Merry Christmas

Did you watch it??

I was unsure if I wanted to watch the TV production of "The Sound of Music" last night, but I did. I'm not used to staying up that late, but managed to stay awake, and I actually enjoyed this version of one of my favorite movies. You see, this was a "first date" with my future husband in 1967. I was seventeen at the time. We enjoyed the movie, and had to travel to Margate (Florida) to see it. He brought me home after midnight, and he said later that he was worried that my mother would be upset (she wasn't). Although the local  morning news people gave it an unfavorable review, I liked the new version of the old movie on TV last night. It isn't supposed to be a rubber stamp of the old movie, and I think this new production went well, especially since it was live! I'm going to purchase a DVD of the movie when it comes out. It all brings back memories. (sign). Have a blessed weekend.
      (Above photo from Internet, 1959 Broadway play, wikipedia).

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving....tomorrow! The weather outside, today, is frightful. Awful wind, rain and they are predicting snow for later. We shall see about that one. I'm wishing it was summer, or at least remembering my youth in sunny South Florida. I do not like ice and snow!!

This new computer is working nicely, and it is so easy to post on this blog now. I've only had an "oops" or two while trying to learn a whole new way of doing things.

A lot of people around this area put up their Christmas trees on Thanksgiving. It is very common to see SUV's coming down the mountain with a trussed-up tree tied on top of the vehicle.   We have always put our old artificial tree  up on the 2nd week in Dec., but ever since we brought Earl Grey into the house, we have not decorated much. Last year I put out NOTHING at all!! Earl Grey is very rowdy, and I hate to think of what he would do to our precious old ornaments and stuff. I'm still debating about this year.  He is three years old now, but still as destructive as ever. Putting things "up higher" is not an option, as he climbs quite well .( By the way, the photo is one I gleaned from the Internet.) My all-time favorite Christmas movie is "Santa Claus. The Movie (1984), how about you?

Be happy...enjoy your blessings, and God Bless!! 

This is a test...only a test!

I have a new computer. It is a desk-top kind this time, and I am having to learn things all over again! My son told me that the old laptop was about to become obsolete and that the purchase is necessary.  Sure gives new meaning to "can't teach a old dog (or cat?) new tricks"!  At least there is no "error on page" message now and I can easily find a photo from the list and post it! Now if I'd just LIKE to take photos that would be helpful.......maybe a "selfie", eh? (not a chance!)   Have a good day, God Bless!

Bear's Sweater

All the sweater patterns that I found did not fit the Build-a-bear workshop bears very well. By the way, I was able to find several bears like that at the Goodwill Store. So after seeing the "World Vision" kids sweater I tinkered with that pattern, and came up with one for my bears! If anyone is interested, I'll share the specifics with you. I just love the way this came out!  Photo taken by my son.

I'm entitled to one mistake, eh??

I had thought about it a long time...my son advised me not to, but with his assistance, last Monday I "killed" this blog.  The rest of the day I went into mourning. It was like the death of a friend.  All day yesterday, I thought "Gee, that would make a great photo for my blog, etc, etc." Too bad I hate taking pictures, eh? Well, you get the message, and I'm back. Who knows if I've done the right thing. I enjoy looking at other peoples blogs (especially those related the quilting).  Now if I could only figure out why I get this stupid "Error on page" message. I've got a lot to learn!

A recently completed sweater

I am having trouble with blogger today, but wanted to show this sweater I recently completed. It is made from a pattern from a Ravelry group and I used old Encore yarn. The date on the receipt stored with the yarn said 1993! It is a top-down sweater, and was easy to do. I started this sweater last spring, but took a break during warmer weather. I am tring to finish up some older projects now while trying to keep up with my Prayer Shawl work. By the way.....it fits me!  God Bless!

A tea review

With cooler weather here at last, I have begun to drink more hot tea. I like to browse Amazon.com and order from them or Teadog.com.  I think my favorite is the Scottish Blend (made for Scottish water). Works great with North Carolina water!  Two weeks ago, I ordered some Pu Erh tea bags, from the Yunnan province of China (via Amazon, of course, the photo above is from them also). When it came in, I immediately had to try it out.  Hmmmm...smells "earthy". My daughter said "smells like dirt". Well, uhh, how's it taste? Not bad at all. Very different. She prefers green tea, after living in Japan for six years...I said "tastes like spinach water". To each their own, eh?    By the way, I am sitting at the computer with a cuppa Scottish Blend!!    God Bless!

What I am reading

Okay, I admit it, I get a lot of my books from the Goodwill Store. This one is a recent one I purchased, but I have to admit that I had my doubts that I would really read/like it. But once I got started, I love it. It is so easy to read, and I love any stories about the Sioux. I highly recommend it!

I have spent the whole summer working on quilting UFO's (that's unfinished objects to the non-quilter). I finished three full size quilts from Block-of-the-month kits from JoAnn Fabrics and Hancocks from 2004 and 2005. Whew! Glad they are finally finished, and I will get my son to take pictures of them soon. (I HATE taking pictures, and it is obvious when you look at how poorly they turn out!) Have not quilted them yet, though. Hope you have a wonderful day.......God Bless!

Goodwill Find

Look what I found at the Elkin Goodwill Store! The pot...actually, I ordered the book from Amazon.com. The girl at the check-out register said "That is beautiful, I don't understand why it hasn't sold". Guess that is because no one knew what it is. It is made of heavy crockery, and if I hadn't seen a post some months back (during cold weather), I probably wouldn't have know what it is either. My friend Tanya, of By Taniwa.blogspot.com gave an explanation of how one is used and a receipe. She puts it on top of her Kerosun heater and uses it like a slow-cooker. I will have to figure out a heat source for mine, but that shouldn't be a problem. Ooooh, I'm so excited to try it!

According to the weather people, it was 63 degrees here this morning. Feels like Fall out there for me. It has been an exceedingly strange summer.  Hope you are enjoying your weather...whereever you are. God Bless!!

Maggie

When we moved to this property 32 years ago, my late husband brought a lot of plants and trees with us from Wilmington, NC. The magnolia tree was one of them. I always called her Maggie, and she grew to be a very tall tree (taller than the powerlines). The one bad thing is, she never bloomed. Never. The year my husband died (1999), I noticed a couple of blooms at the top of the tree. Every year since, there has been more and more. This year Maggie has done a magnificent job!! Blooms everywhere, dozens of them, and not all at once. Two years ago, I had a maple tree nearby cut down, and Maggie spread out in all directions. You could almost see it happening. Way to go Maggie, long may you bloom!!

Happy Birthday, Donald!!!

Today is my son Donald's Birthday. He is 40 years old today.  Have a Happy Day, Donald. We love you lots!!

Hot weather and whining!

I'm still here. Slowly getting back to "normal". Still on the inactive list though. No patience, no progress, not much accomplished. Sheesh! Hot weather arrived yesterday, at the drugstore in town it said 93 degrees F, at the phone company it said 100. It felt more like 100. One day at a time, trust God, things are bound to get better.

Down but not out

The spirit is willing but the body is weak! I have been sick. The usual Springtime allergy/bronchitis hit bad this year. The worst in years...goes along with more pollen in the air, I guess. Ended up going to the Dr. three times and I almost "lost it" this time around. Truth is, I had quit using Barleygreen (green drink) and my allergies have gone nuts. Live and learn, eh? Well, no sewing, quilting, dolls, or even crochet. Everything is on hold. I'm slowly on the mend, but still am not breathing well, and the COUGH! Yikes!! Gives me more time for prayer & meditation...it is very hard to read, also.  Big sigh, this too shall pass.   God Bless!  (drawing acquired from internet "Ravelry")

Spring Doll Challenge

It has been many years since I have made a cloth doll. I used to be "famous" for them. I made Raggedy Ann and Andy's by the dozens (and sold them, sadly I didn't keep a set)  when we lived in Raleigh. It was a lot of fun. But somehow I got sidetracked by ceramics and then quilts.  Well, you know the story, we do move on, don't we?  My great pleasure in the mornings is to look at blogs.....all kinds of blogs, and lately I found one I really like called Ravenswood Whimzies. I saw the Doll Challenge and it sparked a rememberance in me about my love of cloth dolls. I copied off the pattern (it is free) and will most likely give it a try. Click on the sidebar to go to the pattern and information.  I made my first cloth doll from a book of my sister's and I was about 7 or 8 years old. Kathy and I used to play "little house on the prairie" and her mother made hers. My doll and her dress was all hand-sewn (by me) and I guess it got left in Michigan. I'll let you know how things turn out!   God Bless!

Civil War quilt blocks

I have been working on the 6 inch quilt blocks from "The Civil War Diaries" book by Rosemary Youngs. I have 36 completed and am now moving on to her other book "The Civil War Love Letter Quilts". I am only making those blocks from each book that interest me (uh, the easy ones). As I complete a block, I put a date on the page of the book. The first date is April 2005, Oops! I hope to finish up these blocks soon, as I have been making 2 or 3 blocks a day. Haven't decided how many I'll need yet.  I have been using solid color fabrics instead of repro prints, just to be different.

On another note, I have decided to stop making Prayer Shawls for the hospital. I will still make some on my own to give away, just not for them. I am instead going back to my "first love"....the watch-cap and scarf project for Seamen's Church Institute in NYC. I began giving items to them in 1990, and enjoyed it very much. The POSTAGE is the only drawback.

The last couple of days have been so wonderfully Spring-like! I saw a small brown bird this morning trying to fly away, carrying something in his beek that looked like quilt batting, or somekind of insulation. He/she was determined! Guess it will insulate the nest.       God Bless!

New Grand-dog

My daughter has adopted another rescue dog. This one was left-behind at our house and she just happened to be here at the time. He was half-starved, but has gained over ten pounds since she's taken him to her home a month ago. She calls him Bobby, and he is a red hound dog. He is a very good watchdog as he bays like a hound!! He gets along well with her other dog, Lucky, who is a black lab. She feels safer with her canine companions!!   Happy Easter or Resurection Day. God Bless!!  (photos taken by my son)

More fabric?

I know that this photo is not really large enough to see. Amazon.com would not let me use the larger photo. It is Nancy Drew fabric and I have been seeing things made from it on different blogs I like to look at. I was a really big Nancy Drew Mystery book fan back when I was young. I inherited my sister's books, and then got a few of my own, and also read a lot from the Library. My daughter has my books now, as I gave them to her when she was a girl. I am thinking of rereading some of them! Yesterday, in a moment of non-thinking, I ordered a set of 42 Nancy Drew 5" squares from Amazon.com.  They have already been shipped and should arrive here by next Monday. Just call it another BD present to myself. I do go a little crazy this time of year. (March Madness, maybe? No, I don't give a hoot about basketball!!) Hmmm, now what to make from 42 Nancy Drew 5 inch squares......   No Spring in sight here, still cold, rain, and yuck most of the time!  But happy first day of Spring, anyway!!

God Bless!

Jo Morton Fabrics

Today has been a really nice day! The weather is warm and sunny and a nice day to be outdoors.  My son and I decided to go to Mocksville, NC. It is one of my favorite places to go!  He did some shopping at the video game store, and I went to the Ben Franklin Store. After selecting some things that I needed for knitting and Prayer Shawls, I decided to look at the flat-fold fabrics. Ah hah! Civil War fabrics!!!  I nearly fell on the floor when I read on the selvedge "Jo Morton" for Andover Fabrics. I couldn't believe my incredible find. I found four Civil War prints that I can use, all in the same color family and they were $3.99 a yard. There is no other place anywhere around here that sells Jo Morton fabrics, not even in Winston-Salem, to my knowledge anyway.  I am so excited. My BD is in 2 weeks, so Happy Birthday to me!!  Wow, what a difference in quality from walmart thin yucky stuff and the Andover.....unbelieveable! We then had lunch at our favorite BBQ restaurant. The waitresses are exceptional and must have come by the table 15 to 20 times to see if we wanted or needed anything! The name of the restaurant is "C's", and it is on Hwy. 601 before you get to Mocksville.

To all of us who are Irish or Scots-Irish...Happy St. Patrick's Day tomorrow. I'll be wearing green, (even though I am German)!  God Bless! ( By the way....Happy International Quilting Day...today!)

Little Quilt

Yesterday was a bleak and icy day, and cold too. So I decided to work on this little quilt top and finished it! I had bought the pattern in the late 1980's or early 1990's and never got around to making it. It is supposed to be a replica of a Civil War doll quilt. I fell in love with it then, and never made one, nor have I seen one made up. The quilt shop I got the pattern from is long gone & closed up. I suppose it was originally made for a Black child?  Anyway, I am glad that I finally got around to making one. I am sorry if my quilt offends anyone. It was not my intention at all. I was told stories by my Grandpa Atterholt that his family was involved in the Underground Railroad in Holmes County Ohio. He was born right after the Civil War and has been passed on since the 1960's. I hope to get my quilt basted today. I think I will hand quilt it, although I haven't decided on a design yet. Oh yes, the little quilt is doll sized, and measures approx. 20" by 29". The original pattern is by "Country House Quilts", and the original block size was 4.5" and used 9 blocks. Mine blocks are 6.5" and I used 6  (enlarged on a copy machine). Take care & God Bless! 

Leggings??

Ain't these a hoot?! No, they are not mine...I would not fit in them, but I saw this photo on a blog & had to post it here, too. I think they had found the photo on another blog, too, or Pinterest....or something, etc., etc.?? Anyway, as cold as I have been this winter, I am tempted to use some of my bazillion little balls of leftover yarn and make me a pair (haha!!). Whoever thought these up, my hat's off to you.  Although I think they would be most useful...you'd never see a photo of me in them on the internet!!

I got out the almost-forgotten Tupperware box of Civil War Diary books and blocks (solid colors and white) yesterday. Old Abe Lincoln stared at me and said "where have you been all winter?".  I think I will work on these this week. More rain, more wind, possible winter weather..yuck!  I have stayed in lately, and now have 10 Prayer Shawls to deliver soon. I keep busy. Take Care, God Bless.

Persian Pickle Club

After seeing a read-a-long mentioned on the Stashbuster Group (Yahoo Groups), I decided it was time to read this book AGAIN. I have read it several times, oh maybe 5 or 6 times, and love it! It's like reading my Bible, every time I read it I find something I'd missed before!! As I have been reading, I have been writing down the names of the quilt blocks and quilts. So far, I have 14 on the list. I am still hoping to find ONE MORE!! I am considering making a Sampler Quilt using the names, probably using 1930's repro fabrics or old feedsack fabrics. (Am still trying to decide). First I must research the patterns, most of them I know, or am reasonably familiar with.  Ever read the book? Want to join me in making a sampler? Let me know and I will make a list of the names I've found. If you know of a 15th name, I'd sure love to hear it!  (photo above is from Amazon...they have the book at really good prices).  Take care & God Bless.  (see also www.starwoodquilter.blogspot.com  )

It arrived Monday!

Ever since I was a child, I have loved the book "Little Women", by Louisa May Alcott. In the 1970's, before VCR recorders and such, I watched the above movie on the television. I think it was one that came on for two days.  I loved it, and had always wished to see it again. Well, last week I found it at Amazon.com and purchased it!  It came in the mail on Monday and I watched part one yesterday. I am looking forward to watching part two today! The weatherman is calling for extremely bad weather today (wind, downpours, possible tornadoes, yuck!) so it will be a perfect day to hunker down and watch a movie.  Ever since I was a child, I always said that I was born a hundred years too late. Movies, books and quilts from the 1860's remain my favorites!! I love repro. Civil War fabrics and homespun plaids.  Keep safe...God Bless (and protect)!

Huh? Did I miss something?

Well, it has happened again....  Every year I kind of shut-down and disappear between mid-November to mid-January.  Guess I just cannot cope with the Holidays...none of them.  I "wake up" sometime around the middle of January (usually during a snow storm) and wonder where Christmas went!! Well, at least I am consistent, and now I am ready to get busy...uh, maybe later. I need some more hot tea!!  Happy New Year, God Bless.