PUDDIN' N PIE IS HAVE A HUGE GIVEAWAY!!

Georgie over at Puddin' n Pie blog is having a huge giveaway of all kinds of goodies to celebrate her mom's birthday. It is real easy to join in the fun and help them celebrate!! The giveaway ends at 5pm Nashville Tennessee time on Tuesday January 31, 2012.
 You still have plenty of time to enter.  There are papers, trims, stamps, stamping accessories, lace, yarn, just all kinds of stuff. 

This is pic of some of the goodies included and NO the cat is NOT included with the goodies. LOL
Here is a link and you can go check it all out and sign up for a chance.  http://georgie-hornpuddinnpie.blogspot.com/2012/01/january-huge-giveaway-what-do-you-have.html 

Just a note about our recent weather. We did great at our house.  My brother lives just a half a mile from a lot of the major damage in the Clay and Trussville area of Alabama.  Lots and lots of damage out there.  They all need any prayers you can send their way.  Lots of folks are hurting. 
Ya'll have a blessed weekend. 
Mary

TAST TAKE A STITCH TUESDAY ~ THE BUTTONHOLE STITCH ~ WEEK 2

I have spent the last week on 'the great hunt'!  The fabric page I showed you last week has disappeared.  I mean it is in 'Mary's Land of the Lost' ~ that is what my mother used to call things that I was using, working on, working with, wanting to work on, etc., etc. that just disappeared!!  As long as I can remember I have lost things. Sometimes I find them fairly soon, sometimes it is weeks, months, years, and sometimes NEVER.
I photographed the page right here on my computer desk. (something I have NEVER done before). I thought it would make it easy ~ I was going to crop it anyway, after all it was a sheet of fabrics (moire and batiste) 15 inches by 8 inches.  Not a scrap of fabic easily lost (LOL) ~ anyway that is what I thought!!!  Gone ~ I can not find hide nor hair as the old saying goes.  Just gone!!  In my mind I can remember taking the pics and then my mind just goes blank. Nada ~ nothing ~ no image in my mind of what I did next !!!! I started looking for it just a couple of hours later when the new stitch was posted on Pin Tangle. I was going to be so good this time and do the new stitch right away and get that behind me so I could work on my piece for the CRAZY QUILT JOURNAL PROJECT.  I was NOT going to wait til the last minute. No sir! I was going to turn over a new leaf for this year and NOT WAIT TIL THE LAST MINUTE.  Oh well, best laid plans of mice and man. 
So here I am with a whole new page and I am starting over. Here is my rendition of the buttonhole stitch.  Like I said last week I am really rusty on forming my stitches, but !!! I have been doing -some a little practice. 

So here it is ~  not much to write home about.  But it will improve ~ can't go anywhere but better.  Now if I could remember how to keep from sticking my finger with these needles ~ I don't remember them being so SHARP!!!  Oh well atleast I haven't gotten blood on the fabric !!!
Til next week ~ May God shed his Blessings on all of you!
Mary

A QUILT HOP AND ONLINE QUILT SHOW ~ PIGTALES AND QUILTS PLUS UPDATE ON MATT

Yesterday a nice lady commented on my last blog entry and suggested I check out her blog and a quilt show she is hosting.  I did. Wow is it going to be something !!  Here is the link http://www.pigtalesandquilts.com/2011/12/calling-all-crazy-quilters-are-you.html  There is going to be a link party, show quilting, voting and a fantastic selection of gifts. Even if the only thing concerning 'crazy quilting' you like is just to look at the finished pieces, it would be worth your time. I am going to go thru my own work and see if I can get a couple of pieces finished for the judging. Thearica also has an ETSY shop with lots of vintage embellishments for crazy quilters and mixed media artists.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/GoCrazyWithMe   She just opened her ETSY shop in Dec 2011 and it would be worth the time to visit and check out the buttons, lace, pins  and charms for sale.
Now I have to get back to work and stitch, stitch, stitch !!


Also, Say a prayer for my nephew Matt that got hurt in Dec while working on the North Slope in Alaska. They are sending him from Anchorage to Denver for 3 months of rehab. Hopefully, he will walk out of the Denver rehab and not need a wheelchair. Your prayers are gratefully appreciated.

God's Blessing to all you !!
Mary

TAST TAKE A STITCH TUESDAY ~ THE FLY STITCH

Well, finally here is my first project finished for 2012. It seems that everytime I start something all kinds of problems loom on my horizon.  But you know what?? I found out how RUSTY my stitching is.  I am glad I signed up for TAST and the CRAZY QUILT PRODJECT JOURNAL for 2012.  I need practice.
OK, here is the link to TAST and the first stitch. http://www.pintangle.com/journal/2012/1/3/take-a-stitch-tuesday-week-1.html   Just follow the comments to see what everyone else did with the 'fly stitch'.  This is fun. I am going to make my own stitch book.  If you didn't join the group but like to use embroidery stitches in any of your work, take the time to visit and refresh your memory about the stitches.  You will also see some great variations and uses of the FLY STITCH. Here is my contribution to the TAST.

My viariations  are (in case you can't figure out what I was trying to do LOL) a yellow flower part (don't ask which one), 3 champagne glasses with bubbles, and pine needles ~ all made with the trusty and useful 'fly stitch'. Here is a link to more pics from the TAST site:http://www.pintangle.com/journal/2012/1/9/tast-week-1-highlights.html 

I love the turkey. Never ever thought about that one. I also liked the swirl feather one too. I don't think my fingers would behave long enough to get such evenly balanced stitches.

Please go and visit these folks and see the beautiful hand work they have done.

God's Blessings to all of you!

Mary

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND A FINAL LOOK AT CHRISTMAS 2011

Hope each of you had a safe New Years Eve!!  Don and I hit the thrift store to check it out.  I haven't been out much this past week, been very under the weather. Actually thought I might be coming down with flu for a while. Ached all over and all I wanted to do was go to bed.  Flu never did develope (thank you Lord).
  We didn't do a whole lot of decorating for Christmas but I thought I would share some pics before we pack every thing up til next year.

This is a little tree (3 1/2 feet) I picked up at a yard sale a bunch of years ago.  It is sitting on a very old trunk I found at a thrift store, the large bottom tree skirt I traded 2 aprons to an elderly lady at a craft show atleast 20 yrs ago.
I couldn't resist the cat (Aunt Mary gave it to Mother when she was in the hospital one time). Weighs a ton but is so very life like.

We decorated the mantle with odds and ends, a string of lights and some cedar cut from a tree in the yard. It smelled so good.  Don bought the 3 wise men in the center to go one the mantle. They are really beautiful.

I guess that is about all.  Got to get ready for church.  I can't wait to get started on Crazy Quilt Journal Project. I have been visiting each of the blogs on the participant list just to get to know them.  I have seen some really beautiful stitching.  It is going to be a challenge to keep up with these folks.  It will also be fun.  I will keep you posted.

Happy New Year to each of you.

God's Blessings on each of you.

Mary