family

Well Worn

This postage stamp quilt is one of my favorite things at my mother-in-law's house. It was made by HER mother-in-law. I love all the different fabrics in it - lots of squares sewn together. It is a true scrap quilt made much like my first quilt but the squares are much smaller and it has seen so much use and love. I can imagine all of the time put into sewing those squares together and hand quilting - at a time when she was raising her own children, doing the gardening, canning and other housekeeping chores by hand. It is a utility quilt made for use. I love how the colors and fabric have softened over the years. It is super snuggly and still gets used. Miss P slept under it on our recent stay there.So. Much. Goodness.  You can just feel the love passed from one generation to the next.

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Summer Doings

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Yesterday we took bikes to the high school track again. M was trying out his new super fast bike helmet. He did time trial comparisons for the old helmet and the new helmet and confirmed that it does indeed help him go FASTER on the bike. He is eager for another triathlon!He also helped P gain a little more confidence on her bike.   

Family

I hope you had a great weekend.Last week I told P that all I wanted for Mother's Day was a picture of all three of my children. She drew a great picture of the whole family and gave it to me at breakfast yesterday.Later in the day they snuck my camera and the remote and had a little photo shoot. They surprised me with a bunch of pictures on my camera. Some of the out takes are quite fun. They really are great kids.Have a great day.I am off to be busy and get ready for my trip to Spring Quilt Market in Kansas City!!

We've Been Decorating

Decorating for the holidays takes us a long time. I love our mix of thrifted vintage, family heirloom, gifted, travel collected, and handmade decorations.Putting lights on the tree is exhausting for me. There are six hundred lights on this tree! Remember, it's the one on the right in this picture.  I like the little lights! They help get through the long winter. If only we could leave the tree up through March! Once the lights are on the tree the decorating is all fun.P and I have fun remembering all of the ornaments and who made them or where they come from. This is the beginning of the season for me -really thinking of and remembering loved ones. Holding the ornaments and choosing just the right place on the tree is a time to pause and remember. I feel a little like I have family members and friends past and present visiting for a short while. There are so many ornaments made for us, by us, and purchased on travels around the world hanging on our tree. Each year I treasure this trip down memory lane touching each little treasure.We ALMOST have all the decorations on the tree. almost.We are even using a new (to us) tree topper this year. Oh, and we still need to find the white sheet that goes under the tree and add the icicles.P is looking forward to doing her homework and coloring in the glow of the tree lights after school.I have a quilt that I need to finish but I also really want to mix up some gingerbread dough for cookie boy cookies, and there are the other boxes of decorations. What is a mother to do?

Christmas Countdown

This is not what I had planned to spend the day doing yesterday.P had the day off of school - I think it was a teacher work day. Anyway, the boys were back at college and she and I started the big tidy to get ready for our holiday decorating. We remembered that we need to get out our advent tree before Thursday. Then she remembered that the boys will not be here to take turns with the ornaments. We decided that we should make something to send them at school so that they can have their own countdown.I opened up a small envelope from my desk and used it for a pattern. The envelopes are made out of double sided craft/scrapbook paper and perfectly sized to hold a 3 by 5 inch index card. Miss P stamped the numbers and helped with the flower punching.It took us most of the day to make and number FIFTY envelopes.We don't have them all filled yet so we thought we'd send them in batches. I'll get the first few in the mail today!I know they don't read the blog so it's OK to post this here - as long as no one else spills the beans. Ahem. You know who you are. Don't tell. I want them to be surprised! If it hadn't taken ALL DAY to make these I probably would have made a set for you too.  Maybe D will share.I'm off to do some quilting.

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Blast from the Past

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In 1972 we went to the Grand Canyon!That is me in my favorite outfit. I remember it well. The top was reversible and was a blue chambray on one side and the red bandana print on the other. It had matching red bloomers. I remember one summer when we stayed with my grandmother I wore it every day. She put it through the wash and I didn't get it back until it was time for us to go home. She HID it because she didn't want me to wear it all the time. Sigh. The memories.We purchased a scanner last week! I've been scanning some old family slides.

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Summer in the Sewing Room

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Summer sewing has a different routine. I have company in my sewing room.Yesterday we had a very clean sewing table. When the fabric is out of the way we use this big surface for other crafty projects and activities, like working puzzles.Most of the time it is not so tidy.It can look more like this. But usually it looks much worse.I have returned to an old but not too old work in progress involving lots of half square triangles.After a bit of sewing I determined that I didn't have nearly enough half square triangles made so out came the scraps. Then there was a bit of mission creep and I decided to cut some 1.5 inch squares from the fabrics that are not quite big enough for the half square triangles.I like to have these squares handy for some scrappy nine patches, four patches, or a good postage stamp quilt as the need arises.I'm trying to keep it organized as I go.P has been working at a little featherweight at her desk while I sew at my machine.  She has been commissioned to do some sewing this summer. I'll be sure to share more about that with you later.Fun times! 

Fun Filled Frenzy

The last few days were filled with fun and festivity.  We partied and marked some big milestones.M's high school graduation.P is SIX!We are ALMOST finished with the playhouse. We bought the paint yesterday. P chose pink for the walls and turquoise for the trim. The painting has begun.New chicks!And I have been able to keep up with my ICAD project! Others around here have joined in the fun too. 

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May Merriment

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There is always a flurry of activity in May. There is much to do outside in the yard and gardens, in addition to end of school activities. This year we also have a lot of graduation related events.This weekend P and I worked a bit in her fairy garden. The plants from last year all look happy there. We put in a few new plants but still have quite a few seeds to get in the ground.We put in fence for the peas and weeded the vegetable garden. B did a bit of mowing and working on the house. D installed the toilet in our new bathroom upstairs! M wrote a term paper and had a couple of music gigs. P had her spring recital with others in the studio. I also made 20 books covers from these papers for the art club students.  We have all done a bit of spring cleaning.When it gets crazy busy like this I do try to make time to walk the yard and see what's in bloom.I don't want to miss any of that!Since on the go knitting seems to be all I can fit in for now, I have also been progressing on a few portable projects like new socks for B.That yarn in the background is making its way to the top of the knit pile too! I need to decide what to make with it.I'm currently working on socks for myself using the same rib pattern as these mitts.Today I hope to make M's graduation and recital invitations. He has a much bigger list of people to invite than his brother had two years ago.  

A Breath of Fresh Air and Sunshine

We had a welcome bit of sunshine yesterday afternoon and tore ourselves away from our sedentary, indoor activities to go out for a bit of fresh air.I love that these oak trees have gotten to be so big.  We planted them as little sapling twigs when we moved here more than twenty years ago. They are finally starting to look like a little oak grove, much different than the corn field that used to be here.We had a roaring good time on our little walk.

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Basking in the Glow

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I am enjoying having everyone at home for winter break. This weekend we enjoyed some fun and games - Pictionary and Twister!  D had an exam this morning and has another tomorrow evening but it is nice that he can be home and go back to school just to take his exams.Today we will do some baking and playing in the snow. I'll start a fire in the wood stove so that we can warm up and dry off when we come in.We are hoping for clear skies so that we can see the lunar eclipse tonight.It will be wonderful for all to be home the evening of the solstice tomorrow. We'll light candles and bask in the glow.  

Instagram Photos

Narrow hand appliquéd bias strips. 1/16” quilting lines not going over the appliqué. I’m about a month in on the quilting and ALMOST finished. Whoop! Quilted with Invisalign on top and Decobob in the bobbin. Threads by @wo
This summer we watched my two oldest grand kids one day a week. Towards the end of the summer they started making projects on their own in the sewing room. They made lots of little projects from my scrap basket including pillow cases and tiny quilts
Here’s the layout with all but one block done. I’ll finish that last block when I get more of the baby poop green/mustard fabric. I put out the call and the internet provided! This top will be finished soon! This is a remake of an 1870s
I’m finally getting around to putting these stars together. I made the stars a few years ago and have been on the hunt for the perfect setting fabrics. These @carolynfriedlander prints are the perfect match for the 1800s reproduction prints in