Happy New Year's Eve !!!

Getting all dolled up and going out to ring in the New Year tonight?  Or (like me) putting on your sweat pants and watching a fun old movie on TV  ?   However and where ever you greet the New Year,  have fun and ENJOY !!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

The Skating Season

Hope everybody had a nice Christmas and  has some down time now to relax and do something fun like ice skating !  I love ice skating, but really stink at it ...... I have that wobbly left ankle like Lucy does in this picture.  Anyway, unfortunately still no time here for any extra curricular activities like ice skating OR sewing/ quilting (RATS!!!!) .......blaming it on the day job (again - ugh !!!!)  .     MAYBE ......just MAYBE the new year will bring a better job situation ?

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Merry Merry Christmas Eve !!!!!

Well, unless the elves show up with something bigger and already decorated, this little Charlie Brown tree is our Christmas tree this year .... everybody here was just too busy with either work or school (college finals) to spare two minutes to go get a regulation size Christmas tree ..... but this little one turned out to be pretty cute and we're good with that !

Now we just have to get organized and decide who is gonna wrap presents, who is gonna bake some cookies,  who is gonna hitch up the sleigh, and who gets to drive !  But, there's one thing we can all agree on .... and that is to wish  you all a

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!!!!

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

It's a Wonderful Life

As I sit here spending yet another night swamped with work for the day job, feeling stressed and anxious that I'm so far behind with all of that AND therefore, am also very far behind with Christmas preparations  (seriously, just chucked the pumpkin in the woods today and dug out the wreaths from the attic to put up during the down time when my lap top was frozen and I couldn't work;  and then there's the non existant Christmas tree ..... that assignment is going to the two college boys on Friday as soon as they finish their last final and get home for Christmas vacation.).......anyhow, trying to keep it all in perspective like George Bailey

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Pillow cases being collected for Sandy Hook kids

Such a horrible horrible senseless tragedy. My heart just aches for those sweet little angels and their families.  I saw on Facebook that Becky at Quilter's Corner quilt shop in New Milford, CT is collecting pillow cases for the children at Sandy Hook School. She is trying to collect around 600. Please pass this

message to any sewing friends. Pillow cases can be mailed to her at:

 

 Quilters Corner, 312 Danbury Rd, New Milford, CT. 06776.


If you need instructions to  make a pillow case, please see my Nov  27th  post  - I have a link to a great tutorial for making pillow cases.

Thank you,
Mary Anne

Time to deck the halls

Well here at MBIAJ Headquarters it's time to (finally) take down that fading, droopy fall wreath and put up the Christmas wreath ...... oh, and we need to get the rotting pumpkin off of the porch and throw it out in the woods for the bears, deer, and squirrels.   (See previous post for proof).  Yes, true to form,  I am the last one in the neighborhood to get rid of fall , and put some kind of Christmas decorations up!  (our neighbors across the street and next door are all BEAUTIFULLY decorated since the day after Thanksgiving ..... we have been basking in the glow of their lights and are now feeling the guilt of being the bah humbug house ....... or, more acurately, the disorganized house !) .   And, unfortunately,  we will probably continue to be the disorganized house for awhile as my day job just got ALOT more complicated with the promise for not 2 seconds to think about, let alone enjoy decorating, sewing, or shopping for Christmas (as a matter of fact I am now screwed because instead of finishing my work on my laptop .....not my fault the dang thing froze up ..... I am piddling around here writing this blog post ...... MUCH more fun I might add ! )  Anyhow,  enjoy all of your holiday preparations !  I'll be back when I get a breather ...... hopefully with something quilting or sewing or crafting related !

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

 

Be back soon !

 

Snow !!! (and pillow cases)

Well it's snowing here in Jim Thorpe, Pa !!!  Makes everything look so pretty and Christmasy.  I took this picture of our house from far enough away so you can't tell that wreath on the front door is an Autumn wreath with orange and yellow leaves  ...... hoping this can pass for our Christmas card picture (that is if I'm organized enough this year to actually send Christmas cards out !)

....and speaking of left over Autumn decorations ...... that's a pumpkin under that snow.

My favorite live "Christmas Tree" right outside of the kitchen ..... a little too tall (taller than the house) to decorate, so I just keep the bird feeder full and the tree is decorated with cardinals , blue jays, chickadees, nuthatches, and of course squirrels !

....... oh, and look ...... here is the reason why it is just a LITTLE annoying that even with a 2 car garage, there is NO ROOM FOR THE CAR !!!!! GGGGRRRRRRrrrrrrrrr ........ the dirtbikes and many bicycles get preference ...... heaven forbid THEY get snowed on !!!!!

.......and whose idea was it to have such a LONG driveway ...... takes forever to shovel!!!   (oh, wait ....... that WAS my idea .........)          :)

Anyway, instead of listening to me whine and complain about clearing snow off of my car and starting to shovel the driveway,  thought I'd share this Missouri Star Quilt Co. pillow case video/tutorial I saw posted this morning on facebook.  Pillow cases are so quick and fun to make , especially picking out the fabric !!! (isn't that always the best part !!!!)  ENJOY !!!

Pillow case tutorial

P.S.  Also , my friend Sharon has pillow case kits with these exact instructions included with the kit at her fun online store Daisy Cottage Quilting

Be back soon !
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Burlap !!! I BELIEVE I love it !!!

Well,  here we are 3 days after Thanksgiving and I'm actually, kind of starting to think about Christmas projects ..... that is , of course, after I finish one or two Fall projects still lingering on my sewing table ..... actually, they collapsed in exhaustion over the sewing machine ...... waiting and waiting and waiting for me to get back to them ....... anyhow, I have a new found love of burlap ..... especially burlap with words printed on it !!!!  I found this fun stuff at JoAnn's back in October when I was searching for some fabric to finish the afore mentioned Fall projects ......

 

Burlap !!! = Pinterest

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Happy Thanksgiving Eve !!!

Does this look familiar ?  I have at least 3 extra folding tables plus a card table ..... and do you think there is at least one that isn't covered with fabric, partially finished projects , and other sewing paraphernalia?  NOPE !!  Not a single one !!!   (Love this little cartoon since I can relate to it so well.  I wish I could give the author/artist credit, but I don't know where it came from other than on facebook.).  Anyway,  hope you all can put Christmas off at least another day and just sit and enjoy Thanksgiving Day with friends and family.

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!!!!

 

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

A quilter is born !!!!

I am THRILLED to announce the birth of a quilter !!!!! 

My niece Stephie ...... TA DA !!!!!   It was my pleasure to spend a fun evening teaching Steph the basics of sewing, piecing and quilting .  With the assistance of Betty, my Featherweight sewing machine, Steph made a "Mug and Muffin Rug"  (i.e it's bigger than a "Mug Rug" but too small to be a placemat).  Anyhow,  Steph did a GREAT job !!!! Took to it like a duck to water !!!  This girl has a bright sewing future ahead !!!!    (Maybe I'll let her finish that graduation quilt I started for her a loooooooong time ago ..... we're talking high school graduation ..... Steph not only graduated from high school, she also  went and graduated from college with a BSRN while I was procrastinating and piddling around not finishing her quilt ........ oh well !)

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

CURSES !!!! Halloween was yesterday ????

 Happy (belated) Halloween !!!!  We've been a little distracted by a witch named "Sandy"  here on the east coast and almost forgot about Halloween!!!   I am thrilled to say that I am one of the lucky ones ....... we didn't even lose power through the hurricane !!!!  You have no idea how amazing that is  - - in the past, our area has ALWAYS lost power for the least little thing ..... and it would be DAYS before we'd get it back  - - so I am grateful and in awe that we came through this storm without a problem.   My elderly parents,  who live only 20 minutes away from me, however, are without power since Monday night.  They might not have power for a couple more days.   So, after emptying out their fridge and freezer and putting everything in coolers to put in my fridge and freezer,  they finally agreed to come to my house ...... but took lots of coaxing because  they felt they were imposing . Love my parents !!! They are the nicest people on the planet ..... but sometimes they just drive me NUTS !!!!  :)   (and I can say that because I'm their favorite !)

 

So, thankful as I am for getting through this storm without a problem, my heart goes out to all those who are facing hardships and in many cases total devastation. 

 

Be back soon!

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

 

 

Oh Sandy Baby ....... please don't stay !!!!!

Well, unless you've been living under a rock, you know that  Hurricane Sandy is lumbering up the east coast and plans on taking a left turn somewhere around Atlantic City, NJ tomorrow.   Then, she may be strolling right smack into Pennsylvania .......

in the vicinity of MBIAJ Headquarters (see arrow).   I've heard this storm described as "Frankenstorm"  or another "Perfect Storm" ........THAT is NOT good !!!!!  I went to Walmart yesterday to stock up on batteries (none to be found),  sterno and matches (none), and gallons of water (lots still left thank goodness!).    Since our power goes out when somebody sneezes, I'm enjoying my electricity now while I've got it (not to mention running water and flushing toilets  -- we live in the woods and have a well and septic which depend on electricity to work).    So,  I'm hoping "Sandy" cools off and turns into nothing but a sweet innocent little drizzle  wearing a Peter Pan collar and a poodle skirt !

 

Well,  I better go fill up my bathtub with toilet flushing water ......... if you are in the path of Sandy, please stay safe !!!! ....... and we'll all meet back here as soon as our power comes back on  ....... or MAYBE it won't go out at all !!!!  

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Machine Quilting ~ Walking Foot Style !!!!

GREAT news for people like me who are free motion quilting wanna bees (i.e. really wanna be good at free motion quilting, but just isn't happening at this point .... ).   Norma at Petit Design Co.  is in the middle of her "31 days of Walking Foot Quilting" project on her blog.  She has been showing some FABULOUS ideas for machine quilting with a walking foot !!! Now THAT I can do !!!!   These designs are so great that my free motion quilting foot is jealous !!!

.....and all of Norma's ideas couldn't have come at a better time since I've been stalling on quilting my son's overdue (wild) graduation quilt .......

....not to mention some of it's pals rolled up and waiting patiently in this basket for their turn to be quilted (before they disintegrate ! )

 

Anyhow, you should zip on over to Norma's blog to see all of her ideas for zig zags,  random lines,  cross hatches, and  different circles ..... YES even CIRCLES can be machine quilted with a walking foot !!!!!!! YIPEEEEEEEE !!!!!!!!!

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

.......and the winner is .........

Well it's three -ish here at MBIAJ Headquarters (actually it's closer to four -ish ....... like I said, being on time isn't one of my strong points !!!) ..... so, it's time to pick a random winner from all of those sweet comments left on my  Fall Foliage Festival Block post.   127 comments !!!!  WOW !!!  ..........OK,  the winner of the Kate Spain "Serenade" Charm Pack  and ...... 

....the Kate Spain "Serenade Autumn Life's a Hoot" adult size apron panel is ............ Kathy at Just Quilt It  !!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS Kathy !!!!!  

.....and thank you , thank you , thank you all again for all of the great comments about my block design "Fall Foliage Festival" !!!!   (my original plan was to do a tutorial today for this block,  but besides never being on time,  being organized is not one of my strong points either ! ..... so, I'm putting this on my "TO DO LIST" !)

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Jim Thorpe Fall Foliage Festival 2012

The weather today was absolutely PERFECT for the 2nd weekend of the Jim Thorpe Fall Foliage Festival ...... DEFINATELY sweater weather !!!!  At the park by the train station there were food and craft vendors .......

 ....... a REALLY good band in the gazebo ......

.......some talented hula hoopers.....

 ....... and, of course, a train!

  There also were beautiful horse and buggy rides taking visitors  up Broadway and Race St. past ....

 everything from quaint hotels,  B&B's,

restaurants and shops to .....

  ....authentic (haunted) scary looking old houses and .....

  churches (also haunted ...... so they say .)

 

Hope you enjoyed the "tour" !  ...... and don't forget to stop back tomorrow afternoon at two - ish or three - ish for my "Leaf's me Happy Blog Hop" give away drawing. 

 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

 

 

 

 

Explosions of color !!!! ...... and the last day of our hop !

Here is just one of the many shops in our little town of Jim Thorpe, Pa all decked out in it's explosion of autumn colors ....... all I can say is WOW !!!!!  (the name of this shop is "Nature's Trail").   AND I also have to say a HUGE WOW !!!!!  and thank  you for all of those wonderful comments on my last post !!!!!  What a nice surprise !!!!  So glad you all liked my quilt block !

 

AND, speaking of quilt blocks,  today is the last day of the "Leafs me happy" blog hop .  Here's today's list:

 

Wednesday 10

Quilter in the Closet

Sew Much 2 Luv

Peanut's Patchwork

Quilting Lines

Mochawildchild

Ariane Quilts

Lily Patch Quilts

Cindy's Crafty Creations

Hill Valley Quilter

Count it *all* JOY!!!

Rose Creations

Grandmamastories

Sew We Quilt

 

 

Enjoy !!! 

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Fall Foliage Festival !!! ...... and we're still hopping !

It's "Fall Foliage Festival" time here in Jim Thorpe, Pa. !!! The first three weekends of October in our little town in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania are celebrating the fall season with train rides, horse and buggy rides, music in the gazebo , craft vendors in the park, and quaint shops and restaurants decorated in their best fall colors.

.....and, of course, it wouldn't be a fall foliage festival without the gorgeous fall foliage ......

......so, Mother Nature has cooperated and dressed the trees in their best fall colors just in time !

Those fall colors have been the inspiration behind all those lovely quilt blocks that have been showing up on the "Leafs me Happy" blog hop ....... and today is finally my blog hop turn!!!!

......and, here it is ....

This is my "Fall Foliage Festival" block .

(zooming in for its close up - - or you can click on any of these pictures to make them bigger)

....AND, whats a festival without some prizes??? Isn't this CUTE !!!! It's a Kate Spain "Serenade Autumn Life's a Hoot" adult size apron panel.

Here's a close up of what it looks like finished. AND, also , in addition to the apron panel is ......

.... a Kate Spain "Serenade" Charm Pack !!!! So, leave a comment here on this post , and how about we meet back here on Sunday ( this Sunday 10/14/12) - - lets say maybe two -ish (or three-ish ...... I'm big on the "ish" since being on time isn't one of my strong points !) ....... and we'll pick a winner !

But, in the mean time, there are other bloggers for you to visit today . Here's the list:

Tuesday 9

Till We Quilt Again

Sheilas quilt world

Ferris Thoughts

Home Designs by Amanda

Quilt n Queen

Polka Dot Classic

Moonbeams in a Jar (this is me !!!)

Stitch, stitch, stitch

Sew Me Something Good

Quilting by Dawn

My Collection of Things
Jessisca

ENJOY !!!

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)

GORGEOUS Autumn !!!!! (and we're still hopping !)

BREATHTAKING !!!!

GORGEOUS !!! 

Autumn in my neck of the woods is in full swing and I just can't get enough !

And....... you know what else is in full swing !  yep, the "Leafs me happy" blog hop!!!!  Here's today's list of talented bloggers !

 

Monday, Oct. 8

Feathered Nest Studio

Grandmama's Stories

From This to That

Little Mama Hen

Quilt Monster in my Closet

Kathy

in stitches & seams

Buzzing and Bumbling

Nunu's Quilt World

Quilts And Dogs

Briarside Lane

Enjoy !!!!  (and be sure to come back tomorrow  ...... tomorrow is my day to share my quilt block AND there will be a give away !!!)

Be back soon!
Toodles,
Mary Anne (aka Mare)

Country roads ....... and we're still hopping !

My day job involves alot of driving  .... and much of that driving is "over the river and through the woods"  along country roads WAY out in the boondocks !  I am a physical therapist and I work for a home care agency ..... and we live in a rural, mountainous area of Pennsylvania  ..... so usually I have lots of driving to get to my patients' homes .....

 I LOVE the scenery, especially this time of year !

And, you know what else I love?  Seeing the gorgeous "Leafs Me Happy" quilt blocks created by today's talented bloggers in the "Leafs Me Happy" blog hop.  Here's today's list:

 

 

Insanity Defense

Michelle May and the Bunnies

Sparrow In Flight

Quilted Delights

Quilting With a Marmalade Cat

Traveling Quilter

A Stitch in Time

Cherry Blossoms... you're here Ü
Tea Time Creations

Moose Stash Quilting

Stitchin By The Lake

 

 

Enjoy !

Be back soon!

Toodles,

Mary Anne (aka Mare)