WOW check this out

http://hugsnkisses.typepad.com/hugsfromhelen/Helen is graciously giving away a whole set of her newest redwork patterns>>> Twas the Night Before Christmas and they are beautiful. What could be better than and Christmas wallhanging in Redwork???? Nothing that I can think of. So go check it out and add your name to the giveaway list. :)

Vintage Thingie Thursday

Taking it outside again this week, the weather was great today so I thought I would share some of our flowers at the same time. I honestly can't take credit for the awesome flowers, that is all Hubby's doings. HE LOVES THE FLOWER BEDS. I should do a post about them one of these days. He does such a good job taking care of the lawn, the rock garden, the flower beds and the veggie garden. :) Thought I would give him a little credit this week since it is Fathers Day this weekend. ALSO our 29th Wedding Anniversary. :) there are numbers and names underneath the rust on the milk cans too. They are on either side of our entry way to our screened in porch. These came from my Dad's Mothers Family Farm.

My Newest Project

9 patch blocks, aren't these too cute. I just love them. I got the fabric (all except the brown cent square) from Whimsie Dots on etsy.

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=67560

she is awesome to work with, check out her stuff. she picks and chooses for you and EVERYTHING. so I got a customized bundle. What could be better. The bronw is also going to be sashing so when I get some more put together I will post them. :)

Vintage Thingie Thursday

Here are a couple of photos of things from my Great Aunt Leona (I always say I am a direct descendant of Ole and Lena because my Great Aunt and Uncles names were Olof and Leona Johnsrud) can't get much more Norwegian than that. The pillow is just 2 dish cloths sewed together with yarn woven thru it. My Great Aunt gave this to me years ago, I lived with them while I was in college and that was YEARS AGO. The 50th Anniversary plate is also from them. they have been gone for over 20 years so this is an old plate. I think it was handed down thru the family too, it is a Japanese Plate. There is a vase too but the vase picture was too blurry to show up. You can sort of see part of it in the plate photo. :) Great keepsakes to have.

Vintage Thingie Thursday

This weeks post is all about my Dad, he would have been 91 yesterday, he died 2 years ago and I MISS HIM EVERY DAY. These are some of the photos I have of him. They are precious to say the least. Thanks for sharing with me. He is the one kneeling on the far left with the calf and he is the older boy in the family photo. :) And that is him with his favorite two things when he was young, his gun and his dog. :) He always was an animal lover. :)

Finished a Project

So all this wool talk got me motivated. I have had this felted sweater for some time and wanted to make a purse out of it, so Sunday I worked on it and finished it. The only thing I will do differently on the next one is find a belt for the handle instead of the sweater sleeves, so now I guess I will be haunting the thrift stores looking for the perfect belt for this one, a little "resewing" never hurt anyone. :) so what does everyone think???

WE have 2 WINNERS

Julia Marie and Super Fun Mama, I emailed both of you so get back to me ASAP. Thanks for everyone who entered, it was fun reading all the comments and just because you didn't win doesn't mean I didn't like your ideas or that you can't come back and visit me any time. :) This was fun and I will definately be entering again next time Sew Mama Sew does her thing. :) Thanks again to everyone who entered. :)

May Giveaway Day

JUST GOT THE OK, I am also giving away a small wool applique kit so actually I will have 2 winners. Just thought I would throw this in there. :) Enjoy all the fun giveaways.

May Giveaway Day

Everyone join in, this should be FUN. I missed out on the last one, don't intend to miss out on this one too. I am giving away some of my wool stash, possibly some hand dyed, possibly a little kit. Don't want anyone to be disappointed, these are a few of my hand dyed wools, I have some solids and some tweeds too, whatever I decide it will be nice I promise. This is wool out of my personal stash.

I will pick the winner by the person who has the most creative answer to "What will you do with the wool" I am Not looking for the answer "use it in an applique project"

This time around I think I will just mail with in the USA (Sorry Int'l bloogers), this is my first time, and I want to see how it goes. If it goes well, I will make sure do ship int'l next time around.

I will pick the winner on May 31st and ship my little gift by June 3rd, probably sooner.

Have FUN!!!!!!!!!! BE CREATIVE and come up with a plan.

http://www.sewmamasew.com/media/blog/MayGiveawayDay.jpg

http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=805

Vintage Thingie Thursday

I decided to take it outside this week. Hubby went to CLEAN SWEEP for the township (Where you take all your old paint cans etc) and came home with these two wicker chairs, just need a little paint and they will be good as new. The CHICKEN FEEDER (Yes it really is an old chicken feeder) My Girlfriend did a little decorating on and gave it to me to put plants in. It has been too cold to get it planted yet but hopefully this weekend we can get some plants in it. We put DUSTY MILLERS in the bottom and wave petunias in the top. LOOKS PRETTY COOL when we get it all done up. IT is GOOD TO BE BACK. Haven't been able to get here for the past couple of weeks, DD moved home and into my sewing room (Where my computer is) so time is precious in there now. :)

Some Garden Photos

Here are some pics of our flower beds, the rock garden is a WIP, we are making it bigger (Higher and wider) you can see behind the wall that it is mowed, we are going to expand it there. Never mind the hole in the door or the dead hanging basket, it is still too cold here to put out bedding plants or anything. The pansies wintered over all by themselves. TOUGH LITTLE THINGS and they have been blooming ALL SPRING, thru the snow, cold, frosts (Last night we had another frost) etc. So I had to take a photo of the hardy little things. our Hen N Chix is doing good too, we planted that last year, the phlox you can see in the pansie photo are a year or so old too. We need ot paint the grating underneath the deck too. YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK AT THE PLANTS NOT THE REST OF THE STUFF, oh yea, the bird bath was a Mothers Day Present a couple of years ago and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.

May Give Away Day

Sew Mama Sew is having a HUGE Give Away, this is the same thing they did earlier only better. Here is a link to the post. Everyone who ever wanted to join a Give Away should check this one it. It is going to be SOO MUCH FUN. I haven't quite decided what I am going to give away but whatever it is, it will be GOOD.

http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/?p=805

Vintage Thingie Thursday

Here are some of the things from my little suitcase last week, my photos never show up in the order I think they are going to so I won't try to explain what they are, but these were all a Christmas Present from My Parents a few years ago, my Mom knows I am crazy over this sort of stuff and these are all from my Grandma on my Mom's side. she was a seamstress in a small town in Wisconsin. There are more but these are some of my favorites that are in there. I can remember from the time I was little how much I loved playing with her buttons and fabric, she died when I was 16 and I never really got to quilt with her but I have all her buttons, all her handiwork (There is some hardanger in there too) but I wish I had more time to quilt with her. :) I still have all the doll clothes she made for my Barbie Dolls too. Some day I will do them for Vintage Thingie Thursday. Go check out http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/ to see everyone's Vintage Thingie's. :)

Vintage Thingie Thursday

My Computer is up and running WOOOHOOO, so tonight I decided to put something good on here, I have had this suitcase since I was a little Girl (And my Little Girls have birthdays today and they are 24) so that should give you an idea how old my suitcase is, I have another one too but I will save that for another Vintage Thingie Thursday, this one is full of vintage linens as you can see. It sits in my sewing room where I see it every day, it is one of my favorite vintage things, love the star lining too. Go check out http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/ for her Vintage Thingie Thursday, there are lots of links to other peoples cool oldies but goodies too.

I GOT MY COMPUTER BACK!!!!!

Lesley's (OH SO NICE 1st DD) wonderful boyfriend came and hooked up my computer for me, seems I had the wireless thing hooked up to the wrong plug in or something like that. Anyway, it is great to have it back. I missed it alot.

Yesterday I took a quilty trip down to Rosemont to the Int'l Quilt Festival. WOOHOOOO. So much fun, didn't spend much money but wish I had more time to take a 2nd trip around the vendors, it was SOOOO BUSY, I kept marking places I wanted to go back to but of course, NEVER GOT THERE, so that was a tad bit disappointing but other than that it was a great day. I got a couple of patterns and some moleskin thimble like things that I absolutely LOVE. I wanted to take pictures but everything I wanted to take pictures of had no photography signs in front of it. :( There were some beautiful quilts there tho. I also got to meet the Girls from
www.lastingtreasure.com. Chatted with them a little bit about "Sophie" they are so talented and creative, I LOVE THAT THEY SHARE THEIR TALENTS!!!!!!!!!!

Vintage Thingie Thursday

I am late (still no computer but it is getting closer to home, in the trunk of oldest DD's car and it should be here TOMORROW) anyway, here is my Vintage thingie for this week, this is my ANTIQUE (From the 1890's) Doll Quilt, it is hanging in my sewing room because I don't want to let the dolls have it, they will sit on it in their rocking chairs, this way it is there for everyone to see. My BFF (Toni) got it for me at a flea market for $15.00 including the hanger!!!!!!!!!! WOW, I am going junking with her from now on. LOL. LOVE IT and couldn't think of anywhere else I would rather see it. :) Jeanne

Vintage Thingie Thursday

Didn't get my computer back yet, but figured out how to save pics on DD's computer, so here we go. This little honey came from DMIL when she moved into Assisted Living, it has a Ben Franklin Sticker on the bottom that says $1.19 on it!!!!!!!! Isn't it beautiful??? it is wooden and that is a real cameo on the front of it, inside is a locket with my Great Grandmothers photo in it and the other vintage jewelry came with the box from Grandma. It sits on the Bookshelf that my Uncle made me when I was a little girl, that is where I put alot of my oldies but goodies. :) Check out http://coloradolady.blogspot.com/2009/04/vintage-thingie-thursday-vintage.html

to see the rest of the Vintage Thingie Thursday things. :)

QUILTY WEEKEND

Still no computer so still no pictures but this weekend was 1 of our 2 quilty weekends. There are anywhere from 10-20 of us that get together, quilt, chat, eat etc. for the weekend. This weekend I only took my embroidery because I was coming home early, I got my 3rd block done and started on these, I FELL IN LOVE WITH THESE LITTLE CUTIES: Go to Free Block of the Month at the top of the page and once you get to that page see on the right it says Sophie Block of the Month, click on that and VOILA, she is TOOO CUTE, so that is what I am working on now. Also got a 40% off coupon to Michaels so I think I am going to buy myself a light box, I have been using the window (Great tool if there is enough light) but one of the girls at the retreat had a light box and what a difference that made. Then she told me they are only around $20.00 with the coupon so I am definately check that out. :) WOOOHOOO.

www.lastingtreasure.com

Wed Night

Can't do Vintage Thingie because my Computer is at the fix it shop, but I am going to check out everyone else's neat stuff and if you scroll down a little there is a post about sewing spaces, if you check that out on the book shelf and on my ammo. box you can see 2 vintage sewing baskets, also my vintage rocking chair and there is plenty of other vintage stuff in there, just not big pics. :) Hope you enjoy it anyway, and everyone go check out http://greenfairyquilts.blogspot.com/2009/03/its-time-for-jelly-roll-giveaway.html

She is having a great moda jelly roll giveaway. :) I would wish everyone good luck but I am planning on winning so I don't want to be a bad winner. LOL.

Where I create (and dream)

This is in response to Where do you Create on this blog,

http://bloominworkshop.wordpress.com

thought it would be fun to share, I didn't do the whole room altho I could have it is pretty small. 1st pic is my favorite place to sit, Addy moves for me so I can do my hand work in My Grandma's Rocker with her old floor lamp behind me, just a nice peaceful place to sit and stitch, 2nd pic is my pegboard and my Ikea rail, I love both of them, the pegboard looks a little tacky but I have so much stuff on there I would hate to give it up, thought about painting it the same color as the wall but then I thought that might not look so good either, 3rd pic is of some of my storage area, the bookshelf has a mate, but DD #2 stole that from me and is using it in her room, the box (With all the wool and magazines on top of it) is an old ammunition box that I got at an auction for $5.00 WOW it holds lots of magazines as you can see, also to the right of the bookshelf>>>>that binder is full of more magazines, that seems to be one of my downfalls, is magazines, can't throw them away but can't keep collecting them either. I have 2 vintage boxes (not in the pictures) full of doilies, dresser scarves, tatting, hardanger etc. that I have sitting around in the room, oh yea, forgot that Log Cabin block that is framed and sitting at the foot of the rocker, I have about 7 of those cut up and framed, the quilt was SOOO DAMAGED, but some of the blocks were still good so I saved them and framed them, they are also some of my favorite things in my room, and I can't forget my Vintage Aprons (that is what is hanging by the bookshelf and the ammo. box) so there you have my creative and dreaming space. I LOVE IT, when I moved in this room I didn't think I would like the blue walls, but you know what they grow on you and now I LOVE THEM.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Nothing too exciting today, the snow we got yesterday (3" or so) is melting nicely, I have been working on my embroidery block #3 and that is about it. Just had to share this, my Girlfriend is quite talented I (the Amish in her area trade her fabric for her to do quilting for them) and she is designing blocks from Little House on the Prairie Series, here is Laura with her Doll Charlotte she made me a card and sent it to me. Thought I would add a little cutie to the Sunday Blogging Community. :)

Just A LITTLE NOTE

She is having a great giveaway of Anna Maria Horners Good Folks Fabric, go over and check it out, you have until April 3rd I think. GOOD LUCK.

http://wondermommy.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/good-folks-giveaway/

Vintage Thingie Thursday

Well I am a little early I think but won't have time later to do this so here we go, these are 6 of my WAY TOO MANY TO COUNT Vintage Feedsacks. I really should do something with them sometime, but I love having them and I can't cut them up I MIGHT NEED THEM FOR SOMETHING IMPORTANT SOME TIME!!!! I am like that with EVERY FABRIC I COLLECT, I think I might need it, I started collecting Feedsacks about 10 years ago when my DFIL (Who sadly died at 94 years old 2 years ago this month) brought home 2 big boxes of print feedsacks he had gotten at an auction for $1.00 a box because no one wanted them, so he gave them both to me, since then I collect them when ever I find them for a decent price, haven't ever found any bargains like that but I do find them every now and then. The colors are so vibrant and the fabric is great to work with, as old as these are (From the 1930's and 40's) they still wash up nice, no damage from years of storage either. MINE ARE SPECIAL TO ME. Hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I love playing with them. I take them out, refold them, sort thru them and put them back in the boxes on a not so regular basis.

Went Junking Today

Came home empty handed except for a new australian magazine I hadn't seen before, I think it is called Home made or Hand Made, has some cute projects in it. Seems like there are more and more of the Australian Magazines being sold here in the U.S. which I love since it is new material to check out. Also called my Girlfriend at the candle store and ordered some of her unscented tea lights to go with the lamp oil I buy from her, if you want some great smelling candles, this is the place to go, she has awesome candles. And she does make them in her spring house too. :) No big projects to show off, well I have some but they aren't done, I actually should be working on them. I decided to make Hamburger Soup for supper, MMMM GOOD, 1 # hamburger browned, 1/3 c. barley, 4 c. of water with beef bouillon added, a couple of bay leaves, cook that in the crock pot all day on low to medium, I get home from work around 5, put in 1/2-3/4 bag of frozen soup veggies and turn up the crock pot to high, let it cook another hour and VOILA>>>AWESOME SUPPER, I add some breadstix and we are good to go. One of my favorite crock pot recipes.

http://www.springhousecandles.com/

2nd Embroidery BOM done

TONS OF STITCHING LATER, here is BOM #2, it is a tad bit wrinkley, I haven't ironed it yet, it has been in a hoop or folded up in my stitching bag for quite some time while I worked on it. It turned out really nice I think. The pictures don't do them justice, the color of the background is a light army green (VINTAGE ALL THE WAY) and the sashing is going to be VINTAGE LINENS that are all in pastels. I can't wait to get this one finished. Should be right up my Vintage Alley. :)

Boring Thursday Night

Basketball is on, High School and the NCAA, so there isn't anything exciting on tv that I want to watch, Hubby is busy watching high school basketball tournaments, I will watch tomorrow when a little town not too far from us is playing. I could ( and should be) doing some hand work but it is getting too late and Dandy (puppy) is a little annoying tonight so I can't accomplish much without her "helping" me with what ever it is I am trying to do. I am impatiently waiting for spring to arrive. We still (HONESTLY WE DO) have some snow patches on the ground on the hillsides, but most of it is gone. I want to get out and work in the flower beds and want to sit out on my front porch and read, speaking of reading, anyone got any suggestions for some good books to read? I have Water for Elephants and I think I might start that soon but haven't yet. Just haven't been quite in the mood but now that it is getting warmer out and I can hit the hiding spot (FRONT PORCH) soon I am getting in the mood. Front porch is my favorite spot to read and do my hand work, I can listen to the creek, the birds (sometimes they get a little noisy tho) and the wind blow thru the trees and relax and enjoy the fresh air. WOW, sound sappy or what??? LOL. Hubby is going to put up the Blue Bird Houses this weekend, hopefully we will get a pair or two f them to nest in our new boxes. I see them every year but this will be the 1st year we have put out houses for them, I am excited.

Vintage Thingie Thursday

here are 3 of my Apron Collection, too late at night to take pics of all of them so these were the 1st three that came off the hangers for me. The first one with the bubbles is one of my favorites (who am I kidding, they are all my favorites) but I LOVE this ONE, the piping is too cute, and the pockets are piped too the 2nd one is different, the part that goes around your neck is Purple Velvet Ribbon, so soft and squishie, and it has embroidered flowers around the top and the bottom, other than that it is just an old feedsack apron, the 3rd one isn't as old as the other 2 but again another one of my favorites, there are 2 pics of this just because it has pockets and the pockets are so cool, they are piped with some sort of binding, not sure what it is and this one has a front midde and two side pieces, the pockets are on the center front piece and the side pieces are on the other side of the piping for the pockets, another different one. I will do some more on another day, Hope you enjoy these. :) Ok, now that I uploaded them, they are opposite of the number system I used. Bubbles is the last one. :)

Monday

Well the temps got up to around 65 degrees today but still have snow on the hillsides, hoping they are gone tomorrow, we might make it to 70 WOOHOOO!!!!!!!!! Dandy and I went for a little walk up the driveway when I got home from work and Rita (our outside Cat) came with us, a black/white cat, a black/white dog and I walking up the driveway, must have been quite a site.

Also wanted to let you know about a great giveaway, http://familyandflowers.blogspot.com/

Darla is giving away Soy Candles, check out her blog and make a comment and who knows, you just might win, OH WAIT, I AM GOING TO WIN, LOL. :)

WOW

I think Spring is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER HERE!!!! The weather has been great for the whole weekend, temps in the 50's and the sun has been out both days. Dandy (the puppy) and I went outside and sat on the porch for awhile today, that is one of the things (If not THE THING) that I LOVE about this house, my front porch, it looks out over the valley and I can read, do hand work, or just sit and contemplate. Today I filled the bird feeders and Dandy and I watched the birds fight over the food. We have morning doves, blue birds (But I haven't seen any yet this spring) tons of different types of wood peckers, at least 1 pair of Cardinals, a couple of pairs of blue jays>>>you hear them really early in the morning squacking (Sp) about who knows what. At night if I sit out there I can hear a hoot owl too. SOO PEACEFUL. Oh yea, I forgot about the coyotes at night, they aren't very peaceful right now, it is almost baby time so the females (They make all the noise>>IMAGINE THAT) are out howling most of the night back and forth to each other, it is quite disconcerting, it sounds like singing from people who don't know how to sing. Dandy isn't crazy about going out at night if they are howling. In front of the porch is a flower bed that has tons of perennials in it, hostas, phlox, and some others. It is spring so don't pay any attention to the brown ground or the dead hanging baskets, we will get that all taken care of when it is flower planting time (a couple of months yet) but in the meantime, enjoy my little corner of heaven, right here on my front porch.

:) we also have a little rock garden on the other side of the house that I will post some pics of when it looks better. And YES that is snow on the hillsides. We still have some snow around to remind us it isn't quite spring time yet.

Vintage Thingie Thursday

First off, Sorry to Colorado Lady, for some reason I couldn't post a message on your website. And I have nothing Green, Sorry, but I do have a Jewelry Jar, the jar is awesome and the jewelry inside the jar is better. There are fake pearls, real pearls, junk jewelry, good jewelry, etc. I never use or wear any of it, I LOVE LOOKING AT IT. I have some more but it is in a plastic zip loc bag (not near as cool as the jar) so I am on the lookout for a vintage jar or something to display that jewelry in too. :) AND PAY NO ATTENTION To the junk behind it on my IKEA rail and my peg board. LOL. Actually it doesn't look near a cluttered in person. LOL

Bad News at The Barn

We had to put our foal down this morning, he somehow got underneath the stall he was in and wandered down to the other end of the barn where he got caught up in a big farm gate, we bottle fed him for 3 days but decided everyone had suffered enough and he wasn't responding like we thought he should have. :( We are going to miss him, what a short little life he had. No chance to enjoy the green grass and pastures with his Momma.

Something New and Different to Talk About

OK, so I am a bad Mom, haven't been out to see our horses for awhile, no need to, the guy who boards them takes good care of them, he called us today and says "I went out to water the horses today and GUESS WHAT>>>>>CHILLI has a FOAL" Now that is a tad bit strange because we don't have a stallion, but a guy who boarded there when we moved there did, he has since moved his horses but apparentely not before he let his stallion in with our mares!!!!!!! Not that we need ANOTHER HORSE, we had 5 to start with, but he is SOOO CUTE AND SUCH A SWEETIE, so now we have to come up with a name, Mom is Chilli because the markings on her head look like the country Chile, looked for city names in Chile that would work (CLEVER HEY) but no good boy names there. TOO LONG and too hard to say when you are calling a horse, you want something short and catchy. I thought of Santana, and Whiskey (Because I am about ready to drink some to settle my nerves) so anyone got any suggestions or ideas?? ISN'T HE A CUTIE, right now he is PEE WEE, but we don't want to keep that name.