I have been so focused this week on Boho heart! My honey, meanwhile, has been focused on painting the inside of our cabin in the woods!

Now they are a pale warm grey color! We love it 🙂 It will be an arduous process to get it all painted though… So far he has 1 coat on the living area and the hall… however we wanted flat paint and this paint came with a soft sheen that messes with the true finish so the second coat will come from a different manufacturer…. Sherwin Williams 😀

We had a very nice snow that lasted a couple days this past week then was gone 🙂

You could see above in the paint reveal photo that I rolled the quilt on the frame…. I am finishing the last pass now!!!!

Here is my progress… I finished the row I was on Sunday and rolled…. Monday I marked and started stitching what I realized I could finish all in 1 pass….

Now I just have this little bit to stitch between today and tomorrow it should get done!

My bloggy friend Kathy is asking… what brings you joy…

Come on over where I will be showing off this blog post and my progress to what brings you joy!!!! Slow stitching and any stitching does it for me…. how about you???? Follow THIS LINK and see what other slow stitchers are chatting about brings them joy!

Have a cherry on top kind of day my bloggy friends 🙂 As for me… off to have coffee and stitch the finish on this quilt for my friend…. Binding you ask????

Meanwhile … I will find JOY in the PRESENT as I continue to FOCUS on IT!

My honey and I decided our bedroom needed reorganizing… it had been the hiding place for all things we were unsure of where to put… so this week we tackled… the bedroom!

Above is our bed now cadi-cornered into the bedroom… and below is an overview of the room now.

Notice my new built in desk on the left? That was going to be a table top for another purpose…. but my honey then reconfigured the legs and whah lah! I got a great and sturdy desk in our bedroom and not in eyeshot of the hallway! (I do tend to be a bit of a clutterbug at my desk and in my sewing room)…. see down the hall now?

Clean, tidy and the hall is also redecorated some 😀 Do ya like our “artwork” wall of fabric hangings…. 2 of those are quilts I helped make with my bestie too 😀

All our house plants are thriving ! We are so thankful to our neighbor that gifted them to us and feel blessed to also call her and her hubby friends!

I have been hand stitching this week in between cleaning and reorganizing… have you?

In this photo below… you can see I only have the end of this row to finish and then only 1 more time to scribe swirling hearts stencil on the quilt before it is to be stitched and bound and washed and gifted!

Here is where I will spend the day Sunday finishing then rolling down the quilt when done for scribing the final patterns from the stencil…

Linking this Slow Stitching progress to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching HERE <<<< Come see what other handy folks are up to following the link will open another tab too so you won’t lose your place here 🙂

I have also been working on bags this week!

Above is my second finished bag and below is the 3rd ready to put together now 🙂 1 more left in my list of wips (works in progress) to get made 😀

Look at this cute fussy cut center on a quilt block I saw this week on Facebook! Had to share it with you all 😀

And this meme was shared by my daughter this week…

So shine with love, winkle with kindness, and glow with hope please…. let’s get though this time in this world as friends not enemies only discussing differing views but focusing on what makes us happy ! That is my challenge to you this January!!!!

Hello my friends… have you taken your Christmas decorations down inside and out??? We even re arranged a few things as we were putting things back out after packing away Christmas items this week 🙂

But here and my sewing room is where you will find me today!!!

I am sew excited with the progress I have managed this week getting Christmas put up and the quilt rolled down again…. Linking my hand quilting progress to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching HERE <<<

Meanwhile this week… I also finished this cute pouch for my daughter….

And started on a spring tulip themed table runner…

I have 4 blocks I am making then we will see how we will interlock them 🙂 FREE pattern I found online that fit my needs 🙂

So what are you spending your crazy weather doing? it was almost warm here this morning after days of frigid cold… but no SNOW here !!!!

Have a blessed week ahead and thanks for visiting!

This year I have decided to go back to a goal word for the year and if you noticed my new topper on my blog…. you know my word is Focus on the Present… this will be my closing each week here too!

So I woke yesterday (01/01/22) and focused on the “present” of my Hand Quilting….

I finished the crazy cross hatching in the heart on this row… then moved out and finished the swirly hearts of the neutral background!

Once it was dry I rolled it down and look!!!! All the top of the last 1/4 of the quilting to do is now visible completely!!!!

Sew Exciting…. Sharing this magnificent progress at Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching where I am proud to show off a whole row of slow stitching 🙂

I have worked on pouch 1 of 4 some this past week. when I wasn’t quilting…. and made another dishtowel with holder for our favorite neighbors…. but otherwise…. slow stitching here 😀

I did receive a slowly stitched item from a very dear friend….

Cathie stitched this and fashioned it into an ornament for me and my honey to enjoy year after year… Her kindness and talent will NOT be wasted around us though 😀

Rick had been working pretty steady on our side porch…

Until he reached a good stopping point….

At this point in the porch it will widen out and a shorter set of stairs will descend onto the side yard. So he put all his energy into this project….

The above photo was taken in pitch black darkness with the flash on my phone camera! lol

That is a picture of a storage closet on our screened back porch to hold my honey’s tools when not in use for safety and their protection too! And honestly we like a neat porch and tools everywhere is not relaxing… they talk to you! lol

He still has to paint all the hardware on the closet black but that shouldn’t take too long 🙂

I played around with the remaining “Wrap it up” nail strips….

And came up with this variation to keep my nails protected a few days into the new year when I will put on all fresh strips….

Actress and Comedian Betty White passed on this week in our history… in memory of her and how much I loved her I watched this movie and LOVED IT!

It also has Jennifer Love Hewitt in it and I love her and a good romance going on too! lol

So today… I will use my hands to pack up all the Christmas until Thanksgiving rolls around again… we took our snowman down day after Christmas… but the inside decor will be down today… and work on pouches and hand quilt… and focus on the here and now….. How about you? Do you do anything special to mark the end of a year or beginning of another?

I chose focus as my word this year from this saying but then for my life realized the here and now is what I need to focus on….

So until next Sunday….

Christmas was a quiet day stitching… a little laundry but mainly just enjoying my honey and Molly too!

And I rolled the quilt this week not once….

Showing close ups of these two areas…

Before rolling again yesterday!!!!

From this angle you can’t see what REALLY excites me though….

I am in no client imposed deadline…. but seeing this reminds me her Birthday is January 26… and Valentine’s is soon after so if I could finish and bind this in time she could have it then! Oh how exciting!!!!

Link up your hand stitching or check out other hand stitching fun over at Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching Linky <<< HERE where I will be linking this post up to… as well as my facebook page 🙂

And more excitement…. I have been straightening my sewing room and came across this darling rooster I bought and cut out and Connie put together then I added the outer border…. but it has no place in our cabin… so it needed a home that suited me and Connie BOTH….

Holli Jo my nail consultant and good friend *and Connie’s too* said she would love to have it… I mailed it off on the 20th and it was there before Christmas and she is thrilled to finished this flimsy wall hanging for her new “barn do”… a barn they are turning into more of a Condo on their farm of many acres in KY now that they are retired from the Navy!

To celebrate finding the rooster a home I put on fresh nail polish strips…. these came from Holli Jo too!

While I finished all that quilting and in between changing my polish… I listened to Jenny Doan’s autobiography…. Y’all it is a MUST READ or LISTEN on Audible like I did 🙂

Something to focus on….

My honey accepted an order to make another barn quilt for indoors like this one….

He is excited to start on it! Did YOU have a Merry Christmas too whatever you did???? I sure did as laid out above 😀

I would be honored if you got this far if you left a message on what you did this holiday season…. whatever you celebrate share the name and what you did to celebrate the holiday near and dear to YOU! I look forward to reading and replying to your comments too! Happy end to 2021 !

We made it home safely from our little trip to pick up Brandi and visit with some of my kids at the same time!

Brandi stayed Sunday to Wednesday with us…. but she was sick with stomach issues a good bit of her visit!

Molly enjoyed her visit and she split her sleeping time between the mattress and the recliner nearer the fireplace! 🙂 She was enamored with the fireplace 🙂

While Brandi rested I finished remaking her wallet to her specifications….

Above and below is a change purse I made to coordinate with her wallet… she loved them both! And had moved most of her items to her new wallet before leaving Wednesday!

Here is a link to the change purse on Youtube…. it is an easy make and so useful! And that is the only near Christmas finish I have to share….

Once dropping her off with a friend to go back home …. I was anxious to quilt! I shared this recent rolling shot with you last week…..

Some close ups of the cross hatching pattern I am quilting in the heart above and beside …. and a look at my set up at my quilt frame and where I am actually at right now below!!!!

This week I hope to finish a project for my daughter and get that in the mail to her. But today, Sunday…. I will quilt on the Boho heart quilt and work on this little project too ❤

Linking up this fun hand quilting with my slow stitching buddies at Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching linky ! <<<<< Come see what others have linked up too 🙂

A little Christmas around our cabin….

And then showing off the snowman outside 😀

Above is our little tree that looks MUCH better decorated…. I love the train along the right…. and the nativity along the left side of the tree!

And the fireplace mantle is the perfect place for our 3 Christmas stockings….

I finally remembered to order our wall calendar where I keep track of birthdays and dr appointments etc….

Here is what the calendar looks like inside….

We have tried “winterizing” our ferns… here are 2 of the 3 in our front bath hanging on a extra shower rod and rarely watering…..

Look at all that new growth!

Then I saw this posted by a friend on Facebook… I had to share here!

Have a blessed Christmas y’all! Thanks for visiting 😉

Although we thought it may not happen…

I got to visit with 3 of my 4 kids yesterday!!!

Michael was there with his wife Kristen…

We all got together at James and Heather’s new home…

And I twinned a pic with my mini me Brandi…

It was such a fun time!

Uncle Mikey is Ellie’s fave though!!!

Before heading to Tennessee for family times… I did roll the quilt I am hand quilting…

And to get my sewing room in order…

I’m joining just get it done quilts declutter challenge!!!

That’s about it for this post so we can head home!

But I also finished that quilt center into a top I shared last week… so much to share 🙂

Last week I shared my quickly made new ironing board cover…. it has been a BLESSING this week as I added borders to a quilt top and ironed other things…

It took me a couple days of wrangling to get the quilt top finished…. now I wonder how I will fill in the red spaces… I will be using a cream 12 wt thread to stitch something…. IDEAS?????!!!! PLEASE 🙂

This will be next on my hand quilting frame…. after Boho.. so now it is folded back up and all the backing and threads have been ordered…. YAY!

Speaking of Boho Heart quilt…. I have been busy this week with it!

I finished the cross hatching of the heart and the swirling hearts I have drawn in above…

AND I got to roll the quilt again!

If you look at the above pic you can see the inside “V” of the heart showing in the center!!!! I was so excited to share this photo with y’all!

And now I am back to the cross hatching of the heart and making quick work of this round of stitching….

As I stitch on Boho I just started a new listen on Audible! I love listening to her tell the whole story in one place 🙂 I love Jenny Doan and this book is no disappointment!

Meanwhile my honey rearranged a few things to fit in a new old thing my bestie Connie gifted us recently….

This vintage tricycle! Our neighbor Jack saw it waiting it’s turn to be fixed up after receiving it from Connie… she kept it outside and it fell over frequently when mowing etc… so she gifted it to us and we … after Jack’s awesome paint job… found a home on our fireplace hearth!

We love it… and hope you have enjoyed your visit here today!

I will spend today slow stitching and listening to Jenny’s voice in my headphones…. and linking up to Kathy’s Slow Stitching Sunday Crew HERE <<<<

Also, I have been let go from physical therapy for my left knee replacement…. I see the surgeon this coming week to plan my next one done and get his blessing on this one. I am very pleased… Exercising will still be a part of daily life for quite a while for my left knee but at least I can do it at home instead of going into the rehab facility!

Hope this coming week finds you enjoying the December weather wherever you are… we are due to get rain this week that is much needed so we shall see! I even heart Hawaii was due for some snow coming up! CRAZY TIMES!!! Take care!

We naturally take stock in the year and try to tie up loose ends… entering 2022 with a clean and organized home is important to us to cleaning and organizing is included! lol

While cleaning and organizing my sewing room for Thanksgiving guests coming and just because … I opened the box including this quilt center measuring 64 x 86″ made by my bestie Connie and gifted to me to finish…. This has been the impetus for all the different sewing projects I have done… THIS quilt top will be next on the quilt frame too!

Our Thanksgiving Day feast was delicious… my honey cooked the turkey…

I took the group selfie and made deviled eggs 😀

Ruthie… my honey’s sister … did all the rest of the cooking and it was fabulous! Dressing, gravy, potato salad, plus a coconut custard pie that took my Mrs Calander’s heated pecan pie out of the race completely!

Not only can my honey cook a juicy turkey … he can carve and debone one too!

I cleaned my sewing room and straightened it all up ….

I had some fabric I was trying out on the ironing board…. Connie challenged me in a way to come up with a way to use this fabric just wider than the widest part of the ironing board…..

I cut the fabric subsequently about 2″ away from the board itself which also has layers of batting between the cover and the metal board….

I love it…. oh I did also make some scrubbing rags for my kids to match their decor and made the wallet for my daughter but it has some issues! So I will remake the wallet with my daughter in an upcoming visit 🙂

Molly is festive for Thanksgiving with her new bandana on 🙂

Our fave neighbor Jack and his wife Theresa brought us the wreath… it immediately found a home to welcome all who enter ❤

Here is a close up of the wreath!

I finished the hand quilting and then the machine done binding the day before Thanksgiving!!! I was sooo excited!

with that done… I was able to cross hatch all the way across…

AND ROLL THE QUILT!!!!

And started hand quilting on the swirling hearts on the left hand side 🙂

Linking this hand quilting progress to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching linky party !!! Come on and check out what everyone is up to !!!

Thanks for stopping in and have a safe transition into December!!!

I can’t believe that it is almost Thanksgiving in the US!! Seems like the 4th of July was just here and now it is winter holiday time!!!

I had therapy twice this week and find the bicycle easier now and exercising to stimulation harder. I have been released from elevating at night and only as needed now…same with ice. I am walking around the house unassisted (except touching the walls occasionally.. LOL!) and bring the cane when I leave the house though 🙂 I am post op 3 1/2 weeks now 😀

Speaking of Molly I made her an autumn bandana to wear… I put one of her older ones on for now… and will use this one on Thanksgiving for festivity and fun too ❤

I layered the table runner and completed the machine quilting of the center …

And prepping the binding too….

Then after sewing the binding to the back and trimming it down I started hand quilting holly leaves around the table runner!

I am on the final outer border section now….

And here is a close up of the left end of the runner…..

I also finished the grey swirly hearts on either side of the Boho heart center and then marked and started stitching the cross hatching in the heart 🙂 I am pleased with this progress!

Linking this great slow stitching progress to Kathy’s Quilt linky party HERE <<<< Come see what everyone is linking up this week 😀

I made my daughter a change purse for her change collection….

A closer up view!

I fashioned it to clip onto the d ring on the wallet I am making her … which also features the sunflower fabric 🙂

Have a blessed family time this week and don’t eat too much this week! Thanks for stopping in 🙂