I'm A Guest Blogger Today at Sew We Quilt!

It's a month of table runners over at Sew We Quilt blog this month, and today I'm a guest blogger there.  Here is a sneak peek of the photo from the tutorial that I posted there today. 

I hope you will hop over to Sew We Quilt to see my post and leave a comment.

My green Nearly Insane quilt is also over there on the banner for this month. 

Thanks for stopping by for a visit today!

I Won A Giveaway and Spring Trees

I was lucky enough to win a giveaway from Kathryn over at Needles and Pins blog.  Kathryn crocheted these dishcloths, and then after I won she let me pick the trim colors.  They look so fresh and springlike.  Thank you Kathryn for making these for me!  I love them.



This is one of the trees in our back yard - a flowering crab tree.



The tree in the foreground is a redbud.



This is the flowering crab at the front of our home.



This is my grandson, Daniel taken last Saturday at 4 days old.  He's being held by Grandpa.



There has been a little sewing going on here, but more on that in a couple of days. 

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

Meet My New Grandson

This is my grandson (and my first grandchild), Daniel Lewis born at 12:01 a.m. yesterday, March 21.  He weighed in at 8# 4 oz., 21 inches long.  I took this photo yesterday when he was only about 14 hours old, and then I held him for awhile.  Everyone is doing fine!

Thanks for stopping by.

Spring is here!

The weather here has been unseasonably warm, and it appears that spring is arriving early this year.  I've been saving yarn and thin fabric strips to put outside for the birds to use as nest material. 

 

Here is a list of materials that I found on the Cornell University web site that are suitable for bird's nests.   

• Dead twigs   
• Dead leaves
• Dry grass (make sure the grass hadn’t been treated with pesticides)   
• Yarn or string—cut into 4- to 8-inch pieces   
• Human or animal hair (especially horse hair) (use short lengths—no longer than 4-6 inches long)   
• Pet fur (Never use fur from pets that received flea or tick treatments)   
• Sheep's wool   
• Feathers   
• Plant fluff or down (e.g. cattail fluff, cottonwood down)  
• Kapok, cotton batting, or other stuffing material   
• Moss
• Bark strips   
• Pine needles
• Thin strips of cloth, about 1 inch wide by 6 inches long

 

The container I've used is normally used to hold a suet cake for the birds to eat. I found this one in the pet aisle at my local supermarket.

The magnolia tree at the corner of the house is in full bloom.

I know this is called a tree, but it is really more like a bush.  The flowers grow on this thick mass of twigs.

The flowers don't last long; the petals are already starting to fall to the ground. 

 

I'm heading to the sewing room now to take a few stitches.  I hope you are either stitching or outside enjoying the beautiful weather.

 

Thanks for stopping by today!   

Baskets and More Baskets

I've been working on these basket blocks from When The Cold Wind Blows by Barb Adams and Alma Allen.  Several of us that attend the Dear Jane retreat in Shipshewana, Indiana, started these blocks when the book was first published.  Someone at the retreat thought it would be fun if we reduced the size of the blocks to finish at 3 inches.  The first photo shows the ones that I made at that size.

Then I decided I would make the rest of my baskets at the 5 inch size like those in the book.

When  I get an email from my friend Trudy she usually asks whether or not I'm working on my baskets and how many I have finished.   I'm always glad when she asks about them because it motivates me to pull out some fabric and applique' a few more each time.  Here are the three that I just finished.

.......and a few more

I also found these three baskets in the 3 1/2" size done in 30s fabrics.  I think I'll do a few more of these and make a wall hanging.   

The quilt in the book has 300 baskets so I'd better get busy.  I hope you are finding a few minutes to do some stitching today.

Thanks for stopping by today!

Yarn On My Design Wall

I've seen all kinds of great quilts today on design wall Monday posts.  Instead of quilting, I really wanted to work with the yarn that I just bought on Saturday instead.

I really love Cath Kidston colors, and I tried to duplicate those in the yarn colors that I bought.  If you google Cath Kidston blanket images, you will find lots of crocheted afghans in her colors. 

I hadn't planned to start another project, but I happened on to the Sew! Cath Kidston book at my local JoAnns store. The bag (below left) was a gift from my friend, Fiona, of Country Threads blog. 

Do you ever have one of those days when you know you want to do something but can't quite figure out what that is?  My weekend was like that.

 

First I made a few granny squares from the yarn. 

I think I need a couple more colors to go with the rest.

So then I decided to knit a square.

Then I remembered the Creative Knitting magazine that I just bought at the grocery has several dishcloth patterns in it.   My daughter pulled out a couple balls of cotton yarn, and we each knit a dishcloth.  Hers is on the left. 

Hopefully I will get in the quilting mood again soon, but for now I'm in a yarn mood. 

Thanks for stopping by for a visit! 

Quilt Show Shopping

There were lots of vendors at the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show. I bought a few things but decided I should pace myself since I have a couple more quilting adventures planned for this spring.

I bought a few pieces of Kaffe and Brandon.




This group is for the shabby chic phase that I feel coming on and because I thought they were pretty. 

This flannel charm pack will be perfect for a baby quilt.

 

And I bought a couple of patterns. The sample of the feathered star made the pattern hard to resist. I love the Schnibbles baskets.

 

I'm still sewing....and sewing on Orca Bay, this years Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt.  I hope to have photos soon.

Thanks for stopping by.