First sewing projects finished!

This was Caitie and Alex's first sewing experience. They really enjoyed it. Alex is already planning a project for her next visit. Caitie stitched pre-cut squares together for a front and back then stitched it all together with batting. She bar tacked the intersections.

Alex wanted to do a collage of fabrics. She cut shapes from squares of fabric and stitched them to a foundation with a zigzag stitch adding embellishments by hand. We made a wire hanger for hanging since she wants to hang it in her bedroom at home.

And the adventure continues

After doing some Monday chores, mainly laundry, the girls and I headed to the library. After spending some time on the computers in the children's section, they found lots of books to bring home.

Today was our day for baking. We have a tradition of baking pies (scratch dough and all) every time they come. Sometimes they are here during Blueberry season and we even get to pick our own berries for the pies. Not so this time. They are eating the blueberries that I saved in the freezer for snacks. We made Ruston Peach pies today. I found the cutest little pie dishes at a kitchen shop- bigger than an individual serving but smaller and easier for the girls to handle.

Their parents are driving in tonight, will stay a few days to visit also before taking the girls back to Austin. Since their dad does not eat peach pie, we made a batch of Sugar cookies for him. Of course, he probably won't get as many as he would like since the girls have been scheming on them too.

What has been keeping me busy?

On Wednesday, July 30, David and I drove to Orange, TX to pick up our two darling granddaughters where they had been visiting friends. Alex - 9 and Caitie- 7 have kept me hopping! We spent Thursday and Friday playing in my sewing room. This has been their first sewing experience and they love it. We started with making each of them an apron then I let them use their imaginations to just play and create with needle and thread and the sewing machine. It was getting hectic with them having to share the machine, so I pulled out my traveling machine so they could each stitch away. I was hopping from one side of the room to the other teaching and assisting. They are so different. Alex is the careful planner, taking her time and trying to get perfection. Caitie is the creative designer who thinks done is better than perfect! I stepped out of my zone and let the room stay in an upheaval with fabric and threads all over the place.

They each brought several items from home that needed mending. So I showed them how and let them help. One of the items was Caitie's gingham check plisse baby blanket that I had made before she was born. She still sleeps with it. It had an L-shaped tear. So we sandwiched the tear between two fabric hearts.






We got a break from sewing on Sunday when we enjoyed a day of good food and visiting when Uncle Chris, Aunt Lori and Jordon drove over from Shreveport for the day. It was too hot to be outside for very long, so we played games indoors and had a great time.