A Patchwork Summer

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. It was nice to have the extra day off but that isn't what the day is about as we all know. As a matter of fact, one of our hometown young men was killed in Iraq Friday. David Paul Lindsey is his name. He was only 20 years old. This was his Memorial Day. If you pray, please pray for his family. I cannot imagine....


I spent the weekend with family and friends...just flying around by the seat of my pants...and I loved every minute of it. I got a tad of sewing done, but not much. I began this late Friday night...

...and after getting into umpteen different things in my sewing room I finally began to crash about 2 a.m. I was so keyed up - wanting to sew, wanting to organize and fold fabric, wanting to makes lists of projects I'd like to do and those I've already started and put down. I don't know if I drank too much iced tea Friday or what, but I was surely wound up. And then.....BOOM! I was walking like a drunk woman. Thinking like a drunk woman. It hit like a ton of bricks. I uncovered my bed by moving the boxes of fabric I had pulled out. No reading necessary at 2 a.m. I closed my eyes and the next thing I knew it was 11 a.m. !!!! Yikes! I canNOT handle late nights anymore. And I miss that. I used to love staying up late and getting into all sorts of things. But age will nip that fun in the bud!

Saturday and Sunday were fun days. I was trying to forget what needed to be done at home and just enjoy myself. That's another thing I used to do when I was younger. Back then my mind would say "Forget what the house looks like. Forget you've only got (1) pair of clean shorts. Grab 'em and go girl." That way of thinking has changed through the years. I'd like to do some things on impulse again. Since I'm aware of it, maybe I can change a bit.

So yesterday I finally completed my project- a patchwork tote bag. A couple of the prints are from some of the .50 pillowcases I recently bought and the blue/white gingham is from an apron I bought at a yard sale for .25. The apron had several large stains that wouldn't wash out so I cut it up to salvage some of it. I love all of these colors. I can't help but see "Summer" when I look at it.

Summer - catching fireflies, sipping lemonade on the porch swing, swimming, keeping the picnic quilt by the door, grabbing some delicious smelling magnolia blossoms.....

The mailman is my friend sometimes....

Saturday was the first Saturday since mid-February that I wasn't at my mothers 30 minutes away, clearing out the house she is about to sell. She and I have both exhausted ourselves with that project and I cannot tell you how excited I was to have a Saturday at home to do other things, like sew. But by the time I cleaned house, visited the nursery, planted some flowers, washed some laundry and began to uncover my sewing table...the day was pretty much gone. When my teenager came in from her Saturday job she and I took off to the mall...you know...that place where she would rather live. IF she had the money. She and I had not been to the mall together since December and we did enjoy it. When she began to drive last fall I decided that if she asked me to go somewhere with her I would say yes (unless I just absolutely couldn't go) because her years at home are so quickly passing by. I'm glad she still wants me around now and then, so off we went.

Mother's Day Sunday was very nice. Church, Sunday lunch, spending time with my mother, daughter, an aunt and a cousin. A quiet laid back kind of afternoon that seemed to fly by and then it was Monday before I could blink.

I don't have any sewing to show yet but I do want you to see the needlebook I ordered from Jenn Maruska. I have been drooling over this for a while, so I finally ordered it. I love the pin cushions and needlebooks she makes. And her little "taskets" too.

I also got in on an item that Julie Marie was getting rid of when she was spring cleaning. I thought it was precious when she first wrote about it and I'm thrilled to have it. It's such pretty embroidery that you have to look hard to realize it says "snotrag". This will have to go to church with me every week. The card she enclosed is one of her designs and I just loved it too. (I forgot to take a picture of it though.) It is called "Magnolia". How fitting....the magnolia trees are blooming all around me here. Be sure to check out her cards here.

I also want to show you the goodies I received from Julie V. in a Journal Swap hosted by Create A Connection. I was so excited about this package. Not only did she send me a journal, but also the adorable 'flower pen', magnets and the book Memoirs of a Geisha signed by the author! I couldn't help but be 'giddy' about it all. The journal is from Amy Butler and Julie V. didn't even know that I sew or buy Amy Butler fabrics. I do love this journal - so much so that I'm going to order a couple more of them. Thank you so much Julie V. I love it all!

I'm trying very hard to be more organized for this weekend so that I can MAYbe get some sewing done. Organize, clean, de-clutter, sew, embroider, wash car, cut grass, plant more flowers, bathe E.J. (dog).....my list is getting much too long. But I WILL sew. I WILL sew.

Ya'll Have Me Thrifting and I Love It

I haven't had much time for sewing the past two weeks but I'm hoping things are slowing down enough now for me to work on some things. I've got several skirts to make for myself that aren't even cut out yet. I also want to finish this little doll quilt I've been trying to master.


These fabrics are from LeeAnn in the Pink and Green Swap. I cut into the remnants the night I got her package in the mail and then began sewing it together the next night - but haven't been able to pick it up since then. Time just gets away from me so quickly.

I did luck up Monday afternoon on some thrifting. I found two vintage sheets still wrapped in the plastic for $3.50 each....

...and then all of these soft-as-silk pillowcases for .50 each. I just HAD to bring these home to add to the fabric collection!

Now I don't know about that one with the roller skates...I'm sure it isn't old and I don't know why I thought I had to buy that one...but I did. Oh well.

I'm not sure what I'll do with all of them, but I see aprons, purses, purse linings, pillows, window dressings, etc. I just need to make sure I keep them stacked in view because if they get organized in a box it will be "out of sight - out of mind". That's one of the ways I've accumulated my fabric collection to begin with!

I was so excited about the sheets and pillowcases, and then I spied this on my way to the register.

I just fell in love with this! I don't know if you can tell it by looking at my pitiful photo, but about half of the fern actually hangs off of the fabric. I think it's just beautiful. Different. Unique. The bottom edge says "Sunset Designs 1975". I'm thinking it was framed at some point because there are rusty colored marks around the edges that look to be left by staples. It's in good shape otherwise, and very clean.

I wonder who stitched this. Did she do a lot of crewel embroidery work, or did this one piece convince her it wasn't her cup of tea? Did she work on it for 30 minutes in the evenings after putting the children to bed? How did it leave her possession? I always wonder about things like that when something is handmade. Handmade is a piece of someone. It's a part of that person's heart and mind. And it's a part of their history. And I can't help but wonder.