FFF - It's the Bat Phone!

I have a new phone and it actually rings.  Like with a bell and everything!

I can't remember the last time I heard a phone that rang.  Hey look, Ma, it has a cord too!  Since I split my time between the kitchen and everywhere else I decided to get a real wall phone.

We live in a time when we can send a robot to Mars and decode the Human Genome.  Why then can't we make a cosmetic case that doesn't break in the first few weeks of use ???

Have a fun weekend

See you next week, same bat time, same bat station.......

I Can't Believe My Luck!

I won a raffle quilt last Saturday!!

Susan and I attended the Greater Hartford Annual Gathering.    It was a great event with 2 lectures, raffle baskets, door prizes, lunch and vendors.  Here is the label on the quilt.  I still can't believe it I won it.

Here is the quilt on the guest bed - lovely for Autumn!  Fred T Bear likes it :)

I was able to add to my collection of  Creative Grids rulers.  These are my favorite rulers.  I'm replacing all the sizes I have with these a little at time.  They are pricey - but worth it to me .

I also picked up forked pins.  These pins are terrific.  They don't slip or shift.  I'm the kind of piecer that needs all the help she can get.

And here is some more great luck that came my way.  My blog buddy, Janet, picked me in her recent give away - hooray!  I got the lovely hand quilting book, fun fabric, a lovely card and special halloween candy - from Canada.  Thanks so much Janet I've been enjoying it all so much.

Fun For Friday - Falling for fall

Happy Friday!

Fall has arrived in New England and it is wonderful.  I've been doing a little fall decorating.

Here is a centerpiece I made.

I started with the "cinderella" style metal carriage and added extra floral picks, a LED candle, a berry spray and a cute little bird.

I started by deconstructing the floral picks, then I hot glued the pieces I liked to to the carriage. Total cast with coupon; less than $20.

I got all my quits back from my friend Margaret's house - thanks again Margaret!!  I organized them in to categories for use, storage and display.

I have a couple displayed in the dining room.

I decorate the top of my hutch with 2 floral garlands from Joanns' and have a string of lights on a timer.  It gives a nice glow year round -kind of a set it and forget it touch.

I arranged a fall color display up at street level by my new house.  Here is the view from my mailbox.  The house if barely visible behind our rock.

Rich repainted the front door from raspberry to black and I found these great urns at Grandinroad thanks to my friend Joan.  Coco looks like a statue doesn't she?

Finally here is a spider that has taken up residence outside a family room window.  She has built a very lovely web.  It looks like tatting or lace.

Hope you are enjoying Autumn as much as I am.  Have a great weekend!

FFF - Retreat & Book Reveiw

Happy Friday!

We had a great time at the retreat at Rose Mountain House.  Click Here to see the website.  Thank you Pat for your hospitality and delicious cooking!

Here is a new quilt that I worked on.  It is a 4-patch posie, like my India quilt.  Thank you friends for helping me with the placement of the blocks!

Here is the beautiful view from the Rosa house:

Here are some photos of my friends on this retreat -

sew, barb, sew! You can see Nancy's 4-patch posie on the wall.

And some of our projects:  Nancy's 2 doll quilts, and her special quilt for Emily.  My Lavender quilt.

I actually made a "key" for the color placement - thanks Pauline for your help.

Margaret's 4-patch posie Halloween quilt-

Pauline's -

Norma's 4-patch posie -

It was so fun to get away to such a beautiful place and spend time sewing with friends.

Book Review:
Here are 2 books that I like that couldn't be more different.

English family saga, WWII era with a little mystery.  Think Thomas Hardy meets Dickens.

And here is one I just started.  It is a fast forward in time from the Shining.  Vintage Stephen King; funny, creepy and very graphic.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Happy Friday!

I'm on my way to a long awaited and much anticipated Quilt Retreat today.

Here is a little gift I made for my fellow retreaters:  Little Fabric Scrap Buckets:  I found the pattern on Pinterest and you can find here.

I found these cute buttons at a quilt show here in CT.

It was really fun mixing and matching the patterns.

I love one, a fried egg at the bottom of the Rooster fabric, lol.

this has the mustache fabric with royal crowns.

And I'm passing along a new Crockpot recipe:  Fake out Take Out - Beef and Broccoli - also found on Pinterest. 

Here is the recipe.

Here are the changes I made to the recipe:

I used slender tender green beans
I added raw peanuts
I added toasted sesame seeds
I added crushed red pepper 

**I also cooked it for 1 hour at high and then 4 hours at low.  Perfect for a busy day of sewing.

Have a great weekend sewing, cooking, gardening whatever you are doing.