Raggedy Finish and a Beautiful Table Topper

"The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work." - Richard Bach


I think I am back to my "instant gratification" mode..........anyway, Raggedy Ann went together so quickly!  I stayed up late on Wednesday night and finished putting her together, making her dress  and sewing her hair on..........then yesterday I sewed up her apron and pantaloons...........and Voila!  It's just like the quote above.....I was having so much fun that it wasn't any work at all!

 

Ann's heart says "I Love Iris Emma" and her back shows she was made with love by Nana....

 Here is another photo of Ann sitting on the beautiful table topper my Sis made for me for Christmas....




I love the topper.......thank you, Irene.....and, as my son says, it makes a great Chess or Checker board!  Irene knows how I love her little "make-do" hexie flowers so she included two of them on the topper for me:  Can you spot the "make-do" petals?  The dark blue one is really a good one!

I also got 4 more Raggedy Ann embroidery squares done for Iris Emma's quilt..........just 4 more to go!

So back to work play!   I'm going to try to get the rest of the blocks done so I can start putting the quilt front together next week since  I actually do have to go back to work tonight.....first of my two night shifts.....then followed by two day shifts before I get a day off again.......all I can say is Ta-Ta for now..............and see you next time............

My Sister made me come back....

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. ~Kahlil Gibran

No, it's not like it sounds..........my Sister never said I should start blogging again....she didn't even tell me I needed to start sewing again..........she just started back to both things herself and I have always wanted to be just like my "Big Sis" so here I am......"copying her again"......lol.........
Seriously, sewing has been my delight and the grieving process has stolen it from me for awhile......but I'm back!

Amidst the sorrow I have had some wonderful news.....I am to be a Nana for the 3rd time this year with my first Granddaughter!  This is not only my first Granddaughter but also the first girl in my own family.......I have three sons and two grandsons so little Miss Iris Emma is a wonderful surprise......she is also the very first Great Granddaughter in my family and will be the namesake of my Mother, Emma...........Mom has 12 grandchildren with only 4 of them granddaughters so the "Princess Club" is ready to welcome a new member!

 That said, I am ready to show you what I am working on for little Miss Iris Emma...........

I found these sweet machine embroidery patterns so I will be making a quilt for my Precious Granddaughter....and also a matching Raggedy Ann doll............

 
 I still have 8 more blocks to make and I think I will make a larger than crib size quilt so she can use it for a few years............the last Raggedy Ann doll I made was probably 35 years ago....the first were made 45 years ago and would you believe this little hoarder still has the pattern?  Lol.........well ya never know if you might need something again...............

Ok then I'm off to the sewing room again...........I'll just say "Ta-Ta for now"..................




 

Daddy

"Your talent is God's gift to you... What you do with it is your gift back to God."-Leo Buscaglia

This quote reminds me so much of my Daddy.  God gifted my Dad with talented hands which he used to build homes, signs, toys, furniture, and make beautiful sculptures.....Daddy gave God back beautiful gifts and I know when he went to heaven last year that God must have said to him, "Well done, my son"

I remember Daddy telling me that he had to wait many years before he was able to make all the things he dreamed about making because he had 5 kids to raise first.  My Dad supplemented his income when I was growing up with remodeling and odd jobs which he did after he got off work from his regular job. Often he would take me with him and later in life I even worked alongside him for a time.   

Most days you could find my Dad down in his basement working on his sculptures.....he was self taught and began casting his sculptures in bronze....later adding acrylic medium.....Below are only a few of his sculptures....he sculpted from his memories as a boy growing up in his boyhood farm.

....My Dad built his home and many others......

 

 

He made this gorgeous grandfather clock and billiard table.....

and so many more things that are too many to list or show you....

 

 

My Dad was my hero.......

 

I miss him so.....



 

Little Ms.DIY strikes again!

 “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”― Mark Twain

Well the truth is that I haven't gotten any sewing done for nearly two weeks now...........part of the reason was the 4th of July holiday of which I can say I did nothing but enjoy myself.........went to New Mexico and saw my siblings, Mom and Dad,  my children and grandchildren and nieces, nephews and the beautiful ladies my sons are in love with............so there was just no time to sew.............

This week I decided to make some birdseed cakes, some hummingbird nectar and a squirrel feeder........yes, I am the acorn that hasn't fallen far from the tree...........my sweet Daddy has made lots of garden decorations........wooden toys.....etc, and I love doing it too.............my Mama used to can fruit and make jelly so she taught me to enjoy the kitchen...........

Here are my creations for the week............

 Hopefully next week I can get back to Dorothy and the rest of the Oz characters........but if not......you can find me in the backyard watching all the wild critters................

 

One Flower Thursday.....again.....and some turtle fun..............

Values are like fingerprints. Nobody's are the same, but you leave 'em all over everything you do.— Elvis Presley


I am still not sure where I want Dorothy's friends to be in the poppy field but here is one thought................

 I think I will try a few layouts before I decide.................

In earlier posts I have shown you some photos of our two turtles, Donnie and Stevie, and here are some more.......these two little ladies are so different from each other!  The big one, Donnie, loves vegetables....mostly fruits like watermelon and apricots where the little one, Stevie, is a protein lover!  She loves hamburger!

And just as they have different palates.......they both like water but Donnie likes the spa.......................

 

 and Stevie likes to swim in the great outdoors......lol......these little gals make my day!

I am linking up with Karen's One Flower Wednesday page and I hope you will go check out the other flowers there........

Just Click HERE...........

Hope you are all having a wonderful day............talk to you next time!

Thursday morning with One Flower Wednesday..............

 To thrive in life you need three bones. A wishbone. A backbone. And a funny bone.— Reba McEntire



I am adding a new flower to the Magic poppies scene...........here is the scarecrow in the poppies............

 ....and you can see his friends in the second photo waiting for their flower to be made............I will show you one or two of them next week and hopefully the following week I can sew them into the scene with sleeping Dorothy....................

The week I was gone on vacation was hard on my grass......it has been so hot.............I had been "nursing" some areas I had gotten a little too zealous with in killing some crabgrass.......unfortunately I killed some of the good lawn and was trying to get some new grass to grow.........with nobody here to keep it wet, I lost some of the new grass so today I am off to buy some more seed and start back again..............so I will just say Ta-Ta for now..................talk to you soon.............

 

On my Way back home on One Flower Wednesday

The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.— Oscar Wilde

I am on my way back home after a wonderful 10 day vacation.  By the time I get back home I will have driven over 1200 miles!  I have had such a good time and now it is time to get back home and back to work............

While I was here I managed to sew together some "pavers" I guess I will call them........not really flowers but some additions to the Talking Apple Tree scene..............

 

these hexies, together with the flower I showed you last week go sewed together just like this........................

 

Please remember to go check out the other flowers growing in Karen's garden at One Flower Wednesday.........just click HERE

I am setting this to auto-post at midnight and I will be taking off early tomorrow right after my kids get off to work and school. My son took some wonderful photos today of the family so I will just say goodnight for now and share one last photo of my vacation time.  I will talk to you again when I get home......ta-ta for now.... 

 

 

 

oops!

One kind word can warm three winter months.— Japanese Proverb




Don't know exactly how it happened but I was in the middle of getting my post for One Flower Wednesday done ahead of time when.........whoosh!...........it just took off and published before I was even done with it, let alone waiting until Wednesday............so here is what I call my "disclaimer post"....lol

I am still at my son's house until Wednesday when I will head back home and work as usual..........til then I am still enjoying my vacation.

Here are a few photos of my family that I've taken while I've been on my visit.......

Now lets see if I can get this published correctly.......lol....

I'll see you again on One Flower Wednesday......Ta-Ta for now!

 

 
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