Out the Window

It is a good time to stay indoors. This is the window where my Christmas tree once stood a few weeks ago..

Looks like the snow and ice is bending down our trees outside.. I hope it didn't break off the branches. In the spring, a robin or a cardinal usually builds it's nest right here and I like to watch their family through the window. They don't seem to pay any attention to me as they gather their twigs and fluff to build, then lay and hatch their eggs.

Here is another window.. it is the one I am looking out of most of the time while I'm sewing. That's the neighbor's house next door.. and my lilac bush. One of these days weeks months it will be covered with green leaves and purple buds..
But don't worry. We have come up with a solution to the snow and ice. Mr Attic is buying a snow blower today. That means it won't snow any more and we won't need it!

And here is another bright and cheerful note. A birthday present came in the mail earlier this week from my friend T at Purple&Paisly. She apologized for it being a little late.. but I love getting late birthday gifts! Especially when I am not expecting them. Thank you T! It is the sweetest angel made from a vintage quilt. So soft and pretty.. I love her. I will think of you every time I see her smiling face. You know how much I love these old fabrics.. and the quilting is wonderful!

Would you like to see what I'm working on? I can't really show much.. because we are supposed to keep it a secret.. but I'll leave you with some peeks of my Tea Swap project... I am having SO much fun...

I have put my Black and White quilt on hold for a little bit.. but I am making progress! Thanks for all the encouragement. ☺

A Lost Week in January

Not a whole lot to show for this week. I've been working pretty much the whole time on my Black and White Quilt challenge.. but it is starting to get a little bit boring. Same blocks over and over. I like making things with a little more variety. But this particular quilt will have a purpose.. I told about it more over on Jackie's blog. And once I get it in the quilting frame, then I can move to something else. I like hand-quilting.. and am really looking forward to it! It is something I can sit and do without really thinking.. and the hours just slip away.

Also this week I ordered some fabrics for the Tea Swap.. can't wait till it gets here. I thought he package would be in my mailbox today.. but nothing. Maybe tomorrow. I have my pattern all drawn up.. and just hope it turns out like the picture in my mind.

On the way out to have coffee with friends this morning.. the sun was shining.. and the weatherman promised a warmer day. But I was still freezing with a turtleneck, a pullover sweater, and a cardigan. Hopefully it really will warm up and melt all this away.

That is our buckeye horse chestnut tree.. waiting to pop out it's pretty white blossoms.. in three months or so..

Groundhog Day is just around the corner. ☺

Time for Tea

And this is a good time of year for tea.. at least here in Ohio. Maybe Ice Tea if you live Down Under where they are have some warmer weather.

It was -10F this morning, which the weatherman says was not a record here.. we would have to go below -18. But I have to stretch my brain to remember ever seeing negative double digits on the thermometer outside. It is supposed to warm up to 15 this afternoon. That would be like a 60 degree morning warming up to 85. Really fun to think about that!

So anyways.. I am participating in Stephanie's Tea Time Swap. We got our partners yesterday.. and it is supposed to stay a secret. So I will be lurking around on all the blogs on the list so as not to tip anyone off if they are looking at their stats! And I myself will try to start talking more about tea things.. after all I need to make it easier for whoever has my name.

I am not really a big tea drinker.. coffee is always my first choice. But I love Tea Pots on fabric and stitcheries.. anything decorated with cups and saucers and tea pots. My mom left me some beautiful old tea cups and saucers.. I will get those down one day and show them. But here is my old set I had when I was a little girl.. my dolls and I would have tea.
Ok.. so I am stretching it a bit. Not ALL of these pieces were originally mine. This is ACTUALLY what I saved from my childhood...
It never dawned on me until a couple years ago to look on the bottom of the plate and see the name and try to find a replacement dish lid. But I did, and found not only the the broken lid.. but a whole new pitcher with a lid, three more plates so I could replace the one broken, another cup and saucer, and silverware!

And two really sweet awards to show. This first is a new one I have not seen yet.. from Brenda over at Deck the Halls.
Brenda has a pretty blog that gives ideas for decorating in all the seasons. FUN! Thank you so much Brenda.. I am honored to receive this cute award. I love Mary Engelbreit.

And this one I have already, but am so thrilled to get it again from both Mel and Shari. Such cute blogs that I have just recently started reading, and looking forward to all they have to share.. Thank you Shari and Mel!

So now I am off to look around and see what other tea things I can find. Have a great weekend!

B&W ..and a Little Story

I'll post this over on Jackie's blog too, but here is a peek at my beginnings of the Black and White Quilt. I'm going to try and make two - the first one using a pattern from this old leaflet..

My rotary cutter has been busy.. I think I'm almost done with this part. Just waiting for the mail.. I have a friend who is contributing a print that I don't have yet.. can't wait!

And I was TRULY going to refrain from EVER posting any pictures of the cold and ice.. we are all seeing enough of it I am sure. But I couldn't help it this morning.. the icicles hanging off the back awning...

Ok. You can stop here. Or you can go on and read a story. This was one of my favorite books as a little girl. I could put myself right in these pages, even though I did not have an older sister.. I had three older brothers. (And I do have a cousin Jane!) Made many a row of paper dolls.. complete with wardrobes. It is the inspiration for my blog banner. And now I am never for want of someone to play with. ☺

Disappointments Melt Away

For some reason I am usually spared too many disappointments.. but this weekend I had one. All last week I spent working on a project to take to Hitty Club Saturday. For those who are new, Hitty is a little 6" wooden doll that I sew clothes for and gather with some other ladies about once a month.. maybe a little longer.. who also sew for her or just play with her. We make crafts and visit and have lunch together. It is a fun time. Well anyways.. I pretty much did nothing all last week after my birthday on Monday except work on this project. Then Saturday came along with a whole pile of snow. We were snowed in, and Hitty Club was postponed until the next day but I still couldn't go then. So I was pretty bummed out about it. And I guess it put me in such a mopey mood that I didn't even feel like blogging or much of anything for a few days.

I have such a nice family and good friends though. It is amazing how they can cheer me up. This morning I went through some of the things that I got in the mail last week.. and tell me this wouldn't make anyone smile!

..from Stephanie... one of her covered journals...


.. she picked JUST the colors for me! And the prettiest card.. and those colored pins! I asked her how she knew I wanted some of those.. she has a knack for that sort of thing. And some vintage buttons and trim. All perfect.

From Nanette.. this is what was in that package I showed a peek of last week..

"Dating Fabrics" by Eileen Jahnke Trestain. I told Nanette that I already see many of my own fabrics on the pages of this book. What a useful tool this will be! Also a piece of authentic feedsack which I adore.. and the sweetest little knitted house with a tape measure inside! I love this gift so much. Thank you Nanette my dear friend.


..and from Melanie.. look at the beautiful wrappings...

Practically everything had to do with my new favorite fragrance Lavender. Not everything is in the picture below.. there was also a lot of vintage things like pins and yarn and such from thrift shops.. I felt like I had just been shopping the nooks and crannies of SouthPort with her.. but here are just a few of the treasures..

That big tin is filled with "English Biscuits".. what we would normally call cookies.. but my daughter and I feel so special when we nibble them with our coffee and call them biscuits. They are divine, and we can't find anything like that here. Also lots of lavender stuff.. hankies with lovely embroidery, a vintage piece of silk, linens, and one of those FABULOUS lavender wands that Melanie makes from her own that she grows in her yard. It smells wonderful. There were some of the cutest little foreign dudes.. they crack me up. I love stuff like this.

Now what makes these gifts so much more special to me is.. I know each one of these gals was not feeling her best the past couple of weeks. And my birthday is so soon after Christmas. So for them to go out of their way to gather, make, wrap and send something to me is so special.

But that's not all. This pile of presents came from my friend Helen. She always wraps everything so creatively. All pink and brown.. LOVELY. I hated to spoil the wrapping.

Just some of the things.. a Mary Engelbriet pin cushion.. some adorable fat quarters, and one of Helen's own tiny pin cushions that she makes out of bottlecaps. Her work is so very creative. Plus other vintage things.. books and stuff I adore.

And one more.. from my new friend Betsy. I was totally not expecting this. A lovely repro 30's fat quarter and the cutest tree made of tiny spools. THANK you Betsy.

So I have to just say a huge thank you to all of you.. those who read my blog, and comment, and send me emails. I had no idea what this whole world of blogging was all about.. that it would be such a blessed thing.

I was going to show what I started on now.. my Black and White quilt for Jackie's challenge.. but I guess this is getting kind of long so you can go over here if you want to see it.

I'll try better to keep up!

ooops...

I was so excited about my giveaway.. totally self centered and absorbed.. I forgot to tell you all to head over to Jackie's at Canton Village Quilt Works.. she is celebrating her 100th post with a truly wonderful giveaway.

And Terri at Purple&Paisley is also having a birthday this week.. her giveaway is AWESOME! One every day this week.

I have never had this much attention in my entire life. Thank you all for the wonderful Birthday wishes..

Winner of the Charms Giveaway

Today is the day to pick the lucky recipient of the vintage charms.
There were over a hundred names to print, cut out and put in the tea pot. I mixed them up and made sure each paper was seperated. My daughter wanted to draw the name, but I didn't have them all put onto the papers yet, and she had to leave for work. I know you don't want to have to wait all day.. and I don't either!.. so I asked her if it was ok to draw one myself...
And the winner is..


Sandi from A Legacy of Stitches Congratulations Sandi! I know these little quilt squares will find a lovely home with you.. and maybe even be created into something beautiful.



Now I think I need to cut another set of squares for myself to make a quilt!



It has been so much fun receiving all of your comments. As promised I will visit each one of you soon. But right now I need to get out of my PJ's, finish answering some emails, and open this lovely present that has been sitting here since Saturday..

This Week's Project..

Just a quick post today because I have been playing that dumb Settlers game so busy working on something for next week.. and I can't really tell about it until later on. But I can give a peek.

Don't look too close if you are one of the ones I'm meeting next Saturday and you happen to be reading my blog.. unless you don't care about being surprised. But I really wanted to give everyone else a glimpse of these pretty colors and the teensy tiny novelty prints if you can see them..

..and remind you if you have not signed up yet for my New Year's Charms Giveaway.. you have until midnight tonight to still do so. It has been so much fun reading all your comments about your favorite fabrics! Eventually I will visit each and every one of you.. there are a lot of new blogs.. so exciting. But this week really is kind of busy, so it will probably be next week. Anyways.. I will be putting the eligible names in a container and letting my daughter draw a winner tomorrow, will be informing the winner by email, and will also announce it here. I hope it's you!

Thank you all so much for the wonderful birthday wishes. I know my family is taking me out for dinner.. Yay!.. and I have one present to open that came in the mail.. but other than that no plans. Really sweet today though.. three people at church thought I was going to be 45, and one thought 48. So that made me feel pretty good. ☺ Every year now counts.

See you all tomorrow!

Finished By Friday, Game & Giveaway Reminder

I have been meaning to do this every week.. join in on ThreeUnderTwo's "Finish For Friday" meme.. but it just always seems like I am STARTING my projects on Friday.. or else finishing on Saturday. But she encouraged us to be creative.. so....

...above is what got finished by Friday this week.. a game of Settlers of Catan. We played it last night. Again. I can never win. I wish I would have not been such a good teacher when showing MrAttic how to play. My boys were not that good of teachers for me. That is my story and I'm sticking to it.

Points of interest in above photo.. the old game board underneath.. it helps to keep the puzzle pieces together in the new game, because the card table has too much sponginess and lets the puzzle pop up. I love that old game board.. it has checkers on this side, and Crokinole on the back. Then there's our newly adopted dice-rolling pad up at the very top. I know Nanette intended it for a pot holder.. but it is just SO perfect to roll the dice on.. (I hope you don't mind us using it for that ..Nanette. I won't ever put it away in the gamebox.)


Don't forget to sign up for the this scrummy stack of vintage fabric quilt charms.. leave a comment on yesterday's..(Thursday's) post!

New Year Charms Giveaway

Out with the old and in with the new. That's what celebrating the New Year is all about.. isn't it? So here is a little bit of "old" that is going out of my house.. and maybe would be some "new" inspiration for one of you as we begin a new year of creating, sewing and quilting.

There are a total of 76 4 1/2" (four and a half inch) charms.. over half of them of them authentic feedsack, but all are vintage fabrics cut from my stash. A dozen solids, some florals, some stripes, some polka dots, a couple of novelty prints. You will have fun looking through them and thinking of some way to use them. I kept telling myself as I was cutting them that I needed to be cutting two.. and make myself a quilt as well.

But anyways.. this is the prize in my first give-away. To have your name entered, leave a comment on this post between now and Midnight, Sunday January 4th EST.. (that is my time zone..) make sure I have a way of contacting you, such as email etc, and tell me what is your very favorite style, era, type of fabric. What do you always seem to navigate too?.. is it Kaffe that make you go crazy?.. or one of the other modern fabric lines? Or do you simply melt away like I do at the scent and texture of an old feedsack that was stored in someone's attic for 60 years? Tell me what is always a magnet for you when it comes to fabric. Then on Monday January 5th, I'll be drawing the one winner's name. That is my birthday.. and what better day is there to give a present!

All nice comments will be entered, whether you tell your favorite fabric or not.. it would just be fun to hear everyone's thoughts.

Please remember.. comment BY Midnight on the 4th.. no later.. and email me if you are a no-reply blogger so I can include your name for a chance to get these fun charms.

There are a lot of give-aways in the next couple of weeks. "Whirl Into Winter" is hosting tons of them through the 15th, and I know Terri from Purple & Paisley is also having one next week. So you get lots of good chances!

Happy New year to all!

added Thursday 11:06 am:

I will repeat.. since I only have three comments and two of them are already no-reply bloggers with no email contact. I can NOT put you in the drawing if I do not have your email. Please include an email for me to contact you.