Time to "Paws"

Time to "Paws" and give thanks for a quiet Sunday and a rare Monday off.

Here's to a WONDERFUL week for all!

Lynn - the Thimblemouse >"<

Missing: Our Minds

 Friday on the way to work we dropped off our 'quilt shop dog - Maggie' at the groomers  

In her younger days, she 'modeled' - lol

Arrived at work ~ "Spouse" gets out of the car ~ opens the shop ~ and I think to myself - hmmmm....wonder why Bob (the/my 'Spouse') didn't let Maggie out of the car. I open the back door - no Maggie....what? OH! Right! We dropped her at the groomers (all of 5 minutes earlier - I should have seen this as a sign).  Half hour later - Bob is leaving for the DMV to renew his licence and now he's lost his keys. He ALWAYS knows where his keys are. We search....and search.....and search some more. 20 minutes later....the lost is found in a place he NEVER puts them. 

I visit with 3 wonderful ladies who have stopped in for a fabric fix while Bob is gone. They shop - we talk - they shop  - we laugh - they gather their goodies - we laugh a little more and then they leave.  Bob returns. Next in-our dear friend - we call her "Aunt Annie". Maggie LOVES her Aunt Annie because Aunt Annie = cheese and treats and hugs and sleep overs with cousins Sandy and Atticus. 

Aunt Annie = major SPOIL time.

Aunt Annie is in the shop for awhile - and after a bit she asks "Where's Maggie?" She ALWAYS comes running when she hears her Aunties voice. I think "how odd" - and we start to look. Not in the classroom -not by the fabrics (batiks are her favorite) -  not in her crate by  Bobs' longarm.....strange.....not in her little hidey spot behind a lattice partition....she is NOT in the shop!

***PANIC SETS IN***

I had just come back inside from behind the shop when Aunt Annie arrived - "Did you leave her outside?"  Bob asks - "Of course not" I say - but out the back door Aunt Annie runs...out the front door runs Bob.... back in the front door comes Bob and says...."It's okay"..... but I still don't see Maggie and I wonder HOW can it be OK? And then he says...."Remember? We left her at the GROOMERS?"  Oh My Gosh.....I can't believe that we BOTH forgot! What kind of parents are we?

Maggie has been our shop 'greeter' since she was 8 wks old....

....she is now almost 11! How could we forget? (btw - we finally DID remember to look for Aunt Annie outside and call her back into the shop). 

I was so happy and relieved when Maggie came back from her "spa morning" all clean and soft and manicured  - I had to make her a new cover for her collar.

 We got some fabulous fabric in today from "Kanvas" - a new division of Benartex ....and the wavy bright stripes just said "Maggie" to me. This little scrunchie collar cover is a snap to make! 

1) Cut a strip of fabric (on the width - 44"/45") - leave the selvages on. How wide is the strip? Measure AROUND the fattest piece of hardware on your collar - add 3/4"-1" to that and cut your strip that size. (Maggie's was about 2" around the buckle so I cut a strip 2-3/4" wide).

2) Fold strip Right Sides Together lengthwise and machine stitch a skimpy 1/4" seam all away across the 44" width to make a tube. Be sure to back stitch at the beginning and end.

3) Turn Right Side Out - a big ole safety pin really helps with the turning!

4) Slip tube over the collar - scrunching it up to fit - folding the selvage ends IN (you can roll and top stitch the ends before you make the tube -  I've done it both ways, Maggie's not particular).

Here's our girl....she is NOT a camera hound....no matter how I plead or bribe...she will not look at the camera.

But ah-Ha! I fooled her!

I had planned to take step by step pictures as I made her scrunchie - but you guessed it, I Forgot!

Thanks for stopping by ~ see you again soon ~ I hope I remember the way back here :)

Lynn...The Thimblemouse >"<

Color Challenge Update

Every Wednesday at "15 Minutes Play" a new color is announced - this is week 3 - which means I should have at least two blocks finished. Well guess what? I have THREE! I'm so excited to actually be keeping up with this oh so fun weekly challenge. 

Last week was OCHRE. 

As my friend Gail always says ~  if you're galloping on your horse as you ride by your block from 25 feet away and you don't see your Oopsie ~  then you don't have to fix it. I didn't - fix it. It's there. But I'll just call this my humble pie block. We all must eat some humble pie now and then to keep us...well...humble.

This morning's color was announced - aaaaahhhhh...AVOCADO.

Here's my block

I really like it. Rather than repeat myself about HOW I chose the fabrics - just click HERE and take a trip to  15 Minutes Play, because after working with aaaaaahhhhh Avocado all day - I've suddenly got a yearning to make some guacamole

Thanks for stopping by - see you in a few days

Lynn aka The Thimblemouse >"<

Take Me to Margaritaville

Guess what came in the mail this week? Dontcha just LOVE the shades? They were in my little surprise package as  part of my winnings from wonderful give away from the Amy Bradley Designs blog.

Pretty cool, huh? I'm ready the next time Jimmy Buffet hits Florida, baby! 

And lookie look...a new project to start! "Bountiful Beauties"...whoo hoo! 

Let the fun begin! Thank You Amy Bradley Designs!

My "Mews"

Thought I'd surprise ya'll with a new post - but have tried for the last hour to gain access to my lap top and as you can see...not gonna happen. 

This is Mia ~ no matter where I move her ... she comes back ... and settles here. You'd think I'd have more control .... what can I say? I'm just a softie when it comes to my "mews"

Next time ... I'll try the closet ... nobody ever finds me there ... yet.

Lynn - >"<

"The Challenge"

Hi Friends,

For those who believe in the Easter Bunny, I HOPe  you had a wonderful Easter ~ mr.bunny brought us 2 raspberry cream eggs (how did he know they're my absolute FAVorite?) - but I loooove anticipation - so I'm keeping them chilled, just waiting for the right time to nibble and of course, I have to share one with the 'spouse'.

Meanwhile, I thought I'd be back here a lot sooner - yikes, it's been over a week! I'd planned to tell you a little about the Thimblemouse & Spouse - but that can wait, because I'm soooo excited - and here is why.

Remember I said, I'm pretty new in Blogland...but of course, I've been 'lurking' - eating up the goodies I see - planning to try some ideas, join in some challenges...getting SOMETHING done...and guess what? I finally did it!

I am in love with the blog, "15 minutes play" (a creation of BumbleBeans Inc., aka, Victoria Findlay Wolfe). Victoria recently posted a color challenge - each week she throws out a color - and we make a block. The first color was......"Mauve" - (moment of silence) - and I know what you're thinking but NO, we can NOT throw the color 'back'! Remember, that's why it's called 'a challenge'.

So I hunted and pecked and found a 'vintage' piece of oh so lovely "mauve" - and added a little bit of fun....

.....then I "made" some fabric - Victoria shows you how in a wonderful tutorial

.....then we do what quilters do best...cut up what we've sewn up....

....and put it all together in a block!

Now I had a few bits left over...what to do...what to do....

....do what quilters do second best...make another block of course. I love wonky and found another great little tutorial for this wonky star block, from The Silly BooDilly (omgosh, dontcha just love that name?) by Victoria Gertenbach 

Isn't it amazing, not only have I accomplished step one of a challenge - I've made new quilting friends as well! Please be sure to visit the "Victoria's" soon - they've got some exciting things to show you!

Until next time...thanks for visiting, and I promise, not to stay away so long 

Lynn - the Thimblemouse  >"<

I'm such a "newbie"

Welcome to my blog - or at least what will be my blog if ever I can learn 'how to blog'. Give me fabric and I can whip you up a quilt, a doll, a cute little diddy. But this whole blog 'thing' ~ as you can tell, I'm a little bit lost.

My awesome friend, Darlene from "Three D Style" recently gave up some of her precious spring break time to help me get started. She showed me how to get a background, add a title, add some links on the side, how to maneuver around...which was great, as long as she was there...with me...holding my hand....but once left on my own, it seems I've forgotten the 'lessons.'

Don't give up on me though, I'm sure I'll get the hang of things....hmmm, wonder when Darlene will have another vacation day to spend with me. Meanwhile I think I'll go back to my sewing room. I KNOW what to do when I'm in there :)

But before I go, let's see if I can add a little something to look at. I'd hate to think you came all this way, and only found "words" - we all love pretty pictures, right? So here's a little diddy I made for my 92yr old mom this week - inspired by this free tutorial from Craftideas.info  . There's still time for you to make one up for Easter if you hop to it now.

(I'm holding my breath with fingers & toes crossed, hoping you see a pic, and that all the links work - if they do, just "maybe" I'll be a blogger yet!)

Lynn aka The Thimblemouse