Throwback Thursday.

The first watercolor I ever sold. Still wet.

Silly me. I miss it.

Perhaps I'll paint another soon.

Wednesday Worktable.

Daughter and I had a chat the other day about becoming more productive. She shared an idea about assigning a different type of craft for each day of the week. For example, crochet on Monday, quilting on Tuesday, knitting on Wednesday...

You get the idea.

I let that idea percolate through my little brain for a while. Last night while watching TV, the idea finished "brewing". Today's worktable is the result.

Now, I really enjoy crafting. What I don't enjoy is cutting stuff out. It has to happen though. Like many unpleasant chores, the easiest way to get through it is simply to get through it.

Fast forward to the worktable.

Between getting a haircut and having a wisdom tooth removed (ouch!), I only had time to cut out ten owl ornaments and four elephants before chores called me back to reality. However, two additional patterns - a bunny and a giraffe - were also cut out. Perhaps tomorrow will yield more fabric cut and ready for sewing.

Until then...

May you find happiness in the simple joys of life.

Sweet dreams, my friend.

Monday Not-So-Mini Project.

Here is a picture of the project I've been working on for the last four days. Had I known how long it would take...

Unless a loved one requests one of these and twists my arms, this is the only one I will ever make.

It's cute enough. Simply way too labor intensive.

If you'd like to try the pattern yourself, here is a link to the good folks at Squishy Cute Designs who created the pattern. You'll have to sign up for their newsletter in order to get the pattern. They have some other very nice designs for sale too.

Saturday. Where Did the Time Go?

Here's something pretty to brighten your day.

In the spirit of "if you don't have anything nice to say", this post is going to be short. The crafting hasn't gone well the last few days. Hours spent - wasted time. Time to take a break from it and find something else to do. The something else turned out to be reading poetry. Don't tell anyone, but sometimes I read it aloud. It sounds different that way.

Today's selections were "selected and introduced by" Caroline Kennedy. The book is called "she walks in beauty". One of my favorites is "You Can't Have It All", by Barbara Ras. Seems no matter where I randomly open the book, one or more gems appear before me.

Worth a read if you enjoy that art form.

Time to go back to it.

Y'all have a good evening.

Throwback Thursday.

This photo is from five years ago.

It's hard to believe this little guy with the radar ears grew so big.

He's still a very loving dog.

My pal, Bandit.

Wednesday Worktable. Elephants.

This was my morning worktable. I had such high hopes to complete a few of these today. All the supplies ready and waiting.

Looked up how to do the blanket stitch on YouTube to make sure I'm doing it correctly.

Usually, the first time you make (or do) something is the hardest. Knowing that, the first elephant was cut out.

Eye placement marked. Safety eyes attached. Right sides pinned together.

The first problem reared its ugly head at the sewing machine. The eyes did not allow the fabric to move freely around the presser foot. Easily rectified by raising the needle and moving on. The area around the eyes was seamed by hand.

The second problem came when turning the cloth right-side-out. Thank goodness there were some bamboo kabob skewers in the cupboard.

Once it was right-side out, it was apparent that the eyes were too large for the toy.

Nonetheless, stuffing proceeded... and proceeded... and proceeded... It would have taken forever without that bamboo skewer!

The tail was attached. The last opening closed.

Ears pinned to the body. Crud. They're a bit large.

In for a penny, in for a pound.

This was the first effort. It took about an hour and a half - yes, ninety minutes! - to complete this little thing to this almost finished stage. Simply couldn't bring myself to do BOTH ears. What is most upsetting was that I had wasted this pretty fabric... it's almost gone!

Switched gears for a while and took the bonehead for a walk. Didn't even make a mile, but the simple act of walking cleared my head. The snowdrifts are bad enough (and the terrain uneven enough) that I had to concentrate on walking. Thankfully, that allowed me to focus on the beauty of the drifts and the blue sky. The wind was howling through the trees kicking up little 'snow devils' in the fields. No other tracks on the trail besides ours and the oil maintenance truck.

Birds have been at the feeders. I feel bad for the Robins; hard to feed with eight inches of snow on the ground.

Once back in the house the project was viewed with different eyes. It was such a pain to sew on the machine, that I decided to try hand-sewing.

Here's the result... Much better.

Yup. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

Y'all have a great evening, folks.

p.s. (Good news. There was just enough of that pretty fabric to make one more elephant. Shown below in progress. The smaller eyes work much better, eh?)

Thankful Tuesday. The Third Owl.

This is the third little owl I talked about in yesterday's post.

His eyes are kinda cool. At least, I think so.

The anticipated snow storm didn't amount to much - yet. The snow has been coming down off and on all day, but as of 9 PM we only had about six inches. It's still snowing, tho. UGH!

Today I'm thankful for:
Pinterest
Free patterns
Friendly neighbors
Poetry
Leftover pot roast that makes into beef stew (yum)
Neoprene face masks
Naproxen

Goodnight. Sweet dreams. Until we meet again.

Monday Mini-Project.

This little owl comes to you from an unknown source. Not original to me (or the website where instructions were found), but their website offered it freely.

Shown here using two different finishing methods.

A third is on the worktable for tomorrow that will be finished in a different way.

Which do you like better?

I kinda like the pink bellied one, but I don't have any more of those type of eyes (and no funds to purchase more... hence, using the supplies on hand).

Big storm headed our way. Twelve to fourteen inches of snow anticipated. Downstate is predicted to bear the brunt, getting upwards of two feet in places.

March sure has been a lion with the weather. Winter's final hurrah is shaping up to be a doozie.

Wherever you are tonight, here's hoping you are warm, well-fed, and had at least one moment today that made you smile or laugh.

Sweet dreams, friends.

Sumptuous Sunday. Daylight Savings Time Begins.

In spite of the time change, the day began well enough with Sir Elton John's Tiny Dancer as an earworm. A quick trip to YouTube made that a reality and we listened to some of his more popular songs until well after breakfast.

Truthfully, the time change won't mean much for us. We've been getting up around 5:30 a.m. every day. Now it will simply be a more reasonable hour: 6:30 a.m. ... The cat and dog rarely let me sleep later. What's going to be weird for me is staying up past 10. Is there any good TV on at that hour?
Speaking of cats...

The female calico, Sophie, was captured and taken to the SPCA on Tuesday. This neighborhood doesn't need another batch of kittens.
 
The orange Maine coon, Ginger, was brought in the house and cleaned up a bit. (Tigger-Tiger was NOT impressed. He hissed and growled the whole time Ginger was inside.) Got his ticks removed, hair brushed, and the worst of the matted hair cut out. A quick once-over revealed that he's ill. The illness is just an infection, folks; he'll be okay after a course of antibiotics. He was taken in to the SPCA on Thursday where he'll get the veterinary attention he deserves.

The local SPCA is a low-kill shelter. They will put an animal down only if it is seriously ill. Anyway, when I dropped Ginger off, they let me know that the calico is doing well and that she's a really sweet cat. Hope someone adopts them both soon.

I've considered bringing Ginger back here to be an outside cat, but him being on the property while Tigger and Bandit are inside is agitating them. They both want to be outside with him.

The little black cat I've been calling Cleo is still here in the house. I've made up a "Is This Your Cat?" flyer to hang up in the Post Office. We don't have mail delivery here, so all the locals have to go to the PO at one point or another. Cleo's in much too good shape to have been outside for very long. Hopefully, someone will step forward and claim him.

He's a really sweet kitty and I'd love to keep him. (Heck, I'd love to keep them all.) However, my older cat is having a little trouble adjusting to his presence. He plays well with the dog, too. *sigh* Very loving. Climbs up into my lap; rubs his head against me. Plays with Reggie's old toys. Is litter trained.

In other news...

This house smelled wonderful this afternoon. Pot roast baking in the oven until it fell apart. Made the same way Dad always made it. Simply delicious. One meal tonight, two TV dinners in the freezer, and broth and over two pounds of beef waiting to be made into either stew or pot pie. Good eating all week long and then some. Yum. Yum. Yum.

Time to kick back and watch a movie as the weekend winds down.

May your thoughts all be pleasant as you drift off to sleep tonight and you wake completely refreshed and ready for the day.

Snowy Saturday.

So much for the Spring-like weather we've been experiencing.

It's been snowing off and on all day. Not quite as much as this picture, but for those of us longing for Spring...

The drop in temperature is hard. Had to put on a neoprene face mask to walk comfortably. Yes, I'm a wimp when it comes to cold weather.

Work continues on the denim quilt. Two designs have been drafted. Looks like there are sixteen eight-inch squares. Unless the heavy cotton is used, it's going to take a long time to make this quilt.

Wherever the day finds you, may you be safe and warm.

Blessed be.

Fiddlesticks Friday.

Wednesday's post was about the denim quilt on the worktable. After sorting the cut-up jeans by color and setting them on the table to cut, I realized the plan called for 12 inch squares. However, the largest square possible with the available material is 8 inches. It looks like the majority of the squares will be six inches. To do the planned design will take many, many squares.

The final size will be roughly 48 x 60. Four feet by five feet.

So... it's back to the drawing board for the denim quilt.

Spent some time ironing and cutting out squares. Nothing dulls a rotary cutter quite like denim. *sigh* (ack - listen to me whine. fiddlesticks!)

Found some heavy blue cotton that could be used for some of the larger squares on the original design. Thinking about using it; let's call it Plan B. First I'll try to work out a visually pleasing pattern using only denim.

Pictured above is a very rough drawing of a Seattle Streets quilt pattern using batiks, water colors and hand-dyed muslin. All but the hand-dyed muslin is shown here.

Perhaps enough fabric for two stained glass quilts.

Perhaps. What a powerful word.

Another powerful word is perchance. I mention it because it's "bedtime for bunnies" and this old Grandma.

To sleep, perchance to dream.  ~ Hamlet by Shakespeare

Thursday Thankful Thoughts.

Today on our walk we saw the first flowers of Spring: Coltsfoot. Mother Nature can't seem to make up its mind this year. One day is Spring; the next is Winter. But the sight of the coltsfoot was a breath of fresh air.

Some of the willows have sprouted and dropped their new growth. Rather, the new growth of catkins were blown from their branches. The wind has been brutal the last few days. Regardless of the temperatures.

The lilacs down the road are sprouting their leaves. The yellow-green makes a nice contrast against the grey storm clouds.

Once again, Snowdrops speckle the neighbors yard.

Tonight there is a dusting of snow on the ground. The winds blew in a cold front. Tonight's mantra is Spring is almost here.

Today, and many other days, I'm thankful for:

Daughters
Best friends
Puppy dogs
Kitty cats
The SPCA
The smell of fresh basil and garlic simmering in butter
100 calorie Granola Bars
Youtube
Drops Design
Tin Can Knits
Kind healthcare workers
Old movies/Cult Classics ( Coneheads is showing on IFC. lol )
The "educational" section of the newspaper
Good music
Sunrises and Sunsets
SparkPeople Recipes
A roof over my head
Food in my belly
My children and grandchildren safe and healthy
Happy Memories

With that, dear friends, I bid you goodnight, sweet dreams, and share a memory.

When I was a child and was being tucked in bed, we had a ritual. Grandmother would say, "Goodnight. Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite." And I would say, "If they bite me I'll bite them back!".

Wednesday Worktable. Denim.

After looking on Pinterest for denim quilt designs, I decided to adapt one of the stained glass quilts for my purposes.

Here's the design I came up with. The denim needs to be sorted into like shades of blue and then cut, but once both the denim and the black fabric are cut the work should proceed rather quickly.

Until next time...

Y'all have a great evening!

Monday Mini-Project. Pocket Kitties.

When it comes to needlework, I'm not all that creative (painting is my gift). That's probably why one of my favorite searches on Pinterest is free patterns. And let's face it, who doesn't love FREE?

This project comes from artisan Stephanie Woodson at SwoodsonSays and is called a Pocket Kitty.  She's so creative! If you have little ones or like quick projects, check out the other projects and patterns she has available. There's a real cute tutorial for DIY Jeans Patches that's worth a look -- especially if you have children or grandchildren and like to save money.

I think they'd make a great child's birthday party favor. Grandmas and Grandpas might want to keep one on hand as a little something special for that special little one(s) in their lives.

I'm glad Pinterest pointed me to this -- I've actually added her blog to my reading list. Very well put together! Simply a great find all around.

Anyway, I liked this little felt kitty so much I decided to make several. You can click on the link above for the instructions and free pattern.

I made two copies of the pattern so I could have a good reference for the embroidery placement. For durability, the paper pattern was stabilized by gluing it to some cardboard before cutting it out.

Here you see the famous, fearless Tigger-Tiger on top of the morning worktable. Getting ready to lend me a hand sewing these little ones together.

He's been with me for almost five years now and is very precious.

Here's a photo of the kitties I've made so far. Until next time, y'all have a fabulous day!

Thankful Thursday on a Friday.

To Grandma's House

*sigh* Yesterday felt like a Friday to me for some reason. Not that that's a bad thing. After all, the day is what we make of it.

Had I known it was only Thursday...

We have snow on the ground again. A bit heavier than a dusting, just enough to cover the icy patches above the potholed roads. Temps here have been Spring-like. Dropping from the 50s and 60s down to a high daytime temperature of 25 is quite shocking to the system. Tonight's projected low is a whopping 14 degrees.

Sheesh!

Here we sit bundled up in long johns and layered up simply to keep warm.

Tonight I'm thankful for:

Warm blankets
A roof over my head
Food in my belly
Sweet, loving daughters
Aunties
Friends that call or text
Public libraries
Free Community Resources (that we all use and take for granted)
Knit Knuts
Remote controls
Control of the remote (lol)

Sweet dreams, friends. Until we meet again.

Friday Foolishness.

Remember how I decided to adopt one of the neighborhood stray cats on Valentine's Day? Well, it turned out to be more than one stray.

The first one to show up is an orange Maine Coon. Male. Very, very skinny; you can feel all of the bones protruding along its spine. He's full of ticks and his fur is in really bad shape - dirty and matted. A sweet boy who is friendly as all get out. He doesn't have the prettiest face, but he's still kinda cute. I've named him Ginger and he comes running when he sees me outside - even when I have Bandit with me.

Then there's a small black cat. Not sure if it's male or female. A little skittish of other cats, but doesn't seem to mind the dog. He has a little white star on his chest and the cutest little face. Until the cats started coming up to me (a few days ago) I was calling him Skitty Kitty. After seeing him/her/it up close, I've decided he's more of a Cleo - as in Cleopatra. Seriously, he's a pretty cat.

I've pulled ticks off Ginger. Cleo only had one tick. He may be someone's kitty or fairly new to being a stray.

Then there's the long-hair cat Bandit and I have seen several times on the trail. It's grey and white like BootZee (the cat I had to put down at Thanksgiving-time). Today it found the food set out for Ginger and Cleo. It hasn't seen me enough yet to know I mean it no harm

Anyway, after watching Cleo slinking across the yard tonight and knowing the outside temp tonight is going to drop to 17 degrees, I brought him inside.

Tigger-Tiger is not happy about it.

Will put it back out tomorrow and work on a different shelter for it, but for now...

Hopefully it won't have an "accident" inside before morning.

Y'all have a good night. Sweet dreams.

Wednesday Worktable. Spring Cleaning: Closet Number One.

This Spring-like weather led to Spring Cleaning. One closet at a time. *sigh*

The first thing closet number one yielded was a huge bag of soft, worn bluejeans.

Four hours were spent cutting the jeans below the crotch (jeans purses) and ripping out side seams, into the washer it all went. Once clean and dry, the pieces were sorted by size.

While the fabric was being laundered, I logged into the rabbit hole many call Pinterest and searched for Denim Quilts to see what everyone else is making these days.

Which design was picked? That's a post for another day.

Here's hoping you have a great evening and an even better tomorrow!