Made by hand....

 This was from back in the day when I did a lot of hand stitching.

It was small...maybe 15 inches wide and at least 20 inches long, maybe even a bit longer. 

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I have not sewn a single stitch today.  And here it is approaching midnight and I am of half a mind to go sew a few lines. 

It was such a beautiful day here, and going to be even more so tomorrow.  At one point this after noon, it was 52°F.  It may have gotten warmer before the day was over.  The heat has been off since sometime in the afternoon.  I think it is supposed to stay warm this week, but going back to cooler weather next week.

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I have a little video for you:

Bits of fabric

 See these bits of fabric all sewn together.  The block overlapping the other four is about 7 inches square.  The other four are not quite that big.  though they are getting close.  The bits of fabric in them  all came from the little plastic box below.

This shows how much remains.  Granted, it was jam packed before I pieced these.  But I could put the lid on and close it.

It measures about 6 1/2 inces across and is about 4 1/2 inches square.  Or almost square.  I did not really measure that way.

I would love to keep on with them and see just what could actually be made.  The only thing, there are not many really colorful fabrics.  And most of the ones in it are scraps I have bought.  Not scraps from things I have made, though a few are.

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I just let Bubbie in a few minutes ago.  It is cold outside.  The ground and sidewalks were covered with snow.  I am hoping that we don't get much.  I just dread having to be so careful with getting out myself...plus Roger hates staying home.

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My brother brought me his older snow blower.  It has not been used that much.   It takes a gasoline mixture.  You know, gas with 2-cylce engine oil mixed in.  Well, right away I wanted to get a gas can just for it.  Our power washer takes straight gasoline.  I have a 2 gallon gas can for it.  I just simply cannot handle the 5 gallon  gas can.   

The next time I was in Walmart, I looked at their gas cans.  It  was so complicated, I thought I best examine it before buying it.  And I just could not get it to do what I understood the directions to mean.  I was not strong enough.  So I came home and you-tubed it...I had understood correctly.  I just was not strong enough.  There was a tab that had to be pressed to be able to take the nozzle off.  I just simply could not do it. Then there was a part you flipped up and pushed forward.  I could flip it up, but not push the part forward.

I know I have  lost strength in my hands by the times I have trouble with things I always did with no trouble.  

So then I went to Tractor Supply a day or two later.  There the gas cans had the nozzles inside.  I thought Great!  A normal nozzle.  I get home and take it out, and no, it is not normal.  I had to get on line to figure it out for sure.  I ended up ordering a straight nozzle to go on it.  I was so frustrated I did not think about just using a funnel  and taking the nozzle off and pouring it in that way.  Fun times!  

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I have had this post started for days and just been unable to sit and finish it.  I usually like to end with a youtube video that is funny.  Or at the least a feel good video, but the one I had chosen I cannot embed.  I prefer to embed them because I hate having to go to another page to see.  Instead I will leave with a photo of a quilt top using the crumb blocks like above.  It needs an outer border, but I have yet to find something I like.  but I should just use whatever I can piece together.  It is one I have been actively look for border fabric till I could finish it and quilt it.  I have had this much done for several years.

Smile!

 This is Rosie, Lorelei's dog...Lorelei sent this a few dayss and keep forgetting to post it.  Today is the day.  It makes me smile every time I see it.  You can tell she is such a happy dog.  She is just so loving.

My other daughter sent this the other night...Copper had just came into her kitchen looking like this.  We both wondered what he had been doing.  Sandra says Beau does this when he wakes up. 

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After a couple days of around 50°F, we have stayed below freezing today.  I have only stepped outside to get the mail in and a delivery.  

Do you have a lot of deliveries?  We sure do.  And most of it is just to save me from having to pick it up at Walmart and handle it so many times.  Saves me time in finding some of it, as in vitamins and personal things like that.  All of Roger's meds come by delivery.  Today's delivery were little bottles of 2-cycle oil.  Tomorrow will be a book about my camera.  I am so thankful that I don't have to get out and go shopping for every little thing.

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Night before last the hard drive of our Directv dvr was malfunctioning, so I had to get on the phone to call tech support.  Of course I first got on line and searched for fixes, but it came down to the fact that I had to call.  I at least had done done all the things she started to tell me to try.  So, a new one is supposedly on its way.  I hope it is simple to get back up and running.  I miss recording the local news, and being able to watch it when I want.   Also, there is a quilting show I always record and watch after Roger goes to bed.  

Well, that is about it from my world.  I leave you with another short, cute little video.

Sorry, I forgot to embed it, and now I go to embed it and the owner does not allow it to be posted on other websites.  So HERE is the link.  It is only a few seconds long.

Can you guess what this is supposed to be?

 It is supposed to be at least resemble a Russian Tortoise shell.  As some of you may know, I cannot draw a straight line.  I really can't.  So this was not a quick sketch for me.  Either of my daughter could have sat and drew it without even thinking twice.  And used to, Roger could have as quick as a wink.  That is another thing he lost with the stroke.  He did not use it much, just if I ask him to do something.

Anyway, remember these pumpkin placemats?  Well, I put a jack-o-lantern face on one for Lorelei to hang on her door.  So I got a text last week asking if I remembered her pumpkin.  I told her yes, why?  She wants me to PLeeesssseeee make her a tortoise to hang on the wall.  

I can never just go do something.  I have to mull it over.  I did start looking for an actual pattern but did not see one.  So I drew this shell.  and will work from it.  I am going to use fused applique.  It won't be like it is used as a quilt.  I will still use some stitching around the edges.  I just have to buckle down and choose fabrics for the shell itself, still have to make the head and feet but they should be relatively easy, and I have to choose the fabric for the background.  But this afternoon, I took the time to actually sew a few pieces of fabric together.

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When she asked me that, I stopped working with the Christmas blocks I posted about here.  But I don't have a photo of any of the progress.  So that is in the background of my mind but I cannot settle to it till I figure what I am using to make the tortoise.  I have lots to choose from!

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Ginny posted some photos of decorative cabbages...so I thought I would show my fabrics.  And these are not the only colorways.  Take a glance at THIS page...

These fabrics are designed by Kaffe Fassett.  They will NOT be used in making the tortoise for Lorelei.  

The one above is a scrap I have...

The one above and below are different colorways for the same fabric.

I have a lot of his fabric and have never been able to cut it.  Some of it I would get joy from just hanging it on a wall where I could see it.  But I have been trying to settle on a project for some of it.  Maybe one of these days I will break out the rotary cutter and get busy with it.

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Today I have a video that is a little bit long.  But oh, it is so darn stinking cute you won't believe it.

Snow!

Both the above and below were taken late yesterday afternoon.  It did not stop snowing before dark.  I do not know if it stopped at all but I did look outside sometime between 11:00 and midnight and it was snowing pretty hard.  

 

I did not do any shoveling yesterday, though I did clean off the front porch.  You probably cannot tell, but somehow the wind whipped the snow from the back of the porch to the edge and that is a snowdrift on the edge of my porch in the top photo.  Where my steps are.  So I did clean the steps off somewhat.

But I shoveled today.  Not all I need to do, but enough to get back.  From the back to the garage was probably 10 9inches of snow.  But directly behind the garage was only an inch or two.  Out front was probably just 5 or 6 inches.  So got it shoved from the porch to the sidewalk, and the sidewalk out front did so if the mailman comes, he won't have to wade snow up to my door as he must have done at some point yesterday.  

I had mail, but had not seen any tracks...when I went back out there today, I could barely see tracks in front of the porch.  None on the porch or none leading up to the porch.  Just those walking away...and they were barely noticeable.  

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For fun a couple little videos from my daughter.  The first one shows her reaction if you ask if she wants to go to the basement and play.

And the second one is showing her and Delta's love of snow.