My heart is singing...

Doesn't it just make your heart sing when you see one of your sewing projects 

featured on someone else's blog?

Allyson at The Quilted Castle loved my idea of my message board.

She was featuring Moda's Mama Said Sew by Sweetwater fabrics.

My  friend Christa emailed me that she had seen my 
Charmed Message Board on The Quilted Castle blog.

Well to my surprise...this is what Allyson wrote.

Last but not least we found a sweet little Charmed Message Board pattern.  I love this idea! They made this one using a Mama Said Sew Charm Pack and some yardage, along with a fat quarter of chalk cloth. This recipe is listed as a “120-Minute Gift” – so easy, affordable and quick! Perfect combo for a handmade gift idea.

Yes my heart is singing. 

Look what is on the shelves at Crazyquiltgirl Fabric Shop!

If you love the Ghastlies by Alexander Henry

you can find 29 of the Ghastlie fabrics...including the new Christmas prints

at Crazyquiltgirl Fabric Shop.

 

This one is called A Ghastlie Holiday in the Blood Red color.

It also comes in Smoke, Mauve, and Green colors.

This is just the coolest print....It is selling fast!!

It is the perfect fabric for the Wicked Blog Hop.

Wicked Wendy is on her broom!!

I'll be flying on my broom with all the other blog hoppers

October 22 - 31!

This will be the last blog posting for my September's giveaway.

I will post the winner tomorrow.

see you on Tuesday October 1st.

happy stitching

Some finishes for the week and an almost finish...

This framed 9 patch just needs the binding stitched down.

I've made a two sided binding and 

it will be another donation quilt.

All the prints are florals.

 We took a quick trip to Canada last Saturday and returned Monday evening.

Our youngest Granddaughter turned 6...
and there was a surprise birthday party for her.
Today our oldest Granddaughter turns 11...

The time, when, visiting the grandones always goes too fast...
they always try to get us to stay for one more sleepover.
While travelling to Canada, about 4 hours each way,
I am stitching or knitting...

and resting my eyes occasionally.

This trip I knit 2 scarves for Mamaspark...

...it is an easy project to knit in the car while travelling.

I had 4 Tammy bags that needed the purse frames sewn on...

I stitched one of them in the car.

So far I've made 3 of the aqua and pink

2 with the breast cancer fabric...love the daisies

2 with the cat and mouse fabric...they are sEw cute!

In total I've completed 10...luv these bags.

Wednesday DH and I made another batch of pasta sauce...

a smaller batch and probably the best batch this year.

Each batch tastes different....there is no real recipe.

There are lots of tomates, red ones and yellows in this batch

onions, a large zucchini, celery, sweet orange peppers,

garlic, a hot pepper, fresh parsley and basil

salt, fresh ground black pepper and a little sugar.

We taste it many times before we think it is 'delicious'...

...it simmers at least 4 hours and usually much longer.

...before 

and after... 

 I also made a pot of cream of broccoli soup...yummy!!

This was lunch on Wednesday and it was sEw good...delicious!!
Toasted BLT's and cream of broccoli soup
with cheese and croutons.

just a few more days for the giveaway...see previous posts

I'm linking up with crazy mom quilts 'Finish it up Friday'.

till next time
happy stitching

The last couple of weeks I've been doing a lot of this...

If you haven't heard

Bird Brain Designs is having a Redwork Challenge...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've also been working on a Honeysweet project...

making lots of these...

and I'm still canning tomatoes...

last Thursday was the day DH and I made a large pot of chili sauce...with peaches.

...a reminder of my

September giveaway.

 I have a hand embroidered designs by Michelle Ridgway to giveaway.

In 4 more days...

I will pick the winner on September 30th from all comments on my 

September blog postings.

The more postings you comment on in September ...

the more chances you have to win. 

till next time

have a wonderful day!

Happy stitching

Finishes this week...

...I'm linking up with Amanda Jean at crazy mom quilts.

...finish #1

a Tammy Bag made with 6" handles
 and two more that will be exactly the same that I hope to finish next week.

...finish #2

another Tammy Bag, 
and I have  a second one with the same pink ribbon fabric just waiting for the handle.

If you are interested in making a Tammy Bag you can get the pattern from

Madam Samm...it's in her Craftsy Shop.
Check out Madam Samm's Pinterest page of Tammy Bags.
I just luv my wee gingham bear...hand made and signed by the bear artist.
She is jointed and stands only 3-1/4" tall. 

...my 3rd finish is made from orphan blocks made into a quilt top.

A 'mystery' person placed the quilt top on the Safe House table in hopes 

that someone would take it home ...quilt, bind and label it.
It is ready to take to the Greater Ann Arbor Quilt Guild meeting on September 21st.

The 'mystery' person who stitched the blocks together was very creative...
I have another one to quilt but it will be for the November meeting.

I also made my last batch of hamburger relish.

...a reminder of my

September giveaway.

 I have another hand embroidered designs by Michelle Ridgway to giveaway.

I will pick the winner September 30th from all comments on my 

September blog postings.

The more postings you comment on in September ...

the more chances you have to win. 

till next time and 

happy stitching

The calender says September but the thermometer says July

...yesterday it reached 97 F/37 C, today it is already 91 F/33 C

by Friday it is suppose to be 64F/18 C.

I prefer the cooler days but I'm sure my tomatoes will love the heat wave...

the heat makes for sweeter tomatoes.

I hope we do not get the severe storms they are predicting this evening for SE Michigan .

Don't you just love sunflowers...I do.

On Saturday I went to the Plymouth Fall Festival with my friend Christa.

...we walked from her house...about a mile or so

...dodged the rain drops and took shelter under the trees.

There was lots of tempting foods and we visited the arts and craft booths.

I was disappointed...not many 'true' craft booths

...but there were 'home party'  booths, like ...Pampered Chef...

a spice party hostess trying to book a party...not sure the name of the company.

I must check the definition of the word 'craft'.

The best part of the day was spending time with a friend!!

On Sunday...DH and I went to Greenfield Village at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn MI.

It was the perfect weather...not as hot as it was last year.

DH was busy snapping pictures...here are a few

While sitting on the bench listening to the Village Strings Group I noticed one of the ladies...

the one in the long white skirt had a quilted hexie bag hanging from her 'Dulcimer'.

This quilted bag protected her 'hammers'.

I sat on the bench listening to the music for 15, 20 minutes while DH took pictures

and spoke to the husband of one of the musicians.  

It was a fun day.

DH's first video attempt with his phone.

I have been sewing, really I have, I will share with you soon.

till next time and 

happy stitching

Here we go again....

...Friday we froze peaches...enough to make 4 peach crisps this winter

 and another patch of pasta sauce.

My canning pot is huge...18 quart size

it's filled with chopped tomatoes...red and yellow ones

sweet onions

celery

orange peppers

shredded zucchini

fresh parsley

garlic chives

and fresh basil

everything mixed and cooking for 1/2 hour...

simmering for 3 hours...

looking good...I pureed it a bit,  not too much

and simmered it for another few hours.

From start to finish...about 8 hours

and 10 jars of sauce to eat this winter.

My friend Christa came over for dinner and a Friday night of sewing.

We had pasta with some of the pasta sauce mixed with ground beef

and a garden salad for dinner

with peach cobbler dessert...it was sooo good!!

Sorry...no picture, I know I should have taken a picture before we ate...

I'm sure no one wants to see a picture of my leftovers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...a reminder of my

September giveaway.

 I have another hand embroidered designs by Michelle Ridgway to giveaway.

I will pick the winner September 30th from all comments on my 

blog postings from the month of September.

I'm hoping this will make me post more...

...sorry I know I have been very quiet in blogland.

The more postings you comment on in September ...

the more chances you have to win. 

One comment per posting per person.

till next time and 

happy stitching

Finally I've posted my winners and...

where has the summer gone...
...the months are flying by and I don't know where August went.

It's been a blur.  
DH has been retired for 5 months already.  
I have always planted and looked after the garden but  
this year he has been the 'farmer' and has done a great job. 
I don't think he will admit it but I think he is enjoying tending the garden...
...not too many weeds.
A few pictures...

We planted 3 grape tomato plants and we had lots come up from seed in the spring.
We thinned them out and ended up with 6 plants and way too many grape tomatoes
for us to eat.  

We had a hail storm early summer when the tomatoes were very small...you can see 

the marks on them but we still had a great crop.  The hail damaged the cucumbers too,

the cucumbers didn't do all that great.

We have had our share of animals feasting on the tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

I planted 2 hot pepper plants and either a raccoon, a bunny or a squirrel 

decided to try this hot pepper.  Not sure why he didn't finish the bite!!

I think it was the squirrel...I've heard they like garden produce especially peppers.

I've made 30 jars of pasta sauce and 10 jars of hamburger relish....it is so delicious.
I would like to make another batch of the hamburger relish
and some chili sauce with peaches before the tomatoes come to and end.
DH has been helping with the canning, I sure do appreciate his help.

We have been procrastinating about getting the house ready to sell.
We have given ourselves 1 more year maximum to be settled back in Canada. 
Our green card is good until April 2016 but we will be back in Canada by 
September 2014...that is our end date.  

Another thing I have neglected to do was pick my HO HO HO winners.
First a hugh thank you to everyone who left me such sweet comments...
I do miss all the fun projects, QALs and blog hops.
I promise, I will be back commenting on blogs again soon.

...and now for the winners

Winner #1 is #17 Jeanie
Winner #2 is #62 Suze

I have sent them their emails.

I have 2 more hand embroidered designs by Michelle Ridgway to giveaway.

I will pick another winner September 30th from all comments on my 
blog postings in the month of September.
I'm hoping this will make me post more...
...sorry I know I have been very quiet in blogland.

 My sewing machine has been busy...
working on a few projects with deadlines...
some pictures soon!!

I will draw the last winner October 31st.

till next time and 
happy stitching