Amish Country

Trying to get ready to take off for a few days in Amish Country to soak up the simple life and hit the outlets to help the economy. Hope to find some of the local fabric shops too. Haven't had time to work on my scrap therapy and I could sure use sewing time to unwind but no time for it now. Must get ready!

NATIONAL QUILT DAY

Hope everyone had a nice National Quilt Day yesterday! I worked on my "Bloomin' Steps" for scrap therapy. I did get three rows completed. Some boo-boos in there. But when I ripped out and tried to correct they turned out worse!!! Made a bunch of blocks from more rows. HOWEVER, not enough to finish the main/center part---AND---that has to be completed in time for tomorrow night's class at six p.m.

Baby girl had us over to eat last night. Her DH cooked some sirloin steaks on the grill that were so good, she did french fries and some green beans that were yummy. Her sewing machine bobbin tension is acting up. Dr. Al is away for a couple weeks and has two weeks of work when he gets back---so I heard when I was in the shop Friday. There is a thing cracked that we are wondering if that is the problem. It has a drop in bobbin with out a bobbin case and I've never had a machine like that so am clueless how to help her. It does seem to me the thread on the bobbin isn't tight enough...just came to me...may have her rewind it to another bobbin and see if that helps.

Need to get back at the machine and sew some more rows...and see how many more blocks I need to cutout and sew together. Have to make a Costco run today, too.

Will post picture of what I have done so far on "Bloomin' Steps" later.

Scrap Therapy, My Giveaway

I worked on my Scrap Therapy's "Bloomin' Steps" Quilt this weekend. Made a lot of the two different small blocks, sewed some of those into blocks. Have ten or twelve blocks done. Have a stack of the small ones stacked up to sew the final step to make the complete block. Counted them to make sure I had enough to make the total required.......MERCY.......when I finish sewing these together I won't have Half of the required blocks made! Guess I'll be burning the midnight oil a few nights!


Liz of Lizards Little Luxuries who won my giveaway and lives in Australia emailed that she received the package and likes it. Can't wait to see what she creates with it!

SCRAP THERAPY---STARTING ANOTHER QUILT

Monday night I went to Scrap Therapy at Nancy's Calico Patch and we started a new quilt. It appeared to be all of the same group from the "Charming Buds" Quilt we did the last time. This time we are doing "Bloomin' Steps" We arrived with our boxes of squares in two different sizes. I took these ---
and these

We also took strips cut from our background fabrics. We sewed the small squares to the narrow strips,

Pressed them open and got this--

which we cut apart and sewed two of these units into small blocks.

The larger of the squares we had prepared we cut and got these---

Which we sewed to background pieces and got small blocks like these--

The left over part of the squares we are saving to use in the borders at the next meeting. Here's some of mine--

We took two of each type of the small blocks and we got these larger blocks.

Our homework is to make the required amount of these blocks and have them sewn together for the center part of the quilt for the next meeting in two weeks. When we well move on to do the piping and the first border.

SATURDAY & SCRAP THERAPY

Saturday started with fried salt herring for breakfast. Then off to helping the economy with running some errands....a trip to Sam's, Wal-mart, Dunk-in Donuts, and home. DD came over with the grandbabies. They were outside blowing bubbles and drawing on the sidewalk with chalk. Next we all went to BJ's where the older two love driving the car attached to the shopping cart they have there. Stopping by What-A-Burger for lunch. Their fryer was broken so no fries or apple pies but the hamburgers/cheeseburgers were still tasty. Back home DD took the girls over to their house as it was naptime.

Papa and I were watching the USA team versus Canada in the world tournament (not sure of the correct name of the tournament) being played this year in Canada with teams from various countries around the world. Miss Daisy, one of our kitties--the one who has been so ill for over a year with kidney problems then thought she had lymphoma and all of a sudden a couple months ago rallied doctor no longer feels she has cancer and is feeling chipper as can be, she jumped up on the table and was watching the game for a good hour.

When USA won she jumped down and went on about her way.

When the girls woke up from their naps their mommy took the oldest two to the Living Museum where they saw fish, turtles and alligators and baby sissy decided to stay home and come over and play with Nana and Papa.While she and Papa were playing I started some extra cutting squares for Scrap Therapy's Blooming Steps Quilt that we are starting Monday night at Nancy's Calico Patch. I cut some of the small squares to add to my collection. This quilt requires a PILE of small squares. Over a thousand of them as I recall.

And some medium size squares..

While I was at it I cut some of the largest size squares to add to my collection of them even though this quilt doesn't call for them.

Tomorrow afternoon I need to cut the strips and squares from the background fabric.

GIVEAWAY I WON ARRIVED, SNOW & BABY GRANDBABY

Look what arrived in my mailbox today all the way from Canada!

This is what was inside from Lynn of UFO's, Stash and My Life. Go by and pay her a visit! This is the first giveaway and only giveaway I've won! See what was inside the envelope! A Jelly Roll of Moda's Maypole fabric.

Aren't the colors delicious!

More from the side views...

And another view from the side...

Such wonderful SPRING shades!

I was in my favorite haunt --Nancy's Calico Patch and purchased this book last week. I thought it would be pretty done up using this jelly roll. She has this line on the bolt...needless I"ll be going back and buying some of it for the borders, backing and such.

Thanks so VERY MUCH Lynn!!! I am beyond THRILLED!!!

Here is a view from my backdoor looking to the back corner of the lot...taken Monday morning.

Look who is moving all around the floor as I'm blogging---the five month old grandbaby while her older 2 & 3 year old sisters are napping. She started out lying on Mr. Froggy playing with the hanging frog/bug/fish the rolled over and started moving backwards.

Went backwards into the desk and chair.Once she got into sitting position for a few seconds...got too excited and rolled backwards. She's now napping on Papa's chest.

GIVEAWAY

Go here Visit Vanessa and sign up for her giveaway. Aren't these fabrics just luscious?