Pins and Needles and My Raggedy Fall Tree

It is a beautiful Friday in my neck of the woods. Welcome , Sweetie Pies! Just dropping in for a quick afternoon visit to show you that I have been keeping my foot to the pedal as I worked on a few blocks in the Quilt Nest.

These need a good pressing. Lol. 

 I pieced a new blue block for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge . Whewww! I am glad I finally have something to share in Angela's RSC So Scrappy  link party .  

This long strip of blues will be made into something adorable. (Fingers crossed)🤞 I'm thinking of an appliqued design. I can not wait to share when I am done. 

A couple of weeks ago, I finished decorating my raggedy white Christmas tree for fall. 

My fall tree is a bit of a leaner this year. LOL. The photos make it look worse than it is. It is crammed full ;isn't it? 

 

 Any whooo, Mr. Pinker came into the living room, and I shouted with glee, "It's done! It's done!" 

Mr. Pinker's eyes grew  as big as  saucers as he looked about in confusion👀 . "What's happened? What's done? " 

"My fall tree, silly!!!" I exclaimed. 

"Where? Oh,  it's a bit full isn't it? Mr. Pinker asked as he eyed it . (Why after all of these years has Mr. Pinker not realized that I am not a minimalist? Lol I don't know. 🤷🙄😄 )

Mr. Pinker looked  over it intently and then asked half jokingly , "Where's the tree?"  . 😂🌲 

"Aaah it's in there, I promise! " I said.  

"I like seeing needles", said Mr. Pinker. "Pine needles not the ones that seem to fall on the floor and then I have the tendency to step on. "   

Oh, boy , I thought here; we go again talking about why he has to wear shoes in the house because I have needles and pins everywhere. I do work to keep them wrangled up though.  (Have you heard that conversation before?) 

" Well dear," I happily answered, "I want to see all of my stitching and country clutter; it makes my heart sing. " 

  

With a wink of his eye, Mr. Pinker said"  A happy wife is a happy life. I love your fall tree if you do. ❤💛 " 

" Thank you, dear- Now tell me if you see any needles or pins on the floor. "  😀😚

With a peck on the cheek , Mr. Pinker then strolled out of the room and then I heard "Ouch!!!!" Lol. "Found one!" 😲😳🩹

Well , thank you so much for stopping by today to see my quilt blocks, my country clutter and to hear my little tale. By the way, Mr. Pinker is fine and dandy.  Wishing you a fabulous and fun Friday . 

 As always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, ya'll

Melisa 

The only thing that will make you happy, is being happy with who you are! - Goldie Hawn

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my baby sister, Amy who always kept an eye out for sewing items for me . I love and miss you Amo . 

 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. 

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

Wendy at Wendy's Quilts for Peacock Party - Friday

Frederique at   Quilting Patchwork Applique for Patchwork & Quilts - Saturday

Angela of  So Scrappy  for Scrap Happy Saturday
 

Happy Fall Ya'll - Squirreling Around - A Fall Freebie.

Eeeh!!! Can you believe it! The first day of Fall. How did it get to this time of the year so quick?  

Hello Fall  freebie that I shared in 2020.

Oh, how I do love Fall! Well I know some of ya'll are experiencing cooler temps and maybe even some signs of Fall. Here in the holler it was a steamy 96 degrees yesterday - that's still swimsuit weather for me.  Hmmm! I wonder if we will  have those  summer temps. today.  A few leaves have began to fall though. 

What kind of fall fun do you have planned for the season? Pumpkin or apple pickin' ? Corn mazes? Or are you just  going to enjoy all that the season brings forth? 

Little Bits Pumpkin Haul finished on a Dollar Tree blackboard. 

 I am looking forward to picking pears at mom's when they ripen as well as the persimmons. The kiddos will probably go to a pumpkin patch and of course there is fall ball that we are already enjoying.  Hubby will have some hunts, and I will tag along if there is a camping involved.  And of course there is fall stitching and quilting. 

Well today I am feeling a bit squirrely.

1803 Autumn House  and Squirrel Stamp

 I have a fondness for squirrels. I think I may have told you that before. I know they are rodents and they get in the bird feeders and can create quite a mess especially if they get in your attic , but gosh, just look at that furry face. Lol. 

 

 Any whooo! My squirrels have not been scampering near the house lately . I guess they are enjoying their time in the woods. 

 Today I wanted to share a stitch with you that I worked on last year. It is called Squirreling Around.

 A wee  stitchin squirrel resting on a spool of thread with her needle . Of course the fall leaves, acorns and scissors are not too far away as well.Now if I was to stitch it today, I think I would change the thread color of the spool. What color would you choose?  

If you are interested in this stitch, I hope you will be able to save and print the chart. NOTE:  At the bottom of the post I also pasted the instruction page and the symbol chart using a different method. You might try both charts to see which is the best in saving. 

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.

 Of course I am still having tech troubles ; I posted about that yesterday which explains why my charts are not being posted like usual. Click here for a better explanation.  But many dear stitchers said they were able to click and save it as an image and then print it. Thank you so much for all of the kind words and encouragement in helping me get through these tech issues. I am so grateful to all of you. Isn't this such a wonderful community? 🤗

  I finished  mine into a simple pillow with  Walmart white chenille trim that I  tea dyed and twisted as cording . 

 Did you notice my homemade acorns?  

Two years ago, hubby and I went on a camping trip and I found these large acorn caps at the campground. I gathered bookoos of them. I think I will make  few more acorn pincushions today. They are super easy with scraps of fabric and a bit of polyfil and glue. 

I hope your first day of fall is a beautiful day filled with blessings. Now let's go chase some squirrels!! 

 As always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, ya'll

Melisa 

I don't have ducks in a row- I have squirrels and they are everywhere! 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my baby sister , Amy. I love and miss you Amo . I remember when you was nipped by a little squirrel. 

 

Sunflower Mason Jar - A Mason Jar Freebie- Maybe?

Good afternoon , ya'll. Yep 2 posts in a day, I would have done it all in one post, but it would have been waaaaay too loooooong. 🙄

If you missed this morning's post, click here to see my vintage Dresden Plate quilt and my tiered tray. 

 So let me start off by Boo Hooing 😢😭  and telling you  that I have been feeling a bit blue lately. Why you ask? Well , here we go again! Tech Issues! 

 Google Docs is giving me a fit, and I am not able to upload my freebie charts as jpgs. Uggggh! 😠😩😭 What to do?!?! 

First off, I am not very techy, and I have to scan my charts and upload them from the USB. When I try to upload them, I get the message "this file type is not supported". All was ok until a week ago. I think Google has updated, and I have am just too tech dumb to figure what is going on. To say the least  I am almost in tears. Do you have any suggestions or ideas? 

 I have been stitching up a storm though. 

In fact, I have been working feverishly  to squeeze in my Sunflower Jar for Sunflower September stitching. 

Eeh! Let's do the wave!!!  I completed it.  Just a jar filled with sunshine. It certainly makes me smile. 

This little jar stitched up quickly and there are only 7 floss colors in it. DMC 937, 898, 3345, 3347, 782, 3371 and 413. 

So what I am going to try to do, is post the image of the chart  on my blog . I do not know if you will be able to print it or not. This is an experiment until I can find a solution if there is one. Let me know how it comes out on your end if you do try to print it. 

Lookie at my little bears gifted to me from, sweet Joan. Aren't they the cutest? Thank you , Joan. Oh how I love these guys. 

If you are interested in stitching the Sunflower Jar, please check out the images below. 

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.

If you are having trouble with  the above images and they  can not be saved and  printed, try right clicking these images .  Lol I am trying to figure this out.  Thanks again for understanding. 

Something about Fall always makes me want to bake. I haven't tried these muffins yet, but they do sound so yummy.

 Not sure why blogger has a large gap between the text. 

Sunflower Pumpkin Muffins

12 muffins

INGREDIENTS: 

1 Cup of all purpose flour

½ cup of packed brown sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¾ cup canned pumpkin

1 egg slighly beaten

¼ cup of  milk 

⅓ cup of sunflower oil

1 cup of rolled oats 

½ cup raw or roasted sunflower kernels ( if salted , omit the salt in the recipe)

DIRECTIONS

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, spice, salt and soda. Mix well. Combine pumpkin, egg, milk and oil. Add to dry ingredients; mix only until well combined. Stir in oats and sunflower kernels. Fill muffin tins ¾ full . Sprinkle with topping. Bake at 400 degrees F. for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. 

For topping: Melt 1 Tablespoon sunflower margarine. Mix with ⅓ cup of brown sugar, 3 Tablespoons of sunflower kernels, 1 Tablespoon of flour and ¼ teaspoon of pumpkin spice until crumbly.

Oh, Yum! Don't they sound delicious?  

The rest of the day will be spent in the Quilt Nest. I have been on a roll piecing away. I hope to work on some blue blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. I have been absent from participating in that challenge here lately. But I have had good intentions. 

Thank you for the afternoon visit and  for understanding. As always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, ya'll

Melisa 

We're all golden sunflowers inside- Allen Ginsberg

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

Dedicated to my baby sister, Amy . I love and miss you Amo. When I see a sunflower, I think of you- Tall, proud , beautiful and full of sunshine! 

Honey Jar 

 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

Patriotic Jar

Tales From the Quilt Keeper The Sunflower Quilt

And a very good morning to you.  Today I would like to share with you "an oldie but goodie" quilt that I purchased years ago at a thrift store for only $2.99 .🤯 Can't beat that with a stick; can you? 

I call this "The Sunflower Quilt" ( Wow! Real creative name. huh)🙄😂 

Well anywhoo! This is the quilt that I am displaying for Sunflower September on The Quilt Keeper  .  

Now if you are not familiar with the Quilt Keeper it is a nifty way to display or store quilts right over the door. 

 The Quilt Keeper    was created by Ellen Taurins and if you are interested in purchasing one of your own, please hop on over to The Quilt Keeper  website ( click the colored text ) .  

Use Discount code PINKNP to get 10% off your purchase. 

Please note that  I receive a small commission if you purchase a Quilt Keeper if you go through my link to the website; it  is no extra cost to you. I truly appreciate your kind visit 

Now last month I shared my antique "Straight off the Truck" quilt  on the  Quilt Keeper . If you missed that wild and wooly story click on the colored text to read about it. 

AN UPDATE FOR THE QUILT SHARED LAST MONTH:

 Dear Sylvia from  Treadlestitches blog  left me a message giving me a bit of information about the quilt. The design is called  "All Kinds" and was published in the Ladies Art Company Caltalog in the 1890's. She said she believed my quilt may date that far back as well based on the fabrics. Eeeh ! How exciting. And think it came right off the truck!

NOW BACK TO THE SUNFLOWER QUILT  

A few years ago I made my weekly rounds to the Goodwill. The linen section is in back corner ; I always make a beeline to that section as soon as I enter the store.

 Well I was jumping like a mad woman when I saw this hand quilted Dresden Plate quilt . I swear people were rolling their eyes , pointing and laughing at me as I whooped and hee hawed over this quilt, but I didn't care not one single bit. 

 Do you think it was made in the 70's or 80's ? I am just guessing based on the fabrics .

Just 5 fabrics were used in this quilt. The fabrics are a little dingy and faded , but oh so loved.  Isn't the block so pretty?

 The plates are machine appliqued with green thread , but the quilt is hand quilted.

 I am always interested in how quilters do their binding.  The quilter used a bronzed colored fabric for the backing and turned the backing fabric towards the front to bind the quilt. 

 To hang the quilt on The Quilt Keeper   , I folded it  in thirds and placed it on the bar. 

The bar is removable for easy hanging.  

Next month around the first , I will be sharing a very special quilt with you on "The Tales from the Quilt Keeper" .  

Now to other happenings. 

My kitchen tiered tray is crammed full with fall goodness including sunflowers.

    

 This tiered tray is beside my corner sink near the window. I added some scarecrows, chickens, pumpkins and barns and called er' done. 

 I know. I know.🤷🎃🌻🍁🦉🐔 Its plumb full with clutter, but I am enjoying it. 

The Pioneer Woman utensil container holds a lot of my Granny's old utensils- some are rusty and crusty but they are for display only and are dear to my heart. 

                      

That's my ramble for the day.  

Guess what ? I am going to post a 2nd post  later today, about noonish. I may- just may mind you- have a  cross stitch freebie, but I also have some troubles to share. So I hope you pop by for a visit. You may be able to  help me out on my troubles which I would greatly appreciate. 

 Before you leave, have I told you how much I appreciate you lately? I truly do. Thank you for all of your kindness, sweet visits and encouragement. You make this old gal happy. 

Have a sunshiny day, my friends and as always...

Happy  Stitching and Quilting, ya'll

Melisa 

Keep your face to the sunshine and you will not see the shadows. That is what the sunflowers do. - Helen Keller

Hugs and Stitches!!!!🤗🧵❤

This photo is for you, Amo. Love you! 

Dedicated to my baby sister, Amy . I love and miss you Amo. When I see a sunflower, I think of you- Tall, proud , beautiful and full of sunshine! 

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. 

Pat at  Life in  the Scrapatch for Stitch , Sew and Show- Wednesday

Jennifer at Inquiring Quilter for Wednesday  Wait Loss- Wednesday

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

Kelly at My Quilt Infatuation for Needle and Thread Thursday- Thursday