Many months have passed and it's taken me being stuck on a long airplane flight to update my blog. Why won't I make the time to do this? Then when I do, it's a monumental task. And now I'm trying to do this while flying the friendly skies with Charlie. It's a mini vacation to a reunion of the 17th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The "Hooter" Rejoin (patch was a snowy owl) is in Colorado Springs….new territory for me. I'm excited to see my first Air Force family – most whom I have not seen in 30 years.

Projects I've completed over the past months….

Strawberry pincushion, pattern by Cardiff Farms

Hooked Bee skep, pattern by Be Kreative (on etsy)

Pineapple Wool Mat by Cardiff Farm

Magic of Christmas – This is the quilt top that I completed following Lisa Bongean's blog. I understand she is putting these patterns together into a book. Her quilt shop is Primitive Gatherings. The setting I used has a wide border and I am planning to appliqué a red vine with holly leaves and berries…so not technically a completion. 25 6 inch blocks and some of them tried my patience. Lisa advises starching fabrics before cutting the pieces and I'm a believer!

Emily's Sampler Rug – to welcome the newest member of the Martin family.

Crazy Basket Mat and Crazy Pineapple Mat by Buttermilk Basin

Basketcase Quilt – I started this quilt early this year to commemorate the retirement of my sister-in-law from the public school system. The pattern name is Basketcase and I thought it was a fitting title for 30 years of students.

Jeanne's Lucky Stars – very special quilt to me personally.

"A woman wishing not to be forgotten signs her name to cloth."

I recently finished this quilt that will always have a special place in my heart. Years ago my mother, Jeanne Martin (Ivy Hill Farm), passed on to me a quilt top, scrap squares of fabric, sewn by my grandmother, Pauline Shuff Brown, on her Singer treadle sewing machine. Alas, I'm not a quick thinker, but eventually I get an idea. I decided to use the scrappy squares as the quilt back and make a quilt top out of reproduction 1930's fabrics since my mother was born during that timeframe. Unfortunately I never finished the quilt before Mom passed away (refer back to the I'm not quick comment). But recently I put the final stitches on it. "Jeanne's Lucky Stars," but really I'm the lucky one with great loving memories of them.

Floral Footstool #2… and now there are two!! Stool legs for number 2 coming soon! A Cindi Gay design

Williamsburg Welcome – This is my workshop project with Norma Batastini. She comes to our hooking group every summer. I had a variety of original designs I wanted her advice on so I selected this "easy" pattern to work on….little did we know it was anything but easy. Who knew hooking apples would be so difficult? My original designs took a back seat this year but the will return next summer when Norma returns. I dyed many of the wools in this project.

That's enough to digest at one time and it's time to move on to the next flight. There's more to share but until next time or next year?