Package from Yorkshire

Today’s THE DAY ! !

Came home and there it was ! !  
A package from Lyn!

I won her giveaway and have been anticipating the arrival of her package.

Here’s what I found
- -
brim full of goodies.

Lyn’s note card shows picturesque scenes from her part of the country.
Really, a lovely looking area.

Oh, where do I begin ? ? ? ?
Which goodie should be first?
hmmmm -  -  -  -

so many to choose from

Okay, I’ll go according to size from smallest to largest. 
Sounds sensible to me.

I do believe it’s the Union Jack

Next

Looks like Lyn wants me to feel at home should I do the tourist bit ! !

This little book is to acquaint me with Yorkshire.  Short little articles/comments about the place and the people.
One comment that particularly caught my attention was this one regarding Yorkshire Pudding
- - - - - - -
Interesting

I made and served this dish for years before I learned it’s name. 
Now some of you Yorkshire Pudding lovers may cringe when I tell you we usually served it with yogurt and syrup. 
I told you you’d cringe.
Everything I know about it is summed up here
V

Some weeks ago I was reading Lyn’s posts when she posted about making Button Hearts 
Oh, my heart skipped a beat or so. 
I fell in Love with them. 
So Dainty, so Cheerful.
You can imagine my surprize when I opened the next gift to find  .  .  . 
One of Lyn’s Button Hearts
FOR ME ! ! ! ! !
I’m in love 

  

The caption on the next gift ‘In bloom all year . . . . ‘
caught my attention. 
Gee, if it was in bloom all year long I’m sure hoping it made it through the mails .

  

Ohhh, my!  It’s a Gerbera Flower just like the one I saw on
Lyn's Everyday Life Emporium

How did you know, Lyn?
You made mine
in MY COLORS

Thoughtful Lyn even included a neat book to inspire me to do more needlework. 
A great book with instructions for stitch after stitch and idea upon idea. 
Right now it’s bedside so that it’ll be the last I read before dreaming.

 

 
The illustrations are gorgeous.

 

   
To make certain I’d not forget my nightly inspirations,
Lyn sent along this jazzy journal and pen so 
I can record them.

   

These are the very wonderful giveaway surprizes from Lyn to me.
Ah-Ha ! ! !  

You’re correct, there is one more goodie.

I kept this one for last, not only because it was the largest in size - remember I opened them according to size from little to BIG.
Are you Ready??????

Here it is.
Can you read the tag?
Hmm, whatever could this be???????


Taaaa Daaaaa ! ! ! ! !

Some may recognize her.
It’s Renee ! ! !
Look how lovely Lyn has
painted her portrait.
Oh, Lyn, you’ve made her so beautiful.
I love, love, love how you’ve painted her.


Lyn, Thank You from the bottom of my Heart.


I am so lucky to have met some many wonderful, generous, creative, talented, lovely people since I began blogging.

Love and Hugs to each and everyone of you,
Gerry

I know this was a very long post, thanks for sticking with me.
Love ya.

Damselfly, etc.

Isn't she beautiful?
She's just lit on this flower and is deciding if she likes it here.
I sure hope she does because Marie created her just for me.
Marie's giveaway was such fun.


My sanity is slowly returning as my Trash Stash disappears.
Now I can see the end along with a pile of finished placemats.


In the meantime,
 here's a glimpse into my dressing room

No Strings Attached & 20 Minutes A Day

This is what I've been doing for my two challenges to help eliminate my TRASH STASH ! ! 

Baby Ripple

Here's BABY RIPPLE, don't you agree it is lovely ! ! !

DH and I picked the yarn and the color [what else beside pinks would do?] and I set to work crocheting, crocheting and then, crocheting some more.

It ended up be 36" x 40"

Wasn't too certain how to finish the edge until I picked up my old standby [there are some that think it's publishing date of 1959 makes it OLD, OLD]

Found what I was looking for on page 18:

Ahh, a Shell Stitch Edge.

What fun ! ! !

My very first ripple blanket completed.

Certainly is a Lucy-style ripple blanket if I ever saw one.   Please, take a moment to drop in for a visit with Lucy and leave her a comment.

Why it's a box covered with hearts!

Just the right box for:

A Gift-From-Our-Hearts

topped off with a pink bow.

Ready for a girly-girl.

Vintage Ladies

A while back I made a couple of pillows using patterns take from 

Ladies of Leisure - Vintage Quilts - Linens & More!

The book was published by Design Originals.

Suzanne McNeill 2003

After transferring the pattern and embroidering I colored with Crayola Crayons.  

Just the regular school box crayons.

Using a hot iron and parchment paper [to keep the crayon wax off my pressboard] they were heat set.

Here they are!

How 'bout her nose.

I adore each of these two gals and smile every time I pass by.

Knit Nite

About a dozen of us showed up last night to have a wonderful couple of hours to compare, exchange and show off just about any kind of fiber creation we could imagine.

Blogs were part of the discussion.   I think we're in agreement that blogs are here to stay and are an excellent way to explore all the possibilities of fiber creation.

Fer sure, with the weather still in it's winter mode we put our knitted hats, scarfs and sox to good use.  Brrr ! ! ! 

Here's what I'm hoping to win when Sandy picks the winner in her Giveaway [me!].

  521 Lake Street

Sandy sez:

"Cath Kidston Labels and Stickers, a journal with a lot of fun pages, and a lovely box of stationery…..So here is what you need to do to win this fun group of lovelies:"
Better get over to Sandy's blog !

An Unusual Quilt

And lucky for us it is offered in a very generous Giveaway at
   Lila Tueller Designs 
Lila says, "This quilt was made from my newest line of fabric out called "Eden". It's a really fun, textural flouncy thing that I have talked myself into parting with as the GRAND PRIZE for this contest!"
This Giveaway began Saturday the 20th.


My 20-Minutes-A-Day Challenge is a big factor in the number of placemats I'm finishing.  And my pile of Junk Stash is disappearing.
The No Strings Attach Challenge is a big factor also.  I knew I'd get around to using all those strips one day.  Well, that day is upon me.
I think placemat number sixteen has been completed.  Have already given six away.
My QAWM* project is on the wall being considered.  Have a couple of idea suggestions that I'm mulling.
Also finished Baby Ripple and wrapped and ready to go.

Busy Saturday

Today was busy.

First thing this morning was our monthly Thimbleberries Club.

This month's program was 'Color Theory' given by a member of our local quilt guild.  Great presentation.  Can never get enough color theory.

Daughter Debbie finished a quilt top using Scout T-shirts acquired during the years of Ryan's scouting.  Sashed with Boy Scout themed fabric.

After lunch at the bbq [pulled chicken and pulled pork]

Deb and I sorted out a project we began more than eighteen months ago.  At least we now have a plan of attack for our next 'quilt day' together.

I have the body of my QAWM* quilt together.  After a number of trials I decided on this configuration.

Have no idea what to border it with other than beginning with a narrow yellow - then ????

Will leave it up on the wall for a while for an inspiration.

Now, it's time for cookies ! 

All Wound Up

Spent the afternoon in wonderful company.  

We gave the yarn ball winder a good workout.  Must have wound a dozen balls.  

All I had to do was make sure no knots got pasted me, easy peasy.

Got the job done.

You can see my QAWM* on the table.  

Finished cutting and just laid them out on the table.  

Think I'll put up a design wall in this room so that I can see 'em for a while before any piecing is started.  

Lots better on the wall than on the table, a different perspective.  

New Blogger

Found a new blog from the group of the No Strings Attached Challenge.

Mayleen

hasn't been blogging for long and is already providing us an opportunity to win one of her string projects.  Plus ! ! !  ? ? ? ?

If you want to know more just click the link. 

Quilt Guild Goodies

Our Quilt Guild does have the best Treaters and Greeters.
Here's a sampling of what we were offered at last night's monthly meeting.
There was way more than this, but I want to show you what caught my eye.


Wasn't able to put in any time at 'creating' yesterday and plan to make up for it today.


My motto for this week:
Make Progress ! ! ! 

QAWM* on the wall

QAWM*
Finally got a set of blocks up on the wall.  Will do some cutting tomorrow.
I'm certainly using up my string stash.  These are more to my liking than those blah TB blocks. The block I thought would really work what with using three values - lite, med., and dk.  Looks ok as a blah tablerunner.
Anyway, I've made headway.

Time to relax now.
Bought a copy of(apron-ology)
 I picked it up this evening at B&N.  
Boy, was that place busy.  
Lots of customers and many of them families.  
What a place to take the family on a Saturday evening.


Ah, my feet are up and a cup of cocoa and cookie at my elbow.

Southern California Snow

Sure it snows in sunny Southern California !

My brother sent me photos of the snow

they have received during the last storm that came through his area.

He and my s-i-l live in the mountains in the San Bernardino Mountains between Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear Lake at an elevation of over 7,000 feet.

This is the view of the neighbor's cabin.

Yep, that hump of snow is the cabin.  It is completely hidden by the snow.

The building at the left is my brother's garage - it looks like it has three to four feet of snow on it - this is after the roof has been cleared off once.

The house on the right is his house.

His has had to shovel the snow off there also. He says the snow is between SIX TO TEN FEET !

Below is the view out his bathroom window.  The bottom of the window is eight feet above ground level.

They've been lucky so far and have been without power only once and that was for only eighteen hours.
They do have a generator.
Talk about cabin fever.

QAWM and the rest of the Challenges, and Knit Hats to boot

Here's my first QAWM project.

Pathetic isn't it.  Just does not do it for me.   Makes a great table runner, but no ZING, that's fer sure.

Not one to be thwarted, by this afternoon I will have a project with some ZING

You can just bet Thimbleberries will not be featured ! ! 

Anyway - - - - -

Here's a couple of knit hats worthy of the weather.  I know my pal DJ got her hat pattern off Ravelry, but am not certain where AMW got her pattern.  AM, where'd you find your pattern?

So here they are toasty as can be.

Okay, enough chit-chat I'm off to start the day  - - -

hope to do

20-Minutes-A-Day

with

No Strings Attached

and end up with a GREAT beginning of a QAWM ! ! 

Followers, Commenters, Subscribers

I want to thank you all for reading my blog.

Thank you to those who have become Follow-ers

Thank you to those who have let me know what you think when you read what I have to say.

Thank you to those who have Subscribed and keep up on my latest post.

You all make a difference.

I attempt to respond to every Comment because I want you to know how much I appreciate you remarks.

Most of my Follow-ers I know who you are and I attempt to visit your blogs and leave a Comment now and then just to let you know I am reading your posts.

However there are a couple of Follow-ers  who have no blogs listed - Heather Stanley, Siobhan Toner, Mrs. Treasure Field, Michelle Comeau and Myrna Ayscue - thank you for Follow-ing.

YOU

are

MY VALENTINES.

Fininshed Scrap Strings Projects

I've been working at eliminating ALL my leftovers, still.

The pile is shrinking.

And, my stack of String Placemats/Tabletoppers is growing

Here are six more.

The Thimbleberries scraps are mine,

the colorful are a mix of mine and given to me.

Fat Quarters that need to be gone were used on the reverse.

These mats are quilt-as-you-go and have triple stitching at edge and trimmed with rotary cutter with pinking blade.

Just when I thought I was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, I found another bag of scraps.  I peeked inside and it looks as though it's all Floral.

So, right after we have lunch 

[home today for a change as there is a bit of snow and ice out there and we did put on a Chuck Roast yesterday] That new-found bag of scraps will tumble out on the table and perhaps there will be no usable pieces.  [fingers-crossed]

Double Dealing

This is what I've been working on.  Between sorting, straightening and organizing it seems as though the time spent on the actual sewing/constructing was nothing at all.

I picked through the two stashes, the one given to me and my own stash.  Came up with enough of a choice to come up with these.

Some quick, simple table/place mats.  Utilitarian, yet something to brighten my day.

If one side isn't pleasing, just flip the thing over and there's a whole different attitude.

See, what I mean

Used leftover string strips {No Strings Attached Challenge}
and odd-ball FQs
AND
created at least 20-Minutes-A-Day
Now it's off to my Thimbleberries Stash.


Hope to do a triple play by
creating 20-Minutes-A-Day
using Strings
AND 
participating in Melody's QAWM*