Valentines At Last

The cost of stamps is going up, and the postal service is in trouble.. right? I guess that's their good excuse for why my Valentines were so late this year. Truthfully I think they were all just enjoying a little too much President's Day Celebrations. ☺ But whatever the case, on Tuesday evening when Mr Attic came home, he announced there were Treasures for me. I was expecting a package.. I had ordered a pattern last week. And that was there. But also two unexpected packages.. the first from my friend Nanette.. one of her adorable potholders and a Valentine card. "I Yarn for You". ☺ She knows how much I like Raggedy Ann and Andy!

Look at that cute little fabric postage stamp on the potholder. You would have thought that would have made it FLY to my house in no time. She is away at a quilting retreat this week.. so I'll shout real loud.. thank you Nanette!

...and then totally unexpected.. this box from my fun friend Belinda at Brown Dirt Cottage.

A darling heart which I know is made of vintage fabric from her Gramma's stash.. she had sent me a little bit of it once before when we did a Cottage Block exchange between ourselves. I think it looks like peppermint candies. I love it! And I will find a place to hang it right here. Also an assortment of chocolates.. yum!..

Gorgeous old buttons.. I am a sucker for these!.. and some fabulous yo-yos..

Oh.. some of you might be wondering about the fabric underneath.. with the cherries and berries and other scrumptious looking fruit. That is a vintage feedsack I put on top of my plant stand by the window here.. it is good lighting for pictures right now. I don't leave it there all the time.. the sun would fade it too much.

But anyways.. more from Belinda. If you haven't read her blog before, it is a real treat. Mr Brown Dirt runs a cotton plantation, and he specially for me went out and picked a cotton bole for Belinda to send. You can kind of read that on the little card in there.. even though it's upside down. I have never seen actual cotton on the plant before.. so this was thrilling for me. Belinda told me it will last forever this way.. so I'll just leave it right in the bag. And then in another bag.. the cotton after it is processed..

We sort of have a private joke about cotton.. Belinda and me. It is very useful for many things.. including sticking it in one's ears when one is cooped up in the house during winter months, and one's spouse is playing some very loud music which might not be to one's taste.

Thank you so much Belinda.. my funny sweet friend!

One more package!.. some fabulous charms from my friend over at Bumble Beans. we did a little swap. How about that vintage red, green and gray birdie fabric there?? I LOVE that!

And finally.. my double four patch is done. This is not very big.. 61"x83".. it fits a twin sized bed. We will sandwich this on Saturday and knot it.. then I will bind it and either donate it for our church auction in the fall, or take it with me the next time I go to Kidron. We have a center out there that runs a thrift shop and gathers supplies and blankets for disaster relief. Next time I go I will try and remember to take pictures and blog about that. It is a fun place.

I really loved how this turned out.
Tomorrow is Hitty club. The last meeting we had was January 10th, when we had that big snowstorm with ten inches of snow.. and I couldn't go. I was SO disappointed. Well it is snowing right now. And we could have up to 6" by morning. But that's ok. I'm still baking my cookies today and AM going. I can make it!

Lots to do all of a sudden.. a double 4patch

February seems like it should be a nice free and easy month.. to stay inside and catch up on organizing, cleaning, taxes, etc. But it is filling up with lots of projects..
Some of my stash is pathetic. I have tons.. stacks and piles.. of non-high quality fabric that is not really what you would find at your local quilt shop. This is stuff I've picked up over the years at thrift shops, rummage sales, clearance tables at discount stores, etc. Most probably not much cotton, in fact I know some to be of 100% unidentified fiber content. But. I can still use it to make comforters to send to those who are in need.

Saturday some of us are getting together at our church, and a little over a week ago someone asked if I could have a top done to knot into a comforter. I said sure. I would have to set my Tea Swap aside for just a little bit, but I think I can do that. I have been wanting to make a double four patch.. and not long ago Paula from A Latte Quilts had a nice tutorial that I had printed off for myself. Saturday I started cutting 4.5" squares, 2.5" squares, and sewing little four patches out of 1.5" squares..

And putting them all together..

I kind of like how they laid out the blocks on the cover of "A Simple Strategy for Swap Blocks" by Lynn Roddy Brown.. so I'm going to try it. This is what I have so far on my "inspirational carpet". Of course they are subject to be moved around...

And here.. yesterday I noticed my other Christmas cactus is blooming. Just in time.. for President's Day! I know the flower is fuzzy.. but for some reason my camera only wanted to focus on the pot and the leaves. I need a new camera with a lens!

Ok.. If I'm going to get done I need to get busy.. and oh.. I guess Hitty club is Friday.. last minute thing.. but I can't wait to go! Lots to do..

I'm thinking of you all...

Grocery Shopping Yesterday..

Ahhh.. but first a little stop at the Good Will thrift store at the other end of town..

With the 40% off coupon.. my bag of goodies came to $7.19.. which I don't feel too bad about spending in these tough times.

Two sweaters (I do like Tommy Hilfiger) and some beads.. a Little Golden Book "Lassie".. which I already had in my collection but this one is in wonderful condition.. much better than the one I had..
..and a little white pitcher. And oh. I very pretty piece of green vintage solid cotton.. nice and crisp. It doesn't take a whole lot to brighten the day.

There are a lot of places cropping up where you can help with the bush fires in Australia. I've been reading Pip's blog over at Meet Me At Mike's.. she gives a lot of information there.

I'm off to work on my Tea Swap the rest of the day.. it is springlike weather here in Ohio.. yippee!

While remembering, I discovered something..

I noticed today that my Gardenia is blooming. One flower. Smells wonderful. So I thought I'd take a picture to show, and then remembered I had done this once before. So I went back into my posts to see when. It was Feb 25, 2008. I was also showing a double wedding ring quilt that I was working on at the time.. and had three comments. I had no idea what the world of blogging was all about then. I'm not even sure I replied to you three.. but I'm sure I commented on each of your blogs.
Then what really caught my eye was this.. my first post was on Feb 8, 2008. So I guess that means today is my one year anniversary. Woo-hoo! I'm sorry I don't have anything ready to give away. But I will just say a heartfelt thank you to all of you who have read my blog, commented, traded fabric with me, joined me and Ulla in our Summer Stash Challenge, traded Cottage blocks, exchanged Christmas gifts, sent me birthday gifts, let me win in your drawings, entered my drawing, shared your lives with me, helped me in so many ways in my quilt-making, became my silver friends.. and then all my gold friends who encouraged me and always left comments. I was just telling my daughter today how wonderful all my friends are.. all over the world. She agreed. It has been a terrific year.

Ok.. enough mush! Here is another flower that I just noticed. It is a totally different plant sitting next to the Gardenia, and for some reason the camera wanted to keep focusing on it! I have no idea what it is.. but I thought it was kinda pretty. Makes me think spring might not be too far off..
I hope you are all having a good weekend.. and my prayers are going out to all the folks down under who are fleeing the blaze. I can hardly imagine.

....or clouds?

Just another little sneak peek of what I'm working on for Stephanie's Tea Swap. We can't tell too much.. so I hope this isn't too much. Doesn't it look like the swirly tail feathers on a fancy bird?
Well it's not.

So since I can't tell you yet what I'm making.. I'll just say that it feels WONDERFUL to have something in my frame again. I never really realized how much I love hand-quilting. I have got to get that Black and White top done so I have something to work on after this. Maybe this week I'll do that, because I know I'll need to take breaks to let my fingers toughen up.


Lots to do today.. it is supposed to warm up to 48F.. yippee!


Have a happy weekend...

Eight Random Things and a Nice Dutch Treat

My daughter pointed out to me last evening that it has been a week since I put anything new here. Bad bad blogger me. My excuse.. I am working on my Tea Swap that I can't show, and looking out the same window at the same cold and snow and ice. But that is pretty lame because I did get something nice in the mail on Friday..

One of the blogs I've been following ever since I discovered blogging is Dutch Colours. Heleen is such a dear person, and I love everything she does. I mentioned to her that I loved the origami penguins folded by the children at her school, and she mailed me the pattern for them, plus added a few little extras. There was the cutest Dutch People to fold.. ann I love that swatch of fabric with the dutch children. Thank you Heleen.. I can't wait to try making the penguins!

Miri from Milk and Honey Quilts tagged me last week. I'm pretty sure I did this one before, but I'll play again.. ☺

Eight random facts about me.. if you really want to know. If not, you can come back another day.

1. I usually eat three breakfasts, but could easily skip the evening meal, and sometimes do.

2. I'm my daddy's girl, and talk to him every day on the phone since he moved away to Florida.

3. Coffee is my favorite beverage, and I used to sneak sips of it from my parents cups when I was little. My favorite coffee comes from Joshua Cup in Macon Georgia where my son is the roaster.. but I don't get it often enough!

4. I was the cake decorator for a small bakery in town for 10 years. But I don't like to decorate cakes. Too messy! This is my brother's wedding cake I made 15 years ago. Two annoying things I notice in this photo.. there are plumbing pipes showing in the background, and the tablecloth was not ironed! All of the satellite cakes had a different filling if I remember correctly.

5. I don't really have an attic.. I only pretend I do.

6. I was married at age 18, carried daisies for my wedding, made my own dress, and had bottle blond hair.

7. I had my first child at age 20 and loved being a very young mother.

8. I have five brothers and no sisters.

Ok. That's it! Whew. Hard to do. I'm supposed to tag eight more people, so here are some bloggers I would enjoy finding out more of. I know a lot of folks don't like being tagged, but if you'd like to play along, please do! If not.. that's ok by me. I believe in "no stress blogging".

Shari from Mumsy Blossom's World

Tudy from Tudy's Craft Cupboard

Hetty from Crafts and Stuff

Dionne from Sew Many Quilts

Paula from A Latte Quilts

Jean from Quiltin' Jeanie

Diana from Lavendar Dreams

Sandi from A Legacy of Stitches

Have a nice rest of the week.. Spring is coming..