Can You Guess Where I've Been?

It was so wonderful that I am speechless.  Well, maybe not totally speechless.  In the next few days I'll be telling you a bit about my trip but for now jet lag is definitely telling me I need a nap!

I've Signed Up To Do This. Have You?

Read Carol's post here.  Then come back and tell me you signed up.  Please.  I'll be sending a gift to one of you who does this.  Yes, that's a bribe.  :)  But seriously, don't they deserve it?  I'll draw for the prize in about a week.

Boyfriend/Girlfriend Shirts - A Funny Story

I met my husband when I was 17. Of course he wasn't my husband then. We'd been dating for several months when I decided to buy him a present. Buying a present was a big deal because money was more than scarce at my house. I was working after school and on Saturdays at a dime store making 50 cents an hour. This was 1964 so that was minimum wage! I was so excited when I found the perfect thing - matching shirts! I bought both of us a beautiful short-sleeved, plaid, button-down collar shirt. It was all the rage...all my friends had them with their boyfriends.

When he unwrapped his gift he took one look and said, "no way I'm wearing matching shirts!". I don't remember the term we used then to mean definitely not cool but it was instant rejection for sure! I pouted, which usually worked to get my way, but not this time. He never wore that shirt! After we married the next year (yes I was only 18 which is the definition for stupid but we're still married if that counts) I wore his shirt to clean house in but he never put it on.

Last week I put on jeans and my faded "I love my church" shirt one morning to do my weekly errand run. When I came out of the bedroom there stood my husband wearing, you guessed it, his "I love my church" shirt. I only had to wait 46 1/2 years to get that man to wear boyfriend/girlfriend matching shirts!

I'll Have The Combo Please

I love wool applique.  And I love embroidery.  And when I can combine the two I'm as happy as my grandchildren are with a McDonald's combo meal!

I started this new project last week.  The pattern is called Summer At The Farm and is designed by Lisa Bongean at Primitive Gatherings.  

The background is black wool and all the applique pieces are hand dyed wools from her shop.

I'm using Valdani threads for this because they work perfectly with the wool and their variegated colors seem to shine no matter which direction they go.

I use the blanket stitch on the applique pieces and the stem stitch on most of the embroidery.  The leaves on the trees are lazy daisy stitches.

The windows on the farm house aren't blanket stitched though because they are just too small.  The panes are made using a long stitch across them.  The chickens will have some legs and beaks added and one will get a red rooster comb.  I'll also add some flowers around the farm house and maybe a door knob done with a satin stitch.  There could be a little smoke embroidered coming out of the chimney...maybe.  This is only one side/end of the piece.  The other side/end will also have a barn and a house but there is a cow somewhere over there and more fence and more trees.  

Summer on the farm - what else do you think I need to add?  Because every combo needs a little dash of something!

A Really Great Tip!

For those of you who, like me, are trying free motion quilting please read Sweet P's great tip on a recent post.  You can find it here.  I can hardly wait to try this one!

One Thousand Blessings - Day 24

812.  Rain without the wind - just a soft, summer type rain
813.  Getting to see baby ducks taking their first step and their first swim
814.  Skirts with elastic waists
815.  A hairdo that doesn't have to be redone the second day
816.  White cheese dip
817.  Seeing children/young adults being baptized
818.  Memories
819.  Big suitcases
820.  Ziplock bags
821.  Really sharp scissors, all the way to the point
822.  Richly colored embroidery floss
823.  A freshly mowed lawn
824.  White shirts, just starched and ironed
825.  Electricity
826.  Comfortable beds
827.  Puffs Plus
828.  Chick Flicks
829.  Discovery Channel
830.  Praise music
831.  Bamboo
832.  Generators that keep my freezer running when the electricity is out!
833.  Endust
834.  Candles that smell good
835.  Watching little boys play soccer