Playing with the Big Girls

Just a few weekends ago I went on my second retreat. Yes, that would be my second QUILTING retreat. I went to the Boston Modern Quilt Guild Retreat in Kennebunkport, ME with my niece and the new pumpkin in our patch, Jessy. 

I had such a great time just hanging out without a care in the world,  just stitching the day away while the machines hummed my nerves into a craftiness coma that I only managed to wake from on Sunday, when it was time to come home.

I managed to complete (well, almost complete), ONE project. This one.

Now I know you feel joy for me and my accomplishment. I mean, you're all so supportive and you know how hard I work at my craftiness perfection (or lack thereof) so I'd like to share with you, what I like to call my I spy pictures. 

I spy my quilt on the FAMILY wall (these are my niece's blocks, made at the retreat for a quilt she is working on. She worked on other projects too, but these are her "completed" blocks. And there under my "project" are Jessy's blocks, which she cut and stitched at the retreat. She cut TONS of these, but these are the ones that were "completed" and made into strips. This will be her first BIG project, and she was on a roll. She also made a knitting needle case for her mom while I worked on my one project... did you find it in the picture? 

Oh, I did finish the stitching around my Wool & Needle January mat too. 

I was so productive!

Oh, but there were other projects that were pretty impressive and as all girls do, I had to compare mine to theirs and see how I measured up in the productivity department. Soooo, I went on a little mission after hours... seeing how my guy "measured up" to the "Big Girls" quilts. Here's what I found.

Here I spy my project next to a hexagon masterpiece that had me wishing I had a love for piecing...

check out those block! Holy smokes! Yeah, she fussy cut the center blocks too. Sigh. 

Mine was "almost" as nice as hers...

 But not feeling as accomplished as I hoped I continued my quest for my equal, and although I thought this wouldn't be a fair comparison, I did try to measure up to this one....

but the scale was all wrong. Can you even see my project in this picture? 

Yeah, the little spot on the big quilt, that would be mine, LOL...

Quilt after quilt I saw that each one was unique and ever so beautiful but none was quite like mine. Which made me think of how lucky I was to be welcomed into such a talented group... 

 and to have my little guy playing with the Big Girls!
Can't wait to do it again next year. =)

My Favorite Snowmen Are Made Of Wool

As you may or may not know, I am not snow's biggest fan. I appreciate the need for snow and understand that my garden has a crush on it but I personally, well... not  a fan. 

I prefer warm days and crisp nights as opposed to cold days and freezing nights.  I hear snow is coming and I feel a chill up my spine. I get so stressed, "What if the power goes out? Do I have enough wood? Do I have enough groceries? Are my flashlights where I can find them?"  UGH, There's so much drama in my head, you'd think it was a Tsunami alert. Yeah, I'm bad, LOL

Having confirmed that the pantry is full, that I have a stash of batteries that rivals Home Depot's inventory stock, I can now move on to how I spent the last few nights. I spent them making this cute little snowman pocket.

It's made of wool, lined in flannel, embellished with hand dyed buttons and even has a little painter's blush to complement his embroidery smile. A fast, fun and easy weekend project... or snowstorm nerve calmer.
Hope you're staying warm and crafting up a storm while you wait for Spring. Be well! B=)

Nothing but Roosters in the Pumpkin Patch

I'm a woman on a mission. My mission is simple, to make it through this Winter. Wow, what a rough week. Ever have one of those weeks when it's nothing in particular, just the sum of all parts? I supposed we all have them.

This week was full of challenges that I somehow manages to survive but let's just recap the good: we had a sunny Tuesday. And how the heck do I remember that? It was the only sunny day this week, that's how! The bad: The week began with a rainstorm that made my bathroom roof leak and then dentist left me with a throbbing tooth that still hurts after four days. The ugly: I tried a new stylist and she gave me a REALLY bad haircut! Well that's when I just decided that I was done. I would just call it a week! It was so bad I had to go out and buy some Jelly Belly Beans. You know it's bad if I make a special trip to the mall to buy Jelly Belly Beans... Yeah, it was a rough week, but it's Friday so I am putting it behind me and moving on to show and tell. This is what I did this week while I was waiting for the stars to align themselves again, I worked on some roosters. Gotta love Craft Therapy.

Here's Rooster #7 Rooster#8Rooster #9: I think I might actually have these done before the end of the month. Only three more to go!!!

I decided to redo one of the roosters because I just realized that in order to keep the backgrounds in the same order as the pattern I would have to have a rooster facing the wrong way, and my OCD just wont allow that kind of transgression. I'm bad like that... so, I am now redoing it. No biggie. I think I'll be done with all the applique by next week, now if I could only get motivated to put them all together, that might be the hardest part of this project. HMMM. I have to psyche myself up for that. Piecing is just not my thing. Gotta work on that. ;)

Hope your work was not a total bust too. I know my sun must be hanging out somewhere so if you have it, please do send it back...

PS: If you'd like to start your own Seeing Roosters quilt,

you can order the pattern HERE!

A Sprinkling of Flowers, Done!

Finally! I finally have a finished project to show. It's about time, isn't it? Well, there's been much happening on this end.... and none of it has been crafting. The nerve!

I set my mind to finishing this cutie this morning. I just had to put the buttons on and stitch on the wool flower, and TADA! Here you go! A Sprinkling of Flowers, done!
Woo-Hoo! I feel like I could use some confetti, ticker tape and a marching band. hahaha. Yeah, it did feel like I would never finish it because it's been staring at me waiting for those buttons and that one little flower for over a week; and now it's DONE! Hooray for me!!!! I can't help it, it's the little things that make me happy!

This pattern is by Country Lore Designs, and I just love it. I made up three little kits in the same fabrics. The applique is flannel and wool , the buttons are all hand dyed by Hillcreek designs and although a rusty watering can is included with the pattern, I thought my version would forgo that embellishment... Sometimes more is just more, you know what I mean? So there you have it, My first finish for March! Woo-Hoo...stay tuned, maybe I'm on a roll! LOL! OK, maybe not. But in any case, if you want to spend the weekend crafting and have something wonderful to show for it on Monday, just buy yourself a kit and whip this baby up next weekend. You'll love it!
Update: This kit is Sold Out!

Wool Bundles!

I managed to sneak outside between rainshowers to take a picture of some of the Wool Bundles I cut during the weekend. Arent they wonderful?

I just had to capture the stack before they go to new homes...

I added a link on the sidebar for them. =)

Hope you're all staying dry! B.

Our Own little Pumpkinhead!

Meet Pebbles the Pumpkinhead and Hershel the cat. They've decided to move into the Pumpkin Patch and have traveled here from

Countryfolk Keepsake in NY. Aren't they the cutest pair? No, not GP and Pebbles , Pebbles and Hershel! LOL!

They are one of a kind but you can see some of the other lovelies looking to be adopted at the Countryfolk Keepsake website... OMG! They are all adorable... This one just had to come home to us. I think she was just lost over there. Thank goodness we found her!

Welcome home Pebbles, welcome home!

Oh, and I think GP likes her...I better watch her closely lest she wake up in PPD's bed!

You can see her "Professional Portrait" HERE!

A New Addition...

Finding the right piece of furniture to add to a tiny house is no small feat. It takes hours of searching, measuring and planning. Then along comes a piece that makes you say, "HMMM> I can find a spot for that!" and "WHAM!" Next thing you know you're crossing your fingers and hoping that it's all you expected. The wait seems interminable, the days long after the UPS man has made his stop.... and you just sort of forget why you were so psyched.
I've been waiting for this piece for well over two weeks and once I unpacked the two HUGE boxes, it came to me in a flash why I had to have it... Oh, It's just perfect! Handmade in the USA by the same folks that made my red cabinet, this piece is stunning. I have to look them up to share their information. But for now, I just wanted to share my newest addition. The Pumpkin Patch has a new doughbox w/ stand that'll knock your socks off! I'm so excited!!! Isn't it awesome?
PS. The colors are off... it's a distressed Buttermilk.

Special Delivery...

Sometimes the only way to visualize a quilt that is depicted on a pattern cover in another fabric is to see it. Hence, here's another cutie in the works. A new kit for the holidays coming to life...
The background is a plaid from Bonnie Blue Neutrals and the flannels are from Snow Wonderland and Woolies. I can't wait to show you the completed quilt ; but for now all I have for you is this little teaser. Stay tuned for more! B=)

Scary Buddies

I hope you can open this image...ugh, I don't know why this new glitch. I am not "mucking" with it. Was it Tracy who said I had to just paste and leave it alone? I think so. If it was you T, I swear, I'm not mucking with it! LOL!

This was my first time using metallic fabrics. Being into Primitives I can think of a hundred reasons why NOT to use metallics but this quilt has just little bits of background peeking out and I thought that with the stars in the borders and all the button stars this would be a great way to make the little background that we do see, POP! The fabric I used in the border is from Meme's Quilts, I just love that print.

The ghosts are wool felt, the bats are flannel, along with the tie dye bow ties. The buttons are all handmade, polymer clay buttons from Just Another Button Company. They are sooo cute. They are not cheap but they are worth every penny. Honestly, they look like candy when you see them...and they are sooo tiny. The first time I saw them I though, "How'd they do that?" Amazing!

I don't have any patterns left but I have a kit available. Only one though, it has the same exact "everything" as mine.

The one pictured is the one I made and it has left the Pumpkin Patch to live out its retirement in an Investment Office cubicle, in TX... where it can be a gentle reminder to the cubicle occupant to hurry home because the Trick or Treaters are coming! =) Well, someone has to hand out the candy...did you really think the honor system would work with a bowl full of chocolate? Hello?!

Fall Mini Quilt

Isn't this the cutest little quilt? I love it? It's one of my first quilts too. I think it was my first venture into wool on quilts. All the applique is wool and wool felt. The little tag comes with the pattern and of course, I love the tag so I stitched it on there too (my idea of embellishing, mind you, hee-hee).

I kit this one up in flannels but I do like it in wool too. Mine is also on display all year long...you can't really see it but it's here, right above the little sunflower quilt on the left...

Oh, you just all need to come over for Show and Tell! Wouldn't that be fun??? YIKES! I think it would be awesome. HMMMM....can we do that???? Do you live within driving distance of Nashua, NH???

Crow's Autumn Frost Kit

Isn't this the cutest pumpkin? I just love this one. It reminds me

of the boxes of Sugar Pumpkins at the Walmart Superstore. The pumpkins are always so small and so darn cute. I don't bake and I never leave without buying at least one.

I acually have a Longaberger Candle holder on each windowsill and in the midle I have a charming light with a flicker bulb and come Fall, I put two pumpkins where the side candles would go. Just two of the many places where those little pumpkins are displayed in my home. The pumpkins stay there until they die...usually in the Spring. I do have pumpkin ornaments on my Christmas Tree so they blend in very nicely, thankyouverymuch! LOL!

I have this little quilt on display in the Pumpkin Patch. If you look closely you can see it here. it truly is one of my favorite little quilts.
I had two kits in my upload pile and put them on the site last night. All the applique fabrics are flannels. the background and all other fabrics are flat cottons. Oh, and the tag comes with the pattern; I liked it so much I put it on my quilt. =)

Two Months to go!

Can you believe Halloween is only two months away? OMG! We need to get cracking around here. I did a little search in my kits pile (the one that is waiting to be uploaded, yeah...that one, LOL!) and found some awesome kits. I started listing them this morning but there are more to come. They are mostly one of a kind, and sooo cute!

The one on the left is Bunch Of Pumpkins. I have the pattern sets with Buttons but only one kit up for grabs. It has the exact fabrics pictured (although the pic is a little off, the background is a buttermilk color)...This one hangs in the studio. It comes with the pumpkin Hanger too!

I'll show you more as I upload them. I made the one pictured... I'm so good, LOL! Yes, those are all flannel fabrics on the applique. It's really hard to walk by and not touch it...it's so yummy, hee-hee.

Update: This kit has sold!

Spring Runner, Done!

I'm working here!~ I dont know how I could have possibly forgotten to take a pic of this Table runner before I shipped it out, but I did. This picture was sent to me by Sandy (AHEM, who just happened to make it look really dark and dreadful), but somehow managed to send me some really bright and beautiful pictures of her own quilt! HMMM. Foul play? I have a sneaky suspicion.... I'm just sayin'... go take a look at her pics and then come back...you'll see!
Anyway, This is a quilt I started in TX, in the Spring and then was set aside as Life just smacked me down with crisis after crisis, after crisis.
Well, as I reclaim my life back I am working diligently at using my "free" time to complete the projects that have been waiting since the Spring crisis began. This is project #2, HA!
I would give credit to the designer (even if I did make it much wider than the pattern, to fit my sister's table...hey, there's another theory...it could be quilt envy! This one is TJessy's and Sandy could be jealous. HMMM. What do you think??? Yeah, Sandy could be making mine look bad because I didn't gift it to her...bad sister, bad!) LOL! But for the life of me, I can't find the pattern to see who designed it, duh!

I think it's precious, It really is cute...the colors are not bright or bold, but simple and sweet. TJessy cut the strips and I pieced it, quilted it by hand and appliqued the flowers by machine. I really love it but next time I am machine quilting, even if it turns out wonky. This is the quilt that peeled my prints off. LOL! Now it's done and home at last...Woo-HOO!