March is Here...

...and with March comes Spring Break for college students. Reid is flying out for a visit and we are really looking forward to seeing him again. Sadly, Melissa isn't able to come this time. But while Reid is here, we are going to Arizona and spending a day or two with Ashley. It will be so nice to have our two children together again.

Also this month, Reid and Scott will be celebrating their birthdays.

This month's button up quilt was a challenge. The pattern had a big Easter Bunny with a basket of eggs. I didn't want to do that, but I did do it for April so you'll see it next month. The April one had six panels. Three with tulips and three with bunny heads. I liked March's much better for Easter. I thought March should have kites and shamrocks. So, I did that. Made up my own pattern and just did it. I really like how it came out.

I also just finished the first of the two quilts I bought the pattern and material for while in Hawaii. It's called a Herd of Turtles. I'll post it as soon as we get it hung in the Hawaii bedroom.

Also this month, in fact this coming weekend, I have several quilts in the local quilt show. They asked me to submit some so I am. They don't judge them, it is just a show and I'm looking forward to going and seeing what others are doing. Also, later in the month, Crystal (local quilt store owner) asked me to go to the quilt show in Price and help her with her vendor booth. I'm really excited about doing that.

Rick continues to go jeepin' most weekends and sometimes it is both Sat. and Sun. He's really enjoying it and it is such a great group of people. Sometimes he even remembers to take a camera! I leave those posts for him as I don't go (I get to stay home and quilt while he's gone).

Trip to Goblin Valley

Last Sunday, Rick and I went back to Goblin Valley. We had been there last May when Neal and Annette came to visit. It is just amazing. This is a overlook area before we went down. We decended from the opposite side we had last year and saw things we didn't see then. This place is just other worldly. Around every corner and everywhere you look, you see something different and unique.

Some are stand alones and others come in groups.

Thought this looked like ET.

And this one, Donald Duck.

But you can see why they call it Goblin Valley. A lot of them seem to have faces.

It's February!

Well, February has come and I have finally finished my February Button Up Quilt. I really like it. What you can't see, is that I used a heart stitch to applique the hearts onto the quilt. I tried to get a picture of it but I couldn't get it to focus right. (I need to learn how to manually focus the camera.)

This is the month to remember your sweetheart (Valentine's Day, Feb. 14) and Paul has a birthday.

Most exciting, though, this is the month we returned from Hawaii. We went to Maui this year and spent 9 days. We will try to get the blogs going for that soon. I just downloaded 3 compact flash cards (4 mg. each). One had 507 pictures, the second had 576 and the third only 168. Not too bad since I spent 2 days sick and in bed. But not to worry, it rained those two days so I really didn't miss much.

January Quilting

We've been busy this month and are now getting ready for our trip to Hawaii but did want to get something posted. This is my design wall (thanks, Cara) with the blocks of the month. We started doing these in Sept. The white fabric in each is the same to tie them all together when we are done. I'm learning quite a bit by doing these and having fun at the same time.

Here is my January Button Up Quilt that I finally finished today. Wed. I take the Feb. class but doubt will get it done before we leave. So, it will be late getting up. This is how the pattern showed the snowman. Later I discovered that a couple of the ladies had made a hat for the snowman. I wish I had. Oh well, live and learn. However, everyone loved my background blue material and also my vest. Both were from my stash. In fact, the entire project was done from my stash.

Eileen's Been Busy Too!

Well, blogger has decided which order again, so here goes. Made this table runner is a Make & Take Class. It was so easy and quick to do. Looks really nice on the dining room table with my candycane candles and the centerpiece that I had given to Mom and Dad a few years ago.

This is a cross stitch I did a long time ago (like probably 15 years). This now hangs outside my sewing room in the garage.

This is another cross stitch from many years ago. I was always going to do something with it and hang it in the downstairs bathroom in Maple Valley. Well, I finally have done something with it and it now hangs in the bathroom in the garage. Most appropriate as that is really a small bathroom.

This is the wall behind my sewing machine. The two small cross stitches on the left were my Mom and Dad's. The upper right is one I designed and did. And the lower left is something Rick bought me a few years ago. The wood is Myrtlewood. The center is a cross stitch I did last month. I took the original pattern and changed it (omitting a cat and a couple things that aren't me, and adding the two sayings, which are.

Close-up of the cross stitch. I really like how it has the cross stitch lady in upper right, balls of yarn for my knitting, and the machine, thread, and the two quilt blocks in the center for my quilting

This was suppose to be at the top. My December Button Up, which I finally finished a couple days ago. This is the month for remembering friends, old and new. Also, my birthday and Christmas. We wish everyone the very best.

Like I said on the title, I've been busy. This is the Christmas quilt I made for Reid and Melissa. Reid loves penguins so I created this for them.

I also did this wall hanging for them.

This is the wall hanging I did for Ashley. She loves cats and I found this pattern free on the internet once. I've had the cross stitch done for a couple of years. Sorry, Ashley, I didn't get it to you sooner.

And this is the Christmas quilt I did for Ashley. Notice the snowman with a cat head. How appropriate for her. When she opened this (we were on the phone with her at the time) she said she couldn't believe I was giving her some of my snowman fabric. Well, Ashley, I can't think of anyone better to give it to than my kids.

I have done a few more things, you can check them out on our flickr.

Rick's Been Busy

We wanted our sidewalks in before the rainy and snow season so we wouldn't have the lovely red mud to deal with. Rick got them both done and they look terrific. You can see the front walk with the solar lights we put around it. The lights don't give off a lot of light so the neighbors shouldn't complain.

Well, blogger didn't put them in the order I had them so we now jump to the back sidewalk. You can see the pattern Rick put into this one. I really love this one. And now we can get to the garage without getting mud on us!

Back to the front one with a little longer view of it. The curve looks great. The lawns are going dormant for the year. And I have put some artificial plants in the pots. The white "stick" is actually a tree.

Here is what the back looks like as you come off the back steps.

And this. . . is what we did with the arches in the dinning room. We found these on-line and they were the perfect size for the arches. When we measured the arches, 42 x 64 inches, we were really surprised at how big they really were. But these are perfect and we both just fell in love with them. They really add to the room.

Another Table Runner

Our class this month was this beautiful fall table runner. I had actually done this type of leaf before on the John Deere Quilt I did for Dad.

It is really beautiful and colorfull.

It really "pops" on the table as Rick says. It certainly puts color in the room. The candles are really an orange color and are not tilting. That's just the angle.

I had purchases the candles to go with this table runner from last month. So far, the four table runners I have made have really been fun to do.