A good bye

It seems to me that the blog craze is slowing down, many of the blogs I followed have gone away.  Family blogs that I checked weekly have been inactive for quite some time now. Even my blog has remained quiet, not by my choice but by a glitch on the posting.  I find I can no longer post photos and after trying all ways to  fix the problem I am unable to post.  Blogspot has not offered any help with this matter even after numerous requests for solutions.  So it is with sadden heart that Southern Style will no longer continue to post.  What is the use of posting when I can't show the beautiful photos that made this blog what it was.  If you are interested in seeing the lovely charity quilts that graced this blog you can visit my Pinterest page, my FaceBook page or Google The World of Charity Stitching Group.
Thank you dear readers for spending time in my little part of blog land, it was fun...



Nanbon

Another Lovely Lady

Another Lovely Lady is now finished...  My Cereal Dolly Mama is now finished.  I had to hurry her up a little as I knew I would be spending all day at the hospital waiting for hubby to wake up.  He had to have another heart cath done.  I finished this lady and framed up another one for my day yesterday.   All the nurses were asking about my Dolly's They thought she was cute. I told them all my Dolly's would one day be made into a quilt for my bed.   Also since I have some extra Dolly kits we decided that our charity group would be stitching up some for a quilt for a senior next year, how fun.

finally, dolly is done

I have been letting my Dolly Mama project fall to the wayside lately... So last month I pulled another kit out and started working on it... Well, with taking care of things around the house, quilting, sewing and then getting so sick my Dolly was put aside.  Now that I am pretty much recovered from my surgery I picked up Dolly and once again started stitching.  This one for some reason took me forever but she is done and has joined the growing group of Dolly Mamas that are hanging out in the sewing room, patiently waiting to be turned into a quilt.  I think I counted 6 more kits waiting to be stitched.  I will make this Quilt with all my Dolly Mamas, I will put it on my bed,  and I can't wait to see hubby's expression when I do... He thinks my lovely Dolly Mamas are so ugly.. and he dosen't really think I will make them into a quilt for our bed... HA  he should know me better by now....I am driven to finish this project...

October craziness

 

  It is that time of the year when the weather turns just a little bit cooler... Even here in Florida we get some of the Fall color, not from the trees showing their colors, but from other sources.  I bought three lovely Mum bushes which occupy the planters on my porch, rich burgundy, shades of orange and a lovely yellow add just the perfect Fall touch to the porch.  I use to decorate the front of the house for Halloween, or should I say the grand kids decorated, but not this year.  The kids are getting older and not into that anymore so instead I just add some Mums and maybe a pumpkin or two and be done. No more skeletons, ghosts, witches, skulls or spooky music, besides where we live there is very little activity on Trick or Treat night.  Guess the houses are just to far apart.. I will still have a cauldron full of treats just in case that princess or pirate, ghost or goblin rings the bell.  For my Halloween decorations I am just putting out the dogs... My Halloween dogs that is...

 

  I was at Cracker Barrel Restaurant a few months ago and they had these adorable dogs on sale.. I just had to get them.. bought a set for me and one for Melanie as she still decorates for the holidays.

 I really think the main reason I go to Cracker Barrel is to shop at the country store... or maybe not, might be the ham dinner... or the breakfast or maybe their corn bread... NO I really think it is the store... they have something for everyone there.... and the store is always changing according to the season... and their sales are fantastic... plus I love the shirts I get there, great quality...and who can not remember something in the nostalgic candies they have there, I love the Nesco wafers.

Love Frankenpoochie

Funny Doggy is ready

This was Mel's favorite, as she has a  dachshund

 

So for creativity this past month, well not to much got done as I was recuperating from my surgery and not allowed to lift, push or pull.  So when the doc gave me the go ahead of returning to my crafting this is what I did.

 

Pillows to match the quilt themes for WOCS

these will be delivered in December to a nursing home

 

 

I just love this top... the ladies stitched veggies, I had Veggie fabric and a lovely red checked fabric that reminded me of a table cloth.  Perfect for the Veggie quilt.. But then it needed just that special touch and I added two Chefs. They are Anita Goodesign embroidery designs and are just the touch this quilt needed..

 

I also made this Tiger quilt.  The designs are by AZ embroidery Barn and are just precious.

Tiger fabric frames the little guys, a jungle print is the sashing and Hunter Khaki frames the top, the back will be Wild cats.

 

I am now allowed to return to the quilting machine so my Lizzy has been loaded and my Mom's watercolor quilt has finally been quilted.  I just need a binding and it will be on the way to my son. The basket quilt is one of two quilts that my Mom and I made together,  I will post a photo when I get the binding on it. 

 

 

Puppies and kids

Last month some of the grand kids came for a visit and the first thing they headed for was the puppy play pen.  At the time we had two litters of puppies which were born two weeks apart. The grand kids love playing with the puppies and they each grabbed their favorite. Of course there is always the "Nana, can I please have a puppy" to which I reply that they have two dogs and their mommy and daddy think that is enough. For the most part just saying that is enough, but not this time.  This time our normally quiet and shy Becca let her feeling be know.  She wanted a puppy so bad and kept begging me to let her take one home. She had her favorite and even decided on a name.   I told her that her daddy didn't want another dog.  But she begged and begged. You could see the wheels turning as she tried her best to talk me into letting her take that puppy home.  But she left with out her new friend.  That weekend we stopped by her house and saw Phillip, he knew of Becca's wish and of course thanked us.  Guess Becca saw her dad as the bad guy who wouldn't say Yes.  But she was not finished in her venture.  Phillip said that she was in the house as we spoke and she was on the Internet looking up how to instructions... what subject you ask... Well, it was " how to talk you dad into letting you have a puppy"  Yep, she was a determined little girl.

We thought it was all over and that she had forgotten about the puppy, but a week later she came up with a plan.  She said we could keep the puppy at our house for her and she would come and visit him. 

 

the girls with puppies

Mo snatched up two

Em's picture perfect pose

getting puppy kisses from the little boy

Ally and her friend

Lizzy with her friend

 

 

and Becca and her favorite pup, that is the PLEASE NANA look. 

 

The whole time the kids were here the puppie played and were carried around, when the kids left the pups crashed. I think they slept the rest of the night.

Sept. update

Things here are busy as usual... been a hectic month so far..  Last month I put together some quilt tops for my charity group and family members but I haven't gotten a chance to quilt them.  Last month I again started having chest pains and just a general not feeling good at all type of month.  But things still had to continue around the house, and hubby just doesn't have it in him to be of help to me with house or yard  things.  So I was bad and put it off, just hoping it would all go away.  It didn't and I finally got to the point that I needed to have it all checked out.  So a visit was scheduled with my heart doctor or should I say his assistant.  We discussed various options and I opted to have a heart cath done.. as I knew something was terribly wrong.  Good thing that is the way I approached it all as on the 9th of Sept. the heart cath was done and there was another blockage.  A stent was inserted and new meds were prescribed.  After spending a trying day in the hospital I went home that night feeling so much better.. No more pain or dread.. I felt alive and refreshed.  I was put on restrictions  for 10 days and wasn't allowed to do much around the house and no yard work.  Hubby managed to get the mower out and cut the grass.. but I wish he would have let me pay someone to come in a do it as he shouldn't be out there in the heat trying to do that work.  I am still on restrictions with no pulling or pushing or lifting over 20 lbs.  But things need to get done and so I will take it easy and try to get some things done and see how it all works out.  I wish my son lived closer as then I wouldn't have to worry about any of this as he would be here taking care of things for me.  But he is in PA and we are in FL... so no help there.   I did ask Sean's girls if they could help their dad around the hospital the day of my procedure and his daughter Mel stepped up to the plate. She spent the night at the house and the next day she went with us. She looked after her dad while I was getting ready for the procedure.  Her husband also stopped by to see how I was before the procedure.. and later that day he picked Mel up and took her shopping and stopped by to see how I was doing after the test.  Mel's step daughter Nikki also stopped by as we waited for my scheduled time, she works at  the hospital in the pharmacy.

Yesterday I had my follow up appt. and things seems to be doing well.  I was told that there are small blockages in my heart and that I will need to be on a blood thinner the rest of my life. I just need to be aware of any issues I might have and take care of them in a timely manner and not wait like I did this time.  To many chances of having another heart attack and to many chances that it could take my life away.  

I can now get back to my quilting, sewing and crafts... I have numerous quilt tops ready to be quilted. I am also in the process of making some items for a online friend who owns a embroidery design site.  Her designs are fantastic and one day I hope to tell you more about her work and host a giveaway featuring her designs.  I made a baby quilt with her frog designs for her and I am now making a baby tiger baby quilt  for her sister in law and also a cameo and lady quilt for her mother. 

Now that I am using my Tin Lizzy all the time I listed and sold my Nellie Belle (Bailey 15" pro quilter) to a local lady. I had met them at a Anita Goodesign event and her mother knew I quilted and asked if I would be taking quilt projects for other people.  Well, she came with her daughter when she bought the machine and she brought a quilt she wants me to quilt for her.  I broke down and told her to leave it that I would quilt it for her.  I really wasn't thinking of doing quilts for others as I am always afraid that I will mess up their quilt.  But this lady was determined that she wanted me to quilt her special quilt.  I even mentioned that her daughter had just bought a quilting machine and she said no she wanted me to quilt her quilt.

So I guess that is about it for now.. I am off to the sewing room...  Hope you all have a great weekend. Oh and a special thanks to all of you who sent get well cards, I loved them all.  It was so nice that you thought of me and it made me feel really special to know you cared.


                                                        As for the puppies

The boys are still looking for a forever home

Bubba the adventurer  (Dk color)

Bailey the shy guy (beside Bubba)

and

Buddy the lover  (in front)

Then there is Skeeter, he was the runt of the litter, the one we didn't think would make it. He is the one we bottle fed, the one for weeks never gained a ounce.  He is now a healthy boy  just tiny and so spoiled.. Of course after spending all that time and effort to make sure this guy got a fighting chance, he has a home with us.

my Pets on Quilts entry

Voting is now open at Lilypadquilting web site.

We hope you like our pets on quilts and vote for us... we are entry Number 4  the one with puppies Beep and Bop..  /Voting is now closed, winners have been chosen... we didn't win, but the quilts that did were so cute... my all time fave was the Scotties decorating  the Christmas tree...  great job to all the Pets on Quilts quilters... I think they are all winners..after all they have the quilts and pets and what better prize..

 

 

 

Every year I entered the Pets on Quilts event when SewCalGal hosted  it, but last year the event was taken on my Lily Pad Quilting and somehow I missed getting a entry in on time, This year I had the date saved ..

 

There are many categories to enter in,

Cat on Quilt

Dog on Quilt

Other pet on Quilt

Pet-themed quilt

EQ designed quilt

Art quilt

I think I hit every category with my post..  all my quilts are designed on EQ 7 software, most are cut out using Accuquilt GO fabric cutter..

 so with out further ado here is my entry. 


I had to choose just one photo as my entry and this year it is Beep and Bop two of our puppies.. They are seen posing on Dad's quilt.. we call them the twins as they look so much alike.
After you see the two little ones, take a further look on this post to see the animal themed quilts that I make with my charity group WOCS and some of our other dogs on quilts..  At the bottom of this post you will find the link to visit the rest of the entries for the event..

The rest of the story

 

As many of my regular readers know I belong to a on line charity group called The World of Charity Stitching Group..  they come up with themes each month for ill children, seniors in nursing homes, abused women and children, and cancer patients.  Many times these themes are animal themes.. so here are just a few of my charity quilts both finished and delivered and some still in the works..

 

Here are some of my animal themed charity quilts

birds of prey

butterflies

cats

silly cows

dogs

down on the farm

farm 2

hens

long legged birds

French Country

Owls

Teddies

Teddy and ABC

Cats for Kids House on a quilt

under the sea

Tropical fish

Chickens by request

This is my 100th quilt for WOCS charity group

Silly Ladybugs.. Guess bugs can be pets..

 

 

My Family Quilts

 

As for my family quilts, well we raise Pomeranians and they think the family quilts are where the puppies and dogs should be..

try to take a picture of a quilt for my Mother in law and Mist  is there posing so pretty

newborn babies on their quilt

a chocolate cutie

a little Merle playing on dads quilt

the big boys posing for their ad..

last is Beep and Bop again on dads quilt posing for their puppy ad.

 

YEP we have a few puppies on quilts and many pet or animal themed quilts that I make for WOCS group.

 

As for pet shelter beds and quilts..

I make mini quilts for each puppy to take to their new homes, I make sure to get the litter mates and their mom's scent on the quilts so it will calm the pups when they get to their new home.

 

I don't make beds for our local shelter as they have a man who makes PVC pipe and canvas beds and they use old towels.. so we donate our old towels and we try to take a 50 lb bag of food in each month to our shelter and many times we stop at the Dollar Tree store and pick up doggie toys for the shelter animals.

 

Taking food and toys to the shelter is so appreciated by the shelters as most work on a very limited budget... oh and don't forget the treats...

 

 

If you like seeing  my Pets on Quilts post there are more to see at

Pets on Quilts event at Lily Pad Quilting site.

Here's the link...

http://lilypadquilting.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-pets-on-quilts-show-is-here-2013.html

 

 

Voting will start on Sunday August 18,

If my blog post has the most votes I can win a prize

I almost forgot, the best news for my readers... If you go to the above link for the pets on quilt show at lily pad quilting and vote for your favorite quilts  you will be entered into a drawing for prizes too//

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