A wonderful yard-sale find.....

Isn't that a lovely hand-embroidered towel? (Should be able to click and enlarge it.) I got it from a church friend at a yard sale today. I felt like I wanted to buy something from her and this was so pretty. There was no price on it, but since I wanted to support her sale, I decided to buy it...no matter what she charged me. I was totally shocked when I went up to her and she said "25 cents". I'd have paid a lot more than that for it had she asked. She actually had a few more done in other designs....but I don't know if she was hoping for more money for them.....so I didn't want to go back and ask for them, too. She is in the bell choir with me. I might email her this week and ask her if she'd sell me any she had left over from the yard sale today (if any). Be sure to click on the photo so you can see the work in greater detail. I can assure you, the needle-turn applique is outstanding on this piece...and the stitched flowers are wonderful, too. I'm thrilled with it....and I consider it another "rescue" as somebody took a LONG time to make this piece so nicely and I'd hate for it to have fallen into unappreciative hands!

Mail call....

When I got home from my trip to NJ, there was a package waiting for me. A blogger buddy (Julie from Texas.....click HERE for her blog) had a giveaway a week or two back. She was giving away items she either had already used and wouldn't use again or just realized she'd not ever use. She wanted them to go to homes that would use them. She let her regular followers comment on which ones they wanted...and the first to speak up for certain items would get them. (She was the inspiration for me to start to purge my collection of books and patterns.) Anyway....I was lucky enough to get two of her items....a book with 12 different table runner patterns and a block kit (complete with all the fabric needed for it). These two prizes are pictured below. Thanks, Julie!

I'm back.......

I'm back from my trip to NJ (where we lived for most of our lives). We had a really nice time. I'll be mentioning bits and pieces of my trip in various posts over the next week, I'm sure.

The first photo below is me with my good friend, Rhea, (who we visited when we were there). She is on the left and I'm the one wearing glasses. I've known her for about 25 years now and even though we no longer see each other very often (due to distance), we have a very relaxed, nice time whenever we are together. An added treat this time was the fact that her granddaughter (on summer break from college) was there, too, and we had a nice time seeing her, also. The second photo shows a large tin of buttons Rhea gave me. Her kids were telling her to throw them out....and she didn't really want to do that. SO....she is happy they are going to me...who will truly appreciate them. They belonged to her mother and.....as close as she can figure.....the oldest of the buttons might be from the 1920's - 1930's. I'll be adding these to the buttons I got at a yard sale (and showed here the other day). I'll now be on the hunt for nice jars in which to display them. Thank you, Rhea, for a really nice time the past few days AND for the buttons!!!

LAST day of a four-day giveaway -

NOTE ADDED from on vacation: I have looked briefly at my blog comments from the past 3 days and see a FEW who have no way for me to contact them. SO...if you comment and your name is drawn to win a prize, you need to make sure I can contact you. If not and your name is drawn, I will have to choose someone else! Today is the last of 4 days of giveaways to celebrate my 200th post (which occurred a couple of weeks ago...shame on me for NOT noticing). I will be home from my little trip to NJ later today (Thursday) and will look over the postings and assign a # to each entry. The numbers will be drawn on Monday, June 8, with a random generator.....so there are a few more days for people to enter. By now, you know that I am giving away a book or pattern...one per day between June 1 and today (June 4). All you have to do is leave a comment on any post that contains a prize you would like to win. These prizes are all from MY collection of books and patterns. I have come to realize I will never be able to use all of them. A blogging friend was purging her collection and I realized that is a great thing to do...offer what I won't use to someone who would enjoy having it and would, hopefully, use it....much better than these things sitting idle and unused on my shelves, right?

You know the drill.....this is NOT to be announced on your blog.....I like my giveaways to be for those who read my blog on their own without being encouraged to come here just because there is a giveaway. All I ask is....IF the item is something that isn't your "cup of tea" and would most likely NOT be used by you, don't enter for that prize...leave it for someone who would really like it. Okay?

Blogger has been bad about photos lately......so the photos above may or may not appear in a logical order. Pictured above is the front and back cover of Leisure Arts' Patchwork for All Seasons (click to enlarge photos)...containing 15 projects for different times of the year. Comment below IF you'd like a chance to win this book. Remember...winners will be drawn on June 8. I will be home later today and look forward to seeing who is interested in the prizes. Good luck to all who have entered!

Day # 3 of a four-day giveaway -

To celebrate my 200th post (which occurred a couple of weeks ago...shame on me for NOT noticing), we are in Day # 3 of a four-day giveaway. I will NOT draw any winners until Monday, June 8. All you have to do is leave a comment on any post that contains a prize you would like to win. These prizes are all from MY collection of books and patterns. I have come to realize I will never be able to use all of them. A blogging friend was purging her collection and I realized that is a great thing to do...offer what I won't use to someone who would enjoy having it and would, hopefully, use it....much better than these things sitting idle and unused on my shelves, right?

You know the drill.....this is NOT to be announced on your blog.....I like my giveaways to be for those who read my blog on their own without being encouraged to come here just because there is a giveaway. All I ask is....IF the item is something that isn't your "cup of tea" and would most likely NOT be used by you, don't enter for that prize...leave it for someone who would really like it. Okay?

Blogger has been bad about photos lately......so the photos above may or may not appear in the order in which I am going to describe them. Click photos to enlarge. The theme here is baskets. There are two patterns as the prize for today. One is by Four Corners and is called Baskets of Plaid. The second pattern is from Country Threads and is called Parfait #516. Comment below IF you'd like a chance to win this book. Remember...winners will be drawn on June 8. I will be out-of-town this week and not likely to reply to any comments and won't even be able to visit many blogs....so don't think I deserted you!!! I'll be back late in the day tomorrow (Thursday).

Day # 2 of a four-day giveaway --

To celebrate my 200th post (which occurred a couple of weeks ago...shame on me for NOT noticing), I began a four-day giveaway yesterday on this blog. I am going to give away a book or pattern each day through this Thursday, June 4. I will NOT draw any winners until Monday, June 8. All you have to do is leave a comment on any post that contains a prize you would like to win.(I am safely at my destination in NJ and peeked at who commented yesterday....thanks to those who are interested and thanks to those who also came to say hello and were honest to admit they'd not use that book and asked that I not enter them.....I respect that honesty and it is refreshing to know my blogger buddies can level with me.) These prizes are all from MY collection of books and patterns. I have come to realize I will never be able to use all of them. A blogging friend was purging her collection and I realized that is a great thing to do...offer what I won't use to someone who would enjoy having it and would, hopefully, use it....much better than these things sitting idle and unused on my shelves, right?

You know the drill.....this is NOT to be announced on your blog.....I like my giveaways to be for those who read my blog on their own without being encouraged to come here just because there is a giveaway. All I ask is....IF the item is something that isn't your "cup of tea" and would most likely NOT be used by you, don't enter for that prize...leave it for someone who would really like it. Okay?

Blogger has been bad about photos lately......so the photos above may or may not appear in a logical order. Today's prize is a book called "Better Homes and Gardens Easy-Does-It Quilts". The contents page wasn't very enlightening, so I'll just tell you that this book contains photos and instructions for 11 quilts. The front and back covers of the book are pictured above. Comment below IF you'd like a chance to win this book. Remember...winners will be drawn on June 8. I will be out-of-town this week and not likely to reply to any comments and I am not able to visit many blogs, if ANY (due to computer time constraints)....so don't think I deserted you!!! I'll be back late in the day on Thursday.

Day # 1 of a four-day giveaway......

To celebrate my 200th post (which occurred a couple of weeks ago...shame on me for NOT noticing), I am going to give away a book or pattern each day between now (Monday, June 1)and Thursday, June 4. I will NOT draw any winners until Monday, June 8. All you have to do is leave a comment on any post that contains a prize you would like to win. These prizes are all from MY collection of books and patterns. I have come to realize I will never be able to use all of them. A blogging friend was purging her collection and I realized that is a great thing to do...offer what I won't use to someone who would enjoy having it and would, hopefully, use it....much better than these things sitting idle and unused on my shelves, right?

You know the drill.....this is NOT to be announced on your blog.....I like my giveaways to be for those who read my blog on their own without being encouraged to come here just because there is a giveaway. All I ask is....IF the item is something that isn't your "cup of tea" and would most likely NOT be used by you, don't enter for that prize...leave it for someone who would really like it. Okay?

Blogger has been bad about photos lately......so the photos above may or may not appear in a logical order. That is the first prize....a book called "Grandma's Quilting Bee". It is by Oxmoor House. The front and back covers are pictured here as well as the table of contents' page. You should be able to click on all photos to see them enlarged. There are paper patterns for all the templates needed for these very classic and well-loved quilt patterns. Comment below IF you'd like a chance to win this book. Remember...winners will be drawn on June 8. I will be out-of-town this week and not likely to reply to any comments and won't even be able to visit many blogs....so don't think I deserted you!!! I'll be back late in the day on Thursday.