Mini Quilt Parade

Hello!


I loved doing the Schnibbles every month and have tried to work on the mini quilts and projects, but never seem to get them done by the first....until today!  I love this little quilt -- I think I will make some more for Spring time gifts,  it is a cute table topper or wall hanging.   

Will try to post more often!  Lots of exciting things going on here!

Happy Stitches
Dorothy 

Our Beloved Patches

On July 29 Patches lost her battle with T-Cell Lymphoma.    

Here is the tribute my husband and I wrote for her that was on facebook : 

It is with great sadness that we have to tell you we lost our precious Patches to cancer today. We would like to thank all the caring people who helped bring Patches into our lives. If you never believed in love at first sight, you would if you had met Patches. See was quick to give love and happy to receive it. She was such a good girl and a joy to have. She excelled at her obedience school as well her agility and nose work classes. Patches loved to travel and we took her almost everywhere we went. From the hot sunny beaches of Texas to the bone chilling blizzards of Illinois she loved them both. She got to lay in the grass and enjoy the view of the mighty Mississippi. Then stopped by to see if the American Pickers were around. Her favorite trip was when she got her picture taken at the Gates of Graceland and sampled some of the best barbeque Memphis had to offer.

Patches didn't get to go to as many places as we would have liked. But the most important place she did go was straight to our hearts It is there that she will remain forever.

It has been a month and I am still heartbroken and miss her terribly.

Dorothy

Not Good News

Good Morning!

After my last post I really thought I could do a better job of blogging...  then we had a bad day....  Our Sweet Patches seemed to be breathing odd... so we took her to the emergency vet on Sunday June 28th and they said her chest cavity was full of fluids, so they had to keep her to drain it   -- Monday the call came in that she has T-Cell Lymphoma -- she is just 21 months old!   This doesn't even strike dogs til they are 8 - 9 years old and not even usually found in dalmatians -- so we opted to bring  her home.  She came home June 30th and it doing ok.

Long term is not good, they estimate she will be with us about 4 weeks.  We are just heartbroken.

On a better note, I did promised a picture of my latest completed UFO -- here it is  -- it is about 17 years old and was a round robin that was done from an internet group.
 

Back to tending to my sick girl

Happy Stitches
Dorothy

Catching up!

Hello!!

Wow the last post I did was APRIL... time flies!

Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

Here is a little recap of what we have done the past 2 months -- hung out in Belllevue Iowa in April -- there is Poochie and Patches over looking the mighty  Mississippi 

 I was wondering about a new name for my Pickin and sewing business It seems like everyone has a cute name.....well Introducing Patches N Pickens -- now everyone thinks Patches if for Patches our dalmatian -- it could be but I thought Patches of fabric in my quilted items! and of course Pickens from  my picked items.
Found some old wood and made this sign for my booth.  Speaking of my booth -- under my name sign is 2 pictures from the Pec Thing -- lots of neat things that I created from other peoples trash!   Love it!

 

Then this brings it to this weekend...Strawberry Picking!  I used to go with my mom and our neighbor Rose all the time as a kid and loved it.  SO this weekend I told Dear Hubby we were going to go ..... went today and only picked 6 containers --  Here is about 13 pounds of strawberries!   It was a great day for picking.  I will definetly do this every year.  I loved it as a kid and still love it. 

 And this afternoon so fat from 1/2 of the berries I picked I have 10 pints of strawberry jam and 7 pints of strawberry rhubarb jam.   And tomorrow after work I will be using up the rest of the berries.  These will be some nice Christmas gifts and I love homemade jam in the winter,  Just reminds me of the summer day I picked the berries..

Speaking of picking.....I went to an estate sale of a quilter and I got this 20+ yards of fabric and 8 books for $2 -- it was fill a bag day.   Unbelievable I am so happy -- I can make lots of things with this and I also got batting for $1 -- such a nice deal .  Love when you save money on things you actually use!

Well that is about it for now.  I have to take a picture of my latest UFO I completed. this month and of my Farm Girl Vintage blocks I am working on.  Hopefully this week I can update all of that!

Happy Stitches!
Dorothy   

String Bean Challenge take 2

Just had to make a second link for my quilt.   Enjoy the string quilts

Happy Stitches!
Dorothy

Pat Sloan String Bean Challenge

Hello!
Pat Sloan offered a Challenge to her followers on Facebook, it was called the String Bean Challenge.  The top one is Quilting Moms quilt - she used Pat Sloans Batiks.  I looks so tropical  -- Love it!

Here is mine -- I used a floral designed by Pat  -- still need to put on my borders, but I love this -- want to get this done for this summer. 

 

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stitches
Dorothy

Quilt Show

Happy Sunday!

Yesterday my group went to a quilt show and it was very  inspiring!  Here are just a few of my favorite quilts.  The red really pops on this one.  And I would have never thought to put red in a a pink and gray quilt.

I just love 30's quilts.
 

This one is really  neat a 30's of course!  It is a 9 patch in a round setting.  Very interesting.  

 This one just made me smile -- the cow is from many different fabrics, really fun!

This was just one block -- and it is 3 Dimensional -- I just thought it was very sweet.

The 2 quilts above are Quilting Mom and Me  (she is in the green me in the pink)  We challenged ourselves last month to make the Pat Sloan String Bean Quilt -- Mine is the first one and I still need a border.  Hers is done,  Don't you just love to see the same quilt in different fabric, both are nice and so different.

Poochie has been taking alot of selfies lately so here is her latest.  I thought you would enjoy to see her!!      

Of course Patches has to get involved too so here is picture of my girls! 

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy Stitches! 

Dorothy

April 1st Schnibble Parade

Good Morning!

Spring has finally arrived in Northern Illinois.   The weather yesterday was wonderful, this past weekend was cold and gloomy winters last blast I  think.   I did get several things done in March   I use my scraps from the receiving blanket, bib and burp cloth sets and made this flannel baby quilt.
   

I had an order for a pink and grey with some yellow baby quilt and this was a new pattern I picked up.  Really like the way it turned out.  Have a second one almost done.  It does together very quick and I love the big squares for the focus fabric.
  

 Picked up a jelly roll super cheap on sale and made this quick modern type table runner - I have lots more of the jelly roll so I will make several more runners for upcoming shows.
  

And drumroll please..... Here is my Schnibles of the month --- it was the Sampler Pattern - I had great plans to get all 13 blocks done, but I only got 5 done -- lots more in the progress so I will have have to see project I will make with the extra pieces    I love the Hexie shape I have a perfect table for this so I will quilt and bind this week.

Dear Hubby had his knee surgery and is doing so much better,  Poochie was taken into the vet on an emergency type situation - ended up to be a very simple fix she had gotten one of her food kibble stuck in her gum vet got it out and she is now on soft food -- then 5 days after that event she was playing with the neighbor dog and then that dog decided to attack her and luckily we got them seperated in the nick of time -  both she and I were shook up but she was fine  - not sure where the fight came from they were great  buddies last summer and the few times they saw each other this winter.   
Patches is in agility training and doing very well.

Well that is all for today.  See me waving...Thanks for stopping by

Happy Stitches!
Dorothy 

Wristlets, Wristlets and more Wristlets!

Hello!

How have you been?   Can't believe it is March already!!!   Time is flying this year.  Dear Hubby has a torn meniscus and is having surgery on Friday -- so things have been a little hectic around here with Dr appointments and such.

I have been sewing alot --I went on a retreat and we played Left Right Center and we used charms  - red - white - black or any combo.  I had printed this project from Moda Bake shop      
http://www.modabakeshop.com/2011/04/strippy-charm-pouch.html
It is so easy -- after the game I made this dalmatian wristlet -- Perfect for me.

Since I have been home I have been making them like crazy - I have made over a dozen - love this orange and green -- so much like spring - it just makes you feel happy!

Then I have a slight obsession with cupcakes and have some fabric - wih cupcakes on it -- here is one of the ones I made. 

And of course if Spring is around the corner -- baseball season is getting closer -- here is my Cubs Wristlet perfect for a day at Wrigley.

Went to Goodwill the other day -- I got a lot of stuff to repurpose - this is one perfect Watermelon basket I got for

 

$1.99!   What a bargain!     Can't wait to put it out this summer.

Well Summer is a little far away still -- here are some pictures of the girls last week.  Yes my friends summer is a long way off.  Snow is still on the ground and more is coming tonight.    

Patches and Poochie enjoying a little winter fun -- we were playing ball. 

Thanks for stopping by  - I Promise to blog a little more often!

Happy Stitches!
Dorothy

Goodwill Shopping

Hello!

I have been doing a little shopping at Goodwell lately and found some great things!  Some of my pictures won't load onto my blog so I will have to try again -- I found a great kids rocker that I can repaint and a metal aqua colander.  And I did get this wood box that I am going to make into a planter -- I think I will repaint it a fun color and plant some petunia in it --  Always nice to think of Spring on a cold winter day.
  

I have been buying the girls their toys at the the pet store and then my friend suggested I get some stuffed animals at Goodwill for 50 cents each -- that sure beats $7  - $10 each!   I got Poochie a great green parrot she takes it everywhere and loves to hide it on Patches! 

Patches got a cute reindeer as you can see she is a bit rougher than Poochie and she has some of the stuffing out of it already -- not to worry I have a bag of stuffed toys in the closet  -- I spent a few bucks and got a big bag full.

I have done a little sewing I finished this snowman table topper -- it was a Quick Quilt Saturday project.  I want to

make several more for shows next year.  So I better get moving!

Thanks for stopping by!   What have you been up too?

Happy Stitches!
Dorothy

Happy New Year 2015!

Good Morning!

Happy New Year!  I can't believe it is already Jan 5th!    I was off work for the past 17 days -- it was wonderful!  Spent time in my sewing room, playing with my girls and even took a trip with Dear Hubby to Memphis, had wonderful barbeque and went to see Graceland.  

Now this morning I wake up at 4:30 and it is below zero  ARGGG   -- but I just wanted to say Happy New Year and show a few pictures.

Patches Christmas morning with her  new bone!  

Patches with her tug toy from Kendra over at Stone house Primitives.  

Poochie with her new toy on Christmas morning -- she is such a happy girl!
  

Now on to Quilting 2015 -- so many people are selecting their "word" for the year -- Mine is going to  be SIMPLIFY -- I have gotten out of some Yahoo Quilting groups -- I love them but there is just way too many emails to go thru and I could better spend my time sewing.    I was also going to do a BOM at the LQS but after I cleaned up my sewing room - I realized I have plenty to work on - so I am going to do Pat Sloans BOM free on line and here is Block 1.  I am going to us up some of my pink and brown fabrics.
  

I will also continue in the Scnibbles group and Small project group -- and I am in a Quick Quilt projects on Facebook -- but I have cut out a few things so I feel I am doing good!  
I am determined to finish at least 12 UFO's this year -- in face this weekend I quilted up 6 small UFO's not really able to count them all -- since some are just blocks I am converted to table squares -- but I am at least moving them into the finished pile.   I will work on binding them this week as I watch TV at night

Well I need to get ready for work -- have a great day!

Happy Stitches
Dorothy