Me -- By the Numbers

This past Monday, my blogging buddy Edi of Memories for Life Scrapbooks, did a Me – By the Numbers post, and invited her followers to do a similar post and link back. http://memoriesforlifescrapbooks.blogspot.com/2012/01/meby-numbers.html

So, here goes:

1         Number of pets (a cat named Tux)

2         Number of grandkids who live in New Hampshire – Madeline and Garrison

3         Number of grandkids who live in Lincoln, NE -  Henry, Alex and Oliver

4         Number of grandkids who live in Colorado – Erin, Daniel, Michael and Katy

5         Number of adult kids and stepkids – Jenny, Jon, Tim, Jeff and Allison

6         Number of years I've worked at the NE Department of Labor in various positions

7         Approximate number of my unfinished quilts in progress (UFO's)

8         The time of day I wake up if I don't set an alarm

9         Total number of grandkids to date

10     Number of years I've been an IRS Enrolled Agent  (Yup, it's tax season!)

If you decide to do a similar post,  that would be great.  I'd enjoy getting to know you better.

Numbers Art Print by JanuaryJonesPrints on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/listing/77416715/bauhaus-numbers-nursery-kids-room-art

TTFN

LeAnn aka pasqueflower

http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower

 

Bears in the Woods

It's shameless commerce Tuesday, and today I'm featuring one of my newest boutique baby boy bibs.  This bib features Bears in the Woods fabric from the Get Together collection designed by David Walker Studios for Free Sprit – Westminster Fibers.  It's a whimsical print that reminds me of The Three Bears. http://www.etsy.com/listing/90099754/baby-boy-bib-bears-in-the-woods?ref=pr_shop

  

I purchased the fabric this past Sunday at one of my great local quilt shops, The Calico House:

http://thecalicohouse.blogspot.com.

 

The reverse side of this bib is a navy and white print from the Aunt Grace Scrap Bag fabric line by Judie Rothermel  for Marcus Brothers Textiles.  I purchased this fabric while on my little quilt group's road trip to the Seams To Be Quilt Shoppe in Plattsmouth, Nebraska. Thia print looks like little baseballs to me. 

 

To view other boutique baby bibs in my shop, visit:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower?section_id=8146356.

 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

TTFN

LeAnn aka pasqueflower

http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower

 

 

Craftsy Block of the Month

My Etsy Baby Boomer Team buddy, Patty Harrington, shared a link to Crafty's Block of the Month (BOM), taught by the talented Amy Gibson:   http://www.craftsy.com/class/The-Craftsy-Block-of-the-Month/50.    It's FREE, and Amy has created excellent online video tutorials to coach us through the process of making two 12.5" x 12.5" blocks each month.  I couldn't resist.  I'm in!

 

The two January blocks are an Asterisk block and a Wonky Pound Sign block.  Both are sew and slash blocks.  I've decided to use fabrics from my stash.

 

My focus fabric will be Persimmon by Kaffe Fassett for Rowan-Westminster Fibers, shown above.  I will shop my stash for coordinating pink, peach, tangerine, mint green, aqua, turquoise, tan and gray fabrics as I complete the blocks.  I'll use the focus fabric for the Asterisk block and a Michael Miller turquoise pin dot for the Wonky Pound Sign block.  My background fabric will be a snow white Kona cotton.

 

I'll keep you all posted on my progress.   Are you involved in a quilt-a-long, BOM, or other group challenge?

 

TTFN

LeAnn aka pasqueflower

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower

http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

 

The Count to 100!

Remember The Count from Sesame Street?  He was one of my son Tim's favorite characters as a little boy.  Tim could imitate that laugh perfectly.

 

Well, I felt like The Count over New Year's weekend, as I counted my pile of English paper pieced 8.5" blocks for my Pies and Tarts quilt. 

"… 97, 98, 99, 100!  One hundred English paper pieced pie blocks! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

 

I have to confess I still have a handful to stitch to the background squares, but all of the big circles are DONE!  Now on to the 88 little circle tarts to appliqué on top of the intersecting corners of the 100 pie blocks.  One of my 2012 resolutions is to finish this quilt top before 2013.

 

Here is a link to an earlier post about this quilt, designed by Sue Daly of Patchwork by Busyfingers.  My hubby has dubbed it "the ugliest quilt in the world."  (He's not too fond of turn-of-the-century reproduction print fabrics.)  But my daughter loves it.  She has dibs on this one.  http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com/2011/06/ugliest-quilt-in-world.html

 

Speaking of 100, I'm getting very close to 100 followers on my fledgling blog.  Thanks to all of you who already follow Ponderings.  I am happy to count you among my cyber friends.

 

TTFN

LeAnn aka pasqueflower

http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower

http://www.facebook.com/pasqueflowercreations

Feelin' Groovy

I am a HUGE Simon and Garfunkel fan.  As a teenager, I had all their albums, knew the lyrics to all their songs, which I tried to play on our cheap acoustic guitar.   Although many of their songs were serious and introspective, The 59^th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy) was a happy, feel good song.

Here's a YouTube link of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel singing this song on The Smothers Brothers Show.  Enjoy!  (You'll be humming it all day.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBQxG0Z72qM

So, when I first saw Riley Blake's fabric line, Feeling Groovy, I just had to add some to my stash.  Well, some of it has now been used to create today's shameless commerce featured item.  To read the full product description, see:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/89635614/pair-of-oven-mitts-peace-symbols-on?ref=pr_shop.  I can imagine wearing these retro-inspired oven mitts while listening to oldies.  I'm hoping they'll add a little peace, love, color and whimsy to someone's kitchen. 

Signing off.  My furlough is over, and today is beginning of tax season, when I work a second job as a master tax advisor (IRS Enrolled Agent) for a nationally known tax firm.  Never settle for less.

TTFN                                                                    

LeAnn aka pasqueflower

http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower

Grandma Hootie's Girlhood Needlework Sampler

One of the most unique Christmas presents I received this year was from my sister-in-law, Sarah Larson.  The antique needlework sampler, pictured above, was made by Sarah's maternal grandmother, known to all her grandchildren as Grandma Hootie, about 100 years ago. Sarah's mother had kept it since Hootie's death several years ago, and after Sarah's mother died, it was passed on to Sarah.

 

The more I study this piece, the more intrigued I am.  I am guessing Hootie was probably 8 or 9 years old (just learning cursive) at the time she made the sampler.   I love the girlish printing and cursive mix, written in pencil, to identify each of the stitches she practiced.  She had some difficulty spelling "feather."  And Hootie clearly loved pink.  Most of her practice rows and her monogram in the center of the piece are all worked in pink floss.

 

Who was Hootie's teacher, I wonder?   Was it her mother or grandmother, or was she in a needlework class? There are "utility" stitches as well as embroidery stitches:  a bound buttonhole, two types of hand-worked buttonholes, and three types of hemming stitches.  But there are many embroidery stitches, and three sections with cutwork or open work designs.   What a treasure!

What was your most unique or unexpected gift this holiday season?

 

TTFN

LeAnn aka pasqueflower

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower

http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

New Year's Resolutions

Today begins a brand new year with no mistakes in it yet, as Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables may have said.  I hope you all enjoyed a happy holiday season.

Here are a few of my personal New Year's Resolutions for 2012:

Walk more.

Worry less.

Eat more veggies.

Keep a Gratitude Journal.

Spend more quality time with big kids and grandkids.

Read at least two books per month with redeeming literary value.

Finish Erin's graduation quilt top (so it can be machine quilted by May of 2013).

Finish the Pies & Tarts quilt (dubbed The Ugliest Quilt in the World by my hubby, but my daughter loves it, so she has dibs on this one).

Make at least 3 charity quilts.

Make at least 3 ConKerr Cancer pillowcases.

Continue to build my Etsy business.

 

Do you make resolutions?  If so, what's at the top of your resolutions list for 2012?

 

Happy New Year! 

 

TTFN

LeAnn aka pasqueflower

http://pasqueflowerponderings.blogspot.com

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pasqueflower

 

The photo above is from the quotesandnotes Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/listing/85068473/2012-new-years-resolutions-notepad-wood.