Paw Paws, Sheep and Quilting

 Muscadines and Paw Paws are getting ripe. 

The Paw Paw is not too pretty , but it is sweet and yummy .

Have you ever had a paw paw before?

There is not much to them, but they are oh so sweet.

The inside of a Paw Paw. 

Each paw paw usually has 6 to 8 large seeds which are about an inch in length. You just have to eat the pulp around the seeds and along the skin of the paw paw.  They are yummy!

If you would like to learn more about Paw Paws check out this article from Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. 

8 blocks pieced and 8 more to go on the  Irish Chain blocks .

Did you notice the Santa fabric? I always try to sneak some Christmas fabric into my scrappy quilts. 😀

Dear  Melva of Melva Loves Scraps blogspot has been hosting a wonderful Stitch Along recreating her Great Aunt Lala's Irish Chain quilt. 

In fact, she shared her final installment of the stitch- along yesterday.

But I am as slow as molasses so I am a little behind. 

I am aiming for 32 pieced blocks in my Irish Chain. 

I will be piecing 2 more blocks today. 

Thank you so much, Melva for sharing this quilt with us. You do so much for the quilting community. ❤😘

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

Oh what else can I show you? 

Hmmm ... Well

Last month I finished "Gratitude " in the Little House Sheep Virtues series which was gifted to me from sweet Donna. Thank you dear friend. I am loving these.

I am stitching the Sheep Virtues as one piece with 5 stitches separating each design.  The fabric is 14 count Aida which I tea/coffee dyed. 

It is time to move on to the next group of ewes . This chart is called "Kindness" .

 

Well I best get to work if I am going to catch up with Melva. Hee! Hee! If you are in the neighborhood , drop by . I have an extra machine or two and with all of us we can whip those blocks out in 2 shakes of a lamb's tail. 😀🐑🐑

Have a fantabulous day! 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"Begin each day with love and joy in your heart.  "- 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy 

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

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

 Other Posts That Might Strike Your Fancy!

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🌞Autumn Parade March- 2026 Fall Parade A parade of Fall themed stitches and doodles up to September 10, 2026.

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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 needleworkers to meet. 

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

Frederique at   Quilting Patchwork Applique for Patchwork & Quilts - Saturday

Angela of  So Scrappy  for Scrap Happy Saturday

Joy at Days Filled with Joy for Home Matters

Melva at Melva Loves Scraps for Sew & Tell- Sunday

Judy at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts for Design Wall Monday

My 2020 Country Patriotic Thrift Hutch 

Plum Street Sampler has a darling patriotic freebie called "Happy Birthday , Mr. President " in her blog post dated February 18, 2018. 

NOTE: After trying to download "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" , I found the link does not go to the chart. I am not sure if Paulette is aware or if she will fix the link in the future. But it was a darling design. 

💙💙💙 BLOGGER BLUES 💙💙💙

Oh dear, Blogger is  "glitching" again. I am not receiving updates on my Reading List. So I do apologize if I miss any of my sweet blogging friends posts. I am trying to pop in to see if you post each day.  

A Squirrely Roundabout - A Fall Doodle Freebie

Hello, Sweet friends . Around and Around we go! I have been working on my Roundabout quilt. 

My newest embroidery block is called "A Squirrely Roundabout"- just a sweet squirrel gathering an acorn for its winter stash. 

Graphic from Pinterest

I used the backstitch using 2 strands of floss. For the squirrel's eye and nose, the satin stitch was used. 

 JUST IN CASE YOU ARE INTERESTED

The following floss colors were used : 

🐿 Squirrel: DMC 898

🐿 Jacket: DMC 926 ( outline of jacket)  and 930(button,collar, cuffs, plaid and stitches)

🐿 Branches: DMC 869 

🐿 Leaves: DMC 3346, 355, 782

🐿 Acorn:  DMC 435(cap) , 437 (acorn) 

🐿 Scalloped Border: DMC 355

My doodles are hand drawn and are never perfect. ❤

The block is framed with 20-  2 1/2" squares( unfinished).  The embroidered block measures 8 1/2( unfinished) .  

After framing the embroidered block, the  roundabout measures 12 1/2" squared unfinished. 

If you missed any of the blocks and you are interested, just click on the colored links. 

Frosty Chill Roundabout

Love Mail Roundabout

Welcoming March Roundabout Doodle 

Bunny Harvest Roundabout 

May Flowers Roundabout

Sweet Melody Roundabout 

Summer Joys Roundabout

Bees and Blooms Roundabout

I will keep it short and sweet today. I will be pulling fabrics and flosses for I have a new roundabout to begin. 

Have a happy day! 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa 

"Mighty oaks  from little acorns grow.  "- Geoffrey Chaucer

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy 

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

🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂

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

🌞A Berry Nice Parade- A Look at Past Berry Freebies 2025- Early 2025 berry Freebies. 

🌞A Buzzy Bee Parade An early 2025 bee freebie parade.

🌞A Sunny Sunflower Parade for 2025 A parade of sunflower freebies up to July 24, 2025

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🌞A Spooky Parade - Halloween freebies up to October  4, 2025. More Halloween pieces followed this date.

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

🌞A Christmas in July Parade of Past Freebies- 2026 A Parade of Christmas Freebies up to the date of July 6, 2026. More Christmas Freebies followed this date. 

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Moving Right Along and Bee the Sunshine Freebie- A Sunflower / Bee Freebie

 Sweet Melva's SAL is moving right along, and I am enjoying every minute of it! 

Welcome , Honey Pies and Happy Happy Friday!  I am so very grateful that you dropped by for a visit. You truly brighten my day.

 

Aunt Bea's Summer Home

After much debate, I decided to use red as the main color in the chains. 

I believe I have mentioned a gazillion times my love affair with the color red! 😁❤

Anywhooo... I found some red Daisy fabric in the quilt room ,and it was not long before I went to town cutting 2 1/2" strips and blocks. Cut! Snip! Cut!

Soon a sample block or two was made.  Sew! Sew! Sew! 

Hmmm.... I am quite pleased. 🤗

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

Yee Haw! I have a finish! Autumn Beginnings  which I shared last week is all stitched up! Yesterday I made it into a pin pillow, stuffed it to the gills with polyfil  and trimmed it with some thrifted yarn. Wahlah! Ready for display.

UPDATE: These are the DMC  floss colors that I used for "Autumn Beginnings"  . 

FLOSS  : SYMBOL  MOTIF:

       DMC 610 ( U and T)       Border and pumpkin stem

DMC  782 ( Y)  Sunflower

DMC 3781 ( • )  Sunflower center

DMC 301 ( O) Pumpkin

DMC 919 (X) Pumpkin lines

DMC 730 ( G) Sunflowers stem and pumpkin leaf

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

Since I was on a roll, I finished Bee the Sunshine!  A new little bee stitch to add to my ever growing collection. Sigh. 🤗

Bee the Sunshine was stitched on 14 count coffee/ tea dyed Aida using just a few of my favorite DMC floss colors including: DMC 543, 731, 781, 783, 829, 838, 975, and 3371.

🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵

If you are interested in stitching this piece,  just grab , the images. For printing tips, refer to the post Tips for Printing which has loads of tips from my sweet friends. 

🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵🧵

Bee the Sunshine and in the background is Heart in Hand's "Pocket Round Bee" 

Have you visited the Herrschners website? They have lots of cute freebies. I was perusing their freebies the other night . "Sew" much cuteness!  

I know that Brenda at Songbird Designs is working on Herrschners Christmas Plastic Canvas Barn- it is not a freebie but is as cute as a button. Perfect for a Farmyard Christmas theme. 

Alrighty, it is time for me to get busy! 

The Pretty in Peach Butterfly quilt is calling my name. I will be finishing the hand quilting on the blocks before moving on to the borders. 

Enjoy your weekend, Sweethearts! And do a little jig- It's Friday! Hee! Hee! 

As Always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, y'all

Melisa

"Baby steps count too as long as you are moving forward.  "- Chris Gardner

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy . My heart aches as the hours tick to 5 years ago.  

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

🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻

 Other Posts That Might Strike Your Fancy!

🌞Parade of Homes 2026- Early 2026 parade of home freebies.

🌞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. 

🌞A Berry Nice Parade- A Look at Past Berry Freebies 2025- Early 2025 berry Freebies. 

🌞A Buzzy Bee Parade An early 2025 bee freebie parade.

🌞A Sunny Sunflower Parade for 2025 A parade of sunflower freebies up to July 24, 2025

🌞Pumpkin, Leaves and Autumn Please- A Fall Parade 2025 A parade of Fall themed stitches and doodles up to September 8, 2025.

🌞A Stomping Stamp Parade 2026   A parade of stamp cross stitch design freebies up to June 2, 2026

🌞Time to Dye-  2024 post on how I tea/ Coffee Dye my fabric. 

🌞Pin Pillow Tutorial - 2023 post on how I finish my pin pillows with chenille trim. 

🌞A Spooky Parade - Halloween freebies up to October  4, 2025. More Halloween pieces followed this date.

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

🌞A Christmas in July Parade of Past Freebies- 2026 A Parade of Christmas Freebies up to the date of July 6, 2026. More Christmas Freebies followed this date. 

🌞A Chilly Parade of Winter Stitches 2025- A parade of Winter themed freebies up to the date of Dec. 21, 2025

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

Canadian Geese lounging by the lake. 

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. 

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

Gretchen at Gretchen's Little Corner for TGIFF