Hope all of you had a Merry and Blessed Christmas! Ours was wonderful...twenty of us gathered here to eat...we had two new ones this year...step-daughter has a new male friend and he and his twenty year old son joined up. First year her x hasn't been here to eat and open gifts with us. BUT he did come with the oldest grandson later that day and while here it started SNOWING!!!! They came back the next day and the oldest grandson and his daddy shoveled our walkway and path down the driveway to the street. Put our trash and recycle dumpsters out to the curb.

SNOW!!! yes a WHITE CHRISTMAS!!!! and by the time it stopped the day after we had over a foot of white fluffy stuff!!!! It was beautiful!!!
Rachel out the early morning of the 26th.

Emily early the morning of the 26th.

Laura early the morning of the 26th.

Laura on the 27th. She and Rachel thought the snow on the tables and chairs looked like birthday cakes so the had their mom hand over some birthday candles and celebrates with snow cakes.
This on though dated the 27 was the 26th around 10 or so. Legend had a wonderful time romping in the snow. He'll be 11 in February but still loves snow. He would go out and come in and head to another door to go out and come back inside. Had to make sure it was snowing outside all doors.


I had nothing I could think of that I wanted for Christmas so had my DH to give me the Accu Cutter Go I bought a few months ago and never have taken it out of the box as been so busy around here. Hopefully I'll get nerve to try it soon.

I did get one surprise I had read about Amish Cooking cookbook
on A JOYFUL CHAOS blog. She's a former Amish lady who writes about her youth growing up Amish and will tell us why she and her husband left the Amish. I tried and tried to find a copy on line to purchase. . . Well my DD found a slightly used copy and grabbed it for me!!! I was so surprised when I opened that box. And another cookbook I'd been wanting by the Lafayette, Louisiana Junior League. Her mother-in-law gave me a Gooseberry Patch cookbook I'd been wanting...So it was a sewing and cookbook Christmas for me!!!!

THE WINNER IS?????

First before I announce who won the Cookbook "My Mama Made it" I must apologize for being late drawing the winner. But Sunday afternoon my F-I-L was admitted to the ER and into the hospital with Heart Problems. He was released yesterday and hopefully the medications adjustments will help stop the spells he has suffered with the past few weeks with dizziness, weakness and such.

In order for me to contact you please make a comment so I can reply to it via email to obtain your mailing address. Comments to my blog sends an email to me to approve or not for publication. I can respond to the person by clicking on reply. I will do that to request your mailing address, you reply back with it...that never appears on my blog just in my private email account.

What I did was each time you qualified for a chance I sent the approval email to an email file for giveaway. I then printed of that list, cut the list into strips, folded them, tossed them in a container and drew one.

THE WINNER IS!!!!!
CHESAPEAKE BAY WOMAN!!!!
Visit her blog....this is a lady who lives and also grew up in the county where I grew up!!! However, I don't know her as she is ''A LOT Younger'' than I am and lived in another part of the county from where I lived. Back in my day there were several elementary schools later the smaller ones closed and all children attended the one that I attended. In my day you generally didn't meet people from various parts of the county (unless relatives lived in other sections) until High School. Reading her blog has brought back many memories...her remembering as a tiny child me as a teenager/young adult.

Congratulations CHESAPEAKE BAY WOMAN!!!! Her favorite food was her Grandmother's Fried Chicken....she wrote----

"Oh! A contest! I hope I'm not too late.

My grandmother's fried chicken was the best, and the recipe has never been written down, I just watched her. The whole process took forever especially when you include the soaking of the chicken in salt water for hours before frying. But she made the absolute best chicken ever. My mother can make a reasonable facsimile, and I have tried but it pales in comparison.

There's nothing like fried chicken and mashed potatoes. Nothing."

Never had her grandmother's fried chicken but I can verify the best fried chicken bar-none comes out of Mathews County!!!

GIVEAWAY---This time mine...

I am having a GIVEAWAY!!!

It's a cookbook called "MY MAMA MADE IT!" by the Junior League of Hampton Roads here in Virginia.



This is the newest and fourth cookbook that the Junior League of Hampton Roads has written. All four are fabulous.

Rules are...make a comment telling me your favorite recipe and who gave you the recipe or what cookbook it is in. For one chance in the drawing.

For a second chance post about it on your blog and tell me so I can verify...

And another chance if you are a follower of my blog tell me.

You must have a blog and a way I can reply to your comment.

I will make the drawing on the Sunday, December 12th, 2010. I will notify the winner either on Sunday or Monday. If no reply in 24 hours I will redraw on Thursday.

ALERT---A GREAT GIVEAWAY

Go by as fast as your fingers take you to visit my friend LOLA of ...and Sew On
That girl is having a fabulous giveaway HOMESPUN CHRISTMAS
Homespun fabrics, patterns, fabric panel, etc. Check it out...ASAP

And check back with me...I'm doing a giveaway as well....will try to post it tonight....

ALERT---A GREAT GIVEAWAY

Go by and visit A JOYFUL CHAOS ! A wonderful blog written by a former Amish lady. She writes about her life as a child growing up Amish as well as what is going on currently in her life as a wife and mother of three beautiful children. She is giving away an Amish Cookbook. One like the one she learned to cook with that belonged to her mother and also the cookbook she uses the most.

Go visit A JOYFUL CHAOS. Leave a comment what you would like to have from your childhood to enter. She's drawing Monday, November 22.

MERCURY GLASS HALLOWEEN

I was visiting Lola the other week to see what she's been up to...that gal is always making the prettiest stuff!!! One talented lady with a needle and thread or sewing machine also with decorating ideas. On her sidebar I clicked on some link that took you to a link of a bunch of ideas for autumn and a bunch of blogs. I as clicking around visiting so many neat folks And I found this one who had made this Faux Mercury Glass. She had done a pumpkin and I had a glass pumpkin sitting in the cabinet like she used. I love old Mercury Glass though don't have any. This lady's blog with the Faux Mercury Glass Pumpkin also took you to tutorials for three different finishes she had come up with for Faux Mercury Glass.
While at Wal-mart last week I got a can of spray paint that was a shiny silver mirror like finish. Later went hunting for the glass pumpkin...found it in the last cabinet where I was looking. Wasn't in the group I was sure it was in. It had been up above the refrigerator for years I am sure. I gave it a quick bath, let it dry a while. One of the finishes I read about you leave it wet inside. Others you dried. I decided to let a few droplets remain and sprayed away the inside of the pumpkin. The tutorial showed the outside wrapped in plastic and taped so not to get any paint on the outside but lazy bones me did not do that step. I sprayed it, set it aside and let it dry a while. The next day I decided I didn't like the places the water drops didn't let the paint adhere so I resprayed the insides. this time you can tell where the droplets were but still has silver there. I like the results. My pumpkin my F-I-L gave me around 30 years ago with candy in it. But I was at Wal-mart this a.m. and they had them in clear glass and also a fall green glass...like the old avocado green glassware of the 60's and 70's. Boy did I just date myself!

The picture doesn't do it justice it does look a lot like Mercury Glass.

FREE PATTERNS

Looking for some free quilt patterns??? What about some other cute items to whip up????
Try this Link for Freespirit Fabric
or
Try this Link for Amy Butler Designs
or
Try this Link for Moda
or
Try this Link for Moda Bake Shop
or
Try this Link for Hoffman Fabrics
or
Try this Link for Marcus Fabrics

ANOTHER SHIRT

While at the Fall Festival "Baby Lucy's" mommy saw the girls in their shirts I made them and wanted on for "Baby Lucy" as she is called by the girls. I have idea those three will be calling her "Baby Lucy" when she is 50! My mother was called "Baby" by her parents, aunt and grandparents...she was in her 70's when her parents and aunt died and still called "Baby".

I think this is as cute on the black if not cuter, as it was on white shirts.

CELEBRATING AUTUMN

Here are the three girls with the shirts I did for them at the Fall Festival yesterday at Newport News City Park after they had their faces painted.



A family tradition we started few years ago...daughter, her husband and three babies get in their car, we get in our car, some years her husband's parents get in their car, his brother and his family gets in their car and we head over to Surry County to College Run Farm to pick pumpkins. This year son-in-law's parents and his brother and his family didn't go because of other commitments but the rest of us went and our oldest grandson rode with us. We picked pumpkins, afterward we had delicious homemade vanilla and pumpkin ice-cream they have for sale there. And shopped in their gift shop.

We go across the JRB---James River Bridge which is 4-1/2 miles long to go Isle of Wight County. Ride past fields of cotton, soy beans, peanuts, corn, etc. to Surry County where more fields of the same growing.

And we start seeing fields of pumpkins and know we are nearing College Run Farm.

Laura with a little pumpkin she picked

Here are some of the family checking out which ones they want and picking their favorites.

Emily said she must have her bling-bling purse if shopping for pumpkins

Rachel with her gourd


Some of the pumpkins I got at College Run Farm.

More of them...
Later today and tomorrow I need to get my stuff down and out for Halloween...my wheelbarrows, porch and area around scarecrows need a lot of sprucing up.

NOW I HAVE SEEN IT ALL IN FABRIC!!!

A good friend sent me an email this morning to check out this fabric. If you must have "ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS" it's available from Nancy's Notions. I have to admit...I may order some...have some ideas floating around in my brain...

HALLOWEEN SHIRTS

My DD saw a shirt she loved for her three girls to wear during the Halloween season. She didn't however like the price tag almost $40 for a shirt for a two, three and four year old. Yep it would have been $120. for three shirts. She asked if I could come up with a Witches Hat Applique in Zebra print, Polka Dots, etc.

I went to Target bought three white t-shirts. Went to Nancy's Calico Patch and bought some zebra print fabric and lightweight fusible. Went to Wal-mart and bought several spools of ribbon.

Drew a witch's hat on the paper backing on the fusible, cut the shape out, ironed it to the front of the t-shirts. Did a black zig-zag around the edges, stitched the ribbon down around where the band would join the hat, made a bow and stitched it down.
And using the "Child's Play" font built into my Bernina 830 I added their names on a slight curve following the brim of the hat.

And the results-----

HALF A BRAIN, JUST HALF A BRAIN IS ALL I WANT...

I would like to have just half a brain. . . just half. . . Today was a day where what little brain I do have was not functioning. . .

Last fall I bought a Bernina 830. LOVE IT! But I was a tad bit slow. . . I took the out of the box class. . . and a few others here and there when my schedule permitted. It's not like this was my first computerized machine. . . I had the Bernina 180, still do. For some reason when I brought the 830 home I could not take it out of the box and set it up. The two boxes which are VERY LARGE were in downstairs bedroom and they made the perfect gift-wrapping center for wrapping Christmas presents with the embroidery unit box sitting on top of the box with the machine in it.

Finally in February I took another class and promised my friends in it (we all have 830s) I was going home, take down my 180 and set up the 830. . . and I did within a few weeks. . .

This past week I went in to purchase the USB stick. . . over the weekend I decided to finally get on the computer and open software to design the monograms. . . saved them to the USB stick. . . . . . check it on the computer designs there. . . today I stick the USB in the 830 and doesn't find the designs. . . what is wrong??? DUMMY HERE saved it like you would on a regular USB and it was therefore saved in ART format. Shouldn't have been. . . should have been saved in EXP??? Think that's right. . . anyway I should have done it as if the computer was hooked up to the machine and sending design to it and instead of clicking on 830 machine click on 830 USB stick so it would change it to the required format needed on the machine. . . So I go back. . .do it correctly after it dawned on dimwit here what was wrong. . . go back to machine. . . low and behold the design is there this time. . . start stitching and the bobbin thread is pulling up. . . Re-thread the bobbin area and again. . . still pulling up. . . remove hoop and start picking out what had been stitched.

After lunch go to my dealer and tell them dumbest of dumb, dumber and dumbest (what my two friends and I call our little threesome group. . . (one of the instructors there calls us her problem children---see we are pitiful I tell ya) . . . the ladies working know it means. . . I have a simple problem but it turns major when comes to me . . . calls one of the Bernina experts . . . Bless her heart. . . shows Dumbest here how to thread the bobbin thread for normal sewing and the additional step for embroidery work. . . so it goes through three slots. . . and how to use the dental mirror to check to make sure it is in all three slots. . . well two of the slots. . . the first one is easy to see. . .

Now what I did after all that ordeal any ordinary person with half a brain could have done with their eyes close . . .

DD brought two cute dresses for her oldest two which she wanted me to do a three letter monogram on the bodice for them to wear to Meet-the-Teacher this Thursday at the pre-school they will be attending three days a week this coming school year.

Some time back I purchased the curly font at ALL ABOUT BLANKS Check them out they have darling things!!! I thought that font would be precious on these two dresses.









And this is a lunch bag which one of them wanted me to put her name on. This font is one built into the machine.

I Machine Embroidried Today

Last month a friend of one of our girls asked if I could put her daughter's name or initial(s) on a few towels and pillowcases she is taking to college this fall. Warned her I had not bonded yet with my new sewing machine as the previous week I did a large "E" on bathing suit for one of the grandbabies which turned out good but then "L'' on her little friends dress for her birthday didn't do as well...off centered. (I knew it was me and not machine...found out the reason from dealer and tried not to do that trick again).

Since the grandbabies are at the beach this week, I thought today would be a good afternoon to warm up to the new 830... Took me a WHILE to figure out what functions did what...and what is so sad is I have a 180 I got back in 2000, which embroiders and I used that baby daily...but took me a while to bond with her too...kept going back to my early 80's 930. Guess, I'm a slow bonder. . . is that a word??? doubt it. . .

Well, the 830 told tested me and jammed gears but I was bound and determine she would not get the upper hand. . . did what machine told me to do, did all the suggestions then tried again and worked fine....I think/know I am not doing the bobbin correctly that sucker is tricky, two ways to thread it one for normal sewing one for embroidery...I just try, say a prayer, hold my breath and hope it is correct. . .

Anyhoo... below is hand-towel and bath-sheet. . .

Two bath-towels. . .

A couple hand-towels and pillow case. . .
By the time I was finishing up we were agreeing with each other better...but the pillow case the bobbin wasn't correct as a few of the bobbin threads showed an ency weensy bit. . .

One day this week going to go visit dealer and practice there the two different ways to thread bobbin. . .

Tomorrow. . . going to be spray painting two chairs, three tables, a few milk cans and such. . .

Following day. . . painting porch swing. . . since it is dark and going white wondering how many coats it will take ? ? ? Be using Kiltz first so the dark stain won't bleed through the white paint.

ALERT---A GREAT GIVEAWAY

Go and visit my blog friend Barb at Bejeweled Quilts and look at the giveaway -----

Sit Down!!!



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YES!!!! An ACCUQUILT GO!!!

YOU MUST TRY THIS!!!

We attended a cookout this weekend and my daughter's sister-in-law brought this and mercy was it ever good!!! I could have eaten the entire loaf!!!

Please go visit her blog BIG ROCKS AND POLKA DOTS where she tells all about it and posted the recipe. I am telling y'all it was SO YUMMY!!!

MEMORIAL DAY

Wishing all of you a meaningful Memorial Day! I wish to honor all who gave their all and lost their lives in all wars to keep us free and to honor all who have served in our Armed Forces and survived to return home to their loved ones.

A picture of my Daddy---Garland W. Hudgins when he was home before being sent to Europe during World War II. This was taken in his parents yard. He is holding my oldest first cousin Betty.

Daddy survived D-Day Invasion on Omaha Beach, Battle of the Bulge, and the Invasion of Africa.
While overseas his mother died and it took two weeks before the Red Cross notified him...he was at the Command Headquarters at that time.

Daddy survived the war and came home to marry my mother and raise two daughters. But loss his life way to early at the age of 63 to cancer.

BAD WEEKEND

Since Thursday life has turned upside down around these parts of the woods. I had bronchitis earlier and getting over it. Husband had signs of it and he would not go to doctor. Probably just as well now as Thursday he went for his normal blood work and his Dr. not there and the person seeing his patients doesn't do it but thinks he has pneumonia and sends him to ER. Where they start IV's going right then upon arrival with two antibiotics plus fluids as he's dehydrated. Do chest x-ray, come in and said he had to be admitted so the antibiotics could be continued. Also running a TON of Blood Work for bacterial infections among other things.

Baby Girl rushes from work and they sent her straight back. She talks him into being admitted. This man is 68 and was born in hospital and when 4 had tonsils out otherwise never a patient in one. Waiting for room to be made ready and next thing we know they are whisking him to ICU he is in Acute Renal Failure. He numbers were eight and suppose to be one or less.

Good news he did not have pneumonia and actually his lungs were amazingly clear. All the scans and numerous other tests show his heart is fine. His kidneys are normal in size, look great otherwise. This failure was caused by one Rx turning against his kidneys attacking them then another one he takes to protect his kidneys from diabetes turned against him causing further failure.

His numbers started coming down, his blood pressure which was dangerously low started going back up and his accelerated heart rate returned to normal by the next day so moved him to a private room. Where his reputation became the worse patient anyone had ever seen in their lives. Not a good reputation to have when those people check your IV's give you shots, tend to your catheter for 24 urine collection.

Saturday his numbers had dropped more but still high and they admitted two people for kidney failure whose were lower than his the day before. But since we are five minutes from hospital, and he so unhappy and stressed out, they agreed to let him come home and go back to Dr. Monday for blood work. To make sure the magnesium they gave him by the bagfuls for three days is holding and the bags of iron has his anemia which we had no clue about either are back to normal and especially his Creatinine levels are heading closer to normal levels. So he can remain home and off of dialysis. That they will find a medication he can take that won't mess his kidneys up. And they can get him back on his diabetes medicine as that and a dye used in one of the scans if mix in the blood/body that can do kidney failure as well.

LONG OVERDUE

I've been told I am long overdue for blogging. And I am. I promise to blog again soon. So far behind I'm not sure where I'll start. But I promise I shall soon . . . must get over whatever is going on in my lungs. . .told bronchitis but the medications hasn't helped that much and have finished the Z-pack--still taking the others.

My goal is to put an "E" on the cutest little swimsuit for the cutest little 19 month old with my new machine. Took my old one in for a good going over and to have two issues fixed...low bobbin thread alert and needle threader. Both had to be replaced on old one. It is now good for me to take to class or baby daughter to take over it when she feels she's ready to upgrade machines.

To get an idea how sick I've been, I was in the quilt shop one morning to order an embroidery stick. That afternoon Dr. Al called to tell me this issues, costs, etc., next day someone called and said it was ready to be picked up. Took me OVER two weeks to get there to pick it up. NOW, that was a first I doubt seriously that store open for 23 years at various locations and I've never been a week without dropping by to peek around to see what's new, etc.

When I went to get refills for Rx's I stopped in, got machine and the new stick.




Garden Song embroidery designs are by Nancy Halvorsen. Really nice designs in it. And while I was googling around looking for pictures of it found out there is a line of fabric by her in the Garden Song theme which looks NICE too!

Lori of Blue Waters...I PROMISE...I will get those pics and lace to you soon.

And good news is M-I-L who was taken ill before we went to PA and admitted to hospital, we cut trip short when we learned about her and came home to find her being moved to nursing facility for therapy. This week family told she should be able to go home in two weeks. We are elated never thought she'd be able to go home again the first few weeks at the facility. However, with the bout I've been dealing with and also DH dealing with now as well I can see how someone in their 90's could get that weak that quick.

STILL AMONG THE LIVING...

I am still among the living...or at least I think I am.

Go to doctor for routine checkup, blood work off, puts me on antibiotic, that makes me feel rotten, Vitamin D deficiency, get Rx for that, think I see improvement but not like I had hoped to feel by now.

I have been trying to get lace and pictures together to send Laurie for the quilt I won that she is going to make. Seems I don't get far with it and something comes up. Run out of Photo Paper. Buy Photo Paper. Run out of ink. Buy ink. After finding pictures I want in it . . . change my mind. Find pictures I like but other people them beside that particular person I want a single picture. Need to see if I can crop them and get them like I want.

Went to Lancaster, PA. Week of the Quilt Festival. Wanted to go to it SO BAD. Had plans to get by the Quilt Festival in the back of my head... Didn't. Did get some outlet shopping done. Well a lot of outlet shopping done. Did get to two fabric shops I've been wanting to visit. Bought WAY TOO MUCH FABRIC...will post later pics of that when I get around to taking pic of it.

DD and DGD went with us. DGD is now four and she was such a good shopper and such a good traveler during the six hour drive each way. She loved the "Horses with Wheels". . . translation . . . Amish Buggies. She and her mom got to take a tour on the back roads in one.

Our trip was cut short as DD called me DM-I-L in hospital. First thought heart as chest and back pains but heart tests great, x-rays showed double pneumonia. So we left next morning to return home. She has now been moved to nursing home and we are in hopes PT will help her get strength back so she can return to her home and DF-I-L will be able to take care of her. . . both in 90's and refuse to leave their home. Strange thing is she has not coughed the first time except when doctor asks her to cough...he never seen pneumonia much less double pneumonia without a cough. Still on oxygen and is responding to medication.

ALERT---A GREAT GIVEAWAY

Go by and visit SEW-FANTASTIC
Be sure to sign up for her wonderful giveaway of a package of Kona Solids.
She said it is 25 fat-quarters by Kona in their post popular colors. She gives a list of the colors.

ALERT---A GREAT GIVEAWAY

As many of you may know, I have such admiration for the Amish and their way of life. I am a huge fan of their quilts as well. So I was ecstatic when I found the A JOYFUL CHAOS BLOG.

Go over and visit A JOYFUL CHAOS a wonderful blog by a former Amish Lady. She shares her memories growing up Amish and also some about her present life. She is having a great giveaway.

She is giving away a copy of a book she recently read
She highly recommends it saying it really does tell about how life is among the Amish. Most of the other Amish books she has read do not tell it the way it really is living Amish.

Go over and visit her blog, leave a comment to enter in her giveaway.

MID-ATLANTIC QUILT FESTIVAL 2010

Yesterday DD and I headed out to Hampton to attend the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival being held this weekend at the Hampton Convention Center. We only had an hour or two but made good use of our short time there.

I think if you click on the picture you'll get a larger one of it..

This quilt, I am so sorry I do not have a full picture of it...the top is cut off as is part of the lower border... but it was SO AWESOME...I regret I did not take now the lady's name who made this memorial quilt in honor of her son's service in the US Army. He gave it all to keep our freedom. The center of it is actually his camouflage jacket.

I am more of the traditional quilter I love and do Log Cabins, Dresden Plate, Grandmother's Fan, Double Wedding Ring, etc. But, I also love the pictorial quilts though I have not bit the bullet to try on yet. At quilt shows they seem to be the ones I take pictures of...

I thought this was neat winter/spring scene.

I cut part of this off when I took it....I'm not sure if this was done by the lady who has done some of rooms in the past where you swore you were peaking through the door or window into someones house (living room, bedroom, kitchen)...and the colors in this one were more muted if she did this one...but right for this scene.
I am a nut about Christmas and this one needless to say I thought was wonderful...

I admire album quilts and would love to get up nerve to do one...this was a beautyThis one took my eye too...such precision...

Love this one...brought back memories of my childhood visiting my great-grandmother who raised chickens and sold their eggs to some family, friends local rural general store for extra "egg money" money.
Though I don't consider yo-yo quilts as being a quilt since no batting and now quilting...but I have made a yo-yo quilt and it takes as much time....I loved this one and now itching to take mine apart and rearrange it.
I am daffodil lover having grown up in a major daffodil growing area. I just loved it!!!
And being a huge baseball fan, having a daughter who was a local baseball all-star in Little League, Junior League, Senior League, AAU, JV and Varsity until she switched to softball in her Junior year in high school and a grand son who also was an all-star Little League, AAU and Junior League---he was also on the Red Sox teams in those leagues. Boston Red Sox is also his favorite team. I was naturally drawn to this one...
Those who know me I am a huge dog lover and also cat lover...dog and cat quilts always call out my name...


Love bays and oceans well all bodies of water and anything to do with sea life

A closer look


This was wonderful...
as was this one...
fan of blue and white...
another blue and white beauty



I did see a pattern for this one and purchased it.