Colonial Gatherings Club

Colonial Gatherings Club 2015

Hurt Not The Earth

Designed by Paulette Stewart--Plum Street Samplers

36 count Espresso from R & R 

Fibers from Classic Colorworks

Yes!  The first Colonial Gatherings Club Kit is finished and ready to go to Betty the finisher.  Isn't the house wonderful?  The proportions are so needlework:  blooming flowers larger than the people (who I have nicknamed John and Abigail) caring for them. The saying is something a true gardener would say.  

Now, back to Macklenburg, the sampler and my market shopping list.   

Ice, Ice, Baby

Last week when the weatherman began to make his forecast about doom, gloom and Armageddon the incoming winter storm front, I had visions of a light dusting.  To my friends in Boston and the upper peninsula of Michigan I tip my hat.  Respectfully, they have weathered storm after storm with snow accumulations between seven and twelve feet!  The original forecast was between three and five inches of snow.  This was revised to ten inches.  The reality of February storm front 2015 was sleet, freezing rain and ice!  When the weatherman tells the hockey team they can practice in any parking lot in town I knew there were serious road conditions.  The governor declared a state of emergency, the mayor tells everyone to stay home, three of the four major interstates have been closed and sadly there have been fatalities.  

Fondly I remember snow days--there is the usual:  stay up late, sleep late, movie watching.  There has been extra cooking and baking (AppleJack's favorite part).  Choosing a book from the growing stack sitting on my bedside table and enjoying a good read.  There is also extra laundry from the layers and layers of clothing to keep warm.  The sounds coming from the neighborhood and tires crunching through the ice, neighbors chipping ice off their cars, children laughing as they negotiate their sleds.  

My needle has been busy with the Colonial Gatherings piece and there has been extra time to surf the web and locate those designer sneak peeks for the upcoming needlework market.

Winter 2015 has more in store for the week.  Yes, snow is forecast for this evening.  Ice topped off with snow topped off with freezing temperatures.  Let's hope it's really snow and not more ice.  

From the looks of the icicles hanging off the rosemary--I think she might be a goner.

The sweet little tracks in the snow were made by robins.  Grandmother Bessie used to say robins were a sign of spring.  These robins came to feed on the remaining berries on the Holly bushes.  

Ice Storm 2015: shall I quilt or hook or stitch?  

President's Day

President's Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February.  The holiday was established in 1885 to celebrate President George Washington whose actual birthday is February 22.  The holiday was changed from Washington's Birthday to President's Day in 1971 as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to the third Monday in February to allow government workers a three day weekend and to honor all those who have served as president.  Four presidents have February birthdays:  George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, William Henry Harrison and Ronald Reagan.

President Harry  Truman frequently wore a bow tie.

I often scratch my head and ask myself why anyone would want to president and am thankful for those who have held the country together during very difficult challenging times.

To celebrate this very American holiday, I baked an apple pie.

The weatherman is forecasting sub freezing temperatures with snow accumulation between 3 - 10 inches.  To my friends in Boston, I extend my apologies.  It rarely snows in Tennessee and when it does, everything just about comes to a grinding halt.  If this is the case in the morning, I will enjoy learning about the presidents on History television, time in the stitch chair and eating a slice of that All-American home made apple pie.

Thank you George, John, Thomas, Andrew, Abe, Franklin, Harry, Ronald and all the others--you served your country well.

Thoughts about Stars

Charlie Brown says "perhaps they are not stars in the sky, but openings where our loved ones shine down to let us know they are happy."

Reach for the moon, even if you miss you will land among the stars

John Green The Fault in our Stars:  But it is the nature of our stars to cross and never was Shakespeare more wrong than when he has Cassius note "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but with ourselves."

Harriet Turban:  Every great dream, begins with a dreamer.  Always remember you have within you the strength, the patience and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."

Theodore Roosevelt:  Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.

Self Imposed UFO Challenge

Reading blogs is good for me!  Am always and will always be amazed at the creativity of others.  Blogs give me inspiration and encouragement, sometimes a kick in the rear to get in gear and get going.  For example, I was reading Aunt Polly's Porch and she was talking about her quilting guild's UFO Challenge.  Aunt Polly has set a goal to finish fifteen quilts between September and June.  Whoozer that's a goal! 

Kim, at Threadheads Unite has gone Cold Sheep or Conscious Acquiring.  Kim has decided to shop her stash first and use materials she already has on hand.  Wisely she has given herself permission to attend fun events like Fiberfest where she can see and feel yarns and feed her creativity. 

So. . .here is my UFO Challenge/Cold Sheep Challenge.  I currently have four quilts in progress:  Court House Steps, Lady of the Lake, Tumbler and Hexies.  My goal is to complete three of these this year.  (EPP/Hexies is new to me and since I am learning I am giving myself extra time on this project.)  Am sure there will be many tempting items at the AQS in Paducah in April.  My goal is to acquire items which will be used to complete my current UFO's, WIP's, PhD's. 

Like Kim, I will be practicing Conscious Acquisition (Cold Sheep) of stash.  Over the years, I have acquired beautiful linens and fibers and charts, my Mother says I have enough projects to keep me occupied for two life times!  I have also given myself permission to shop the Nashville Needlework Market.  (Yes, I already have some items in my shopping cart.)  Last year, I set a goal for myself to keep current with the Colonial Gatherings club and stitch a project between kits.  That goal worked well, I did keep current with the kits and I did complete projects while waiting for the next kit.  It was needed disciple.  Since it worked for me last year, am keeping this as a current goal.  I have a very lengthy list of projects to complete.

One of Grandmother Bessie's lessons was "idle hands are the devils workshop."  I think I have enough projects to keep my hands busy and hopefully out of trouble.  Wish me luck on UFO Challenge and Cold Sheep goals.

Hmm and then there are those stars.

Hurt Not the Earth

Colonial Gatherings 2015

Kit #1

Hurt Not the Earth

designed by Paulette Stewart, Plum Street Samplers

36 count Expresso by R & R Reproductions Linen

Crescent Colors Fibers 

The day the blizzard of 2015 hit the north east, the postman delivered the first Colonial Gatherings kit for 2015:  Hurt Not the Earth.

I put aside the ornament I was stitching and immediately loaded my needle with Barn Door Red and started stitching the flowers.  The fiber colors and linen are a dream to stitch.  With it being Super Bowl weekend I had lots of stitch chair time--Miss Callie Mae was not interested in watching the game and I had the stitch chair all to myself. 

The design is two pages and I am nearing the completion of page one-minus the words.  Page two is three more flowers and the house.  The blue door on the house is awesome. 

The snow and ice have gone north and missed Music City, the wind and colder temps reminds everyone it is still winter.  It's a great time of the year to stay inside, warm yourself with hot chocolate and STITCH.