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Wanna see a "sneak peak" of my "chenille daisy???" Here ya go ................
It's a BIG one!!!! I've got 4 of the petals appliquéd on in the pic ... the other 2, along w/the center, which hasn't been 100% accepted yet, are sitting there patiently waiting for my return. I'm thinking about adding some "chenille by the inch" before I add the final borders ... separating all the strips of fabric. What do y'all think??? Here's wishing us all a wonderful weekend :) I'm sooooooo glad it's Friday, so come on down 5 pm!!!"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above." (James 1:17)
Wanted to let y'all know about a great little "Gift Bag" that Kim is giving away ....................
Isn't it adorable!!! Hurry up and sign up cuz the "giveaway" ends Friday at midnight. You can also find her tutorial on the wonderful Moda Bakeshop Site ... one of my favorite on-line stops :) I just can't decide whose "gift" I'm gonna put in this adorable little bag when I win ... perhaps one for me!!!!!"Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced." (1 Chronicles 16:11-12)
The "completed quilt top" from my friend Sue in NY is here in Davie :) You know, the "Butterfly" one that we're making for Allison in PA who is living life with Crohn's Disease. Sue did the piecing and I did the appliqué and here it is :)
Isn't it gorgeous!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much Sue ... it looks awesome my dear :) "You" done good!!!
Now I gotta get busy picking out the backing and the binding and getting to the "queeelting!" I'll be smiling when it's ready to leave Davie :) "Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else." (1Thessaolonians 5:15)
.......... as of tomorrow, there's just 5 months left till Christmas!
She figured that y'all would be much less likely to smack her silly than you would me!!!!!
I know, I know ... 5 months seems like forever and a day; but I promise, since time flies by at the speed of lightening, it'll be here before you know it!!!! Annnnnnnd, if any of you are like me, you'll wake up December 1st with a list a mile long of presents you wanna make ... but seeing how it's the 1st of December when that realization falls upon you, there plain and simply isn't enough time left unless your burn the midnight oil for the next 24 days, making you miss the true wonder of that glorious Season all together!!!!!Sooooooooooo, here's your "gentle reminder" from our little cutie pie :)"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)
Crazy question, I know; but if you've got a bag or two laying around, you can do this ....................
............. "this" meaning filling up a pot of your choosing with the dry beans and then filling that pot with your pens and pencils :) Now isn't that a cool idea!!!!! I only wish I had been the one to think of it, but those honors go to one of my LQS's (Local Quilt Shop).
I don't know about y'all, but I was getting tired of always looking for a pen or a pencil or a pair of regular scissors!!! This definitely is an easy solution to that little stress maker. Now if you've got a honey like my friend Jan out in OK has, you're apt to have a 25 pound bag of beans sitting around ... if that's the case, you can make 'em for everyone you know and all the folks you cross along the way :)
Ohhhhhh and the fabric underneath is "another" little something that I started the other day. Uhmmmmmmm, how many projects underway does that make now??? I'm pleading the 5th on that one!Happy day wishes to you all :)"My son, if you accept My words and store up My commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God." (Proverbs 2:1-5)
I had planned on showing you all the 4th quilt on the "ladder" today, but something came up that made me change those plans ....... and that "something" is another "ta da!!!!!" 
.............. the completed "Noah's Ark Top :)" It's not behaving it self "hanging wise" at the bottom, which I think is due to the fact that I've got little "do what's" hanging from the closet's door knobs underneath pushing it out in the middle. Anyway, I was a happy camper when I took the last stitch. Now onward with the "quuueeeelting!" I can't wait to fire up Loretta (the HQ) this weekend :)"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27-28)
Another one being the 3rd quilt on the ladder :) Ahhhhhh, I adore this one ... it is truly "special." Ya see, Gene's Great Grandmother made it. I, of course, never knew her; but have heard many stories through the years about "Muddy!"
The kids in the family ... my 58 year old hubby and his siblings ... weren't overly fond of her name ; but their thoughts on that subject softened when Mr. Gene's little sister, Tracey, decided to have her children call our Micki "Muddy ." Her first child, Gracie, was actually born on Micki's Birthday; and from that day forward, all the "little one's " in the family (her Cousins) always called her Muddy :) 
You wouldn't believe how incredibly soft it is!!!!!!!! It is sooooooo obvious that it was snuggled by many folks along the way ... Mr. Gene wanting to be one of 'em ... the key word being "wanting!" (LOL).
I like thinking about both of our "Muddy's" enjoying time together in Heaven :)"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Colossians 3:12-14)
In between work, a run to the grocery store, putting it all away, supper, laundry and giving Miss Molly a much needed bath, I managed to sneak in a moment to take a picture of another quilt :)We got this one on one of our trips to Vermont ... a place that we absolutely adore!!! Mr. Gene happened upon it while we were browsing through the antique/used area upstairs in Kennedy Brothers, a wonderful Country Store with homemade fudge that is to die for; and if I recall correctly, we paid a mere $60 for it. I can't help but wonder how someone's quilt ends up in places like this lost in a pile of everything under the sun ... why would a family let it go this way??? I'm sure there's a reason, but to me, it's kinda like "selling one's soul." Anyhooooo, there's no information on the maker, which is a good reminder to us all "NOT to forget that final touch of labeling!!!"
If you double click on the picture below, you can see that she (or he) finished off the quilt by folding over the backing and securing it with a "zig zag stitch," which is something I hadn't seen before. It worked tho, cuz it's still together :)
As my Dear Friend Amina would say ... "blessings on your day :)""Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commands." (Deuteronomy 7:9)
Personally, I don't think so :) Well, perhaps if they are lining every square inch of your dwelling and you're bouncing off the wall cuz of 'em all!!!! But all in all, I think a nice collection of 'em makes a body feel good; and I thought I'd share a few of ours with y'all today :) Love, love, love them on ladders ... so much so, we've got 4 ladders adorned with quilts in our house; and here's one of 'em :) Is this picture blurry or are my eyes blurry today??????
I always meant to "stain" this particular ladder, but after about a decade and a half, that still hasn't happened!!! If truth were to be told, I always meant to stain 2 of the other 3 as well!!! Trust me, you wouldn't wanna see my "to do list!!!" It's a mile long and I'm always a day short. Anyway, the one on the bottom is a "Grandmother's Flower Garden" that I purchased off of e-bay about 7 years ago and I just love it!!! 
A lady right up the street from us in Boca Raton happened to be both the maker and the seller; and I still feel bad today about getting it for less than $150!!! It's all made by hand ... both the piecing and the quilting and she deserved soooooooooo much more than I paid cuz it is lovely :)
I'll try to unfold another of these beauties this evening and get a close up picture for you all tomorrow ... double checking for "blurriness" this time!!!!!!!!!Before getting back to work, I wanted to send out my love to my Dear Friend Debbie, whose Mom passed away suddenly and unexpectantly last night ... also to my Dear Friend Stretch, whose honey suffered a heart attack yesterday during a stress test. Hugs and prayers to you both!!!"I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)
A/K/A "Steak and Gravy," and I was quite thrilled that Mr. Gene requested it for his Birthday Supper cuz it's one of my all time favorites, so I thought I'd share the recipe here in Blogville.You need: Cubed Steak About a cup and a half of diced celery 2 to 3 cans (depending upon how much gravy you want) of "cream of mushroom soup" ... I normally use the low fat version Some beef bouillon, preferably "granules" or some "beef consummate." You could use some regular cubes too, but you'd need to dissolve 'em first. Some water Some flour
You then wanna dredge the steak in some flour and brown it in a skillet. You can pepper it, but I wouldn't salt it cuz the gravy gets a lot of salt from the bullion.
After that, mix the soup w/some water. You don't want it real thin, but you also don't want it real thick, so use your best judgment :) Then add the bullion . You want to turn the soup into a light brown color or a dark tan color, so start off with a couple of teaspoons and then gradually add from there. Dump in the celery and mix it all together. . 
Then, in a large Crockpot (sprayed with Pam), start off with a bit of the gravy and then top with a layer of the steak ... more gravy and then more steak, etc., etc.
Once the steak is all in, pour the rest of the gravy over top, cover and cook on high for about 4 hours or low for about 8 hours . Try not to peak!!! I always fail in that department. Anyway, this is great with some rice and the veggie of your choice :) I hope you'll try it cuz it is really, really good!
Now I'm off to move "Rocky Top" down to the bottom of the list. Ta Ta!"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:5-6
Hanging my head in shame and fessing up to yet another UFO, even though I'd still prefer to call it a WIP ; but since it's been sitting in the drawer for well over a year now, there's no disputing the fact that it is what is is ...... a UFO!
I've still gotta put 3 more blocks on, which are already embroidered, thank goodness; and then there's the whole border thing. Right now, I'm envisioning a border filled w/embroidery mixed with a bit of appliqué. I will finish it!!!! I will I tell ya ... someday, I'll do just that ... "finish it;" and when I do, I think I'll call it "Color Me Red :)"
Happy Weekend to one and all :) If you're looking for me, you'll probably find me in the sewing room tomorrow; and on Sunday, I'll be spoiling my honey on his 57th Birthday :) I asked him what he'd like for his "special day;" and he said he'd like to have some "steak and gravy" on Sunday and for me to take the day off on Monday, so I shall be granting his request on both counts :) Some of you know that he suffers from severe multi-level spinal stenosis, so my Birthday Wish for him is that he feels well enough to go out and feed those silly ducks :) Happy Birthday honey! Love you most :)
P.S. In honor of his Birthday, you all have to listen to "Rocky Top!" Sorry!!! (LOL)"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)
Davie has been home to Gene and I for 18 years, and it was the first place that felt like "home" to us here in South Florida. It is just about 10 miles West of the Skyscrapers that run up and down the Gold Coast and home to the Miami Dolphins. It's approximately 35 square miles with about 90,000 residents ... much more than when we first moved here. The influx really began after Hurricane Andrew hit South Miami. Lots of folks lost their home to that Storm, and many of them moved North to Broward County. Even with all the folks that live here, it still has managed to maintain it's rural atmosphere in many places with a touch of an equestrian/western lifestyle. The McDonald's in Downtown Davie even has a hitching post :)Here's our Town Hall, which I pass every day on my way to work. At Christmas time, it is lit up from head to toe; and the front yard is filled with live Christmas Trees that the local schools decorate.
This is a pretty spot; but after all these years, I've yet to actually see a canoe (LOL)!
This place is filled with everything "Western" imaginable!!!!!!! If you're looking for a good pair of cowboy boots or a 10 gallon hat, here's your place :)
And I can't tell you how much feed we've purchased here for the silly ducks that Gene adores ... have also purchased hay through the years to dress up the front porch in October and November :)
Well, that brings our tour for the day to a close. Hope you enjoyed seeing some bits and pieces of our Town :)"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ... I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35, 38-39)
I sure hope so cuz "slow and steady" definitely describes me to a tee in many areas of life, quilting being one of 'em. There always seems to be so many other things screaming for my attention, which is one of my excuses ... you know, those dreaded chores that are never ending, a job, etc., etc., etc.; but "mistakes" also take a front seat, unfortunately. See what I did here???
Ding Bat City USA is where I was residing at that very moment. I even took the picture upside down for goodness sakes!!! Fortunately, and I don't mean that lightly, I noticed the problem after staring at it for a few minutes. I was soooooo thankful that I hadn't gotten any further along before seeing it correctly like I've done umpteen times in the past! After spending a bit of time frog sewing (rippit, rippit, rippit), I finally got it right; and here's the beginning of the Noah's Ark Quilt :)
Hopefully, I'll be back w/evidence of a "finished top" soon :)"Do everything in love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)
......but I simply could not resist!!!! I gave myself a flat out "no" for a week and a half and then I caved. It's a sickness all of us quilters have. It's in our blood and it runs deep!!!! It's called "fabric addiction;" and although the majority of us have enough in our stash for 3 lifetimes, we always want more and more and more!!!!!!!!!!! There is no such thing as "I already have enough." We don't even know the meaning of the word "enough!" Sooooooooo, what did I get??? Well, feast your eyes on this :)
OMG, I adore it!!!!!!! Obviously so since I obsessed over it for so long. I mean, really, it's "Daisies" for goodness sakes. Theres no way this Little Mommy could resist cuz Daisies were Michelle's all time favorite; and when you couple them w/your not so ordinary "black" background, which would have been right up her alley, I plain and simply had to have it. I feel certain she's smiling about it too :)I got this luscious stuff from Whittles Fabric in KY; and their prices are just down right fabulous!!!! Check 'em out ... I think it will be worth your while :) My Dear Friend, Carolany, who is originally from KY, has been there several times and she is the one who led me to their Website. God Bless you Carolany :) Ohhhhhhh, and for the record, if you're ever lucky enough to go there in person, be sure to either make a pit stop b/f you get there or take your own "portapotty," cuz they don't have one :) I've already got a plan in my head, so stay tuned :)"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense -- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:1-2)
......... tell me this looks like a ....... "puzzle!"
Nope, nope, nope ... I need honest opinions here, so change that to: "What does this look like???" Did I hear you say a "puzzle???" I sure hope so, cuz that's what it's suppose to be :) My eyes do NOT see things correctly, so I can never trust them! I trust Gene's eyes tho; and they answered "puzzle," so I'm hopeful that "puzzle" it is!!!!!!!!! Right now, I'm thinking I'll do 4 more rows. Gotta round up some more yellows first tho :) I'll wait till they are all together to make a decision on the border. Any suggestions???
And, there's more Birthday wishes going out today ... and they go to my Big Brother Richard, pictured here with his lovely Bride, Martha :) I love this picture (double click to enlarge), as it really captures their personalities :) Happy, Happy Birthday Richard. Love you lots :)
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)
Just a tad bit early on both of 'em, but since I don't normally do any Blogging on the weekends, gotta send out the wishes today :) And the first goes to Miss Molly! Yes, she'll be 12 years old tomorrow; and this little angel continues to bring us an amazing amount of joy. The little bejeweled T-shirt she's sporting came from my friend, Michelle in MN :)
And the next one goes out to this great Country we live in. It's quite unfortunate that Miss Molly was born just one day before the celebrations of July 4th because she despises fireworks; and in our neighborhood, they are quite abundant.
In honor of America's Birthday, meet our Uncle Sam, who resides in our itsy bitsy hallway.
He's machine pieced, hand quilted and one of those things in life that makes me smile :)
Wishing you all a safe and happy Holiday with many prayers going up for all the young men and women who work so hard every day so we can maintain our freedom. Blessings to them and their loved ones :) "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:8)
I just adore "yo yo's!" Nope, not the kind you can "walk the dog with," cuz I never could master that. The kind that you can sit mindlessly making out of fabric for hours :) Any size imaginable too!!! Here's my current stash of 'em, which I guess is evidence that I have spent a lot of time on my backside :)
I'm happy to report that I didn't make all of them tho cuz I shamelessly begged for some from my friends, who were gracious enough to grant my request :) God Bless them!!!!!! Soooooooooooooo, what does a body do w/all these yo-yo's??? Well, I've often thought that a book entitled "101 Things to Do With Yo Yo's" would be a great thing. I'd write it myself, but I'm about 95 ideas short. See the itsy bitsy one's sewn together above in the circle and the almost square??? I was thinking they'd be great for a Scrapbooker; and I planned on making the longer rows into a heart someday to use around a quilt label. These that I framed a few years back hang above my vanity and they always make me smile :)
And I made this sign for my dear friend Amina in honor of her new baby, which we all affectionately referred to as "Sweet Pea" before she was born. Made one for our great niece, Gracie too.
I was thinking they'd be adorable as a necklace or a bracelet ... and what about a watch band!!! I saw them made into a belt once and I really liked the look. And OMG, how could I forget ........... I made about 50 "yo yo key chains" last year (yes, I'm insane!!!!!). Double click here for the pattern if you'd like it :)
Any new ideas for "yo yo's" are always welcomed and will be greatly appreciated :) Maybe we can join forces and write that book together!"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." (James 3:9-10)
It's a BIG one!!!! I've got 4 of the petals appliquéd on in the pic ... the other 2, along w/the center, which hasn't been 100% accepted yet, are sitting there patiently waiting for my return. I'm thinking about adding some "chenille by the inch" before I add the final borders ... separating all the strips of fabric. What do y'all think??? 
