Glad to be back

We had a great time in Florida, to return to additional storm damage from heavy winds that struck while we were gone. We had several more large hickory trees knocked down this time and more property damage. One last large Cedar tree's top was twisted and snapped out this week when the huge storms rolled through. We are still grateful to have no loss of life - but after being hit and damaged by THREE storms, I am a little weary of weather now. I am tired of seeing the damage each day when we go outside of our home - the insurance adjuster FINALLY showed up on Friday of last week, so we were able to begin the cleanup on Easter Sunday. Okay, enough whining.........

On the better side of life - my quilting studio is finished....at least enough for me to be in it and sew again! I have not sewn any for almost a month - that makes for a depressing life too. I must say that unpacking and touching all of my fabric stash was GREAT therapy!

Today I finished the Playful Pinwheel mug rug, and I have to tell you about a problem with the pattern, which has been fixed. Here is the mug rug I made using the pattern I published for you originally:

Here is the way it was supposed to look:

One of my readers originally reported a problem with the pattern to me a couple of weeks ago, but because I couldn't get to my sewing machine, I was unable to test things out. Once I got two quadrants completed, it was easy to see there was a problem with the pattern - I realized I only included the templates/pattern for one quadrant, and I needed to include two. The reader told me that the four corners didn't fit together right, but I thought that flipping the pattern over for two of the quadrants would resolve the issue. Obviously, my brain wasn't wrapping around the pattern fully.

Anyway, I have updated the pattern to include two quadrants. One where the "swish" comes from the short side of the rectangle and the other where the "swish" comes from the long side of the rectangle. If you have already tried to make this mug rug - I am very sorry for the error...if you haven't tried it yet, it really is a cute pattern, and great curved piecing practice. I took lots of photos when I made mine as I plan to do a tutorial on it in the near future. Here is the back side, which shows the quilting:

If you have made one, please send me photos, I would love to see what you did with the pattern!

I plan to get back to the Mug Rug Monday patterns in another week - I need a little more time to settle into my new studio and I want to get some sewing done!

Until then,
Michele Hester

Gone to the beach!

The tornado damage is all still exactly as it was two weeks ago - no insurance adjuster has visited us yet.....looking at the damage daily is a little depressing, so what's a girl to do but go to the beach!

A few views from our balcony:

Please forgive me for missing a week or two on Mug Rug Monday, I will be back soon refreshed and sunburned!

The Harsher Side of Spring

Remember the Spring photos of my dogwoods just a few days ago? Well, many of those trees are now on the ground. Our home and property were hit by a tornado last night. While we sustained significant property damage, all family and animals are unharmed. Here are some of the photos:

 

 

My son and daughter, along with Chelsea and her nine puppies – riding out the storm in the basement.

 

 

 

 

Skeet (who was outside during the worst part of it), wants to know if it is safe to come out of the bathtub yet.

 

 

 

 

Parts of our barn roof scattered over 25 acres.

 

 

 

 

 

There are four root systems above ground here – and that doesn’t count the hickory lying in the foreground.

 

 

 

 

These roots are from the above hickory tree. When I stand next to this root system, I cannot reach the top – they are at least 7 feet high.

 

 

 

 

This dog kennel tumbled about 100 feet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The children’s play set (most of it anyway) was thrown about 100 feet.

 

 

 

 

 

What is left of our 18 by 48-foot pole barn lying on top of the other two dog kennels.

 

 

 

 

Another view of what is left of pole barn and another barn.

 

 

 

 

Small amount of noticeable roof damage on left front side.

 

 

 

 

Dad, hubby and son, standing under branches of one of the trees atop the barns.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A view from the backside of the barns.

 

 

 

 

A couple of perspective pictures. Compare to the size of the house which is 100 foot long.

 

 

 

 

 

Perspective – my mom standing to the right beside one of the fallen trees. Notice the van which is close to the top of the trees.

 

 

 

THE HAPPY ENDING -

We are all safe, all 4 humans, 2 dogs, 9 puppies, 3 cats, 4 chickens and a partridge (no longer in a pear tree) …..everything damaged can be replaced and we have insurance. Even a fallen tree is a thing to enjoy!

Let the cleanup begin!

Michele Hester

Mug Rug Monday - Walking on Sunshine

For those of us who are FINALLY experiencing Spring, it is truly a celebration. For those of you who still can't see the ground through the snow and ice, it will be here soon......Today's mug rug is a celebration of Spring.

CLICK HERE FOR PATTERN

One of my inspirations on this design is the work of MamaCJT....her blog is one of my favorites. I love her whimsical designs and her great attitude. For this mug rug, I plan to use her raw edge applique technique.

Don't forget there are several free patterns here on my blog - be sure to check them out by clicking on Free Patterns at the top of this page. Enjoy!

Michele

Blooming photos....

I am so happy that spring is here! A couple of days ago I walked around my yard and took some blooming photos for you. Enjoy!

This tulip has been surviving for years - but this is the first I have seen it bloom. The tomato cage is to protect it from dogs/children and husbands.

Some would consider these as weeds, but when the winter has been as harsh as this year - I welcome any flower!

I have hundreds of grape hyacinths growing all over my yard.

This is another one that I was told was a weed, but I like it!

Buttercups are another abundance in our yard, and they are a SURE sign of spring.

Soon it will be difficult to see much of our land, because the dogwoods are so thick and beautiful.

The Camellia bloomed late this year - I was worried they weren't going to grace us with their presence.

Red Buds - home of chiggers in the summer, but in the Spring they are a welcome sight.

For those of you still buried in snow, or coming into Fall, remember - Spring will come again.

Michele Hester