FALL INTO FALL QUILTERS BLOG GIVE-AWAY

Debi is having a Fall Into Fall Quilters Blog Give-Away - and I am part of that. Stop over at her blog and find out more about this. A bunch of quilters will be having give-aways and you can find links to these wonderful give-aways at Debi's blog. Hurry on over - join in the fun.

I will be giving away a nice little box of things - here is the beginning of what I'm giving - so stop by often and see what has been added to the box. The drawing will be on October 15, and to be entered in the drawing I would like to know more about you - and what is a favorite thing that you like about quilting - or a clever story about quilting - or something wonderful you have discovered while quilting. So just a comment saying "I want to be in your give-away" will NOT get you entered. I love to hear good stories - long or short - about your quilting experiences - good and not so good - so come along - leave a comment about something quilty - a favorite, a clever story or something wonderful. Let's have a good time sharing our quilty moments. If you don't have a blog - be sure and leave your email so I can contact you about your prize if you win.

The first thing I'm putting in the box is this


A set of three zippered bags mesh bags that I made with quilty fabric - the sizes are coin purse, wallet and make-up bag. You can use them for stitching supplies, buttons, coins - just about anything you would put in a little bag to keep organized.



Next item is a knit pincushion in lovely fall colors - I knit this with the help of my three year old grandson - he likes to pull the yarn out of the skein as I knit. Sometimes he gets ahead of me and we get tangles, but it is such fun to have him help. So stop by and see what else I will add to this fun box - maybe some fat quarters - maybe some quilting supplies - who knows what - and leave your comment about quilting - this is going to be fun.

I'M BACK - WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

Wow - what a week - one week ago today I was rushed to the ER - tests, xrays, CT scans, ultra sound, proceedure to remove gall stones Friday night - rest up on Sat. then gall bladder surgery on Sunday at 7 a.m. - like I said - what a week.!!! I got home Monday evening - doing super great - our daughters have been here to help out with cooking and cleaning and laundry - and entertaining mom - and today I am on my own - feel great - eating most things ok and looking forward to feeling completely better and getting back into quilting.

Since I'm not going to show you ANY pictures of the hospital stay (no one wants to see that) I will show you something pretty - just so you'll have a picture to look at.


A lake near our house - a peaceful morning!


A quiet cove on the lake.



And a grandson riding on his little bike - now that is enough to make anyone happy.

Hope your days are sunny - or sweetly full of soft drizzly rain like ours is today - and quilty!

BACK AGAIN - AND A SQUISHY IN THE MAIL

It's been a long time since I posted - I've spent most of my time working on getting the photos back in my blog that blogger deleted and then said they couldn't do anything about. I still have tons to re-do - but I'll get to those later.

I got a delightful squishy in the mail the other day - from Messy Karen - and she is NOT messy - I can tell you that. She was giving away fabrics - we weren't even asked to pay postage, and I just loved the teddy bear holiday fabric she posted. I was lucky enough to be the first to ask for it - and so it came my way. Inside the package was another delightful package - all sweetly "stitched" together with embroidery cotton - tidy as can be (but I opened it before I took a picture) and in the package I found fabrics, floss, even a needle and instructions for making the cutest bookmarks.



The three pieces of fabric for bookmards are on the left, with the threads and the needle at the bottom - and of course the holiday teddies are on the right. I can't wait to make up the cute bookmarks - she even included the stiffener to put in the bookmarks so they would not be floppy - what a dear!!!! I love the dotted fabric, and the Halloween and the duckies - they are all delightful.

Every year I have a teddy bear christmas tree, in addition to our family tree, and I am thinking that this teddy fabric would be great to work up into some decorations for the tree, and for making some gift bags for gifts that go under that tree - oh so many ideas. Maybe a few bookmarks to hang on the teddy tree for friends to pluck off and take home with them. And some little "hats" for jars of jam that I give for gifts each year - and bags to put the home made bread I give, along with the jam. Thank you Thank you Karen - I love it all.

And now - to change gears a little bit - look who visited us the other morning.


We had taken our tea and toast out to the little grove of trees behind our house - and up the hill from our neighbor's yard comes this handsome fella. This is not a zoom photo - this is actually how close he came to me - after a bit I was a little concerned that he wanted some tea and toast - but he turned and walked off behind our house to find something else to look at.



That same morning I found these cute little mushrooms in the yard. I don't know that much about mushrooms so I didn't pick any - though a friend told me there were not poisonous ones in our area - I'd rather hear that from an authority I think - just in case. They certainly were cute.

A good day - for sure - with a little hand quilting in the grove after tea and toast.