Hitching Up the Wagon

Good morning, ya'll and a very Happy Monday to you. Are you ready for the most fantastic week?  I sure hope so. It is the last week of April, mind you. Where has the month gone? It just flew in and is flying right on out just as quickly. 

     

This weekend I spent my time gardening and boy, were my muscles aching. I planted several varieties of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, onions , sweet corn and zucchini. Fingers crossed the garden will produce. 

                 

 Sunday was a grand day- we celebrated my oldest grandbaby's birthday.🎂🎈🎈 He turned 8!!!! I have no idea how that happened because he is still a baby to me. Lol  ( Oh Mae Mae! That is what he would say. ) 

               

His birthday is actually today, but all the kiddos gathered together for a Pokemon birthday party . Lots of finger foods, fun and of course a yummy Pokemon cake.  

 

Afterwards, Mr. Pinker and I packed our duds ,  hitched up our wagon and  hit the trail headed westward oh' . Yep!  We are on another camping trip.  No- now this is not our usual summer Wild West trip, but just a hop , skip and jump over the mountain and through the woods  2 hours west of where we live to a small " new to me" lake.  

This is Nesting Bluebird Trifle. If you want to see how I made the trifle , click here. 

We arrived just as the sun was setting. We are right on the water so today will be a kayaking day.  I will try to take better photos  of the lake this week. 

 Of course , I brought along some stitching. My friend, Joan and I, are enjoying a Truckin Tuesday SAL where each Tuesday we work on a truck stitch. I have 3 trucks in the works and one embroidered truck, but this is the newest one I am working on. It is called Freedom Truck and I hope to share it soon. 

 Last week, I spent much of my time working on my Easter Quilt each day. I know . I know . You are probably saying , " I am so sick of seeing her Easter quilt . FINISH IT ALREADY!"  Well, I hear you.  I am bound and determined to get it finished, but I did not bring it along on our camping trip. 

I did however bring my Berry Basket quilt. So at least 15 minutes of stitching will go into it while camping. Hmmm, I wonder if I can tuck that on the back of my kayak and paddle to a shady spot and throw in a few stitches? Lol. I have been known to do that with cross stitching. 

Do you have your To Do List made out  for the week?  Here is a recap of mine from  last week.  I give myself a C+. Lol. 

LAST WEEK'S LIST

🇽1.  Applique Butterfly blocks

✅2. Quilt on Easter Quilt 

🇽3. Piece Flag Blocks

🇽4. Begin basket cross stitch

✅5. Work on Notforgotten Farms "Peaceful Sunflower" - a freebie on Lori' blog in the Feb. 28, 2022 post. Click here.  In the background is Bent Creek's freebie called Hope. 

     

✅6. Gardening chores

✅7. Ballgames , ballgames and ball games.  7 games are on the schedules. 

WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR THIS WEEK : 

1. Camping fun. 

2. Quilt on Berry Basket Quilt

3. Start a new Basket cross stitch . 

4. Finish Notforgotten Farm's Peaceful Sunflower

5. Truckin' Tuesday SAL

6. Gardening later in the week

7. Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack's. Yep! I will be at the ballfields when we return for more grandbaby action packed baseball fun. 

   

Well, I have been rambling like a derailed train. And I know you have places to go, people to see , quilts to piece and stitching to work on. Thank you so much for dropping by for a sweet visit. Wishing you the most blessed,  busy ,  and beautiful week, my friends and as always...

Happy quilting and stitching, ya'll

Melisa

Laugh out loud . Follow your heart and enjoy the little things. 

Hugs and Stitches!!! 🤗❤🧵

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  

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

Dedicated to my sweet baby sister, Amy.  The days are not the same without you. Love ya, Amo! 

Baskets and Chickens

TGIF. Happy Friday, ya'll. I finished appliqueing my Berry  Basket quilt. 

      

It is ready to go into the hoop today.

           

 I have another basket quilt in the works. 

This month's Rainbow Scrap Challenge color is PINK! 

So I have scrambled like a jack rabbit pulling pink fabrics for this month's challenge. 

This week I have appliqued a couple of chickens and baskets. 

        

A flock of colorful chicks .

      

So whatcha got going on today? Anything special .  Thank you for stopping by, sweetie pies. And as always... 

Happy stitching, ya'll, 

Melisa

Believe you can and you are half way there! 

Hugs and Stitches!!!❤🤗🧵

PS: I am still having tech troubles.. 😬 Where normally it takes 30 - 45 minutes to upload photos to my blog, it is taking longer. Uggh. And I do not know if Instagram has made changes or not but boy am I having trouble. Soooo maybe it is time for me to make a new computer purchase. Mine does go "out of date" in July according to the message sent to me. Lol. They time it right. Hopefully, I will be back in the groove to posting designs soon. Happy stitching. 

 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. 

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  Applique Patchwork Quilting   for Patchwork & Quilts     - Saturday

Angela of  So Scrappy  for Scrap Happy Saturday

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

Flutter By Butterfly

Good evening, ya'll and Happy Monday! I hope you had a blessed Easter holiday.

 These last few days I have been enjoying time outside , tidying about , moving plants and  garden planning. I gathered up some weedy blooms including wild buttercups and put them in a mason jar to enjoy .

             

 Do you see who decided to enjoy the blooms as well?  It's Kermit, the green frog.  

While at my sister's, I saw my first butterfly for the season. It was so befitting that I saw one there. 

So I decided to pull out the butterfly blocks that I have been working on in her honor. 

       

I will be appliqueing a new butterfly today and adding antenna's to the  others. 

A kaleidoscope of butterflies. 

The Spring edition of the punch Needle & Primitive Stitcher magazine arrived in the mail. I am looking forward to flipping through it and awing at the lovely designs and patterns. 

I have been making my To Do List for the week . 

LAST WEEK'S LIST

🇽1. Piece more flag blocks

🇽2. Begin a new basket cross stitch

✅3. Quilt on Easter quilt

✅4. Finish applique on Strawberry basket quilt

✅5. Pin down Easter menu and grocery shop. 

✅6. Ball games, ball games, ball games. Eeeeh! Baseball season.

WHAT'S THE PLAN FOR THIS WEEK : 

1.  Applique Butterfly blocks

2. Quilt on Easter Quilt

3. Piece Flag Blocks

4. Begin basket cross stitch

5. Work on Notforgotten Farms "Peaceful Sunflower"

     

6. Gardening chores

7. Ballgames , ballgames and ball games.  7 games are on the schedules. 

Have you made your plans for the week?  Thank you for popping by for a visit . Have a fabulous week and as always...

Happy quilting and stitching, ya'll

Melisa 

When the spirit of nature touches us, our heart turns into a butterfly. 

Hugs and Stitches!!! 🤗❤🧵

Dedicated to my baby sister, Amy. Love and miss ya. 

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

Lynette at What a Hoot!  for BOMs Away Monday

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

Summer Days Block 10- A Jar of Coneflowers

Good morning, Sunshine. Welcome .  The morning air is crisp . The birdies are chirping, and the day is beautiful. 

It 's Embroidery Thursday for me, and today I was wanting to share with you "A Jar of Coneflowers".

  A  little mason jar filled with purple blooms.  I  am looking forward to when I can cut some fresh flowers and place in jars myself. 

Click here for the doodle. 

Last week, I worked on 2 Sunflower Basket blocks. One I tinted with crayons. 

I have started the embroidery now. I will put more work on it tonight. The plan is to make this into a pillow. 

If you have missed any of the previous blocks, check out the links below to go back to the previous posts for the jpgs. 

Previous blocks include:  Little Blue Birdie  ,Time to Plant  ,   A Bowl of Berries ,  A Basket of Blooms , Buzz Buzz  ,  Red , White, and Ewe , Summertime Treat  , Lemonade  and Sunflower Basket . 

Lookie at these cute Mason Jar Recipe Cards. They are a freebie by I Should be Mopping the Floor  blog. 

This is my purple coneflower quilt that I pull out every summer . It is made mostly of my daughters' dresses and shirts. . 

       

Happy quilting and stitching, ya'll

Melisa 

Be like a sunflower and turn your face to the sun . 

HUgs and Stitches!!!!

      

Dedicated to my baby sister , Amy . Miss and love ya. 

Nifty Thrifties and a Small Trifle

Before I begin, Let me do some house keeping . I have an OOPS. Yesterday I posted Bunny Jar. If you printed the instruction page before 11:45 p.m. on that day I made some mistakes. They are all corrected now, but if you go back to the post you will see what mistake I made so you can correct it on your printed version or you can print the corrected page. I am so sorry.  Now back to the program. LOL. 

 Happy Hump Day, ya'll. Hope you are having a fine and dandy day. Well,  whatcha got on the agenda for this beautiful spring day?  I am going to be knee deep in dirt. Yep! I want to put on  my gardening boots,  plop on a big floppy hat and play in the garden. 

Dad plowed up a garden spot for me to work in. 

Mr. Pinker needs to till the dirt and  I have bean boxes to clean. 

Sunday night , I told Mr . Pinker , "I have a hankering to go to Alabama. I have got thriftin' on my mind. " 

Mr. Pinker smiled politely , "Choose a day" 

"My days are wiiiiiide open," I told him. "Let's hit the road tomorrow." And so we did.

 It was a rainy day, but boy did I find gold at the end of that rainbow. I hit all of my favorite honey holes. At  one stop I found a vintage book , a tin advertising box and a precious pepper shaker .  

            

We then went to  my favorite honey hole. Mr. Pinker went on his merrily way searching for fishing or manly things, but I was skipping like a kid as I went from one booth to the next looking at vintage bowls, quilts, and antiques. Right off I spied a few things that I wanted , but nothing jumped into my cart until......... Mr. Pinker came up to me and said, "I'm going to the car. Take your time. "      

 And then I was unleashed . I skipped down the aisles like a kid in a candy shop and then made a beeline  to an aisle that I knew had vintage textiles 2 months ago. Jackpot!!!! Yes! There was a quilt right in my price range ( You  know my price range - as low as you can go prices-  They do  call me Mrs. El -Cheapo" lol. ) 

Any whoo. I grabbed an old feedsack quilt. It was weathered , battered and worn- just the way I like them - well loved. 

 I then found 2 quilt tops ; they were full of scrappy goodness . I love it when a quilter uses what she has.  One went into the cart. 

Next I found this ginormous American flag for just $2. I had to have it.  (Now I know you are wondering where in the world is she going to hang that. Lol I don't know but doesn't look like the size you would see at a car dealership. )

" I think I have done good." I thought.  So I did my little happy jig in the middle of the aisle  as one elderly gentlemen looked at me like I had lost my marbles. I just shrugged my shoulders  and proceeded  merrily to the cash register. 

But guess what happened?   As the cashier rang up each item she said. "This is 1/2 off and this is 25 % off and...... "  

Wait a minute- Was my ears deceiving me?  I had to ask. "How can I figure out if something is discounted? " She told me to look at the date as to when it was put on the floor on the bar code and that determines the discount. 

"HOLD THE PHONE", I said. "This gal is not finished shopping!" 🛒

The sweet cashier said "Sure , I can hold all this back as your shop". And at that instant I took off like a bat out of you know where and as I ran I almost made a detour to   the store speaker to make an announcement that  ALL SHOPPERS NEEDED TO CLEAR AISLE 7 , but I was good and restrained myself. 🛒

Now you might  , remember there was a quilt top I left behind. Lol So I went back down the aisle and found 2 quilts tops and then .....

I rounded another aisle and I swear there was a beam of light glowing on the purtiest child's 1950's sewing machine, and I about passed out when I saw that it was going to ring up 1/2 price. 

With a hop ,skip and a jump I rushed those items up to the cash register and when I was told they were discounted too , I actually started break dancing right in the middle of the store. 🕺💃🕺💃Lol. Yes ! I was that excited.

 When I got out to the car, Mr. Pinker was on the phone, but he smiled sweetly and started to shake his head. When he got off he said ," You sure made a haul." 

"Oh yes, I did! " Lol. 

I will share other thrifty finds I found in future posts, but it was a fabulous day. 

I wanted to leave you with another little trifle. I took wee little Buford from A Basket of Spring and gave him a little bow. He will be enjoying his days on display for few weeks. Now you know how those bunnies multiply ,but I promise this will be the last bunny stitch for awhile. Lol. 🐰🐇🐰🐇

           

Click here for Buford Bunny Trifle. 

Thank you so much for stopping by and listening to my little thrifty tale. I sure did enjoy sharing it with you. Well, ya'll have a fabulous day and as always...

Happy quilting and stitching, ya'll

Melisa

Thrifting is more than shopping; it is an adventure. 

Hugs and Stitches!!!!❤🤗🧵

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

Dedicated to my dear sister, Amy. I would like to think you are my thrifting angel, Amo. I will forever miss you pulling into my driveway excited about your thrifty finds, and I sure miss your thrifting tales. Love ya!