Happy Halloween!

 ON Monday October 31st
Day 6

Mrs. Toyna Ghastlie
Mrs Tiramisue Ghastlie

Mrs. Angela Ghastlie

Mrs Pauline Ghastlie

Mrs. Karin Ghastlie

Mrs Barb Ghastlie

Have fun on your Ghastlie tour today!  Be sure to comment on every site so you can enter the giveaway. Each Ghastlie sister will submit one name to Madame Samm and from those six names one grand prize winner will be chosen.  The winner just might be YOU!  

My Winner

The winner of my mug rug and Ghastlie fabric is Vicki T - congratulations Vicki!  Vickie doesn't have a blog but she really should.  Her comment was funny and a delight to read.  :)

The name I sent to Madame Samm was Lavender Dreamer who does have a blog....just click here to visit her.  And you really should.  She has a perfectly gorgeous picture as her header.  I don't know yet who won the grand prize for Friday but Lavender Dreamer you've made it to the semifinals.  :)

Ghastlie Day Five!

It was a perfectly Ghastlie night here on the lake....rainy and cold and shivery.  But this morning the sun is shining and I'm ready to sit down and visit with a few Ghastlie friends!  That means I should grab my IPad and read a few Ghastlie blogs to see what they're are up to today.  Now where could it be...I know I put it somewhere here...oh there!  In my Ghastlie IPad purse!

It's day 5 of the Ghastlie Blog Hop so let's take a look at Sew I Quilt and see if Madame Samm's listed who's posting today.  Oh yes, there's the list...first up is 

Miss Trudi Ghastlie  

 Ms. Deonn Ghastlie

Mrs. Marlene Ghastlie

 Mrs Kim Ghastlie

Mrs Tammy Ghastlie

Wait...uh oh...who's that one in the middle there?  It's me!  I'm supposed to be posting on this Ghastlie day!

Okay, I can do it.  But first I need a cup of coffee and a muffin.  I'll eat my muffin and drink my coffee and then I'll write that post.  I better grab my Ghastlie hot pad so I don't burn my fingers.

Is that Albert Ghastlie?  Oh dear, I'm not sure.  No one's introduced me you see.  But let's get closer...maybe you'll recognize him.

Well whichever Ghastlie he is he'll save my poor fingers from getting burned when I take my muffins out of the oven.  And the coffee is ready so let's get out the mug rug and sit on the deck for a few minutes.  I think I'll read everyone's Ghastlie posts and then I'll write mine.  

 Ahhh now this one I recognize...Uncle Rufus Ghastlie!  He pretends to be a vampire but the gossip is that he's really an accountant, or a computer programmer maybe.  I saw him once on a street corner in New York City.  He's really quite a handsome guy, don't you think?

But I do wish someone would tell him that capes are, well, a bit passe.  

I really can't keep reading blogs...it seems I get started and hours pass before I know it.  Does that happen to you?  I read and comment, and read and comment, and forget what I should have been doing.  I better grab my Ghastlie purse and head for the grocery store.

Oh sew easy this was to make!  A Ghastlie friend told me the secret - a canvas bag bought at the local craft store, a few Ghastlie ruffles and a bit of ribbon!  Aunt Gertrude is peeking out to see where I'm going!  But before I leave I better iron these jeans I want to wear.  That's not going to take long if I use my wonderful lavender scented starch.

Hmmm, I wonder what the Ghastlie girls are whispering about.  And where my iron is.  Those girls are so bad, I guess they've hidden my iron.  But what's this strange looking thing here?

 Oh, I remember!  I took my iron to guilt guild yesterday and it's still in it's caddy.

 Isn't this fun?  It's all wrapped up safe and sound so I can carry it back and forth.  And it's insulated in the bottom so it won't burn me if I forget and put it in there when it's hot!

Now I'm all ready to go, jeans ironed, purse in hand.  But I seem to be forgetting something.  I wonder what it could be?  Wasn't I supposed to be doing something?  Oops, a post!   I was supposed to write a post!  I'll go do that right now!  And I better not forget to do a giveaway.  Everyone loves a giveaway.  Wonder what I should give....I know!  A Ghastlie mug rug and a yard of Ghastlie fabric.  That will make it a Ghastlie gift!

If you'd like to win the mug rug and the fabric too,
just let me hear a comment from you.
I'd love it if you were a follower because that's super sweet,
but I know you can't follow everyone you meet.

Blessings, Marlene

It's Day Four - Another Ghastlie Day!

Here's where you Ghastlie fans want to go today - don't skip a one because they're all Ghastlie fun!

 ON Thursday October 27th 

Day 4

           Mrs. Katherine Ghastlie              

Ms Sharon Ghastlie

 Mrs. Gooden Ghastlie

Ms. Selina Ghastlie

Mrs. Melinda Ghastlie

We've already had lots of winners, just take a peek:

On Monday for the Ghastlie Fabric Giveaway....Alexander Henry.... 

the Lady of the Cloth

from Mrs Kirie Ghastlies Shape MOTH.blog..)

On Tuesday the Wheeled PINK Sewing BAG went 

to Cherise from Mrs Annies Ghastlie Fans...

 On Wednesday theGhastlie fabric went to Sheri and Jackie 

from Mrs Penny and Mrs Karen Ghaslties

And you could be next!  Be sure you visit everyone and comment - you know you want to.  :)

Day Three

It's Day Three of the Ghastlies Blog Hop ya'll - don't miss a one because you know you want to win a prize!


Here's today's Ghastlie Blogs:

 ON Wednesday October 26th     

                   

Mrs. Barb Ghastlie

Miss Karen Ghastlie

Ms. Loralynn Ghastlie

 Ms. Jen Ghastlie. 

Ms Penny Ghastlie

Mrs Rhonda Ghastlie

Day Two Ghastlies Winner!

Day 1 Ghastlie Giveaway


the WINNER for this prize 
is........Lady of the Cloth ( from Kiries blog)
Emil the bat remember...?

4 Yards of this GHASTLIE 

Collection from our sponsor

 Alexander Henry Fabrics...

They are sporting a BRAND NEW look too.!

YOU can VIEW these from samples they have posted!

http://www.ahfabrics.com/collections/category/101-a-ghastly-night

http://www.ahfabrics.com/collections/category/100-ghastly-forest

http://www.ahfabrics.com/collections/category/102-a-ghastly-clover

http://www.ahfabrics.com/collections/category/98-ghastly-bramble

And it's on to our next Ghastlie sisters:

 ON Tuesday October 25th 

Mrs. Annie Ghastlie

    Mrs Doris Ghastlie

 Mrs Brandie Ghastlie

Ms. Alidiza Ghastlie

Mrs. JudyC Ghastlie

Be sure and visit each one so you can be eligible for today's giveaway - you're going to love this:

DAY  2 Giveaway! 

OH Yes this BRIGHT PINK BLUE FIG 

Wheeled Sewing BAG for you...

The PINK goes sew well with GHASTLIES.

Check out all our Ghastlie Sistahs Blogs today..

and see what they CREATED.

( Blue Fig will be mailing directly to you.

no shipping cost for this win) 

Here Come The Ghastlies - Are You Ready?

Welcome GHASTLIE FANS

Behind the scenes we ( 54 ) Ghastlie obsessed

Stitchers have been rather busy, you could say.  We've stitched lots of fun stuff for you to see, and some of it is even going to be given away!  You're going to want to visit every day to see the cute things we've come up with and the great prizes our sponsors have provided for YOU!

If you have this thing for Ghastlies

and they have tied you in a knot

and you wish you could get them out of your mind

than this may be a thought.

We heard her plea for a cure

Mdm Samm was pos/it/ively sure

that we could stitch the nights away

in hopes that we MAY----???

( all 54 of us)  

BUT....

The side effects are Ghastlie

there is no mistaking too.

if you don't run this very minute

YOU too will catch the FLU...

We suspected all along 

this was her master plan

she did not want to be alone,

 with all  YOU Ghastlie FANS...

(I suspect there will be a CURE somewhere

in one of these blogs...) 

HERE is  OUR Schedule.....

each name will link you to my Ghastlie

Sistahhhhhhhhhhhhhs!

 ON Monday, October 24th 

   Mrs Kirie Ghastlie

Ms Carol Ghastlie 

Ms. Wendy Ghastlie

Ms. Carrie Ghastlie

Mrs Holly Ghastlie

 ON Tuesday October 25th 

Mrs. Annie Ghastlie

    Mrs Doris Ghastlie

 Mrs Brandie Ghastlie

Ms. Alidiza Ghastlie

Mrs. JudyC Ghastlie

                                     

 ON Wednesday October 26th     

                   

Mrs. Barb Ghastlie

Miss Karen Ghastlie

Ms. Loralynn Ghastlie

 Ms. Jen Ghastlie. 

Ms Penny Ghastlie

 

 ON Thursday October 27th 

           Mrs. Katherine Ghastlie              

Ms Sharon Ghastlie

 Mrs. Gooden Ghastlie

Ms. Selina Ghastlie

Mrs. Melinda Ghastlie

 ON Friday October 28th 

Miss Trudi Ghastlie  

 Ms. Deonn Ghastlie

Mrs. Marlene Ghastlie

 Mrs Kim Ghastlie

Mrs Tammy Ghastlie

 ON Monday October 31st

Mrs. Toyna Ghastlie
Mrs Tiramisue Ghastlie

Mrs. Angela Ghastlie

Mrs Pauline Ghastlie

Mrs. Karin Ghastlie

Mrs Barb Ghastlie

 ON Tuesday November 1st 

Miss Daisy Ghastlie
Mrs. Dana Ghastlie

Mrs. Elaine Ghastlie 

Mrs. Gramma Sheri Ghastlie
Ms. Suz Ghastlie

 ON Wednesday November 2nd

Mrs. Jane Ghastlie
Mrs. Laura Ghastlie 

Mrs. Mary Ghastlie

Mrs. Michelle Ghastlie

Mrs. Dawn Ghastlie 
Mrs Mary Ghastlie

 ON Thursday November 3rd

Mrs. Sharon Ghastlie
Mrs Corrie Ghastlie

Mrs Cheryl Ghastlie

 Mrs. Linda Ghastlie
Mrs. Suki Ghastlie
Mrs. Pickles Ghastlie

 ON Friday November 4th

Mrs Nan Ghastlie

Mrs. Gmama Jane Ghastlie
Mrs Joan Ghastlie
Mrs. Nancy Ghastlie

 Ms Susan Ghastlie
Madame Ghastlie 

Don't forget each day we will have a giveaway...

Some of my Ghastlie Sisters have made very special

projects to giveaway and we will have daily BIG PRIZES 

from these sponsors....to sweeten the CAULDRON....

Some of our Sponsors

Alexander Henry Fabrics- lot's and lot's of Ghastlie Fabric

Colonial Needle -sewing basket 

Janes Fabrics -Kona fabrics in PINK -fat quarter bundle

Reliable Iron - orange Velocity 50

IHAN ( kelly )- aurifil threads

Coeurdalenegifts- 2 sets of Halloween lights

Forth Worth Fabric Studio - gorgeous gift set of Ghasltie fabric

Creative Grid -3 Rulers their top 3 

Blue FIG-  wheeled bag in PINK

Don't miss a day visiting The Ghastlies - they might just come and haunt you! :)  But for sure you'll miss out on a chance at the daily prizes!

Did You See?

Did you see that new button over there on the right?  It looks sort of like this one below.....   :)

It's there to remind you that YOU could win this Pfaff Sewing Machine this Friday, October 21st!  Just be sure you go over and visit Stash Manicure that day (Sew We Quilt) and comment.  Follow any other directions very carefully because you don't want to miss this opportunity!  And ya'll the shipping is free on this one.  :)  If you haven't registered it isn't too late - just e-mail me with your name, e-mail address, and telephone number (so they can call you when you win!)  Madame Samm, this is over the top - thank you!


http://sewwequilt.com/

One Thousand Blessings - Day 27

881.  Autumn leaves
882.  Pumpkins
883.  Fire Fighters, paid and volunteers
884.  Slow rains that last all day
885.  Mums in bright, vivid colors
886.  Cool nights and warm days
887.  Friends who know me and love me anyway
888.  Honeycrisp apples
889.  Teenagers in tutus and striped leggings
890.  Cake donuts
891.  Lawns covered with falling leaves
892.  Night sounds
893.  Fresh basil
894.  Church bells
895.  A newly washed car
896.  Puffs Plus with Lotion
897.  Flannel pajamas
898.  Apple Fritters
899.  The Rocky Mountains
890.  Aspens when their leaves change colors
891.  Seeing a bear when in the wild
892.  Hummingbirds on my deck
893.  Phone calls from my children
894.  Watching a granddaughter run a cross country race
895.  Glow in the dark fabric
896.  Sharing an ordinary supper with my husband
897.  Finding a great new website
898.  High school reunions
899.  Little boys with dirty faces
900.  Facetime
901.  Fresh country eggs
902.  Bassett hounds
903.  Quilt shows
904.  New Bibles
905.  Good praise music
906.  Shawls
907.  Halloween decorations
908.  Good face cream
909.  Corn on the cob
910.  Full moons that are gold when they first come up

Dried Up Stuff

When we went to Israel last spring - notice how I'm just throwing that casually into conversation as if we just run over there every other day? - we went up on Mount Masada.  Way up.  On a monorail.  Made out of glass.  But that's a different story.  Anyway when archaeologists explored those ruins they found dehydrated wheat that had been stored as part of the food available for the soldiers/families who lived there a couple of thousand years ago.  They took it back to the lab and it sprouted!  Not only that but dehydrated wheat found in pyramids has also sprouted!  People have been dehydrating food to last from one summer to the next ever since man figured out how to do it.  Even during World Wars I and II Americans dehydrated food because of the shortage of canning supplies.  All of that has been rolling around in my brain until I finally came to this conclusion:  if they could do it, I could do it.  And not only could I do it, but I should do it.  I can stuff - especially love tomatoes and green beans and soup canned, and we love having it in the winter long after the fresh vegetables are gone.  I haven't done as much lately since #1 I've gotten older, #2 it's harder to find farm fresh vegetables where I live now, and #3 I work at a mission in Louisiana in the summer and I'm not at home.  Dehydrated foods take up much less space than canned foods and last longer - if stored correctly some can last 30 years!

So first I bought this:

I know this is hard to see but it's black.  And that's hard to get a picture of for me - I'm photography challenged.  It's an Excalibur 9 tray Food Dehydrator.  It's supposed to be the best.  My sister told me that.  It's about the size of a large microwave but doesn't weigh as much.  I can pick it up and move it, which I have to do because I don't have the counter space to keep it out all the time.

It comes with 9 plastic trays that slide in after you put the food on them.  You turn on the dehydrator, wait anywhere from 6 to 30 hours depending on what you're dehydrating and it comes out all dried up.  The trays look like this.

This is right after I washed them yesterday when I had just dehydrated a case of pineapple slices.  Yes, a case (12) cans of Libby's Pineapple Slices in juice (drained) makes 2 quarts plus 1 pint of dehydrated pineapple.  And it's a wonderful snack - healthy and delicious.  Plus when rehydrated I can make Pineapple Cake.  My husband loves Pineapple Cake.  I know because I made it once when we were very young.

We plan to make deer jerky soon because we have some meat left from last year and it's time to deer hunt again.  I've also dehydrated all this.

There's broccoli, okra, hash brown potatoes, zucchini, onions, corn, apples, celery and more.  The small jar in the front - I also dehydrated the apple peelings, ground them up in my blender, and this will make apple tea.  You can get frozen vegetables on sale and dehydrate them - put them on the trays frozen!  That's how I did the potatoes and onions.  I have some real sweet potatoes to do tomorrow and some real white potatoes (not frozen).  But I'm going to do some more apples, celery and broccoli for sure because fall is when they're pretty cheap.  You can do pumpkin too!  And also I'm going to make tomato leather - tomato sauce dehydrated and broken into pieces will store great.  I'm going to put it into Food Saver bags with the dehydrated veggies to make soup in a bag.  To store dehydrated foods you must seal them in bags (I put an oxygen pack in mine to take out all the oxygen left after I've sealed it) and store them as much out of the light as you can so they won't lose their nutrients.

If you've been thinking about trying to store extra food in case of whatever - times when the electricity might be out from ice or tornadoes, etc. this is a great way to do it.  It takes less time than canning, it takes less space, and it takes less $ to prepare.  It costs about a nickel an hour to run the dehydrator.

Does anyone else dehydrate?  I could sure use some tips.  :)

Oh, and that apple tea?  I'm not doing that again.  That powder flies everywhere when you're grinding it in the blender and I'm not that Martha Stewart anyway.

It's Fall Ya'll!

We've finally had some cool nights here and we haven't had the air conditioner on for a couple of weeks - yippee!  I'm bringing out a few of my fall decorations, including this tea towel I like to hang on my stove.

But the darn thing fell on the floor every time I opened the oven door, or even if I brushed up against it while cooking.  I hear you out there - she said she doesn't cook - na, na, na, sometimes I do.  Not often, grant you, but you should see my husband and me, we aren't starving.  :)  So clever me, I did this:

Can't see it?  You aren't supposed to!  I sewed a narrow black ribbon on each side, well really 4 ribbons counting the back part, and tied them together.  Since they're black, and the stove is black, they disappear! Disappearing ribbons - maybe I'm a witch and didn't know it.  :)  Anyway it never falls off now!

This is one of my very favorite wall hangings:

It's a Country Threads pattern that I made several years ago.  My husband hates hanging it but if it said DEER HUNTING I bet he wouldn't mind at all.  :)  Just kidding - he doesn't mind hanging things for me but he would like it a lot better if I didn't want them up near the ceiling!

Ar you just drooling over this wool piece?  You better not drool on it!  Lots of little pieces hand appliqued but really easy to do and gorgeous colors....this picture was taken on the floor at the mission where we work in the summer so that means I finished it while I was there.  I should take another of it on my table but this one will have special memories for me so I think I'll keep it.  This is a Primitive Gatherings pattern.

And last for today is this one:

I finished this last year and love it so much it's hanging in my dining room.  Yep, dining room.  Hand embroidery is so soothing, especially when it's simple things like this.  I'd tell you who made the pattern but I loaned it to a friend last week and can't remember.

And for those of you who have made it all the way to the end of this I hand embroidered this snowman in a sunflower patch a few months ago when I thought it was going into a month by month quilt.  I'm not going to do that so he's getting lonely hanging up on my design wall - anyone want him?  Just leave me a comment and I'll send him your way.  If more than one person wants him I'll throw your names in a hat and draw one out.

Update:  Rhonda from Cobblestone Quilting won the snowman - congratulations!

Sunday Sewing

When we were in Colorado I bought some fat quarters of white Glow-In-The-Dark fabric.  I didn't know what I wanted to do with it but I knew it would be fun to have.  The first fat quarter went into this pillowcase.

I did the embroidery on the Glow fabric and it wasn't hard to needle at all - I thought it might be.

I have a couple more fat quarters of this so I think I'll try some applique on it next.

Not too long ago I asked if you Pinterest....a fairly new website where you can "pin" pictures, websites, blogs, etc. on virtual Boards so that you can go right back to them when you want to be reminded.  I find Pinterest easier that bookmarks.  It seems I look at a bookmark and the title/name doesn't tell me why I wanted to mark it.  :(  Anyway one of the sites I pinned recently was Perpetual Plum who made a really cute fabric storage cube.  Today I went back to that site (I had pinned the picture on one of my boards and it was so easy to find!) and made one of my own.

 It was so easy to make and with a little help from my husband (he put in the grommets for me) I had it done in about an hour or so.  I did learn a lesson while making it - this would be best done with two cottons, not one cotton and one cotton flannel.  I'd forgotten how much flannel likes to stretch!

It's a beautiful Sunday, the sermon was great, the laundry is almost finished, I got to sew a little, and I might even get a nap.  :)  How was your Sunday?

Just Yesterday

Just yesterday I was 17 years old sitting in my parents car on the McDonald's parking lot wondering what I was going to do with the rest of Sunday afternoon.

Just yesterday I was 18 and he was 19 and we were standing in the chapel of our church saying, "I do", and crying like the babies we were.

Just yesterday I got home from a doctor's appointment to see him peeling potatoes because we were having company for dinner and I was late, and stopping abruptly when my very first labor pain hit.

Just yesterday we were holding hands walking into the first, but not the last, house we ever bought.

Just yesterday he moved me and our three babies to a town four hours away from family where I didn't know a soul, but it was okay because I knew him.

Just yesterday the first child grew up, then the second, then the third, and we were left with each other wondering "what happens now?"

Just yesterday we held our first grandchild and wept for the joy of it.

Just yesterday we held onto each other as we watched our parents die and his cancer appear.

Just yesterday we went on a mission trip and felt called together to continue on that journey.

I remember all the yesterdays, and especially the one 47 years ago when we stood in a chapel holding onto each other.  I remember them with joy and sometimes tears but always with gladness.  I hold the yesterdays in my heart but I'm in love with today and can barely wait for the tomorrows.  I'm so glad we began this journey in God's house and that He has walked each step of it with us.  And that when this part of the journey ends we will still be together in His presence.

New Life On A Homestead had this recipe on her blog and it sounded so good!  I present Breaded Parmesan Chicken:

I don't fry at my house much any more but this was delicious, fast, and easy.  Those are the three necessary ingredients for any meal that I'm fixing.

And because I had a coupon, and because they doubled it, and because it was senior citizen's discount day and I got 5% more off it I tried this:

I know you've probably all had Stove Top before but I hadn't.  I won't again.  It was okay.  If you're hungry.  And don't mind all that sodium.  

I hate to cook.  I'm not very good at it because I don't enjoy it.  But I do it because there's someone in my house who wants to eat.  Two someones.  Today I'm cooking a beef roast in the Crock Pot.  What's for dinner at your house?

He's Not a Scary Cat!

Okay I'm patting myself on the back....I pulled out a book I already had, wool scraps from thrift store garments that I had cut up and washed and felted, and stitched with my Vinca thread.  That means this was free!  Well no I don't count the cost of the book, or the thrift store garments, or the thread, or the electricity for the washer and dryer.  Would you?

A Great Find

I have only a small pantry inside my house.  It's okay for day-to-day stuff (I've shown it before) but I like to buy by the case when things that I use a lot are on sale.  Storage of these things has always been a challenge. On my carport I have two large closets - they only have tiny "shelves" which are formed by the two by fours which the closets were built of and in one of them we have an extra refrigerator and a freezer.  In the other I put a large shelf for my canned goods.  That worked okay but it was hard to see things and to find what I was looking for.  Last week I ran across a shelf someone was getting rid of and I immediately brought it home with me.  I was like a kid saying "it's mine...don't touch it!"  This is the result.

Having canned goods outside isn't ideal but this closet has the carport on one side and a porch on the other so the sun never even touches the walls.  With the concrete floor it stays cool in the summer.  And in the winter with the overhead light on it stays warm enough to keep anything from freezing.  Am I organized or what?  :)