Running Man Did It Again

Despite the cold and snow this winter,

Running Man has been out training.

He's been running up and down the foothills,
along trails,

getting ready for his next 50 mile ultra-marathon run.

A couple of weeks ago

we headed to Lake Sonoma, California.

The early morning weather was cool
and misty with the fog

that had settled in.

The race started at 6:30 am

and I would be crewing him along the 

50 mile course.

There are those runner who 

run to win

 

and then

there are those runner who

are winners for running.

Running Man

ran a great race.

 

He started smiling

and finished smiling

with 50 miles of running
  in between.

Who wouldn't have a great race

 if you had this cheering team behind you.
Way to go, Running Man!

Until Next Time-

The Approach

I've been having fun working on this

vintage applique pattern,

 

The Noah and Matilda album.

The pattern is available from

Dawn, at Collector with a Needle.
 ****

 I had assumed I would have lots of 

time to stitch while

 this little guy took long
multiple naps during the day.

Does that look like a sleepy baby?

"Sigh"

So without those long blocks of time,

I've been slowly (emphasize slowly)

working on the 4 blocks for the month of April.

It's interesting how differently people might 

approach a project
when time seems to be limited.

Do you do the hardest blocks first, 

so you can sprint to the end.

Or do the easiest ones first so it might 

feel like your making progress quickly?

Or even still,
mix it up.

 Generally,
my approach is to start with hardest and 

finish with easiest.

This time I did the reverse,
I went from 

simple

to challenging.

I wanted to see some progress,

 no matter how slowly.

This block doesn't appear too hard.

That leaves block #4
which for me, will be the hardest, and
 most time consuming block,

But wait there's more,

 little mini circles 

that represent grapes. (39, I believe)

Don't they look

like little tiny red spider mites that

 are ready to attack a houseplant.

Everyone has a different perspective

on how to approach a project,

especially one with varying degrees of difficulty.

 

If I were starting April's blocks at this point,

I probably would have done my grapes first.

Why?

Because they would be done by now!

Either way,

This is a great BOM
and the blocks are going to be
beautiful and awesome when they are done.

Until Next Time-

The Cupcakery Is Back

Since I've been back in Denver

 

taking care of this sweet little guy,

my daughter's co-workers have been

inquiring....any cupcakes?

How can we turn down such a devoted following?

So last week, 

we put on our aprons and started baking.

We baked our vanilla cupcakes

with butter cream frosting.

They're always yummy, but
the star of the cupcakes were going to be

 the sweet baby birds of spring.

We made a ring of frosting to form the

 shape of the nest,

sprinkled on toasted coconut to create

the perfect bird's nest.

The baby birds were the most fun to make.

Using the mini Cadbury shelled chocolate eggs

 we piped a tiny bit of yellow frosting for beaks and

then added two black dots for eyes.

Don't they look like hungry birds?

My daughter sent an email out to

inform the gang in the lab
that there were cupcakes!

In 10 minutes those cupcake deprived coworkers

had emptied the tray.

 Wish I had a picture of that.

I'm not sure who was hungrier,
the co-workers or baby birds.

Until Next Time-

Love Those Pom Poms

 My Wascally Wabbits Table Mat

was a new project that got started and finished.

This rabbit project

is a "I've been sitting around for 2 years" and

"Easter Bunny's only seem appropriate during a certain period of time" project.

 So I knew I needed to get it out

and get it done.

  

The wool applique 

bunny pillow pattern

 

is by Cabin Creek

and is cute and simple.

My friend and I had each bought a kit from a local wool shop,

not because we didn't have enough wool ,

but because we simple adored the 

pink pom pom fringe that was included as an edge treatment.
(We have a thing for "dingle balls".)

When I use a primitive whip stitch
verses a buttonhole stitch,

 

 it saves lots of time and thread,
and for something as seasonal as this,
both of those reasons seem practical to me.

 I was thinking the pom poms might

be a challenge to sew on and look nice,

 but it was easy, especially using a zipper foot.

Now another unfinished project is done.
And I have to admit
there's something about

 those pink pom poms that
you just have to love.

Until Next Time-

Out of the Blue

 Since the beginning of the year

I have been moving back and forth:

from complex projects to simple patterns,

from long term finishes to quick sews and
 from old half finished projects to new ones.

There seems to be a place for each

in my eclectic quilting style and unpredictable schedule.

 I recently downloaded the free pattern,

Charm Pack Cherry

demonstrated by  Kimberly

of the Fat Quarter Shop .

It's fast and easy,

especially if you use charm packets.

Instead, I cut some 5" squares of 

some older "odds and ends" blues and

some, "I don't use white on white prints anymore"

to stitch this easy peasy quilt top together.

Here's the general idea.

Make Nine patches

cut Nine Patches,

resew Nine Patches.

Just so you know, I did use some oldies...

Once everything is sewn together

it makes an interesting design.


I'll admit using some current bright and
cheerful charm packets would make a totally
different and delightful quilt, but
this is what I had and this is what I used.

Once it's quilted and bound,
 new life will be added to  some "classic fabrics".

I'm thinking ahead with this top.

My local quilt shop

donates lap size quilts to nursing home residences

each Christmas,

I'm looking forward to be able to

include this quilt as a gift

to some special person.

It's not like I was lacking in projects,

or needed something to do,

it was just something I did,
"Out of the Blue".

  Until Next Time- 

Never Fear

 I may be in a new location today,

but

never fear....

I'm still connected!

 Until Next Time-

Wascally Wabbits

I seem to have 

an abundance of rabbits in my yard.

 Every time my little granddaughter

comes over,

we immediately begin to search for 

the Hoppies that live at Nana's house.

Sometimes we're lucky and see one,

but most of the time we don't.

We have very sneaky bunnies.

I thought of the two of us

on our wabbit walks

while I stitched

this delightful prim wool table mat.

"Wabbits"

2014

21" x 28"

****

This is a pattern designed by 

Lynda Hall and her granddaughters

and was in the 2012 Spring edition of 

Primitive Quilts and Projects.

****

I had cut the pieces awhile ago

 

dipping into my wool stash.

The large background piece 

was a wool skirt

 seams and all.

I lighted  up the piece

 using springtime colors.

I used a simple primitive whip stitch

around the shapes,

  either with wool embroidery thread

or perel cotton.

Now that it's spring,

those wascally wabbits might be multiplying.

I'm sure 

on our next wabbit walk

we'll be finding

Hoppies around every corner.

Until Next Time-