Making Some Ornaments

Bet you can't guess what they are. :-) Or maybe you can.

I'll give you a little hint. Nanette is also making some little stuffed ornaments for her Christmas tree. But I had no idea she was until she posted about it on Monday.

Tee-hee-hee. So much fun. But what ARE they? Colorful wool trees? Santas? Houses?

One more hint.. I'm using these color coordinated vintage fabrics in them too..

I hope everyone who is celebrating Thanksgiving will have a wonderful time with their families.. I'm cooking a duckling. It will be a first. I'm a little nervous!

Giving Thanks for Mail Monday

Did you ever want to make a paper world globe? I found this really fun web site where you can download a PDF file and print out a globe and make it. So I did that today when I should have been doing something else. But I wanted to put some little pins in a globe to see how far close I really am from my friends all around the world..
So go HERE and get your own to make.. or to let your kids make..

Monday must a popular mail day. I'm seeing some other blogs today about getting things in the mail. Did anyone else get their February issue of American Patchwork Quilting? I don't know what's inside yet, but I know it will be good.
And this adorable embroidery came from T at Purple&Paisley. She knows how much I love Raggedy Ann. I will hang it up and think of her every time I see it.

Thanks Terri!!

Then my friend Helen whom I've known for a long time made and sent me some of her OOAK Art Cards for Thanksgiving. I have a whole collection of her wonderful cards.. all of them unique and interesting! The little pilgrims are so much fun.

My photos are so weird looking today. There isn't a speck of sunshine, and everything looks like we're in the bottom of the fish tank. But believe me, this package that came from Tonje is VERY sunshiny indeed. I've been reading Tonje's blog A Step In The Right Direction ever since I started reading blogs.. all about her little girls and the things she crafts. So when she was coming up on an anniversary, I entered her give-away a few weeks ago, and won this beautiful package! It came all the way from Norway, and I do have a pin on my globe there. :-)

Inside is a tissue holder to keep in my purse, made by Tonje with her card attached, two fabric hearts I will hang on my Christmas tree, and a pair of warm slippers crocheted exactly like the ones my grandma used to make for us when we were little. They are navy with dark red flowers on the tops. I can't wait to put them on tonight.. they will keep my feet nice and snuggly. THANK you Tonje.

I am so thankful for my family and my friends. Always.. not just this week.

This & That on a Friday

Let me tell you, I was totally surprised the other day when this was in my mailbox. You have seen these things before here and here and here. I remember commenting on Nanette's blog when she showed them, but I had NO idea she was actually making this awesome dish towel for me. It will never be used as a dish towel! It is laying on my quilting frame so I can admire it all the day long. The vintage bird fabric is SO special. And I love the "pepto" tea pots!The little matryoshka is filled with lavender.. one of my most favorite scents. Thank you my dear friend Nanette. :-) I LOVE everything.. and it was such a thoughtful present. Merry Christmas early!

Whew. I am in the middle of three different projects at the moment.. and this one looks like so much fun. Jackie at Canton Village Quilts is starting a new challenge.. (she has a new blog set up to join in) -to make something, anything, in blacks and whites, plus one other color added. We have a year to do it, so I'm IN. These are my fabrics that I've pulled so far. I am thinking of making two quilts since I have two grown boys who never get quilts made by their mother.. (if either of you guys are reading this, which I seriously doubt you are.. then just pretend to me you didn't). I just have to figure out the patterns I'm going to use, and the one additional color. FUN!

Ok. I have never embedded a video before, but this is so awesome. Hope it works. My daughter found it and showed it to me..(so boys, if you are still reading this, we were both thinking of you guys [and Uncle Randy too]).. A tribute to John Williams.. you know.. Star Wars, ET, Jaws, Indiana Jones. Make sure you read the captions as they come up. I think I've watched it three times now..

Inside Out

You are probably going to see more outside scenes like this around the Land of Blog, but I'll add mine too. I didn't want to wait 'til light in case it went away..

Looks like about 3 inches. brr!

But this is a little glimpse what's going on inside..

I hope to get around to blogs later on today.. I know I'm missing lots of good stuff!

Catching Up on a Meme

I don't know how I let this slip by. Judy from Apron Strings and Sandra at Flores ás cores both gave me this a while ago, Thank you! I enjoy both of their blogs.The rules for this award is to answer these questions with one word. This wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.. because I like to use too many words sometimes!

1. Where is your cell phone? desktop
2. Where is your significant other? lazyboy
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? heaven
5. Your father? adorable
6. Your favorite thing? sewing
7. Your dream last night? frustrating
8. Your dream/goal? organization
9. The room you’re in? treasure-filled
10. Your hobby? collecting
11. Your fear? nothing
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? here
13. Where were you last night? slumber
14. What you’re not? decisive
15. One of your wish-list items? RAM
16. Where you grew up? Ohio
17. The last thing you did? emailed
18. What are you wearing? PJs
19. Your TV? Foxnews
20. Your pet? mutt
21. Your computer? slow
22. Your mood? thankful
23. Missing someone? son
24. Your car? paid for
25. Something you’re not wearing? socks
26. Favorite store? GoodWill
27. Your summer? busy
28. Love someone? family
29. Your favorite color? All
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? yesterday

I never know who to pass these on to.. (see #14). Most of the blogs I love already have this badge. But go ahead and try to fill in the blanks with your own answers. It is fun, and somewhat eye-opening.

Hope you all have a good weekend. Next week we'll be saying next week is Thanksgiving.

"Vintage" Christmas Ideas

I got everything sorted through from my rummage sale bags from last week. This stack of Double Wedding Ring pieces looks like so much fun. I have to lay them out and make templates for the corner pieces and the centers. But that is a project for another day. Also in the bottom of my shopping bag was a little baggie containing these rubber heads.. I thought they were so colorful and cute. Does anyone know a good thing to make with them? maybe little pin cushions.. ?

And then I remembered some things that were stored in a briefcase under the bed.. I had put them there last spring so I wouldn't forget to take them out around Christmastime and get some gift ideas... and I didn't! There are seven Christmas issues. This is going to be more fun than I should be having.. even just thinking about it..

Cottages & Frames

Finally.

Last week I go my cottage blocks back in the mail. If you are just joining,some of us have been participating in a swap over at Freda's Hive using Nanette's cute Christmas Cottage block tutorial.

(I notice that some of these look cut off on the blog page, but they seem to be showing up fine in the reader. I wish I knew how to make my margins wider..)

We were to send out 11 blocks and get 11 in return. However. I made a few extra.. some to keep for myself because I just love them and couldn't stop making just 12. And then some I used in trade for some blocks outside of the swap. Two of these were from Jane and Betsy.

I just loved the roof and house fabric that Jane used.. very 30's which are my favorite, and Betsy's paisley house.. isn't that adorable? I went ahead and added some white ric rac around the windows..(hope you don't mind Betsy!).. so that it would highlight the little teddy and gingerbread man in the windows. Little did I realize when I put it on that the ric rac glows in the dark. I think that is very cool. Thank you both for adding your houses to my neighborhood.

The next two houses weren't extras, but they happened to be captured in the picture so I left them there. Stephanie's pink 1950's house and Kathy's wonderful handstitched vintage trim are very special..

And the extras are from Belinda and Nanette. Belinda and I did a separate swap of just some fabric and made our own houses. She gave me that wonderful house and the vintage windows. And well.. Nanette is just a sweet friend to so many of us.. but I know she must have been thinking of me when she chose these fabrics that make this block. :-) Hers is the one with the little santa stocking pinned to it.

Carrie and I also did a private swap.. I just had to have one of her famous appliquéd snowmen!

And Elaine doesn't have a blog, but I wanted to say thank you Elaine for your adorable cottage. I love the wreaths in the windows.

So I have 20 houses all together. Thank you ALL. I have not decided how to put them together yet. If I space them apart, it will make a huge quilt. Or maybe I will make two. Not sure yet. I'm looking forward to seeing what other do. I'm thinking I would like to somehow put everyone's name on their block so I can always think of them when looking at it.

But for now I want to get my pinwheel top in the frame. ugh. That means I need to clear off the top of it. It has been a wonderful place to pile the haul of scraps and remnants and yardage that I found last week at the rummage sale... that still needs sorted.. and I still wanted to show you some of up close..

UNLESS...

I decide to use this. It is a big hoop frame that I picked up at the thrift shop a few weeks back. I never used one of these before.. have you? Maybe I'll give it a try.

Well I hate to leave you with that messy photo. So here are some posies. Even though we have had 27 degree mornings and a little bit of snow, some of my flowers are still pretty in the rock bed. They must like the dryer vent.

Hope you are all having a creative week.. Christmas is around the corner..

Top Dun

All sewn up. And after balancing on the top of the step ladder and holding on to the ridges in the attic ceiling with one hand and stretching my other one out as far as it could go, I got one picture that actually got the whole thing in and is straight. This is not a big quilt either.

..and some closeups of some of my favorite blocks and geese. (These were easier). Actually.. I could not really pick a favorite. I fell in love with each and every piece of this vintage stuff.. (you can click them bigger). There were only a few triangles that I did not use.. most of them solids that were very thin and not really acceptable. So I replaced them with some from my own vintage stash.. keeping the same colors.

love this little apple with the bird..

Hope I didn't show any twice. Next I will need to find a backing and figure out how would be best to quilt it. Any and all suggestions are welcome. I'm going to be doing it by hand. I really love hearing what everyone thinks! And I had so many good ideas about the flying geese. Thanks!

I guess now I better go get some dishes and laundry done. But those Christmas Cottages are very tempting....

Sewing Geese

Finally sewing on the flying geese borders. Tomorrow I can lay out my houses on the floor upstairs, but I had to get this picked up first. It is the floor in my boys' old room.. the only place that seems to say nice and clean all the time because no one is living in it. Sort of my "inspiration floor". Cannot wait to show you this all sewn up.. I am really happy with it. :-)
p.s. all my treasures are still folded here in piles waiting to be admired. One thing at a time.

Pillow Cases...?

This is a cute story I have to tell you about something that was in my bag from the rummage sale. I hope none of the dear women who work so hard at pricing and setting everything up are reading this.. because I do know it takes a lot to run one of these.. and well.. they just didn't know.
All the fabric was either bundled up in packages marked "scraps", or if the pieces were bigger they would write the size on the tape. Tape tape tape. Lots of wide tape wrapping everything tight so you could not really see what you were getting. But for a dollar or fifty cents a bundle, it was usually worth the chance. I grabbed picked up this bundle right away because I recognized the fabric... do you?

When I got home, I got it out of the bag and looked more closely. This was written on the tape.. "One complete pillowcase... material for another - same size 21x36" Hmmmmm... I had seen this written one one of the other bundles I had stuffed in my bag.. so I hurried and got it out too. Could I possibly have gotten that lucky???

If you haven't figured it out by now.. I will tell you. These are vintage feedsacks. And I do collect them. But whoever got rid of them was not really interested in collecting vintage feedsacks.. or even knew what they were. And no one else did either.

Jumping up and down with glee! In each bundle was one very minty unopened unspoiled feedsack, and one with the seams opened. Below I hope you can still see the thread holes on the edge of the green.

I am so happy with them.

And in another taped bundle with the same handwriting was written "Decorative Tops for Canning Lids". Lots of big circles. I don't think I will use them for canning lids. There are several of each print.. except that adorable owl.. there is only one of him. I'll have to see if there is a quilt pattern for 7" circles.

I guess I am having Christmas on the brain right now. Seems like I picked up a lot of Christmas colored items. This little lap afghan was so cute I could not pass it up.. for twelve and a half cents. I got it today.. everything was half price today. So originally it was a quarter. Do these colors not scream 1972?

And this little angel landed on the top of my bag today. I don't really need her at all, but could not pass her by. Little sticker on the bottom "made in Japan". I like that.

I still have tons of stuff to sift through. But it will be fun to have things to show here in the Land of Blog. No one around his place is all that impressed with my treasures. But I know there are at least a few of you out there who know exactly how I feel about finding these treasures and bringing them home.

Oh yes.. my cottage blocks came in the mail today! Terri did a fabulous job packing and wrapping everything so beautifully! And I love each and every cottage.

And I have one row of geese made for my pinwheel quilt. I'll have to show those things later too.

Hope you all headed for a lovely weekend... whatever you are doing.

Goodies2

oops..sorry for two posts in one day.. but did you hear that gasp?

I think this is the best piece of fabric I have every found. Everything in this bag is folded up and taped together so you can't see what is in the bundle sometimes. So when I opened that Dutch fabric, I literally sucked in all the air in the room. I had NO idea what all the pictures were. Look at the colors and thegraphics. It measures 34' across and is 34" long. I will never EVER cut it.

I'll show more stuff later on.. but for some reason..(Mr Attic being on vacation for one).. things keep popping up and stopping me from my DUTIES today.

And oh.. about the burning of the fabric.. in the other post you can click that link..(the letters in orange..) and it takes you to an good explanantion. But in a nutshell, it is simply taking a few strands of thread from the fabric and holding it into a flame to see how it reacts. If it burns nice and fast and clean with a powdery ash when you blow it out, then it is a natural fiber. If it has a hard black ash, then it is synthetic or is blended with a synthetic.

Ok.. I am only about half way through the bag.. most of this stuff is wrapped up in big bundles with a lot of scraps, lots of tape, and a label that says "scraps- 50 cents". That Dutch fabric was 50 cents. I simply cannot believe it! I have to look at that again...

Bag of Goodies

Just a quick post this morning because I have DUTIES to attend. Like sorting through this bag of goodies I just brought home from a rummage sale. Not really sure what all is in here, but I know at least one feedsack. The bag is totally stuffed with fabric except for the red-handled kitchen utensils and that box of greeting cards with Pennsylvania Dutch sayings. Some very nice large yardage, but also a lot of remnants.. I'll have to go through and test each one to see if it is a blend..(do you all know how to do that with a flame?).. Then I'll need to mark everything before deciding where to put it! So I better grab a sandwich and start playing get to work. Can't wait to open that baggie that looks like it has a double wedding ring started...
And oh. I know I keep saying this is the brightest my burning bush is going to get.. but I think this time it's really true. Maybe it just looks prettier now that the trees and ornamental grass behind it has turned colors too..



Hope you are all having a creative day. I know I missed Vintage Thingies Thursday this week.. but I'm pretty sure some of the stuff in my bag fits the category. :-)