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.

Catching Up

Here it is Saturday again! We just returned from a business trip to Biloxi, MS. Well, it was business for hubby; fun for me! I got in some good shopping and relaxing, enjoyed some really good food too. When I got home, the instructions for the final steps for my Mystery on the Oriental Express quilt had arrived. I couldn't wait to complete the mystery; I had a fair idea of where the express was taking me! I have the top complete but have no idea how or when I will quilt it. It will probably just get folded and put away for a little while.

Passing The Award

Here it is a week later than I was honored with the Brilliante Award and i am just now making my announcement of my awardees. Besides having a hard time making a decision, I was out of town all week.

I gain so much inspiration from my blogger friends.

Gail was the first to inspire me to start a blog.

Fran is a fellow quilter and QOR sister.

Wendy cracks me up with her zest for life and neat projects.

Mavie inspires me with all she does.

Lucy has such an interesting blog filled with lots of goodies.

Award

I was greeted first thing this morning by the most wonderful honor. My QOR sister, Veronica, awarded me with the Brillante Weblog. What a surprise. Unfortunately, I had never heard of it until this morning. I know now that I am to pass it on to five other deserving bloggers. I will need a little more time to prepare for the passing.

summer projects

I failed to mention some of the things that have kept me busy lately. I made the cutest little water bottle carriers for my daughter in law, Lori and two granddaughters, Alex and Caitie. I saw the pattern at the AQS quilt show and just knew I had to get it. I even monogramed their names on them. They love them.

......................Still Summer

Once Yvonne and I got the quiltlets made and mailed, we could move on to the big project. In Paducah, we bought a pattern for The Professional Tote and planned to make it together. Just the cutting and fusing took almost an entire day. Of course, we like to take breaks and enjoy our snacks and drinks! How exciting when we finally finished our bags!

Jumping from Spring to Summer

Wow, has life just whizzed by since my last post. We had a wonderful trip to Paducah, KY attending the AQS quilt show, shopping at Hancock's, and enjoying our stay at a quiet little cabin in the woods. Leaving Ky, we ventured on to Pittsburgh where David attended meetings and I got my first look at PA. As always, we enjoyed our time spent in the car traveling listening to audio books and talking.

Having barely been home long enough to finish laundry and catch my breath, we headed down to Orange, TX to pick up Mom bringing her back to Ruston for a Mother's Day visit. Chris, Lori, and Jordon came over and we had a wonderful day together. What should have been a busy week of fun things was not; for Mom suffered with her back so much that she could not do anything. It hurts me so to see her in pain with no relief. She did manage to feel good enough for us to go to my regular Thursday Quilt group and then out to Hannah's Quilt Shop. We drove her back home Friday where she could relax in the comforts of her own place.

June was heralded in with my adventure of being guest speaker at the Jonesboro Quilt Guild. I brought my Dear Jane quilt top in progress. I told them about my introduction to DJ and what I know about Jane Stickle. They were all so very interested, it made me feel good for questions to be asked and me to have answers. Still having the borders to make and add, they pleaded that I return when the quilt is finished for another presentation. I couldn't wait to get home to start work on all those pieced triangle borders!

David and I celebrated our 38th Wedding Anniversary on June 14. We are long past the hype of romantic dinners and gifts. We spend a great deal of quality time together throughout the year and don't wait for any certain day to show love and affection. Therefore, other than beautiful cards, on our special day we went to Mass, dined out at a Mexican Restaurant in town then stopped at Lowes before heading home for a relaxing evening.

At the end of June, while David flew to Vegas for the USW Convention, I remained back in Ruston to enjoy of week of quilty girl fun. Yvonne drove up from Orange to join me. We first attended the Peach Festival that Sunday then worked on our Quiltlets for the QOR Online Retreat Swap. Mine is the one with the green border. Yvonne used a 9-patch house block then added borders. We were happy to get them
so we could get them in the mail.