Now I can relax – here are Lola and Lindsay with their new families:
They both look scared to me but now I know they’ll be fine and tonight I can sleep.
I think we all enjoyed seeing those darling little girls – and I really have enjoyed hearing about what birds are in your yards these days. It was so windy here today that they couldn’t even LAND!
This will be a very short post but wanted to show this finished quilt – 16 years in the making! Isn’t it beautiful?
Since I couldn’t work outside today I cleaned my sewing room – I’m always embarrassed to take a “before” picture but now I wish I had because it’s a pretty spectacular change! Ha!
Every one of these plastic containers has a project or precut pieces ready to be assembled.
I went through a period of cutting up all my scraps – so now they’re in squares, triangles and rectangles – but still in boxes. Ugh. My goal is to get everything put together before I start anything else – see you in about 2 years!
Mary, I assume you made the star quilt and it is fantastic. Well done!
Filled my hummingbird feeder on Monday afternoon for the first time since it was put away in October. Saw my first hummingbird having their lunch the feeder this afternoon.
Marie Simmons – no, I didn’t make that wonderful star quilt – a reader did who forgot to post her name and I don’t remember now.
The pups may look scared, but their new oeners look pretty tickled!
I am so envious of your tidy sewing room!! Mine needs attention, but not today!!
LOVE LOVE your finished quilt! Did you hand piece it? Pattern name??
Puppies look loved already💕
I love your square project containers. I recently bought a different brand and they are so flimsy. Ugh!
Lola and Lindsays families are beaming. Congrats for being such a thoughtful and caring foster mom. As much as I would love to do that, I would fail miserably. I could never give them back!
I think Lola and Lindsey are going to have loving new families. They are such sweeties. The Baltimore orioles came last week, and I had an Indigo bunting at the feeder this afternoon. Their blue feathers are spectacular. I wish my sewing room looked like yours. Over the weekend I moved my supplies upstairs. I have way too much fabric ! Looks like it is going to be a stormy night.
I have never had so many Northern Orioles at the feeders. 8 at the same time. Also Blue Indigo Buntings, Painted Buntings and Lazuli Buntings that are just migrating through. Yellow Headed Blackbirds are at our feeders also, 1st time in 10 years. Verybusy this year. I suppose the weather has them stacking up until they disperse more to the north!
I would love that! Where do you live?
Becky – sounds like you’re on a direct migration pathway! You are so lucky!!
This is our first spring in Central Illinois after living 2 1/2 south for 22 years. We had a Baltimore Oriole and a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at our feeder this week.
I loved seeing the foster puppies with their new families. Thanks, Mary.
The birds all have interesting names, would like to see to see photos of them.we have been visited by fantails on several occasions during lockdown, even flying around our lounge room twice.we have a bird sanctuary on the other side of Wellington New Zealand and the birds have enjoyed the lack of traffic lately.i think the pups have been very lucky with you Mary and their new families.bye for now, best wishes,sandy
The puppies do look a little bewildered but should settle in quite well. They will probably miss each other for a couple of night but will adapt when they have such excited owners! They look so happy to have them!
I haven’t seen to many birds other than the regulars here in Liscomb, but don’t really know what to expect here. Many cardinals calling away, singing robins and wrens, there isn’t a hummingbird feeder here so don’t know if they are even around. I hope, when I get my apartment the hummingbirds come. I will be able to have a feeder there.
The rain we got about 5 perked things up so pretty. Everything looked so green and fresh!
The quilt looks very nice and at least 16 years worth of work!!
That quilt is incredible. I think it’s a friendship star of some sorts.
It looks like the puppies are going to wonderful homes. They will miss each other, but with lots of toys to play with, it won’t take long to get adjusted.
I hope your wind settles down, you spent all last month picking up twigs. I’m sure your sick of it.
Your room looks great. I love the containers you’ve organized. Soon we will be able to go “just because” and I’m checking target for some.
The restaurants are opening Friday, so I’m going for coffee tomorrow, the last day I’ll be served by a car hop, I’ll miss that.
The new owners look so happy and I bet the puppies will adjust very fast. You must have been there for the final good-bye. You are amazing…in a very good way.
The swallows returned to our farm a couple of weeks ago. We have two kinds. Barn swallows and tree swallows. They return each year all at the same time, or so it seems. The air around us is full of swallows looking for nesting places and for food. We have lots of birdhouses now occupied by either swallows or wrens. They can actually get into feuds over real estate. They do a great job cleaning the air of flying insects.
We had quite a storm this evening. Wind and extremely hard rain. The gutters couldn’t keep up with it. I hope our garden plants are okay.
I love that star quilt. It must be all hand appliqued. So pretty.
That quilt is so beautiful. I started mine years and years ago. NOW i’m going to get it out and finish it! It’s a wonderful hand piecing project and so portable. I can take it with me anywhere.
Loved the pictures of the puppies with their new families…..You did such a wonderful job 🙂
The quilt is just amazing!
Warmer weather today & rain for the next few days……….
Take care
You were a wonderful foster mom. I wouldn’t be a good foster mom, I couldn’t give hem up either. Beautiful quilt, I love that color of blue.
Last year I took 2 weeks as I had time and cut up a lot of scraps. If you want I will share the sizes I cut for making 4 different quilts and then having extra for the weaving a rug and binding. Paula in KY
It must make you feel so much better to see the puppies with their happy new owners. They look so excited to have the darling puppies! They are so fortunate to get puppies that had such a loving start in life!
So fun to see the puppies with their new owners, who look so happy to adopt them.
We are still waiting for hummingbirds and burnings. But have had orioles and grosbeaks. We have finches all year. And of course all the birdsong is just lovely each day.
Should have said buntings not burnings. Ugh! Hate auto correct.
You made me so happy this morning! First, loved seeing the puppies with their families. We are crazy dog people too and was thinking about how they were doing being apart from each other and YOU. Can rest easy now seeing the love and excitement in the faces of their new families. Secondly, laughed when I saw your project boxes. It was good to see that you’ve got me beat, even had to show my husband that he has no reason to complain. It took me the last week to clean my sewing room – nothing went untouched, including hundreds of books, magazines, and patterns accumulated from 25-years of writing how-to for quilts and other crafts. My project boxes are now all neat and organized which I find inspiring. Fabric is basically uncut. Good thing to do during this stay-at-home time. Good day to you all!
Rhonda in DM – here’s what you didn’t see – ALL my fabric is stored out in the quilt shop! Haha! There’s no hope for that building – still lots of stuff left from the quilt shop, etc. Did you write “how-to” professionally? I’m sorry to say this but I would hate your job! So what did you do with all those magazines, etc?
Sounds like you could open up the shop again, at least briefly! I’d love to come shop and move some from your place to mine! Yes, I did technical writing professionally, all free-lance. Luckily there are a number of publishers here so I was as busy as I wanted to be. Wrote for Meredith, Landauer, and Fons&Porter at different times and sometimes all at once. I retired from it about 5 years ago. I loved my job! There is quite a bit of math in it figuring out yardage requirements but I liked that part. I saw some gorgeous quilts over the years as I always had them to work from. The only downfall, and it’s not really a downfall, is that I got way too many ideas! Now I have time for them.
Sorry, I didn’t answer the part about what I’ve done with the books and magazines. I’ve let my walking partner and fellow quilter have a look at them and take what she wants. Usually sew monthly with 3 other gals and I’ll let them at it when we can meet again here. What’s left then I’m planning to take to the next quilt retreat I go to and see if there are any takers. Hopefully that happens in the fall. What remains I’ll donate. So much more room on my shelves now. Just kept those I’ll still use and some of my favorites.
Seems like all we ever do is clean our sewing rooms, ha! After I clean it up, I hate to go mess it up, so sometimes just enjoy it for a day or two.
Puppies look like they have nice families.
I have orioles this year. I saw one sitting on my deck railing so put out the feeder and now I have a whole flock flying around waiting their turn to feed. I have cardinals, red house finches and blue jays that squak at me wanting their peanuts. Sure is cheap entertainment for my cats!!.
My sewing friends are coming over tomorrow for a picnic on the patio. Social distancing outdoors with food involved. We miss sewing together, so this will have to do.
Take Care!
Hi Mary-
Is there any chance the “other Lola” might be a good companion for Hazel? Just a thought.
Wendy – I have considered it especially since I’m all fenced because it says she’s a “runner”.
It is wonderful to see the happy faces of the forever families! I’m sure the puppies were a little scared, but I suspect they have already adjusted to all the love we see in those pictures. It’s wonderful that you received those pictures.
Your sewing room looks great! Boy, does mine need it! I’ve been sewing so many things that I have amazed myself. haha Home decorating projects that I was going to – some for 10 years – are done! Some quilt patterns with all the fabrics in storage bags have been completed. Yet there are still many more waiting. I don’t feel as bad now tho seeing all those you have! I’d see something, love it, buy it and put it away to do one day. I must think I’ll live forever. I have to admit that I’ve had a lot of fun doing these things and some I like more now that I did. Funny thing – the stash doesn’t look like it’s been touched!
Also making masks and last night made a scrub cap. Our daughter is a dental hygienist and when the office opens they will have to wear a clean scrub cap for each patient. That means at least 8 per day per employee. The dentist would buy them but apparently they are out of stock everywhere. He asked his staff if they thought he would have to install a washer and dryer in the dental office? The one I made last night does not require elastic or interfacing which makes it quicker and I’m hoping she’ll like it instead of the one that does!
We have lots of birds in our area – the eastern shore of Maryland – and we have hummingbirds but not the regulars, as I call them. Plus our temps have been cold for May. Low 40’s at night and days in the 50’s. I’m not crazy about hot and humid weather but I would enjoy some days in the 60’s and 70’s. The nicest thing has been that the spring flowers lasted longer.
Now I’d like to plant some flower seeds. Need a trip to a garden center but I’m waiting awhile before I do that. Just too much COVID-19 in Md. and in our small town. A neighbor’s mom passed with it as well as the brother of a quilt member. He was only 60, no underlying conditions, a healthy, home builder who did beautiful work. We’ve had a lot of deaths for our small county. Many prayers being sad. Our governor has opened Churches for services. Says to limit services to 50%. Does someone stand at the door and count? I am wondering – what happens if the church is at 50% when a person arrives? Are they told they can’t come in? Anyway, I will be home so I won’t find out. Some of the “rules” make no sense whatsoever.
Y’all have a wonderful day!
Those puppies are so darn cute! Separation is difficult any time, but those little sweethearts were separated from you and from each other and are probably wondering what the heck is coming next! Their new families look so happy to have them and they will be well loved, I’m sure. You did good, Mary!
I loved seeing your sewing room and project storage. My goal this year was to get old UFOs finished and thanks to the Dirty Dozen I’ve accomplished some, but I keep ordering more kits and starting new projects, only to move on to the next one I couldn’t resist ordering. I’ve really got to learn some self discipline!
That quilt!! It is so beautiful. I hope it is being treasured!
Your sewing room looks so good. I find it impossible to keep my work room organized if I do anything in it! I guess that means there is too much stuff in too little space, but I am not about to give it up. It does feel good to have it straight for a few days once in a while.
And the puppies – I feel your pain. I, too, must confess to being a foster failure. I was volunteering with a dog rescue group and took in a black lab with several health issues – including heart worms. The plan was to treat her, get her healthy and then put her up for adoption. The first night with us (and our other dogs), we knew she would just have to stay with us. Done! So, I think you are a very strong, brave person. I can imagine that even though Lola and Lindsay went to wonderful new homes with people that will love them and take care of them – you must still miss them. You did such an amazing thing for those puppies and for their new families. You are the best!! This was definitely a successful fostering adventure!
Puppy love! Would you have any suggestions to attract birds at our feeders? The problem seems to be those bossy big black birds and they dominate the feeders and the pretty birds stay away! Thanks! I majorly cleaned my sewing room a couple weeks ago and have tried to be very diligent in keeping that way!! Onto making more masks today….I think I’m done and then I get more requests! Oh well it’s all for a good cause. Today is going to be a beautiful sunny day…enjoy!!
LaNan, if you’re feeding a bird food mix that has small seeds and cracked corn in it, that will attract house sparrows and grackles. To get rid of them, only put black oil sunflower seeds in your feeders. Grackles do chase other birds off and they also kill songbirds so having them around is not desirable. If you have some that persist at your feeders even with black oil sunflower seeds, use the squirrel proof feeders. They will not allow heavier birds to access seeds. I like to put cracked corn out, on the ground, for the mourning doves and pheasants but I put it a ways from my bird feeders so the house sparrows and grackles stay out there and only have the black sunflower seeds in the feeders in the yard.
Teresa: Do you know if wrens will eat the black oil sunflower seeds..??
Thank you! We will try that
Those smiles of the the pups’ new owners make it all worthwhile; I’m sure my heart would break into a million pieces or more to have to give pups up, my husband’s too. You’re stronger than we are here! I, too cut into squares, triangles, rectangles, etc. I am trying, trying, trying to use them up this year. But, scraps seem to beget more scraps somehow and it seems that even though I can turn out quilts the scraps continue to multiply– how does that happen? Maybe I should put dollar bills in those scrap bins. I have vowed to not start anything new this year but to stick to my plan of using up what’s in the scrap bins… then you offer that very pretty Alphabet quilt pattern– (I could make that with scraps on hand, right, RIGHT?)!
Mrs. Goodneedle – here’s an even better idea! Sew those small scraps together to create a “piece of new fabric” and then cut the alphabet letters from that – fuse to a solid light fabric and voila! A new twist on an old favorite!
That’s a really clever idea! I like it. 😊
You’re SEW smart!!
I am so envious of your tidy sewing room. mine is 10×12 and looks like a bomb went off. Every time I move a little it just moves over something else. I’m just not a good organizer. Love that you were able to cut up your scraps. Still looking at mine. I love all you showed about your Death cleaning. I’ve been working on that since I retired 3 years ago. Not getting it done fast. And this year with Coronavirus shut down there is nowhere to give stuff to. I don’t care about making money on collections, I just don’t want to trash them. It’s a wait and see . My children tell me don’t stress. But it would be a BIG mess for them.
Well I’m off to visit hubby in his board & care. I can go into his privet room.
2 years, huh? That sounds like me. I’m no good at tidying up my sewing room. Hopefully it will get done in less time than that. The big beautiful quilt is amazing. I’m so glad to see the smiling faces of the new puppy owners. They look so excited to add them to their families.
Hi Mary,
Your Star quilt is BEAUTIFUL. A lot of work but well worth it.
As I was working at my computer today, I looked out the window and saw a Baltimore Oriole at the feeder. Yesterday, there were two Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. We also have Black-capped Chickadees, Blue Jays, Tufted Titmice, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cowbirds (on occasion), House Wrens, White-breasted Nuthatches, Mourning Doves, the Wood Peewee (that makes its nest under the deck), Gold-Finches (bright yellow males), the Towhee (whose call sounds like “drink your tea”), Cardinals, and Sparrows. I have a bird feeder outside my sewing room window, which is both good and bad.
Star quilt clarification. I purchased it at an estate sale 16 years ago and it was machine quilted by a friend. It sat in my UFO pile all those years waiting for a binding. After it was quilted I noticed a piece of the background fabric was missing so I also had to ponder repairing this area. The quilt also was not finished, there were points on two sides I assumed were intended for another row of stars. So I cut off the points and used this fabric to cover the area missing fabric. The maker “made do” and used calicos, shirts, dresses, etc. I love how the fabric in some of the stars are not the same. Yes it took me 16 years to finish off this quilt but it is one of my favorites and worth the wait.
Karen – perfect!! Thank you!!
The puppies will settle in soon. The new parents look nice and happy to have their babies. Good job, Mart🐶🐶
We have Baltimore Orioles—very exciting! Also, my hummingbirds are back. I have one chubby little guy that always sits on the fence and on the feeder. The females usually flap and don’t sit.
Lots of ads to click today.
Diane and Squeak – I don’t put my hummingbird feeders out anymore – they seem to collect many dead bugs and I hate cleaning the feeders. Sounds like a typical gender description – the males are content to sit.
Yes, I think the puppies look apprehensive, but their parents seem happy! I think they will love them lots.
Somebody mentioned the Blue Indigo Bunting. I was familiar with them when we lived up North, but have never seen them here. I had a close friend from back home who was sick and getting sicker and as time went by I knew that the end was near. One morning I got up and the first thing I noticed was a Blue Indigo Bunting, and I knew right away that she had left us. About sn hour later I received the news from her brother in an email. For many years after I never saw another one and when I did it was just the normal joy of seeing such a beautiful little bird. By the way the quilt is beautiful.
Felicia Hamlin – I have seen Indigo Buntings in my grove in the past but haven’t seen one yet this year. Yesterday I saw the first oriole – stunning! My friend Mareen says the same thing about a cardinal that visited her when her mom died.
Mary, I have heard that the Indigo buntings are around and because they blend their color in the trees we don’t see them. Have a nice day!
I think the puppies just look sad because they’ve been separated from their sister. But I bet they’ll be very happy in their new forever homes! I know how hard it was to give them back but you did a wonderful job being their foster mom.