Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Hitting the Fabric Jackpot


It was sitting on my counter when I arrived home!
My box from Connecting Threads
full of yummy fabrics at pennies on the dollar.
I hit their Pink Sale for Valentines Day
plus a few of their clearance fabrics.
All this, 15 different fabrics,
with 14 of them at 1/2 yard and one is a full yard,
for a mere $29, fantastic in my book.
I made use of their Get5Back code that discounted
my order by $5.00, or enough to fully cover my shipping.

I also hit a half price sale just before Christmas
so now I have oodles of fabric to play with.
 You don't always get an entire collection when you wait
for their clearance sales but you can come up with some 
really fantastic deals, especially when they offer 
free shipping or a coupon code.

There are lots of free patterns/projects to choose from
and even a kit builder where you choose your fabric,
put in onto a pattern and they will make up a kit for you.
What fun!

What are your favorite On-Line fabric stores?
I  have a couple local quilt shops that I always purchase from
but when I can add to the stash at a great price, 
I will take advantage of the opportunity
and I know I can trust Connecting Threads.
Great customer service,
Ability to track your package,
fast regular delivery -and I don't expedite shipping.

Monday, January 28, 2013

Woodland Finds



Whatever could have caused this?
This is a solid rock with deep crevices in it, 
perhaps carved from water runoff over the years?
My husband and granddaughter say 
dinosaur print!
I think it's Big Foot !
Crazily enough, Google Earth used to report Big Foot sightings
and someone reported one right in our valley.
Personally, I think it was our hairy construction worker friend
scratching his back on a tree in the dark. LOL


Then, what's this?
A opossum paw print, perfectly made in the moss? 


What a shaggy tree-
one of our many shag bark hickory trees.
I wonder why the bark does this?


How about this tree root with rocks wedged inside.
Beautiful patterns.


Last but not least --
I really want to know what these two plants are.
It grows everywhere, even though snow,
so I am wondering if it would be a potential food source?
Any guesses?

The things you can find during a walk in the woods!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Woodland Cats


We took advantage between freezes,
Mother Nature's little hint of Spring
with a sunny Saturday-
just before the midnight icing.
I found some time to take a walk 
around the property to see what there was to see.

I spied some catnip, still growing beneath the rosebush.
Somebody was very happy about it!
See the little green leaf by Gimp's ear?


Gimps got her name when, as a kitten, she fell off the woodpile
and was gimpy for a few days.
It sort of stuck.


Spot came along for the walk.
He's the tough guy- loves the females but you'd better not be a tomcat!
Our other male keeps his distance.


Lizzie sleeping in her potato bin in the garage.


Rumbles wondering why I am taking a photo of her.


Specks

Currently, we have
  1. Lizzie- Grey tabby.  Deaf and lives in the garage, hates other cats, loves people.
  2. Rumbles- lives in a woodpile, gentle and tortoise shell colored.
  3. Gimps- sweet, scared of everyone but me. Lives in the garage with Lizzie but keeps her distance.
  4. Spot- black and white, thinks he is my baby but aggressive towards male cats
  5. Specks- short for specter.  She is tortoise shell, loves people, drools on you when she's happy
  6. Sugar Bear- male, tabby.  Loves my husband and I.  Husband can never remember the cat's name.  No photo, he doesn't care to have his picture taken.
None of them are inside cats.  After 30 years we are cat free indoors and it's helped my husband's migraines.  I can't have any more in the house but desperately want a kitty condo (I call it a cat house but get strange looks from people).  I want to try making one from pallets, but I need help with the tools--if some nice husband will help me make one!
Please?


Main Blog:

Linking to Feline Friday



Wednesday, January 2, 2013

A Wild Turkey Sort of Day





It was a wild turkey sort of day.
No, not that Wild Turkey, the birds!
I sort of scared the little guys
as you can see from the flapping wings.


They mill about, 
hanging out with the chickens
and hoping to get a bit of grain here and there.
I've gotten pretty good at calling them
using a Baak, Baak noise, very clipped
almost like a pop.
I don't know if they think I'm a turkey,
or a chicken but either way
they seem interested.


Our chicks think it's ok too,
gives them something to look at.
We have two groups that visit:
One is all male, all gobblers.
The other group of about 13 or so is a mix.


They have a particular path.
They start over at the neighbor's place
walk across the street and down by the garden
then circle round the back of our house
and up to the chicks.

Then they either continue on through the brush piles
or wander downhill scratching around in the leaves.

Then, in Spring,
when a young turkey's fancy turns to love,
the guys go into a beautiful full display, 
dancing and strutting around the gals, 
gobbling here and there.
I hope to get some photos to share later in the year.








BOM Progress




This was copied from my 
which is probably where it should be 
since it's quilt related- however- now it's on both.

Block of the Month- Amish with a Twist
using fabric from Marcus Brothers 
designed by Judie Rothermel.
This week it will be block 9 and maybe 10
depending on how my quilt shop structures it.
( quilt photo credit on Sew Susie Q site link.)

You pay for the pattern up front
then each month you get the fabric for that block free
and whichever installment of the pattern you are on
This one is broken down into several installments.

It's a basic quilt but I've never done a black quilt before.
Once we have completed the 12 main blocks 
you can choose to purchase the finishing kit
plus she is having an applique class for the border.
There will be an optional border if you don't like applique.

I'll see if I want to complete it or not when the time comes.
But for now, I'm just practicing blocks and meeting up with 
the quilters each month to see what everyone has made.
I see optional background fabrics on the Marcus Brothers BOM site 
that might be interesting plus an Amish with a Twist II
that is much more intricate.