Auditioning Colors

I decided that adding blue blocks is a go.
I haven't decided about gold yet.

I actually made a blue block today. But Skipper got to aggravating me when I was finishing it, and I messed up a little. I'm going to take some of it apart and redo it. When I wouldn't pay attention to his pawing at me to stop sewing, he went downstairs, stood at the bottom of the steps, and barked his lungs out until I came down. That dog.

Skipper and I are hoping the rain gets here before dark. We want a quiet New Year's Eve. In the past few years, since the next door neighbors moved in, we've experienced huge fireworks displays every time there's an occasion for such (New Years Eve, 4th of July, etc.). I'm not talking about somebody shooting firecrackers and bottle rockets. These are yuge fireworks shows, "Thunder on Owen Road," as it were.They're very nice people; I guess they just like the rocket's red glare and bombs bursting in air and all that.

These big boomers upset Skipper no end. He barks for the entire hour or so that it goes on. I have translated his barks to mean, "The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming." Or perhaps, "INCOMING!"

Earlier in the week,, the weatherman was predicting something like 3-4 inches of rain for tonight. We've had clouds all day, but so far, no rain yet. If that frog-strangler would hurry up and get here before dark, we could possibly have some peace tonight.

And don't let your dogs drink and drive either.

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On 01/01/2021, Mary said ...

These are very pretty. I like the idea of a blue block and look forward to seeing it. Yellow/golds are tricky for me. I once put two prints together thinking they would be great, but LOL!

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On 01/01/2021, Mary said ...

What I meant to say was, "I once put two prints together thinking they would be great, but one of them ended up looking like Grey Poupon! LOL!"

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On 01/01/2021, Barbara Anne said ...

Love these blocks and hope the blue one goes back together better the 2nd time. Bother about Skipper bothering you as you sew. DH made a screen door for my sewing room to keep the dogs and cats out. The cats and dogs are gone so the screen door remains open now.
Happy New Year to you and may 2021 be good for everyone everywhere!

Hugs!
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Second Chance

Since I love this quilt pattern so much and really want to own this quilt, I decided to give it one more chance and make a second block. It did go better this time. I did some chain piecing, so construction didn't take as long as the first block. I think I'll continue--I think. At least that's how I feel today. We'll see about tomorrow.

I used green prints for today's block.

I'm thinking of incorporating some blue and gold into the color scheme. Maybe. And maybe not.

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On 12/29/2020, Nicole Reed said ...

That looks like a very tricky block!

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On 12/31/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

Love it and am glad you tried again and met with more success! Do you plan to make each block using one color family or will some of your blocks be a mix of colors as seems to be the case on the cover quilt

Enjoy the process!

Hugs!
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 A few years ago, I saw this quilt on the cover of Keepsake Quilting and immediately ordered the pattern. The day after Christmas, I decided I would finally make it.

This is my first (and could be my last) black.

I found the block to be a little more tedious than I have expected. The pieces are very small (1 1/2" squares), and I don't like working with tiny pieces. It took me an inordinately long time to cut and sew this block. And, as you can see in the photo, none of my sides came out even, not one--even though I thought I was cutting and sewing accurately.

So I'm now trying to decide if I want to follow through and make the entire quilt, and give up and make a pillow out of this block. The good thing is that the entire quilt takes only 20 of these 8" blocks. It's not a large quilt, but just about the right size for a couch throw to use during the holiday season, or for a wall hanging.

If I continue, my plan is to alternate red and green blocks. The name of the pattern is "Country Charmer" should anyone want a copy. Just google the "Country Charmer" and you'll find several sites where it's available.

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On 12/29/2020, Sue, a Florida Farm Girl said ...

I'm not a fan of tiny pieces either so I feel your pain. Its a lovely block, though. Stay safe.

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On 12/29/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

I think this lovely quilt and its pattern would be worth enlarging so you make 12" blocks. I'm with you about those very small pieces. That said, I like your 8" block and it could be the center of a lovely holiday table runner if you were to decide to make the blocks all at 12".

Hugs!
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On the Third Day of Christmas

These three French Henris are dropping in
to wish you joy.

 

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On 12/27/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

What a hoot - or would that been a cackle x 3?!

Wishing you joy, too.

Hugs!


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Christmas Present!

At Christmastime, my aunt and uncle and cousins from Tennessee always visited. I remember that as my uncle entered the house, he called out, "Christmas Present!"

I think that's a southern thing. The other day, some people on Facebook were posting various versions of this tradition. Some parents woke their children with shouts of "Christmas present" or "Christmas gift." One mama always went out onto the front porch and shouted "Christmas gift!" to the neighborhood.

That's just something I remember every Christmas. My aunt and uncle are both gone on now, and I haven't seen those cousins in many years. But I still remember them all come Christmas time.

Below are photos of what I've been working on the past few days.

I have a friend, Greta, who has two pet turtles, Chippy and Little Dude. They're both female turtles, a fact that only came to light after she named them. A tradition has developed since I met her a couple of years ago that we make each other a Christmas gift. She made me a knitted fish blanket for the cats and the little masked gingerbread ornament I showed here a couple of weeks ago. I made her this turtle potholder.

In the past week, I have made 12 of the soup bowl cozies. Ten of them have already gone to their recipients, daughter Andy's coworkers. These two go to my sister Ramey and niece India. I can say this here because they never ever read my blog.

Here is Taco enjoying his fish blanket that Greta made. Taco does not have a huge black beaver tail. That's actually one of the fish.

Note: I have instructions for the cozies and the turtle potholder, which I would be happy to share with anyone who wants them. Greta has instructions for the fish blanket, all locked up in her head.

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On 12/23/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

With family from Virginia and growing up in Memphis, I never heard anyone call out "Christmas Present" or its variant. Interesting!

Love the gift exchange items you and Greta have made for each other. What fun!

I, too have made microwave cozies but am interested in your pattern if you'd please send it or a link. Thank you. :)

Merry Christmas to you! Hugs!
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Merry Foyer Quilts

Julie in WA, a loyal blog reader, wanted to know if Mr. and Mrs Santa would make an appearance this  year, referring to my quilt "Family Portrait," which sometimes hangs in my foyer this time of year. But this year, since I didn't put up a big tree, I decided to hang my Christmas tree quilt,  which I titled "Happy Holiday."

Since I have several Christmas quilts, I tend to alternate them in the foyer each year, or just choose whichever one tickles my fancy at the time. Below are some views of my foyer over the years.

This year, "Happy Holiday" is on display in the foyer.

"Family Portrait" is actually my favorite of my Christmas quilts too, Julie in WA. I made it using a panel I found on Etsy and a stash of string blocks that I made at quilting retreat one year. I went around and raided everyone's trash can for their scraps to make the blocks.

Here are the first two Christmas quilts I made. The one folded across the antique Singer is one I made for Progressive Farmer magazine sometime in the 80s. We sold patterns for the blocks. The quilt on the wall is "Sew Many Santas," which I made when my quilting bee was  making Santa blocks to swap. I joined bee when the project was already in progress, so I made most of the blocks myself, except for the Santa and Reindeer block, which Cyndi made, and the Snowman, which Sally made.

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I hope you are all looking forward to a peaceful and fun Christmas week. Things will be pretty quiet around here. No big family dinner, as is the custom. We are trying to decide if it will be safe for daughter Andy to join Jesse and me for Christmas Eve supper. She goes to work every day, and the people she works for and with aren't big on masks and social distancing. One of the women has a relative living with her who actually has the virus. But the woman still comes to work every day, whereas she should be quarantined at home.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Be safe.

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On 12/21/2020, Mary said ...

It is hard to figure out holiday plans, especially when we have to break tradition. I've had some not-so-great Christmases, and it was only afterwards that I realized those days were a gift. They taught me that the day is not about being happy, but about being hopeful. For me, Christmas now means that things will get better, and we are not stuck in the dark!

So, however you choose to spend the day, I hope it is filled with hope about better things to come. I enjoy your blog, and am thankful for the cheerful beautiful pictures you post. :-)

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On 12/22/2020, Bonnie said ...

Merry Christmas to you and yours, even if we can't all be together this year. Here's to a brighter new year!

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On 12/22/2020, Julie in WA said ...

Yea! Love to see your Christmas quilts!
Merry Christmas!
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Have a Beary Merry Christmas

Bentley Bear, whom I made several years ago, is ready for some light reading. Yeah, that bear can read French.

Don't have time to chat. Gotta go get a few chores done. Bama and Arkansas kick off in an hour and three minutes, and I want to be there.

 

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On 12/14/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

Bentley is too cute in his Christmas finery and am so glad he has seasonal books to enjoy from his perch!

The Tide certainly rolled over Arkansas!!

I am machine quilting (in my humble way) a couple of Christmas gift table runners made in Christmas fabrics so need to keep busy.

Hugs!

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On 12/16/2020, Julie in WA said ...

Will Mr. and Mrs. Claus make an appearance this year? It is one of my most favorite Christmas quilts of all time!
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My Book Tree

It was great fun to make.

My plan has been to leave it after Christmas and change the ornaments to fit the season. But I've just realized that I covered the table with Joanne's beautiful Christmas Tree quilt. I'll have to take the book tree down to remove the Christmas quilt if I want to make that part seasonal.

Oh well, I'll decide later.

I've been watching the Netflix series "The Crown." Friends kept telling me how good is is, but I didn't feel like it would interest me. However, I was hooked with the first episode. John Lithgow does an amazing job of portraying Winston Churchill.

I got a jury duty summons today, and went into full panic mode. I didn't know how I was going to navigate the parking deck and the court house with my current condition. I would have to be there at 8:30 a.m., which for me is a big problem. Not to mention COVID! I know life has to go on in some form, but as careful as I've been for the past nine months, I didn't feel that jury duties would be safe in that regard.

But I was fortunate. I got a nice lady on the phone at the jury office, told her my problem with pain, and she told me not to worry, that I was excused from jury duty.

And now I'm going to watch some more of "The Crown" and see what more mischief the Royals can get up to.

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On 12/11/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

Cute book tree and what a great idea for a unique holiday decoration to celebrate books and readers! Yes, it's a belated woe that all of those books hide Joanne's lovely quilt.

I, too, got a jury summons so will be calling the jury coordinator for this county as I cannot possibly show up every day so early or be reliable due to my lupus fatigue. Besides, I'm nearly 70 and don't want the risk of being out in public.

Will have to give The Crown a look-see.

Hugs!
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First Christmas Card

Look what was in my mailbox on the first day of December. It's from my friend Greta. She included the little gingerbread man ornament, all masked up against the virus.

I started working on my cards yesterday. I don't think I ever got any mailed last year. Maybe not even the year before. I don't remember. We'll see if I get these finished. Taco wouldn't let me work on them for long yesterday. He insisted on sitting in my lap. And let me tell you, he's a lapful.

I got my front door wreath hung. And a magnetized Santa cover on my mailbox. (No photo yet.) Been thinking about the tree. I might have to let Jesse put it up and decorate it. It just feels like an impossible task.

Last night, I watched "Hillbilly Elegy" on Netflix. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend. Glenn Close is amazing. I wouldn't have known her without the credits. Amy Adams is great too. And the makeup artists will likely receive awards for this one. At the end of the movie, they show stills and videos of J.D. Vance's actual family. It's hard to tell the difference in them and the actors.

I had a horrible sleep last night. The pain was off the scale, which I guess caused the nightmares. I'm worn out this morning, but the pain has backed off some.

My daughter Andy has been exposed to the virus. There's a woman where she works who refuses to wear a mask, goes to parties and gatherings, and eats out all the time. She's sick now and has tested positive for the virus. Andy wears her mask at work and washes her hands and uses sanitizer all the time. So I'm hoping and praying she'll be safe. Who knows. She sounds scared to death. If you pray, could you say one for her please?

Gotta go get at those Christmas cards.

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On 12/02/2020, Mary E. Lines said ...

I'm so sorry Andy has been exposed. I just do not understand people who think they have a right not to wear a mask. I have a right to not be exposed to Coronavirus. Some people are so selfish. My son was also exposed at work and spent some time in his camp trailer until he received 2 negative tests..

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On 12/02/2020, Joan T said ...

I am so sorry for you and your daughter. Prayers she stays safe! Hugs & prayers to you both! 🙏❤️

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On 12/02/2020, Barbara Anne said ...

What a charming masked gingerbread boy and how lovely of Greta to make him for you!

What a shame Andy has been exposed to the virus all because her co-worker behaves like an idiot and refuses to wear a mask. That co-worker needs to be suspended or fired because she's a Typhoid Mary by choice. Andy and all will be in my prayers.

Hope you sleep well tonight and feel lots better.

Hugs!

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On 12/02/2020, Jan said ...

I'm thinking the good thoughts for your daughter. That's just so selfish & inconsiderate of her co-worker, in my opinion. Many people where we live refuse to wear masks--"it violates their Constitutional rights". As a result, our state is in the top 2 for increasing cases. And, the Governor tested positive & still won't mandate masks. Stay well!

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On 12/03/2020, Mary said ...

Prayers for your daughter, coming from NJ!!!

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On 12/06/2020, Rose said ...

Praying for Andy.
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