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

ZOOM--ZOOM

 Goes the week and time--

I no more than get up and get dressed--

and then it time to get pj's on and get ready for bed!!!

and I wonder 'if' I got anything accomplished that day!

I do think--that I am probably spending too much time lately just working on my counted cross stitching--but this large piece of 9 blocks is the largest one I have ever done and I am afraid if I don't keep right at it--it will never get finished--good news is I am on Block #5--so am at least half way done!!!

First I guess I need to show and tell what my goal will be for April-

Remember these blocks--20 of them in all--the dirty dozen number for this month is #2--and that is these blocks--I do already have them planned into the rows--but first they do need to be squared up and I do think I have everything to do the border and the backing--I just need some motivation!! anyone have any to spare????

I have mainly been working on hand piecing this week--

and I think I may be ahead with doing these blocks--but it has kept me busy--sooo???

On Easter Sunday--I ran across the Keepsake Ad--and if you ordered something from a couple of the sale pages--you could pick a free stuffed animal--well--never let it be said--I would turn up a free stuffed animal--especially a rabbit one!!!

Now these fabrics should keep me awake when I sew on them--think these are the brightest fabrics I have ever ordered--

 The line is called "Venice Collection" !!

And here is my new little 'friend'--

And I have worked on hand quilting this lap quilt this week--and then there is always some work being done on a pair of knitted socks and the baby sweaters!!!

Easter Dinner news!!!  The 13-lb turkey came out perfect for the kids first time--and all '3' of us, worked in the kitchen doing the rest of the dinner each one doing something--and to me that was the best part of the day--the next best part of the day--was sitting outside on their patio watching ducks and ibis on their pond--beautiful day!  

Ok--time to publish this piece and go down to the mail box--think my 'blue' fabric order is in--so now I can get started  on all my blue projects for April---

TAKE CARE--BE SAFE--AND KEEP SEWING AND GARDENING--

LUV, DI 

SUNDAY--AND EASTER ALL IN THE SAME DAY

 So first let me say--

I had a busy week--2 days of outings even--

Think I told you about the first one --on Tuesday--

the second one was on Thursday--with friend Carolyn again-our 2 main objectives that day was to go to a quilt shop and try to find fabrics for those pretty-pain in the neck-blessing blocks and to have lunch at Cracker Barrel--

We went north of here to an area called Viera--(suntree) and we stopped at a little thrift shop called--Angels in the attic--I really did not find much there--just an older basket that had to come home with me--then we went to a Quilt shop up the street--when I got out of the car--I noticed a long line outside on the sidewalk--wellll--they were having a 20% off sale and they were only letting '20' customers in the shop at a time--plus the employees--that was 25 at least in the store and this store is very very crowded with merchandize--no social distancing at all can happen there with that many in the shop!! and there was at least another 15 or more in line--so I just turned around and went back to the car!!!!!!!!  And we went on to Cracker Barrel and sat outside and had a lovely lunch--then we came back a different way and stopped at another quilt shop about 3-4 miles straight up the road from me--it is larger and there is hardly more than a couple customers at a time in this store and a large selection of cloth--it took awhile but we finally came up with a couple fabrics for the blessing blocks--I think--I am still thinking on that one!!!  then on to the grocery store!!

so it has taken me all week to get the next step done on the new hand piecing --stitch along--

These blocks kept playing tricks on me and keep twisting themselves so that I kept stitching them wrong--but I finally showed them who was 'boss'!!!!

And I got last months green yo-yo's finished-

And here is where I am on the Farmhouse counted cross stitching series--

The one I am working on now is the red barn--still have a tree to stitch on each side of the barn!!

I will be back tomorrow with Aprils goals--still working on figuring them out!!!

Am going to my son's and his girl friends this after noon--we are having a turkey dinner--they are doing the turkey--first time for either of them--I haven't baked a turkey in many years--so am not alot of help-as everything seems to have changed--even how long it takes to bake--now in half the time it used to take-are they growing a new kind of turkey these days--faster oven time ones??????

BE SURE TO COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS TODAY-

AND REMEMBER --YOU ARE A BLESSING TO ME--EVEN IF YOU HAVE NEVER LEFT ME A COMMENT--

BLESS ALL OF YOU--DI

END OF MARCH--

 I believe we all just 'marched' along in our quilting and sewing adventures--

and I sure did have an adventure with my March goal--didn't I???

Remember I took these blocks--

and sewed them into this flimsy--

and then we all decided that it was not 'working' for us--

so then they went from this --back to these--

So--I did work on them--only---

and I am not going to a quilt shop to look for fabric to work on these until tomorrow--hopefully--and they may not have anything that will work--soooo???????

Did I or Did I not make my goal for March??

I did get my 4 blocks done though for the month of March--from the book--

I do have to 'lower' the pink tulip on the rabbit one a bit--as when I took the photo I forgot I had not cut them down to size--6.5"--and when I did that that tulip doesn't have the 1/4" edge it needs!!!

And then I did sit down this morning and planned out the next '4' blocks for April and got the patterns copied off--one will be paper piecing!!

I did get out yesterday with friend Carolyn and we did a run to  Walmart--was very surprised to see that store --uncrowded--and it was noon--the most of the crowd was in grocery and I was in the other part of the store--

Two new plants got adopted by me--

the one on the left is peppermint--!!!   Don't ask!!!

and look how curly and tiny the leaves are on the one on the right???

And you know I love 'pink' so look what else came home with me--

Aren't they pretty to look at there on the floor??????

Think it gives the apartment some 'class' don't you??

KEEP LOOKING FOR THOSE SIGNS OF SPRING (OR FALL)--

LUV, DI

NEXT SUNDAY--

 Wow--next Sunday--the first Sunday in April-will be Easter!!  You know what that means right???

You have to be on the look out for --bunnies and chicks everywhere--

especially those chocolate ones!!!

I have been slow again this month to make my '4' blocks from the book--

but got one all finished this week--

and have the pieces all cut for one block--just need to get to the sewing machine to stitch that block--

and have '2' blocks started that have alot of hand work on them--one is pretty much all applique--the other one is a bit of applique (which I got stitched last night) and the rest is embroidery work--so I am working on them--and I still have 3 1/2 days to get them finished--along with the rest of my green yo-yos!!!  and then there is seeing what I have in Aprils color of blues to start all over again!!!

I finally did something yesterday that I have not done in over a year--other than one drop off of stuff about 6 months ago---I went over town to the thrift store--Molly Mutts--(remember when I used to go there at least every other week and come home with some treasures???)  I had to take a bag of things over for donation and I went early--so I was able to shop before the store started getting busy (the store is small and it doesn't take alot of folks for it to be full and crowded!!)

and I just know you are 'choppin' at the bits to see what came home with me--

a very small platter--

I love forget me knots--and that black spot is in the glaze --

and you know how much I love roses--

That edging is a pretty green--and I think this will look nice in my shelf decoration--am thinking after Easter of redoing the shelves in my secretary piece--time for a new look and some new things to look at!!

And this find--

a delightfully cute teacup and saucer!!

And this little gal wanted a new home and choose me--

I have a small bear collection of bears this size and smaller--but none have dresses on them--I just could not leave her there--even though she was expensive--$4.00!!!  But all the money goes for a good cause--cats and dogs--so it really wasn't a hard decision!!!

They had a lot more teacup and saucers--so may be going back to look again and I seen anew shop just 3 doors before the thrift store that looks like my kind of place--so need to go back and go in and check it out--was really surprised to have seen a new place open up (in the last 6 months) with this Covid stuff going on for the last year!!!!

Oh and I got another block done--

on the Farm house counted cross stitching series and I have started the 4th block--this one has 2 black sheep and a big red barn!!!

REMEMBER TO WATCH OUT FOR THOSE RABBITS AND CHICKS AND EGGS--!!!

LOL--LUV, DI

LITTLE BITS

 Boy, as I start to write this post--

I am asking myself--What did I do this week??? What did I work on this week??

It has seemed to be a week with alot of body aches and pains-so it's been slow going--I guess--!!

Here is what I remember working on--

Got the last set of blocks made for the hand piecing quilt along--these took one afternoon to cut and mark and then stitch together and I am happy that all '4' came out to the perfect size!!!

And another afternoon and evening project was--

Unstitching these blocks--did you notice the 'curtains' I stitched on each one (actually I appliqued them on--) may get to go shopping tomorrow to try to find a better fabric for putting this one together again!!

And I worked on these '2' pin cushions--

Remember these are from "Just Another Button Co" in their monthly program--each one has '3' pins that came with the pattern--and like one friend said to me--what are you going to do with them???  I have NO answer--do we always know what we are going to do with what we make at the time????  

And I did some other hand work--worked on Counted Cross stitching and on embroidery of the truck piece and making yo-yo's and have started the hand quilting on another quilt--plus my knitting--so I do stay busy-even when in pain!!!

And Tuesday afternoon late, my Son and his girl friend, Sarah came and picked me up and they surprised me with a stop at a

 'Tasty Freeze' as we called them in NY--and I got a soft ice cream twist of chocolate and vanilla--then they took me to Bealls - so I could exchange the new shoes I'd gotten a couple weeks ago--and I want to know -are they making sneakers/shoes out of 'gold' these days????  They wanted $70-$90 for one pair of sketchers shoes---(we had shopped on a big sale day the first time and I only paid $35 for that pair--which is a stretch for me--but have  liked sketchers ever since I moved to FL!!!!!!  But one pair only lasts me year!!!---I did find a pair on sale rack--for $20--but they are not walking shoes and I need a good pair of walking shoes!!!   And then they took me to Publix for my monthly grocery shopping trip--so - it was nice to get out--it had been 2-3 weeks since I had been anywhere!

OH and I did some Easter decorating--

 and here is a close up of the Cracker Barrel truck--

Us 'chicks' want to go and have lunch at Cracker Barrel!!!!

HOW DID YOU DECORATE FOR EASTER?????

LUV, DI

SUNDAY THANK YOU'S

 Here we are at another Sunday--one that started off dark and grey--but now is all blue sky and sunny!!

I want to take a minute or so and thank those who took the time to comment and say they were sorry that my dear friend Frannie had passed away--they are:

Sunny, Lola, Kate, Maria, Carol H, Julierose, Deb A, Butter Z, and Anne-Lise--and I hope I did not miss anyone's name--But to everyone I want to say 'thank you for caring enough to comment and share my grief with me for a moment or two'--Blessings to each of you!

I try real hard to keep busy--but do often find myself teary eyed--and now the last two days--all I have been able to think about is 'what' we did not get to do this past year cause of Covid--I know I am not the only one who is going through this and who is asking the same questions--so I share your grief too!!

NOW--I have a problem and want your help--

Here is where I am with the Blessing blocks--But--But I really don't think I like this grey fabric--

I think it has come out too dark and it is what you see--instead of the pretty blocks--What do you think???   Remember I don't mind 'de-stitching'--have to give the seam ripper some action now and then-right????

And for slow stitching--this is the project I am working on--

And this will be my hand work project later this afternoon--while I watch today's Nascar race!!

But first I need to get my few Easter decorations down off the shelf and do some decorating!!

that little bag of eggs I bought the last time I was at Hobby Lobby --they are wanting out of that bag and to into the light of the world--at least that is what they keep telling me!!!!!

YESTERDAY WAS THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING--DID YOU DO ANYTHING SPECIAL TO CELEBRATE--

LUV AND HUGS, DI