Stars, Houses and Ships

AUGUST

( i HOPE i win this month)

JULY

( i didn't win this month )

JUNE

( i didn't win this month either )

These are the blocks we have made over the past few months for the BLOCK LOTTO.  For this year, each block is the finished size of 6" x 9". 

More of a taller block in place of the traditional square shape.

I.LIKE.

I would LIKE even more.....if I won this months RED STARS!!!

Schoolhouse Blocks

Oh yes, I think red and white quilts hold a lot of power, well, for me anyway.  I guess I could say red and white would probable be my 'most' favorite type of quilt. Funny though, I haven't done any in red and white, but maybe I'll have one soon courtesy of Block Lotto.  These little schoolhouses are the blocks for this months Block Lotto and IF I win these I will finally have a RED and WHITE vintage style quilt!!

XXXXXXXXXX.....these are my fingers crossed!!

I Just Plain Forgot

Shame on me, I've been such a bad quilty blogger and forgot to share some of my past little projects.
Pot pads I made for an 'unannounced' giveaway drawing I had last fall. They turned out w-a-y cute, wish I had made me one too! I ran out of the red/white strip binding fabric and DARN IT I can't find anymore.....wah!

The back showing how I quilted them.

I received this FABULOUS hand crafted Christmas postcard from my friend Julie who blogs over at Joe Tulips Quilts. She sent it to me after I whined and whined that I needed one!! HA! Do any of you know WHY I thought I needed one???? She is SOOOOOOOO crafty and creative. Run over and check out her one of a kind FUN quilts!

And yes the ever so TALENTED Nanette from Freda's Hive sent me this WONDERFUL Missy Christmas Caroler during this past holiday season. I just LOVE her!!!! She is just adorable and I have left her out so I am STILL enjoying her. THANKS NANETTE!!!

I whipped up this house block for Beth over at Love Laugh Quilt blog. A few months back she had all who wanted to participate to sew up a house block, send it in and she picked a winner of all the blocks. DARN, I wasn't the winner!

I used up some of my scraps, strips AND CRUMBS for some great potholders/pot pads to give out for Christmas stocking stuffers and party hostess gifts. I had already given some out before I remembered to take any photos. All of these from tiny pieces that a lot of quilters chunk in the trash.

AND FINALLY I got my letters finished and sewn together for my LONG IN THE TOOTH Halloween quilt that seems to just go on and on!. This is the LONGEST string of letters I have sewn together.

AND A BIG THANK YOU to DONNA at LAVENDER NEST!! She awarded me with THE STYLISH BLOG AWARD....THANKS DONNA!...go here to see who else won.

So there you have it...........who knows, there may be some more I've forgotten!

?????...WHAT IS WRONG...?????

Is it THIS QUILT or is there something wrong with ME???? I swear (yes, I have done some of that with this quilt) I just can not seem to get it together with this one. I have stalled...I have rearranged....I have literally covered it up so I couldn't even see it as I walked through the room!!! I FINALLY got the houses arranged the way I liked and FINALLY sewed the top together. This class reunion quilt has worked a number on me...I don't know why really, I guess I'm afraid of the worse case scenario...no one will like it, resulting in low bids equals total embarrassment to me. (but then again, if no one bids on it I get to bring it home) I am aware that a lot of people don't like this type of quilt but I felt I needed to make one that expressed ME and how I felt about my little hometown. I think the little houses represent the wonderful community we all grew up in together.
This quilt started out a lot more colorful than it is now. I realized that maybe I should tone it down some as to not just SCARE everyone with the brightness of it....LOL....I think everyone is expecting something that looks like what their grandmother would make.....boy, won't they be surprised......but then again I WAS voted as 'most unpredictable'!!!
ANYWAY......I would SOOOOO love for you guys to take a minute....look/study this quilt and give me your brutally honest opinion......yes, be honest.....you ARE NOT going to hurt my feelings! Here is my thinking.....it seems TOO busy to me. Do I not have enough break between the top and the flying geese border. I'm thinking the black/white check sashing is still busy enough that it all runs together.....???? Have I worked it to death....??? Red sashing was TOO harsh.......should I put another row of something before I add the flying geese....oh yes, and these flying geese are toned down from the first ones I made and I feel it looks better, but.....maybe the flying geese are too much???? I should do something else??? Should I just finish it the way it is and be done with it??? Maybe I have just looked at it too long!!
Soooooooo, what do you think?????? Mr. Brown Dirt is SOOOOO ready for me to just be finished with it...LOL.....he is tired of listening to me whine about it!!!

Projects A Plenty With Clamshells Too

It has been very busy and a lot of projects going on around here at Brown Dirt Cottage. One project is this baby quilt in progress. I am short one block but my brain got tired so I started on the zig zag border. This is my first zig zag border, but I am wondering if I would have liked the black and whites reversed...???? Love Gwen's version.

I have a deadline on this project and I have a lot more done on it since I took this photo. This quilt will be auctioned off at my 35th H.S. class reunion on June 12. I was kind of volunteered to make a quilt for the auction to raise monies for our next reunion. I must say I had a hard time deciding on what type of quilt to do, but I finally decided to make it an original, one of a kind 'folksy' fun lap size......maybe someone will like it....?????

I have made quite a lot of headway on my clamshell too. This is going together a whole lot faster than I ever imagined. I think if it had been the only project I had been working on it would have been finished already.

I received a GREAT package from Sharon over at Indigo Threads. She told me she had started a clamshell way back and it was still a work in progress and she wondered if I would like some of her 50's and 60's vintage fabrics to add to my clamshell. Well...HECK YE-OW!! Aren't these just FAB!!! Thank you soooooo much Sharon!!! I love each and everyone and have already included them in the quilt.

Some close ups..........love these.....

Oh my..........yum...yum....

Wow............wow.......

......... Love the plaid............

I have also been thumbing through and enjoying some of my new books. What great inspiration!

I did manage to get a trip to the library in. I would KILL to own these 2 Texas books!!! I have checked these out numerous times. Some great inspiration as well!!!

Ok......so these are all the 'inside' projects I have going on. There will be some major exterior work done on the ole homestead. Would you like to see some 'before' and 'after' photos??? After I meet all my 'quilty' deadlines and serve on jury duty...uuugh.....I need to start some 're-do' on the inside too.....after all, it has been around 14 yrs. since anything has been painted. I am most definitely tired of Mr. Brown Dirt's mustard colored office (yes, that's the color he wanted).

I'm off to clean my kitchen window......now that's a project that has been way over due!!!

Oh.....and Goober says to say 'HEY'........

Mini Quilt

COLOR........COLOR........COLOR...........that is what I was aiming for in this mini house quilt. I really think I accomplished that don't you!! I soooo wanted to use some of my new Kaffee fabric and I found some perfect pieces to go together.

I sooooo loved this piece....but....it too was sent off as a gift. I surprised my friend Gail (no blog) with this little 'thank you'. She has been so generous to me in this last year, sending all kinds of fabrics/books and quilting magazines she wanted to pass along as she sorts and cleans out her sewing 'pit'.

How cheery is this with all these snowy/icy/dreary cloudy days we have been having! Gail lives in Michigan and think maybe she had to pull out the ole sunglasses when this arrived...HA!

I don't know if you can see (click photo to enlarge)....but I used a blue thread to hand quilt this.

This was my first try at Baptist fan hand quilting.....hhhhmmm....the jury is still out on how I feel about them......I like the look, but doing the actually quilting.....well, I think I need to talk to you Tonya about how you do yours!

A little Kaffee scrap strip for the back.........and we're all done. I.LIKE. Hope you do too Gail!!

This little mini quilt measures around 14" x 19".

From Our House To Yours

We wish you GREAT Fun.....WARM Hearths....Lots of MERRY Making and GLAD Hearts !!!

HO HO HO

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE
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(oh what I wouldn't give for a piece of lemon poppy seed cake)

My Quilted Santa...

I wasn't going to dig my little quilted Santa out this year, but I thought you gals would enjoy seeeing him. Since I have gotten so interested in the quilting this year I am looking at him in a whole different light. I have had this quilted Santa for about 17 years. Up close is showing all those years of wear and tear. The main problem with him is he is getting sorta dingy dirty around the edges. The faint fading is something I really noticed this year. There used to be a lady here in my community that was making these. When I finally discovered her I was oh so lucky to get the last one she had with the red quilt coat. She had all kinds of Santas with different quilt coats, but I am sooo glad I got a red one, I think he was the cutest. It so happens that my Mr. Brown Dirt cut out and assembled the wood body frame for her. This lady moved away years ago and I have had every intention in making some more of these, afterall, we already have the body pattern. He is a nice size too, he stands about 31 inches tall. My mind just goes CRAZY with ideas!!!

Here is a picture of the back of him. OOOOuuuuu, I sure would have liked to have seem this quilt before it got cut up. I like the colors and quilt design. LOL.. I even had a girl offer me twice as much as I gave for this one.... she wanted a red one sooo bad....but I said 'Get Back Jack'...this one's mine!!!!

Between now and Christmas I thought I would feature a few of my Santas up close and give a little info and history. This 'woodland' Santa is a ceramic one I painted back in 1989. The main reason I picked him is because of the little lamb he is holding. You will notice this trend in some of the others I will be showing you. I think this is one of my very favorites!!!

And yes, I have been doing some other things besides playing with my Santas.......like playing with some of my cottages. I would like to have some other interesting blocks in the quilt besides just the cottages. The tree silhouettes are actually just 2 pieces I found in my scraps.....but, I just can't seem to get it straight in my mind yet............HELLO......hey, it's the mail man....he cometh up the walk....ooo, he's carrying some boxes.....I better go see.........(i always know he's here before he knows I know he's here....his vehicle needs a new muffler)!
Edit note......one of the boxes was from Janes' Fabrics ............(clapping hands) Thanks Jane!!

It's a Bird Thing

Yes...I must say I am really into birds. Look what I found yesterday. I'm not usually one to buy panels, BUT when I saw this I just about fainted. The colors are so vibrant and the effect makes these birds look so real. I have absolutely NO idea what I will decide to do with this, but I sure wasn't going to leave it behind. This is a nice sized panel and could be used as a fall wall hanging or a table centerpiece. The fabric is really nice quality which surprises me a little because believe it or not I got it at Walmart. I am usually careful when I purchase fabric from there, BUT this is good quality and weight. I'm loving this!!!! Speaking of birds, Sarah over at House of Krom has just finished the CUTEST bird swap. I have a similar pattern to hers but have not tried it yet...I aim to though. She just does the most wonderful projects. Her flair for color and design inspire me to only hope to measure up. I love her blog....you will too!!!

I also purchased a couple yards of the coordinating fabric to the bird panel. I will probable make myself a couple of pillowcases from this. One for my bird watching chair here at the house and then one for my bird watching chair at our lake house.

I think this here cottage is REALLY cute. Thanks in part to Eileen over at Eileens Attic. We did a little behind the scenes swap on some roof fabric. I told her how much I loved the vintage fabric she had used for one of her cottage roofs so she sent me some so I could also have a cute vintage roof like hers. I saved it for last, auditioning various other fabrics to go with it and this is what I came up with. Don't you just love the vintage look "Miss Hostess" lady Christmas fabric I purchased at Jane's Fabrics!!! You must go see what fabrics Jane just got in!! These Christmas cottages have been so much fun for me. Thanks Nanette from Freda's Hive.

ANOTHER "TELL ME" TUESDAY

Can the picture above serve as proof I really have been busy???? I have lots of errands to run today so I better get right to our "Tell Me" or "Tell All" Tuesday question. Here goes.....Of the following four things.....which ones do you dislike doing the most......Making Tea.....Filling Ice Trays....Making Salad or Making Cornbread????? I'll go first....I dislike All four. I can't give you a reason and I've disliked doing these four things for as long as I have been old enough to help in the kitchen. I don't know why, but there it is! ( I don't have to fill ice trays except at our lake place, but I still don't like to )!!

I've still managed to eek out another cute little Christmas cottage. I have all of them layed out on the floor contemplating the finished project.

I must run and get started on all the errands I have to do......I had already typed out a post and it never did post and I don't know where it went so I had to do it over. You're getting a shorter version on this one....I've run out of time...sorry! First place I'm headed is TO VOTE.............PLEASE GO VOTE.........I guess you know you don't have the right to gripe and complain if you don't vote!!!!

Quietly Quilting...

Another little cottage.....I love these !!!

Nothing much going on here. I have just been quietly hand quilting away. I just about have my 25 yr. old first quilt finished. Maybe I will get it finished today....maybe.....my fingers are sooo sore though. Two fingers on my left hand are pricked to death. DH brought me in a bottle of liquid bandage yesterday, but it doesn't help much. Darn, I may have to sew something today instead of quilt, give my fingers a chance to heal up some.

I have been forgetting to share a good website with you....http://womentowomen.com/....great medical for any and all things pertaining to women. I refer to this site often. You should check it out.

I'm going to go see if my fingers can tolerate some hand quilting today!

"Tell Me Tuesday"....

First all, I want to show you another little cottage . Isn't it sooo cute! This design is the original design of Mr. Brown Dirt. Yes, that's right....I sewed it up just like he wanted it. He picked and chose where and what fabrics he wanted. Not bad for Mr. farmer man!!

As for "Tell Me Tuesday"....here is the question......What Kind of Blogger Are You??? Tell me or Tell all.....do you set rules for yourself? Do you have a list of favorites and you don't sway from that? Are you the kind that leaves a comment on EVERY blog you visit or are you the one who sloops and lurks around behind the scenes and just takes it all in in private? Give us some insight into your world of blogging! ( well, I guess if you are one that sloops and lurks you won't be sharing your blogging habits with us..will you? ) I'll go first........I tend to get stuck going to my same ole list. No offense to my regulars, but we become comfy in the same old routine and forget to venture out away from that. I have really tried this week to add some new life into my blog list. Joan over at Quilting On A Budget has some great tips! I enjoyed Laurie Taylor at The Wooden Spool. You should also check out Rhonda at Ravelly 1 Quiltz Blog. Karen over at Humble Quilter has a wonderful post on her survival of colon cancer! Rhonda and Karen are part of that WACKY PAC you have heard about!!! I try to get my postings done in the mornings and try to have the rule to check my emails only when I take a break...once in the morning and once in the afternoon....then before bedtime. I think you should have some kind of set rules for yourself or else I could be on here ALL DAY!!!....So "tell us" or "tell all" about your blogging habits!

I finished this "sorta" ugly orange pumpkin thingy. I just decided to use this as a practice "mini" quilt for myself. I finally machine quilted......and by the time I finished I was getting the hang of it. This is also the FIRST binding I have done. I love hand work and hand quilting, but I was kind of growling with this binding. I don't like having to have your stitches sooo close together.....it seemed to take me FOREVER! All in all it's not bad looking...you may not agree....the colors are a little undesirable, but it's alot cuter in person!

I was digging through a keepsake box Sunday and I found this. It is a picture of ME when I was in the first grade. I remember all the details of this dress I have on. The skirt part is white and it has a little poodle with a real gold chain attached..........hmmmmm.......I had to stand out in the hall 3 times that first day of school for TALKING!!!! Imagine THAT!!!

I WON...I WON.....I WON.....!!!

I'm soooo excited......look what arrived in the mail for me Saturday....all the way from Tennessee. Teresa over at diddle daddle designs put my name in for a drawing when I left a comment, and the winner.... IT WAS ME!!!..Inside the mailer was the above all wrapped and tied together with lots and lots of Christmas green ribbon, held together with the tiniest little heart clip and a nice card to top it all off......BUT when I tore open the paper....................................

THIS WAS INSIDE.......!!!! It's soooo perfect, and by that I mean in everyway possible. The creativeness, the craftsmanship ( click on picture for a close-up of Teresa's perfect stitching ) and I couldn't have picked out more perfect colors myself. I just absolutely adore this!!

And as you can see the colors just fit right in with my decor....it's as if she made this to order for me..I think the powers that be were guiding her...don't you!? Thank you SOOO much Teresa...I will treasure this always. What a phenomenal seamstress you are!!!

And in closing....I'm gonna say.............."YEW-HAW"!