Debord Falls, Frozen Head State Park, TN

Thanks for stopping by…

Composition in Growth

From seeds, to plants to radishes.  It’s a little too early for real radishes so had to use the seed packet instead.  Unfortunately, I can’t seem to leave a new post on the original site; what’s up with that?

Thanks for stopping by…

I am about a month behind but it took me that long to find a cog.  This was hanging on a post in my sister-in-laws backyard.  Can’t believe I actually had my camera.

cog

Thanks for stopping by…

I am behind on my Doodle Day and Today’s Title is… posts.  The most recent subject of Today’s Title is…Soft Comfort and here is my post.

Two super soft scarves

These two scarves provide me warmth and comfort when the weather is less than perfect.  The darker one was given to me as a gift a few years ago; the lighter one was knitted by yours truly.  It is the only one I have ever done although I enjoyed it and keep threatening to do another one.

The Doodle Day subject is…Dragons.  I have managed to get a tail on paper but haven’t gotten more than that.  I haven’t given up, just having trouble conjuring my pen to draw something that would be recognized as a dragon.

Ella's finished top, unquilted

I have finished the top of Ella’s quilt and now need to get it together and get it quilted before the end of May, actually the 24th of May, her first birthday.  This is where I get stumped.  I let a finished top sit around and languish as I try desperately to decide the best way to quilt it. I think I’m going to do CC in the small squares of monkey fabric, SID around the black/white squares and the larger orange squares.  Other than that, I have no idea.  If you are reading this and have suggestions, please leave a comment.  I need all the help I can get.

Bill and I spent a couple of days putting in a raised garden at his place.  It measures 5×10 which we may decide is too small but we can always add another one if necessary.  We haven’t planted the seeds yet but that is on the agenda for tomorrow.  We (actually, Bill did most of the manual labor while I raked the yard) cut off the sod (will be used elsewhere in the yard), tilled the dirt, added 8 bags of manure and potting soil with peat (bought 10, can always use it elsewhere).  Together we got the boards around the tilled area.  Bill added more bags of topsoil and got it all raked, ready to be planted.  We have been working steadily on the perennial gardens and it will be fun to grow some vegetables although neither of us really know what we are doing.

New raised garden, sod partially removed

Pile of sod removed from new vegetable garden

Borrowed rototiller

Bags of manure and potting soil

Bags tilled into garden area

Box in place around garden area

On a final note, Iam lucky enough to live only an hour or so from Keepsake Quilting.  What a wonderful store, with thousands of bolts of fabric.

Deb and I drove over Thursday afternoon, did some shopping, ate lunch in Meredith, NH and returned home by early evening.  It was a beautiful day to be along Lake Winnipesaukee.  I only spent a few dollars because I still have a freeze on discretionary spending.  I got two pieces of oriental fabric on sale for only $3.99, a piece of bee fabric and some Misty Fuse which I have been wanting to try.

I should post more often, maybe I wouldn’t be sooooo long winded.  Have a great day.

Thanks for stopping by…

I love decorating for the holidays; all the holidays.  For some of them, I have tons of odds and ends to put out while others have only one or two.  Easter is one of the celebrations for which I have plenty of decorations.  They range from rabbits and eggs to baskets, to chicks and candy dishes.  Of course, I can’t have candy dishes out without any candy.  That spells T R O U B L E.  I  can’t have candy out without eating a piece or two (or three, or four, you get the picture) every time I walk by.  It doesn’t matter how far out of the way I have to walk in order to “walk by” the candy dish.  It could be hanging from the ceiling and I would find a way to be near it as I pass through the house.

There is one Easter decoration that is my favorite.  It is my Jim Shore “Gathering Joy” basket.  Wendy gave it to me a couple of years ago when they took a trip to Texas and we were the dogsitters.

"Gathering Joy" Easter basket

This is an absolutely lovely basket with “The Cottontails” perched on top of a flower garland and five eggs decorated with quilt motifs.

Bunny and Peter Rabbit aka "The Cottontails"

Aren’t they just the cutest couple!

Basket detail

Five fabulous eggs

It’s my favorite not only because its beautiful but because it came from my beautiful, thoughtful daughter.

This week’s Doodle was paisley. I haven’t ever doodled a paisley but it was fun.  I liked the way it flowed off my pencil and I think I’ll do more of them.

Doodle Day...Paisley

I’m behind on Today’s Title is…I tried “bubbles” tonight but they were all blurry.  GRRR  That was last week’s title.  This week’s title is “slice of reality” for which I have an idea, I just have to get my camera outside when the liquid sunshine stops falling and I’m not at work.

We are leaving Thursday for a road trip to TN.  It is touted as being very retirement tax friendly, I have never been there and we want to scout out the area.  *fingers crossed* for good weather conducive to being outside.

oooh, last by not least…Greg called last night and told me that Ella has started pulling herself up.  Exciting!

Thanks for stopping by…

As a rule, I have a really difficult time NOT following directions.  I don’t consider myself “creative” either.  I decided to make a serious effort to change both of those characteristics.  First, I joined Project Improv which you can read about here.  It’s all about “quilting outside the lines”.  I have made two squares for the charity quilts and I have finished a small quilt top for my granddaughter.  I found it quite liberating and have posted about it previously so I apologize if you have read any of those earlier posts.

Somewhere I came across two blogs by Helen Suzanne.  The first one it called…”Today’s Title is…” which I have also posted about but you can read about it here.  Subsequent titles have been Indian Summer, Meeting of Opposites and Bubbles.

Today's Title is...Indian Summer

Today's Title is...Meeting of Opposites

The most recent blog by her is called…”Doodle Day“.  You can probably imagine what it is all about.  Again, she posts a subject and the idea is to doodle something, anything.  I don’t think I have much drawing talent but she encouraged me and said it’s not drawing, it’s doodling.  Luckily, the first subject was Daisy which worked well for me because most of the doodling I do includes these dumb flowers and I thought they could pass as daisies.

Daisy Doodle

The newest subject is dog but I haven’t had much luck doodling anything that looks even vaguely like a dog so I gave up and just doodled the word…dog.  It’s not great but the next time will be better.  At least, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Dog Doodle

The idea of all these different sites is to open my mind and attempt to be creative and not follow the rules.  Sometimes it’s a real struggle, working against the grain of being a follower.  However, I’m convinced that if I keep trying different ideas and techniques, feeling creative will start to become the norm and it will get easier and easier.

What about you, does creativity and spontaneity come natural for you or have you had to work on it?  Do you have any secrets that you want to share or maybe another site?   Please feel free to share what works for you.

Thanks for stopping by…

Last night while searching the internet I came across two blogs that both support and encourage creativity and working “outside the box”.  Heaven knows that I need a big, giant push in that direction.  I know there is creativity in me but I find it hard to take that first step away from patterns and directions and someone else’s vision.  I’m hoping that by joining these two groups I can move in that direction.

First there is “Today’s Title is…”  and you can check out the welcoming details here.  It is hosted by Helen Suzanne and she will post a new title every weekend.  The idea is to post whatever comes into your mind first referencing the title.

This weekend’s title is suspended. At first I thought it had to be an item made to represent the word but when I read the details again, that is not the case.  It is just the first thing you think of and can be represented any way that works.  Here is my first post to “Today’s Title is…”

universe suspended

This is a glass and metal piece depicting the universe.  It was given to me by my best friend, Su a few years ago.  It hands from the ceiling by clear fishing line and appears to be suspended in midair.

The next group is Project Improv. It is hosted by Jacquie and can be found on her blog…Tallgrass Praire Studio. The intent is to promote and support quilting outside the lines; to be improvisational; to find your own voice.  She also asks that each new participant put together a quilt block for charity using one of three colorways.  Those are due by April 1 so that should get me moving.  This is something I want to do but have found it difficult to “just do it”.  I’m excited to get started and will keep updates on the blog.

In quilting news, I have actually made some progress on the FM quilt.  I attempted to post these photos the other day but was having lots of trouble so saved them for today.

first row of three assembled blocks

each large block has four rectangular blocks surrounding one square block.

To date I have completed four large blocks with no further sewing planned until Tuesday.  It is going together very quickly (when I actually sew).  I’m also excited to start on Ella’s coordinating quilt which will be my own design.  Stay tuned…

One more thing…I opened an Etsy store today.  There isn’t anything in it yet but there will be at some point.  I wanted to have the same name as the blog: BeeWitchinStitchin so decided to go ahead and sign up.  Once I have something to sell I’ll provide a link.  In the meantime, check out Etsy.com for lots of handmade gifts.

That’s all for now.  Bill and I are picking Trevor up in Portland this morning and he will visit with us until Monday when we take him back to his mom.  Wendy is visiting with Greg, Vanessa and Ella this weekend.  More snow today, up to 12″.  Oh joy!!!