testing, testing, 123

Do you see what I see?

Yup, that's snow! Actually I'm kind of excited about it. Living in Ohio I've come to really love the changing seasons. I remember what was going on when I was younger because the seasons trigger memories. I couldn't imagine living somewhere where the change of seasons weren't so pronounced. Well, for the last couple years winter snow has come quite late (we've been lucky to have a white Christmas the last few years). I was really starting to miss the snow in November around Thanksgiving and in December at Christmas time, and it looks like I won't be missing it this year. Yippee!! Ok, yes, I know I'm weird :cP Another thing that has me excited...one of our local radio stations has already started playing Christmas music! Now I will admit that maybe it is a little early to be playing it 24/7 (I hate when people just gloss over Thanksgiving, it is one of my favorite holidays) but I love the fact that when I feel in the mood to hear some Christmas music...like when I am working on those Christmas gifts...the music is only a button away. Both of these things have given me a lift on a day when I can really use it. My personal situation is making it a tough day for me. I'm on a total emotional roller coaster. I keep reminding myself that, yes, things are tough but the end is in site and I WILL make it through. I try to keep focus on the positive and find some time to do a few things that will make me happy. So with that said, I am about to go make myself a nice big cup of cocoa, open the curtains wide, turn on some Christmas music and get some sewing done :cD I'll try to have a quilty update for you next post. Til then, warm country wishes all!!

P.S. Go check out Paula's blog. She is giving away 2 beautiful little quilts to celebrate both her blogaversary and 200 posts...not to mention she just has a great blog :cD

Simple is best

Happy Thursday everyone. Been quite a week here. Sometimes the stress of daily life for me makes me feel as though I am in a vice, or maybe being drawn and quartered :cO I'm sure we've all felt the pressure of feeling like you are being pulled in so many directions you don't know which way is up!! So I have been trying my best to enjoy some of the simple things in life. Sometimes it isn't that easy to focus on these things. They can be the little things that we sometimes overlook. A child's laughter. Those few moments of silence we can find, even in some of the most unexpected of places. Watching a cat stretch and enjoy that warm spot on the floor created by a brilliant beam of sunlight. The sheer joy in the process of creating whatever it is you put your hands to. A good home made meal. Things we can take for granted. Things we do everyday that, since we are in a constant state of "go go go" we don't take time to appreciate. I would like everyone to take at least a minute or two to focus on one simple pleasure today. Take a few deep breaths, and enjoy at least one thing that will bring you a smile :cD

The sewing process has been kind of slow here as of late. I have been able to get some more string blocks done, and a little more done on my quilt-along. I am VERY happy to announce that after what probably seems like forever, my pay it forward gifts are DONE!!! YIPPEE!! Now all I have to do is get some addresses and I can get them in the mail. I do have a picture of what I will be sending, but I will wait to share it til they reach their destinations.

I was also thrilled to receive an fat little envelope in the mail yesterday from Andrea. I was lucky enough to win a contest on her blog and won this adorable little pincushion and wonderful fabric.

I haven't decided what I will do with the fabric just yet. I think it would make great fabric for a Christmas project, but for sure it will be used for something special :cD Thank you soooo much Andrea!!!

I am hoping to get out to the fabric store today, it is a dreary fall day here in Ohio so (in my opinion) it is the perfect kind of day to go get cheered up by some bright, beautiful fabric. Hope you all have a great day!! Warm country wishes.

Its Election Day!!

I was just thinking of how blessed I am to live in a country where we are able to have a say in who it is who leads our country. Now I am not going to endorse any candidates. I feel everyone should educate themselves on the candidates and issues they are voting on and make the decision that they believe to be the right one. It is a great honor and responsibility that we have. So I would like to encourage everyone out there to get out and vote, but just in case you need some extra incentive....I just had to share this picture :cD

Ok, I just couldn't help but share that picture. Please don't think it is in any way making light of the seriousness of the elections this year, but I pass this sign every time I go to my friends house and the chalkboard part at the bottom changes from time to time, and I just got a chuckle out of it.

Not too much quilty to share this time. Been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and the fall foliage. Hope everyone is having a great Tuesday and again...PLEASE get out there and vote. Thanks

Warm country wishes

new month = fresh start

Hi everyone! Wow its November already. The summer months just flew by and now we are closing in on the end of the year. I can hardly believe it. I feel a renewed sense of energy and a new desire to get back to "normal" (believe me, in my family normal is a VERY relative term lol) The air is getting cooler and fall is definitely in the air. And so with the beginning of the season, I too, am going to try my darndest to focus on a new beginning of my own. I had to get a quick picture of the pumpkins on our porch. We did have 2 that we had carved, but they were well past their prime. I just love the rich orange colors! The painted one one of the mouslings picked out, and the one on the right came home from a field trip (and that one is going to be turned into pumpkin pie on Monday ;cD)

Also snapped a picture of a lone little dandelion among the fall leaves on the ground. Now is it just me or is this little one a bit of a late bloomer? I just don't remember having dandelions this late but then again, I could be mistaken. I just had to snap a picture after my little one said "Mommy, look its the first flower!" Too cute!!

On to quilty news :cD Yesterday I spent part of my day in Amish country on a shop hop. I never have enough day to do as much as I would like. So much inspiration!! So much fabric!! One of these years I am going to have to try to get to all 12 shops. Their theme this year was Pineberry Creek. I really liked the fabric...very country...and picked up a couple kits that I plan on turning into some throw pillows. I've also gotten some sewing done. I finally got those borders for the quiltalong quilt started. I love to use up as much fabric as I can. I hate to see any go to waste if I can help it. So I used up the scraps I had, cut them into strips and, well here is what I have so far...

Also got several string quilt blocks done. I have 256 done and I need 308 although I can't for the life of me figure out what I wanted the dimensions of the quilt to be :cS I just know I wanted a BIG, WARM quilt for the winter and these string quilts (with extra fluffy batting and flannel for the back) really fit the bill.

This is just part of the blocks I have. I have another stack just as big as the one on the right put aside waiting on the rest of the blocks to be done. I just love these string quilts. I love looking at all the blocks and seeing all the different fabrics and remembering the quilts that the fabric went into. Well, I am off to get some more things done. Not the least of which is to put finishing touches on my PIF gifts. I am soooo excited to finally have everything almost ready and ready to mail out by the end of the week. Hope everyone has a weekend filled with lots of your favorite things. Warm country wishes all!!

Purging

I have been going through all my stuff (read fabric, blocks, tops etc) and have come to the conclusion that I may have to do some purging of my stash. Yes, it pains me. All the fabric I have I have picked out because I saw some beauty in it or it was gifted to me. And I tend to keep all my scraps because I am so the scrappy quilter, but I am moving on with things in my life and am feeling more and more like I need to leave some of those little pieces behind or get rid of them. It is so hard to go through and get rid of some of this fabric because even the littlest pieces are beautiful, but then I realize that worrying about all those little pieces and what may become of them are a stress I don't need.

That got me to thinking about life in general. How much do we carry with us that are those 'little scraps' that tend to weigh us down. All those little inconsequential decisions that really haven't or won't effect our lives that we drag around and question. We second guess ourselves. As I am moving forward I am going to really try to have more confidence in myself. To know that I am able to make decisions and that not everything is worth the worry that I bestow upon it. It can be very hard at times, but I AM trying.

On a more positive note, I have been able to get some quilting done. It is a lovely thing when life starts to reach a state of equilibrium after a LOT of turmoil. I have been able to get some hand quilting done on my scrappy bargello quilt. I have also gotten several more blocks done for my string quilt that I have been working on FOREVER! lol and I think I may have found my next long term project (like I don't have enough of those already :cD). I have seen a few log cabin quilts that were made with itty-bitty blocks. Well, I printed out the paper piecing pattern for a 4 inch finished log cabin block. I only have one done, but I love that little block. So I am keeping at least some of the little scraps I just can't bear to part with to use in more of those blocks. Now I am thinking it will take me quite a while to get this done, but I really feel it will be well worth the effort.

I also have to admit that the weather is also helping to cheer me up. Fall is my favorite season of the year. I have to get out and get some pictures of the beautiful fall foliage to share. Well life is still rolling along at full throttle, and I have to go try to jump back into things, but I wanted to wish everyone a wonderful Wednesday and warm country wishes!!

Is that a hurricane? No that's just my life :cP

Oh my goodness! I can't believe its been so long since my last post. Life just hasn't slowed down for me, but at least I can see a light at the end of a very long tunnel. Just a quick update on me...things look like they may finally settle down a bit. I will most likely be moving, so I may not have computer for a little while, but I am looking into cell phone plans that may let me mobile blog. At least then maybe I can stay in touch and get a little more consistent with being here. Right now that is probably my one main goal after getting things in order is to at least get a little more consistent. I have been sewing a little bit. Here are a couple tops I've gotten to work on. Both are without borders just yet, but I have ideas for both. The first is from amandajean's quilt-along. The second is my second full sized Random Ohio Stars top.

One of these days I'm gonna have a big ol' quiltfest and just baste and quilt up a lot of these puppies. Right now I'm just enjoying the process of sewing and reaping the stress reducing benefit it gives me. I also will have the pay it forward gifts in the mail before the end of the month. I really have to thank those that signed up on my blog for their infinite patience, and I am excited to have things 90% of the way done and ready to mail out. Well, I'm sorry this is such a short post, but I really felt that I needed to at least check in. This weekend is busy for me, so with any luck I will be back on Monday to check in with y'all again. Warm country wishes all!!

Enjoy the journey

Ok, so I know that title may be a little cliche, and maybe not so creative on my part, but I am truly starting to appreciate that saying. Like everyone else, I have my up days and my down days, and today while sewing (yes, I actually did some sewing today :cD ) my mind started to wandering.

With all the pressures of life that weigh me down, why do I not try to find the joy in the simple, everyday things that I do? Why do I put more pressure on myself? I'm going to focus mainly on my quilting, but these thoughts apply to other areas of life as well. My blog used to have a UFO list. I started thinking why do I daily remind myself of what I haven't done? Do I really need to be reminded of all those things? Didn't I enjoy the process that produced those "UFOs"? and Why shouldn't I continue to enjoy that process? I haven't pieced many blocks of late, and I truly enjoy that process. I love to challenge myself with more complex blocks. I love to see the level of accuracy that I have been able to reach with the more simple blocks. I love playing with new fabrics. What is the harm in having some orphan blocks? Having a few more flimsies in the closet waiting for the quilting never hurt anyone did it?

Why do I stress over perfect points? Why not just enjoy the creative process? I really don't think when we are remembered by our family and friends the conversations are going to start with "Boy do you remember the perfect points her/his blocks had?" or "I'll always remember her/his perfect quarter inch seam allowance?" As time goes by and life continues to hand me challenge after challenge I am beginning to more and more appreciate the process and to be happy to be able to create things of beauty, things that will be used, things that will be loved whether they are "perfect" or not.

So tonight I broke out some block kits from a shop hop I participated in last fall, and just enjoyed cutting the fabric, peicing the blocks, pressing the patches, heck even the 'frog stitching' I had to do. Let me just say it does really help to read the instructions BEFORE you start stitching :cD...found that out tonight. lol Are my points perfect? Some are, some aren't. Are my seams perfect? Well, no. Hence the not-so-perfect points ;cD But after some thought here are the truly important questions (to me, at least) Is my stress level down? Yes. Do I feel happier? Yes. Do I feel like I accomplished something? Yes. And I know in the end when this quilt is finished the recipient will love it. Not because it has perfect points. Not because of its accurate seams. Not because of the consistent stitch length of the quilting, but because it is something that is beautiful, and made especially for them with their favorite colors and fabrics and the best effort I could put forth. And the fact that it will be appreciated makes me feel happiest above all others. I know I have UFOs sitting in my closet, and drawers, and boxes, and... well, you get the picture. But I know that most of them will get done eventually, and I will no longer feel guilty about having them or starting a new project. I will focus on the joy the process brings me, and continue to quilt on. Quilt on my quilting friends!! :cD

In praise of small projects

Hi everyone, its me. Remember me? Boy I hope so ;cD Let me start off by saying its been too long since I've been here and blogging. When you almost don't remember your password to log-in...well...need I say anymore? lol My life is still kinda upside down. I want to apologize for not being more sharing about my situation. I don't know why I can't bring myself to just tell you all what is going on, but I just can't yet. I want to thank all of you who keep me in your thoughts and prayers. They are all so appreciated!!

On to more fun stuff. You all know the kind of fabrics I tend to lean toward. With the name Country Mouse I'm sure you all noticed that I tend to gravitate toward the darker, richer country colors of lines like Thimbleberries and such. So someone please tell me how I end up with fabric like this?

Ok, seriously, no one needs to tell me how I ended up with them. I have a horrible fabric addiction and sometimes the colors and fun designs just scream out to me (like the third one down on the right hand column...I LOVE that one :cD) and I just HAVE to buy a fabric. That and I have two little mouselings that love to pick out fat quarters and how, in good conscience, could I not encourage their love of fabric *grin* So what have I been doing with these little treasures (most of them are just fat quarters)? Here is my new little obsession...

This is my own pattern for a tri-fold wallet. Why did I start working on these? Well besides the fabric I wanted to use, and I think this is a great way to use that fun fabric that may not make it into a quilt, I had been looking for a wallet, found one at a dollar store that I liked, but when I started using it found it had some flaws that I really didn't like. So I designed my own that was similar yet different. I'm still working out some of the details that I'm not happy with yet, but the one in the picture above is the one I use and I am really happy with it. Perfect or not. Also with life being as topsy-turvy as it is I love having small projects that I can get done. It feels good to feel like I'm accomplishing something in some area of my life when I feel like I'm just running and getting nowhere in others.

I am still working on the setting blocks for my quilt-along. I want to send out a HUGE thank you to amandajean. She saw my last post and offered to send me some more of the fabric I needed for the setting blocks if I didn't have enough. Well, I didn't and not just the fat quarter I needed to finish, but about a whole YARD of that fabric showed up in my mailbox a few days ago. Now I know I have enough coordinating fabric for binding and everything. I am working on a little something to let her know how much I appreciate her generosity :cD Hopefully I will have a picture of a finished quilt to really soon.

Well, I am going to hop off here. We are supposed to get some thunderstorms today, and the pressure shift is wreaking havoc on my sinuses. Pair that with a monster migraine, and, well... :c( At least I know they won't last forever, thank goodness. Gotta keep thinking of the positive! Hope you all have a great day & warm country wishes to all!

Just a quickie :cD

First off I wanted to thank all of you for the compliments on the quilt top in my last post. I am thrilled that so many of you liked it and got the feeling of stars over a mountain range. That was exactly what I was hoping people would see :cD

I also wanted to share a picture of my finished blocks for amandajean's quilt along. I am going to move some of the blocks around so I have the fabrics more evenly spread throughout the quilt. I just happened to notice that the three blocks on the far right hand side all have the same fabric in them. Gotta space those out ;cD






I'm also excited that I happen to have 2 fat quarters that are the same color stripes, just different widths, so I think I may have enough of them to use for the setting blocks. Yea!! I'm going to get to cutting and hopefully have a picture of some setting blocks to share soon. Also going to get working on getting my Pay it Forward gifts done. My goal is to have them done by the end of the month. I finally feel like I may be getting back on track (well with my sewing anyway), and that feels sooooo good! Warm country wishes all!!

One loose end tied up...well, almost

Hi everyone. Hope you all had a good week. Things are still rough around here, but I was able to make time for myself and the mouselings. First off this past weekend was the Football Hall of Fame parade. I was able to go with a friend of mine and we had a great time. It never ceases to amaze me how many people show up for it. We parked in a nearby store parking lot (so I could get myself some coffee and a chocolate chocolate chip muffin...yum!) and walked down to the parade route. We were near the end of the route and even there there must have been a couple thousand people within a 3 block span...and the parade route is about 2 miles long if I remember right!! I really wish I would remember to take my camera to these things cause I would LOVE to have pictures to share with you. Then on Monday the mouselings and I went down to the Ohio State Fair. We had loads of fun! The kids got to ride lots of rides, we watched the pig races, caught the bear show, had some fair food, and just had a blast! Again, I need to remember to take my camera along because, again, I have no pictures to share :c( One of these days I'll remember to start throwing that camera in my purse before I leave the house!

Anyway, on to quilty news. I finally was able to get one of the "loose ends" tied up. My last on-line group swap obligation was to make a quilt top from blocks that your swap mate would send you. Remember these? Well, I started thinking about stars...seeing stars, stars and stripes, moon and stars....and here is what I came up with.

I hope my swap mate likes it. Her only request was that she wanted scrappy. I thought about traditional settings, but really, I like to find interesting setting if I can. I may like traditional quilts and colors, but I also like to think a little outside the box sometimes. I also want to thank my swap mate for her incredible patience with me. I am so sorry to have taken so long to get this done. Now all I have to do is get this baby in the mail and I can move on to the next thing on the to do list :cD

Well, I'm off to get some house work done, and hopefully get a run in before I have to head off to work today. Hope you all have a great weekend!! Warm country wishes!!

Could it be? Yes, it is!

I actually got a little bit of sewing done! Ok, not much, but all considered I'm happy to get ANY done lately. It actually felt really good to hear that familiar old hum of my sewing machine. And I know she missed me too :cD Here is a picture of blocks 10 and 11 of amandajean's quilt along...

Also, remember all those little Ohio Stars? Well here is the end result (mind you its not quilted yet)...

Don't ask me why I've never made many little quilts. It is a nice change of pace to have an almost instant gratification project. This came together pretty quickly, and quilting it will be a breeze compared to the bed sized quilts I normally make. I guess I just automatically equate "quilt" and "bed covering". I think I'm going to be working on more little quilts for a while though. Two reasons...1. with all I have on my plate right now, the thought of a large quilt is rather overwhelming. Working on smaller ones will give me the opportunity to create quilts without feeling the "Well, here's another quilt for the UFO list" feeling. 2. You all know I am a scrap quilt freak, and I keep scraps that are smaller than most people would keep, and these little beauties will give me the chance to use up some itty-bitty little scraps. Happy happy happy :cD

I'm off to finish up a few more things before I have to go to work. At least I have a short shift, I could use the hours, but I think I could use the time off a little more. Anymore, as long as things go smooth I'm one happy mouse. I think if I get the chance I may actually get a little more sewing time in yet today. Aaaahhhh...sewing therapy...is there anything any better for relieving stress? Ok, maybe some retail therapy, maybe I can squeeze some of that in too ;cD Hope you all have a great Thursday. Warm country wishes!!

An unexpected absence

Hi to everyone out there in blog land. I have to apologize for my absence as of late. I will be completely honest and let you know that I have been dealing with some personal issues the last couple months, and haven't really been able to find time for a lot of things I would normally do in my spare time. So unfortunately that means not a lot of sewing to talk about. I have gotten one teddy bear done for a friend that has asked me to make some bears out of her late father's old sport coats, and since a post with no pictures can be boring, here is at least one. His head wasn't sewn on quite straight, and I thought about taking out the stitching and reattaching it, but decided against it in the end. I think his "not quite straight on" look gives him some charm. I am hoping to get at least one more done this week or so then I'll be evaluating the fabric left from the coats and maybe making one more after that. Everything you see was from part of the jacket, from the button eyes to the silky lining for the ears and pads of the feet to the felt nose.

I have been slowly but surely working on the quilt along...no I haven't forgotten about it. Just wish I had more time for it. I am actually going to go and work on it after I'm done blogging and surfing just a little bit. Hopefully I'll have some pictures to share soon. Also to those who are doing the PIF exchange I haven't forgotten about you either. I have been able to work on your gifts and hope to have them done soon. I can never thank you enough for your patience with me.

As for my life in general, I've had quite a curve ball thrown my way. I really don't want to get into details but it is one of the toughest things I've ever had to deal with. Hopefully I will be able to look back at this time in my life and see the lessons I've learned, the strength I've gained and be able to use them in my future. I think things are starting to settle into some sort of "normal", so I hope I will be able to get back to some sewing, blogging and visiting my blogging friends more than I have been in the last month and a half. Please know that I am still lurking around and as soon as things settle down a bit more, I will be back and blogging like before. Warm country wishes y'all!

Block number 8 and a big beautiful stash buster :cD

Hi everyone! I am so excited to post some progress today. First I want to share my quilt along block number 8. It feels so good to be all caught up.





Now then, remember this one? Well this baby is all basted and ready to go. I got the backing pieced tonight, and I am one step closer to another finish. Yippee!!

Here is the front...





Here is the back...




I don't know exactly how much fabric I used up from my stash, but I do know that the entire quilt is made from what I had on hand here at the house. Well, except for the batting, I had to go buy that. I have been on a big 'use up what I have already' kick lately. Even more so than when I started blogging in January. We have been having some personal issues here and finances are a bit tight right now so I am doing my best to curb my spending. I figure I have enough finished tops and fabric in the house right now I should be able to keep busy for a while, and save my money for a big shop hop coming up in late October and early November ;cD (and one of these days I'll figure out how to take better pictures)

We never did get to the movies earlier this week, so I guess we'll have to rent Alvin and the Chipmunks. We did, however, get to go out to Chuck E. Cheese tonight. Mouseling number 2 has been asking to go since her older brother got to go with his classmates as an end of the year field trip. We had sooooo much fun!! The mouselings had a blast riding the little rides and playing the games. We are saving the tickets they won so they can add them to the ones they win on the next visit. I really have to remember to carry a camera with me, because I wish I had some pictures to share. I'll make sure to toss it in my purse next time.

Well, I have to work a big 'ol double tomorrow at work, so I am thankful to have gotten to have some fun today. Hope you all did too. Until next time, warm country wishes :cD

Tell me again what month this is?

Hi everyone. I just couldn't help but ask that question. Here it is the middle of June, and the temperature this morning when I woke up was 47 degrees!! Yup 47!! Now I have to admit that I am a cooler weather person. I love the spring and fall seasons, but really now, this is darn cold for what is supposed to be early summer. At this rate we will be able to get out to go swimming in December! Seriously though, I do hope it warms up. Its hard to want to get out and play when the weather is just cold and gray. On the other hand it is rather conducive to quilting ;cD Speaking of which, I did get block 7 of amandajean's quilt along done the other day.

Here is a picture of the blocks I have done

I'm really happy with how they are coming along so far. I think I want to make sure I use more of the green in a few more of the remaining blocks as well as the striped fabric. Now I am starting to consider how I want to handle the setting blocks. I would love to use the fabrics from the bundle, but I'm wondering how controlled scrappy would look. Maybe I'll make a block up to see how it looks. I do need to get out and get more of the background fabric to make sure I have enough. I've also been working on my Pay it Forward gifts. Hopefully I will get them done by the end of July, I am really excited about what I came up with and can't wait to pass them along :cD

Well, its been hectic at work. Once school is out business always picks up, pair that with losing 3 kitchen employees in a week and a half and you can guess why I haven't been able to get done all I have been hoping to. I am so looking forward to my day off on Saturday. Gonna try to have a true Country Mouse kind of day. Some sewing, some baking, and some fresh air will do me a world of good I'm sure. I think I may indulge in a little 'retail therapy' too and do a little fabric shopping as well :cD Hopefully I will have a lot of progress to report. Hope you all have a wonderful day. Warm country wishes all!!

P.S. Though it might be fun to change my template. I'm gonna play around and see what else I can do. I would love to customize mine like some of the other great blogs I've seen :cD

So what am I working on?

Hi everyone, I just wanted to pop in and let you all see what I've been up to. Not a whole lot really, but I have gotten some sewing done today. Wanna peek? Here you go...

Wow! Ummm, ignore the shape of that pressing board :cS Hey at least I can say it's a well loved piece of quilting equipment :cD Life is just still so crazy right now, I haven't got a lot of sewing time. But even just a little makes me feel so much better. Also got to do a little sewing on my Cathedral Windows the other day. I need to update the picture at the bottom of the page here. I am hoping to get block 7 of amandajean's quilt along quilt done yet tonight.

The mouselings are out of school and we are enjoying the sleeping in! Got to take them to their first real movie in a theater. A local theater is doing a kids summer movie fest that is free on Wednesdays and Thursdays. We went and saw Bee Movie this past Thursday and it was lots of fun. Mouseling 1 got a little restless part way through, mouseling 2 was absolutely mesmerized by the huge screen and sat on my lap the whole time. I think we are going to go this week too to see Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Spent most of the day cleaning...a normal Monday for our house, but did get out to enjoy the weather. We had some storms roll through last night that brought us a nice, cool, NOT humid day today. Hope we have more of the same tomorrow. Well, I know this is a short post, but I just wanted to check in. Hope to have more to share next time. Til then, warm country wishes!!

Summer already?

Where did the school year go? I can't believe this is the last day of school before summer vacation!!! I have to admit I will miss the 'me' time I had when both mouselings were at school, but I am looking forward to a fun summer...not to mention sleeping in :cD Time goes so fast!!!

I am excited to announce that I do officially have a UFO coming of the 'to do' list. This quilt was a round robin that I participated in a couple years ago. I designed and pieced/appliqued the center square then sent it on with the instructions that I just wanted anything spring-y, be it block patterns, colors, etc. I finally got around to machine quilting it and I just finished hand stitching down the binding yesterday. The piecing is not perfect, but I still love it. The colors are so bright and cheery. I think we are going to use it as a 'porch quilt'. We have a swing on our front porch and I thought this would be an nice quilt to use outside on those cool nights when you want just a little something to cover up with, or to add some softness to the swing itself.

I also wanted to share a picture of my quilt along block number 6. I can't believe that I am actually up to date on these blocks. Now I just have to catch up on some other stuff...a quilt top for a swap, machine quilting 2 tops that are ready to go. Then of course there is the other boring stuff, you know that house work stuff. Actually, its not that bad. My house is never going to be perfect, but I do love the sense of accomplishment that comes from walking through the house and seeing the beds made (covered with quilts, of course), the floors vacuumed, the dishes done. *contented sigh* Ok, maybe secretly I kind of enjoy housework, but let's keep that our little secret ;cD

I have also finally decided what I am going to do for the pay it forward exchange. Well, at least part of it. If anyone wants in I have one more spot available. Right now I have Purple and Paisley, and Sara that have signed up to play so if you would like to join in please let me know.

Well, its been a couple days with very little sleep for me so I am going to try to take a power nap and get some things accomplished before the day slips away from me. Hope you all have a wonderful day! Warm country wishes all!!

Hi. My name is Country Mouse, and I can't read...

Or I can't write, one or the other. Let me explain. I am doing the quilt along with amandajean at Crazy Mom Quits. I wrote down the instructions for block number 5. I was all excited to give it a try. Its a bit complicated, but I love complex blocks. (I did one for my BOM 2006 that had 96 pieces in a 12 inch block...yes you read that right!) So I went about cutting the pieces, laying them out on my portable pressing surface by my sewing machine and got to sewing. Everything seemed to be going fine, but I noticed that I had HUGE seam allowances on my flying geese units. Like almost a half inch as opposed to the quarter inch you are supposed to have. I thought to myself "Well, maybe my sewing is off a bit, so I'll just keep going." I got the block about 1/2 way put together when I started to realize "This just doesn't seem quite right." So I took the block apart and trimmed my blocks to give them the quarter inch seam allowance I thought they should have, all the while thinking the worst case scenario was I would have to completely re-do the block. After trimming all the units, back to the sewing machine I went and got to sewing. The result...

Ok, don't ask me why that loaded in here sideways, but you get the idea, everything came out just the way it was supposed to! So then I started to wonder. I knew I had my hand written instructions somewhere, did I write the wrong measurements or was there a typo in the instructions? Well, I checked amandajean's instructions and lo and behold I wrote the instructions down wrong. What a goof I am!! Guess the stress is getting to me :cD So anyway after taking the long way around to make this block, I double checked the measurements for block 6, and now it is ready to be sewn. I will say this, though, because I had to trim I had perfect quarter inch seams and my points on this block are better than I could have hoped :cD guess there is a bright side to everything, right?

I'm off to try to get block 6 done. I'm really enjoying this quilt along as well as blog hopping and seeing all the different color combinations that everyone is choosing. Not that I needed to add another UFO to the list, but I couldn't resist a star quilt ;cD Oh, and with any luck the next time I post I'll be able to move one of those UFO from the "to do" list to the "done" list AND have a couple pictures to share. Til then warm country wishes to all!!