May Mini Plus

May mini is done! Had my doubts there for a while . . . 

 

 I made (9) 4" string-pieced blocks with Carol's scraps . . .

. . . and used muslin for the foundation. This is what it looked like before I added the batting and backing. 

From that wonderful box of scraps I pulled 4 green and pink 2-1/2" strips for the border. I like the contrast. It's quilted in diagonal lines in the opposite direction of the strips. The finished piece is 16-1/2" x 16-1/2".

I put this fun fabric from the thrift shop on the back. Voila! Make sure you visit Wendy's blog to see more fabulous May minis :)

I bought these two dried flower picture frames at the thrift shop and added photos of the wildflowers we saw on Mother's Day :)

I see so many lilac bushes when I walk into town. The fragrance is heavenly.

Honeysuckle bushes, too. I always liked sucking the nectar from the flowers when I was little. Did you ever do that?

This Memorial Day let us not forget Julius Lemora who died at Hampton Hospital April 13, 1862, age 32. Pleasant View Cemetery, Wilmington, NY.  

Finally! I'd been waiting for a good sunset :)

Hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day!

 
Copyright 2022 Barbara Schaffer
 

More Flowers In and Out

My Mother's Day was really special. I hope yours was too!

Just look at this gorgeous arrangement from my favorite farm! My husband no longer drives so our daughter took him to get these flowers :) 

 

Then it was time for a Mother's Day hike in search of wildflowers. Connie and I had a banner day! We saw Hepaticas in blue . . . 

. . . and white.

And Blood Root . . . 

And Trillium . . .

And we hiked a trail where we could see Whiteface Mountain in the distance still with a little snow on top.

And Trout Lily which Connie declared as "My Mother's Day gift to you." It was perfect!

And dinner was stuffed artichokes along with cheese and crackers from a local dairy farm. Yum! 

 

Last month I treated myself to this In the Outdoors cross stitch pillowcase kit. I'm really not sure why I finally took the plunge but I did. Why not??

It's been quite a while since I've worked on any cross stitch projects but these 5 different designs really spoke to me--and the Adirondack-style. 

I also bought this appealing Patriotic Bouquets by Norma Whaley table runner pattern on Sentimental Stitches website. I thought it would be perfect for those leftover Churn Dash blocks from Barb V's 2018 block swap :)

I'd say both this pattern and the pillowcase kit above were two compulsive purchases that may or may not come to fruition! We'll see . . .

Beautiful warm sunny days have finally arrived!

 

Copyright 2022 Barbara Schaffer

UFO#3 Scraps of Friendship

It's done! Thank you Carol Y. for sending me that big box of scraps in January. As you can see I've had a great time digging in! 

I spent many enjoyable hours cutting and sewing strips and other small pieces together. Each row was a new adventure.

After auditioning a couple different fabrics for the border, I chose this red and white diagonal plaid--a thrift shop find last year. 

Dawn at Cabin Creek Stitchery longarm quilted it in an interlocking Surf's Up pattern. Here she is taking the finished quilt off of her machine. My 4-Patch Strippy is hanging on the wall :)

This is one of the fabrics I put on the back, the other is the red/white check on the left.

I've named it Scraps of Friendship and it measures 51" x 64". Thank you Carol for your generosity! 

Here's another finished project. Wondering what it is?? It's a case for a bamboo fly-fishing rod that my brother asked me to make. Specifically 4" wide by 40" long with one channel 1-3/4" and three 3/4" to hold sections of the rod.

Now don't laugh but I've had this 36" wide wonderfully soft flannel fabric for more than 50 years! Yep! I purchased it at Newberry's in the late 60s for about 29-cents a yard. 

And it is s-o-o my brother who is a master fly fisherman :)

May tulips from Little Farmhouse Flowers. I just love going to the farm with my daughter to pick up her monthly gift to me. I wonder what the flowers will be next month?? 

Enjoy your week. I think we finally have some warm days ahead!

 

Copyright 2022, Barbara Schaffer