PROGRESS AND NEW PLANS--

 Well here we are "end and beginning" time--

we ended the month of April and now have May to look forward to and all it's newness and new plans and new goals and for some of us--a new age!!!

My goal for April was working at finishing these blocks into a quilt top--

I did get it to this part--

and then the problems started in--again!!!  How to finish it off--tried to do it how the pattern showed--with triangle pieces on the border--but my pieces just would not come out to size--and I spent more than one day working on them and recutting and resewing--then cut some strips and thought I would use just straight strips with a strip of white between the them--but --that was just not approved --by the quilt--soooo--I was ready to just leave off any kind of border--but then this idea 'struck' me--

So this is what I am working on now--I am hand sewing the red rick rack on now--So I did work on this top all month--just did not get it finished--yet!!!!

But I did get this one finished during the month of April--

This is square--I have to lay them on my floor for photos and so they all look crooked!!

And here is where I am on my slow stitching project--

I am on block #7 now--a big white barn--(this one also looks crooked--but is not!!) and this is slow--cause I seem to have to always be taking out sections as the count is off or something!!!  But it is coming right along--!!!  

Now for May's goals--the dirty dozen number for May is #8 and that is this one--

The blue hearts--I did a couple years ago--and this one should be fun--cause of all the new blue fabrics I just got in--I just know a couple of them just might want to join these hearts for borders--or????

And then we have the red fabric color for this month and my '4' blocks from the book--Plus I am starting a new stitch along that has to do with hexagon's --old linens--lace and beads--oh wait--

I was going to take this month off and 'spring clean'--someone forgot to do that in March??????

HAVE FUN WITH MAKING YOUR MAY'S GOALS--

LUV AND HUGS, DI

THE END OF THE BLUES!!!

 Well==today is the last day for the color blue-and I am happy to say--

that I almost got all my blues done--

I got the heart part done and it is appliqued to the square back ground--but it needs some more blue fabric bits sewed on around it, then the some fancy stitching--!!

But I did get the '3' angels done for April--

and I already showed you the blue yo-yo's!!!

And talking about 'blue'--look what I found last week at the thrift store--

a really pretty blue glass violin bottle--I have it sitting on my window ledge!!!

I also found this pretty 'pink' teacup there--

 and I added an air-fern to it!!!

And yesterday I went to a friends birthday party--

It was Carolyn's birthday and we had a party down on the dock at my old senior housing place--

there was 5 of us there--and boy was it breezy yesterday--(you could really say 'windy' instead of breezy!!!  But it was nice and warm--so that made it comfortable!!

And look at her little stand that is filled with a layer of very unique buttons--

This is just a small amount of the buttons she has--so many really neat shaped ones and all colors and sizes!!!!

And I did get another Dresden plate stitched and appliqued to a background square!!!

Plus--tonight I will be sewing the binding on this month's hand quilting quilt!!

Sooo--now we are on the month of May and a new color--Red!!!

ALL YOU GARDNERS--ENJOY THOSE FLOWERS FOR ME TOO--OK??

LUV, DI

BLUES--STILL A WORKIN--

 I am still working on 'BLUES'--

I did get this months blue yo-yo's all stitched up--

And I was waiting for another blue fabric order to come in to work on my 'angel' blocks for the month--and that order got here this morning--

and then there is this one--

birds and roses--all in beautiful blues--yummy!!!   I did prep 3 angels from this batch of fabric-but they will take me a day or so to applique--!!!!

And I did get the top all finished to this 'times' hand piecing quilt-and it happens to be mostly blues--called Harmony-

so like I said--a lot of 'blue' has been happening around here--

I also finally got this months embroidery block done from 'the book' on Sunday while watching the race-

as you can see--there was a lot of stitching on this block--oh and look--more blue!!!

And here is all '4' of this month's block--

I now have 16 blocks done and I did go through the patterns yesterday and did pick out the '4' I want to make for the month of May!!

and a different color--pink with some green added in-for another baby sweater--that was finished the other day too!!!

AND IT'S NEARLY TIME FOR A NEW MONTH AND NEW GOALS--

ARE YOU READY????

LUV AND HUGS, DI

BACK TO WORKING

 I am back to working on projects this week and haven't done any 'runnin' around--(though the thrift store did text me they are having another sale this week???????????????????)

I got the next '2' blocks done for the block of the month from Jenny--

These are really small--think the finished size is under 4 inches--yesterday the Jelly roll I ordered for these blocks came in--I had started with a charm pack--but need more than 5 inches for the sides of the squares so decided to order a jelly roll when I found it on sale--and yes--I will have lots left over--but then again--I am already working on a second project using these fabrics--

this one---

And here is the 3rd block for April from "the book"

a paper pieced bird--he just needs an eye embroidered on him and the paper backing removed--

And here is what I am working on right now for my 'leaders n enders' work--

I got the strips done awhile ago from left over project and now as I need a ender--I sew them together--have no idea how many I will have when finished???

And here is the Harmony top--hand piecing all done--

I did work ahead on this one --I needed some slow stitching 'quiet' work there for awhile--

and I have the binding made for this one--just need to get it 'layered'!

And here is where I am on this month's OMG project--

All my baskets are in a row!!!!  well -- 5 rows really!!  I am so glad that I had figured out the layout and taken a picture when I finished these blocks last year--today I am cutting out the pieces for the border--This pattern for putting it together has been challenging as in the pattern for directions--I only got the even numbered pages--have no clue why I did not get the odd numbered pages????   This was a  pattern and I am pretty sure I also bought the layer cake for the corner pieces on a 'Shop Hop' back in 2005- 2007 --so it has brought back some fun memories of those Shop Hop days--and I took photos of all 3 years trips so had to get that photo album, out yesterday and did some more remembering--!!!

Well the sewing machine is calling me--and I have alot of prep cutting first--so guess I better get going!!

Funny side note here--

I have not done laundry on a Monday in a while now--

it is either Tues or Wed--it seems--funny how things can change so suddenly sometimes!!

TAKE CARE AND KNOW THAT I AM THINKING OF  YOU--

LUV AND HUGS, DI

READY FOR 'RESTFUL' SUNDAY--

 Have to say--I am so glad today is Sunday--and that I can take it slow and easy today--

Been a busy week with '3' outings again--So where do I begin???

Got '2' more blocks all done for this months blocks from 'the book'--

the first one is a cone flower in all applique--

the second one is a basket block done by sewing machine--

the third one is not finished--it is a paper piecing one and I did get 8-9 sections all paper pieced--but ran out of time to sew them into the block-that's on tomorrows list!!

And I did get some tracing done for embroidery work--the 4th block for this month is all embroidery and then 2 small blocks from Jenny's bom--and one of those is finished just have the little flowers to embroider on the second block and it will be finished and I will get photos for you!!

My first adventure this week was on Wednesday--I first walked over to the Molly Mutt's thrift store --they were having a 50% off sale--I really did not find much there--but did come home with this--

which I love--so dainty looking--

and a couple old linens for a new quilt that starts May 1st--I also stopped into the new plant store I told you about that is 2 doors before the thrift store--it's a neat store and has lots of house plants, and planters and you can even plant your plant there in a planter--they have work tables and dirt for you--a baby spider plant and an air fern did come home with me(this trip)!!

Thursday I got some mail--

the new camera came in--this one is smaller than my other hand held one--and the button to turn it on and off is really small--but is works nice--soooo---

I had also ordered '2' new disc's --one for this camera and one for the big Cannon camera and those came in the same sized box--I also always order a second rechargeable battery--it came the next day--in this box--

do you see how large this box is--(the camera also came in the same sized box--)

and this is the size of the new battery--

Crazy!!!!!!!!

On Friday my friend Carolyn and I went 'thrifting'--me looking for vintage hankies, and small towels for the new project in May--we went to 2 good sized thrift stores before lunch--one was called an Antique Mall and it had lots of small stalls in it--did find 6-7 items there--that hopefully will work--then lunch at McDonalds--outside in the car!!!  then on to a third big thrift store--there I bought another basket-a Pyrex baking dish and another plate--

Bet you all know why I bought this plate-and would  you believe it was only 99cents????

After wearing the mask for 3-4 hours I am done and need to come home and I knew Carolyn was really getting tired--remember she is my friend on oxygen 24/7 and at stage 4 of COPD--so it won't be much longer that she will be able to get out and about!!!   We did have a good time and some laughs!

Saturday--afternoon late, my son, Dan and his gf Sarah took me to the Dollar Tree ( I was totally out of pens) and then to Publix for my monthly shopping for groceries--it as hot and humid--even Publix was warm--usually it is nice and cool in there--but I got food, so guess that is all that counts!!!

And here is where I 'was' on the Counted Cross stitching yesterday--

This morning I did get started on filling in Block 6--there on the left!!!

Well guess this is enough 'gabbing' for one post--

 HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND DO SOMETHING NEW AND DIFFERENT THIS WEEK AND THEN LET ME KNOW ABOUT IT ALL---

LUV AND HUGS, Di

BACK IN THE SADDLE

 For the last couple days--I have been back into the sewing mood--so whoever sent me some 'mojo' from my last post Thank you!!!

A couple weeks ago--I cut out '16' tiny little Dresden fan blades-

I actually cut enough for '2' plates--and got them hand pieced-and one is now appliqued onto a background piece--the other one is pined on ready for applique--not sure what I am doing with the center yet--but today I cut enough little blades for 3 more plates!!!

Yesterday--I finally had to take time to make some more face masks too--

these '2' are just my 2 layers of cotton fabric--

and these '2' have a 3rd layer inside of them--

The main ones I made 14 months ago--were getting 'tacky' looking and boring!!!!!

I also got a pretty order in the mail--from Granny's Legacy--

I needed some new colors in my wool stash--I do have a couple three- or more- projects waiting in line for me to do in wools--and look what else I got there--

Some itty bitty scissors--they are sooo cute--and I hope will help in cutting those small curves in wool pieces!!!

Today I worked at alot of prep work--got the '4' blocks for this months Di book project all planned out and even have one block of applique nearly done--will photo when it is done!!!

And I have been working on the Hand piecing project--am in the process of sewing all the blocks together into one big block now--

And I have been working real hard to get outside every day-except on Sunday and on Sunday we finally got some much needed rain--had a couple three or so nice rain storms--so that was nice!!!

ENJOY THE SPRING AND ALL THE THINGS IT BRINGS OUR WAY--(OR FALL IF THAT IS YOUR SEASON NOW!!)

LUV, DI