Are you sowing along??

Hi my fellow bloggers,
I wanted to get a head-count to find out how many of you are actually sowing along with me on this project following the Farmer's Wife book. Can you send me a quick comment that you're "in"... I am trying to determine if iI should be doing that linky-thing, which will really tax my abilities! Can you let me know by this weekend, please?


On another front, I told you I went to the local guild's show this past weekend and that I WON something!  This is it! It's a basket they called "vintage linens". It has a lot of crocheted lace things, as well as other goodies. I did, however, keep hoping I'd get the call that I won the raffle quilt, though!! Can't complain, really.

I also found the most amazing vendor, selling all kinds of little vintage trinkets.  Here is the little booth. The woman with the PINK hair was the one who made all the items. Quite a talented lady... she has a blog: gypsythreads.wordpress.com

I found some wonderful goodies. I think my favorite is the "salt peter", or pin cushion. The scissors are pretty cute; can you make out the tiniest little tea pot pin cushion? Precious.

Speaking of precious, I am picking up my darling grandson tomorrow and I can't wait!!! His other grandparents are coming into town this weekend and, since I don't share very well, we are staying away and letting them have some time with the sweet boy.  So I have to get my Ryan-fix!!  At least until next week~! I know, I'm spoiled by all the time I get to be with him. I'm now "my nana"!!! Warms my heart like nothing else!!


Have a great Thursday.
Love to you all,
Randy

Just Take 2, moving along

I am still going to show you the wonderful goodies I acquired at the quilt show yesterday, but before then, I wanted to show you my red/white blocks from the Just Take 2 quilt-a-long. I am challenged and enjoying it immensely. Also making sure to keep up.

And, just to make sure you're paying attention, I'm going to start working on the March 7th installment of our sow-a-long!! Hope you're all keeping up.


Have a great Monday.
Love to you all,
Randy

Quilt show find

I went to the local guild's quilt show yesterday and found many treasures, which I will tell you about later. But those of you in our sow-a-long will enjoy this masterpiece I found on display! Are you motivated yet??

And the winner is....

WOW!!! How nice to have so many people willing to take some fabric off my hands!!!  I had dozens of names - put all of them into a tupperware container (!) and picked out:


DIANE KNOT!!!


Please send me your snail mail address so I can send the package to you... Thanks to everyone for entering!!


Spent Wednesday night/Thursday morning with Ryan, and we of course went to our favorite breakfast place.  His meal?  Aside from the yogurt I brought along, a couple of the basic B food groups:  BACON and BANANAS!!!

How's everyone doing on their Sow-A-Long blocks? Hope you are having fun!! Remember, next installment is March 7th!! So you have lots of time to keep up!


Have a great weekend,
Love to you all,
Randy

Just take 2, Take TWO

I have been participating in the Sentimental Stitches, Just Take 2, red/white quilt-a-long but have to admit that I have been seriously challenged when the blocks require them to be printed out. I have a MacBook Pro and my blocks just didn't print out the right size.  My good friend Lori sent me instructions that she found to try to remedy the situation. (operator error?? Probably).


Anyway, I tried the new methods and they worked.  So I had to remake the blocks.  Hence the title, Just Take 2, Take TWO. Mind you, the first strip of flying geese came out the right size because I pieced them individually. However, I completely forgot that I was using only muslin for the background. The real scrappy me came through and I used fun fabrics instead.  


Here you can see the two different versions; one block was seriously too small, even after I added a "sashing strip" VBG.

Anybody else doing these, along side the farmer's wife sow-a-long???


Have a great Wednesday. I'm off to pick up the darling grandson today. I have him to myself tonight as his parents both have work dinners. YEAH!!! Nana, Nana, Nana, here I come!!!


Love to you all,
Randy

Motivated to clean and GIVEAWAY

Since my mom has been ill and I'm not optimistic that she'll be back at her home any time soon, I've taken to cleaning up her place.  Is it the elderly who are terrible housekeepers? I mean, EEEW!  Possibly my mom was never a great housecleaner, but her house is in need of some serious cleaning. VBG. And throwing away of stuff she will never need.


It makes me wonder, though, what would someone say about MY house if they came in and found piles and piles of STUFF everywhere?? And I don't think I'm a pack-rat... Well, it has motivated me to get rid of stuff from my house.  Janet O. is doing her farmer's wife quilt in Christmas fabrics and I offered to share (dump!) my Christmas fabrics with her.


So, one half is going to Janet and the other half is up for grabs!! Want yards and yards of Christmas/winter fabrics?  Send me your email with a comment and I'll draw a winner on Friday morning.


Here's what they look like:

And I'm just starting to get rid of stuff. I'm vowing to give away SOMETHING every week. Next week? BOOKS!! Stay tuned!!!


Love to you all,
Randy

Blown away!

I have to say that I have been completely overwhelmed by the stories you have all shared regarding care for your elderly parents.  Each one was more poignant than the next.  I can't thank you enough for sharing and opening your hearts with your stories.  I wish everyone the best throughout those very difficult and painful times!


My mom has been released into a nursing home. She's almost completely bed-ridden (this for a woman who swam in a swim meet and hiked miles just before she got sick) and in a lot of pain.  Certainly makes for thought on choices that we want to make for ourselves as we age, I'll tell ya.


So I've done very little sewing. But, of course, we had to spend some time with our darling grandson Ryan. My daughter recently moved into a new house in San Francisco and had to temporarily part with some of the quilts I have given her over the years.  She made a couple of piles in her kitchen of the ones she CAN'T part with and Ryan has made himself very comfortable on them!!

The quilt I made for his birth is the blue/white 9-patch on top!


I hope to be able to share more quilting related stuff this week.
How are your farmer's wife blocks coming along?? You have an extra week until the next installment so lots of time to catch up and/or make a second set!! There are definitely a few over-achievers out there! And you know who you are!! VBG 


Love to you all,
Randy