Patriotic Jar- Mason Jar Series Freebie

Good afternoon, Sunshine! How was your Memorial Day weekend? I hope it was a relaxing one. 

We enjoyed the day at home with family. Mr. Pinker grilled hot dogs and hamburgers  with all of the fixins'.

             

 We even had our 1st watermelon of the season. Walmart had them for only $3.98 . It was yummmy! Afterwards the kiddos played in the pool.  Splishin' and splashin' all evening long. It was a good day.

          

 Later in the evening, I checked out the garden;  I believe we may have squash very soon. 

I am loving the longer days. I did not come into the house until after 8:30 pm.   

Are you interested in doing some canning? You do not need a water or pressure canner for this jar -just floss and fabric. 😀

The other day, the grandbabies and I were sitting on the patio when we saw two large birds soar above us. We quickly gathered 2 pairs of binoculars so we could see what they were. 

Eeeh! Eagles!!! We then heared their distinct call. They were no doubt heading to their nest near the river.  Later over the weekend, my nephews saw them as they were fishing.  With all of the eagle sightings ,  I thought it was time to work on a new stitch. 

This is Patriotic Jar- a mason jar filled with a bald eagle toting Old Glory. He is a cuutie!!! Well at least in my eyes. 

I finished this little jar just like the other mason jars in this series- a little pin pillow with twisted chenille trim. 

           

 I am a little disappointed in my finish though. I did not give myself a lot of extra fabric and when I went to finish , I did not refer back to my previous jars. Soooo this one is a little smaller in size in respect to the other jars. Oh, well. I will do better next time! 😀

If you would like to stitch this jar, I invite you to check out the links below where you will find the jpgs. 

Many of you know , but I always like to leave this little disclaimer.  

I stitch my little designs for fun and to decorate my home. I feel very blessed by this community and love sharing my little charts, but I am not a professional designer. And I do not have professional software. Thank you for understanding that I  have to put each page on separate links because of the devices I use. I apologize for that.  These are images of the chart  or JPG s and not downloads.   I am always grateful for your kind encouragement , your visits, and for stitching my little designs. 

Click here for the Instruction page.  

OOOPS : I failed to mention on the Instruction page that I used 1 strand of white to create a star in the flag. I made mine a little sideways. 

Click here for the Colored Chart. 

Click here for the Black/ White Chart. 

 If you missed any of the previous jars, just click on the names below, and you will magically be transported back to a previous post. 

Autumn Jar Pinkeep

Winter  Jar and  Winter 

Sheep Jar and A Basket for Ewe

Bunny Jar 

 Strawberry Jam Jar

The rest of the day I plan on working on some flag  quilt blocks and then my Truckin 'Tuesday cross stitch. Not a lot of excitement is going on in these neck of the woods, but a lot of fun of fun for me. 😀Thank you for stopping by for the sweet visit , my friends. As always...

Happy quilting and stitching, ya'll

Melisa

Life without liberty is like a body without spirit. 

Hugs and Stitches!!! 🤗❤🧵

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy. Love and miss you.  

Happy Memorial Day & Patriotic Bowl Filler Freebies

Good morning, my sweet friends and Happy Memorial Day. 

What a beautiful day it is!  

Please remember all of the brave men and women who have served in the armed forces and  made the ulitimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we have in this great country. 

The National Moment of Rememberance takes place at 3:00 local time and that is when one is asked to pause for 1 minute to  remember those who have fallen during their service. 

 I was reflecting the other night about all of my family members that have participated in the armed forces dating back all the way back to the American Revolution.  The last family member that our family lost  in a war was a distant cousin who was killed in the Vietnam War. He was really just a child of 19 years of age when he entered the war and only lasted  a few short months in Vietnam. How brave he was. 

 All of my great uncles served in the Army or Navy during WWII. This is Uncle Buford who lost his life during this time.  ( You may remember I have some rabbit stitches named after him. I love naming my pieces after family members. )  

My great uncle who died while in service in 1943 .

Distant Cousin A. N. was a crewman aboard the U.S.S. Indianapolisis when it was torpedoed on July 30, 1945.

Three of my great great great grandfather lost their lives during the Civil War.  I am sure that many of you have similar stories even if it is way down the family tree. 

 I also want to thank all of those who have served or who are currently serving in the military.  You are my heroes!!! 

What do you have planned for the day? A cookout or fun in the sun? Or just a nice quiet day relaxing at home?  We will be enjoying our usual family cookout and then a pool party. The kiddos are quite excited that school is out so they will particularly enjoy the day. 

Later in the evening, I hope to work on a few more flag blocks.

 I will also finish up this new cross stitch that I am working on. 

I have a couple of more Patriotic Wordie Bowl Fillers to work on too. These are simple super quick stitches.  I had these completed in two shakes of a lamb's tale. I bet you could too. 

If you are interested in stitching these quickies using scraps of fabric, please check out the jpgs below. I am so sorry that the images seem dark ( Fingers crossed my scanner is not going on the brink too. Yikes) 

Click here for Land of the Free jpg.

Click here for Home of the Brave jpg. 

I think I will be using DMC 823, 815, blanc and 930 for my stitches. 

Other Patriotic quickie bowl fillers that I have shared have been Freedom A Patriotic Wordie Bowl Filler

Freedom paired with one of Blackbird Design's Emily Strawberry. 

America ( photo coming soon) , Old Glory  , and Liberty

Since it is the beginning of the week, it is time to make those goal lists. Have you written yours out yet?  I hope you do not mind if I share my  list. 

Did I Get er' Done?   Well.... Last week's goals were: 

✅1. Work on my Summer Days quilt blocks. 

✅ 2. Continue working on Oh, Say Can You Sew Quilt Along. 

✅ 3. Truckin' Along Tuesday- New start. 

✅ 4. Work on a new Bee cross stitch. 

✅ 5. Work on Butterfly quilt

 Woo Hoo! I got er' done. I am doing the happy dance! 💃💃💃💃 Ok I have to admit it. This was my list from 2 weeks ago. I didn't post last week, but I still got er' done!!!

What's the Plans for the Week?  Well....

🌞 1. Begin putting boxes back into the attic. Yikes!!!

🌞 2. Continue working on Oh, Say Can You Sew Quilt Along. 15 more hour glass blocks to go. Then trimming is in my future.

🌞 3. Work on Truckin' Along Tuesday cross stitch. 

🌞 4. Begin a new Patriotic bowl filler cross stitch. 

🌞 5. Work on Butterfly quilt 

🌞 6. Quilt on Easter quilt

🌞 7. Make more flag blocks. 

🌞 8. Continue working on Summer Days blocks

That is my Monday Ramblings.  I hope your week is filled with many blessings and great joy. As always...

Happy quilting and stitching, ya'll

Melisa

The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must bear the deepest wounds and scares of the war. - Douglas MacArthur

Hugs and Stitches!!! 🤗❤🧵

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy. Love and miss you.  Our cookout is not the same without you! 

Dedicated to my sweet daughter who serves in the military herself. You are my hero!!!

 I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needle workers to meet.  

   Beth at Love Laugh Quilt  for Monday Making

Judy at Small Quilts Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Linda at Texas Quilt Gal for To Do List Tuesday - Tuesday

Just a Jammin' and a Sweet Freebie

Good morning, sweetie pies and welcome. It seems like it has been forever and a day since I have visited with you  even though it has only been  just over a week. I hope you are doing well and have been enjoying the warmer weather.  

A few weeks ago I was telling you  a tale about a big ruckus going on in the backyard. I was hoping the noise was wild and wooly raccoon in a brawl with a scrawny  flea bitten coyote. But if you remember, Mr. Pinker was pretty insistent that the noise that I heard was "Miss Reliable" aka our good ole'  Central Air / Heating unit  going on the brink. 

Well, Mr. AC Guy came for a visit. He sauntered up to Miss Reliable and gave her a thorough check up and then said poor Miss Reliable had bit the dust- that she had cooled and heated this homestead for the last time. Boy, had she been a good one having cooled and heated this home for 30+ years with little to no complaints. But it was time  to send the ole'girl to the rusty gates of the recycling center . Boo Hoo! 

 After giving the choice of unit brands  that he  worked with,  we jumped when Mr. AC named off Miss Reliable's brand. The decision was made;  a new unit would be installed! 

 After hearing the OUCHIE  of having to purchase a new unit, the next OUCHIE hit us like a ton of brick ! Yikes ! We were going to have to remove all of that country clutter out of the attic!!! 

Oh, my what to do! My mind started racing !!! And then an evil , may I say diabolical plan was hatched.

 First , call the youngest daughter whine and cry that she needs to come in for a visit. Check! She was on her way. 

Second, call the  oldest daughter who just lives a hop, skip and jump down the road and invite the whole family for a cook out. Check.

 Eeeh !  My plan was working!( Insert evil henchman twirling his long curly mustache here!  Heee! Heee ! Heee! ).  

When all of the kiddos  arrived, we enjoyed the nice cool breeze outside as Mr. Pinker tended to the grill. Soon their bellies were full.  As evening rolled around, I lured them inside with the promise of strawberry pie.( I know , I know you are screaming to the kiddos! No don't go! Hee! Hee! Hee! ) 

 "Boy it is hot in here! " my oldest daughter exclaimed as sweat began to pour down her forehead.

 All pitiful looking , I said" Yeah our AC is out; Mr. Pinker and I have  been sweating like stuffed pigs. " I swear I mustered up a little tear, and then I said "I think I will go up in the attic and start pulling boxes down so Mr. AC Guy  can come soon. "

 And by golly those sweet youngins of mine took the line hook, bait  and sinker!!!

 Soon the attic door was pulled down and boxes were a flying through an assembly line of hands  like nobody's tomorrow, and then POOF the  attic was cleaned out!!!!

 After the house was packed from floor to ceiling with boxes of tinsel and this and that, my youngest daughter came over and wrapped her arms around me and  said. "Now mom, all you had to do was ask. You didn't have to come up with elaborate plan just to get boxes down".  Lol what fabulous family I have!  

So to make a long story short. That is what I have been up to this week - swimming in a sea of boxes . Now that Miss Reliable #2 has been installed do you think I can convince the kiddos to come back to heave all of those boxes back into the attic? I sure hope so. Otherwise I am lighting up the grill! 🔥😂

LOL what a tale - just to say that we got our AC in. But you know me- I like to spin a good yarn . 🧶😀😀

🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓

Strawberry season is wrapping up. Now it is time for the family to pick so the other day. I hustled down to the field and picked a gallon of berries. Strawberry Jam was on my mind.

   Strawberry Jam Jar 

  

Do you know how one project leads to another? Well to make strawberry jam that meant I had to get to my jam maker. And to get to my jam maker that meant I needed to clean the pantry. Lol Sounds like the book "If you Give the Mouse a Cookie". 

Well anywhoo. Soon I was jammin' away.

 Berries were sliced and crushed. 

I made 3 small batches in my Ball Jelly and Jam maker for a total of 7 pints. Mr. Pinker is quite happy .

 

The jars are all sealed and ready to be stored away. 

 

Later in the evening , I lounged on the front porch with my strawberry quilt. 

I worked on appliqueing a few more strawberry blocks.  I believe I will continue working on it this week. 

 

How is this  for a bowl full of berries? Lots of sweetness and no calories. Yum! 

This bowl contains a freebie from Lizzie Kate called Strawberries,  and Caroline Hofstede of Cosmic Handmade's freebie called Sweet Strawberries. 

A couple of weeks ago I stitched a piece dedicated to my sweet baby sister, Amy. It has been 9 months since she received her angel wings. For the last couple of years , Amy had helped pick strawberries on days that she did not work. She loved being outside and always enjoyed her days on the farm.  So I stitched up Amy Lou the Berry Picker.

 By profession, Amy  was a hair dresser so she would often sport different hairstlyes and colors.  This time I gave my sweet Amy blonde hair. She always looked so pretty in whatever color hair or hairstyle she chose.  

Lol now Amo did not wear a dress to pick berries. Berry picking is hard work so it was shorts and a tank top for her, but in my stitching, I dressed her up a bit. I think Amy would be ok with that. 😊😢💓.  Sweet memories of her picking strawberries do make my eyes swell. 

If you are interested in stitching Amy Lou the Berry Picker, please check out the links to the jpgs below. I can not promise that this chart will remain on my blog . It all depends on my ups and downs with the grieving process. I am sure you understand. But I know what my sister would  say.  Amy is one of the most giving people  that I have ever known. 

Many of you know , but I always like to leave this little disclaimer.  

I stitch my little designs for fun and to decorate my home. I feel very blessed by this community and love sharing my little charts, but I am not a professional designer. And I do not have professional software. Thank you for understanding that I  have to put each page on separate links because of the devices I use. I apologize for that.  These are images of the chart  or JPG s and not downloads.   I am always grateful for your kind encouragement , your visits, and for stitching my little designs. 

Click here for the instruction page. 

Click here for the Colored Chart. 

Click here for the Black/ White Chart. 

Goodness! I have talked your ear off. I do apologize for being such a windbag  and for jumping from one subject to another. But a whole week without blogging,  WheW! I got a bit carried away with my goings on.  

Thank you my friends for taking the time to stop by for a sweet visit. That truly means so much to me. I hope that your Memorial Day is a blessed one. As always...

 Happy quilting and stitching ya'll

Melisa

Cherish every moment with the ones you love. 

Hugs and Stitches!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy . I love and miss you so much. Stawberry season is not the same . 

I am with you always. 

 I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needle workers to meet.  

      Kathy at Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday

Kate at Life in Pieces for  Stitching Stuff ( Sunday) 

Cynthia at Quilting is More Fun Than Housework for Oh Scrap - Sunday 

Beth at Love Laugh Quilt  for Monday Making

Judy at Small Quilts Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Lynette at What a Hoot!  for BOMs Away Monday

Linda at Texas Quilt Gal for To Do List Tuesday - Tuesday

Churn Butter Churn

Another beautiful Friday has rolled around. Welcome, sweet friends. 

"Churn butter churn! Come butter come! 

Peter stands at the gait 

Waiting for a butter cake. Come butter come. "

I guess I am on a Churn Dash kick right now. Well, I will admit it is one of my favorite blocks along with the simple nine patch and four patch. 

                         

I have been churning out little large Churn Dashes with my Summer Days Quilt and small churn dash blocks for a doll quilt. 

I love Little Quilts , and I became quite smitten with the the Antique Churn Dash quilt in the Patriotic Little Quilts book. 

Used up loads of little patrioitic scraps. Sew much sweetness and sew much fun. Now it time to quilt this little baby and have it ready for the patriotic season. 

 

 

I am off to find some backing material. Thank you for the sweet visit , my friends. Have a beautiful weekend and as alway...

                                           Happy quilting, ya'll

Melisa

A man's bread and butter is only insured when he works for it. 

Hugs and Stitches!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy . Love and miss you. 

I am joining these lovely ladies' link parties. I hope you check them out; they always have so many wonderful projects going on and provide the opportunity for other needleworkers to meet. 

Angela of  So Scrappy  for Scrap Happy Saturday

Alycia's of Alycia's Quilts for Finished of Not Friday

Michelle  at From Bolt to Beauty for Beauty Pageant 

Wendy at Wendy's Quilts for Peacock Party 

Frederique at  Applique Patchwork Quilting for Patchwork & Quilts