lo and behold . . .

It's almost August! How did that happen??? July started with a bang ... pun intended ... with our July 4th holiday and a lovely day with the family on the boat!

This crew loves being in the water ... it's hard to get them back out of it when it's time!  Little man thought he was big stuff, hanging out in the Captain's lap. LOL!

Todd's surgery was scheduled for the 5th, so we came in early . . . unfortunately, the surgery ended almost as soon as it had started.  We knew the surgeon was going to use cameras to look around; what he found was additional cancer mets in new locations, so he closed Todd back up and sent him home. 

Then my sweet Scarlet up and died on us.  We've since found out that certain Ford models, including our Escape, have major issues and Ford has a class action lawsuit filed against them.  Well great.  

She's a goner and now we're kind of in limbo, car wise.  She sure was pretty, though!

I've been working with a lot of wool and cross stitch projects.  Here are some finishes . . . 

This Glory, Glory cross stitch from Shakespeare's Peddler was in the Summer 2021 issue of PNPS Magazine, and I just fell in love with it!  I like getting the digital editions of this magazine because I can save them for forever, print the pages I want, and don't have to worry about where I'll stash it in my limited space!

I've had this sunflower piece hanging around for forever.  I cut and fused all the pieces on vacay in June, and finally got down to the stitching process this month.  Very happy with this finish!!

Just in time to switch out my patriotic decor for sunflowers all over the place!  I adore the sunflower print I used to back it.  It makes me regret just getting a fat quarter.  LOL!  By the way, this pattern is Caitlyn's Sunshine, by Karen Yaffe.  

I'd started with the patriotic bowl fillers in my last post, but just got them finished in time for Bastille Day.  LOL!  They'll be ready next year, for sure!  This pattern is also by Karen Yaffe and was found in the Summer 2023 issue of Primitive Quilts & Projects. Again, I do the digital issue; so handy!!  I was really pleased with how these turned out!

Speaking of July 14th, that's the day I took an unexpected trip to the emergency room, and didn't come home for five days.  The diagnosis was ischemic colitis — which was a first for me.  I'll go back in September for a scope to see if they can determine what's going on.  My son made me laugh when he said, "[Mom,] if you are going to get sick.... let's try to be more original.  I feel like colon issues are a bit overplayed in this family atm."  He ain't wrong!  I did get some lovely art work out of it . . .

Gotta love grands!!

I didn't get to fly to California to see my dear Olivia in her ballet performances in Alice in Wonderland, but thanks to technology, we did get to stream it after the fact and enjoy it.

She danced as a teacup, a playing card, and a lobster!  She's not just a great little ballerina, she's so animated—it was such fun to watch!

Todd started chemo back up this week.  Five rounds between now and the end of September.  

They've dropped to one that was taking so much out of him, so hopefully he won't get as sick and fatigued as he was.

We decided to step back in serving as church missionaries, and will return to our home church for the time being.  We said goodbye and thank you to Lakewood Baptist, where we were currently serving, this past Sunday.  

It was pretty emotional for both of us.  Todd will continue to do ministry, but more on a consulting basis.  We're looking forward to some down time in our home church.

Two last things . . . I got a little surprise this past Sunday when I took the cover off the grill to cook some steaks . . .

I screamed.  Good gracious, did I scream.  Mostly because he caught me off guard.  Or at least that's what I'm telling myself. Todd pushed him off the ledge into the leaves below.  I hope he doesn't decided to come back!

And here's what I'm working on now . . .

I've got a set of 12 wool hearts that I want to gift next Valentine's Day!  I'm committed to finishing two per month. One is done and this one makes two.  I need to get moving!

Enjoy the last weekend of July . . . school starts here next month!  Egads!  Before you know it, it'll be Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas!!  TTFN!

:)

quilts, kids, and critters . . .

Still slogging away in the new un-normal.  I don't know about anyone else, but it all still feels so surreal. Work is normal (hours), so there's that, but nothing else feels the same.  Strange.

I've been working off and on in the Nook.  Our stitcher's group collaborated on a quilt for one of our ladies who's been diagnosed with breast cancer.  Everyone contributed blocks (á la Lori Holt), one of our very talented ladies (and one of my affirmation group besties -- Sarah) did the layout and made it into a marvelous flimsy, and another of our talented ladies quilted it. Then I got to do the binding on it!  I love doing binding!  The entire process is soothing.

Doesn't everyone stow their 'to be stitched down' binding like this?!  LOL! The quilt itself was scrappy, so I did a scrappy pink binding for it, which I'd never done before. I was really pleased with how it turned out!

And the quilt itself is a stunner.  I just adore this layout . . . 

My SASSY! group (Sweet Affirmation SisterS Yay! -- there are three of us; Sarah, Gail and me) is currently into sheep and lambs.  We share photos and videos of sheep (and all things Welsh & tea) and we're planning a field trip to local 1818 Farms to meet this pretty little thing . . .

Her name is Baby Girl and she was born this year.  So cute!! Anyway, one of us found a quilt advertised with sheep on it . . .

which (along with the heart quilt) prompted me to be inspired to create . . .

Bleating Hearts (EQ concept).  Coming soon to a Nook near me.  ♥

I'm missing my California crew.  They're able to get out and about a little bit.  Kim sent me this sweet shot of the kids berry picking . . .

I think they grow faster because I don't get to see them often enough.  Liv had her first tap recital this week . . .

Holy cow -- when did she turn 16?!?  She's a natural performer and I was able to see video from the show.  She stole it!! ♥

My local crew paid me a visit at work this week.  Since I knew they were coming, I was able to provide a little surprise . . .

Everyone loves petit fours, right?

Right!

Things have stayed very slow at the camp.  The majority of our summer bookings have cancelled, so it's been quiet.  On the human front, at least.  On the critter front, it's been pretty busy--probably because of the lack of humans?!  We've made friends with a grey fox couple (they mate for life), who visit regularly . . .

Aren't they beautiful? I want to pet them so badly.  They're my 'puppies'.  They have a den (or two) nearby, and I've seen kits, but they haven't brought them to the 'feeding station' yet.

We also see the raccoons pretty frequently, but this juvenile has decided to make himself very much at home.

LOL!  Brazen thing.  He spent three hours one afternoon hoovering up all the bird seed. In between rest stops.  Ha!

When he was finished, Mr. Squirrel came in as the clean-up crew.

I don't believe a single bird ate seed I put out that day.  #truth

Lastly, still working on my Peppermint Purple blackwork SAL.  I'm behind about twelve weeks, but still plugging along. 

I love the way the colors move through the designs; it's so pretty!

Keep on stitching!

:)

heartily stitching along . . .

I've had to work all four (10-hour) days this week.  It's been long!  LOL!

I made just a little progress on my Love Sampler project.  It's really so sweet to stitch on . . . 

But not as much progress as I had planned. Scrolling through Instagram on Sunday, I stumbled upon a Blackwork SAL hosted by Peppermint Purple, and I chased that squirrel down.  I have been fascinated by blackwork for some time, but hadn't ever tried it.  This seemed to be the perfect opportunity to give it a go.

At first I though starting six weeks behind might be a problem, but it stitches quickly and I'm caught up through week #7.  

Go me! (It was really easy to catch up.  Each block represents one week.)  I'm using Cosmos Seasonal floss (1 over 1) in 8056.  I really love the subtle movement of color!

In other stitching news, I got some happy mail . . .

Kathy Schmitz was running a special:  spend a certain amount and get the heart stitchery free.  So I got the birdie stitchery and the black floss.  

They're really cute.  Pre-printed ... you just outline stitch in black and frame!  Voila!  I thought it would be fun (and now I have two to play with)!

Been having fun getting Valentines together for the local grandgirls. They stopped by for a quick visit at work yesterday . . .

They're so fun!  And they all MATCH!  Even mama matches!  ♥  I found some really cute vintage cards to gift the girls . . .

And made some heart-themed baskets filled with goodies . . .

Just simple things.  But sweet!  And speaking of sweet, look what *my* Valentine sent me!

Aren't they beautiful!  Gives me lots of reasons to stop and smell the flowers!

Signing out ... have a great weekend and a Happy Valentine's Day!

:)

all the hearts . . .

Finally got myself over to Hobby Lobby (I had a gift card) to pick out a frame for my Snow Sampler. Bonus -- all the frames were 50% off!  So this is the one I picked out . . .

Isn't it sweet?!  Joc has a silver and blue snowman that's so cute and would look perfect in this vignette.  But for now, I'm pleased with my jar of melted snowman, my snowman book, and the little blue and white heart, which help me feel like at least we're transitioning.  LOL!

I got a few more hearts free handed to stitch up:

Something to work on as I feel like it.  Which, given Friday's diagnosis of a sinus infection *and* strep, I haven't felt a whole lot of.  But that's okay ... I will again.  Some day.

I did finish up my entwined hearts . . .

It's rare that my back looks as neat as my front (although it's always optimal).

I mean I thought for a moment that the back was the front.  Of course the lighting wasn't good and I wasn't wearing my glasses, but still . . . ! I think part of that is because I used perle cotton and because I used a pierced backstitch, which gives it a very smooth look.  I have an idea of how I'll finish this one out.  Maybe next weekend?

I was SO pleased with how the Sulky Stick 'N Stitch worked for the entwined hearts project.  I wasn't real pleased with it after my holly snowflake, but I made some changes ... I didn't use metallic thread (I so dislike working with metallic thread) and I whip stitched the border of the stabilizer to the fabric.  What a difference!  So much so that I decided to go ahead and print my Love Sampler out and prep it for stitching . . . 

Yay! This will give me some happy stitching in between naps (because hard core antibiotics make me tired beyond all tired).

I also prepped my lazy daisy heart for stitching . . .

So I've got three projects all ready to go depending on what I want to work on, what color I want to be stitching, and what stitch I want to use.  Something for every mood.  :)

Todd's been working hard on getting our Camp TV cameras up and running and online.  He's done a great job . . . 

Two captures from the past week, both from the camera off the back of our RV.  A pair of foxes and a raccoon.  We've caught deer, possums, skunks, birds, squirrels, too.  There's quite a hubbub of activity out there after dark!  We put out corn and a mineral rock for the deer (the camp property is posted no hunting) and food scraps for the rest of the bunch. It's entertaining.  We watched one young button buck spend about three hours at the spot where we put out their food.  A fox came in at one point and he scurried away, but not so far that we couldn't still see his eyes glowing!  It was very entertaining!

Linking up with Kathy's Quilts today.  Be sure and stop by to visit Kathy and see what all is being stitched out today!

Happy Sunday!

:)

bloggers quilt festival: ellie's quilt

Greetings!  It's been a LONG time since I participated in the Blogger's Quilt Festival (hosted by Amy's Creative Side), but I decided this was a new day of the week, and it would be fitting to get back into the swing of things . . . so here goes!

I went back to 2012 for today's offering. It was the year my dear little dolly, Ellie was born. My firstborn's second born.  Her firstborn, Everett, was born to heaven the previous year. I'd made a sweet little owl quilt for him . . . but for Ellie, I couldn't bring myself to make her quilt until she'd made her entrance. It was very emotional for all of us.

Once she was born -- January 10, 2012 -- I hopped to it! 

I pieced the patchwork hearts with scraps of fabric from her mama's wedding quilt and scraps from other quilts I'd done.

The center patch in the center 9-patch was a fussy cut owl from Everett's quilt. ♥

I backed it with pieces from coordinating fabrics we used for curtains, bedding, and pillows for her nursery.

I hand quilted it with hand drawn hearts in all of the sashing . . . 

And a couple of special little love notes, too . . .

I'm pretty sure she liked it.

Precious girl!  Hard to believe she'll be seven in less than four months!

Ah well . . . that's my offering (and bonus trip down memory lane)! Please be sure to head back over to the Blogger's Quilt Festival and check out the rest of the participants!

:)