On the Wall

On the design wall -




several embroideries for the Wizard of Oz quilt. There's a little tin man yet to come and a couple of larger designs.

I have the simplest (and most portable) design wall ever. It's a 5' x 5' piece of pegboard covered with white fleece held on with clothespins at the edges. The pegboard is sturdy enough to prop against the wall.

Friday Fill-Ins.

1. We need mindfulness and thankfulness and I'm glad that people's thoughts will be turning in those directions this week.

2. I glanced at Aaron's two-year-old picture this morning and it made me smile. I love his earnestness and his playfulness and his outgoing nature and his cute red hair.

3. If you want almost anything you need to set goals. And if you want happiness, you need to be happy.

4. It's very foggy this morning because of all the moisture in the air. So nice after a dry couple of months.

5. Massachusetts has a proposed 5% sales tax on elective cosmetic surgery; I think I'd vote "no" just because it seems so artibrary.

6. Glad families and safe travels make for a happy holiday.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to just resting, tomorrow my plans include getting a start on the Advent banner for church, even if it's just laying out the fabric, and Sunday, I want to enjoy the Thanksgiving service. And the good meal afterwards.

Happy Friday, everyone.

Some New Things

Finally, a couple of new projects. This linen bread cover is a free Husqvarna Viking project for November. You can find it on their web site.

I just knew that when I snatched up the last of the summer linen (for half price) that there would be projects for it. The bread cover is lined with linen too and has a wonderfully crispy feel. I love that I can do the scallops with my "new" sewing machine.

This little quilt is a work sample and is embroidered with Anita Goodesign Santas For All Seasons. I didn't have time to do all the Santas, although that would be glorious, so I chose the ones for November, December, January, and February.


I got the fabric at IKEA some time during the summer, just because I liked it, never really thinking that it could look like a snowy background. Here are a couple of the little Santas - November,
and January.

The quilt is 29" x 37".

Leaves and Rain

Yesterday I raked the leaves out of the driveway in a couple of sessions. My driveway slants downward and I've learned the oh-so-hard way that if the drain at the end is clogged the basement will get wet if there's a hard rain. While the driveway isn't totally leaveless, I got out enough leaves to make a nice pile. It rained pretty much all day today so I was glad I did it. When I got home I noticed that the leaf truck had been by, so the leaves were gone. Good timing. As for all the rest, I hope I will be able to mulch them with the lawn mower.

Hard to get a good photo, but I got these lovely little pictures from my sister. One says "cherish life" and the other says "love divine."

The tag reads "Primitives by Kathy. Original designs in the tradition of Pennsylvania German folk arts of Fraktur and Scherenschinitte with a bit of whimsy." I just love them.

I have a very nice piece of fraktur - I'll get it out and take a picture. I don't think I hung it up after the move and I need to do that.

Christmas Cactus

I love my Christmas cactus, well, both of them. One of these times I need to transplant them into larger pots in hopes of getting them to grow larger - my aunt has a big wonderful one that I always admire. But for now, I am always amazed and appreciative that every year at about the same time they bloom happily despite whatever neglect they may have suffered throughout the year. The one on the left is a lovely soft pink and the one on the right a soft red. A Christmas cactus is the only house plant that I have or want.

Probably I could take the plants to a nursery and have them potted but I'd still be a little nervous. They seem to like their probably-not-so-good soil and tight quarters. Guess I need to do a little Christmas cactus research. Or, maybe - Sarah, do you know?

Below is a Martha Pullen work project, a lumbar pillow. The instructions called for linen, but I couldn't find black linen this time of year. Linen would have really helped in making the fringe on the edges, but I just pulled out about half of it in the tightly woven fabric and called it a day. It looks fine.

A Little Time

Yesterday was my first day of feeling well again and I spent alot of a little time. A little time at church, a little time with Steph and Mike's family, a little time at the fabric store, a little time getting my hair cut. All with a little resting time in between.

Nora went to the fabric store with me and told me she'd been there before. She liked the cutting table, liked putting the bolts of fabric on it, liked the snip of the scissors as fabric was cut. She is my granddaughter.

At some point, seems like long ago, I left my camera at Steph and Mike's and was glad to get it back. There were pictures of Aunt Tina's birthday that was several weeks ago, but it's surely not too late to say,

Happy Birthday again, Aunt Tina.

Friday Fill-In # 150

Friday Fill-Ins. Answers are in bold.

1. The last band I saw live was at a Berea convocation. I miss those convocations, the speakers, the music, the plays. Good stuff. I knew I'd miss them, and I do.

2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is a good meal with everyone relaxing and enjoying themselves. Parades in the morning, football in the afternoon, lots of good, good food. People taking time to think about being grateful.

3. My Christmas shopping is about half finished. I know I've made lots of things and I hope I'll be happy when I get them all out. I'm looking at a pretty little quilt right now, finished last February.

4. Thoughts of feeling better fill my head. This has been a sick last two weeks, but through it all I've been so grateful.

5. I wish I could wear strappy little shoes. Flip flops. But I can wear hiking boots and that's just as good, most likely better.

6. Bagpipes always remind me of a winter funeral I attended years ago. At the end, as people were filing out of the church, bagpipes were playing Amazing Grace. So mournful.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to more rest, tomorrow my plans include going to work for the first time in two weeks, and Sunday, I want to get my hair cut. I'm way, way past due.

Happy Friday, everyone.