Ohio Starlings

A sweet little Ohio Star nestles in the middle of this block.

Another little Ohio Star top.

My daughter has such a green thumb when it comes to roses. She picked these today and brought them into my room. They smell so good!

Finished T ! It's the cutest little tree house. I think I could live up there!

Now I have to adds some little red glass beads. 

I made a table runner for the kitchen table. I found a small pack of Mary Englebriet fat quarters and enough yardage for a backing and binding. I quilted it on the machine. It makes the kitchen bright and cheery! This little house has the best floor plan for a family of five. The kitchen is huge and a very big table fits right in the middle. 

Quilting Accomplishments and What Lies Ahead...

I've tallied up the quilting accomplishments for 2009...13 little quilts, 6 large quilts and 1 really big pillow. That's a lot! I did quite a few red work stitchery's too.

I'm not making any resolutions this year. I'm just going to have fun and do whatever I want! Lately, I've been starting some projects that I have always wanted to do and I'm so glad I finally did.

I used to fret over how many 'UFOs' I had but now that I realize they are all really 'WIPs' I don't care how many quilts I have started! This year I finally reached the 100 quilts finished goal. Of course, I have nearly that many that need to be worked on. Oh, well.

This year I decided to label all my quilts. I have labeled quite a few oldies but goodies and all my new quilts. That is one accomplishment that feels really good.

Every year I hope to finish at least 12 quilts...big or little, it doesn't matter. For several years I have been doing Blocks of the Month. I usually don't work on them monthly I just collect the little packages every month and save them up to do all at once. I have actually finished a few of them!

Just for fun, I like to keep track of how much fabric I purchase during the year. Last year I bought 145 yards, a kit and a fat quarter bundle. I know that sounds like a lot but I bet if you added up your purchases you'd be surprised at the total. Some of that yardage was in the form of charm packs and jelly rolls. Did you know that a jelly roll has 2 1/4 yards and a charm pack has 1 1/3 yards? Gifts and backing were a big part of the total too.

I hope the new year brings you all that you've hoped for. I hope your bobbin stays full and your needle is always threaded. Oh, and hopefully your seam ripper has cobwebs on it!

P.S.- The images in this post are some decorating ideas I have used in the past. Just thought you would enjoy them!

Merry Christmas!

This is our house on Christmas Eve. Yes, that is snow! (I know...it's Texas!) It was beautiful!

Our tree in the living room. I never got around to putting the beads and ribbons on it. It is beautiful anyway!

The dining room table being set for Christmas dinner.

Santa came!

At Nana's house too!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Our family certainly did!

Before The Feast

The dishes are ready...



Piled up everywhere...

I'd like to show you my Thanksgiving dishes. The pattern is called His Majesty. They are made by Wedgewood which bought out the original maker, Johnson Brothers. The dishes used to be made in England but are now made in China. I love the turkey and the little bits of pink and green are just perfect for my colors in the living room and dining room.

Stay tuned...I'll show you the table set for Thanksgiving soon!

After: Living Room and Dining Room

It was a long haul but, finally it's done!


It's funny to me how different things look in a picture compared to real life. I never noticed the pictures are crooked and the quilts are all sideways!




I'd like to tell you about some of my things. The double porch rocker (with all the pillows and yo-yo quilt) belonged to my grandmother. I used to sit with her on the front porch and call the whippoorwills. When she passed away I was fortunate enough to get it.




Many years ago my Mom gave me the secretary. She has given me so many things. Once, when my sister visited she said to my Mom, " Now I know where all your furniture is."




The coffee table was the first antique I ever bought. It was a library table and my husband used it to study when he was in college. After a few moves we cut the legs down to coffee table height. I've always loved it cut down. There is a drawer in the front that we use to hide remotes and Christmas Cd's (and candy). LOL~




The framed doily was made by my great-grandmother. I have two more framed pieces that she made.

The two (lime) green chairs were also my grandmothers. I would love to recover them but my daughter really loves the way they are right now. So, I'll leave them as they are for awhile.

The mirror over the couch belonged to my Mom. When my daughter was little it was hanging over her crib and she loved to look at herself. A friend from Florida made the floral swag with branches from a curly willow tree that was cut from a tree in my Mom's backyard. She also made the wreath in the dining room.

The bow front china cabinet and the victrola and music stand are antiques I purchased. I never bought my antiques outright, I always put them on layaway. Everywhere we moved (in the Air Force) there would be a little antique shop that was my favorite and I would pick things up here and there.

I've got the fabric to make the curtains for these two rooms and the rods are already up. Somehow, quilting always takes priority!

This is the dining room. See the cradle? It's full of albums filled with Tootie Babies pictures. Imagine that!

The large cabinet is a display cabinet from a department store. I have my teapot collection displayed in it. We moved it from the other side of the room and I like it so much better where it is now.

The table has two huge leaves and they pull out to make a very long table. We've had many family dinners around this table. Lots of memories...

The buffet was a gift from my Mom as well as the sewing rocker. Sometimes it is called a nursing rocker but I can't imagine that with no arms for support! That is my grandmother's silver tea and coffee service on the tea cart.

I know that these days the decorating style I have is outdated. Pink and blue went out long ago but I still love it. Oak has fallen out of favor too. I wouldn't give up my turn of the century golden oak furniture for anything.

The walls are much darker than they appear in these pictures. I love the new floors! I'm so glad that it is over but, we still have to do the upstairs...

Home Sweet Home

My house is a mess! Well, at least the downstairs is. All the rooms are torn apart, furniture in the middle of the room and walls half painted! Last week we had oak laminate flooring installed in the living room, dining room, master bedroom and master closet. This week the walls are being painted in the living room dining room, entry, kitchen, master bedroom and closet! Oh, how I long for order!

This is the dining room with half painted walls. The darker color is the new paint.

This is the living room. No paint, just chaos...

Oh, I need a blindfold! The red is being covered with the same color as in the other rooms. Do you see the Tootie Babies art work on the fridge? I really hate things hanging on the front of my fridge but who can resist those little scribbles.

Stuff from the living room and dining room stretches as far as the eye can see.

Master bedroom (Tootie nap room). I'm not even going to show you the vast wasteland I call my bathroom. There is nothing in there. Not one thing.

There is good news and bad news. The good news is this weekend everything will be back to normal. The bad news...the upstairs is next!

The best news of all though is that my son is on an airplane right now headed from Iraq to the USA! I think next week he'll be back home with us!

Little Quilt Stand

Isn't this cute? I found it in an antique store this summer while shopping with my Mom. Actually, it's not an antique, it's meant to hold hand towels in the bathroom!

I just love it! Or as Emily says, "I yub it!"

Fourth of July!

My front door arrangement for Independence Day.

Filled with Texas wildflowers: smooth bidens, Simpson's rosenweed, marsh coneflower, coffee bean, bluebonnets,Texas paintbrush and Old Glory.

Sarah in the swimming pool checking the water temperature for Nana before she gets in.

Emily tells Nana the water is just right!

We love to swim!

After our swim we play...Emily is a Sunflower with a Christmas garland of cranberries. Cute!

I hope you have a wonderful Fourth of July!

Recently I hung a couple of things in the guest room. One of them was this quilt that I call Heart Garden. I hung it behind an old iron bed. I've had this bed for many years. The quilt was a kit from Houston St. Merchantile in Granbury, TX. It's machine quilted by my friend Ty. She did a beautiful job using feathers and a background filler. I know the picture is fuzzy but take a close look at the white metal piece hanging above the quilt. I think it came off an old porch.


I found this little hanging rack at an antique store in town. It's not old but it's so cute! I hung the Tootie Babies little outfits and Easter hats on it. The style of this room is Shabby Chic.

It's a hot, dry day in Texas today. I think we will reach 100 degrees this weekend. My sister and dad are driving up from Louisiana today for a visit. I've got a quilt project planned for my sister so stay tuned for some show and tell!

Decorating with Tassels

I had this big finial left over from a window treatment and decided to make a tassel out of it. On the home dec blogs tassels are a big thing. I know why...they are fun to make!

Grab some leftover trim and a glue gun and let your imagination go wild. It's big and heavy but I love it hanging on this old floor lamp. I made the shade for the lamp too. Just some trim and a little glue. Quick projects like this are fun and a little diversion from playing in the quilt room!

Heritage Medallion

This little quilt is actually done!!! Machine pieced and machine quilted.

From a pattern by Lori Smith called Fit To Frame. Another pink and brown to add to my collection on the wall in the upstairs hallway. I'm on my way to filling the entire wall with little quilts.

That is a very old pie safe my Mom gave me for Christmas one year. It is filled with quilts that my grandmothers made and some of my early quilts.

Decorating for Easter!

A little bunny box on the table by the front door.

I found this cute basket at TJ Max.

Look at that face!

The sideboard in the dining room all dressed up.

These are very old baskets. They belong to my sister and me. We have had them since we were little girls. I'm not sure how I ended up with both of them but when my sister finishes her house I am going to give one of them to her. She is still working on the damage caused by Katrina. It's a 'low country cottage' that was built in the 1950s and she is fixing it up so cute.

The table runner is made from Posy Poetry fabric. I think the colors are perfect for Easter.

This is my grandmother's silver plate tea and coffee service. I sort of like that 'patina' that tarnishing gives a piece. Oh, who am I kidding? I don't like polishing silver!

I tried to adjust the brightness on this picture so you could see the window treatments. This is the "breakfast area".

Recently, I added the iron scroll over my mirror. I like it!

Alright, that's it for today. I have a couple of new projects to show you next time!