The day after!

The storm is over and tonight the moon is out, all is good.

We had a lot of wind and one tree that came down, on my fence, so that has to be fixed.

Our village was under water and today we drove through to see how things were. You could see the water that was still around the homes and a few with pumps, getting the water out of the basements.

Usually a boat or two gets thrown into someones yard, but today, just one left it's mooring. 

Since we were in the village, I decided I wanted to go see the old church. When I was a kid, I went to a  Baptist church in town and we would hold special services in the Old Narragansett Church. It is the oldest Episcopal church in the Northeast, built in 1707.

Here is the church from the side with the old gravestones. Now it is open for tours only.

We decided to take a drive south and go to the URI bay campus. It is a nice place to enjoy the views of the bay and the coastlines. There were still some waves and this poor guy couldn't sit and relax for long, before he got hit with one.

And a few were just too much, so he had to get off the rock when those hit. It was nice to get out and I hope that the rest of the states are able to get back to enjoying their lives again.

Sunday Seas!

Today we prepared for the storm, all loose items and the screen tent came down. Plenty of water and food, just in case. Then we took a ride to the Beavertail Lighthouse in Jamestown. It was a bit cloud and a bit windy but still beautiful and not too many people.

It isn't just humans that like to watch the waves.

And there are some hardy souls who still love to fish in the surf.

After we enjoyed relaxing on the rocks, we went to Forty Getty which is an old fort that has underground bunkers from the war. Great place to enjoy some views of the inner bay and Dutch Island Lighthouse.

I also took a video if you would like to see the waves in motion and how hard it is to hold a camera still in the wind, lol. Tomorrow, the real storm comes, so we will be hunkering down and hoping the power stays on, but we do have a generator, just in case.

Saturday Stroll!

Today I got out and enjoyed the beautiful weather. The sun was out and it wasn't cold, what more could  you ask for in October. We decided to go to a place called Black Point. It has a path that follows the rocky coastline and ends at the state beach. The storm hasn't gotten close enough to effect the wave height, maybe tomorrow.

Today it was a day for fishing and we even got to see a guy catch a nice Black Bass.

 It is a great place to sit and relax and enjoy the views.

The rocks were a bit much for me, I kept tripping so we went back to the path. Bill spied this poor guy on the path. Someone must have stepped on him and he was dragging himself back to the bushes. We decided he was going to get squished again, so we put him in the grassy area under a bush.

This is a Praying Mantis.

We walked a bit on the beach, and then headed back. Beautiful view with the variations in the rocks.

Another nice surprise was a new path in the opposite direction. It is a gravel path that follows the coastline and then loops back around to the parking lot, so we got some extra walking in without the stress on my knees. I hope everyone stays safe from the storms.

Christmas Quilt Top Finished!

First a reminder, the voting for The Awesome Autumn Challenge, ends soon, so if you haven't voted, please visit and leave your vote. They are also doing  a new giveaway, so just leave a comment to be entered into the newest giveaway.

Today I finished the top part of my quilt and then I sewed that to the bottom blocks. I went with a simple homespuns green with stars for the border. It matches nicely and has a soft touch, so fun to work with, since the border is also the binding.

For the top, I took a design and spread it out to fit in the space. Now I just need to add the batting and back and I will do a simple black stitch in the blocks and around the border I will probably go with a tan, so it shows up. I even sewed the newest piece, wonky, so it matches the rest;)

The designs are by Tiffany of Primitive Blessings, all free designs.

For those of you who are in the storm's path, stay safe. I plan on enjoying the nice weekend, before we get hit with the wind and rain.

Punching and Putty Tat!

As most of you know, we got robbed when we were out paddling this summer. One of the things in my purse, was my punch needle sunglass case. So, I made another. This one is a little different with colors and I tried two ways of punching. I usually punch forward or a bit to the side, as you can see on most of the piece. On the sails, I punched sideways all the way around, which is the way you are supposed to punch. I do like the way it looks, the loops are more pronounced and aren't as smooshed looking. The light blob on the boat is my attempt at making mini initials, a failed attempt, lol.

Today we had a visitor, or I could say, I still have a visitor. This little guy came to visit and has decided to stay. My neighbor said it was one of her kittens and she gave it to the guy across the road. I guess he doesn't keep it in the house and he was attracted to my kitties in the window. He is quite the character and full of energy, so he doesn't sit still.

He sure looks like someone else we know;)

And he is still on my back porch, he is scared of what is out there and I feel so bad for him. I got a box and put an old towel in it and hopefully when it gets light, he will go home. Izzy is having a fit, growling and trying to attack him through the window. Moki wants to play with him. 

Mini Christmas Quilt Progress!

I had big plans this weekend and we all know what happens to those, lol. I had not time to work on my projects and when I did, I kept getting interrupted. Today I was able to finish the punching on my newest piece, tomorrow I can finish it off. I also worked on my Christmas stitchery blocks. These are all free designs from Primitive Blessings. I wanted to try some mini blocks with mine and then I added a sashing to each. I just put them on, I didn't pay attention to what colors were going where, so it is hit or miss. Then I sewed them together and as you can see, they are all wonky, just like me;)

I sewed them together so I could measure out the top piece, which is what I am working on now. Once I put that on, I will add a solid border and do primitive quilting on the edges of each block and the borders.

The weather has been beautiful and I finally got out for a walk. My cold is finally letting up so I need to  get my lungs back in shape and walking in the fresh cool air, is perfect.

Today I found this site that has a Free Calendar. Forty artists got together and made designs, so you can go to the blog and pick the art work that you like to make your own calendar. It is free and once you pick your owl art,  you can download the calendar and print it out.

This pond is down the road, so it is the perfect place to walk and it is 3 miles around the pond, so perfect exercise for the fall.

Snowed in ... Finished!

I worked on my new piece and finished it tonight. I added a border of various Christmas prints and then added a green border that has stars on it. I think it gave it just enough prim, but still fun. I am not sure if I should use walnut stain on it? What do you think?

The pattern is from Chickadee Hollow Designs and it was gifted to me by This-n-That Fabrics. There is still time to vote for your favorite quilt, if you haven't yet.

I still need to fix the bird, missed a spot with the marker and forgot the green for the leaves on the birdhouse. We won't mention the sloppy job I did on the border binding, my brain cannot think straight so that seems to be effecting my newest pieces, wait till you see my next one, talk about wonky, lol. I wonder if anyone would want this;) For the quilting, I used Lana wool thread.

Snowed In!

I bet  you expected a photo of a snow storm, lol. We did get an earthquake yesterday, that was my first experience with one. It started in Maine, but travelled all the way to RI and it shook the house.

Last month I won some free patterns from This-n-That Fabrics. Today I finally finished the stitching on one, it is called, Snowed In, Lovin' It, by Chickadee Hollow Designs. I thought it would make a nice gift for someone who likes to quilt. I used fabric markers for the colors, as it was done in the pattern.I think the extra color adds a fun touch and gives it some pop. I didn't add hair to her head, and I didn't read how to do the scarf and hat, I just hand knotted pieces to the spots and it didn't come out too bad.

If you haven't signed up to follow This-N-That Fabric's Blog, you should, they have lots of fun contests and right now they are still taking votes for the Awesome Autumn Challenge.

Now I have to figure out how I want to finish this piece. The original is in a frame and I like that idea, or I might make it into a mini quilt. I added a piece of batting before I stitched it to give it a more sculpted look, and it is a great way to hide the stitches.

Awesome Autumn Challenge!

This month This - n - That Fabrics hosted an Awesome Autumn Challenge. I entered my Gourdy's Gang in the contest. If  you would like to see the quilts that were entered and cast a Vote for your favorite quilt, please do. I enjoy challenges, they are fun and they get me to do things that I have been procrastinating on.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I am still coughing and resting, getting tired of resting, so time to push through this miserable cold and start finishing my projects.

Free Halloween Cross Stitch!

This hasn't been my month, I got the bad cold that is going around, so it is mostly resting for me. I have been working a little on my stitcheries, so hopefully I will have more done in a few days. I thought I would do up a little cross stitch to share with my visitors, and hope you like it. Usually I draw a design and then put it in the cross stitch maker which is easier. This time I drew it onto the cross stitch maker and redid things over and over until I got a design I could live with, lol.

Just a little something to have fun with, you can change it up, if you want or do it in stitchery or punch it, it is free use. I just use colors from the picker, so just use your favorite colors and I think it would look nicer with variegated threads for the pumpkins.

If you like to do wool appliqué, visit Wee Folk Art, she has a wonderful halloween kitty to do in appliqué.

Buttermilk Basin...Open House!

I know most of you are familiar with Buttermilk Basin's designs and have made one or two of them yourselves. Next month Miss Stacy will be teaming up with Karen of Farmhouse Woolens for a weekend of shopping, demonstrations and refreshments. Holiday music, warm cider and a chance to see the newest patterns, sounds like the perfect way to spend the weekend.

You can visit Stacy's blog to learn more about the open house and if you are not in the area, be sure to visit her website to see her newest patterns for the holidays, lots of wonderful new items.

Charity quilt top finished and Winner!

I guess a lot of you know me and with the blue strips, guessed it was a boat. I wanted to do something simple, since this is for babies and kids in the african orphanages and they will be washed a lot. I was going to machine stitch it, but my body gave out this week and it was easier to hand stitch in my chair. My stitching isn't the best, but it is sturdy;)

The finished size of the quilt is 44" x 55", to fit the size of the flannel backing. I was going to put that on today, but my brian wasn't working, so I cleaned house while I had the energy. If you would like to know more about the charity quilt drive, you can visit Rosemary Youngs blog for more information. They are easy to do and a good way to use stash and help others.

The camera makes the colors pop out, but I really like how they go together. I still have more of the fabric, so I will do a patch quilt with them. The boat design came from a book by Sara Sporer.

Here is a close up of the quilt, outside. You can see the fabrics and designs a bit better on this one. For the appliqué I used wash-n-gone. You sew it rights sides and turn it, so no needle turn, which makes it easier to sew quickly and easy to sew through. I messed up a bit on my points, but hopefully it will smooth out when I wash it.

 And now the winner of the giveaway.... Wendy of Ravenwood Whimzies! Congratulations Wendy, email me with your choice of an epattern or booklet from my ecrater store. And if you see this before midnight, I noticed that Wendy is having a giveaway too and it ends at midnight tonight!

What is it... Giveaway!

I started a new project yesterday, another charity quilt for the kid's orphanage in Africa, sponsored by Rosemary Youngs. Rosermary has also put up some new free patterns, this week.

Of course I get an idea in my head and I have to try it, lol. So, I made the top and now I am adding an appliqué. I was going to machine quilt it, but my body is not cooperating and I need to sit in my comfy chair, so that leaves hand stitching. It will take another day, but I will have it done by friday... I hope;)

What do you think I am making to put on the top? What is the applique and here is a teaser piece. I know, not much help, but have fun guessing. I will leave it open until 10 pm on friday night and announce the winner then. The winner gets their choice of one of my epatterns or booklets.

Fabric Apple Tutorial!

Whenever I see a new free pattern, I just have to try it. The apple tutorial can be found at Fabric Paper Thread. But.... we know I don't follow patterns, lol. So, I looked at Lorrie's pdf file and then I looked at the pdf pattern of apples that I got as a freebie, from Tennessee Ridge Primitives and went with the simpler version, since it only used 4 larger pieces. I guess you could say that mine are a combination of both patterns with a bit of my own style.

The one thing I did different on mine, was to tack down the center, after I stuffed it, to give it the depth on the top like a real apple. I cut out a leaf with wool, but you could use a fake leaf or pick one from outside. The stem is from a vine that grows along our fence, just right for an apple stem. I gave them a light walnut wash to tone down the fabric, so it give them a nice shaded effect.