Glorious Summer

So far, this getting up before the crack of dawn is working quite well for me.  The only other time I can remember being able to rise so early is when I was in the military.  I'm thoroughly enjoying it this time!  Not so much then.....as it meant getting dressed and running 5 miles before breakfast.

Not much happening here lately, I must admit that with the 4th of July coming it's getting hard to sleep - everyone around here seems to buy their fireworks in advance, and party every night.  Don't they work???

I've been stitching a new little series of country designs, apt as I'm now living in the country in the city.  I'm falling asleep to the smell of bonfires every night (in addition to the sound of fireworks), and enjoying the bird song every morning.  So peaceful, mostly.

Sweet Country Welcome is the first in the series. (click on title to go to my shop]

The pattern is for the stitchery only - it measures 8" x 5".  I think there will be four of them.  I have three drawn up, and a solid idea of what the fourth will be.  The additional themes will be home, love and faith.  I have to run out today and get a new pigma pen for tracing onto copier paper, some fusible interfacing, and a new box of rubber finger cots - they really help my arthritic fingers pull the needle through.  The one I've been using is falling apart, and I'm constantly stitching bits of rubber into my design.  Not a good look.

I haven't decided whether or not I'll make a small quilt, four little pillows, or what.  Whichever I decide, I'll do a tutorial on the blog when the four designs are done.

I'll be around to see you soon - we're gearing up for a party on the 4th, we'll be celebrating my oldest son turning (gasp) 25 years old!  His birthday is this Friday, but everybody is working.  I need to go start cleaning......

Love,
Allie

Free Design

It dawned on me the other day that it's been a very long time since I shared a free design....so I decided to rectify that.  Here's a little design I drew up, haven't stitched yet, but will probably make into a postcard or put on a tea towel.

You can get it in my craftsy shop, Allie-oops Designs.  The best way to find a new design there is to click on "newest", up on the right-hand side, where you can sort the order.  I have no control over how my designs come up on that page - wish I did!

I'm having fun with a new little series, born out of frustration over not having the right fabric for my applique design.  Here's a peek - 

I've been seeing all the fawns together, all three, with one of the mums.  I think she's the new Designated Babysitter.  I've named them Larry, Curly and Mo.  They're so comical with their long awkward legs, dancing and prancing, I don't envy her trying to keep them out of trouble!

See ya soon - 

Love,

Allie

The Weekend Report With Allie-Oops

Hello, and welcome to the Weekend Report.  It's been a busy week here in Allie-land, apparently I'm the neighborhood Designated Babysitter for Wildlife.

This baby robin stayed on the step of the shed all day long Thursday.  Mama and Daddy would come with food.  At one point, it wasn't moving at all, and I thought it was dead.....then Mama showed up with a nice juicy worm.

Never did get a picture of that, she was too quick.  I thought maybe it was injured, but 12 hours later it finally hopped down, went over to the biggest tree, hopped up the trunk and flew off several times....little stinker.  Just a slow learner I guess.

On Friday, in the very early morning, one of the fawns came to lay by our shed.

  Every now and then, he'd look around for Mama, then go back to sleep.

She finally showed up for a mid-morning snack, baby was happy.

Then she took off again.  My friend Shirley came over for a visit, and we just sat in the sewing room, watching baby.  The sun finally got hot and he got up and moved to the thicket, where he stayed and stayed and stayed....

Later in the day, the young bucks came back, running across my patio and giving me heart failure.  The does have been keeping them away, as they'll kill the fawns.  One of the bucks came over to the peach tree there in the picture, and was eating the leaves, saw the fawn and charged him - so yours truly DB [designated babysitter] went charging out after the buck to keep him away from the fawn.  Not recommended, but he ran off.

The fawn went back to sleep, and I stayed up after my bedtime to make sure Mama came back.  She never did.  It finally got too dark to see, so I went to bed, praying for baby.  He was gone in the morning, so I'm believing mom came back. 

And this, my friends, is partly why I'm a city girl.  Nature is stressful.

And now for the flower report.  We have no idea what all is in our flowerbeds, except poison ivy, which hubby thought he was immune to - he's not.  He's covered head to toe.  Friday, when Shirley was here, we stopped to try to figure out what's growing in the island in our driveway.  

It's JASMINE!!!!  My driveway smells heavenly!!  I had no idea it would grow in Michigan.

It's thriving, growing up through our burning bush and our lilac bush.

News about Mom.  She's doing well, and is no longer trapped in her house.  She couldn't manage her steps off the porch, they're too high, so I could only take her out if the boys went with me or my brother was home.  My wonderful brother put in a railing so she can get out now on her own.

She's so happy!  And so am I.  I can't hold her up, she takes me right to the ground - she's unbelievably strong!

There has been some sewing going on, I drew up a new pattern and started a background for it, using all my light-colored scraps.

And - I don't have enough of them.  Not only that, I have nothing that looks good for the applique.  I'm re-drawing the pattern for stitchery.  Sometimes, designing can be frustrating!

As I mentioned earlier, the bucks are back, and we're not seeing the fawns or the does.  These bucks are juvenile delinquents, bold as brass.  We're currently having a heat wave, temps in the 90's all week, so they're hanging close to the shade.  I believe these are last year's fawns, not sure...

Forgive the pictures, taken through my dirty windows - I guess I need to clean them!

So, that's the weather, wildlife, floral, sewing, and mom report.  I hope you're all keeping comfortable, no matter your weather, and that you're finding plenty to keep your hands busy.  I'll see you soon!

Love,
Allie

Hanging Small Quilts

I had a some inquiries as to how I hang my small quilts - Glenise, you came up as a no-reply comment and I have no way to email you, so I'm answering here.

I always have great plans to make those triangle corners on my small quilts, before adding the binding, but usually forget.  I first learned of this method from Ami Simms, but now I see it everywhere - here's a link from Quilts By Jen.  For some reason she has you use a triangle in each corner, but I only use two, at the top.

So how do I hang mine??  Well, I save all my old sewing machine needles, and just tap them into the wall to hold my quilts.

Not very deeply, just enough to hold.  This leaves a small hole that is easily covered if you move them, which I do frequently.  Be gentle as you tap them, they will break if you whack them too hard.  Forgive the terrible picture, we're having thunderstorms today and it's dark in here.

Works great for really small ones, but the larger ones tend to droop in the middle.  The triangle method is really cool for adding a dowel - the triangles are added before the binding is attached, so it's all by machine, no hand stitching.  I'll add the link to my Useful Links page so you can find it easily anytime.

I hope you're all having a great Sunday, we're going tropical today [88F] with thunderstorms - much cooler this coming week!

Love,
Allie

Summer

Well, it's not quite summer yet - but it sure feels like it!  I must say, this new house stays nice and cool, it was 80F outside but I had my hoodie on all day in the house.  Nice!

Got a shock this morning - I saw a very large hawk swooping down behind our shed, and a few minutes later, a tiny fawn went running to the trees in my neighbor's backyard.  I had no idea hawks would go after fawns!

Isn't he/she the cutest?

He kept looking around, I think for mama, and finally went trotting off into the woods.

We're having more scheduling changes, now that hubby and my oldest and I get up at 5am, my youngest just got promoted and works from 9pm to 8am.  (insert shocked face)  We go to bed, just as he's starting work!  You can imagine what that's doing to his state of mind at the moment, lol.  It's four days a week, and that's bad too, as it's Thursday - Sunday.  No garage sales for this young man this summer.

What else - ah - my youngest went to the auto store the other day to get windshield wiper fluid, and came home with two wrapped parcels for me from the florist - he bought me two African Violets!

The only plant I can't kill.  

Seriously - I do not have a green thumb - I'm a plant assassin.  A foliage exterminator.  But for some reason, these plants love me.  They're cheering up my sewing room so much!

I do have a new pattern in the shop, I'm incredibly proud of the binding...stripes!!!  On the bias!!!  And it matched up!!!!

I have no idea how that happened, I couldn't repeat it to save my life, I'm just glad it worked.  This is a fairly quick pattern, all one color [my fave] and mostly backstitch.  You can get it here:

Allie-Oops Designs

I think that's all for now, I'll leave you with a picture of my very strange kitty on her favorite table - heaven forbid I put a sewing machine on it.....

Love,

Allie