I just knew you’d all love seeing the pincushions individually – and I have loved your comments of what to do with the collection when I die. It really is too good to take to the thrift store, isn’t it? If you readers haven’t read the comments, you should. So many are using their mother’s pincushion or the one they made in junior high.
One of my good friends lost her little dog Zena last weekend and if you’ve ever lost a best friend with 4 legs you know how devastated she is. She knows that I know how she feels and I send her my deepest sympathy.
This is where I’m at with Good News – it still isn’t big enough so back to the sewing machine I go!

If I didn’t really want a quilt for the guest bed I wouldn’t make this – unlike Jo I really don’t like making big quilts. I am so bored with this by now.
I posted this picture on Instagram last night – with below zero temps outside some of these beautiful eggs were still warm when I picked them up – one of the many pleasures of country living.

Reader quilts:







I have lots of orders to fill – remember this ends on February 28! Then these patterns go up in price to $10.00 each. I will accept online purchases through March 1.
Please don’t pass over the comment section – if you ask me a question, this is where I will answer. If you want a private answer send me an email. Also – if you’d like to send me pictures, send them to my email and I can post to the blog from there. You cannot personally post photos to the blog.
Stay warm and I’ll talk to you tomorrow.

My heart goes out to your friend who lost Zena. It’s so hard when our four legged friends are gone!
I still have my mother’s pin cushion. One of my favorite memories of her.
Is your Hoya plant outside? It is beyond beautiful. Love the picture that has the rooster collection, I am afraid my house could never be so spotless…
Thank you for your continued blog and daily entries. I also like your comments about your church and the service you do there.
Cindy Nelson – I move all my plants outside around Mothers Day and back inside mid September. Right now it’s 11 degrees outside. No, it’s not outside – nothing is outside, man or beast – or houseplants!!
Hi Mary, amazing roosters in the tidy sewing room, button jars colour coordinated, not my place! My machine always has fabric draped over it for quilts to be worked on, small doses of chaos everywhere! I do try to be tidy but it’s hard! I loved the Hoya photo, you certainly have green fingers.Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
I really like your Good News quilt and all the readers’ quilts. I love the rooster collection. I have a rooster/chicken theme in my kitchen but my kitchen is too small to have anything like that. We had a heavy frost this morning. I think it was 33*. Very unusual for San Francisco bay area. It was in the 70s a week ago.
My heart goes out to Zena’s mom. It’s so hard losing your pets.
Beautiful Hoya plant. When mine blooms it is a lighter pink and the flowers are like velvet. Has been in the same pot my mother planted in in 40 or more years ago. I have wanted to transplant it to a new pot ,but I can’t get it out of the pot because the neck is too small. My daughter wants the pot so she doesn’t want me to break it. So is still growing and sending out new shoots. It is 4 feet long from it’s hanging pot.
Heidi – yes, I think maybe they don’t bloom until they’re very potbound. I have several – others are light pink and I even have a white one! It’s thrilling then they bloom!
I love reading your blog everyday! We live in such a different part of the country (South Central Texas) and it’s hard to imagine the weather you’re having when it’s 85 here! Well, that was yesterday – today it’s 32. Our rollercoaster weather again. I love your Good News quilt and would love to make one like that with my scraps (the scrappier the better). I just emailed you some pictures of a few of my quilts. Never knew how to get them to you before and now I. Do!
Jacque – I’ll be posting your quilts very soon – they are lovely!
It is still 23 degrees just as it was at 7 a.m. So lucky I don’t have to go anywhere!!!
My prayers go out to your friend that lost her fur baby. I know the feeling as we have had to put down two of our best buddy fur babies. It hurts so bad and I understand.
Love your plant. It looks just like a plant my grandmother had and she called it a waxed flower.
Warm greetings… I have a blue high heeled shoe pin cushion. Always perched on Grandmas sewing machine now years later it sits on mine. A simple treasure that stands high on my list of blessings! Yes, I noticed your white one in a photo 🙂
I’m with you I dislike making big quilts I also bore quickly. love the red and green it is also on my bucket list. never enough time, always too many quilts.
If you’re referring to me and big quilts…we’ll, my collections need to be used, I have no wall space left for little quilts and my collection for backs isn’t getting any smaller either. 😳, if you’re not referring to me, you could be. All for fun!! 😉
I adore that rooster collection. One year for thanksgiving, I decorate with my one rooster. The one with a saddle and cowboy hat would fit in my kitchen so well…..I’m envious.
Happy Birthdays to Connie.
It’s forecasted to warm up next week. Yesterday the high was -4, today it’s up to 5 above. I hope it gets warm, Loretta has a haircut appointment next week. To Zena’s mom…we are sad for you too.
One of my TN quilting friends of many years asked me if you were Jo’s Country Junction?
Launa – haha! Nope – Jo is just a great friend! Our blogs are not connected except by Jo’s daughter, Kayla, who also helps me.
No, but I’ll try to find her on the web and start following her blog.
I did some growing up in the Knoxville/Morristown area of Tennessee.
Also, Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and finally ended up in Wyoming.
Jo in Wyoming – I actually was referring to Jo’s Country Junction – Jo Kramer lives not too far from me and her daughter is Kayla who helps me with my technology issues. You should follow Jo – you’d love her and she only makes large quilts – like I said, I get so bored with big quilts but I’m going to power on and make some more blocks for this one. Yes, I could have been referring to you as well! I know you like to make big quilts, too.
I’m so sorry for your friend’s loss of her friend Zena. It is so hard to lose a furry friend. I love the Harvey wallhanging. I have been looking through my stash (for over a year) for that exact Easter egg print to use for the border. I sure hope I find it soon, especially after seeing the wallhanging today. Love it!
Y
The blossom looks like a Hoya blossom but the leaves don’t look like hoya. I have several plants but since moving to Michigan from Florida they have never bloomed. I love your post and house and quilts.
Edora Hansen – yes, it is a Hoya and it has several large clusters. It blooms at least twice a year but I have no idea why it does and yours doesn’t.
I’m sad for your friend who lost her dog. It’s heart breaking to lose a member of your family, and the many dogs we’ve had were always considered a family member.
The red and green quilt is wonderful! I love the green & white table runner too.
The pin cushion pictures were so fun to look over. I enlarged each photo so I could see details. Thank you for taking your time to do that!
I love the colors in your Good News quilt!! It will look so nice in your guest room. Power thru and sew some more. Enjoyed all the pin cushions –it would be wonderful to keep as a collection. What about a quilt museum? Or maybe they can point you somewhere else.
Mary sorry your friend lost her Zena. It’s so hard when they give us so much back.
The quilts were beautiful. The chickens and buttons were perfect on the shelves.
We just got back from Florida in between the storms in the south and the ones we will get in Iowa. WHEW!
Lots of ice from yesterday on the trees as we came into Iowa. The grass couldn’t even blow because of all the ice. Stay safe everyone!
Get Kayla to help you set up a selling booth on Etsy. I believe Kayla or Kalissa already has a selling “booth” on Etsy. I believe she sells vintage white goods (pillowcases, etc.) I’m sure you could sell the pincushions.
I love the Hoya plant and now must look for one come summer. Don’t know how it will grow in my shady backyard but will try. It’s so beautiful! My son walked into my sewing room the other day and said,”lots going on in this room mom!” I told him that I am a happy quilter with many projects going on at once and it may look messy to him but I know what I am doing with each pile of fabric.
I’ve never seen a Hoya Plant, will have to try one! Are they fussy to care for? Your pin cushions are amazing! That Easter rabbit is great. Thank you for the blog.
The green and red quilt is on my “to do” list also. Just love it!
I really enjoyed seeing all of your pincushions. When getting a little older it’s hard to decide with collections.
Can’t wait to see your Good News completed. Enjoy you evening.
I maybe missed this info, but is the Good News quilt one of your patterns?
Your Hoya bloom is gorgeous! I can smell the beautiful fragrance in Wisconsin.
Mary have you seen or ever had a Hoya plant with the heart shaped leaves? I had one but it never bloomed or got any new shoots then one day just died. Have never found another one like it. It’s in Southern California where we are having rain. Was close to 90 a week or so ago. Crazy weather here.
Linda Schaefer from CA – yes! I have one! The blooms are not nearly so beautiful as the pink ones but the heart shaped leaves are so firm – it’s very healthy. I wonder if I could mail you a piece in the spring – I’d be happy to do that if you’ll remind me. I wouldn’t want to send it much before mid May because of the temperature. I’ll take a picture and post on the blog for you.
That would be wonderful. Would a padded envelope work? If so I’ll send with postage and self addressed. Hugs!❤️
Linda Schaefer- yes, that would work but wait till it’s warmer! And then remind me what I’m going to send you – I know that sounds stupid but I answer sooooo many emails!
Not a problem! Will send end of April with a note attached!
Thanks so much!
What is the name of the pattern for the red and green quilt? Would love to add it to my list too😊
Temecula Quilt Co. offered the pattern for free on the December 25, 2021 blog post. What a great gift!
Love the pot holders. Talk about clever. Having everyone post their quilt projects sure makes this interesting. Thank you all.
Love reading you posts. What kind of hoya is the one blooming with a big pink cluster, It is beautiful. I have a small one that gets white with pink centers. What kind of potting soil do you use for hoya and do you use fertilizer?
Jayne – well, I don’t use anything special – just indoor plant potting soil and no, I rarely use fertilizer. I do not know why they do so well for me – I water them like succulents and cactus – not much.
Am I the only one who doesn’t like to stick pins in pincushions that look like animals? I made a couple of really cute ‘turtle’ pincushions, but I can’t actually stick pins in them because it makes me feel bad, so they’re just on display in my sewing room (without pins, of course, LOL)!
Candy – I agree! I can’t do it!