August Goals...Met and Unmet

I worked really hard this month! I didn't realize how much sewing I had done until I started looking at the pictures I'd taken.

I wanted to get at least four of the blocks done for my wool wall quilt. I had started putting them together in July and had stitched one. There are 12 in all.

I finished five of them so I'm halfway there with the blocks! I love the sunflower one. And the color of the red flowers on this one is such a deep, vibrant red that it just makes me smile.

And then there are these daisys - such happy flowers, don't you think?

This hummingbird block has more colors than most of the rest of them so it will stand out on the quilt I think.

And who couldn't love a cat block?

Some time ago I showed this embroidery piece. I left it on my design wall for the longest time because I couldn't decide what to do with it. Finally I settled on a plain throw pillow for my couch.

This little wallhanging is the August block for a BOM I'm working on. It has piecing, paper piecing, and applique.

You've seen this wool bluebird before too but it's a finish now and will hang on this little wire hanger that I found hiding in my sewing room.

Another wool project! This Pumpkin Pillow Cover is on a king sized pillow and will eventually reside on a cream bedspread in one of our bedrooms through the fall season.





Another embroidery you've seen but this is the finished pillow. I used to make pillows with ruffles but I guess my taste is changing because now I seem to favor things that are much more plain...part of the "simplify" motto I'm trying to adopt.

I had another finish too but I want to show it on a later post. And I almost, almost finished Winter Wonderland! Alas, I was just too tired to put that last row on. But soon.....soon you'll see that top all done too! I even got out a quilt top that I pieced about 3 years ago that has been waiting on an appliqued border and fused all the flowers and leaves on. I hope to get that finished in September - that might be a miracle in the making!

I'm making progress on those UFOs ya'll! A few this month, a few next month, who knows...I could maybe get them all done by the end of the year. Or not.

A Good Read

As you can tell by my sidebar I read a lot. Some of it is good; some of it is just pleasant. It doesn't seem to matter...I just love to read. Of course, "read" is a relative term. When I say read I often mean "listen to." I always have a book on CDs going in my car and one in my sewing room. Since I keep a hard copy by my bed that means I have three I'm reading at the same time!

I'm going to order a Kindle this week. That means I will also be ordering books to download to the Kindle. Jerry and I will be going on another mission trip next year - this one a lot longer than we've ever done. I won't have access to the public library that I have here so I'm preparing ahead of time! I'm looking for recommendations for books to buy - can you help?

I love murder mysteries, even the serial killer kinds. (I know you wouldn't have thought that about me!). I love Christian fiction and books about pioneer times. I love anything about the Appalachian Mountain people - well, really any mountain people I guess. I love a good romance and novels about what might happen if people have to survive on little to nothing like our forefathers did. Some of my favorite authors: Jean Auel (Clan of the Cave Bear series), Nora Roberts, James Patterson, Janette Oke, Robert Parker, Jan Karon, John Sandford, Kathy Reichs, Iris Johannson, Adriana Trigiani. Oh my, there are so many I love!

So...what are some of your favorites that I might want to buy for my new Kindle? Help! Even if you don't normally comment on my blog please comment this time...I need you!

It's Saturday!

I've worked hard all week. I canned and cleaned and shopped and swept and mopped. You can't really tell I did all that by looking at my house because I have a Pigpen living here - you know that character in Peanuts? Well he lives here. He forgets to shut cabinet doors and he forgets to pick up his newspapers and he forgets to take off his yard shoes before he comes in the house. That bedroom carpet he cleaned a week ago? Has footprints on it. Has to be cleaned again.

Anyway, it's Saturday and I'm not going to work all day like I've done all week. I'm going to the sewing room and stay till time to warm up the leftovers for supper. I love Saturdays!

What are you going to do on this Saturday? Do something you love. Something that makes you smile. Something that makes you say, "Praise you Lord and thanks for Saturday!"

Summer Time and the Livin' Is Easy?

I don't know about ya'll but whoever thought summer was the best time, the most relaxing time of the year better stand way far from me else you might get stomped on! Just kidding of course. But goodness I'd like a little of that relaxing thing.

My neighbor brought me 5 gallons of pears this week. I have the best neighbors ever! Since my hands don't hold up so well anymore it has taken me until today to get them all cored, peeled, sliced, cooked and canned. I ended up with 12 pints and 1 half pint of pear preserves - my husband's favorite. The day they brought me the pears I had bought a 5 lb bag of apples I found on sale. So I also cored, peeled, sliced and cooked those and made 5 pints of Red Hot (Cinnamon) Apple Rings.

Later in the week they brought jalapeno peppers and bell peppers. So I made a jar of pepper sauce. I don't like pepper sauce but my husband does. I don't know how to make pepper sauce either. So I cut up a few of them, left the rest whole and put them in a quart jar. Then I boiled some vinegar, poured it over the peppers and sealed the jar. Maybe it sealed. I didn't can it - just had everything hot. We'll see. I don't like pepper sauce anyway so I won't count it a great loss if it doesn't work. Oh don't worry about my husband...he'll get over it. He might cry a little, but he'll get over it. I think I'll cut up the bell peppers and freeze them. I'll send them to the deer camp with my husband because I don't eat those either. That'll help him get over the pepper sauce.

They also brought me some okra (we had some of that for supper tonight) and some small green tomatoes. She suggested I make some green tomato relish - another thing I've never done. I don't know if there are enough to do that but I bet they'll be good fried!

Yesterday I made brownies too and just for good measure I iced them with chocolate icing. Sinful. But I did send some to a neighbor so that takes away half of the sin. Maybe three quarters. I used to be a math teacher so I know.

It's Sunday

It's Sunday.

I live in America.

I get to worship God today wherever I want.

However I want.

With anybody I want.

Hallelujia!

Accolades for a Product

If you don't do applique you won't be interested in this post. Just warning you!

I bought this last month and I am in love! I've been using Steam a Seam which I like for machine applique. But I do lots of hand applique and Steam a Seam is sticky. This stuff is awesome! I can't tell it's there because it's so soft. It's great for machine applique but incredible for hand applique. Just thought you'd want to know. :)