Flying Geese Everywhere!!

It's a glorious morning in So. California today. The sky is crystal clear, there is a light breeze blowing and I am sitting in my sewing room enjoying the view. Life is so good and so is God.

As I continue to work on my Civil Unrest quilt project I am elbow deep in flying geese. Yikes, I have 216 of these little guys all over my sewing table. I am corralling them together in strips of 9 geese ... I have half of them completed!

Here are a few of the little guys ... a lot of them are huddled together in a plastic container! Little red square in a squares will eventually join the geese together in nice tidy rows.

Three sets of four rows are ready to connect my 9 patch blocks ....

And the lay out has begun ... aren't all those colors so pretty together! Tomorrows goal is to get the three rows set with the geese and then it's back to herding the geese in strips of nine ... Oh my, oh my

Little Abby is close by keeping an eye on my progress ...

Enjoy your last few days of April, May flowers are just around the corner!!

Just For Fun ....

The season to celebrate America is just around the corner. For me, I launch the Americana season with Memorial Day and close the season out with the last summer holiday - Labor Day. I have a month to go to get my flags dusted off, pack up my winter decor, plant a few blue hued flowers out front and pull out my Americana decor. Second to Christmas this is my favorite time of the year!

A craft for June ....

Above are a few of my Americana inspired crafts. The flag pillow class is scheduled to begin on FLAG day!!  All done by hand this pillow is a perfect addition to any home or porch!

Another for July ...

The Star inspired "flip-flops" are so fun for summer and easy to make. Using pieces of fabric cleverly tied to the top straps I created the perfect 4th of July summer sandals! 

And August!

 I originally made these pedastal glass jars for Valentines Day. However, I plan to make another larger jar and filling them with red, white and blue candies and/or treats. These can easily be used the entire year in several rooms of the house.

These are my ideas for an Americana Summer ... what are yours?

A Day in the Kitchen!

If an effort to help a friend get her Pampered Chef business off the ground I hosted a home party for her today. With a late winter storm blowing through So. California last night we woke up to beautiful sunny skies! A perfect day for a party.

I put my sign out on the front porch just in case a passer by wanted to stop in and join the fun!

The guests began arriving .... even the newlyweds were here! With about 12 of us settled into our seats Ms. Pam got down to business ... cooking!! Woo Hoo

She was doing a demonstration on the micro plainer. This is one wickedly sharp tool!

Pam whipped up this amazing hot dip. OMG, this was to die for. Cream cheese, seasonings, grape tomatoes and a few other ingredients were popped in the microwave for 3 minutes and BAM!!! an amazing dip. Serve it with crackers and you're set. Oh so yummy.

This could seriously be dinner!! Grecian Bars ... A mixture of artichokes, water chestnuts, spinach, mayo, sour cream, feta cheese and seasonings spread over the top of refrigerator crescent rolls and voila - dinner!

And finally ... dessert. Angel food cake with crushed pineapple topped with a Cool whip and pineapple mixture. ONLY 18 calories per serving!!! Yep, my kind of cake!

 We all ate to our hearts content and there was not one bite of anything left! Even the wine was gone! Oh my what a great time we had.

Our presenter, Pam had a birthday just a few days earlier so we took a few minutes to celebrate with her.

 Make a Wish Pam!! Thanks for a great day with good friends ...

Settling In ....

The wedding is over, all my guests have gone home and the celebration of Jesus' re-birth is behind us. 

I can feel myself settling back into my routine and I couldn't be happier! 

For the ladies that like to craft with me I have created an Americana pillow to kick off Flag Day on June 14th.

This little hand stitched pillow is made from heathered felt and some small pieces of wool. It will finish at 12 inches square. I love it, hope the ladies do to!

 As I enjoy the beauty of spring with new flowers popping out of the earth, bright green lawns littering my neighborhood, and a tiny humming bird nested in my tree I am quickly reminded that summer and my favorite Americana holidays are close behind. Last week I pieced this very Americana doll quilt ...

Mostly pieced with red and white fabrics I added a one inch strip of blue to give it that Americana feel. Now to get it quilted!

Next challenge has been my Civil War Sampler quilt. My dear friend Penny joined me today at a local quilt shop to  select boarder fabrics.  I had hoped to step out of my usual "look" but I'm afraid I slid right back into my same routine!

I have used an aged muslin as my sashing pieces. I will use a 1 1/2 inch inner boarder with a 4 inch red outer boarder. I love red and it seems to find it's way onto the boarders of many of my quilts! I just love the aged, worn look ... I told Penny it's because I feel aged and worn!

 

 

 I had two blocks left when I put this quilt top together so instead of putting them in a plastic box I added some boarder pieces and will turn them into pillows ...

I didn't realize how similar these two blocks were until this very moment! They are both a pinwheel style with my favorite color ... RED!

 Finally the flying geese! Oh my I have SO many of these fellas to make. Penny and I are making a small quilt called "Civil Unrest." It calls for over 200  2 1/2" flying geese pieces. I may be half way done ...

Here lies approximately enough pieces to make 40 geese, this will take a good 4 hours from beginning to end. Can you hear my sigh!! However, when it is all finished I will have such a sense of accomplishment!

Happy Patriot's Day!

Easter Blessings

With Easter just a few days away I wanted to take a moment and wish each of you a blessed Easter. Today, Good Friday we are reminded of the sacrifice Jesus made for all of us as he gave up his life while dying on the cross. I had to pop into the Dollar Tree this morning and it was busy, busy with desperate shoppers buying baskets, chocolate bunnies, jelly beans and egg dyes. As I wondered to the back of the store for some cleaning products I asked myself "I wonder what Jesus' is thinking as he watches this madness." Does he ask himself, I gave up my life for this ... bunnies and colored eggs? Then I was quickly reminded he LOVES us, truly, truly loves us without conditions. Even when we shop for nonsensical items on the day of his death.

My children are all grown now allowing me the time to reflect on this holiest of days. May you share with me in this season of reflection and re-birth and even chocolate bunnies!

Lo-cal Longaberger bunnies made of wood. Not real tasty but so cute!

Another Tour ....

Yesterday my quilting gals met at Penny's home for our monthly get together. It was only right that I would share with you Penny's home in the same way I shared Rita's. So, get a cup of coffee or tea, settle into a comfy chair and tour Penny's lovely 2014 Farm House. Her home is what I think a classy home in the middle if the Nebraska corn fields would feel like.

First, I have to introduce the house pet Thimbles. She is just so adorable, like all pets she likes to lay on what ever is on the floor. As I finished my 9 patch blocks I laid them on the floor .... before I  knew it Miss Thimbles had found a new place to lay.

Penny and her husband Bob collect American Oak antiques, as do I. However, they also owned an antiques shop at one time and they have collected some truly gorgeous pieces. As you enter the front door this lovely hall tree is there to greet visitors. In California we don't have much need for umbrella's ... Penny has cleverly rolled up some of her quilts and carefully placed them in her antique umbrella stand. LOVE it!

Hanging high above the hall tree is this beautiful Jo Morton inspired quilt.

Venturing into the living room is a quilt nest ... I say nest because she has a beautiful quilt draped over the couch along with two of her basket pillows! And of course a Rooster ... Penny loves her rooster and they are all nesting on the couch!

Doesn't everyone place a framed quilt on their piano instead of sheet music?? If I had a piano I would!

LOVE this vignette ... a Longaberger basket filled with a mini quilt, a plant filled Longaberger pottery crock, a candle and one of her loved Roosters! PS - She also has a spoon collection, see it on the left!

Moving down the hall there are several samplers, all hand done by Penny. They are truly perfect and perfectly framed.

More Longaberger baskets filled with beautiful quilts and a plant. Isn't the antique clock to die for?

 

 

 

This has got to be the prettiest laundry room I have ever seen. There is a collection of wash boards ...

Quilts, large and small, wringer washers, Longaberger baskets and a tiny iron. Yes, there is a washer and dryer in there as well and she does use it!!

Making my way into the family room now ... here is a unique oak rocking chair, the seat is made from tiger oak. Her newly completed Pinwheels for Caroline quilt is resting on the arm.

Family room couch, quilt with a matching pillow and another rooster, oops it's a HEN .. or is it??

Our little table all set for a yummy lunch. Penny is sitting on the milk stool on the left ... oh my gosh! Yep, there is a rooster on the table, I told you she loves these guys!

My final stop on the tour is the kitchen ... A small collection of Longaberger pottery, vintage milk bottles and a cute little quilt!

Now that you have toured with me I'll ask you to look back at the pictures and see if you can find a common denominator ... besides Roosters, quilts and baskets!

Did you guess it?? Here's a clue, Penny's last name is Hunter ... Her favorite color is hunter green! Gotta love it!

Hope you enjoyed today's tour of the Hunter Home.

A Wedding to Remember ....

As a mother on just one daughter I have waited a long time for this special time. There were years when I thought she would remain a single woman devoted to traveling. Last weekend she proved all of us wrong when she married her best friend. It was an absolutely perfect weekend, sunny skies, a nice breeze and a warm 70 degrees.

I will share the wedding from a mother of the brides perspective! We began the weekend with the arrival of my cousin and good friend Amy. On Saturday morning 5 of us settled in at the Golden Dragon nail spa for mani's and pedi's. I packed a bag for the girls with fresh strawberries and yogurt, pecan rolls, and mimosa's! 

To usher in Spring I brought the spa tech's their very own butterfly headbands, even a blue one for Ben!! Tiffany was the queen for the day wit her own tiara and crazy Bride to Be sun glasses! The techs came in an hour early to accommodate all of us. Such a great group of workers!!

Sunday morning the hair and makeup staff rolled in and the make overs began.
 I just spent 2 hours on this blog and lost most of my post!!!! Gerrrrr, I will work on it again tomorrow, I am really angry right now!

Baseball Season is Open ...

Just a quick post ... I have my cousin from Ohio visiting for a week following my daughters wedding. Yesterday we went to the Ronald Reagan Library, this is on her bucket list!

Much to my surprise the library is hosting an amazing Baseball collection. Oh my, the treasures one man has amassed was awesome! Since Mary Ann and I are both quilters I couldn't pass up this baseball quilt. Completely hand done by a woman many moons ago!

 

This same amazing woman created a vintage Brooklyn Dodger's quilt .....

I snap a quick pic of the famous number 42 Jackie Robinson .... a bit blurry but you get the idea!

 After we toured the entire library I asked my cousin what was her favorite thing .... 

Yep, she loved going on Air Force One! It was pretty awesome.

 Today is her final day in California, we are heading down to Newport Beach for a beautiful lunch by the Pacific Ocean!

Lucy and I ....

Oh My Oh My! I saw this on Misi Axels blog and I laughed out loud! I feel like Lucy when I sew! She is looking at her sewing machine just the way I think I must when it's not working right or not working at all. My theory is if you look at it long enough something is bound to happen ... good or bad something will surely happen! And just like Lucy, I pull out the owners manual thinking there may be an answer in there written just for me. Lucky for me I have Penny and Rita to turn to in a pinch!! And I have a lot of pinches!
                              Enjoy your day ....