I like Thursdays: December 26, 2019

Happy Boxing Day!

Did you have a nice holiday?  Our holidays are becoming more a Christmas week.  We started with a nice lunch on Christmas Eve with Nik (our son), Audrey and the girls.  Yesterday we visited Mom and later Nik and Audrey brought their new 10 week old pup to visit.  Ruca (the pup) was Scout's favorite present!

The two frolicked and played and played and played.  Scout was very kind to Ruca and let her gnaw on Scout's favorite bone.  After their visit Scout ate and then retired for the evening :D

I received some surprise gifts this year!  LeeAnna, our hostess with the most-ess who sponsors "I like Thursdays" sent me this neat mini quilt with photos of Scout!  I love it!  Thank you LeeAnna! She even shared a few extra photos of Scout-on-fabric for us!

Continuing the poodle themed surprise gifts was my husband who got me two neat poodle sweatshirts:

 My personal favorite, because it is so true!

I did get in some sewing this past week and am continuing my quest of getting rid of things I am finding in the sewing room.  A gazillion years ago, I was using up odd pieces of fabric to make pinwheels.  I think they may have been triangular pieces from a snowball quilt I made.  They are small and I hadn't realized I made about 150 of them.  Back when I made them, I was a very frugal quilter and of course, my eyesight was better.

I made four patches out of them which made a nice 7 inch block.  I tried a variety of layouts with them but each scenario seemed to busy.  I reverted to doing something I hadn't also done in years which is an alternate solid block (in indigo).  I think it turned out nice:

This piece kept reminding me of oldest and best friend Linda and when I texted her the photo, she swooned over it.  I did run out of the navy fabric and have to pick some up for a nice border but the piece will make a nice lap quilt and coordinate with her navy couches.  I even have enough blocks left to make a tablerunner for her sideboard.  Win win and less in the stash drawers!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday!  Be sure to visit our other participating bloggers by visiting LeeAnna!

Have a great day!

Merry Christmas!

I like Thursdays: December 19, 2019

Good morning all!  Well it's a balmy 16 degrees here with a real feel temp of 3 degrees.  BRRRRRR!

The older I get, the more I tend towards decorating seasonally instead of for particular holidays.  One of the first things I do when it is cold is bring out my Nana Betty's painting:

When she passed, a lot of her writing and sketch pads were given to me.  I loved this one image and had it framed like this:

Nana loved winter and snow.  Through most of her life she disliked being hot and I'm sure that is one of the reasons why she gravitated to winter scenes.

I've spent some time sewing this week and finished a "good to the last drop" project."  This kind of project is my attempt to bust my stash by using as much of a particular fabric as I can.  I told my best friend I was working on this particular fabric and she made me laugh.

 "Good!" She said, "I never liked that fabric!"  Brahahaha!  Anyway,  I sent her photos of the finished top and wall hanging.  Her position about the fabric seems to be softening now :)  

Lap Quilt top

and

Wabi Sabi wall hanging.

This is all that is left of that fabric:

It's very satisfying to have an empty space in my cupboard!

I saw this idea on Pinterest for a different kind of sewing kit and think it is charming.  A teapot sewing kit!  Isn't it adorable?

"I Like Thursdays" is hosted by LeeAnna at Not Afraid of Color.  Join her for more positive posts!

Thanks for visiting!

Have a wonderful day!

I Like Thursdays: December 12, 2019

I'm posting a bit late today because I had computer issues this morning.  Happy Thursday!  It's time for the "I Like Thursdays" posts when we bring some much needed positive energy to the internet.  Be sure to stop in at LeeAnna's for more positive posts!

Last week Scout and I ran away from home to visit our friend Linda.  Linda has a lot of land and Scout loves going there to run and run and run...

Yesterday we awoke to a fresh snow on the ground.  The pavements were just wet so we took a long walk.  Scout loves to smell the snow but hasn't got it her technique perfected yet.  She inadvertently always inhales some snow and then has to snort it out :)

I love the silence of snow.  The stillness enchants me.

I love seeing children playing in the snow before school starts.  They had just gotten done doing snow angels..

The local fox might be a young one, he seemed confused by the snow and kept running here and there.  Finally got to a wooded area safely.

Last night the moon was full and appeared large like a harvest moon.  When we were walking home, it appeared bigger than the building beneath it.  Of course the more we walked, the smaller it appeared in the sky.  

I've been sewing when I'm not running errands for family and friends.  Today I shall only stay at home and putter and sew.

I've been making wall hangings out of my 47 tree blocks.  I figure I can use them for hostess gifts, etc.  Oh but I have to tell you...I found 10 more blocks in my sewing room.  They are smaller versions (I was REALLY into saving scraps years ago) but I'll use them to make a small wall hanging for Nana Betty's window.

Nana Betty's window explained:  when my brother replaced my Nana's windows years ago, I asked him for a couple of them.  I had my brother make a window stand.  It's where I tend to do the most decorating.  Right now this wee Christmas "I-spy" quilt is on the window.  Some years I go crazy decorating the window but I'm tired these days and keeping things simple.

Over at the Pennsylvania Piecemaker blog, we are having a giveaway.  You can enter by commenting today or tomorrow!

Have a great day!

Giveaway!

Step on over the Pennsylvania Piecemaker blog this week!

We are featuring a giveaway and to enter, just comment before Friday!

A Ray of Sunshine

We had a brief period of sunshine yesterday so I photographed my new top:

It's a green scrap quilt because my son's girlfriend loves greens.  My friend Linda suggested the black sashing and it works!

Do you look good wearing a hat?  

I don't. When my husband and I were dating, we went to the Kentucky Derby.  I had to look for a hat to wear and took my neighbor along to help.  I look so ridiculous that she laughed until she cried.  I think this is why I like collecting sunbonnet quilts (well one of the many reasons).

In Pennsylvania we have a lot of quilts that the girl isn't even wearing a sunbonnet but an actual hat.  I call these gals "Liberty Bells."

Over at the Pennsylvania Piecemaker blog, I posted a story yesterday about hats the suffragists wore.  There are some really fun aspects of suffrage that I've enjoyed researching and this story is one of them!  You can read it here.

Have a great day!

I Like Thursdays: December 5, 2019

Well it's Thursday again and time for another "I Like Thursdays" post.  Visit our hostess LeeAnna for more positive posts!

I like that Santa Claus is preparing for the holiday.  I know this because I saw this at the drycleaners the other day:

I've been sewing and that is fun.  The days have been grey though so I'll post a photo of my latest completed quilt top later when we have more sun.  

I mentioned last week that I am often so inspired by your posts.  True to form, Jocelyn over at Canadian Needle Nana inspired me when she wrote about a Tiny Tree Sew Along she was watching.  That jolted my memory.  Years ago when I was making a lot more Xmas quilts, I used the scraps to make tree blocks.  I went on the hunt for them and found a surprising 47 trees in my block drawer.  They are paper pieced and I'm still ripping off the paper (nice job at night during tv time).  Hopefully this weekend I will be able to get some small projects done using them!

The weather has been cold, icy, and a little snowy.  Scout and I have had to find alternate entertainments instead of walking 5 times a day (we are down to three walks).  I love this puppy!  She can be very expressive:

"Look into my eyes.  You will get up and give me snacks!"

"Throw the toy again!"

"I'm not going to stop tapping you until you give me a tummy rub!"

Have a pleasant day!

The hills are alive...

Having a great weekend and especially because my hubby got home last night!!!  I have been sewing during this cold weekend.  We are expecting snow on Sunday which is the best weather to sew in!  What is the weather like where you are?

Have a safe and blessed day!

Black Friday--or is it?

or shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving! I Like Thursdays: November 28, 2019

Among my blessings, I count my cyber friends!

Here are this weeks likes:

I'm so grateful to all of you and your inspiration!  This past year I've been busy with the suffrage centennial but I've enjoyed looking at your projects so much!  In particular, many of you do scrap challenges--sometimes rainbow themed, others just a great way to use up scraps and I've loved all your photos and thoughts!  I have a brief break before the new year and couldn't wait to get up to my sewing room to see what scraps I could use up!

Right now I am working to use up green scraps.  I have a person in mind for the lap quilt I want to make but I'm hoping to get two quilts out of the scraps so  I have one for a donation quilt.

I'm still on a campaign to use up big print fabrics (I think I only have one fabric left after this top!).  I go in phases with sewing and right now I just want to use these prints in the easiest way possible.  These aren't my favorite colors but there's a lid for every pot and I'm sure one of the teens will like this quilt.  Sorry for the wrinkles--Scout decided she had to lay on this top while I photographed it.  Silly puppy.

Did you get to see "The Chaperone" on PBS last week?  It was wonderful!

As always I'm grateful for family and friends that have become family.  This autumn, we had some new additions to the family.  My niece Maggie got married to this handsome guy:

And she is now the proud stepmom to this little guy:

My baby brother has really embrace the role of grandpa and you can tell the little guy has embraced the idea too!  We love having new young 'uns in the family!

I know that many of you are facing weather challenges this week and I hope you all remain safe and warm.  My husband is working in northern Canada through the weekend and they are getting a lot of snow right now.  Stay safe and warm!   Don't to forget to visit the other "I likers" at LeeAnna's!   Happy Thanksgiving!  

I lke Thursdays: November 21, 2019

Well it's "I like Thursdays" day and time to post some positive energy on the internet!  Visit our hostess LeeAnna for more positive posts!

I'm finally done with my travel lectures for 2019.  I've been doing fall cleaning and walking Scout frequently before more cold weather sets in.  The thing I don't like about this time of year is the lack of sunlight.  Fortunately, I have enough projects to keep me busy!

I'm sewing again and that is a real mood lifter!

I received a wonderful suffrage calendar in the mail which began some detective work.  I had no idea who had sent it!  Finally after I contacted the company that mailed it, I learned my dear friend Pam had sent it to me as a belated birthday present.  Thanks Pam!  It has wonderful suffrage illustrations in it:

Scout and I have also been doing some garden clean-up!  I do try to leave certain plants out for the birds, including flower seed heads.  I was heartened to see a dule of mourning doves in my back garden yesterday.  There were over 20 birds there munching away!  I had to take the photo from inside the house so as not to disturb them.  

I don't have much more than this.  I'm just plugging along trying to get the house in order before the holidays.  Have a wonderful day!!!

I Like Thursday: November 14, 2019

Happy Thursday!  How are you doing?

I like watching tv with my dog!

If you have PBS where you live, then definately check out the Secret Lives of Dogs!  It's a British documentary and so interesting.  Do you know that the a dog's nose print can be used to identify dogs like a fingerprint?   The Canadian kennel club has used this identification for their dogs since---1938!!!  Clever Canadians!!   Scout and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening our local PBS played back to back episodes.  

Although Scout wasn't quite sure about that guy taking his dog paragliding with him (don't worry Scout, we'll never do that).

I like Ginko trees.  I don't want one in my little yard but I do appreciate seeing them.  Do you know the leaves drop from tree all at once?  It was a special day when I worked at the college and we all looked forward to the one day when our vice-president would run through our offices to tell us, "It's ginko day."  We'd all ooh and ahhh about the golden showers of leaves falling.

We have a few of them in our neighborhood and on Saturday it was ginko day!

I don't have so much to share these days.  I've been working and lecturing a lot and today is the last program I give for 2019.  I'm looking forward to doing some sewing!

Have a great day!