First finish of 2020!

Happy Little Things is completed! I did easy machine stitch in the ditch in a few places - around the embroidery, the blocks and the border. Finished up the binding by hand last night.

It was the Sunday before Christmas....

and all through the house. Not a thing was completed not even the elf! Just kidding. I don't tend to 'make' things for Christmas so no pressure on getting things done =)

I did make a little progress on machine and by hand this week. It is just not very noticeable!

The Happy Little Things got the last block completed, sewn together for the blocks, seam ripped the oops and then sewn again with some borders added yesterday. Not sure if I will add more or consider this done as is?

The cat allowed me to do that much before he settled in and decided I was done with the machine for the afternoon! How can you stitch with this in the way?

I laid out a set of blocks from 2018.. with the thought of sewing them together yesterday. See the above cat photo for that progress. I did make decisions and went with a grey sashing for the on point setting and I love how it is looking.... I see the cats have slightly rearranged things overnight. I'll plan to shut the cats out of the sewing room later tonight so I can make a little progress after we return from Christmas at my MIL's house this afternoon. The boy had recovered to feel well enough to go... fighting with his sister again this morning so he is better!

For the slow stitching....that is the crochet and knitting.
The crochet has made progress. That one is easy to pull out and do without thinking. I believe I am on skein 3 and I plan on 8 for this blanket stitch afghan for Emily.

The knitting. I finished the next section of Aidan's pillow. Now it is the section of the sheep. I am nervous about this as it is multiple colors to make a pattern. Thank goodness for youtube. I have an idea on how to do it but will need to concentrate. Tonight's project I think. 15 rows to make one set of the sheep across. Wish me luck!

Last night Emily and I went to an ugly sweater party at her horse academy. Ms. Liz hired a camel for camel rides! Even I got to take a spin on Kent the camel!

Deb on the camel - it was really high up there!

Emily riding the camel.

Linking up with the other slow stitchers today. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a big Thank you to Kathy who has hosted this wonderful link up for so many years of encouragement.

Happy Little Things....

Don't you just hate it when you get something sewn together and realize... you swapped the blocks? I did not want those 2 top ones next to each other.... the ones on the right hand side were to be swapped so the blocks with the extra log frames are diagonal rather than next to each other! Oops. Time to find the seam ripper. I didn't even notice it until yesterday when I was trying to find a fabric to frame it with for the next border. I'm not sure if I'll add more borders or not. I was thinking of words on top and bottom.... something like Welcome and at the bottom Spring... since these are springy colors. Is springy a word? Then again... it might just get a blue 3 inch border and a dark blue (or pink) binding and call it done. We will see. Now... where is that seam ripper?

Monday.... HLT block #4 - done!

I managed to make the toffee and some peanut butter balls yesterday before sitting for the rest of the afternoon with my foot up on a pillow resting. Somehow I turned my ankle twice last week. Mostly it is fine except when I am up on it for a bit too long and then it hurts. I decided to sit out my walk this morning to rest it for another day or two to see if it gets better.

That did allow me time to finish the embroidery on the block and I cut out the parts. I quickly sewed them together with the machine after picking up Emily from school... and before going to pick up Aidan. That is a 40 minute window of time...

While waiting in Emily's car line - I finally pulled 3 or 4 rows out to get to the edge that someone (cough, cough, Peanut!) chewed on . It would never have lasted a washing with parts of the yarn chewed away. I got rid of the chewed parts, reconnected it with a knot and was able to add 2 rows back in. Must remember to put it up high when not working on it or find a different bag without openings on the edges for said cat to stand on the zippered part and dig down for the yarn and then chew it. Did I mention this cat loved to chew on yarn?

Time to make dinner - spaghetti and frozen meatballs, garlic bread from the leftover cuban bread and salad should tide us over until the ice cream party tonight at scouts. The girls have a secret santa gift exchange tonight.

Slow Sunday Stitching.....

Well, there was slow Saturday evening stitching last night while watching The Santa Clause 2 with the kids. I got one of my applique blocks done for the 3rd set of EMD blocks. One to go - and I plan to work on it and finish it today. The next set of blocks are set to be released... not sure if it will be today or tomorrow since she normally does not post on Sundays. I chose needle turn applique for this one and I think it came out pretty good.
 

I'll be adding some embroidery stitches to the Happy Little Things block #4 today.

Linking up with Kathys Quilts and the other slow stitchers.

The elf decided to make a climbing wall at our house! Yes the kids know but I can still have fun with him occasionally! Silly Chilly the Elf.

Happy Little Things.....

Block #3 is now finished. I resorted to machine piecing this one instead of hand piecing. Unfortunately.... the machine really needs to go in and get a cleaning. It keeps getting a tangle underneath and despite cleaning out the bobbin area, I guess I need to find the card to the person who cleaned them for the Viking shop that closed last year.

The first 3 blocks. Yes, the blue is different on block #3. I guess I ran out of the other one.

My Grammy's singer machine might have to be relocated to the sewing area and be put to use.... or I really need to get the tension fixed on Aidan's brother machine or figure out Emily's Janome machine.

At least I can start on the embroidery for block #4 now!

Slow Sunday?

I think it will be prep Sunday at my house! I am making some peanut butter balls to bring to a cookie exchange this afternoon. Not that we need any sugar... but it is a fun get together with friends. I now remember why I don't tend to make these. Making them into balls is easy - it's the dipping into the chocolate that I fail at! Oh well, second batch of chips melted and a silicone basting brush and I'm calling them done. Not great looking but oh well!

For the prepping - I really need to prep the Ella Maria Deacon blocks. I cut the applique block out last night from paper. Just need to audition some fabrics and trace with a chalk to outline it then cut the fabric out for some needle turn applique. I'll be tracing the flying geese out for the first block as well and cutting the last one. I'll wait and figure out the broderie perse but I have one fabric pulled for it and another possible 'fun' one of cat faces! Amazingly... I got all of the above done this afternoon! Feels good to be all prepped to take with me for hand stitching this week.

I found the white background for the last Happy Little Things block. I'll draw that onto it today so it is by the recliner and ready to stitch tonight. Done.

Along the crochet and knitting front. I did start Aidan's knitted pillow.... but at the end of row 5 something was off and I pulled it out. I think I split a loop and got an extra in row 3 and it threw me off. Easier to start again at this point. I restarted it tonight and I have the first 10 rows done. The next part of the pattern.... I hope I am reading correctly. It says next row knit; next row purl. Continue in stocking stitch as above until 43 rows in total have been completed. I am reading that as I have done the first 10 rows and I am now doing the above knit row then purl row until I have reached row 43, not to do this stitch for 43 rows. Makes sense? Hope I am correct on that.

I did make progress on the crochet front. That one is easier to pick up and add a little here and there with the blanket stitch. I am almost done with the second skein of yarn. Good thing I purchased another 6 skeins on Tuesday when they were on sale.

Linking up with the other slow stitchers today.

Sunday.....

The kids are off to Grandma's soon. Greg will be off to work and I get the house to myself! In between some laundry and cleaning I'll take some breaks.

I'll add some crochet stitches to Emily's afghan. This is a blanket stitch and very soothing to work. I have another 5 rows added from this photo.

Aidan pulled out this pillow kit he has. It is knitting. I need to find a 4mm and 5mm that will hold 74 stitches. He wants to 'help'. We will see how that goes!

I'm still on block 3 of Happy little things. I need to trim this to 4.5 inches and then cut out the surrounding pieces for it. These might just get machine sewn this month to get it done.... so I can start on the embroidery for block #4!

I also need to prep a block or 2 for the Ella Maria Deacon quilt along at Sentimental Stitches. I have the first 8 blocks done - all by hand. The last 2 still need pressing and the applique needs to be trimmed to size.

The kids are off school this week with Thanksgiving on Thursday. I got the turkey last night and all 13.5 pounds of him is defrosting in the fridge. That was the smallest.... all the others were 20 pounds or more! At about 5 pounds per day in the fridge.... they would not work for me! Still at .49 cents a pound it was not bad.

I'll let the kids start decorating the house this week to keep them occupied and out of my hair while I am working. Peanut has a vet appt on Monday afternoon for annual shots. Ollie went on Saturday and the pins on the second cage got broken getting him into the cage so only he went. Sophie went in September. A rodeo on Friday night in Inverness with Grandma and a parade with girl scouts for Light up Ocala yesterday afternoon and evening has made for a busy weekend already. I'm looking forward to some hand work time today.

Linking with Slow Sunday Stitching.

Sunday Slow Stitching....

I will be adding a few stitches into a few different projects today.

I plan to finish up the last 4 applique peels for the Ella Maria Deacon block #5 today.

Start the Happy Little Things embroidery for block 3.... yikes, how did I forget to do this one? The next one is released tomorrow!

Add some stitches into the trip quilt on the frame. I was able to turn it this week after another fix to the batting and started in on the orange block. I am officially half way through this big 90x90 quilt.

Around all that.... I'll finish picking up and cleaning the house and pick up the sewing area and finally get things up on the walls. I also need to figure out how to put my Thomas Kincade big framed photo back up in the living room. It fell in the middle of the night last week and I have yet to figure out why it fell (was a cat involved?) as it had been hanging fine for 9 years!

Linking up with the other slow stitchers at Kathy's Quilts.

Happy Little Things....

I made a little progress on block #2..... and block #3 was released yesterday!

I just need to find and cut and mark the 'log cabin type' borders for this little guy. I should have time to do that today before picking up the kids from school. Emily has her first volleyball practice after school today - 60 people tried out for the team and 16 made it. She was tickled pink!

Slow Sunday Stitching....

There will be slow stitching today! I am up early (hey - when you fall asleep before 8PM then wake up for an hour around 11:30 then go back to sleep till 6:30 you must have been tired!) and ready to do a little slow stitching while listening to the news in a nice quiet house.

I did not get much sleep Friday night - we had a sleepover and the girls were in a tent set up in the living room and they did not settle down until after 11PM... giggling and chatting and we were up early to meet the troop for a walk to search for a geocache on the trails for 9AM. We found one..... and decided we will wait for it to cool down before doing that again! It was feels like 90 degrees at 10AM yesterday. I spent the day cleaning the house (between breaks to stitch up block #3 for Ella Marie Deacon Quilt Along) which explains the tired. This does need a press but it was fun to stitch together.

Today... slow stitching, grocery shopping and a visit to my fil in the hospital is on tap for me. He is better and they are talking release to rehab early this week. It will be 2 weeks on Monday he has been in there. Very weak but on the road to recovery.

Today will be slow stitching the Happy Little Things block (next one is released tomorrow!). Anyone have tips on how to center properly and cut the embroidery block to size? I thought I had a good plan... but it is not going to be centered well.

Prepping Block #4 for EMD quilt along and prepping 2 umbrella's to stitch this week in the car lines will happen.

I hope to also put some thread into the TATW quilt on the frame this afternoon/evening. Lofty goals, so I'd better log off, take a sip of coffee and get stitching on HLT's!

Sunday slow stitching....

I have a couple hand work projects that I am working on.

I finished the embroidery for the Happy Little Things block. Time to pull and mark the rest of the block for hand piecing this week.

I started a new project - The Ella Marie Deacon Quilt along over at Sentimental Stitches. 4 blocks a month released mid month for the next 21 months. I think I will hand piece mine in scrappy blues from my stash. This is the first block I hand pieced - well I just need to add that shape all around. I'll prep the other 3 today.

I realized I had $25 over at bluprint that had to get used by the end of the month. I went looking around and saw they had bamboo knitting needles and they were on sale! I had broken the tip on my favorite size 8 that I use for dish cloths.... I got 2 sets of them in a 9 inch and a few other things and it arrived on Friday! Woo hoo - one pair will reside in the car but instead of the console - where it can get broken while taking it out! - I will put it in a zippered cloth bag with some dish cloth yarn (sugar and cream) and it will live in the passenger seat! I'll transfer my current pink dish cloth in process and that will be the first into the bag.  I also picked up a water erasable marking pen, a number 11 bamboo needle (hey, you never know when you might need it!) and Aurofil mako thread cream in a 40 weight I think. I believe I had 7 cents to spare! Not bad.

I did manage to 'fix' the batting on the frame last week and I am looking forward to watching Hocus Pocus (don't judge - I love watching this movie in the fall, and yes I have it on DVD!) this afternoon while adding some hand quilting onto my colorful trip around the world. I tend to work left to right on the frame (cause I'm silly like that!) and will be finishing the purple section today and moving onto the teal. I got a good amount done on it yesterday in between kids coming in to 'check on me'. I had to hit the pause button... a lot.... I was watching Bad Moms which is not kid appropriate.

Sophie the cat was supervising.

The kids made us a chocolate cake for our anniversary yesterday - complete with chocolate hearts they piped with a bar of baking chocolate in the pantry! Not bad for a 10+11 year old.... and with a little threatening they even cleaned up the kitchen pretty well after. Did I mention there was some threatening to never be allowed to bake again if they (one in particular) didn't help clean up and do all the dishes? For some reason they put candles on the cake - a 13 for our 13th wedding anniversary!

Linking up with Kathy and the other slow stitchers who are sharing what they are crafting in slow, methodical stitches this week. I wish I was in Ontario, Canada.... I'd join in on her slow stitching Sunday retreat Oct 6. I'll just join in, in spirit from Florida.

Wednesday.....

I finally finished the first block for Happy Little Things BOM over at Jaquelynne Steves  The Art of Home website. I had pulled some fabrics from stash for this one and since I have so much waiting time, figured I'd hand piece this one as well. All done and ready for the next block release next month.

I had an early dentist appt this morning. After, I stopped at Sams as we were out of frozen burger patties. I buy them in the 6 pound package of individual patties as they are so easy to defrost in the microwave (3=1 pound) for meals. As you know, I am in Florida and we are busy watching the weather as a competitive sport with hurricane season in full swing. Dorian is powering up to become a hurricane and only Mother Nature knows where she will go. I am inland and on the west side of Florida so will probably just see rain and wind... if it comes in around the middle of the state. Too soon to tell....but people are already getting crazy buying bottled water. Me... we have a couple cases in storage already. Plenty of batteries in the house  (cause we live in Florida and you just never know!)  I just fill up big blue jugs of water and other containers and the tubs.... if it is a chance of losing power. We will see how things are shaping up Friday..... if it looks like central Florida then I'll fill bigger tupperware containers with water and pop them in the deep freezer. They will keep things cooler longer in case of a power outage... and can be used for drinking water if it is longer. Hopefully, it will go north and away from land and we will have a nice holiday weekend. If not.... I have plenty of hand work to keep me occupied!

Sunday....

 This is what happens when I attempt to take photo's for the blog! Peanut thinks he needs to 'help' holding things down! Silly boy.

This is how far I have gotten on the BOM - Happy Little Things. I decided to hand piece this one as I have more waiting time than sewing machine time lately! I got the flying geese done in the car line. Lines are drawn and this one is ready to get pieced the next time I am waiting.

I grabbed the first 'clip' I saw. It was a binding clip. Great way to keep parts together.

 I also found block 1 from Save the Bees BOM...who know's maybe I'll actually finish this block sometime now that it is in the baggie of hand work. I might have found this while starting to go through things as I put things back in the sewing area!

 This is my take with me baggie of hand work. It contains the above 2 projects as well as my umbrella block parts for back basting applique. I think there is also an applique snowflake tucked in there from another project... just in case I might run out of anything to do!

I did have an issue on Friday. I had tucked my knitting needles and yarn into the car console. I have a bunch of stuff in there.... and when I tried to get it out.... I broke the tip off one of the bamboo needles! Bummer..... I love my bamboo needles. Since I have not 'found' the bag of knitting stuff, I opted to cast off this dish cloth half way. Hey - it will still wash the dishes just fine! Note to self - always buy 2 skeins of dish cloth yarn so I can make 3. One skein tends to make 1.5 dish cloths and I only remember to buy 1... so that second one is ...... colorful! I think instead of the console I'll grab a big zippered bag that I can tuck various projects in and just keep it in the passenger foot area. Must pack that bag up today and pop it into the car. I'll tuck the cross stitch and it's book in there as well. Never can have too many options available!

Linking up with the other Slow Sunday Stitchers. 

Saturday morning we split up a bit. I took Emily to horses while Dad took the boy to get a hair cut - out to lunch with some of his gift cards and they picked up some powdered sugar Emily needed to finish off the lemon frosting for her lemon cake she made Friday night. I heard from Aidan.... Dad was thinking she needed 5 pounds of powdered sugar (5 cups in reality) and was putting 5 bags of it into the cart! Aidan just looked at him and asked what he was doing? He realized his mistake and they got 2 bags and put the rest back on the shelf! Silly boys.  We did find out some great news. Emily's riding instructor had to move quickly back in June and relocated about 35 minutes from us and had to leave behind the covered arena. We are in Florida. It rains and is HOT.  It was feels like 97 degrees at 10AM yesterday. Em was dripping sweat and red faced when she was done at 10:50. Liz just signed a lease for a covered arena 5 minutes from us! I fear my girl is going to be having a second home at the barn helping out very soon.

Prince was waiting for her when we got there to get his rub down and then get all saddled up for riding.

He got a bath after and then she put him out in the field when she was done her lesson. 

Umbrella needed?

We have needed an umbrella here a lot lately! I got the pick up lines today in the rain. This blue umbrella got stitched in Emily's and the last few stitches got added on Aidan's wait time. I think his time will work better with knitting or crochet so I can be looking up... if ever the cars move! At least we got home before 5PM today (4:30). Yesterday it was closer to 5:30 when Greg got him - delayed release for an hour with thunder storms - 4:45 instead of 3:45!
 


Last night I tried my hand at embroidery - the Happy Little Things BOM! It went pretty well for my first stab at it! Not perfect but done enough for me! I need to rewatch the french knot tutorial and add those and the last part of the flower tonight. I hear it is game night tonight... I see Pictionary in our future.