Mums and Fall Pumpkins

When it comes to gardening I am a total failure. Two brown thumbs!! It is so great that the couple we bought this house from were pros at landscaping. I watch in amazement as each season changes to see what the gardens are going to bring forth. Our gorgeous mums are all abloom.
Last year as I began decorating for fall I bought two large pumpkins and set them out in the beds. My true nature took over as winter fell upon us and the pumpkin just melted into obscurity. In other words, as they rotted in the flower beds I did nothing with them. My daughter and one of her friends carried one off to the fields next door and played "smash the melon" until it was pulp. The other pumpkin stayed right where I had placed it.

After our spring bulbs began to die off something else began to appear from under the soil. You guessed it!! We had a pumpkin plant in our front flower bed. Curiosity got the best of us and we left it for the summer.
You can see it has not been cut loose from the vine yet. We need to do this soon as we have just discovered that another is on it's way.
I'm so excited to have a pumpkin for fall decorating with possibly another on the way. The sad fact remains that if I had planted the pumpkin intentionally I never would have gotten one. Mrs. Brown Thumbs is here to stay!!

Thanks for stopping by. Happy Quilting!!

One Last Tale of Florida

This was my take-along project for our trip to Florida (sorry for the bad photo). You know when you fly these days you have to get to the airport and through security long before the flight begins to board. Then, of course, is all that time seat belted into your seat on the plane. I spent an afternoon before we left cutting out fabric hexagons to work on using the Quilt-Pati's I bought at NQA and got started on the grandmother's flower garden quilt I have always wanted. It will take me awhile to get it done but I'm loving it already. The fabric I bought in Jacksonville will also find it's way into the quilt.

One humorous note, on the trip home we were settling into our seats and as we were taxiing (is that really right, spell check didn't buzz me) down the runway I dropped my spool of thread. Since we were in takeoff mode I couldn't jump out of my seat to retrieve it. So just imagine my horror (and especially my sweet hubby's) when as we ascended into the wild blue yonder my spool of white thread went rolling all the way down the aisle to the back of the plane. I could have died. I'm sure I was quite red faced. When the flight attendant approached my seat she said, "I'm guessing this is yours?". If I hadn't been laughing so hard I could have said, "You think?". I just said thank you and tried to hide under my seat for the duration of the flight. Luckily it was the short leg from Jacksonville to Charlotte, NC. The rest of the trip home was without incident.

Enough vacation stories. Thanks for stopping by.
Happy Quilting!!

Quilt Store in Jacksonville

While in Jacksonville we visited the Olde Green Cupboard Quilt Store. If you are in the area and have not been there, shame on you. It is an amazing store with the friendliest staff. They have over 10,000 sq. feet of gifts, home decor, fabrics, patterns, wool, stitcheries, just about anything a quilter could want. I could have spent hours there but had everyone with me and believe me, they were not near as impressed as I was. I could have also spent a fortune there but didn't.

This was a little room all set up with '30's repro fabrics. This is where my money went.
I only bought 12 fat quarters and the purse pattern below. I was really proud of myself. I bought so much at the NQA show in June that I really didn't need to get anything else until I finish some of those projects. Right? Isn't that how it works? HA!!!

I just love this one.
As I mentioned, I could have been there all day. These pictures don't even begin to give you a feel for how big this place is. I didn't even photograph the front quarter of the store where the gifts and decorations were or the classrooms in the back. I have never seen such big classrooms. I guess it's a good thing I don't live in Jacksonville or we would be so very broke!!

Thanks for stopping by. Happy Quilting!

Our Florida Trip

We flew down to Jacksonville, FL last week to visit Sweet Kid #1 and His Sweetie. It was so good to spend time with both of them and all their 4-legged babies.

We arrived there Saturday evening to much heat and humidity. I don't miss that southern heat AT ALL!! We had a fantastic mexican meal but sorry, I don't remember the name of the restaurant where we ate.

Sunday we spent the afternoon at the World Golf Village with the majority of that time in the Golf Hall of Fame. I'm not a golfer but after living with one for almost 24 years i have to say that I enjoyed it very much.

Notice that they are even smiling in the shot below. They were so patient while we enjoyed all the exhibits.

Our Sweet Kid #3 is a tall fellow(6' 8") so we were quite amazed to find a driver that was too tall for even him.

After going through the Hall of Fame we played the 18 hole putting course. I almost didn't make it from the heat. I'm such a wimp!! It was a fun afternoon and a beautiful place to visit.

We then drove into San Augustine which is the nation's oldest city. We walked around the city a bit; toured the Castillo de San Marcos; and visited the San Augustine Lighthouse. It was a gorgeous day. I could have gone on sightseeing for hours but....well, you judge whether you think my Sweet Hubby is thinking the same thing.
I'm thinking that I'm glad those cannons in the background don't work anymore cause he was ready to shoot me out of one of them. And let me tell you it got worse. We got back to the car and they all thought we were headed back to Jacksonville. But I lead us on an adventure to see this.
I could see the lighthouse across the bay from the Castillo and I wasn't gonna leave until I got up close. Unfortunately, when we got there it was 25 min. past the time of the last guests being admitted up onto the lighthouse. I was crushed. So, my sweet hubby got out of the car with me and we took several photos. I just love this next one with the gnarly trees. Those trees were so cool!!
That's enough for one day. The trip to the quilt store was the next day. I'll share those tomorrow. Aren't family vacation slide shows just the worst?
Thanks for stopping by. Happy Quilting!!

Fall

Since today is officially the first day of Autumn, I thought I would share a couple of quilted items I use to decorate for Fall. First is a table runner I finished up right after the first of the year.

You might notice that it's too large for the table. Well, when I bought the pattern back in 2005 we lived in a different house and used a much larger dining room table. That table has become my sewing table for the time being so the corners will just have to "drape" off the table.

This was the 2002/03 (I can't remember which year) Thimbleberries Club Fall Quilt. Back then the club offered a different quilt for each season. I made this quilt back then but never quilted it until just this summer. This next picture is a close-up of some of the hand quilting.

We had a great time in Florida. I'll share photos from the trip tomorrow. And yes, there are several from the quilt store we visited. Just let me wet your appetite by saying that the store is a whopping 10,000 sq. ft.. I was in heaven!!!

Thanks for stopping by. Happy Quilting!!

I'm in Florida

As I write this post, I sit in Sweet Kid #1's living room in Jacksonville, Florida. It's gorgeous down here but it's HOT!! I so don't like to sweat.

We flew in yesterday and will be here until Wednesday. Today we are going to the World Golf Village and into St. Augustine. I hope to have pictures for you when we return. I will be visiting at least one quilt store while I am here and hopefully will have pictures of that also.

While on the plane (and all the time waiting in airports) I began a grandmother's flower garden done in '30's repos. I have always wanted to do one and have seen several around blogland done with applique in the borders. I'm hoping to do something along that line.

On another note, we are so grateful that our family and friends in the Houston area are all safe and sound. My brother and his family evacuated since they live south of Houston towards Galveston. We have not heard if they have any damage to their home. My father-in-law who lives in a high-rise in downtown Houston didn't even lose power during the storm. We feel very blessed.

Meanwhile, have a great week. I know I will!!

A Lazy Fall Day

I know that by the calendar we have not yet ventured into the season called Fall, but here in Ohio the weather seems to contradict the calendar.
This is the view I have while sitting at the computer. It's one where I can literally watch the corn turn to its withered and dried readiness for harvest. Our windows are open today, as they have been for several days, letting in the cool breezes autumn brings. What a beautiful day! Yet, as I sit here at my computer, wasting oh so much time, I have to wonder what these next days will bring. Do you ever fell that life is speeding past you while you are standing still? An unsettled feeling yet you just can't seem to put your finger on what is so unsettling? That's where I am today. But, I guess I shouldn't worry. I'm under the ever watchful eye of our "king of the castle".
Well, maybe not so watchful.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Quilting!!

It's a Hole in One!

My husband LOVES to play golf. In fact, that's what he's doing today. Now, I don't mind watching the game on TV. I have even gone with him to the U.S. Open. But I don't especially like playing the game myself. I should. It's in my blood. My grandmother was a great golfer in her day. The love of the game must have skipped me. Anyway, back to my husband. Everyday when he gets home from work he changes clothes and goes outside. He has set up a golf hole in our back yard and he spends hours out there hitting golf balls. As I said, I don't get it but he loves it. The other day I went out to tell him something(important, I'm sure) and on my way back into the house I saw this.

When I pointed it out to him he said, "It's a hole in one. I was aiming at the tree." He's hopeless!!! But I love him!

Note to you quilters who have stuck with me these past few unproductive (on the sewing front at least) weeks: I promise, the sewing is going to be back soon.

We've had company

We had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. My father-in-law and brother-in-law came to visit. They flew in from Texas last Saturday. We have had such a great time visiting with them and, of course, lots of eating.

We have had a great summer with such cool temperatures so the guys spent a lot of time outside whether it was just standing around talking, hitting golf balls or reading out on the porch swing.
















The time flew by way too quickly. Before we knew it, it was time to take them back to the airport for their return home. Now I guess I need to do laundry. It never seems to take a vacation!!

Happy Birthday to Bill

Today is my sweet husband's 50th birthday.

Happy Birthday, sweetie!!