Bonnie's Mystery Part I Finished

Here is a picture of my 192 3-1/2 inch 4 patch blocks for the first step of the mystery.  This was a fun and easy step.....I'm hoping all of them are the same way  :) 
My grey is a little lighter than the suggested by Bonnie but I was limited in my selection at my local shop and I didn't want to order online for fear the grey would not be what I wanted to use.  I do like it though and I KNOW it's going to look perfect in this project.  This picture is from my cell phone so the coloring is a little off.

I was accused by one of my BFF's Laura No Blog yesterday of having help catching up to her and the others in our group.  She thought that my little friend Pedro the Preying Mantis (see previous post) helped do some cutting and sewing since I was able to catch up after a day out of state....She then thought that my daughter's puppy Luna may have even helped....REALLY Laura?  Luna would have preferred EATING the rotary cutter to cutting with it.....

Little does Laura No Blog know, but I have a sweat shop going in my basement and we have a team of praying mantis's down there pressing fabric, cutting strips and doing some sewing for me when I'm too tired after a hard day at work  :)

Easy Street-Part 1

     I have been waiting it feels like MONTHS for Easy Street to start and don't you know, the day it starts I'm in my car heading to Maryland for the day!  Luckily for me it was just for a haircut and color and lunch with my favorite hairstylist, then home by dinnertime.  We ordered some chinese and off to my sewing room to start cutting 2 inch strips.  I really love the variety of black on white fabrics I had in my stash, and I even picked up about 5-6 small pieces in the last week or two, just to add some variety. 

I cut and then sewed strips and even got them pressed and subcut, and in true "Peggy Fashion" I made my first 10 4 patch blocks so I could see how they looked  :)    Just an FYI, I tried Bonnie's twist turn for pressing the 4 patches flat and what a HUGE difference in how nicely they lay....check out her part 1 instructions for the link to those directions....

     I have a "family to be" baby shower today at 3:00....my daughter's future sister in law, so I'll try and slip an hour at the machine before I leave and then when I get home later.  I'd love to get all the 4 patches made tonight and then focus on other things tomorrow, but we will see.....

GOBBLE GOBBLE

Happy Thanksgiving....

Taking a walk down Easy Street

As previously posted, I am participating in Bonnie Hunter's mystery "Easy Street".  I took a picture today of the fabrics I am using and in true form, I'm doing the mystery in the exact colorway Bonnie suggested.
I figured that way, if she says "green" I won't grab orange, in case I changed it up a little.....
I had everything in my stash except for the "constant" fabric, which is a grey, and I did order some black on whites to add to what I have already, but they haven't come yet.  I think the mail being re-routed because of Hurricane Sandy is holding my new stuff up, but I have plenty as you will see, to start the mystery.

The first step is being posted Friday.  I will be away most of the day but I'll print it off and may even get to start it.  Saturday is a baby shower, so I won't get much done then either....but Sunday is MINE so I'll be sure to get to cutting.
I think the colorway is AWESOME and can't wait to get started!

Are you doing the mystery?  What colorway are you doing?

Peggy

Thanksgiving Eve

  We had a 1/2 day of school today, then hubby picked me up at 12 and took me to lunch, Surf Taco!  YUM  Now I'm home and I'm thinking I need to straighten up the house, maybe do a load or two of wash and then possibly sew.  I'm not having a lot of company tomorrow so it will be a nice quiet, low key kind of day.    I mentioned the other day that I'm thankful for mine and my family's health and good fortune throughout this month but I'd like to mention also that I have a couple of BFF's who I can almost consider "family".  I've laughed with them, I've cried with them, I've traveled with them and spent a lot of nice time sewing and shopping with them.  I don't get to see these girls often but when we do get together I feel like I've just seen them yesterday.....SISTERS is the word I'd use to describe them! 

   I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow.......GOBBLE GOBBLE!!!

Thankful

With Thanksgiving coming up and some friends doing a Thankful Daily post I decided that I should do one as well. 
I'm thankful for many things this year because as you all know, NJ was hit hard with Hurricane Sandy and a Noreaster.  I am minutes away from the large towns that you see on the news, Seaside Heights, Bricktown, Ortley Beach etc....but our little town lost a lot too.  I have co-workers that lost their homes and everything they own including their cars, we have kids in school that have nothing and are living with friends and family in other towns and when I see the devastation in my own town I have to be thankful for only having lost my power for 20 hours during the hurricane and 13 hours when the noreaster hit.  The principal of our school lost his car and power for 10 or 11 days.  He would come to school as if nothing happened and be smiling and understanding to the children and staff....yet, he'd run home to power up the generator so his elderly mother would have heat and lights during the day and then again at the end of the day.  Our school is doing food and clothing drives for the children, we have staff on hand  letting the kids talk it out and we are attempting to collect $$ and such for the staff that need to get back too some semblance of normal life.
So, you say I'm thankful ?  Yes, I have no loss of property or damage to my home, our health is good (yeah, yeah, I have a bum knee and bad shoulder but.....) we have our jobs and my kids all made it thru this with I think with a better understanding of "hard times".  My family is in the food industry and at one point the lobby of one of the stores was a hang out of sorts for people who needed to power up their cell phones etc.
The store provided tables and chairs in the foods to go area, coffee and donuts, lots of extension cords for powering up computers and phones and heaters were placed around to give warmth.  My kids had never seen this and came home with a gained introspect on what others go thru.
So, I know this is longwinded but I needed to put it out there that I am THANKFUL this year for many things.

Now, to move onto the holiday at hand, then our Christmas celebration and then once the New Year comes we'll have our daughter's wedding on April 27th.   THAT is going to be the highlight of 2013...I can't wait.  Jen and Tim are so perfect together and I can't wait for that celebration.  Here's a picture they had taken soon after the engagement. 

I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving....

What are you thankful for?

Peggy

Veterans Day

Today, like the other 364 days of the year I am thankful for all veterans that have served our country!

I've been blessed to have family members serve in almost all the branches of the military, one of my best friend's husband and son are both active Air Force members and I work with 2 men who are presently deployed for the Air National Guard.
Without these men AND women our country would not be what it is today.

Thank you!