This is an oversized potholder I have had started for a while...and just put together the other day. I saw one made like this in Shipshewana, only smaller.
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I hope everyone had a good Christmas...
I am not sure if I am ready to start blogging again...but I want to try. I am thinking getting back to normal might be good for me.
It has rained, and rained and rained some more, though we have actually had a couple days free of it. But it has remained overcast, and some days just so, so dreary. I don't mind a day here and there that is cloudy, but I do get tired of days on end without sunshine.
Other than doing a couple loads of laundry, preparing one of my sewing machines for some serious sewing, all I have done today is make a pot of potato soup this evening. It was the perfect weather for it. And it was soooooooo good.
The Red-bellied Woodpecker visits any time there is suet out, and sometimes when it isn't...he comes and looks sternly about as if to say to get moving and get his meal out.
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I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year...I doubt that I post any more till after Christmas, and possibly till after the 1st.
1. It is hard to see in the photo above, but these are red damselflies. The frist time I have ever seen them.
2. Not a very good picture, but can you imagine walking around in that coat in early fall? Also, can you imagine how much work has to be done before it can be spun into yarn?
3. This was at a shot pin Shipshewana...I like it but have no place for it. It was quite big.
4. We passed this courthouse, but I don't recall just where it was out. I think it is beautiful.
5. This place is in Attica, Indiana...I have posted pics of it before, here, here, and here....for some reason at that time I wondered if it was still being used as a church. At least we know it has been a church at some point, and a beautiful one at that.
I had made this experimental pineapple block...and it has laid in there in drawer for a few months. I wanted to sew, but couldn't make up my mind what I wanted to sew. So I pulled it out and made this potholder.
Then, still being in the mood to sew, I did another potholder:
It is one of a kind...I drew the chicken and I don't think I kept the pattern. But I should look and see if I can find the paper from the fusible. Now that it is made, I am not happy with the hen fabric....but, it was still sort of fun to make. For it's back I used denim from a heavy pair of jeans. It isn't much but it soothes the soul to sew a little bit.
I spent the entire afternoon working on this pantry. I did take everything off the shelves. And while it may not look greatly improved, it is.
Now I have questions and would like any and all responses. I may not reply back to you, but I will appreciate any and all feedback. (Roger has a doctor's appointment tomorrow so I know we will be gone at least 4-5 hours.)
Anyway, what I want to know, does your cabinets stay neat and tidy? Most times, within two weeks you wouldn't know this had been touched.
And how do you keep from hiding stuff behind other things? On the canned goods side, things are together now, but they won't stay that way for long. I would be so much simpler if things did not get mixed together.
Also, how do you keep your brown sugar from getting hard after it is opened. I always have a problem with that.
And then there is the plastic bags. I use them for small trash can liners, but have got to come up with a better solution to storing them. I have been shoving them in a bag, and that is in a bottom cabinet. And they just take up space.
Well, that is all I can think of right now...I think there was more I wanted feedback on but for the life of me I cannot remember what right now.
Look at that picture...isn't the sky interesting? Do you see anything else. Click and enlarge it...I doubt that you will spot it...it is almost exactly in the middle...go straight up from that pile of stuff in the water. that dark pile...on up over the trees. Do you see it now?
If not, be prepared...again, I took off with just my little point & shoot camera, again, because it was dark, cloudy and rainy when we left. Figured I would not see a thing to shoot...by the time we were coming home the sun was in and out, and it had lightened up to a beautiful world. And I spotted this:
This is what was 'fishing' that little pond. It is what I wondered if you would spot. In that first pic with the pond, it is flying straight towards the camera, over the far end.
Some shots are heavily cropped, but not the one above.
Almost the same views, but not quite...
Notice how he is watching down...he is really looking for a fish.
Really thrilling to see one of these....it made our day.
Every time I look at this, I feel joy. My BFF made it for me last year. I don't think I have ever shown it to you. I grabbed some quick shots this evening. I want to encourage you to click on the photos to expand the view...the small size just does not do them justice.
So many beads, so many stitches...
everything done by hand.
I love the little chickadees, but I cannot say I love them best. I love this poinsettia, and love the holly leaves,
and don't you just love the scene as a whole?
It is tempting to leave it out all the time...but I don't.
Do you have a favorite gift or treasure someone has given you. If so, how about sharing it in the comments.
I thought for Today's Flowers I would go back to the summer of 2013 and share a few of the daylilies from a place not far from here. We have meant to take Lorelei there ever since we went and for one reason and another have not done it yet.
I wish I had taken a photo of the name of each.
Some are just a shade different from others...
I forget how many different varieties they had, but I think it was in the hundreds. And they were all just gorgeous.
I did not take a whole lot of pics, at least not compared to what was there. But I want to share a few more right now...
How's this for a riot of color and beauty? If you had any of these beautiful plates would you use them?
There are reflections, but still, don't you think the girls are so well done?
Every which way we turned, there was more stuff to see. I don't think we seen it all even though we basically went round the whole building at least a couple times.
Isn't it a beauty?
I want to remind you to click to expand the view. You will be able to see so much better. I wonder does anyone else like this kind of stuff? I love it, and but have very little. I just don't have a place to put it.
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I only made a couple of x-blocks late this evening. Like the ones shown here. I have over 20 of them now. I am going to have to come to a decision on what I want to do with them. I tend to make them or crumb blocks when I want to sew, but don't want to commit to something.
I have enough of the Falling Charms blocks to make a quilt, but am of the mind to leave them be for now. And put them together later. With Christmas right around the corner, I would probably not quilt it and I had rather have blocks waiting to be put together as to have a quilt top folded and waiting. Not that I don't have plenty that are folded and waiting. I have probably a dozen and most of them full-sized quilt tops...
It was such a beautiful day that we went shooting...I cannot tell you how long its been since I did any shooting. And I didn't do much today...just went to be out with Roger. But, I forgot how much I love the smell of gunpowder. It is right up there with wood smoke or new mowed hay.
It was a warm--50+º day...WITH sunshine I might add, so we headed out. Our first stop was at an antique shop in Arcola, Illinois.
There were quilts here and there...I only took two or three photos of them. But notice in the background of the one above, there is a schoolhouse quilt hanging.
The one above is one of my favorite quilt patterns...
And I always like fan quilts.
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I took photos of other things, but will show them another day. I would like to go back and take more photos. This one place was so huge and had so much stuff. It was crammed full.
For one reason or another I have not sewn a stitch in several days...the other night I sat and sewed one line. Just to be able to say I touched my machine. But that doesn't really count.
But today, I worked towards that end. I had laundry to do. And so while in the basement doing it, I vacuumed down there. Then I cut my strips and also dug out a few more fabrics to use to cut 4½ squares. And while I was doing this, Roger ran to the store, came home and fixed us hamburgers and fried taters! YUM
After eating, I ironed my fabrics and cut the 4½ inch squares, and by the time I sewed them to the 2¼ inch strips the first time the sun had gone down. So I cut them apart and will square up the ends tomorrow. I don't have good lighting in there to do this cutting stage...but am glad to have had a few minutes with my machine.
And with these waiting for me, I know I will work more tomorrow.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
I could not hold my camera steady enough to not get the blur. But you can still tell it is our Lorelei. Yesterday was her school program...they sang several songs, most I had never heard. But let me tell you, their music teacher did a wonderful job with them. One of the first graders even came to the microphone and introduced all the songs, except one. A couple of the songs had motions they were to do and it was just so cute to watch. We all stood there with huge grins on our faces.
I took this when we got home but she would not stand still long enough for me to get a good shot of her. After the program, we went and had pizza, then back to Sarah's and stayed till well after dark...neither of us is crazy about driving after dark now. So most of the time we are in by then. Occasionally I will be after dark getting home from the strip pits but that is usually it.
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Tomorrow is Friday and I think of random thoughts for Friday. With that thought in mind here goes.
1. Christmas is coming, and coming fast. I need to find the ham and start getting in the things I need. We have at least got most of Lorelei's Christmas in, but it is not wrapped. We had to return something today, and did some more shopping. If I wasn't already worn out, I would have wrapped some/all of it tonight.
2. We are having more dark, dreary days than we are sunshine. I am ready for a day or two of nothing but sun and blue skies.
3. I finished the book I was reading in last Friday's random thoughts and hated to see it end. I am not sure what I want to start next. I am half way in the mood to read an old favorite. How about you--do you have a few books that you have read more than once? If so, tell me the title/author of some of them.
4. I have not sewn a stitch the past few days. I am having withdrawal symptoms. I am hoping to either go in there and sew later tonight or maybe get up and sew some tomorrow. Even just a few lines would be good. Right now my feet hurt so bad that I don't even want to stand up on them to walk in there. LOL
