TOP OF "OVER THE RIVER" FINISHED!

Yesterday morning I was so happy to have sewn on all the borders of the "Over the River and Through the Woods" quilt top.  I laid it down on the floor and something didn't look just right.  I took a picture of it (it was still dark outside, so the picture isn't very good) and finally it dawned on me.  The right border was sewn on the wrong way!  The geese are supposed to fly around the quilt clockwise and not going up on both side borders.

So, last night I undid that border while watching the recording of Masterpiece Theatre and this morning I sewed it on the correct way.

DH held it up outside in our side yard for this picture.  There's a small tree on the right in our neighbors yard that has turned red.

I just can't help doing some sewing, but if I keep doing it, I'm not getting the rest of my things put away and organized.  There is still quite a bit of organizing to do before we are really "settled" so I need to get busy on that instead of getting side tracked.  But I just have to "make" myself do the organizing.  Oh, well, it shouldn't take too much longer.  I also can't show you-all pictures of our house until I get it done.  :-)  Plus, I feel so good when I get things in the house the way I want them!

A BREAK FROM ORGANIZING

Monday on my way to shop for groceries, I saw that the "Garage Sale Store" was open.  I had some good luck there a month ago or so and decided to check it out.  Right away, I spotted this book case for $55.  It looked really nice and I liked the doors on the bottom.  After texting a picture to DH and getting his approval, I bought it.  After getting it home, DH saw that it was made by Ethan Allen!  It is perfect for our living room.

I needed a break from "working" (aka unpacking and finding a home for each item in a box) so I decided to do some sewing and got most of this wall hanging put together.  It's "Over the River and Through the Woods" by Crab-apple Hill.  I just need to put on an inner border and then add the flying geese border and it can be basted!

I don't have my design wall put up yet, so it is on the floor.  Here's a little closer view.

We are pondering how to put up a quilt rack or something that I will be able to hang my larger wall hangings on.  It will have to be rather high up - we have a vaulted ceiling and it's an ideal place to hang a quilt.  I have about 4 large wall hangings and they will hang on the opposite wall from the "Colonial Glory" quilt (or whatever quilt is on that particular quilt rack).  They won't all be up at the same time, but I will switch them out seasonally.  In order to put a quilt on that wall, two people will have to climb up on ladders.  :-)  I wonder how quilt shops get their quilts up so high.

Yesterday I showed my next door neighbor my sewing room (she's the one who wants to learn to quilt).  She seemed to like it - or else she thinks I'm totally nuts!

MAKING SOME MORE PROGRESS

On Friday DH hung this quilt rack that DS#3/DIL made for me one Christmas.  It is really handy for changing out quilts for the seasons.  My favorite quilt is hanging on it - "Colonial Glory."  I fell in love with this quilt when I saw it on Lori's blog and HAD to make one like it!  This is what you would see on your left when entering our house.  The door on the right is to the garage.

Miss Froggie is sitting on an old rocking chair.   She was given to me by a good friend just before we moved from Texas.

Here's a view from a different angle.

This view is looking toward our front door.  The couch is sitting at an angle as you enter our house.  The antique mirror to the left of the door was given to me from another Texas friend.

I have been doing some sewing and made these four borders of flying geese for my  "Over the River and Through the Woods" wall hanging.

A closer look at Miss Froggie.  She is growing on me!

I have made some progress on my sewing room, but it's not ready to display yet.  Where did I get so much stuff?!?!?!  Poor DH is so patient with me and has put up so many things for me - with more to do!  I couldn't do it without him!  

A COUPLE MORE little THINGS DONE

I get so many good ideas from other bloggers and I like to take their ideas for myself.  This first idea is from Ann Hermes who has used yard sticks to hang little quilts from.  I haven't done that yet, but I do have two yardsticks which I plan to use soon.  However, I also got some old wooden hangers and got the "clip rings" used for hanging curtains at JoAnn's (thanks to Janet) and have one hanging in my new sewing room!  It's not in a really well lighted section, so the picture is somewhat dark.

Another great idea was from Randy.  She covered the seat of her chair with selvedges sewn together and I liked that idea, so I started sewing some together.  I had a plastic box filled with them and hadn't used many of them yet, so this was a very easy way to use some up!

I really like this idea and will probably cover the back as well - when I get around to it!    I'm still busy getting unpacked and this was a nice break from the drudgery.  Thanks, Randy!

Right now, I'm going to fix supper.  DH found something for me to hang in my sewing room at Pier I and as soon as it is hung, I will show it to you!  Thanks, honey!

LIVING IN OUR NEW HOME

As of August 28, the day our grandson left for college, we started sleeping in our new home!  We still have a long way to go to get all settled, but today we got internet connections!!  Now I can blog again!  On Friday we were connected with DirectTV so we can watch TV too!  Things are shaping up.

One afternoon, we were sitting near the front windows and some deer walked by.  You can barely see the fawn at the bottom of the first picture.  He was right next to the house in the "flower" bed.  You can see some little pink flowers.  That's all that we have in front because of the deer.

Here he is walking toward the street.

A picture with our truck in the driveway.  He's so cute!

I really can't show many pictures of the inside of our house yet, because there are still lots of boxes to unpack, but I will show you a few things.  Below is a picture of one of our dining room chairs.  I had an idea to make a little quilt to hang on the back and I think I mentioned it in one of my posts.

Here is how the chair looks with a little quilt on the back.

I sewed a brown hair band onto the quilt to use as a hanger.

Here's another one.  Sorry the picture is dark.  I ran out of brown hair bands, so will have to wait until I get more to finish putting them all on the chairs.

Our guest bathroom is almost finished.  I made a shower curtain cover and the decor is "patriotic."  

 Two little quilts hang above the towels.

On top of the brown cabinet (medicine chest) you can see a George Washington mug and an old brown box.  I still need to find something to put in the box.  On the counter is another old box with a flag painted on it and red and blue towels rolled up inside.  On the top of the toilet tank is a little quilt with stars and some red, white and blue tin containers.

Our bedroom window has new curtains made from a large panel that I purchased at Good Will.  It's just simple panels pulled back with tassels.

By the front window I have an old green shelf with some books and on top is a doll I made.  The cheddar cheese and crackers quilt (a SAL with Lori) hangs on another chair (from a garage sale), and a table with a book shelf under the top was my grandmother's.  I love the doily and oil lamp on top (both from garage sales).

A closer look at the doily and lamp as well as a reproduced book like one we had as children.

I don't dare show you pictures of the rest of the house yet!  There aren't any other quilts on the walls yet and things are still a mess.  I can't promise that I won't re-arrange things in these pictures, but I like having at least a few areas that I can enjoy looking at!

As I think most of you know, I enjoy looking for bargains and I have found some good ones lately, including a computer desk ($20).  I have it situated so that my computer and a small TV are within viewing distance while I'm sitting at my sewing machine!  I also got a really nice coffee table for $20 at a garage sale.

I'm still looking for a cabinet to display quilts in my sewing "studio!"  Little by little!  A couple days ago I started doing some sewing again.  I can't wait to get my design wall put up!  Maybe this week.....