Pockets, Pockets, Oh Dear More Pockets

Somebody (Mr. New Honey) figured out that if I could sew I could make pockets.

Little does he know that I can make pockets - but I don't sew on knits.

Well, I got my ballpoint needle and set to making 10 pockets on t-shirts.

Really?  Can't we just go buy pocket Tees? 

I put my quilt making skills to use and cut out double pockets, so I could sew the top hem as one continuous line.

And then cut apart.  

Yes!!  I love me some time saving techniques.

I didn't have any troubles getting all 10 pockets sewn and Mr New Honey was quite pleased.

So I can't complain. (Or can I?)

And this past weekend was the same as all my summertime weekends. 

Family over for pool and BBQ.

I really love having a pool.  And to think I didn't even want Mark to put it in.  

This is my mother's swing (glider? Rocker?) that she had in her yard. I brought to my house last year. She had told me that she would go out in her yard, sit, read her bible and pray.

I was missing her last week. I looked out and saw birds all over it.  They had not done this before. Well, not that I have ever seen before. 

 My mother loved birds.  Well many of us do.  Do you see them all over the seat too?  They are so cute.

Happy Stitching,

Linda

Mr.Hedgehog & Silly Cows

I've been working on my little Hedgehog.

I think I'm almost done.

 I think he needs one more quill added above his eye. And Serena thinks he needs his quills lengthen at the bottom up towards his eyes.  

What's your opinion?  

And what should I do with this? (It is on a 5 inch square.)  I feel like a have to make it into something or my New Honey will think know I'm a nut.  

Also I put my stove grates in bags with ammonia for several days.

I only did two at a time.  I wasn't planning on leaving them that long but I didn't have time to mess with them.

They turned out so nice!  I only had to rinse them!

I love when things magically clean themselves! 

And lastly, here a picture of my family dressed as cows for Cow Day

at Chick-fil-a.

We do this every year. So silly, but we have so much fun.   

So enough about me.  What's new with you?

Happy Stitching,

Linda

And the winner of the most done this month goes to...

Someone else - not me.  Hahaha

Oh so my New Honey asked me....What are you making the hedgehog for?  
Me:  Nothing
New Honey, perplexed by previous answer: What are you going to to with it?
Me:  I don't know, maybe nothing.
New Honey, shakes head not understanding.


It's hard to break in a new honey. Hahaha

I don't know what I'll do with the Hedgehog - but someday it will be just the right piece for just the right project.

I have finished up the quilting on the place mats.

 I did quilting around the flowers.

(These are in process pictures.)

 As I worked on them, I could tell my free-motion quilting was easier and smoother by the 3rd place mat.  Hmmm....that's probably why they say to practice before starting a new project.

At any rate - I really do love this clear quilting foot I bought.  It was easy to put on, even though it's been a long, long time since I originally used it.

I used a ruler to get it just the right height.

I used to be such a doer.  I would come home swim, make dinner, clean a little, then sew and just be so productive.  Now... Nothing - Zip.

I probably need a new project. Right?

My daughter sent this to me - I thought you might enjoy it.

Happy Stitching,
Linda

Plans A, B & Finally C

I had this pile of batting and I thought I could piece it together for Serena's quilt.

I measured her quilt.

And then my biggest piece of batting.

Hmmm... the rest of my pieces are really very small.

So on to plan B.  (We quilters always seem to have a plan B.)

My batting is folded in half - so there is plenty for this quilt. 

And as important as my little girl (and making her quilt ) is to me. I think this quilt will be a lot of fun. I like that there are different blocks with various shapes. It makes it easier and funner (I like that word funner) to quilt.

Those three dogs at the top of the quilt represent my own dogs.  I took the time to make them rat terriers - made sure the spots and colors matched my own little fur babies.  

It's been a while since I've freemotioned.  So I'll start with my place mats.

I bought the fabric in Hawaii and I've been using them for a couple years, but they need more quilting.  

Check out these lovely threads. So actually this is Plan C.  

 Plan C's are better. Right?

What I have been doing instead of quilting is coming home and making dinner - cleaning up and then sitting and watching TV with my new Honey.  Of course, I'll tire of that and start sewing more - but not yet I'm still in the honeymoon stage.

Happy Stitching,

Linda

Finally, after months

of wedding, moving and cleaning, I have time to think about sewing and crafting.

It sort of sneaks in here and there. Usually right before I fall asleep.  Just a little thought about colors, blocks or a quilting design.

Before I went to China I gathered up a couple fabrics and threads. I found this cutest little container at Joann's.  Little enough to go in my suitcase or purse. 

 I thought I could work on this while on the bus tour.  I asked my daughter to outline a hedgehog for my youngest girl. (I got the idea from someone on pinterest - I want to give credit where it is due - but I don't know her name and can't find the pin again.)

I only did the nose while on the trip.  Hahaha

But last night I actually felt relaxed enough to work on it.
Didn't get far but that's okay. 

So far he looks a little silly. 
Of course if I said he was a she, then she's looking fine.

In other crafty news - check this out. 
I was waiting for my friend at the restaurant and this image was on the ketchup bottle. I couldn't believe I could do this.

This is my first attempt - all without lifting my pen.
Okay - we can say she not fine - rather homely - but at least the proportions are fairly correct.

Happy Stitching, 
Non-sewing Linda

Just in case you were wondering - Yes, we did it.

We got married!

We had only family at the wedding which worked out wonderfully.
I had one sister to the photography, another do the flowers, and had my little 
granddaughter, Lily as the flower girl.  She was SO EXCITED to have such a fun and important job.  She danced all the way back to her seat. 

I loved the way our wedding cake turned out.  (I saw something similar on Pinterest and did hire someone to make it.)
My daughters and I did the arbor and I think it turned out nicely.

It was Bruce's desire to have a big BBQ after our ceremony.  My backyard was the perfect place.  (Now it's "our" backyard.)  Bruce knew that I wouldn't want to leave that pool in the summer time and stay in his house. So his is up for sale

We had a wonderful honeymoon at the beach. 

We went back to the place that Bruce proposed to me.

Walked along the wooden pier - I just love wooden piers. 

 
 There's just something about sitting, soaking up the warmth and watching the waves.

We also spent some of our honeymoon time doing this

I had an over crowded house.  My garage was stuffed with furniture, boxes, tools anything and everything you could think of.  Then Bruce had his three bedroom house to combine with mine. 

The only answer..

We had the BIGGEST sale. My three car garage was PACKED!

Sold tons of stuff, gave away tons of stuff and then called out Salvation Army to take the rest.

Now my garage is almost empty.

Most of the house had been reorganized. 
It feels so good to not have that burden of "stuff" anymore.

By the way Bruce is the real organizer.  I used to be pretty good, but over the years have lost the ability.  Although I never would have held a candle to him.

Our plan is to continue working on it Saturday.

So no sewing for me for a while,

In the meanwhile, I'll just enjoy the projects I see you working on.

Linda

Doodling for Freemotion Quilting

I was quite taken with Lori Kennedy of The Inbox Jaunt's

 post about quilted scenes from a story book. 

She challenged her self to quilt one each day.

Check out her post here - she is so good.

I thought that was a great idea - but since I have this wedding coming up soon, I thought I would practice with doodling with a pen and paper first.

Now I know this is not a great drawing - but I'm so surprised that at my first attempt to draw without lifting my pen (as it would be if I was stitching on my sewing machine) that the rooster looks like a rooster!  And that the body and the head are on the same page!

I also wanted to practice doing the date without lifting my pen, as I often quilt the date on my quilts 

I hope to challenge myself to draw (doodle each day) until I get back from my honeymoon and I start quilting again.  

Only nine more days until the wedding - and the forecast is rain. 

I'm not going to worry about that just yet.

Linda - the Bride to Be