One more Pillow Cover

It is that time again. Christmas through the year which is hosted by Darlene and Cheryl. Here is the next pillow cover for my son and DIL. I found this pattern here if you would like to make your own.

I used this variegated thread that Candace sent to me for my birthday. It sure does look pretty on that brown fabric. I also attached some vintage buttons. Cute! I think.

With Passion,
Carrie P.

Caught Up

This past weekend was a good time for me because I got caught up on a few BOM. This first one is from the Aurifil Buzz. This sweet little May pole design was shared by Anna of Thimbeanna.

 Next block is the Blogger's BOM designed by Cathy of Cabbage Quilts. Only three more to go.

Here is another peek at my doll quilt that I will be swapping in June at my modern quilt guild.

 Look at these pretty
flowers from the garden.
The red flowers are going to be green beans. The yellow sunflower is beginning to open up. I went out side to fill up the bird bath with some water and I spotted this box turtle. It made me giggle because it looks like it is trying to hide but I can see him! I am not really sure what it trying to do.

Enjoy your day! Hope it brings wonderful sightings for you too.

With Passion,
Carrie P.

FMQ Challenge

This was a good weekend for me to catch up on some different things. One of them was my Free Motion Quilting challenge from SewCalGal. The May tutorial was done by Leah Day. If you haven't seen her blog you should check it out. She has some great video tutorials and quilting patterns that she has shared on her blog. 

The first tutorial was called double stippling. I thought I would do it around last months free motion quilt design. First you start with a big wiggly line.

 While I was stitching the line something was slowing down my stitching. Well my supreme slider started moving and I stitched through it. I didn't think it was that full of lint on the back but evidently it was. So I took it to the sink, washed the back off, and it stuck really good again. Lesson learned. Keep the back clean.

 So back to stitching. As you can see I then did the stippling part of the design. I really like it.

 Next was a design with straight lines. You start off with the big wiggly line again and then do the train track design. I will admit I like the curvy lines better.

I wonder what will the June challenge be?

With Passion,
Carrie P.

Memorial Day

Dear Heavenly Father,
As we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy every day, we think of how they have followed in the footsteps of your son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Please hold our servicemen and women in your strong arms. Cover them with your sheltering grace and your presence as they stand in the gap for our protection.
We also remember the families of our troops. We ask for your unique blessings to fill their homes, and we pray your peace, provision, and strength will fill their lives.
May the members of our armed forces be supplied with courage to face each day and may they trust in the Lord's mighty power to accomplish each task. Let our military brothers and sisters feel our love and support.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
(prayer by Mary Fairchild)

                                                                                  Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend.

With Passion,

Carrie P. 

Show and Tell

Not much going on around here. I am in a Modern quilt guild and I am participating in a doll quilt swap. Here is a peek at my quilt so far. I will show the whole thing when I finish it. I need  to have it done by the second week of June to exchange. 

 Here is another show and tell from my garden. I meant to show you the insides of the beets on the last post but forgot. These are about the size of a golf ball. They are really good raw even though I sauteed them. They are sweet and crunchy.

 I went to my applique bee this morning and there was some show and tell from some of the ladies in the group.

Here is wall hanging made by Charlotte.

 This little bunny wall hanging was made by Rowena.

 These two quilts were made by Jane.

 So many different ideas for quilts. Quilting is so much fun!

With Passion,
Carrie P.

things are slow

(Warning:long post) 

Nothing much going on around my place. I have been doing physical therapy twice a week plus at home.   Still some swelling which I found out from my physical therapist that it could last up to 12 weeks while the inside of my knee heals. I am now walking normally but I still take the stairs one at a time when I come down. 

I have been upstairs to my sewing room and was working on the borders again for my Hop To It quilt. While staying downstairs I did get some pieces stitched in place on my Harrington and Hannah block. Now to add the embroidered details to this block.

I thought I would show you the progress of the garden so far. I don't have to spend too much time in it yet. Things are growing really well.

Here is the garlic bed. If you look close you can see some curly things growing from some of the garlic leaves. Those are called scapes. I will use them just like garlic in some spaghetti sauce tomorrow.

The bed in the foreground is potatoes, next bed has bell peppers and some flowers. The next is zucchini along with some hot pepper plants. On both sides of that bed are some sunflowers which will be opening soon. They are a small variety. The bed way in the back is full of three different kinds of beans.

I bought some asparagus this spring but these won't be ready to eat for 3 years.

The bed in the foreground of this photos has a beans in the back, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. Unfortunately one day I went out there and saw the plants in the middle had been eaten by a

 rabbit. I had the row cover over them but there was an opening where he found his way in. Needless to say I was a little upset.

The bed in the back is full of really yummy lettuce and carrots which the rabbit ate some of the tops of those too. I did have a bunch of peas along the back of that bed which were growing on a fence. If you look at the far right top corner you see just a few plants left because the rabbit ate all the other pea plants. I did manage to save those plants and got a bowl full of snap peas which were so good. We ate them raw in a salad.

Here is the bed with two kinds of beets. New to me.

More potatoes and onions. Look, Candace, the bed on the right are the ones you sent me and they are doing well.

This bed has tomatoes and tomatillos. More onions too.

Here is some lavender I have growing down by the house.

Look close and you can see a tiny pea growing. It has some of the white flower on the tip.

Check out this moth I found on some plants in my front yard. Pretty cool!

We finally got our deer fence put up this past weekend. I don't think the rabbit can get through those holes now that it is bigger. I pulled some fabric out of my scrap bag and tied ribbons all along the fence.This is so the deer will hopefully see the fence and not run into it.

Some of my harvest. Lettuce, beets, and carrots. I pulled up these carrots because the orange part was showing and they were a little crowded with some other carrots. Not much to them yet. 

We planted corn this past weekend. We also have melon seedlings coming up. Still waiting on sweet potatoes to come in the mail.

May For Me

 Taking time for myself. That is what May is all about. I have definitely been taking care of myself since my knee surgery. I went to physical therapy which was okay while doing it but then last night my knee was really aching and it was hard to sleep. I know it is going to take time and I am trying to be patient.

 Because May brings my wedding anniversary, 36 years yesterday, I decided to take time to make some very rich dessert from a new cookbook I bought last month. It is called Pots De Creme. You can also get this recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks. It was really quick and easy and I didn't have to be on my knee to long. My husband loved it.

 The one thing I have taken the time to do on the internet is check my Bingo card. I have sewed on some vintage black buttons while I would ice my knee on the spaces that have been called so far.

 I have finally replied to all your get well comments which I so appreciate. It warms my heart. So now I am finally feeling like doing some hand work. I think I will work on my Harrington and Hannah BOM. If you haven't seen it yet, the new block is now available.

So now I leave you with this beautiful Iris photo because when you are recuperating from surgery you really do have time to smell the flowers!

With Passion,
Carrie P.

No gardening for me because...

I have been recuperating from knee arthroscopy. I had it done last Wednesday morning. I knew this day would be coming because I have had troubles with my knees in the past. Everything went well and I have already started physical therapy. Lots of icing of the knee and just resting so it will get better so I can get back to the garden and upstairs to my sewing room soon.

 The Tuesday night before my surgery I went to the Modern Quilt guild meeting that was held at Karen Gray's quilt shop. Look who came to speak! Quilt Dad. He has only been quilting about five years and he has become very popular in the modern quilt world.

 Here is his first quilt.

 More of his quilts. He brought more quilts than I am showing but maybe when you have a minute you can check out his blog to see more of his quilts.

This quilt is not really pink fabric. It is white but for some reason it looks pink.

I thought you might enjoy some of the show and tell from some of the members of the guild.

With Passion,
Carrie P.