Chicken in the Sewing Room

On my last entry, I had a Bunny in the Kitchen, now, I've got a Chicken in the Sewing Room! Well, technically, not anymore...this little hen has taken up residence in a new coop...one owned by a good friend of mine, Crystal. She spent many days a few months ago, driving over to our farm while we were out of town to feed the animals and just do a general check up of the place...including giving our "babies" in the nursery at Ever Green Farm their daily dose of water! She was a lifesaver in that regard. So, the least I could do was make her a purse! Since she is also a wonderful Egg Lady for me, (her hens lay the most delicious eggs in TN! In my humble opinion...)I just had to do something with a chicken theme. It took me the longest time to find the right hen to live on her purse..but, after a thorough search of Google Images, I finally found one to suit me. I copied it and made an applique for the pocket, sitting her up on a little nest made from homespun. Crystal, I hope you like Harriet! (She's a friend of Beulah--eventhough they won't see each other much anymore) Harriet has gone out to explore the world!! Judging from the smile on her beak, she's pretty excited!

Maybe I need to get you a little closer...

Can you see the smile yet? How about now?

Here is a view of the back. I put some large buttons left over from a collection from Nancy Halvorsen's Star of Wonder quilt. Added a tiny red heart to the middle for color. The front has fabric covered buttons which really are a cinch to make.

Then I added ties to the side...

The beginning of the inspiration for the whole bag was this fabric I found on the Upper Cumberland Shop Hop a few weeks ago with chickens on it! I used it for the lining. Hope you can see it in this pic...It has roosters strutting and hens sitting all around the farmyard..yet it's colors are a great creamy neutral, not that gaudy red that so many chicken prints are made with. I used a combination of 3 different purse patterns taking what I liked from each pattern--but, the majority of the purse is really the Jelly Bag pattern from Ann Sutton's Bunny Hill Co.

Bunny in the Kitchen

I just finished making a fun and cheery addition to my kitchen. It's a log cabin quilt square featuring the cutest little bunny..I named her Beulah. She is nibbling on a yummy carrot that she plucked out of Mr. McBurmeister's garden! Last year sometime I purchased a CD with 30 different applique patterns of little Beulah's adorable brothers and sisters. Bunnies, bunnies, everywhere! It's called Grandma's Bunnies by Darcy Ashton. I can't wait to make some more of these sweet little critters. I just love them! They make me smile. Hope Beulah does the same for you!

We are fast approaching the end of March and I must say, this has been one busy month! I've had a really unusual zest for spring cleaning this year which is definitely NOT my norm. But, it does feel great to clean out those closets and make old things look new with a little sprucing up and a bit of creativity! My sewing room really got a new look. I realized today that just having it look neat and tidy contributes a lot to my creativity! Um-m-m...good thought-I wonder what will happen when it spreads to the kitchen??? I have been doing more cooking lately,too, come to think of it...Gosh, sunny days and warm breezes add a lot to one's life! I know that dh is enjoying the rewards of all this creativity,too! Mostly in the waistline!

I'll offer you a glimpse of some papercrafting that I did this past week with a promise of more to come soon. I got these lovely Amy Butler papers on sale a few weeks ago at Hobby Lobby. I love the subtle seaglass blues with the cocoa browns. It is just a yummy combination.

Had to add a little pink here...it IS spring now, you know!What do you think about those buttons? This was a birthday card for our pastor and great friend Roy. I wanted to make it look more masculine which is why I added the brown buttons. I think this one is my favorite. I love those flowers! And that little baby butterfly. Bet she loves the flowers, too!

In Like a Lion...

Here we are on the third day of March and it feels like the middle of January. But, as I recall from my childhood days, probably around third grade somewhere, my teacher spoke of the seasons and taught me the adage, "March comes in like a lion, but goes out like a lamb." And it always seems to hold true. We know that spring is on the way, warmer days are just around the corner...and WE CAN'T WAIT ! We always long for the changing of the seasons...to spy that first blooming daffodil, the cheery little robin hopping across the lawn in search of that tasty morsel of worm, the beginning of buds appearing, and my favorite of all, that lovely lime green cast that the trees carry on their boughs as we gaze across the Tennessee hills and valleys...yes, I just can't wait to see it once again. We love you, Spring!
And with spring, comes the beginning of new life in the nursery. EverGreen Farm will soon have pots of lovely blossoms, like those in the picture above from years past, and eager customers coming down the lane looking for just the right combination of flowers and greenery for their decks and landscapes. My dear Lamar has been getting several calls already from people wanting to purchase blueberry bushes and grapevines for their garden plots. I have a feeling that people are going to be purchasing more edible plants this year than before because of the unstable economy. Dollars may be going to go for the practical this year rather than the posh. Whichever it is, he wants to be ready with good quality plants for his great customers! You can be sure there will be lots of varieties of tomatoes and peppers, too. Gotta have the goods for makin' salsa, ya know!!

I love Sundays!

Aren't Sundays wonderful? I love getting up a bit later in the morning, then getting myself "spruced" up to go to my church where all my Christian family meets and comes together to worship the Lord, pray to Him, and thank Him for providing all our needs. Having fellowship with like-minded friends who love one another in the Lord...what a privilege! Then leaving church and coming home to spend the day relaxing all afternoon! God is so wise to provide us a sabbath. Our minds and bodies really need a day of rest...

I mentioned a few days ago that I would post a picture of my handmade Valentine for my Honey...I had such fun making it, thinking of him and all the wonderful years we've spent together (it was 27 years that we've been married this past Christmas! How time flies...), and I just love him more and more everyday. I know I'm very much an amateur when it comes to this new cardmaking and stamping stuff, but he didn't notice all my "goofs"--he just knew that it was the thought that counts...and he loved it! What a guy!

Another Week Gone By

I had a great week with a few days spent with my grandkids. On Wednesday afternoon I pulled out my basket of stamps and colorful papers and I helped them make special birthday cards for their daddy. We had such fun and so did they. It's amazing how creative their little minds can be! My only regret is that I didn't take any pictures...:(

They spent quite a long time (especially the girls) working to make their cards just right. I only hope their daddy appreciated all our efforts!!

This afternoon I finished a long awaited for Train Quilt for my little grandson, John. He turned 5 on Valentine's Day and this grandma had promised him a quilt for "quite" a long time. I am so thankful that I finally got it done! Now it just needs to go to the quilt shop to be quilted. I'll be taking it down to Spring Creek tomorrow. It has little train engines in the small squares in the middle of the blocks. The picture below this one is the back of it.

This is just a mishmash of odds and ends...but it IS just the back ya know!

Can't wait to get down to Spring Creek though. I need to find some neutral fabrics (blacks, tans, and creams) to start working on a quilt for my daughter-in-law who lives in North Carolina. I think I'm going to make her a Carpenter Star. It is one of my favorite patterns. This is one that I have hanging in my dining room. I made this about a year ago. It was really a fun class that I took at Spring Creek with my sister Sandy.

You can see the fabrics a little better in this pic. It really is an easy quilt to make, though I think it looks hard....surprise! It's not!

The-Day-After-Valentine's-Day-Return-to-the-Blog!

I recently was talking to my sister on the phone and she casually mentioned she had visited my blog...and, all of a sudden, I remembered that, once upon a time, I had one! Honestly, having a busy life and then being bitten by the Facebook bug, I just plum forgot about my Quaint & Cozy Cottage! Guess I better get out the mop and bucket to shine these floors, the broom to clean out the cobwebs and dust off the shelves and get back in the groove again!

I have been rather busy lately doing my favorite thing ...crafting activities like sewing for my friends and family. Made several Christmas stockings ...for the grands (like the ones above), some totes,

for my daughter and friends, and most recently, attended a papercrafting workshop. Now I'm all excited about making my own cards. It's so much fun and there are no rules-the sky's the limit. I made a few birthday cards last week , some Valentine treat boxes,and yesterday made a Valentine for my honey. (I'll post a pic of that later) It really is easy once I learned a few tricks. There are tons of helps on the web, too. Thanks all you 'stamp-a-holics' for your adorable ideas. I just love finding stampers' websites. They are all so ingenius! And so willing to share their cute ideas. It just makes one feel so cheery inside making something for someone else...looking forward to that expression on their face when you hand them a gift. It is a priceless feeling.