Saturday's So and Sew

Did everyone have a good time at Heidi's Friday Night Sew In?  It was a great idea and inspired me to pick up the needle and thread and work on a project that has been sitting, and sitting, and sitting.  I made some great progress and am actually glad that I now have more drive to finish it up.  It was ...........

                                          

A Christmas stocking.  As you can see, I still have some work to do on it, but it is definitely getting there.

The past week I have been spending a lot of time at the sewing machine and loving every minute of it.  I took the patched border off of my Twelve Days of Christmas quilt and replaced it with a solid border.  It looks so much better (I think).  I got that one quilted and bound....another project done for the Joy in the New Year Challenge.

                                  

I also got my Schnibbles quilt pieced and ready for quilting.  I tried doing it in autumn colors since I figure to have it finished this weekend and ready to display next week.  It is still autumn....right????  The way time is flying past, I am never sure these days.

                             

There were certainly a lot of HST in this little project.  Deary me!!!!!

Then I worked on several items for the grandchildren's school auction.  One of the biggest selling items each year has always been the 18" doll uniform that matches what the girls wear.  The school kindly donates an old and torn uniform and I transform it into something usable again.  This year I made two.  The bidding got so fierce last year that I ended up making two and they got the money for both which was agreeable to both bidders.

                                              

Then I made a small Nativity hanging with the machine embroidery.

                                                

I signed up for six completed projects for the challenge and I have completed five of them.  I have another quilt that I want to finish up and I would also like to get my Fall Swap quilt done soon.  Whew....it feels so good to check all of these off the list.  That will definitely bring JOY to my life.

The weather has been delightful this week.  I know we need the rain, but I love working in the yard when it is so warm and pleasant.  I decided to establish a morel mushroom patch.  I grew up eating and loving them, but I refuse to pay $27/lb. for them at the store.  I ordered my spores and then went to visit a friend of mine who lives up in a canyon near here.  Her property is covered with oak trees and I needed some of that for mulch.  We enjoyed lunch together and then went to collect my mulch.  This is what we encountered as we rounded the corner of her garage. 

                               

They were not a bit afraid of us either.  Needless to say, she is a frustrated gardener.  My flowers, on the other hand have no threat from deer.  The roses have been gorgeous and continue to give me vases full of flowers.

                              

My Nosegay quilt came back home this week.  I had dropped it off this summer at my cousin's next farm neighbor, an Amish woman, to do the hand quilting.  She did the most amazing job on the quilting.  I do hope that the pictures show her perfect work.  The fabric that I used in the nosegays was fabric from my grandmother's stash, which I inherited.  The green fabric was only 36" wide and I feel so lucky to have been able to use it and now to have it quilted.

                                             

                                             

Other things that have gone on this week was a little bread baking.  My sister has been wanting to learn how to make bread and the sweet gal who helps my mother in the daytime also wanted to learn.  So bread making it was............

                                           

Delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So....that has been my week.  I am trying to stay out of trouble and keep healthy.  I read about so much sickness out there and I feel so bad for those that have gotten this junk.  The bug sounds dreadful, but I did hear that the cases have decreased this week.  Yeah!