Let me tell ya that spring has sprung! At least along the roads hubby and I traveled last week. Here are some of the sights we saw along the way.
Hippos and Elephants and Zebras, OH MY! February 28, 2010
OH! Hooray! Got this treasure finished up yesterday!
Months ago there was a small local quilting show in my hometown. One of our two daughters was able to join me. We had scads of fun rummaging through mounds of fabric! Imagine our delight when we came across a sweet pattern made up of Hippos and Elephants! Why such delight? Well, because each member in our family is identified by their favorite animal.
(This Photo was taken by Brienne Michelle Photography)
See what I mean. Daughters = Hippos and Elephants….we’re a strange bunch.
You can just imagine our delight when we found fabric with Hippos AND Elephants on it. Okay, so there are zebras, too. Don’t tell the zebra, but we sort of just overlook that fact that they are there. Sorry little zebra. It isn’t the stripes, I promise.
It took me a while to figure out what I was going to make each daughter with the fabric, but I figured it out.
Below you’ll see my little “signature”. Each piece of work I make has a little something to make it unique. Love is, after all, in the details. 
Knit One, Purl ? February 28, 2010
Guess what else I did last week? That’s right, I (re)learned how to knit! Woo-Hoo!!
Years ago I learned how to knit, but it had been so very long since I had pulled out the yarn & needles that I couldn’t remember how. Let me tell ya it’s not like riding a bike. Thankfully, my friend Kelley (aka my quilting buddy) is an excellent knitter! She is also now my knitting teacher/mentor. What a gal! She had me casting on and off in no time.
For now I’m perfecting my “knit” stitch (do we knitters call them stitches?). Here’s the scarf I was able to finally finish after it had been rolled up in ball for
who-knows-how-long….the scarf knows, but I’m afraid to ask it.
Here’s a picture of the scarf I’m working on now. Boy, I’m going to be really good at that Knit stitch when I’m done!
I’ll have to start workin’ on that Purl stitch soon.
Crazy February 27, 2010
Finally moving forward with my crazy quilt! “Crazy Quilt” is one of my favorite patterns. Not that I’ve used many patterns. I like this pattern because it is very forgiving, just what we beginners need. There are 28 blocks in my quilt. There should have/could have been more, but this project got started just before I relocated about 3 years ago. I need to move on. Crazy quilts don’t need to take 3 years to make. I’m just easily distracted by other projects, and shiny baubles. Darn those shiny baubles! Decided to go long and narrow with this one. The borders will help widen it out, but frankly I’m happy with it being “long”, or rectangle shaped, rather than “square”. I wonder if I’ll be starting a quilting riot? I’m such a renegade!
Here’s a picture of one of the blocks before it was pieced into the front of the quilt.
There are 9 pieces that are sewn together to make up each “block”. The fabrics are all flannel. Each block was sewn together, or “pieced” together to make up the front of the quilt.
Finally! Now on to setting up the back and borders. Hope to have this quilt done SOON. I’ll keep you posted.
On The Road Again February 27, 2010
Hubby and I headed out on the open road for a few days. It was time to be with friends, and I needed a good dose of quilting time with my quilting buddy, Kelley! Before we got serious about quilting, we had to scoot out and have a little fun!
If you look closely you can see where in the world we are. Love that gorgeous Golden Gate Bridge (hint, hint).
Yes, San Francisco! Just so happens that the brand new Disney Family Museum is there. We had to go! Kelley has a founding membership. She was kind enough to take us. We have some generous friends!
This museum is beautifully done. Old brick buildings are so romantic, aren’t they? Love them. There is no photography allowed inside the museum, so you’ll have to go for yourself to take a peek. Loads of pictures through the years of the Disney family throughout the museum. Lots and lots of interactive areas, too. And tons of history of the Disney family, Walt Disney, and the Walt Disney Studios. If you have the opportunity to go I highly recommend it.
We spent a couple of hours in the museum….can you tell we enjoyed being there?
After such a delightful afternoon what could friends have done to make us even happier? China Town for dinner! It was time to go meet up with Kelley’s husband, Mel.
We found him!
You can’t help but have a good time with such jolly friends!
Here’s what we had for dinner…………………
Peking Duck! This was soooooooo yummy. In my version of heaven I eat Pecking Duck everyday. Okay, maybe every other day, but it’s there!! We were so busy eating duck that we forgot to take pictures of the rest of dinner. Sorry. Forgive us.
Want to see what we had for dessert?
Sesame Balls! This, too, will be in heaven! Perhaps on the day when Peking Duck isn’t being served. The goodness and happiness has to be spread out a bit, but only a bit.
Yes, heaven.
Here’s a little more of what we saw.
What a wonderful day!
And to be fair….hubby had the camera this day. The photos of the museum and China Town are all his photos. Great job honey! Thanks for helpin’ me out.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow February 21, 2010
Some days the need to post is overwhelming! For me it’s because my little inner voice, which isn’t always so little, keeps reminding me that I haven’t been here for a while; a noise I suspect only other bloggers hear and understand. The inner voice doesn’t seem to care that I find myself feeling like I’m swirling around just like Dorothy – from “The Wizard of Oz” – in her bedroom, grabbing her little dog, Toto, looking out the window of Auntie Em’s house as a tornado swirls her, Toto and the house around, and around, and around….you get the picture. Make it stop Auntie Em, make it stop! Daily life is just like that sometimes though, isn’t it? Picking us up whether we want it to or not, swirling us around until finally it stops just in time to flop us down on the ground like a sack of potatoes! Well, this sack of potatoes hasn’t had a chance to post a new blog in a while, and if I didn’t do something about it right this very minute there wasn’t going to be another entry for a couple more days. I’ll be with friends, and one of those friends sews! She understands the need for speed….of the sewing machine needle. Thank goodness for friends who sew! When I get back I’ll post pictures of anything I work on. In the meantime go work on something creative! I’ll want to hear all about it when I get back.
You Are My Sunshine! February 16, 2010
This past weekend I did a lot of baking for my Valentine. A lot of baking means spending a lot of time in the kitchen. A lot of time in the kitchen means looking out the kitchen window into the backyard, which I like to do, especially while washing the bowls and spatulas I just dirtied up with batter. As I was cleaning I looked out my kitchen window to see the sun hitting the back of one of my hanging geranium plants. The sunlight made the geranium look like it was glowing. It was one of those photo op moments, when your eyes see something that just might look great in a photo, so you drop everything you are doing, grab the camera, and run out to shoot like crazy! Keeping your fingers crossed the whole time that maybe, just maybe, you might get a picture you like. I was hoping for some sun-flare. Here’s what I got this time around.
Sun Flare! It worked! Exciting! I jumped up and down when I got this one. Not bad for a beginner. Plenty of room for improvement, but it’s a good start. Here’s another one.
Last shot this is what I saw from the kitchen window.
Success! February 9, 2010
The cats, Shakespeare and Oliver, like the mouse toy I made for them on Sunday. Today I finished stuffing it, stitched it closed, and tossed it on the floor. The mouse got tossed around, flung up in the air and chewed on – success! It’s fun to watch the cats play with a toy I made for them. Sorry little mouse. Please forgive me.
Of Mice and Tomato February 9, 2010
Here’s what I worked on while watching the super bowl!
A mouse toy for the cats, and a tomato pin cushion. Both have a combination of machine and hand stitching. The mouse toy still needs stuffing. The tomato is finished. More to come.
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow….. February 9, 2010
Each year when our fruitless pear tree “snows” on us I know spring is very close. I’m missing spring. It’s time for spring!
Light, white, small, paper like, spiraling, falling fearlessly to the ground. Touching lightly – laying softly – Snow.
Let it snow!
