What Treasure a Friend Is!

Things have not calmed down ... there was little or no dillydallying this weekend!  Our school was hosting an annual Basketball Tournament ... I love community traditions like that ... it is always fun!

The sun was shinning ... so we did take Kysa out the road for a couple of hours on Saturday.  And then ... back to the gym for classic Wolverine Basketball ... and chaperoned the dance afterwards!

Sunday was another beautiful day!  I spent the day doing housekeeping chores that had been ignored for far too long ... ;-) ... and mountains of laundry!  Monday was a very busy day at work and I came home feeling completely spent.  I am not exaggerating when I say that dillydallying helps bring calm to my crazy life ... and I hadn't done any for nearly two weeks!

Mr. DillyDally came home from work to find Flicka and I "resting" in the recliner ... Flicka doesn't often like to snuggle (she is too busy for that nonsense) but after being home alone all day, she will allow me to cuddle her after work ... for a short while!  Mr. DD brought this package home from the Post Office and stated, "A quilt order came in."  My response, "I didn't order anything."

It was a package from Metro QBee Mary Ellen!  My exhaustion disappeared and I was grinning from ear to ear!  Ask Mr. DD ... that packag got me up and hopping!

Total cuteness!  Pink rickrack!  I couldn't even begin to guess what treasure was inside!

Total treasure!  Be. Still. My. Heart!  Squealing with delight!

Yep ... a package sent with love ... and holy moley did I feel it!  She sent yardage from the Pam Kitty Love fabric line...

... oh how I love this fabric!  Such happy fabric!

This bowl shaped pot holder was made by Mary Ellen!  She made several and sold them at fundraisers for an inner city school she supports.  I love how she saved the kitty themed one for me!  This will get a lot of use ... and I'll think of Mary Ellen and her kindness every time!

While visiting Mary Ellen's sewing room last summer, she allowed me to take pictures of her closet.  I fell in love with the Minnie Mouse tin tucked in amongst her projects and supplies!

And now I have a version of my own!  How wonderful is that!!!!  It will have a very special spot in my sewing room!  Too stinkin' sweet!!!  And look at these QBee and KBee cards?  Complete sweetness!

Tucked secretly away inside the tin was this antique Valentine's card ... a kitty, that looks just like my Flicka ... knitting!  Yep, I get choked up everytime I pick it up!  Talk about the perfect dillydally card!

 I wish I could put into words the true value this gesture of kindness has.  I am so touched by your thoughtfulness Mary Ellen!  I am humbled ... thank you!  What a treasure you are!

Do what you love.  Practice kindness.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

My WingNut!

A rare moment of calm!

It has been a psycho crazy week here in dillydallydom!  No matter how busy Mr. DD and I are, Flicka is always dillydallying!  ;-)  Here is a brief peek at a week in the life of our WingNut!

She loves to hide under the dishwasher door...then ambush our toes!  I love how she thinks we don't know she is there!

I caught her in the act of "unpinning" a project I am working on!  No wonder I have trouble making any progress!  See?  Such a WingNut!

She has had so much fun removing the little bear from the Advent Calendar, that we've kept it up!

She packs the little bear off ... we find it ... return it ... so she can steal it again!  I know... she has us well trained!

She wanted to cut this out using her teeth and claws.  It was difficult to convince her that was not going to work out!

Here she considers taking up embroidery!  Hee-hee!

All fabric scraps are considered wild beasts ... they are hunted down ... then tamed!

Multi-tasking takes on new meaning!  Look at all the things she can get into at once!

Playing peek-a-boo!  Now you see her...

... now you don't!  Or sew she thinks!

Living the life of a WingNut is exhausting!  What fun she adds to our silly lives!

Do what you love.  Be a WingNut!  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Moving Forward!

Some of you dillydalliers noticed that I hadn't posted in a while ... thank you for missing me!

Turnagain Arm

Last week I was in Anchorage for medical reasons.  Long time readers will remember that about 18 months ago .... I took a serious fall that messed up my knee, both legs and my dillydally lifestyle!

Leaving Anchorage

But that chapter of my life is ending!  While in Anchorage, I received the third and final surgical procedure that will allow me to regain the lifestyle I treasure!

It has been a long journey ... many lessons about life were learned ...

On the way to Whittier.

 ... but now ... I am moving forward!  If it were possible ... I would be doing cartwheels!  ;-)

Aurora Ferry

I traveled to and from Whittier by ferry.

Thought you would enjoy seeing the sundeck! ;-) I know...it makes me giggle too!  Snow and ice on the open deck ... lounge chairs under heat lamps ... welcome to life in my remote corner of the planet!  Too funny!

 I love traveling by ferry ... it is a very comfortable and stress free experience!

Was unable to do much dillydallying this trip, but ...

 ... I did manage to find some fabric treasure!  When Sister DillyDally was little ... she loved Richard Scarry books and all the characters that lived in Busytown!  Yep, got me some yardage!  Sew fun!

Be. Still. My. Heart!  Viking fabric!  OMGosh Good Golly!  I went weak in the knees when I saw this!  Purchased a healthy amount of yardage to add to the stash!

Yep ... Mrs. Bobbins is my soul mate!  Fabric does brighten a dull winter day ... it is also good medicine!

Do what you love.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally 

Decision Made! Log Cabin Finished!

 Yep ... we all know who is really in charge here in dillydallydom!

 The most difficult part of making a log cabin quilt is choosing which layout!  Proof that we are destined to make several! 

 Here is the layout that Flicka liked best!

Because Mr. DillyDally is the recipient of this quilt, I let him choose the layout.  The "Barn Raising" layout was his favorite ... hmmm ... I wonder ...

 ... we all know about "peer pressure" ... I wonder if there is such a thing as "kitty pressure"? ;-) 

 While Flicka was supervising my piecing ...

 ... her tail was busy supervising my stacks of leader and enders!  Yep ... that tail often went wild and those 2 inch squares would get knocked around!  Rarely a quiet moment in the DillyDally sewing room!

 Eventually both borders were added and the quilt top is now hanging in QBee Lila's quilt shop!

My heart be still ... new Thimbleberries fabrics have arrived at Cordova Quilters' Hideout!  Gosh ... these spring colors are just what my heart needs to see during the current dark and dreary months of winter!  Yep ... I have a plan for these lovelies ... stay tuned!

In other big news ... we are finally able to tell that our days are getting longer!  The heavy cloud cover cleared late Tuesday ... and this was the sunset at 4:15!  Have a great weekend!

Do what you love. Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

A Feast ... of Fruits & Vegetables!

Ohhhh ... I am so excited! 

Look what arrived in the mail!  Finally!

 I fell in love with this quilt when Pat Sloan introduced it last spring!  It just oozes with happiness ... happy fabric and happy images make for a quilt that needs to hang here in dillydallydom!

This kit has been on backorder since November ... I had begun to worry ... and worry is not good for dillydalliers.

No worries now!  How I look forward to working on this ...

... during these very grey and dreary months of winter!  Here in my remote corner of the planet, we know how to find nontraditional sources of sunshine!  Yep ... it is the dillydally way!

Do what you love!  Create your own sunshine! Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally

Let's Sleep On It!

Flicka and I have been spending our time this week working away on our log cabin blocks!

Over New Years, while Mr. DillyDally was enjoying his football festival in the living room ... we decided to hold a Bing Crosby film festival in the sewing room!  Knowing how to entertain one's self is an important part of the dillydally lifestyle! ;-) Flicka and I are champs at entertaining ourselves!

  Flicka and I made great progress while we sang and danced along with Bing!

Flicka continues to test the "nine lives" concept!  What a fruit loop!  Yep ... being a fruit loop is an important part of the dillydally lifestyle! ;-)

Before we knew it ... all 48 blocks were done!

It was my intent to arrange the blocks in the "Furrows" pattern. 

Barn Raising Layout

I find it difficult to leave things alone ... ;-) ... and wanted to see the blocks from different perspectives.

 I decided to play around with a couple of layout options ... of course! 

Am not sure what this layout is called ... but it was time to STOP!

UGH!  I would have had the blocks pieced together had I left well enough alone!  I want to have this top pieced before I go back to work on Monday ... so I cannot put it off too long!

 Flicka suggested we sleep on it!  Smart kitty!

Do what you love.  Listen to your kitty.  Do dillydally!

Mrs. DillyDally