Sewing Fun

After seeing all of your spring flowers I had to go get some of my own.  There is absolutely nothing blooming around here, so I made a trip to Michaels where I had seen this cute little pitcher on sale for 50% off when I was there on Saturday searching for yarn.  Sunday I got an email with an extra 20% off all regular or sale priced items.  I flew there and found just one of these little pitchers was left for the final price of $4.99!  It's so cute and was orginally priced at $19.99 so I think I got a bargain.  I don't usually buy much for me, but I was drawn to this little pitcher when I first saw it at it's original price and I've been hoping for a big sale before they were gone.  It's about 9 inches high and perfect for these daisy's isn't it?

Next up is a picture Mandy sent of Miss Piper enjoying her corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots on St. Patrick's day.  She REALLY liked the corned beef.  Mandy said she ate every single morsel of it.  It's not a very flattering picture, but you can tell she's scooping that beef in!

Yesterday I spent the afternoon piecing more nine patch quilt blocks.  Now quilting isn't my "thing," so don't look too closely.  These are all of my scraps of cotton fabric from when I've made different dresses, quilts, etc.  I can't stand to waste the small pieces so I kept it all.  Then over the past few months when I had a spare minute or two I would cut out 4 inch blocks.  Do you see the sweet pincushion Taci made for me?

Then they were sewn into nine patch squares.

This is the view from my sewing machine.  Not bad, huh?

These were some of the squares I came up with.  Purely random grabbing fabric and sewing them together.

I had also cut out squares of fabric for the backing, so the next step was to make quilt "sandwiches."  This is so you can quilt "as you go."  You quilt each square and then when they are all done, you sew them together.  I've never done this before but thought it would be a great idea to have these to work on throughout the summer while at the lake.  No sewing machine required.

I have some in a tote bag to take with me when traveling or at the lake, along with my quilting thread and "betweens" needles.

Here's a view of more blocks.  I have 37 done in all.  I ran out of backing fabric but have lots more four inch squares.  I really don't care how long it takes me to finish this quilt.  Maybe years.  It just makes me feel good not to have wasted all of the fabric.

I made this baby blanket yesterday and Sunday evening.  Really.  It's size 13 needles and chunky baby yarn.  It was done before I knew it!   It's about 36 inches square, done in the Granny's Dishcloth pattern.  So simple and easy. And the yarn is so soft.  It was given to me last year by a lady in our church who was moving into a nursing home and didn't crochet anymore.  I love gifts like that!  This will go to the hospital in the next batch of goodies.

You ladies had such nice comments on my last post.  Really I'm nothing special and I know each of you do things for others too.  I enjoy helping others and giving my handmade things away to people I know who either need or appreciate them. 

I'm so looking forward to meeting the girls on Friday for lunch.  Hubby is going along on this trip and dropping me off at the restaurant and Gracie is taking me to Mandy's.  He doesn't think he would enjoy our chatting as much as we do!  :-)  I am seriously married to a saint.  I adore that man!  We've been married 36 years in September and I adore him more today than when we married each other.

Have a lovely, lovely day my friends.

Blessings,

Betsy