Row By Row, and Sew It Goes...

"Quiet Time" is coming together; slowly, methodically, a row at a time. There's no rush, this one has been waiting, patiently, as I begin, and complete, other projects. Maybe I should reassign "QT" the name of "Patience" instead. This one was inspired by a quilt show that I attended in the Fall in New Hampshire. It's made entirely from scraps that I had  on hand from my precut 3.5" bin. The triangles are stacked in pairs, right sides together, and sliced corner to corner using Creative Grids Folded Corner Clipper. The squares used to round out this block are all 2" squares, also from my precut scrap bins of that size, I have two of those: one of lights and one of darks. 

Here's a sample block, they vary in appearance significantly based on the light/dark placement. What do I do with the discarded triangle pairs that I didn't use after slicing with the afore-mentioned tool? They're not discarded at all! 

Nope! I've been stitching up these bonus triangles, leader-ender style, into 4-patches; eventually joining them together into 12" blocks. I have no idea where these blocks will end up but aren't they pretty... and fun? I  think so!

And, just in case you were worried that those precut bins were all going to be emptied out... fear not; the 2025 scrap basket sneaks into view! Ha! For the past several years I have spent New Year's Day with my die cutter and all of the accumulated scraps from the previous year, cutting away. This year I have more of that same activity planned, why break with tradition, right? You may celebrate differently but, c'mon, there's no doubt that I know how to party! 😉

Happy New Year!

Life is Good!

2025 Holiday Wrap-Up

Consider this a post-Christmas, end of year, holiday wrap-up post. You might remember my initial foray into needlepoint, my birthday plaid. Our daughter took it back for finishing and surprised me by attaching it to the lid of this sweet little basket. I absolutely love it! It will hold my treasures and be a constant reminder of a wonderful weekend that we shared together. 

I don't know how many of you work the daily Wordle puzzles, I've been doing them for years. Imagine what a big surprise two of last week's puzzles were for me: QUILT was the answer a week ago on Sunday, and a few days later the word SPOOL solved the puzzle. A needleworker's delight!

Cocoa Quaker by Primrose Cottage was a Christmas cross-stitch start for me. 

This tea, from Metropolitan Tea Company, a brand that is new to me, was included in a Christmas gift basket from friends. It is absolutely wonderful! The tag reads : "Good Tea tastes better", that's certainly the truth! I can highly recommend this one. It's the perfect accompaniment for cold winter evenings as I work on my stitching. 

These were four of my favorite movies watched while I was hand-stitching binding on the Christmas quilts this year. The first three were movies that I hadn't seen before but the last one shown here, Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas is one that I must watch each and every year; I adore it and probably can recite the entire dialog of each Muppet by heart! I will never tire of the sweet story, the songs and the precious characters.

I finished this book earlier in December, it was one of those that I couldn't put down. 

The character development and the historical references were rich additions to this one,   definitely a story to remember!

I'm back to piecing a scrap quilt that had been set aside temporarily while working on the Santa's Puzzle quilts. I have my sidekick perched in a chair right alongside of me as I am piecing. It's always great to have company in the sewing room. 

And I'll finish up today's wrap-up post with the birthday boy (and Augie again, he's Mr. G's companion too!) My sweet husband, today is his birthday. Since we have been married 50+ years and we each have a birthday, that makes 100 birthdays that we've celebrated together!

Holy Cow!! How can that be? 😮

Life is Good!

Ready Or Not...

Every day crept one day closer to Christmas. I hadn't baked even one cookie or wrapped a single gift. But, the house was decorated, the tree was up, there were candles in the windows and a wreath on the door; ready or not, Christmas was coming.  No one felt that stronger than I did, I was working on a super-secret double surprise; had I left enough time? Ta-da!! I made it!  I'm so excited for the big Christmas reveal!

Not one, but two, Santa's Puzzle quilts! One for our daughter and her family...

...and the second one for our son and his. 

Is there any better feeling than covering the ones that you love with 💕Christmas love? I hope that they'll enjoy them for many years to come. And, the happy PS to this "rush to the finish" tale: the cookies DID get baked, and the gifts did, indeed get wrapped after all! It was the happiest of endings. Just like a Hallmark movie.

Merry Christmas!

Life is Good!

Big thanks to Julia @ Red Rainboots Handmade for hosting her Christmas Fabric Swap and this pattern.

Another Rabbit Hole?

Our daughter has taken up needlepoint, over the past year she has created some beautiful items! She spends a LOT of time waiting at the pool for one and/or at the soccer field with another, she was looking for something to occupy her hands other than her phone. Needlepoint became her choice. This was one needle-art avenue that I had never ventured down. Never say never, right? Earlier this fall while staying at their home she invited me to try my hand at a simple project. This plaid design is a counted project with rows based on my numerical birthdate. I chose the colors from fibers that she hand on hand and, with her expert tutelage, set to work. This is the result. Ta-da! My very own birthday plaid!

She made this for me for Mother's Day this year, Marcia works from painted canvases most of the time. 

Her finishing is as beautiful as her stitches.

These two were for Mason and Lucy Ann, respectively; skiing Santa and swimming Santa.

She has some of her finished ornaments displayed on her mantle.

She made this for Mason for Christmas; it celebrates his great love for the Blue Ridge mountains. It's gorgeous, her choice of fibers and various stitches gives this piece depth and life. I've been a very proud watching her pursue this hobby and excel at it. A friend brought me some canvas the other day and a few counted charts that appear as quilts when stitched up.

She was cleaning out and wanted me to have them. 

Is this a rabbit hole that I want to explore? 

In the meantime I'll leave you with these precious reindeer that our daughter did as one of her first needlepoint projects the Christmas before last. I love this, and her; 🩷 I am so happy that she has a creative outlet that brings her so much joy and satisfaction.

Life is Good! 

So, It's Been A Year...

Mom died a year ago this morning. There are constant reminders. When I first entered the kitchen this morning a photo of her and Lynnleigh greeted me on our electronic frame. That gave me pause, I drew a deep breath and then smiled. Then there are the cardinals... I saw two yesterday. There are constant God-winks. I miss you, Mom. 

It's all good, the reminders are comforting to me. Life goes on; one day at a time. 

We made another trip up to New England to check on Dad, this one was more challenging, weather wise. He's doing okay, it's a day at a time. He enjoys talking on the phone and visits from old friends. This past year has been hard on him, he's lonely and his health issues have taken a toll. While we were away I needed to keep my hands busy in the evenings. 

This little Primitive Santa slowly took shape.

Once the roads up north were finally cleared a beautiful landscape was revealed. 

This is my favorite building in Laconia, NH; the public library. Isn't it beautiful?

Once back home again, the trees went up...

The house was decorated. (Note: newly cross-stitched pieces were finished and framed~ nothing fancy, DIY, Amazon frames).

...and Christmas sewing is underway. Whatever gets done, gets done. 

There's always next year, right?

So, it's been a year. 

I'm still here and it's Christmastime once again.

Life is Good!

New England in the Fall

Our plan was to travel to New England to take in the fall sights and to visit family, Mr. G's sister in Massachusetts and then on to NH to check in on my Dad for a few days. On the drive up north, the foliage didn't disappoint. My sister had warned me ahead of time that Dad was getting weaker since he'd returned home from rehab a few weeks ago; and yet, even with that in mind, nothing prepared me for how much physical decline had occurred since I saw him last, six weeks earlier. It quickly became apparent that he needed to be seen by his doctor ASAP; getting up and walking was out of the question, he was unable to move at all without acute pain! Last Monday, through a series of stops where he was unable to get any accurate diagnosis whatsoever, it was ultimately determined that he needed to be transported to a larger, more comprehensive hospital via ambulance. Once there he was seen in the Emergency Department where a broken and displaced right hip was revealed through a CT scan! It was the final piece in a weeks'-long puzzle being dropped into place that ultimately completed the picture. The sad truth of the matter is that the fracture had occurred back on the 12th of September, it is barely detectable on an x-ray done at that time and was overlooked. Now, with new information, he became a patient of the Orthopedic Team and hip surgery was scheduled and performed right away. 

He had a partial hip replacement late last Wednesday afternoon and came through with flying colors! He was carried by his own resiliency as well as a raft of prayers!

Here he is, the morning after getting his new hip. He's on the mend and back in rehab as he heals, gets stronger and back on his feet once again. He's been through a LOT, and, at 97 years young, it's going to take time.  

Here he is, on his birthday back in April of this year. I'm eager to see that smile return to his face. The sights that I'd hoped to see up in New England this fall weren't quite what I had hoped for, but, I must say, those two thumbs-up following surgery last week might just be one of the best sights I've seen!

Back home in North Carolina again, yesterday afternoon was an especially GOLDEN one.

Life is Good!

Good Luck!

I am continuing with my deliberate efforts to use up ever-accumulating scraps! This is the Good Luck Pouch that I recently made for our oldest granddaughter. I used leftover squares from the Amarillo Sky quilt. I made the small one, measuring at 8"W X 3"H, it's a perfect size for stashing small treasures while traveling or when she's on the go. She loved it. I followed the instructions to a "T",  and really was pleased with the way it went together. All of the seams are finished and bound on the inside. I found a few zippers laid back and some Soft & Stable in the stash closet, I suppose I was holding on to them for just this reason?! (More Good Luck? I'd say so, yes!!)   

I hope that she'll get lots of use out of it. I still have enough left over squares to make the companion, larger (10"W X 4"H), pouch as well. I might just do that; waste not, want not, right? If you're looking for a quick and easy gift idea that's as useful as it is good looking, I'd consider this one; click on the hyperlink above to download the pattern by Center Street Quilts!

Life is Good!