A Little Bit of This and That

It's that time! 

For the kids to pack up  their books, pencils and paper.

Old school books ready to be leafed through. 

For the teachers to dust off the chalkboard. 

Old children's chalkboards

And for Mamas to celebrate!  Yeehaw! 😀😂

My daughter joked that she would be at school with the kids as soon as the doors opened. 😅

It's Back to School Time!!!!

A Sunday quilt stack all ready for school time. 

Well it is for some kiddos. Our grandsons' first day of school was last Friday. The Little One was thrilled to pieces that he got the teacher that he wanted ( She taught his brother a couple of years ago. ) 

Do you remember the excitement of the first day of school? Carrying the latest trendy Trapper Keeper , a school box of crayons, pencils and scissors?   

⭐ "Reach for the stars."   ⭐

2024 Back to School Display. 

🍎"Encouragement is oxygen to the soul."- George M. Adams 🍎

I sure do wish all of the students and teachers a wonderful school year. 🤗

ON TO QUILTY NEWS! 

Buttercream fabric and a plethora of scraps is what I am using on Melva's  free Quilt Along called Lala's Irish Chain SAL. 

Y'all, I will be honest. I am a bit behind not only on my quilting but on my stitching too . Still, I am plugging right along though.  😊

Melva is recreating her great grandma Lala's antique Irish Chain quilt and has invited us to sew along. It is a nine week sew along and like all of Melva's SAL ; it is sure to be loads of fun. In fact, she is sharing stories and photos of her Great Grandma Lala. I do hope you will hop over to visit, Melva. 

Melva's Schedule for Lala's Irish Chain SAL: 

Week 1 Cutting Instructions and Introduction: 

Week 2 Setting Blocks with Cornerstones

Week 3 Frame Setting the Blocks. 

Week 4 Patchwork Set 1

Week 5 Patchwork Set 2

Week 6  5 x 5 Patchwork Blocks

Week 7 Layout and Top

Week 8 Border

Week 9 Sandwich and Quilt

WHAT ABOUT CROSS STITCHING?

 Well, in other news, I fully finished  Tomatoes into a pin pillow with a scrap of fabric and some crocheted lace.  I shared this stitch a few months ago, and it has been waiting in the wings patiently to be finished. 

Now onto the Plans for the Week

This past week I was out of commission due to a fall , but hopefully, I will be moving around better and  will have the strength to do a little more. My mojo has been waning as well. Does that ever happen to you? Anywhooo... I will keep the "To Do List" short and sweet . 

Hmm.... What Should I do This Week? 

🌞1. Work on Melva's QAL

🌞2. Embroider September's Roundabout. 

🌞3. Begin a new saltbox cross stitch.   

🌞4. Quilt on Pretty in Peach Butterfly quilt.

 

As you can see I am not going to overdo it  this week. Hee! Hee! But I am sure more projects will come into play. They often do. 

Thank you for taking the time to join me on this lovely day. 

 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"some of the best discoveries are made when we simply try.  "- 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy  who loved to host "Back to School Bashes" for the kiddos. I do miss those times. 

 I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

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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. 

Frederique at   Quilting Patchwork Applique for Patchwork & Quilts - Saturday

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 

Melva at Melva Loves Scraps for Sew & Tell- Sunday

Brenda at Songbird Designs for Monday Musings

Judy at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Carol at Quilt Schmilt  for To Do List Tuesday 

Goings On

 Hmmm ... it has been a spell since our last visit . Hasn't it ?  I certainly did not mean to be away for so long. Ok. Ok. I know it was just a few days, but it seems like ages to me. Hee! Hee!

Sooo.... Let me tell ya' what's been going on in the holler! 

First, Mr. Pinker and I had a scare of our lifetime.

 During the grandsons' weekly sleepover, the Little One got choked on a marshmallow. His brother alerted Mr. Pinker who jumped into action and did the Heimlich on the little fella. At the time, the Little One could not talk or cough. He said that each time he tried to breathe the marshmallow felt like it was being pulled back further into his throat. Bless his little heart- he would not eat the rest of the evening and when he did eat the next day, I watched him like a hawk. 

 

Last week we had a few days where it rained cats and dogs here in the holler . I was one happy gal because it  alleviated the dreaded chore of watering the gardens. Everything is growing including the weeds.

 

It has been a blue spell since I have seen one of these. Yikes ! A hornet's nest.



Mr. Pinker spotted it on the eave of my sister's house the other day. ( This danger will be tackled later. )  

We are starting to get a few tomatoes. I see mater sandwiches in my future. 

  

The peppers are growing too! Eeeh!  Spicy! 

 

Hmmm... What else? Well Elmer has been moved to the other section of the farm in order to court Edna. 
The couple has been staying in the upper field so I haven't had the chance to get a photo of the two.  I guess they need their alone time. ❤🐴🐴Maybe they will come down the hill in a day or two. 

Edna looks awfully cute today! 

Now on to the quilting and stitching front! 

To be honest , I have been taking it slow and easy- hip hopping between stitching and quilting. 

Bent Creek's freebie Surrounded By Joy is fully finished. I simple used some cardboard covered with scraps from my stash. The jute string was from the Dollar Tree. It is all ready for the Christmas tree in a few short months. 

22 more weeks until Christmas! 



So let me show you my progress on The Gingerbread quilt which I am calling "Roll and Bake". 

The blocks are framed with 2" finished squares. 

After much debate, I decided to add 2 1/2" (unfinished) squares around each of the 4 embroidered blocks. 
I decided to go for the "country look" so I used lots of reds, greens, and tans . 
             Roll and Bake  and   A Bowl of Gingerbread

Hmmm... What to do next to Roll and Bake?  Well.... since it will probably be displayed in the kitchen , I am not going to make it too big. I will add a simple border in the next few days. I may add some four patches for the cornerstone blocks ( just brainstorming here). 

 A Plate of Gingers  and   Gingerbread and Marshmallows

I have lots of other projects in the works , but like I said I have been hip hopping  like a wild wily rabbit so I will show you some of those projects another time. 

Goodness, I don't want to chat your ears off. So I  will let you get back to what you were doing. Hmmm  .... I am curious.  What are you working on today? I bet it  is something lovely!  

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"Slow down and enjoy the simple beauty of each day.  "- Unknown

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy 

 I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉🍉

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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. 

Brenda at Songbird Designs for Monday Musings

Judy at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

Carol at Quilt Schmilt  for To Do List Tuesday 

Jennifer at Inquiring Quilter for Wednesday  Wait Loss- Wednesday

Denise at For the Love of Geese for Put Your Foot Down- Thursday

Nina at Creations, Quilts, Art , Whatever by Nina for Off the Wall Friday

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

Michelle  at From Bolt to Beauty for Beauty Pageant - Friday

Joy at Days Filled with Joy for Home Matters

Lazy Days and Making Progress

 It feels like it has been a spell since our last visit. 

Good afternoon, Sweet Peas. Wheew! It is as hot as blue blazes out there. But for the last few days, Mr. Pinker and I have been enjoying lazy days with the grandsons at the creek. 

The youngest grandson said it was as hot as fried chicken!  😂🤣

 I even put my camp chair in the water where I could dip my toes in it- that is when I was not walking the rock filled creek and dodging crawdads with the youngins' nearby.

The water was up at the creek. The large fallen tree is slowly being moved down the creek which you can see glimpses of.  

It is a lot cooler in the cove especially near the creek, but once you get out in the fields the heat rises and the sweat is pouring. 

The dragonflies reminds me of dear Isabel of Alromasar Blogspot

This week I am on a mission to finish quilting 5 butterflies in my Peaches and Butterflies quilt. Can I do it? Hmmm... I am not sure, but I have my mind set on it. 

I worked on hand quilting a butterfly this morning. This is my 15 minute a day or longer project. 

Meanwhile I finished the embroidery work for Sweet Melody Roundabout . It is just one of the  embroidered blocks in the monthly "Roundabout series"  that I am sharing. 

Oh, before I go any further. RUN ! DON'T WALK! There are 2 Sweet friends you have to check out! 

Di at Quilting is Blissful Blogspot shared her roundabouts today. Oh my goodness! You need to see how she is setting  them- in Dresden Plates!  CUTE! CUTE! CUTE!   Di also shared her Tiny House finish and her Summer Stamp finish which she used different stamps from other series that I have shared. And may I say it is adorable?! ❤

Diann at Little Penguin Quilts Blogspot shared her progress on the Summer Stamp series on Saturday . She made the little bird in the Home Tweet Home Stamp an adorable House finch. Let me say that it is as precious as all get out! ❤

I thought about making my bird into a House Finch, but my love for bluebirds won out on this embroidery. 

Well on my Sweet Melody Roundabout , I used 2 strands of floss and used the backstitch. 

I  used the following floss colors:

 

🐦DMC 3346 ( leaves),

🐦  DMC 898 ( tree limbs) 

🐦 DMC 783( beak, claws)

🐦DMC 930 ( bird)  

🐦DMC  760 (Music notes) 

🐦DMC  3687( scalloped border) 

As an afterthought, I add a little bow to the birds neck using DMC 815. 

I back stitched a "string"  to the birdies neck and then tied a small bow and  tacked it down on the embroidered string. Now she is all "fancy-fied"! Is that a word. Hee! Hee!  

The Roundabout was stitched on 8 1/2" x 8 1/2"  (unfinished) white fabric. 

It is framed with 20 -  2 1/2" squares (unfinished) 

The Roundabout Block  with Scrappy Borders Measures:  12 1/2" x 12 1/2" ( unfinished)

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Around and Around we go! Tomorrow I will be sharing Block 7 in the Roundabout series. 

I will also be sharing the newest Tiny House cross stitch.  I think I will break them into 2 posts though. Tiny House will be posted in the morning and the Roundabout around noon so if you are in the neighborhood drop by. 

Alrighty, I better "get to catching up" with all of my friends and see what pretties they have been making. 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"Taking time each day to relax and renew is essential to living well.  "- Judith Hanson Lasater

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy who  always enjoyed spending time on the river or at the creeks. 

 I love and miss you so much.. Love you , Amo. 

🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦

 Other Posts That Might Strike Your Fancy!

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🌞2026 Love Parade- A Parade of Previous Valentine Freebies- Valentine themed stitches up to Feb. 4, 2026.  

🌞 Root A Toot Toot Patriotic Parade Early 2024 patriotic freebies. 

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🌞Turkey Struttin' Thanksgiving Parade 2025- Thanksgiving freebies up to the date of November 3, 2025. More Thanksgiving freebies followed  this date. 

🌞Ho! Ho! Ho! Christmas Parade Of Previous Freebies- 2025- A Parade of Christmas Freebies up to the date of November 15, 2025. More Christmas Freebies followed this date. 

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🌞Let's Dye Some Fabric- A tutorial on my process of dyeing Aida 

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. 

Kate at Life in Pieces for  Stitching Stuff ( Sunday) 

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

Melva at Melva Loves Scraps for Sew & Tell- Sunday

Brenda at Songbird Designs for Monday Musings

Judy at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday