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.

Swap Package Monday....

Like many others, I do NOT like a Monday. But yesterday was different. As I parked in the driveway I spied a package on my porch. Ya-hoo!!! I knew it was from LeeAnn - my Pink and Green swap partner. And I couldn't wait to get into it. I tried to take my time opening each package - wrapped so nice in twine and ribbons with tags attached - but it was sure hard to be patient. I was glad I was all alone. My daughter would have said "WHAT is wrong with you...tearing into that like you're 6 years old?!!??!!"

I've decided that LeeAnn and I have met - we just don't know it - because she sent things "with my name written all over them" as we say. I absolutely love it all!

S - Soaps

Handmade by her aunt, with a wonderful minty fragrance! My daughter is already begging me for a cake of it.

P - Pillow

Embroidered and handmade by LeeAnn - I saw this cow on her blog once and just loved it and canNOT believe I have one now. She also made a pillow form case to go with it. Love it, love it.

R -Remnants

These are the perfect size to do small handmade items with. I began cutting a few last night to try my hand at one of the doll quilts I keep seeing at turkey feathers and other blogs. As soon as I saw the colors I knew that's what I would do.

I - "I really love this plate/platter" LeeAnn said. And so do I! I'm finding a special place and use for this.

N - Notepads, Notecards, Notebooks.

As LeeAnn said, you can't have too many of any of these 3 things. And I know I'll use each one of them.

G - Green Felted Flower Pin

This is soooo pretty. The picture does NOT do this justice. LeeAnn made this from a thrifted sweater and she put a large pearl ball-type button in the center. This pin will travel back and forth between my off-white cape and my off-white purse. I can't wait to use it!

This is my first swap and LeeAnn's also. I love everything she sent and I hope she will like what I've sent. (My package should be at her door today.)

Thanks again LeeAnn.

I'm still trying to figure this out!

It's pretty pitiful to finally create a blog and then let it sit there for a full week before adding to it again...but...that's what I did. Not intentionally of course. I did just enter a list of blogs I read but you would NOT believe how long that took.I just haven't known how to create this and haven't had the time to try for a long period of time - plain and simple. However, I do seem to have had time to read all of the other blogs I so enjoy. Pitiful - just pitiful!

I took a photograph last night of some fabric I received in the mail yesterday from fabriclovers.com and I canNOT for the life of me get the picture transferred to this, but I WILL do it. It might be after the skirt is made but I WILL do it. I love this fabric! Julie had made a skirt out of it and I just had to have that fabric but I couldn't find it on any of the online shops I buy from, so I emailed julie and she so kindly replied that I could get it at fabriclovers.com. I really enjoyed dealing with those folks. Sabra at fabriclovers.com went out of her way to try to contact me about a less expensive shipping option which I thought was fantastic customer service. The fabric is so pretty. I can't wait to make something from it.

I'm still getting my items together for the Pink and Green Swap. This is my first swap and LeeAnn is my swap partner, and I'm getting excited.

Well, I'm going to hit 'publish' now and see what happens!

I can't believe I've done it!

I have a blog!!! Who would've thought!! Thank you LeeAnn for the extra push you've given me. Did you sense my fear? You would not believe how brainless I am on a computer - other than checking emails and searching the internet. Just wait until I can REALLY do something on this blog........Katie....bar the door!!!