Sunday, August 31, 2008

Disappearing 9 Patch


Here's the baby quilt I've been working on. Tell me--are the colors and all okay? What do you think?

Happy Labor Day and hope you have a wonderful time with your family and friends.

Blessings,

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Baby pigs




Here they are! In the upper right photo, do you see the little pigs laying on top of their mother?
Pretty neat, huh?
DV is adjusting pretty well. Thank you for your prayers.
I've been working on the Disappearing 9 Patch baby quilt and will post a picture soon.
Blessings,


Monday, August 25, 2008

Darling Visitor

We have a darling visitor in our household; henceforth, known as DV. We picked DV up Saturday. Everything seems to be going well. DV was in an abusive situation. DV has cerebral palsy and a family member was abusing DV. I need an education, folks. Anyone out there that can tell me about cerebral palsy? Please email me. DV gets around pretty good. We got DV's electric chair all charged up and DV was riding around all over the yard and having a big time. DV recently became a Christian and has lots of questions. I would appreciate your prayers for DV.

It is the first day of school for many area schools. This is my DD's first day as a teacher. She is teaching 8th grade gifted and talented science. She will be perfect for this position. Her ulitmate goal is to teach high school chemistry.

We have two more litters of pigs; the last being born last night. I went to take a picture last Friday and camera batteries were down. Later today I will go down and take pictures.

I haven't done anything quilt related lately besides price new merchandise. I'm not sure I'm liking the fabric choices for the Disappearing 9 Patch baby quilt but will make it work. I won a door prize at Kraz-z Quilters Wednesday. A "green" shopping bag, a can of roasted pecans (hidden from DH)LOL, and a basil plant (which I am going to repot and put on my kitchen window sill). I didn't get to go to Paradise Piecemakers Saturday. But that's okay.

Blessings,

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Another give-away



Molly's Place is having a give-away. Seems as though she has been cleaning out her sewing room. Sounds like a good idea. I do but in a few days it looks the same! Anyway, head on on over if you would like to sign-up for her give-away.

Oh, and I'm still working on what I will give away when I reach 100 posts. Seems as though I can't add. I think I am closer to 90 than 100. But it is coming! Gives me more time to work up something nice, huh?

The baby quilt above is one I made for my great niece. I have heard from quilters and quilting bloggers how they were never thanked for their gift of a quilt. I have been so blessed that my nephew has really valued this little quilt.

Forgot to tell you. We have a new litter of pigs. They were born Monday night. First time mother with eight little piglets. I will get a picture. We have two more due this weekend. It's August, time for show pigs to be born!
Hugs, to everyone.

Blessings,

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

BIL is better

DH's brother is doing well. They did find a blockage and put in two stints today. Thank you for your prayers.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Wonderful Rain

We traveled to San Angelo this weekend and it rained all day Saturday into the night and again all day on Sunday. Wonderful. They need it soo bad in their area. We got home last night and not a drop had fallen but last night there was a little and now it is really coming down. Praise the Lord! Wonderful, wonderful rain. In anticipation I planted more squash seeds to keep the produce coming.

We went to San Angelo to see DH's niece who was visiting from the UK. And on Sunday got to be apart of DGS' baptism. He is my daughter's step-son and seven years old. They had the baptism at a nearby lake because their church doesn't have a baptistry yet. It wasn't raining but threatening during the entire ceremony. As soon as the last prayer was said we had time to get to our cars before it poured.

Then last night the phone rang and DH's youngest brother (niece's dad, the niece visiting from UK) went to the hospital with chest pains. They will do a stress test today at 10:30. Please keep him in your prayers. Niece is due to fly back Thursday. I'm glad she was here for her mother. So today I am keeping ready in case we need to make an emergency trip.


And here are pictures of our field trip last week to Frances' Fabrics. I grabbed a shopper in the store and asked her to take our picture. Sorry for the lighting. In the first picture left to right are Kathleen, Jan in the back, Dixie, and myself. In the second picture are my MIL's quilting group. DMIL is second from the right. We ate at the Magnolia Tea Room and then stopped at two other cute shops before heading home.

And I decided to do a Disappearing 9 Patch for the baby quilt DD asked me to do for her pastor and his wife's baby (little girl) who is due in a week. I have never done one and was intrigued by the idea. The last photo is the backing fabric. I hope it turns out really cute. I purchased all but two of the fabrics from Frances' Fabrics.





I haven't got all the blocks made yet so the blocks aren't laid out quite like I will lay them. So the two purple florals will not be sewn that close together. I may have it way too scrappy!

I missed guild meeting Saturday. But hopefully I won't miss Paradise Piecemakers this Saturday. I have really missed meeting with them.

May God bless you all,

Monday, August 11, 2008

I Won

Wow, I won a giveaway at Quilty Threads and Other Things. That is amazing! Okay, I plan on having a giveaway when I reach my 100th post. I think this makes 92. I will get some things together and post a picture. Ya'll pass it around, please, so lots of folks get a chance at winning. Just to give a hint--the pattern to make 4 Patch Stacked Posies by H.D. Designs will be included. I gotta spread this addiction, right?


Tomorrow myself and several ladies from Kraz-z Quilters are taking our field trip to Frances' Fabrics. AND my DMIL called and her group will there tomorrow, too. Maybe I should call Frances and warn her. I've got to get a list together of fabrics and yardages I need. I know you will be with me in quilty spirit. I will take my camera; promise. (Putting it in my purse right now.) Okay, done.

Not much else going on around here. I picked more blackeyed peas and shelled them. Still picking some zucchini and yellow squash. I am getting a few cucumbers and the okra is starting to produce well. We had a little rain; not much really. It is cloudy and cooler this morning; 78 degrees F. The last two days it has been 100+. I had a horrible headache Saturday and the effect of it wore onto Sunday. I believe it is heat related. I'm not out in the heat, mind you, but it wears on a body.

Since it's cooler this morning; I will see if I can liberate some more okra plants.

Blessings,

Friday, August 08, 2008

Need some inspiration?

If you do or even if you don't (LOL) -- visit Rhonda. She has a fantastic sense of color. Have a wonderful weekend and see you back here on Monday.

Blessings,

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Giveaways

I have entered a giveaway and you can too at Quilty Threads and Other Things. And at Lila Tueller Designs a fabulous giveaway. She is giving away two great prizes. Do you know of other giveaways? Leave a comment and I'll pass it on.

Blessings,

Piggy stuff



Thought you might like to see some of my piggy stuff. Two are cookie jars and some are salt shakers and the pink and purple ceramic one--made by DGD Aimee (it has scotch tape--she dropped it before she gave it to Nanaw, bless her heart) and the two pigs wrestling/cuddling I bought for DH. I have more throughout the house but I haven't dusted so you aren't going to see them yet. We are expecting two litters in a little over a week. And then another a week later. It will be the piggy maternity ward around here for awhile.

We had cooler temps yesterday and today. Humidity, yes, but cooler. I picked blackeyed peas this morning and liberated some more okra from the grass. "You are set free little okra; now grow up and make us proud."

This is the empty pie plate. I was in too big a hurry to take a picture Wednesday before we ate it. The Zucchini Pie was good. I want to tweak it a little. It was a little watery. And it needed some more spices of some kind. The recipe called for cayenne pepper. There was no way that I was going to subject 80 and 90 year old little ladies to cayenne pepper. And no, Jan, no cinnamon. Did I tell you that story? No? At retreat Jan cooked a couple dishes for us. She looked in the cabinet for some spices having forgotten to bring some. And all she found was cinnamon. Yes, sigh, cinnamon. We had some garlic bread left over from the lasagna meal I took and we all got hungry Tuesday evening. Jan and Dixie (they're sisters) went in the kitchen to rummage us up something. They took grated cheese, black olives, some mayo, not sure what else, and you guessed it--cinnamon and spread on the garlic bread and heated it up. It smelled really good. I took my first bite not knowing there was cinnamon in it. What a surprise! And me being me said, "It has cinnamon in it!" Jan said, "That was the only spice in the cabinet." Okay. VERY DIFFERENT! We had some good laughs. That wasn't the end of our "only cinnamon" episode. Sigh, no, it was repeated the next morning at breakfast. Kathleen made us Big Mama's French Toast and yes, it has cinnamon; IT'S SUPPOSED TO. Jan thought we needed some protein to go with all that sweet. She made us a sausage/scrambled egg cheese thingy that was really good. Alas, first bite -- you guessed it. Cinnamon! And me being me said, "It's got cinnamon in it." And Jan said, "It is the only spice in the cabinet." I am going to make sure I take some spices next time.

Oh, by the way, the first batch of Zucchini Jam I made I used peach jello. Okay. The next I used apricot jello. Really good. Last year when I made it-just once last year- used strawberry jello. Again okay. I will be making more with apricot jello. I have some raspberry jello. Hmmmmm. And no, no cinnamon.LOL
If you haven't guessed already; no, there isn't anything quilting going on right now. But I am expecting an order in from a supplier. Mostly books and patterns are coming this time. We talked yesterday at Kraz-z Quilters about getting easily distracted. I think I am going to get easily distracted when that order comes in. "Shhh! blackeyed peas, I will shell you later."
Blessings,

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Blooming 9 Patch Hopeful


Here are three fabrics I have picked so far for the Blooming 9 Patch I want to make. After taking the picture I really like how these look together; I think. Question is--what fabric do I go for next? I was going to use the more yellow piece in the center but after seeing the photo I think the one with the most white is the better choice. There is some green and dark rust/maroon in the yellow fabric if I go with it for my third choice. Oh, I don't know what to do! I hope to go shopping at a nice little shop that has 42% off til the 14th for the rest of the fabric. Anybody for a field trip?


Today, I am making more Zucchini Bread and Zucchini Jam. And tomorrow I am trying out a Zucchini Pie on my Kraz-z Quilers. It is like a quiche. I'll let you know. Oh, by the way, the Zucchini Jam got DH approval. Yes! No, "Marmaduke Puke".


Blessings,

Monday, August 04, 2008

Mary's Quilting Notes: Flower Box Quilt

Mary's Quilting Notes: Flower Box Quilt is a baby quilt I want to make soon. Very simple yet it has such impact! After I do some others first, LOL.

Saturday, August 02, 2008

Blackeyed Peas and Zucchini Jam



I picked blackeyed peas this morning and then shelled them this afternoon. I also made a batch of zucchini jam. I did taste the jam. I'm not sure DH is going to like it. I made a Pear Marmalade years ago and he called it "Marmaduke Puke". Both the Pear Marmalade and the Zucchini Jam have pineapple in them. Anyway I pureed the zucchini and pineapple after cooking the zucchini then I made the jam. Only time will tell on it's fate. BUT the Zucchini Bread I made and posted last post has all been eaten. We both liked it immensely. I plan on baking another loaf tomorrow.
Blessings,