Giving Thanks

I'm thankful for many things, first and foremost that I'm still moving forward on this lovely life journey with my one and only husband.

There are loads of reasons to be thankful in 2024; both gains and losses count. We've both shed quite a few pounds, which gave us a healthier life. The frig and pantry are no longer stuffed with sugary snacks, so our grocery budget is lower as well. Closets are cleaned out, too large clothing donated, and new skinny sizes added. YAY!

Home improvements are in process around here. Planning and working together on projects has always been fun and we're still learning new skills. These changes provide us the opportunity to get rid of lots of unnecessary stuff. Paring down is a challenge, given our vast collections of hobby gear, but we are working on it. Prioritizing what we want and what we need is key.

I'm thankful that the two of us don't really have to consider what others think, say, or do. We're certainly old enough to decide for ourselves how we spend our time and what's right for us. Letting go of the expectations of others gives us peace of mind.

A simple, comfortable, happy home has always been our goal. Putting things in perspective has allowed us to experience less stress, less worry, and less drama. Old habits can be hard to break but this year's fresh starts have been invigorating. Less is more, and I'm thankful for it! 

We're moving forward...

Midnight Glow

Midnight Glow

Navy and gold batik fabrics are always a beautiful combination, and especially so in this week's quilt.

The block is very curvy, made with Blue Wren's Friendship Circles 8” die. It's their version of a vintage design of the same name. I had to piece and press carefully to keep from stretching the edges. It was worth the extra time to create this beauty!

I chose a red-violet color blender from the navy batik for the center pieces, a narrow border and binding. It creates a nice contrast, along with the creamy yellow corners. Midnight Glow is 48” square. I arranged the layout and drew the block in Electric Quilt 8.

Light gold thread was used to quilt around each ring with a walking foot. I added diagonal stitching across the blocks, then three parallel lines on the navy borders.

When I first got the die, I sewed a few test blocks to practice. I made these into a 16” pillow cover. You can see that color choice and placement create different looks. I started quilting in the center and sewed a continuous spiral with gray thread. I named the pillow design Soft & Sweet.

I may take a break from curves for a bit, but I'll definitely sew this one again. I have already designed another for scraps.

Blue Wren dies used:
6301 Friendship Circles 8”
6015 1½” strip

Accuquilt dies used:
55017 2½” strip
55032 3½” strip

To find peace, 

sometimes you have to be willing 

to lose communication 

with people, places, and things 

that create the noise in your life. 

Seaside Carnival

As soon as I got my latest Accuquilt die (on sale!) I grabbed some scraps and started cutting. Bright turquoise and sunny yellow colors with crisp white are perfect for contrast to show off this pretty design. They remind me so much of my favorite place, the beach.

I sewed four Hattie's Choice (55220) 9" blocks together and added a coordinating striped border to make a cute table mat. These pieces are small, but easy to sew. Backing is bright yellow with white dots. I quilted with white thread 3/4” apart from the center out, in quarter sections, creating a nice geometric pattern. Seaside Carnival is 21” square.

I already have several more ideas sketched out that use this die but they may have to wait...this one made me hear the beach calling. I'm headed there 'cause I need sea therapy and toes in the sand.  There will be plenty of inspiration for new quilts, a couple of fabric stores to visit, and lots of fresh seafood.

This Thanksgiving week I am grateful for being able to live the simple life that I love, surrounded by those who genuinely care for me. I'm glad I learned to let go of things, people, and situations that don't bring me peace and happiness.

🌟  Count your blessings! 🌟 

Peaceful Stacks

Last week vintage, this week modern! 

I like to switch between styles because it keeps my ideas fresh. Variety stimulates and challenges my creative brain.  At least, that's my best theory...could be that I'm just spastic and can't stay focused.  

Half hexagons fit together easily with two triangles to form rows. Quick to cut and sew, Peaceful Stacks is 34” x 39” finished size. Cool ocean colors of blue-gray batiks and dots are combined with an aqua chambray background.  I quilted with aqua thread in a decorative stitch across the horizontal seams, adding a straight stitch between rows.  

Accuquilt dies used: 55437 half hexagon and 55429 equilateral triangle

Dream

in colors

borrowed

from the sea

Catching Up

On Friday, we came home from camping, and are still catching up. I'm thankful that we left before the holiday because Dale Hollow Dam Campground was beginning to fill with barking dogs, screeching kids, and rowdy people. 

I like it much better when it is a quiet shady retreat populated with old folks like us. We're done for the summer; happily abandoning campgrounds so that families with kids can enjoy them.

Obey River: Dale Hollow Dam Campground

Our weekend was spent doing laundry, yard work, and unloading the Sabre. It's nice to settle into our regular routine, although I do enjoy taking a break now and then for impromptu adventures. 

Some much needed quilting time is ahead for me, beginning today. My backlog of projects has grown since I sewed more blocks and designed five new quilts on this trip.

Whether you're catching up, taking a break, or staying with your routines, have a meaningful Memorial Day!

Blooms For Mother's Day

These gorgeous flowers always bloom in May, and they remind me so much of my mama, Sam.  Jerold's mama also loved flowers, so every Mother's Day we bought them pretty hanging baskets for their porch and patio. A spring and summer of colorful blooms brought them more joy than a couple of days of expensive flowers in a vase!

Sam liked digging flowers nearly as much as she liked fishing. She'd stop by the side of the road to get a wildflower and never, ever passed up a plant sale. She generously shared cuttings and bulbs that I still enjoy today. Quite a few of them came from her mother's flower garden, especially the iris. I often gave Sam pots of perennials, which we planted together in her yard. I hate that I didn't get to dig up any of those daylilies and ferns before her house was sold.

Apparently my love of flowers must be genetic; I have an old fashioned rose that came from my great grandmother and a blooming shrub from my granny. 

This Mother's Day, I'm buying hanging pots for myself, and planting a few perennials in memory of the women in my life who passed on their passion for flowers and digging in the dirt.

Flowers...

are sunshine,

food,

and medicine

for the soul.

~Luther Burbank

Moondance

“Well, it's a marvelous night

for a moondance”

~ Van Morrison

What better way to remember the amazing supermoon than a quilted table mat? I used the 6” AccuQuilt circle die to easily cut the moons, then appliqued them onto swirling black and grey 9” squares. Keeping the fabric flat and ravel free was easy: I used iron on interfacing before cutting out the circles. For quilting, I double outlined each circle in grey. This 35” square would look great on a wall as well.

Moondance

January started out cold and frosty, so we have mostly stayed in. Mornings and evenings by the gas stove are relaxing and cozy. On the days we had to get out, I was thankful for heated seats in my Escape. 

Of course, we don't have to worry too much about getting cold around this house. 

I happen to have one or two extra quilts lying around.

Twilight Stars

Twilight Stars

The friendship star block is a fairly easy one, made up of squares and half square triangles. Purple, true blue, and navy batiks with light gray centers show up beautifully against a sky blue background. This 40” x 52” size would be a nice crib or lap quilt. I sewed the top in August and finally quilted Twilight Stars on Saturday.

I put together a little bonus quilt from the scraps, called Grapesicle. I used my new equilateral triangle die to quickly cut pieces, so the front was done in a day. 

Backing is pieced in random strips of pink, purple, and gray, set in two rows. I stitched along the triangles for an overall diamond pattern and bound it with a gray stripe. It measures 22” x 26” and coordinates with the grape walls in my sewing room.

✦✦✦✦

“I just want the simple things. I want to lay on a blanket at twilight and look at the stars. I want to breathe deeply, then exhale out negativity. And I know it is within my power to do just that. So I did. I left crazy drama behind to walk straight toward simplicity and peace. I've never been happier.” – Author Unknown 

 

Rainy Monday List

What to do on a rainy Monday? 

✓  Sleep late 

     (thankful to be retired)

✓  Enjoy hot coffee and a good book

✓   SEW!

✓  Shop online

✓  Light housekeeping

✓  Make homemade soup 

     (I REALLY want brownies)

✓  Update blog

🌀🌀🌀🌀🌀

Some people feel the rain.

Others just get wet.

Break Time

Shady Green Spaces

Greenery is the popular color this year, but green has always been a favorite of mine. It reminds me of peaceful nature and the great outdoors.

Calming and refreshing shades of celadon, olive, pine, and moss are prevalent in this new wall hanging. I used 5” squares with 2½” x 5” rectangles, alternating green prints and batiks with light tan solids, set in a grid pattern. I finished it off by quilting with variegated thread in a triple serpentine stitch. 

 

I worked on this during a cold spell, thinking of spring days to come. Now in the middle of January the high will reach 70° today. I need to finish another quilt, but I think I'll open a window, then go outside for a walk.

❈❈❈

Those who find beauty

in all of nature

will find themselves

at one with life itself.

~L. W. Gilbert

 ❈❈❈

Three Christmas Wishes

PEACE

Wishing you the peace that comes from within -

the tranquil serenity found in moments of quiet reflection.

LOVE

Wishing that you experience pure love –

giving and receiving the warmth of affection

for yourself and others.

JOY

Wishing you the joy of living –

the ability to recognize and pause to experience

simple moments of bliss in daily life.

Christmas Sewing and a Cat Mat

I'm still spending lots of time in the sewing room, especially with the cold temps last week.  I made a few more Christmas table mats for the kitchen and got to use more of the fabulous stitches on my new machine. 

Callie Cat has a thing for fabric, too.  She likes to plop down on anything soft...a shirt, a quilt, a pillow, or any material you've left on a horizontal surface.  Even when I'm sewing, I'll turn around and she is laying on the very project I'm working on.  So I decided to sew up a cat mat of her very own.  The dots on the fabric are little cat faces.  I think she likes it.

The end of December is normally hectic and busy, but this year I'm trying to take it easy and concentrate on what's important.  I hope you all seek out your own peace and happiness this Christmas season.  

 

Balance

I've been taking things as they come for the past week. Alternating between paperwork and me time seems like the best way to manage right now. 

Thankfully, I have this lovely time of year to go out and enjoy a breath of fresh air.

Balance is not something you find,

it's something you create.

Solitude

Sometimes there is too much going on in life. Crazy politics, media frenzy over horrible news, rude people in crowded stores. Traffic jams, interruptions, distractions. It can be an assault on your senses.

Maybe it's time to turn off the noise. Put aside the to do lists. Sometimes the only thing that makes sense is to retreat and reflect. Sit alone in a quiet place and just be. Release worry and embrace calmness.

Escape for an hour or a day or a weekend. Take a break and enjoy solitude.

“This was my moment to look for the kind of healing and peace that can only come from solitude.” -Elizabeth Gilbert

Memorial Day 2016

The Simple Summer List

Here's to a summer of simple pleasures! The important things in life take time, so make an effort to slow down, simplify, and make this summer easy, breezy and fun.

Do the fun stuff: Go out for ice cream or a root beer float. Take in a movie at the drive-in. Escape into an interesting novel. Drink sweet tea, margaritas, or ice cold beer on your porch. Plan a road trip to explore someplace new. Count fireflies. Go to a dark spot and stargaze.

Lose the clutter: Less is better and easier to keep clean. Put away knick-knacks and heavy accessories for the uncluttered feel of a vacation retreat. Swap out dark colors for pure white, light sage, luscious melon, watery aqua, beachy blue, or pale gray.

Lighten up meals: Use the grill or crockpot often to keep the kitchen clean and cool. Seasonal veggies and fruits are plentiful and inexpensive for refreshing salads and side dishes.

Get back to basics: A simple summer wardrobe of lightweight pants, shorts, sundresses, tees, and camp shirts with sneakers or sandals will keep you cool and make laundry day easier. Leave the fussy hairstyles and heavy makeup behind.

Forget multitasking: Immerse yourself in each activity. Observe your surroundings and become aware of your senses. Experience life fully. Don't plan every minute; live on island time and let each day unfold to see where it takes you.

“Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair...”

~ Susan Polis Schutz

“Summer, after all, is a time when wonderful things can happen to quiet people. For those few months, you’re not required to be who everyone thinks you are...”

~ Deb Coletti 

 

Eight Campground Observations

Spending a couple of weeks at a Tennessee campground is definitely an experience. It is mostly enjoyable, with lazy days spent taking walks, reading, grilling, and exploring the surrounding area. You can learn a lot about yourself and others by people watching.  After camping at least 10 weeks a year for the past four years, I offer the following observations:

1. Campgrounds are really dog parks with humans along merely to serve as caretakers for the animals. This past weekend I counted more dogs than people. Hasn't anyone heard of boarding or pet sitters? I've seen one cat and one pig, but I'm expecting any time to encounter a pet monkey. 
    
2. There are a LOT of inconsiderate people out there. They ignore rules like quiet hours and checkout times. They don't keep track of their kids. They tromp across others' campsites. They burn plastic in their campfires. Some blatantly let their dogs run loose even though they are required to be on leash at all times. 
    
3. Fortunately there are many more fun, friendly and interesting folks. They share travel stories, tell fish tales, respect privacy, and are a genuine pleasure to be around. 
    
4. There are three styles of campsites. The junky ones bring everything they own and scatter it all over the site like a city dump full of toys, appliances, gear, pet cages, trash, shoes, towels, seasonal decorations, extra vehicles, you name it. Minimalists bring things out as they need them, then immediately stow them away. Average sites have a rug, chairs, grill, lights, bikes, and a few bits of neatly arranged gear. 
    
5. On a row of campsites, odds are the one right next to yours will be occupied even if the others are empty. 
    
6. Watching kids fishing, laughing, playing, and roasting marshmallows brings a smile to nearly everyone. That being said, why bring squalling babies along on a camping trip? They don't get anything out of it, they annoy the people nearby, and it can't be much fun for mom.
    
7. There is always at least one person with questionable attire showing some body part in a way that could potentially strike you blind (or make you wish you were). 
    
8. It's Tennessee: the weather will change and the forecast may be inaccurate. It will probably rain at least one day.

I still love being here, though...it beats working by a long shot!

Contentment

 

con·tent·ment

 : the state of being mentally and physically satisfied with things just as they are

: peace of mind; satisfaction

: a happy or pleased feeling with one's circumstances

It is comforting to be at place in life where you know you can handle whatever comes along. You've cleared unnecessary things and exasperating people out of your path so that you can go your own way. That's contentment. 

 

Some people always strive to be somewhere else or someone else; they will never be truly content. You have to be comfortable with who you are before you can find your way to where you want to be. 

 

Happiness and satisfaction in life come from knowing you are where you belong. That doesn't mean you're stuck in one place, but that you trust yourself to go forward confidently and enjoy the journey.

“When you can think of yesterday without regret 

and tomorrow without fear, 

you are near contentment.” 

– unknown

“At some point you gotta let go, sit still, 

and let contentment come to you.” 

– Elizabeth Gilbert

Excellent Suggestion