I love the Brown Truck

I just love the big Brown truck...I love when it comes to the shop and brings us new wonderful fabrics, books and patterns...and I love when it comes to my house. I was upstairs sewing yesterday and looked up, out the shutters, and I saw him coming into our village.
 
Here you can see what I got to see...I took this picture this morning so there wasn't a truck but there sure was yesterday...YIPPEE!
 
The next thing I knew he was ringing my doorbell and the dogs were going nuts. He brought me a goodie box.
 
This is Celebrate Spring by Sandy Gervais and MODA. We didn't get this group in the shop and then I saw so many wonderful things done with it on several blogs and fell in love with it. I had to have it. I decided to do a happy quilt for the guest room bed. (Katie will be so excited when they come down again. She'll love this quilt.) Well the fabric has been out for a while so I had to look hard. I found jelly rolls and charm squares so I quickly decided what I wanted to do and hit the BUY button. Of course I needed backing and binding...it needed to match :)
I LOVE IT! It's not like I don't have anything else to do, but I want to get going on this project. It will make me HAPPY!

Today was Spa Day

Today was Spa Day at the shop...no we didn't do facials, pedicures or massages...we sewed. Well, Sue and I didn't sew but all of the gals that attended sewed...Sue and I served lunch, snacks, dessert and drinks while the gals sewed...as they sewed we pressed for them. This is a regular event at the shop...we do it once a quarter and everyone loves it. It's always on a Sunday, we start at 11:30 and sew until 4:30. The quilt is always a mystery...we give them the fabric requirements and the cutting instructions and they just trust us. Here's what we did today...
 
It's a pattern called Leap Frog by Me & My Sister...Sue and I always each do a quilt top...sometimes we both use the same fabrics and other times we use totally different fabrics...the gals see the quilts hanging when they arrive and they each have a pattern sitting at their places. We always do show and tell to begin the day...that is so much fun. Today we had several previous Spa Days.
We set the date for the next one...Oct 21...time to figure out a quilt to do and get sewing...can't show you a picture until after, since it's a surprise and some of the gals read my blog. I promise I'll post it on the 21st of Oct.

Can You Tell Dad's Gone...

 

Imagine my surprise...I got out of the shower and there was Zack...snuggled into the bed...now the last time this happened it was Howie and when Andy saw the picture he said "Well he is on the quilt"...the rule is they are not allowed on the bed when the quilt or comforter are turned down. Howie did have about 1/3 of his body on the comforter...I see no part of Zack's body on anything but the sheets...but as you can tell...wonderful disciplinarian that I am...I had him stay right there until I got the camera.


You all probably already know this little trick...I got the baby quilt back from the quilter yesterday...I needed to get the binding and a label on it...labels are my least favorite part. A gal that used to watch the shop for us started doing this and I thought it was wonderful...she sent it into American Patchwork & Quilting and they published it a few months ago. You just make the label on a larger square of fabric...fold it on the diagonal and stitch it in the binding on 2 sides...I've already done the machine sewing...I'll tack it down and then I just have to blind stitch across the diagonal. It's straight and it's done. YIPPEE!
 
I've been working on these little star blocks for a sample for the shop. They are fun to do but I will be so glad when they are done so I can move on. They're 4" finished...pressing is the hardest part. I'm using my stylus to keep from melting my nails right off.
 
This is my last night before Andy comes home. Of course I haven't gotten all the things done I thought I would but there's always the next trip. I'm going to heat up my Lean Cuisine and head upstairs to sew some more stars...have a wonderful evening.

Sewin' in the morning, sewin'in the evening

sewin' at supper time...are you singing with me? Andy is leaving at noon for a trip up to North Carolina, to the corporate office of the firm he's consulting for, and he'll be gone until Thursday around noon...you guessed it...I'll be sewin' in the morning, sewin' in the evening and sewin' at supper time. We went grocery shopping yesterday and I bought 3 Lean Cuisine meals...in the microwave to cook and upstairs to the sewing machine to eat. Now don't get me wrong, I love the man to death, 33 years together and we are just as happy as we can be spending time together, but when he has to be out of town...I make use of every minute. I have a gillion things planned, I guess I may need to clean up that list, and be realistic...or maybe not...just leave it the way it is and get as much done as I can and not stress over anything.
We had a great day yesterday, enjoyed a quiet Father's Day. Both of us have lost our dad's so we really don't make a big deal over the day. Josh called in the morning to wish Andy a happy day. Katie surprised Josh with tickets to the Cubs game...how fun...Hampton's first baseball game...Josh's first Father's Day. They had a nice day for a game, a bit warm, and sadly the Cubs lost but they had fun.
I did spend some time upstairs sewing on the machine. I'm working on those little star blocks that I posted back in May sometime...I have to get 72 of those done...so you know that will be part of what I'll be sewing for the next couple of days. I also decided that I didn't like the look of my tree block that I posted the other day...I took the time to needleturn it...but then it just wasn't prmitive, so yesterday I buttonholed the whole thing.

 

The rest of this Cheri Saffiote Christmas quilt will be easier and will go quicker, I'm sure, because I'll only buttonhole...
I'm off and running to get 12 things done before I leave for the shop...have a wonderful day and I'll be back soon!

I was Pooped!

Thursday, Friday and Saturday were Florida's Statewide Shop Hop...we had tons of fun and met lots of really nice gals from all over the state...but I'm very sad to say, "I'm getting old"...I was pooped. We had to have the shop open 9 to 5 all three days...we usually open at 10 and on Saturday we close at 4...extra hours and lots of visitors to the shop...tons of fun...but I was pooped...have I already said that :) Didn't sew a bit until Sunday...I started my "Road Less Traveled" by Lori Smith blocks...it was so fun...small and lots of pieces...it's like putting a puzzle together. I was about to start sewing a second block from that row and we started getting a thunderstorm...YIKES! We have thunder and lightning like I haven't seen for a really long time...the power went out several times...but before that happened I had unplugged my Bernina...it's an old 1230, but it's my baby...if anything happened to it I just don't know what I'd do. I then went downstairs, I figured I was safer there, and finished the first block of Cheri Saffiote's Christmas Quilt. I needleturned but I think I'm going to switch to a small hand button hole stitch. It will be more primitive and that's the look I want

 

So when you look at these 2 blocks, you are seeing the true me...2 opposite ends of the spectrum...Have a wonderful day!

I've Been Tagged

I've been tagged by Sharon to share my To Do List...no let me preface...my list will not be as much fun as her's and Doe's...unfortunately there is not a thing going on in my life right now that is very thrilling or exciting. Well, here it is...
1. Get the pattern ready for the house block that Sue drew for the Shop Hop that we are participating in Thursday, Friday and Saturday...YIKES! Need to get the block sewn too.
2. Figure out how to get the copy machine at the shop to print on 2 sides so I can print more Passports for the Shop Hop...running the sheets through twice just makes me nuts...I never know which way to put the paper in.
3. Make a nail appointment that fits into my crazy schedule.
4. Get binding ready and sewn on the baby quilt I posted...the gal that quilts samples for the shop is bringing it back this week. Whew, she's quick.
5. Get a backing ready for the Spa Day quilt.
6. Figure out placement for all the things Andy wants to get framed and hung on the walls in his office. He had lots of things from his Disney office and then he got several wonderful things when he retired...I think his walls will be full.
7. Get new batteries, a couple more flashlights, and a new radio for hurricane season. Andy checked everything out the other day, replaced batteries but now we don't have any spares. We're going to be ready, but I sure hope we don't need to use a thing.
That's it for this girl's To Do List for this week...the Shop Hop will take up lots of time so there probably won't be a lot of sewing going on this week, but it will be so much fun to see lots of gals from around the state.

I sewed Sunday

I sewed Sunday, but I can't post a picture because it's for our Spa Day event on June 24th...I'll post it after the event. The quilt is a surprise and someone from the group may read my blog and spoil the surprise. Sewing was wonderful yesterday...I always feel like a new person after I've sewn for a while.
Andy and I worked in the yard for several hours on Sunday also. There was a wonderful breeze blowing all morning, so we took advantage of it and worked and worked. We cut lots of bushes back, reshaped some small trees and weeded. We had mounds of tree trimmings so then that's a whole extra project. We have to bundle all of the trimmings into pieces no longer than 3 feet long and no heavier than...basically we have to gift wrap all the trimmings. That took as long doing the trimming. I'm glad it's done because it won't be too long and it will be too hot and humid for this old gal to be out doing that yard work...it will be time to turn down the air conditioning and SEW!
I promised I'd post a new picture or two of Hampton from my Chicago trip...here he is...giggling with his Daddy and eating carrots for the very first time. He loves all of his new foods...
 
 

Andy's busy checking all of our flashlights, batteries and hurrican supplies...YUCK! This is my least favorite time of the year. We were very lucky last year...HOPEFULLY this year will be quiet also.