My Latest Obsession

 My latest obsession is making these cute quilted bags!  I bought the pattern from Plains and Prairie. She has a video that shows you how to make these bags, step by step.  I've made these two, but as you can see in the pictures below.  I have plans to make at least three more. I used a throw size quilt I made just a few years ago.  We have so many small quilts I decided I would repurpose it for the bible bags. They were originally designed to hold your bible and church booklets, but I'm using mine as a purse.

Front view with zipper pocket

Back view

Front view of second bag

                                                            Back view of second bag

                                        I even made some inside pockets on the second bag.

I won't say they are easy to make, definitely a challenge, but something that can be made in a day.  I've had fun and hope to make a few more for some gifts/church auction donation.

That quilt with it's small (1") squares was a perfect one to make bags out of.

I really like this quilt pattern, I might just make this one again. I still have a ton of scraps to use in it.

Northern Lights

 I wanted to show what the Northern Lights looked like from our home, yes, our home in Tennessee! I've always wanted to see the Aurora Borealis but never thought I would.  But thanks to the solar storm that reached earth a few weeks ago, we were able to see the beautiful night sky of colors. This was the evening of May 10, 2024.  I could just barely see the colors with the naked eye. My iPhone captured the colors more vividly.

I wanted to add this one.  Not mine, but one someone took at Cade's Cove, a popular park near Townsend, TN.

Some of my local friends captured gorgeous photos!

Let's throw in this pic of my hair journey.  Two and a half years growing from a short pixie cut.

And a few of our special pup.  She loves to hold your hand while driving.

My two favorites......

And let's finish off this post with a quilt! I had a windowpane quilt in this same spot I made about 15 years ago. It had faded a lot so I decided to make up another.

 May 10, 2024

Jim and I made a quick overnight stay at Paducah, for their annual quilt show.  We saw lots of beautiful quilts, and had some great food, and some good shopping at Hancock fabrics.

The local Boy Scouts always have their strawberry short cakes with ice cream out with the food vendors at Paducah.  It was yummy!

On our way!

A close up of this prize winning quilt.  Amazing.

I've made one of these and I have the book by Colleen Wise, who showed this beauty.  I have made one like this before and love it.

A quilt like a rug!

Bible quilt.

I admired this quilter's work at least at one past quilt show. 

As I posted before I've been "refreshing" our bedroom.  We've had a time with mattresses and bed frames, but we FINALLY have it figured out.  Initially I bought memory foam mattress like we have on the other beds in the house and love, but....sleeping on it every night was a little different and not as firm as we are used to.  We bought the black metal bed, which I was really happy with.....until we sold the memory foam mattress and got a more firm 12" mattress from the local highschoool band fund raiser.  This mattress needs to be rotated every two weeks at first, and then every few months afterwards. Well, my husband is disabled and can't lift hardly anything. The two of us could not lift the mattress up over the footboard to rotate the bed. And the footboard was close to the mattress making it hard to make up in the mornings for both of us. So luckily I was able to sell the bed for almost what I paid for it, and then purchased a high (14") king, black metal frame, and a nicer, taller, black metal headboard.  Oh my, rotating the mattress is easy and I can do it by myself.  I love the frame, because like the other metal bed, it is 14" off the ground for some storage if needed, or even a place Puzzle, our golden retriever, can hide out in.  The headboard is perfect, the bed is so easy to make up, and I am finally happy with our bedroom!

So here's some pictures of where we started and where we are now.  You know, as we get older, we really have to make some adjustments to our living, for ease in our older age. This bed is light so I can switch out my rugs, but sturdy and stable, no squeaking! First up the bed I built a few years ago, SO HEAVY!

First replacement bed and mattress.  Like the bed height, and the look, but too hard to make up and rotate mattress.

Ok, this is the bed!  I'm in love with it. Perfect height (no box springs or foundation), easy to rotate without the footboard and easy to make up.

And my new little bench I made.  I friend who works at a local sawmill gave me the small live edge cedar board.  All I did was sand it down, apply a clear coat finish and screwed on some black metal amazon hair pin legs.  The bedroom is finished, and I couldn't be happier.

Next up is some painting I've done recently. I found a youtube by Studio Wildlife and watched it over and over trying to copy his work.  He tells how he makes the colors, the strokes, and the really cool bokeh background.  I love his use of light!

I took a photo I made from his youtube, printed it out and put a pencil grid on it.  After I finished the background I put the grid on my painting.  Brilliant idea, it is easier to copy what's in a square than try to do the whole thing first.

Another one. I loved doing this so much and plan to try to make some more.

Puzzle the dog got some goggles...She had a boating accident with Jim a few weeks ago and ended up losing an eye.  She fishes with Jim all the time and loves to go with him.  She moved to his back right about the time, he threw the rod back to make a cast, and the hook caught her in the eye.  The doctors were unable to save it. Jim was crushed over it and even slept in the floor the first two nights with her, to comfort her.  She has done great, is back on the boat. He is more careful, and she is in goggles.  Not all the time, but mostly when he runs the boat fast, and she doesn't mind them too much.

There's not been any quilting going on lately.  Our other project we finished this week, was a new epoxy type floor in our car garage and screened in porch.  This was a bucket list project I've been wanting to do for several years and planned on doing before I finally retire.  I'm not retired yet but decided to get it done.

I am very happy with the results.  Check out these before and afters.

Now, if we can keep these outdoor spaces this clean.

March 2024

 March has come and gone so quickly.  I have a few finishes to show. I loved the little orange and pink baby quilt I made earlier this year, so I made two more.  They are for a friend of mine. One for each of her two year-old grand babies. And yes, made from my scraps.

Then I finally finished this paper pieced one, pattern by Bonnie Hunter called Morning Glories.

The next happening at our home was the loss of our 15 year old kitty, Jesse Neutron. We are pretty sure his health degraded from the normal things that affect senior cats, heart disease, and kidney disease.

He had gone from his high of 14.5 pounds a few years ago to a skinny little 6.5 pounds.  He coughed, was obviously uncomfortable, and wouldn't eat.  By the time we took him to the vet for the euthanasia, he was severely dehydrated.  Yet, he still purred, jumped up on his stool to be brushed, and was still his sweet self.  It was very hard for both of us, but it was time. He was in pain. We gave this little stray a wonderful, full life, and he gave us much in return.

The vet office was super.  Send us a card, signed by the whole staff, and even prints of his paws and face.

I saw a cute little pattern online for my next baby quilt.  Finished it yesterday. It is for a young woman, who was my grandson's kindergarten teacher, who is having her first child, a girl, in a couple of months.  It was great to again, make a gift quilt out of my scraps. This one was quick too.

Springtime is time to change out to spring quilts, so I spent a little time doing that yesterday, for the beds in our upstairs guest room.

It's been such a beautiful week, I tackled the door project.  Our front door is fiberglass but has woodgrain look to it.  The stain that was put on when we built and moved it had faded a lot from the sun.  I was not sure about reapplying the gel stain myself, but it was very easy. I did that earlier in the week and applied the finish/protector on it yesterday.  Looks so good.  I had purchased several faux fern branches a few weeks ago at the At Home store. I buy ferns for our porch every year, but I'm a terrible plant person, so I don't take care of them like I should.  Not anymore, plant people, don't judge!  I think they look great.  The only issue is if we have a big wind, I"m not sure they will stay in the pots.  I have them stuck in florist blocks but not sure they will stay.

And today, the Easter Lily (given to us by friends) reminds me of the price my Savior paid for me. And today is Resurrection day!  So, so thankful for Easter.  If he didn't rise, there would be no salvation, no escape from a sinner's hell, no eternity with God and Jesus.  So very thankful.