Strawberries and quilting...they go together right?

Penny brought us these yummy Amish grown strawberries today. They honestly do not look real. But are so clean and waxy looking, they look like plastic. Mark asked me what I was going to do with them. Silly boy. Eat them of course. LOL He meant I know, how was I going to fix them. I handed him the sugar bowl and said have at it!

And here is my retreat motivational project. I have had these Moda Chocolat nickels for about 9 months. When I got them I knew I wanted to do the split nine patch. Need one more package to make it 4 x 5. Have all of the first 3 packages sewn together now. Here is a pic of the nine patches before they were cut into fourths. And then a pic of the first 2 rows. Will just be a simple quilt for our bed. I took the photos at night in my playhouse, so really poor lighting. But gives you the idea. This is the easiest of easy quilts to make. Shoot if I am doing it.....yep anyone can. I love the scrappy look of it.

Thankfully the big storms that moved through Indiana missed us last night. We were prepared. I was sitting in my playhouse all night ready to plug in that sump pump! Finally came in at 5am when the tv showed the storms had moved on past. Mark was cleaning out the back rain gutters at midnight after he got home from work. LOL But like he said, it is done now for the next time.

Sunshine, flowers and pinwheels!

This is a potted daisy on my patio loving the afternoon sunshine. The day after the "Great Flood". Something like 7-inches of rain in 1 hour! My playhouse got it good. And this is with the sump pump and yard drain pulling it. Just too much, too fast. It is dried out now. We are supposed to have more hard rains over the next few days. Rain good. Hard rain, baaaaaaaaaad. LOL

I made up my Friendship Pinwheels we swapped at Retreat. Not a fancy setting, but it is done. And sometimes that counts more! LOL I used my favorite doggy fabric for the outer border. It is backed in the white on white (wow) that we used for the swap. It was to be 3 different 30's reproduction fabrics and the wow fabric. We all used the same 4-inch paper piece block pattern. I love to paper piece!! Great points every time. I have the mini quilt laying over a friendship star quilt that was made for me many years ago. Both are on a tobacco drying rack.

I had my lungs drained again today. Slept all evening and so now up at 4am. Not nearly as bad as the last time because they didn't do my kidneys at the same time. Just gotta take it easy for a couple of days now and let my ribs settle back. Have some hand work to fiddle with to keep me out of too much trouble. It is so good to be able to embroidery again. I really missed it when I had busted up my hand. Now playing catch up on several small things.

Hitty quilts, love to make them. These were special orders. Just needed the binding attached. And we haven't seen Baby Jaidyn on here for a couple of days. LOL She is growing so quickly. The most alert baby. And check out that baby slobber. Can you say, cutting teeth?

More Retreat eye candy.

Carolyn and her yummy Winter Wonderland.

Kathi's polka dots for her granddaugher.

How did that get in here? LOL Miss Laura and me.

For my part of the Show and Tell, I came. LOL Yep I was my own project. I guess I am more of a WIP. LOLOL We are already in talks for the next one, probably next year.

I just ate something yummy. A pecan chicken salad sandwich (hold the lettuce) from Arby's. It had grapes in it also. Yum.

Went shoe shopping. Which I hate to do. Came home with nothing. My dress black shoes are about 17 years old. Seriously. And very VERY dated. I just couldnt find something I could walk in. Lots of cute ones, but nothing that said "pick me". Will have to look some more later. Wanted them to wear to a wedding tomorrow. But oh well. I have never been in style I guess. So why worry now. I did get something done for me yesterday. Three inches cut off the bottom of my hair. It had really gotten long, which was fine, but thought it would perhaps help my headaches a bit. Sprung my perm up too. Though probably I just cut most of it off. I think I like it. Just not used to it being at my shoulder. I hadnt had a perm in forever...land before chemo. Didnt realize how much I missed having curlies in the Indiana weather. LOL It rains, you have curls. It is humid, you have curls. It is windy, you have lots of curls....everywhere.

We have nothing planned for the long weekend except a wedding tomorrow. Mark is off on Saturday. Works Sunday and then again Monday evening. We ususally have a cookout, but I think the family is needing the time off to rest up from sickies and such. Oh and the local Farmer's Market starts tomorrow. Deb and Penny are planning on doing that with hand-dids. I will go and lookyloo that.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Sisters are we! :o)

Amazing in person! Even without the borders yet. The movement of it is awesome.

This is from my free pattern. Not quite finished. Love LOVE the setting.

Showing some purse love. She is so cute.

The unswappable mini. It was willing, but not it's momma. She made it larger than we had said. And was NOT giving it up for a mini mini don't ya know! LOL Those Texas girls.

Arghhhh my Retreat Show and Tell pictures all came out with a yellow cast. It was nighttime and the lighting I guess. The daytime ones are fine. So many great ones, are ungreat afterall. This is my first segment to share. These were salvageable with tons of work, but do not do the girl's justice at all!

American Idol was so great. Both were winners in my book.

Quilting Retreats are not for sissies! But so much fun. LOL

This is our group. Talented and fun ladies.

Now this bunch was the envy of us all. They participated in the Mini Swap using 30's repro fabrics. I didn't get to play since I waited to make my mini and had busted my hand. But next time for sure! Such sweet lil' quilts. We did it brown bag style. Numbered each bag and then drew numbers for the exchange.

Hitty Arietty helped with the drawing of numbers. She is sitting in a Debbie Mumm pincushion basket that Michelle won in a ticket drawing. We had LOTS of doorprizes, thanks to generous sponsors and girls bringing goodies also.

I will be sharing quilt eye candy from Show & Tell soon. But had to share pics of "my ladies" first. Still trying to recover and get unpacked. I have Pincushion Swap pics to share too. Yum!

Off to retreat! So yayayayay for me and for all coming to Indiana to play. I will post soon with tons of pics and funny stories. LOL Cannot wait to see all my friends and hug their necks.

Be back next week!

I am still here. Just crawwwwwwwwwzzzzy busy. Getting ready to hostess my online retreat here in Indiana. We have ladies from CA, WA, MN, WI, MI, KY, NC, NJ, NY, MO, KS, AL, TX and BC Canada coming in to play with us Indiana sisters (hope I didn't miss anyone). LOL We are having block, pincushion and mini quilts swaps. Plus lots of prizes to share. And some of the girls are bringing their Hitty dolls to play with me. :o) Love me some Hitty don't ya know. LOLOL Cannot wait to share pictures with you. Michelle gets to come in on Saturday! Isn't getting to stay as long as she usually does though which is sad. But I cannot wait to see her. Have been beating the dust and cat hair down here in the house. Sheesh! And doing some stuff that should have been done already but we needed company from another country to motivate us. Now that is realllly sad. LOL

Thought for the day...God always sends a rainbow.

And sometimes, even two. :o)

Everyone have a great weekend.

You can see my wares HERE as of May 1st.

I am like the proverbial one-armed-paper-hanger. Working on goodies for retreat. Working on project deadlines. Doing a ton of computer work and yanking up weeds along the way that insist on invading my gardens. With one hand in a splint. I work up today with it KILLING me. And my splint no where in site. Oh there it is. Out in the hallway where it had apparently landed when I had took it off and gave it a fling. What I was dreaming about when I woke up was that I was in an operating room, totally awake and they were rebreaking my wrist to get it to heal correctly. OUCH. I woke up all moaning and carrying on. Glad I was alone. LOL The cats are used to my moans and thrashing about. They are not too concerned. :o)

What fun! A friend just shared a pic of her version of my free pattern. I love it. She is making it into a wallhanging. When it is completed, I will share the finished project with you. I just love seeing my designs made up. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and you can get the free pattern HERE. Thank you for sharing Reeze.

Just want to give a praise report! I had 2 huge prayer requests for other's answered yesterday and today. I am so happy! Just had to share. :o)

I love spring! These are pics from our yard. The tree is the only tree we have! Sad huh? But it is honestly so gorgeous when it blooms I don't mind horribly. It starts as light pink buds then goes to dark pink and then to a tree full of snow! Later on it will have tiny lil red hard cherries.

The back yard is almost all weeded and the dead taken from the beds. Just one lil bit left. I do the back and Mark does the front. Hard going with one hand in a brace, but I have done it! He has been working so much, he doesnt have his side done yet. I may have to venture to the front before it is over with. I just do not want those pesky dandelions and weeds to get a strong hold. So hard to get caught up then. We had always bought our mulch from a man that sells it mixed with horse manure. For several years. And our flowers loved it! Well 2 years ago, it was so full of grass seed. Last year was a totaly nightmare trying to get it weeded. Mark worked his hiney off let me tell you all summer. Our flowers will never see that stuff again! Thank God for Preen's. It is this stuff you sprinkle out. Looks like chicken feed. And it really works on the grass and weeds.

And I have been in my playhouse. Have 2 cradle quilts done for our upcoming retreat next month. I honestly cannot remember having so many deadlines in a very very VERY long time. But busy is good. Just maybe not quite this busy. LOL

Someone loves her Uncle Markie.

Here is a wonderful post about the world's oldest lady. She is from Indiana. Says she is never worries and is 115 years old! Can you imagine what all she has seen and lived through? Amazing!

Well I am heading out to see if I can do some sewing with this dang hand of mine. I have tried several times this week, but am determined today. I have so many clocks ticking on deadlines it is crazy! Have on my short brace with the thumb free, instead of the one that keeps the thumb stiff. And the ice packs at the ready. Here is hoping :o)

Birthdays and Babies and Earthquakes oh my!

Look at the way that baby smiles for her Meme. All the time! My sis gets these huge grins from Jaidyn. LOL The rest of us get smiles, but not this! And of course, Debbie eats it up. But I am guessing without being there that she is looking at her Pappy.

Happy Birthday Debbie Jo!

Tomorrow we are going to our folk's to celebrate with Debbie. Her actual bday was the 18th. Love my sisters!

And this is my pincushions after the earthquakes today. Humpty Dumpty got dumped. LOL Or had a great fall if you prefer. We had one in the wee hours and one right before noon. Mark was getting ready for work this morning and the whole house was vibrating. Imagine a train going through your front yard. That is the feeling. And there was this wierd sound. Could have been my heart coming up in my throat, but I think it was the earth rumbling. Not a feel good feeling either way! The second one was very brief. Not something I would want to get used to either way!