Blue is for a boy!  I tried the baby buggy mold for the first time.  It's a little tough to manipulate. I did four and then reverted to my old (and easy) standby; roses!  

And this week, I'll probably find some time to play with a little wool project I'm currently in love with:

Isn't it fun? Hmmmm . . . this may actually constitute my Slow Sunday Stitching! Fall is here!!!

(Edited to add:  Linking up to the Design Wall Monday post at Patchwork Times!)

:)

slashing stash . . .

Well now . . . I'm rather pleased to have the past week behind me and the present week ahead of me! I guess that's how it's meant to be, eh?  I had some movement in my stash this week, so I wanted to make sure I reported it:

Five yards out!  I donated it to the guild.  They are starting up a Traveling Stash Box for the guild year and I, having experienced the joy of traveling stash on several occasions, wanted to help them to be able to start it off right!  Linking up to the stash report at Patchwork Times.

Speaking of guild, I gave up the newsletter for this year.  Yay!!  Three years may have been one year too long.  LOL!  But I really enjoyed being on the board and so I partnered with another lady and am co-chairing the Library position. That means I'll be in the library books.  A lot.

I've already checked out these two for the next month.  The Halloween one has some *darling* projects in it!  

So . . . design wall . . . I'm working on a little project for Everley. Joc wanted a bigger stuffed animal for Evie's monthly photos.  We found a cute little elephant that she liked, and I drew out a pattern for it:

I had fun sketching him out and getting him (or her??!) just so.  I've also picked out and ordered the fabric for it . . .

Oh yummy, fun, minky, purple fabrics! The print will be the front and the minky will be the back and the ear. Five yards out this week, two yards in next. Hopefully it will go together fast and I'll have it out again! Well, it has to be finished by October 10 -- her one month old birthday! Que sera.

(Editing to add:  Linking up to the design wall post at Patchwork Times!)

Got into the fall baking spirit again little today . . .

Yup, another apple pie!  Makes the whole house smell so good.  

Fall is in the air!

:)

whew . . .

Whew: an exclamation: used to express surprise, relief, or a feeling of being very hot or tired.

Whew! I've been working this week. At a job. A real job. Well, out side of the home job. In an office. It amazes me how fast one gets used to NOT working in an office. LOL! I've been pinch hitting, so to speak, just for this week. It's been busy (and long hours), but I've enjoyed it! The office hours are 7:30 to 5:30, Monday thru Thursday. This makes for a very long day, but a short week!

This is one of the things I've been working on this week. Putting the Association on Facebook. Yay! 

I also had some very sweet visitors at work . . . 

My Merkel girls! Ellie was very impressed with the office space and even more impressed with the pens, pencils, markers, scissors and letter openers, just sitting in a jar on the desk, within reach.

She drew me a darling picture of her hand . . . 

Complete with a boo-boo on it. I love special art work!

I haven't had a lot of time to stitch this week (or last, or the week before), but I did finish piecing my antique rose.

I started it because one of the classes at our Quilt-In (in July) was making one of these with a special acrylic template. Since I love English paper piecing, I decided to try the same block, only use EPP to put it together (and to use my Michael Miller Fairy Frost fabrics to do it).

That was a lot of work! I love hand piecing, so I enjoyed it very much. I'm just not sure that I'd ever do more of this one . . . or what I'm going to do with what I've got! The card stock templates are still in the 'kite' shapes (hence the funky black thread lines running through it all). I will remove those as soon as I've decided what to do with it! Linking up to HeLP for Hexie-aholics!!

And finally, guess what?  I'm a *winner*!!  Whoohoo (vs Whew)!!!

Marsha (who is a fellow RVer) had a lovely giveaway over at her blog, Quilter in Motion, and I won a book by Heather Ross (fabric designer and so much more); How to Catch a Frog!  She also wrote How to Behave at a Tea Party, which is on my 'to be purchased' list!!

One more day.  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .  Whew!

:)

"e" is for . . .

Just a quickie post to share that Ellie and I have been enjoying some fun time together . . .

When I posted this picture (originally on Instagram), I mentioned that tea parties with the fancy foods and the pretty table settings are such fun, indeed, but a tea party with Ritz crackers and Teddy Grahams (and perhaps a lollipop) can be *just* as fun, if you're with the right company!!

This girl is such a cuddle love. And we've really enjoyed our time!  We especially enjoyed working on a little craft project.  I don't know what I'd have done without Ellie's excellent help with the paintbrush!

"E" is for Ellie!  Whoops, no . . . in this case, "E" is for Everley!!

Look at these sweet sisters!

Precious, precious, precious.

And today, Everley and her entourage (that would be mommy and daddy) will be coming home. If that doesn't make for a happy Friday, I don't know what does!

Leia agrees wholeheartedly.

Or maybe not.  Hmmmm . . . linking Leia up with Feline Friday.  Not sure she'll like that much better, though.  In the words of Ellie:  "'Tinkin' cat."

:)

september days are here . . .

With summer's best of weather,

And autumn's best of cheer.

                                                                                         --Helen Hunt Jackson

It never fails . . . as one month passes into the next, I'm blown away by the speed of passing time.  Oh how I desperately want to cling to it!  But time is mastered by no man (or woman), so here it is, September already!

I have to admit, I'm kind of excited.  September means the autumn is just around the corner! I do adore decorating in the autumn . . .

Like this darling subway art print!  I found it over On Sutton Place.  She shares lots of lovely ideas and printables.  Definitely worth a visit.

While the calendar may say fall, we're still enjoying summer temps, that's for sure!  When the grandkids come out to the camp, they have different ways of beating the summer heat.  Sawyer and June, for example, are gung ho to be in the creek, splashing the day away . . .

Ellie, on the other hand, prefers to beat the heat by indulging in an indoor tea party . . .

They're all so cute, I can't say no to any of them (just ask Todd)!!  Soon Olivia will be splashing or tea drinking, too ... and Everley is due to arrive any day now!  My heart just bursts with love for them all!

The turtle sanctuary area continues to flourish.  Turtles love the heat and humidity.  They'll pile up on the slate rocks and just soak up sun. Unless one of us comes around with crickets or worms, then the run toward us!

Evidently the water lilies are liking the heat and humidity too:

Three beautiful lilies at one time!  I've really enjoyed seeing these through the summer. The flowers generally don't last but two-to-three days, but there's always at least one. So lovely!

Speaking of water, when I knew we were going to be heading down to the creek the other day, I needed a play skirt.  So I repurposed one of my older, going threadbare skirts.  I cut the bottom out of it (about eight inches), then cut off the hem with about an inch of excess fabric, so I could stitch it back onto the skirt and have an easy finished hem.

There were still a few 'thin' spots, so I covered them with heart patches I made from the excess I'd cut off. I've had this skirt for seven years -- it's worn, but comfortable -- like a favorite pair of jeans! I hope I've made it so I can enjoy it for another five or so years!

With the start of September, I started this great book by Becky Harling, the 30 day praise challenge. It was a Kindle freebie, but I think it's gone back up.

I've read Part One and have gone through the first two days.  It's marvelous!! There's a group on facebook going through it together and anyone is welcome to join! I'll be linking this up to the Bibliophile Files over at sarah did it!

And since yesterday was the first day of September, it seemed fitting to make an apple pie! With apples fresh off my neighbor's tree and a homemade pie crust to boot! 

I enjoyed it for breakfast this morning, too, New England style (with my cup of hot tea, of course)!

Oh yeah, glorious autumn is just waiting around the corner, ready to make her spectacular entrance!!