This will brighten your day!

We just received another completed  "Down in the Garden" block in the mail from our stitcher extraordinaire, Valerie.  With all those wonderful flowers, working on this project is sure to help you beat the winter time blahs!  She has eight of the nine blocks done, so just one more to go!  Here are a few more of the blocks just so you have a bit better picture; the center block will be the one with the verse.  Doesn't she do nice work? 

Some of you know that my mom use to do our stitching for the barn until she lost her vision.  She use to take such tiny stitches and she always said it was because as she was learning to stitch, she would always take her sample to show her dad and get his opinion.  He always replied that it was pretty good but that the stitches could be smaller.  So off she'd go to take it all out and start over again.  As an adult, she often wondered if he really thought her stitches were too big, or if her folks just didn't have the money during the depression to by her more supplies.  Either way, her stitches remained small and she's left us with some wonderful pieces.  Here's one of my favorites right next to my computer screen!  More flowers!  I must really be wishing for spring!  It's just that season of mud that we have to endure before winter turns to spring!  I think I need to reevaluate and be more selective about what I wish for! 

You Rest You Rust



Sweet Birdie Needle Keep-front


I really need to learn to say "No"! Not only just say it, but mean it!  Instead, I find myself thinking "I can probably fit that in...." but really, where exactly did I think it was going to fit in?  I make my husband crazy because, for instance, he's putting his coat on so we can leave, and he's kinda slow (actually he's probably just normal!) and I think I'm pretty speedy so while I'm waiting for him, I can always find that one last thing that I can get done before we leave so he ends up waiting for me with a "I thought you said you were ready!"  My lists are many, and many seem endless!  I have a list, a spread sheet actually, for the projects in our next book.  I really like to put those  X's  in the columns, first when I get the insert done, then the instructions, the diagrams, and finally the quilts! Unfortunately, it only has two X's on it currently! I have a list of the fabric lines I'm working on, what stage each is in,  and who needs what from me,  and then I just have my everyday perpetual "don't forget to do this/this needs done" list that is a rather depressing list of to-do items that never seems to get any shorter!  Yes it's true, I do get the great pleasure of crossing off  the items at the top of the list, but I find I've added how many more to the bottom of the list?  Ugh! 



Sweet Birdie Needle Keep-inside


I told Pam that this cute "Sweet Birdie Needle Keep" was the last sample I was working on for the barn right now; I just had to get busy with the next book.  Donna and Lynda even did the stitchery for me!  But notice all that clutter and my basket of wool in the background.....this brings me to the "I need to learn to say "No" portion  of my rant since no sooner had I said "No more!" than I decided it wouldn't take much to get the project done (as in design, make, and write instruction for) to be included in a new primitive lovers magazine "Primitive Quilts & Projects" set to launch with it's first quarterly edition in April!  What was I thinking?  Correct, I wasn't thinking very clearly while looking through those rose-colored glasses!  We are very flattered that they asked us, and that they like our project and are including it in their magazine which I can't wait to read, but like my mom use to say, "I need another thing to do like I need a hole in the head!" and I really should have that head examined!  But it's done, it's cute, and best of all, it's crossed off my list!  I did ask if I could share a sneak peek with you all, but I guess you'll just have to wait for April! I'll be sure and let you know as soon as it's out. 

So now it's on to the next item on my list which is getting a post done!  There where a few others in between but who's counting?  Anyway, I wanted to show you what Pam has been working on, her "Gathering Baskets" from Needle Love.  We are running it as a block of the month but we did change up the color a bit from the book.  I think it's looking marvelous, but as usual, it's way better in person!  

I've also been practicing my ice skating every morning on the way to the Barn.....not!  That's one serious ice flow and instead of taking my life in my hands, and perhaps breaking one of those hands that I need for crossing all those items off my lists, I've been driving to work every morning....sad but true!  Hope you all are enjoying your new year and now it's off to bed for me just as soon as I cross this one last thing off my list!  Happy Quilting!