Quilts and more quilts

 This is my dining room table centerpiece for fall.  The runner was one I made several years ago. I found the inspiration for the runner in the fabric department at Marden's, a favorite store in Maine.  The gourds all came from Leesport a couple of weeks ago.



Fall is definitely full under way...although we are having a bit of Indian Summer this week.  It was so warm Wed. we even took a trip down to the Leesport Flea Market....  My husband has been out clearing leaves for the past several days.  We have close to 40 trees on our property and after the pretty colors comes the ground cover..............
  Speaking of leaves, I took the first two pictures when I got into my car a few days ago.  "Almost" frosted over windows.  I thought they were so arty I took a picture of each side of the windshield. I may try to use them in some art journaling soon.

The leaves are from our pretty little Japanese maple tree.... so pretty and then they are gone.

 I did say I would show more recent quilting projects this week so here they are........

I found this pattern for a Candy Corn mug rug and knew I HAD to make it.  The pattern is free from the website called Craftsy.  Here is a link.  http://www.craftsy.com/blog/2014/10/free-candy-patterns/
There are some other patterns on that page too.  I was lucky to have most of the fabrics in my stash!

This next project is what has now become one of my all time favorite quilts.  I now use it to cover up when I watch tv on cool evenings.  It is from the book pictured here.

  By Heather Mulder Peterson

It is still available as an e-book at Martingale Press. I was able to purchase it back when it was a real book. There are over 20 bed, lap, and wall quilts shown.   All fun to do I imagine. There are still a couple in the book I want to make.

 

I had done another strip quilt lately and it was so much fun I decided to try this one.  This definitely used up a LOT of scraps though I did have to buy the black.  I did each square on muslin instead of paper like some strip quilts suggest.  It made it so much easier because I did not have to rip the paper off after.  I just left it in place.

I still have lots more recently finished projects to share so be sure to come back next Friday and see what I have to show you.

Catching up and Quilting

                   Happy Fall, Happy Halloween,

 (I won these letters as part of an etsy contest.... from Char at http://www.someplaceinthyme.com/ )



I KNOW I haven't been here in quite a while.  Life sort of got in the way!!!!!

I had a health issue that resulted in surgery and then 4 weeks of eating practically NOTHING... lots of liquids and soft stuff.  I am fine now, thank the good lord, and finally feel like perhaps I should get back to my blog!

During that time I missed out on my yearly trek to Maine and New Brunswick which was very sad.   And didn't really go anywhere to far afield as driving for long periods was uncomfortable so..............  I did a LOT of quilting.

I found I could sit at my sewing machine for awhile and then get up and do something else when I got uncomfortable.  As a result..... I finished a number of projects that were just sitting around half finished....  I thought today I would begin to show you the results of that marathon effort.  I did some of the quilting myself but the big ones got sent out to my long-arm lady.

Today I am starting out showing a quilt that was  part of a Block of the Month project with a group of ladies on the Connecting Threads website.  It is called Lasting Legacy and featured reproduction Civil War fabrics and .made with beautiful, traditional blocks within a classic setting. I finished it mostly as the kit  said but several of the ladies just used the pattern and did their own thing.  All turned out terrific.
Here is that first finished quilt. (folded a bit because I couldn't get it all in this picture... as it sat on my dining room table.)

 For the back I simply used all the left over fabric I had from the project.  It is almost another quilt of its own.  I was in too big a hurry to make any sort of design.  Just added pieces as I picked them up to fit the space.  But I really like the way it turned out.

The next quilt I am showing is one completely different!  I found the pattern in the magazine called
 Mc Calls QUICK QUILTS magazine July 2001.  It is called Secret Garden.  I started it right away when I bought the magazine but obviously was a bit slow finishing since I finally got it done in August of 2015.  I made it out of a lot of pastel scraps I had in my stash and some I picked up at yard sales.  The rick rack was bought at a flea market in Lewisburg, Pa at the time I was considering doing the project.  It was already QUITE vintage at the time.  The pattern calls for over dye but I didn't do it.  Just left as is.  I noticed some of the fabric was from old blouses I used to wear.  It is a good way to use up some of your fabric stash.  I now use it as a lap quilt when watching tv.  I may make another using darker colors, just don't hold your breath!

So that is it for this week.  Next week I will show a couple of more.  I figure I can keep this up for several weeks.  I lost count of how many projects I actually finished but it was quite a few.

Check in next Friday and see what else I finished.................

I will eventually get back to "TEACUP TUESDAY" posts too.  But that may take awhile. I am sort of out of the habit and need to find more tea cups to feature.

Serviettes and Nappies

          While reading the responses to my last weeks post....  my Australian friend referred to what we in the US call napkins as "serviettes".  My Canadian cousins also call them that.

  So that got me to thinking about another item that has a different name elsewhere. One such word (or words really) is Fruit "Nappies."  My Canadian cousins, at least the ones in New Brunswick, call the small small bowls, as pictures below, fruit nappies.  From what I could find definition wise, in this context, they are small bowls used to hold fruit and often were sold with a larger fruit bowl.
                       Here is a picture of my favorite fruit set.

I have other small bowls that are similar in size that we use to hold dipping sauce, small fruits and other side dishes.  We now call them "nappies" at our house too.

Even though I have given examples from English Speaking Countries the words are not the same. I think that is interesting.

I enjoy hearing and reading the different terms used around the world for various things.  These two, in particular, are certainly useful when talking about tea parties.  Are there others???

Walking about the garden today I discovered these Vibrant red tulips hiding behind a bush and just HAD to take a picture.

I hope you are enjoying a cup of tea today......

             Here are the tea parties I will be joining this week.  Hope you will visit them too.

Remember, these may not be available every week so check to be sure.

Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *

 Martha at Martha's Favorites *

Bernideen's Tea-time Blog *
Ruth's Antiques  Teacups *

More flea market finds

 

After a couple of weeks of nice, warmer weather, this past week has been cold and I have brought in my hanging baskets at night because of the threat of frost....  I hope it will eventually get to the point where we can count on warmer weather.

Speaking of baskets, here are just some of the ones I had to pick from at the flea market a week ago. 

And here are the two I chose this time.  I plan on buying a few more as time goes on.

Below you will see the things I did buy at the flea market.  The larger teapot and cups are a birthday gift for my friend Carolyn.....  don't tell.... LOL.

The wooden tea pot shelf was a fun find, a perfect place to keep my tiny tea pots and tea sets. 

This cute little set just had to come home with me.

As did this floral one.

And this little tea cup and saucer.

And this little birdie set.  I imagine originally there were a couple more pieces including a plate 

but couldn't leave these behind no matter what might have been missing!

And here are some tea cup and saucer and a teapot that are a set of napkin holders.

And finally here is a closeup of the set I bought for my friend.

I hope you are enjoying a cup of tea today......

             Here are the tea parties I will be joining this week.  Hope you will visit them too.

Remember, these may not be available every week so check to be sure.

Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *

 Martha at Martha's Favorites *

Bernideen's Tea-time Blog *
Ruth's Antiques  Teacups *

Good weather means a visit to the FleaMarket!!

Last week was good weather so spent time doing yard work and generally enjoying doing things OUTDOORS.....    And since the weather finally cooperated, we were able to go to our favorite flea market.  We filled the van with all of the goodies we found.  It was such a pleasure to get back there again. Now hoping for another good Wednesday soon so we can go again.  

I was looking for things for my shop of course but also trying to find lots of tea things.  Don't always buy them but like to take pictures to share with you.  I found quite a few....  and be sure to come back next week to see the "miniature" things I found.  It was a good day all around.

First though to share a few other things.  Here is a picture of some of the Daffodils in one of my garden areas.  I showed them earlier when they were just popping up.  Now they are in BLOOM.  I have the more traditional in several other garden spots too.

These are not the traditional daffodils but I don't remember what they are called.  I looked on line at the MANY various types and saw several that looked like these.  No matter... I really like them.

And here are some of the more traditional looking daffodils in another garden area.   As they begin to fade I plan to plant some pansies.

While at the flea market I bought a couple of hanging baskets.  I will show them in next weeks post.
And I hope to find more plants to put in my other gardens.  But.... I still have to do some more "winter mess clean-up.

                      Here are some of the tea things I saw in my trip to the flea market..............

One vendor, who sells tea had a good idea.  You could make up your "own" selection.  Not having to buy a whole box so you could try things out.  I liked that.  I bought a couple of new ones (to me) to try out.

I found this line up of tea pots at another table.  They weren't really old, nor were they the kind I usually like so wasn't tempted. I went by her table just before we left for the day and she only had one left.  That was good for her!

I found this floral tea pot and the green one after it at a couple of different tables.  Both were pretty I thought.

And the next two tea pots were new for sale in a "gift shop" area in  one of the buildings.  Pretty.

                So if you had needed a new or fairly new tea pot you would have been in luck!


I saw quite a few cups and saucers which surprised me.  I usually only find a couple at this particular flea market.  This first cup and saucer were part of a set of 6.  I might have been tempted if it had been a single.

And here are a couple of groupings I found on different tables.

                         I was tempted by this pretty violet tea cup but have several already.

 And finally I saw these tea type things at the same table where the lady had the lineup of tea pots.

I did buy some tea things at this sale but you will have to come back next week to see what I found.  They were mostly all "miniatures" for my collection.

I hope you are enjoying a cup of tea today......

             Here are the tea parties I will be joining this week.  Hope you will visit them too.

Remember, these may not be available every week so check to be sure.

Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *

 Martha at Martha's Favorites *

Bernideen's Tea-time Blog *
Ruth's Antiques  Teacups *

Cottages and Crinolines

I had no idea what I would do for my Tea Cup Tuesday blog post until this past weekend.  I went to Pinterest to find something I saved that I wanted to print off.  While there I saw a cute cottage embroidery pattern.  That led me to look for more and as I was looking for cottages  I came upon the theme of Cottages and Crinolines every where I looked.  Then I remembered that I owned a number of things in that category....  So here is the result of that sidetracking I did. 
              Some of these are from my personal collection.  Some I have available out in my shop.  I imagine a few of you also have some of these things, especially if you like vintage linens.
          

      To begin I wanted to share a very special "Crinoline lady" picture.  It is a cross stitch project my grandmother did back in the 1920s (according to the note my mom wrote on the back of the picture.)  Needless to say it is VERY SPECIAL to me....

 but now on to the other things I found.

This picture shows a number of the things I have found  to share today. 

The teapot, tiny cup and the saucer are from a set I am sure I found in New Brunswick though can't say for sure.  All are bone china by Crown Staffordshire.  I probably should be looking for more as time goes on.  The three shown here came from New Brunswick so I imagine that is where I might find more.

Here is mark.........

I don't remember where I found this tea cozy but love it and now it sits on a shelf in my china cabinet right behind the Crown Staffordshire items above.  The tea cup and saucer is a set I have in my "cottage" collection.  I am only showing you one today.  

 It was made by Royal Vale as the mark shown below.

 

 And this fun little wall pocket fits right in.  I am pretty sure it also came from New Brunswick in past year or so.   The mark on the back is nearly unreadable but there is a crown above the name that I think says Lancaster.  That is all I could read.  What ever, I love it.

 Here are a few linens I had out in the shop.  They didn't photograph very well but you can get the idea.

And here is a book I have that has all sorts of patterns of the "Crinoline Lady."  There are some crochet and some cross stitch.

Here are a couple of pages from the book.

And finally here are some cards.  They are all anniversary cards which is why they feature the cottage I imagine. 

 I used this card to make the logo for today's post.

 I think this final one is really a special one.......

I hope you are enjoying a cup of tea today......

 Be sure you come back next week.  You never know what I will come up with next.

Here are the tea parties I will be joining this week.  Hope you will visit them too.

Remember, these may not be available every week so check to be sure.

Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage *

 Martha at Martha's Favorites *

Bernideen's Tea-time Blog *
Ruth's Antiques  Teacups *