multiples . . .

This past weekend was a loooooong, lovely weekend!  I had a retreat with my Stitcher's Etc. group at Hinkle Hill Retreat House in Bell Buckle, TN scheduled for Thursday through Sunday.  But since I knew I'd miss my boat day with Todd on Friday, I took an extra day (Wednesday), which we spent on the lake . . .

It was really a gorgeous day.  Blue skies and popcorn clouds!  We didn't get into any rain (you never know when a little storm cloud is going to pop up, because of the high heat and humidity), but we did see rain coming down on the lake less than a mile away . . .

We could even see that the water was white-capping!  It got close to use, but it fizzled out before we got any of it.  The clouds always make for glorious sunsets.

Sigh.  I could look at sunsets all the day long.  So pretty!

Thursday morning I loaded up and headed out pretty early.  My table mate *and* my bunk mate was one of my BFFs.  We came prepared to be silly!

I had my area set up like I like it . . .

We had a good group of ladies ... twelve in all.  This isn't the greatest photo, but it gives you an idea of our sewing room.

I also came prepared to be productive.  I got a LOT (for me) finished over the four days. I kitted four wool applique kits (one is not pictured) . . . 

 

I finished up my Christmas Quilt by getting the borders on it . . .

This is my August UFO Challenge project, so I'm glad it's done!  Originally I'd just planned to add borders to the long sides, because the quilt is so much longer than it is wide, but after stitching on the three borders on both sides, I decided it needed something across the top and bottom, so I used the focal print to go across.  I like the final look!

I also stitched together and trimmed over a hundred, 1-1/2" half square triangles; pieces that I'd trimmed from the Christmas Quilt when I pieced the feathered stars.  

I'm not quite sure how I'll put them together, but I'm thinking it would make a pretty pillow sham.

I free-hand put together this little pumpkin wall hanging, from start to finish, Saturday morning. 

It was fun! The pumpkins came from this Benartex panel . . .

It's got a glint of metalic, which is my happy place. I meant to use the leaves across the back of the piece, but I forgot. In fact, I just *now* remembered that was my original intent.  That's what happens when you make things on the fly!

Saturday afternoon we all did this cute little zippered pouch:

Darling, right?  And super simple to make.  I love to do a group make 'n take!  Then Saturday evening I made (or at least got a good head start on) another set of Jack-o-lantern placemats.  I gifted a set to the local grands last fall.  This set will go to the California crew.

I still need to applique the faces and quilt them, but the hard part is done!

I got some hand-stitching in, too, which was nice. We wrapped up late Sunday morning after a terrific brunch, but before gals started to leave, we made sure to get in a group photo . . .

See?  A good group!  I've already got next year's dates on my calendar!

:)

sweet, sweet, sweet . . .

Lots of lovely little tidbits from the past week.  First up, my daughter-in-love, has created a *sweet* home business called "Madelyn Mae's Bake Shop".  She makes the loveliest, tastiest cookies! How do I know they're tasty, you may ask?  Because she sent me some!

Tea cups, tea pots, and quilt squares! And in purples, no less!  It was a fun snail mail package to receive! She's so talented!

And I know autumn is on its way, because I've started to feel the pull of all things pumpkin . . .

Picked up this sweet Benartex metallic pumpkin panel.  I have some thoughts; we'll see where (and when—haha) it goes.

But I'm not totally living in the future.  I found the cutest little sunflower cross stitch on Pinker n Punkin, Summer Ewe.  So I wasted exactly zero time and got busy.  Here's what I ended up with:

Isn't that fun? I finished my off with a little wool and a grosgrain ribbon.

She looks right at home with the rest of my sunflower decor! By the way, that series of patterns (Betsy Ewe, Erin Ewe, Haze Ewe, Priscilla Ewe and Summer Ewe) are all sweet freebies on Melisa's blog.  Very cute!

Todd found a not-so-cute black snack curled up at the bottom of his ladder.

Todd went to pick it up to use, and did a double take. Who thinks the base of a ladder is a good place to take a nap?!  LOL! 

As our guild year wraps up this month, the incoming president has been soliciting folks to fill positions. I can't believe I did this, but . . . I signed on to chair our 2022-23 HQH Challenge.  <gasp>  I've already put together a fabulous team, and theme.  All the ideas!  It'll be fun (I'll keep telling myself that)! I'll share more on that when I'm able!

And I leave on this very happy little note . . .

I adore it when the local crew comes to visit me at work!  Sweetness!

:)

trick or treat . . .

. . . and Happy Halloween!  I am participating in the Trick or Treat blog hop, offered by Jo at Serendipitous Stitching!!  If you haven't visited her blog yet, head over there and definitely check it out.  She's got a list of participating blogs, and at each blog you'll find a clue to the mystery Halloween phrase!  You'll find my clue at the bottom of this post!

You know how there's spooky fun and spooky scary?  For the most part, I'm definitely a fan of spooky fun! When I was trying to figure out something new to 'brew up' for this stitchy hop, I kept coming up short.  Until I did a search for the word "Halloween" in my saved embroidery patterns, and pulled up this:

This was a cute coloring page I'd saved from holiday-crafts-and-creations.com. I've found that coloring pages make great embroidery, applique, and wool applique patterns!

So I edited the image to get just the frame I wanted . . .

Super easy! Then I needed to decide how to "color" my selection! I decided to go with wool on wool applique.

It was a fast an easy little piece to put together.  It fits perfectly in my mini stand, too!

I love how the yellow face pieces really glow!!!  Spooky fun, right?? I also did something new (to me, at least) with the outline blanket stitch around the background.  I skipped the corners and did a French knot in the center of the open block. I like the way it looks! Linking up also with the slow Sunday stitching post at Kathy's Quilts.  :)

This guy is spooky scary . . .

Todd found him wrapped up cozily in a box of tarps. Trying to stay warm I guess.  Todd said he was not quite as big as the palm of his hand. You'd have heard me from WHEREVER you are if I'd been the one to find him! I'm not even sure how Todd could get that close to snap a photo. <shudder>

Thanks for dropping by!!  My clue for the mystery Halloween phrase is . . .

Yup .. O!  Now head back to Jo's blog Serendipitous Stitching for the final clue.  Have a spooky fun day!!! 

:)

celebrate on . . .

I may have shared that I give as much time as my birthday wants to be celebrated. A week where you only work two days and have the next five free is as good a time to continue celebrating as any! I gave a whole post to the Tate Farms fun, but I'll condense the remainder of the long weekend here. Mostly.  I think. 

Thursday, the weather continued to be beautiful, and since a wet, cool front was moving in on Friday, our regular boat day, Todd and I decided to go ahead and get our lake action in a day early.  It was another of those days where Todd was really catching them, so I fished, too.  Another fabulous day -- he caught two to my one, but that's pretty exciting to me, especially since our total was 45! And what do you know, algebra does pay off!  2x + x = 36; solve for x.  Hahaha...I caught 12!

What really captured my attention, though, was the late afternoon sun, and the clouds that were starting to pile up in anticipation of the next day's front . . .

I couldn't stop taking pictures! I think partly because my photo never looks quite as spectacular as what I'm seeing, and I want desperately to capture it that way.

I'd never seen a sun dog before ... it was just beautiful! I had to confirm with the meteorologist of Alabama, James Spann, to make sure it was what I thought it was.  If James says so, it is so!

The combination of the sun setting and the clouds amassing made for fabulous effect. My camera roll has no end of these photos.  Just saying. 

The City of Guntersville finally has a developer working on a spot of land on the lake aimed at boaters/tourists.  It's called City Harbor, and it's supposed to be a great spot for dining and entertainment, once they get it all built.

Not the best pic (this was actually taken 10/8).  We were moving at a pretty good clip!

It's really close to the marina ... it's a pretty spot now; just imagine what it will look like when it's all finished!

Friday I did a couple of things.  I visited Patches & Stitches and picked up some pumpkin oranges and greens (and used my birthday discount) . . .

Quite a nice little haul there, don't you think??

And then I traveled on to a new old shop.  It's an old shop that's been bought and is now being run by a new owner.  Southern Charm Quilting!  The new owner is in my stitch group.  She was having a terrific sale, trying to clear out some old inventory and make room for new fabric lines and wool.

I did very well here, too.  Seven yards of fabric for $36!  You can't beat that!!

From there I headed home and spent a little time in the Nook.  Worked on a mock-up of some pumpkin/jack-o-lantern placemats I wanted to make.  I messed up on the width of my strips, so I ended up with this little cutie instead . . .

I'll keep it for me ... at 12" wide it's too small for a placemat and a little too big for a mug rug ... but perfect as a small topper.  So be it.  I big stitched around the edges and down the lines.  It makes me smile!

Saturday was game day.  I made a double crust pizza and prepped the other two trick or treat bags for stitching . . .

I also finished up (finally) the pineapple block for Hospital Sketches in wool.

I've got two more blocks to finish.  The two most involved.  Go figure!  LOL!

As the evening (and the football) went by, I finished up my stitching . . .

I can't wait to gift these to the girls! 

One final photo.  Joc actually took and sent me this one.  In case you're wondering what Edith thinks about her baby brother . . . 

Baaahaaahaaa!!  As is usual, her face clearly says it all.

:)

summertime shenanigans . . .

It has been a whirlwind of a month! June is a month when thoughts turn to . . . 

Pumpkins.  I mean, right?!  Doesn't everyone's mind work this way?! Haha! You know, I rarely buy wool kits because I enjoy picking my own wool for a project. When I found this darling pattern, I knew I'd definitely want to kit it from my own stash!

I had just the perfect combinations to work with!  Does anyone else work out colors/fabrics this way? I do love the end game . . .

Of course it still needs to be blanket stitched down, but there is plenty of time for that! (Famous last words.)

Todd got a new sign (with a new motto) for the camp:

I love this so much!  I feel it, every time I walk a trail!

We had reasons to celebrate.  Olivia Mae turned SEVEN this month!  I can't believe how grown up all the grands are getting!  

She's pictured here at her first piano recital.  She's so beautiful!

We also celebrated Evey's graduation from Kindergarten!

That's a big deal, y'all!  She had just gotten her ears pierced, so she's not able to switch out earrings yet.  Instead of buying her some, we gifted her with an 'Andrew Jackson', so she could go on a little shopping spree when the time came!  She's so cute!

I did finally get the PQ under the sewing machine and do a little stitch in the ditch quilting. It wasn't too terrible.  I had one spot where it's puckered a bit ... but I made this quilt to go on the ground, be eaten over, and rolled around on, so I'm not going to sweat it.

Now it just needs to be bound!!

That's me not sweating it. In my RV pajamas and blue light glasses.  (Aren't I cool??!)

We had our FIRST in person guild meeting at our own location for the first time in FOREVER! 

It was a fun evening and it was terrific hanging out with all my quilting buddies again!

But the end of the month brought visitors . . . 

SQUEEEE!!!!!!! This will need its own post. ♥

:)