A Civil War finish and my garden Gnome

My garden Gnome holding up my finished top

I finished my version of a Civil War sampler commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War from Barbara Brackman's Civil War Blog in 2011.  I call it "Succession to Emancipation" because it starts out with the seven sisters block representing the seven states that originally succeeded from the Union and Emancipation because I have little ladies all around the quilt with different skin colors representing freedom for all races.

I did many more blocks and even bought the book here that has more block patterns but this is the way the quilt top  ended up.  And now it is #19 in the 'Big Top' closet downstairs.  Although I'm in the process of putting a quilt on the frames and there is one in the hoop so there are actually only 17 quilt tops waiting in the closet.  17 sounds so much better than 19, don't you think?

Bonnie Hunter's Mystery QAL is starting next Friday.  It is so fun to participate in these QALs.  It is called On Ringo Lake and requires aqua, coral, chocolate brown, and neutrals.  I don't have enough of either aqua or coral  and prefer using something I already have.  I do have some fabric that I  collected to make a watermelon quilt.  I think I could substitute the green for the aqua and the red for the coral - using black instead of brown.

I would call it On Ringo Lake Eating Watermelon - ha!

I'm still thinking about it.

I am continuing to big stitch the baby quilt.  This project is taking longer than I expected.  I work on it almost every day and thought it would be done before Thanksgiving.  Sigh. . . 

My hands are so dry.  The skin on my thumb cracked last night.  It's from quilting and doing dishes (I've been cooking up a bunch ahead in preparation for next Thursday).  The turkey, stuffing and broth for gravy are all in the freezer to be thawed next week and then heated through.  I bought a roaster oven.  I've been married 44 yrs. and had never used one.  It is really slick.  I think it will get a lot of use when I'm planning big dinners because it is an extra oven.  It even cooks pies (so it says).

Just thought you might enjoy seeing my real live garden Gnome.  He is planting tulip bulbs.

It's actually DH getting the yard ready for winter.

We got snow yesterday.  You can see a little of it in the first picture with the quilt top.  It was a great day to stay indoors and sew - thus the finished top.

I'm linking up with Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching.

Thanks for checkin' in,
Robin

as of today in South Jordan Utah

The gold berries really pop out but they mimic a gold tree that is a few blocks away.

You know, it seems like I have a needle in my hand every day but when it comes time to show my progress it is pitifully slow.

I finished the block above for the Roseville Album Quilt.  I've been stitching a block a month and even a panel a month sometimes.  This block took me 2 months to finish.  It must have been late summer.  It always catches me unawares. . .

This looks very wrinkled but it show the true colors of the piece.  I'll press it when I'm done.

I didn't finish my cross stitch project by  Halloween but I'm still plugging away at it.  It's just so relaxing in the evenings.  And it's a project that no longer has a deadline so I can work leisurely.  I changed the pattern of orange in the pumpkin.  Here is a picture of the pattern cover so you can compare.

I also changed some of the leaf colors.  I am planning on making the house a deep blue shade instead of the mustard and chartreuse of the original.

I'm in the process of making a baby quilt.  It's from a kit I bought in Wisconsin in 2014.  I remember it being a lot cuter. . .

I'm big stitching in red with outlines around the figures and just a X in the neutral spaces.  It is crib size.  The backing is the same red as the border and it will have prairie points around the outside.

Sunflower backing

  I finished up the "Yellowstone" quilt  (see here) and gave it to my grandson yesterday.  His birthday is today and he is 11 yrs. old.  It will make a great camp blanket.

I'm putting the binding on the charm quilt (above and below) that's been waiting for months.  I used some 6 1/2" strips that I had in a drawer so that the binding would be varied like the center of the quilt.  I'll get another picture when it's all done that will show it better.

My husband and I wound some grape vines around a frame that he made to form a tree.  I want to flock it and add some white lights for outside decorating.  I found some snow at Michaels and sprayed a little on the front.  But, it's the kind of snow you spray through a stencil on the window, not flocking snow.  I'm at a loss as to where I can buy a can of flocking spray.  Lowes and Home Depot don't have any.  I can buy some online but I'd like to support my local stores so the search is on.

An amusing thing happened the other day.  I have these dala horses from Sweden that my brother sent home when he was on his mission in the 70's.  I keep them high on a dividing wall between my living room and dining area.  They never get direct sunlight.

I was sitting on the couch in the living room and noticed this shadow up on the chandelier.  How curious.

What had happened is that the light shining from my backdoor on to my kitchen counter top was reflecting up on the horses

You can see the two shafts of light from my very reflective counter top forming shadows on the ceiling of the other room.

This happened once before but it was the reflection off of my son's truck windshield through the open garage door .  The light went through the window in the garage then through my round window at the corner of the entry forming a shadow on the opposite wall.  (Were you able to follow that?)  I think these horses are enchanted somehow~

Sometimes it can be discouraging to see what others have accomplished and I'm still working on the same projects.  And then, a friend of mine was looking at my blog for the first time and exclaimed, "Do you quilt every day?"

I'd like to.

Robin