Friday Finish!

 First I wanted to say, I have not gotten any emails from the postings. I do enjoy reading your comments and hopefully I will figure out how to get them back, so I can respond. 

I needed a wreath for the front door and the ones in the stores, are just too cheesy looking. I have so much fabric, that I thought a rag wreath would be perfect and a good way to use my Americana fabrics. I used a wire wreath and cut the strips into 5" x 2" pieces. I made up three stars and sewed them up around the entire edge and cut a slit in the back. That way it kept the shapes better and no one can see the sewn up slit. The bow was an old piece of heavy ticking. I attached the items with a jewelry wire. Something fairly easy to make and a great way to use up fabric.

Last week we had a nice walk at the farm sanctuary. This time they had goats in a closed in pen. They were fun to watch and seemed to have fun watching us.

This one wanted our attention and followed us around.

And this one was just silly looking.

And this was was just too cute and pretty, makes me want one.

At the end of the field is another path that leads to saltwater inlets and a bay. I spotted a few shore birds in the inlet.

And a lot of Yellow Warblers in the trees, in that area.

I also got myself a new car, so I could get out more by myself. A Ford Bronco sport, so I can park easier and use off road if I want. I parked behind the old mill which is now home to different artists. The waterfall runs down the path in and goes to the larger pond.

I had no idea where the troll was, but when I got on the main path, I noticed a new path, so I went down that. It was a nice walk through the woods and then I noticed little foot prints on the trees, so I knew I was going the right way. It was fun seeing him and finding new paths to explore later.

I hope you all had a nice week and enjoy your weekend. We have a heat wave coming in and of course Bill has to work, so I will be getting things done in the trailer to get ready for camping, on the holiday weekend. 

Friday Finish!

A new month and new stitcheries from the One Stitch Club by Kathy Schmitz. This month we got an extra free one, so I decided to make that first, just in time for the holiday. I almost had it done in time, but yesterday was spent with the kids, so cooking and a party at their house, put me behind.

Today I finished it. I didn't have much time to work on things this week, so I rushed it a bit, but it was fun to do and I used up fabrics in my scrap box. It measures 9" x 7 1/2", great for a small area on the wall.

And of course I enjoyed a day with the kids, even the big kids had fun;) Bill has to stay out of water for another week, but he had fun squirting the kids with the hose. Alex is afraid of the big pool, so he has his own to play in. Hopefully I can get him to the pond without his mom and get him used to the water. She is petrified of drowning, so I think it is best if I teach them myself. Maybe someday I can help her overcome her fear.

Bill has this week off, still not sure what we will do, but the weather will be nice without the humidity. We will be looking at trailers again, I think I make our dealer crazy, I can't make up my mind, large and comfy or smaller to fit in more campsites, plus I want space for the kids so we can all go together. I love the comfort of a trailer, but I like to camp, and I don't need fancy or a bunch of Tv's.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Finish!

This week I finally got in my sewing room and finished something. I won fabric from Minick and Simpson in 2011, called Banner Rose. I had it for a few years and decided to make a patriotic runner. I got as far as sewing the strips together and it has been sitting since 2013.

I kept it simple with a darker blue border, which frames it nicely. Then I machine quilted it with a straight stitch around the inner strips. Not perfectly straight stitches, but I can live with my wonky sewing, I tend to stray on occasion.

The finished runner is 23 1/2 x 65". Moki has already taken over half of it, which is why I didn't put too much effort into it. I do have some nice patriotic fabric so I may do one with squares and stars for next year. Things do not last in my house, so having another, just in case, is a good idea and always fun to make them.

I guess I need to work on a fall one next, that I can put more effort into, as well as one for Christmas. This week Bill has off, so hopefully we will get out and have some fun on the water and maybe take a ferry ride. I also want to explore the bird sanctuaries in Newport, always a nice walk and amazing views. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Friday Fun!

This was a hot week, too hot to do too much, but I have been working on my quilting and have more than half of my pillow quilt done. Of course the holiday was the big day of the week and we were able to go to my Sister in Laws and enjoy the day with family and some beach time.

Bean got to go with us and the minute we got there he started whining and pulling towards the beach, he remembered there was one down the road and where to go, the boy is too smart. He loved playing in the water with Bill but the waves were a bit higher and he swallowed a lot of salt water.

The beach is rocky, but the views are beautiful. To the right you can see Newport and a lot of boaters out on the water.

To the left you can see the rocky shoreline and the end of the island, she is close to the end, which is the quieter side but you don't get the cool breezes, like the other end.

The tide was going out, so I thought I would see if I could find any glass. I was surprised when I found glass that had washed up and big chunks of it. I found all this in an hour, so I am sure there was more hidden under the rocks, but there were so many sand fleas and they do bite, I didn't bother digging under. I did get a lot of scrap glass, so that I will save for a friend who does glass work, but I found some nice pieces to add to my collection.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and enjoy the weekend. It is finally cooling down here, so I hope the rest of you are also enjoying a respite from the heat.

Happy Fourth of July Weekend!

I hope everyone had a nice weekend, though it isn't over, a lot of you are probably at the fireworks as I am writing this.

This weekend we worked around the yard and relaxed a bit. I have been wanting a fire pit, so we finally have one in the yard. I am debating on another row of stone, just enough to balance it out and then I will get some green adirondack chairs to go around it. Now all we need is some guests and a nice fire, but not it is a bit hot and a high fire hazard, so will wait till next weekend.

I also wanted to check Dani's gravesite. With all the heat and no rain, I realized her flowers would be wilting. Luckily the two main plants were ok, just needed some watering and we bought some new yellow ones to brighten it up.

It made me think of when we went to pick out sites, we got one on each side for us and I wanted to be buried in the older section. Well, when we got here, he took us to the other side and said that it was the Catholic side and I said, what? That is the silliest think I have ever heard, in this day and age, people are still religiously prejudiced, and I guess they are. So, I told him I didn't like that side, too new and no shade, so he found a spot right at the beginning of the old section, so we are right in the middle of both religions, just the way I like it;) All behind her are old stones and it is just such a serene spot.

Today was family day, we went to my SIL's home which is on the island, so we got to enjoy spending time with Bill's side of the family and all of my BIL's family, who are open and fun to be around.

She also lives on a small road by the bay, so we can walk down to the beach. Bill and Bean are enjoying the beach. But Bean is giving me the look, "Put down the camera and come play in the water with me". I did go for a nice swim and we played in the water, and Bean was also good at the party, he behaved better and sat quieter, most of the time.

Some of the guests found out that they could find clams in the mud, so they got a bag full to take home. The kids were helping them out. It was a beautiful day to be out and I hope you all had a wonderful weekend, as well.

And last but not least, my son is in Malaysia and sent me photos of Nick. It is so good to see him, but I do miss him so much.

Friday Finishes!

This week I wanted to try something new, or something old, since I have had the pattern for years. The pattern was a freebie from Create and Decorate and is a design by Denise White of The Cat's Pajamas.

It was the pattern and no directions but I never read them anyways, lol. I changed it a bit and made some mistakes but she is so goofy, she makes me smile. I forgot to cut the red ticking to make the stripes go across for one thing. Then I decided to make stockings and no shoes, but didn't like it, so I tried coloring it in with a sharpie, takes too much time and you need more than one coat, so I decided to paint them on. That was fine, but I didn't realize that I grabbed the black enamel paint, duh. I actually like how it looks, a bit thicker and a bit more shine so great for shoes, but not for washing off.

Too windy to get an outside photo, the material for her face and arms is an old muslin that I stained, beat up, washed in dirt, among other things, so it is really grungy, a bit of brown and some green. The flash washed it out. I made the hat and boat by using an online tutorial and online american backgrounds that I printed out on laid paper. Laid paper is a nicer paper with enough weight to keep it stiffer, but not too stiff.  The hair was a thick binding yarn that I attached with a thin piece of wool to tie it down, then I unravelled the yarn to get thinner locks.

She was fun and fast to make, I tried different things and see things that I can improve on, so maybe I will try some more and change them up.

Then I finished the next block in Buttermilk Basin's BOM, the  Second letter T with the snowballs. I got some carrot buttons, they are fun to use on pieces like this and on the snowman pillows, guess I need to get more.

Here is what I have so far, with the letter T at the end.

At the last minute, as usual, Bill has to go on a trip, the day after our planned vacation. It would be too much to spend the week away and then come home and have him leave the next day, there are some things I can't do and Billy is going away too, so easier to stay home and get things done before he leaves. There is nothing going on at work for now, so Bill is taking the next two weeks off, so hopefully we can do some exploring and have some fun during the weekdays with no crowds.

New Stitchery and Baby!

This weekend was a bust, way too hot and with the holiday, way too many people to enjoy going to the ocean. Even going for a ride was tough, the one time out we ran into a parade, so we stayed in and got things done around the yard.

I needed a project to work on since I prefer to sit inside with the air on, so I made up a piece with my new pattern. The pattern is available now and this shows you that you can use it in different ways to make matching pieces. I wanted something to put on a small wall area and this fit just right.

I changed the pattern to fit a stitchery and added a few extra items. The fireworks was something I added after I made the pattern and decided to keep it out, on the punch it didn't look right to me. On the stitchery it was a nice way to fill in some space and use it as a bit of quilting.

I took the photo outside so it turned back to light, it actually was walnut stained but it doesn't show up in the photo. I added a touch of color with my art pens and I think it turned out nicely and a fun piece to hang for summer. The finished piece is 9 1/2" x 9".

In other news, the new baby has arrived. My son got phone photos and sent them to me, so I was happy to see my new grandson. I sure wish they weren't staying in Malaysia so long, I do miss my sweet Nick and would love to spend the summer having fun with him. I am sure I will become just as, in love with Alex once I hold him in my arms but I have to admit, I am in love and wish I could just pick him up and cuddle him.

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. The heat is ending today so I am going to enjoy the cooler temps this week.

Alex St. Germain: No idea what his middle name is, what day he was born or the weight, but he does look bigger than Nick at birth.

Friday Finish: New Pattern

This week I was inspired by the holiday and the upcoming Fourth of July. I wanted to make something patriotic and saw an antique piece that I just had to recreate. Well, I drew out the original idea and then decided I wanted something different from the typical Uncle Sam's and that is how Uncle Dawg came about. It is a fun piece and I hope you like it, as well.

I have started the directions with color chart and still need to redo the design but I am hoping I can get it done this weekend and have the pattern ready in a few days. On this piece I made a braided edge since I wanted a larger pillow to display on the table. I think this would be fun to do in a hooked rug.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend, we are working on the yard and Bill is making a space for my new blow up pool. I love to swim and didn't want to buy a pool right now, so trying a blow up and hoping it won't pop, lol.

Holiday Happenings!

First I would like to put out a request to a blog follower who sent me the most beautiful floral arrangement from Sprigs. It really came at a time when I needed something to lift my spirits and get me through that first week. Could you please email me with your address.

I still need to go through the cards and do thank you notes to so many who have been there to support us and send us their love, it means a lot to us. I still have a hard time dealing with things, for now, but I want to thank all of you who have sent me wishes and support on my blog as well.

This holiday my Sister -in -law hosted a party at her house. Of course she had to take photos of us, sitting with her husband.

 It was nice to meet her husband's side of the family and Nicholas loved playing with his cousin, Bella.

Grandpa and Nick, walking the beach front.

Nick and Grandpa watching the action on the water, these photos warm my heart especially seeing Bill smiling and enjoying life again. I hope you had a nice weekend and hopefully I will have some finished projects to show by friday.

Americana Punch Needle!

No outdoor activity this weekend. I am still recovering from my last two hikes and Bill was on a trip, so perfect time for me to relax and make something new for the house.

The design is by Robin of Bird In The Hand Primitives. Her designs are fun to do and it really worked up quickly.

I used dmc floss, 6 strands, some as is, some of my hand dyes and a bit of scraps from my scrap box. The edging is done with red, white and blue yard of Twisted Cording. I tie my yarns onto a handle and twist by hand. I gave it a bit of walnut stain to antique it and put it with a few of my americana items.

The balls in the basket change color with the seasons. They were still red and green from Christmas so I changed the green ones to blue fabrics, by adding enough blues to cover the green. It is an easy way to change out your rag ball colors without redoing the whole ball.

The cute little mouse is a wonderful creation by Ragpatch Primitives, that I won, years ago. I guess I need to make a cupboard mat next and repaint that cupboard, while I am at it;) The wall is the one we just painted, so still trying to decide what to put on that area.

Friday Finishes ….. Almost

It as a slow week this week, but I did finish a new punch needle piece. My friend Kelley sent me a pattern, a few years ago and I decided it was time to finally do it. The design is by Brenda Gervais and she put hers on a hornbook. I am still deciding on how I want to finish mine, I need to go down to my supplies and see what fun things I have to mount it on or maybe make my own.

I still need to age it a bit, I don't want to darken it too much but I want it to look old. I used different heights on this one, so the letters stick out a little more and the light background is at the shortest height.

Today I sat around waiting to feel better so I could clean the house, that never  happened. I gave up and started a new punch needle. This is a freebie from Robin of Bird In The Hand Primitives. She has put up two freebies, so check them out, both are fun to do in any medium.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Happy Fourth of July!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe fourth tomorrow. I have been working on my projects, a bit slow this week. I hand stitched my table topper, but my hands were too sore to finish the binding tonight. My husband finally finished the front of the house, all we have left is to stain the porch front. I treated myself to a new decoration this week. I saw this ladder and loved it, and I received a coupon from the store for 30% off one item, so I had to go back and get it;) Now we need to make a prim bench to put on the side.

The flag is aged, but the photo lightened everything up.