It has been a busy time here the past several months.  The beginning of May started our family in an avalanche of  happenings.  First, my husband and I celebrated our actual 30th anniversary...the date.  We took the trip in March because we knew what was coming around the actual date.  The day after our anniversary my husband's parents came bringing our daughter from Kansas for a visit and to see our youngest son graduate from both high school and community college.  He was dual enrolled.  With that I retired from homeschooling after 24 years.

Here is one of the fun pictures my children and I took together.  That is my three precious young adults having a bit of fun with their Momma.

Next came the first birthday of my youngest grandchild.   

Then the fourth birthday of my oldest grandchild.

Here are my precious grandchildren, growing so big!

I really have been trying to fit in sewing and crocheting.  My husband hurt his back during all this.  We do not even know how it happened because it was not a traumatic event, it just happened one morning he woke up in terrible pain.  Two doctors couldn't figure it out and had no treatment plan except stay off work for 6 weeks so I convinced him to go to a chiropractor and two weeks later he was in very little pain.  He will continue treatments 3 days a week for the summer, but I was so glad and proud of him that he didn't give up and go on disability.

I am working on this afghan with leftover yarn I had on hand. 

I made this quilt top with Moda's Zen Chic jellyroll for my youngest son.

I have been working on quilting it, 1/4 inch lines...this may take a while.

Father's Day with my Dad at my sister's new house.  He is looking pretty good for a man about to turn 86 next month!

I am trying to get myself back into more sewing now all these festivities are over.

Sew Long for Now!

I have been a bit behind lately.  I finished March's BOM for the quilt along in April.

I jumped right in and finished April's block so I would be caught up.

I have been working on hand quilting the large quilt and it will probably be several years before I finish at this rate, I am just not a fast hand quilter.  I used to go every week to a quilting group at a church we used to attend and my stitches were so much better.  I miss that group; the chatter, the sewing, the fellowship.

This week is the 2nd anniversary of my Momma's passing and the first rose bloomed on our yellow rose bush.

Sew Long for Now!

My husband and I went away for a week.  The first stop on our trip was by the Quiltery in Fairfield where he picked out the above jelly roll and layer cake.  He wants me to make him a quilt.

While on our trip he also bought me these two bundles of fabric in Williamsburg just because I liked the colors.

 

We stayed ocean front at Virginia Beach.  That is where we met and lived the first 3 years of our marriage.

 

We took lots of day trips.  We had a great day visiting Williamsburg and touring.  I had been there when I was in fourth grade, lets just say a long long long time ago!  I had not been able to tour the Govenor's Palace then, but on this trip we did.

 

I love these arched trees in the garden behind the Palace.

I had always wanted to go on a carriage ride and my husband made sure I got to go.  He is always so sweet and since we love doing the same things we always have so much fun together.

 

We had been to Jamestown and Yorktown with the children a few years ago, but we went again and had a great time.

 

We stopped where ever we wanted to and just enjoyed the view.

 

Growing up I spent every weekend on the Blue Ridge Parkway or Skyline Drive with my family so they are near and dear to me.  While away we drove the Colonial Parkway.  It is just as beautiful if not as long.

 

We had to leave and it was sad because we were enjoying ourselves so much, but I missed my sewing machines and now I have new projects to work on!

Sew Long for Now!

I have been doing a lot of crochet lately.  These dishclothes for my daughter and an afghan for my youngest son. 

I am also working on March's BOM. 

I have it together and I did mark the quilting lines yesterday.  Hopefully, I will get it quilted one day this week.

My husband went with me to Lynchburg to the 2016 quilt show hosted by Patches & Pieces Quilt Club.  They had so many beautiful quilts, what a wonderful group of talented ladies. These are just a few of the pictures I took.  The flower garden quilt above had a wonderful story of being started more than 60 years ago and being passed through the family and finally finished in 2015. 

I loved the colors in this mariner's compass and would love to do one someday. 

Another Judy Niemeyer pattern. 

So simple yet so striking! 

My husband admiring this very colorful quilt. 

There seems to be a pattern in what attracted my attention!

I love dragon flies! 

They also had some amazing art quilts and this one reminded me of our daughter!

I have been hand quilting the white quilt and hope it doesn't take me years to get it done!

Sew Long for Now!

All the mending is done and back to their owners!

I began machine quilting on the row by row quilt.  It is the largest quilt I have ever tried to machine quilt using my home sewing machine.  I would love to have a long arm, but we don't have the space at this time for one.  My husband and I discussed ideas to help with this process.  It is cumbersome and I can not do it for long periods because it stresses your neck and shoulder.  We are going to look into an option this week and I will have more on that later.

I have had to do a bit of traveling this week to go with my Dad to two doctor appointments and one of the afternoons on my way home I went by the Quiltery in Fairfield, Va.

When I walked through the door I saw this book and was so excited.  It had to come home with me!  It is based on quilts by women in Emporia, Kansas where our daughter is at University getting her Masters Degree.  It has a great section on the history of the women and the area and patterns to replicate some of their designs.  I am going to put one of the quilts on my someday list.

This is called Chic Zen by Moda and I picked it up to make my youngest son a quilt.  It just looked like him and crazy me would love to make one and finish it by May.  We will see, its a long shot with all that is going on around here.

My inspirational quote for the week is:

"A desire to create is one of the deepest longings of the soul."

Sew Long for Now!

  

Here is block 2 almost finished pieced.  Note the shadows.  I do a lot of work late.  I need to set up a way to take better pictures!

 

During a rainy afternoon I worked on the free motion quilting.

I don't know if you can see this so well, but this is after I rinsed out my quilt markings.  Two blocks down!

I did get by my local quilt shop and bought batting and thread and I will be pin basting my row by row quilt to stitch it.

I also made a skirt into a pair of pants for my sister and repaired my Dad's pants.  I have some sewing to do for one of my niece's.  I don't really like clothes sewing or repair and have stopped doing that for anyone except some of my family.  Well, I may be ok with sewing clothes for myself when I have time to put into it, but I do not like repairing clothes for sure!

Thought for the week:

"A bed without a quilt is like a sky without stars."

Sew Long for Now!

After our second big snow storm of the season (we had over 12 inches here) it immediately went into an ice and sleet event.  It's beautiful to look at...from inside!

I was able to finally finish borders, backing, binding and all the quilt from fabric my husband gave me for Christmas.

I don't remember sharing the finished January block from the Leah Day block of the month I am doing.  I am working on February's block now.  I have the pieces all cut out and am beginning to sew them together.

I hope to get by my favorite quilt shop this week and get some batting because my goal is to machine quilt a top I have had pieced for several years next.

Thought for this week:

The best kind of sleep beneath Heaven above is under a quilt,

handmade with love!

Sew Long for Now!

Oh my how time flies.  It has been busy here over the last month!  Daddy came to stay while he got cataracts removed from both eyes.  I drove him to the hospital for his first surgery on Jan. 22, as the snow began to fall.

By the afternoon it was looking like a winter wonderland, but we made it safe home. 

The next morning we could barely find my car! 

Then the next Wednesday we went back and got his second eye done.  Now he can see so much better and he is tickled with results.  At 85 they were surprised this was the first cataracts he had had removed. 

I did add this backing to the quilt I made from the pattern and material my husband gave me for Christmas.  I finished free motion quilting it. 

Then I added the binding and now I am doing the hand sewing.  The binding is made from the same material as the backing, but looks a different color because I took the picture at a different time of day.  Lighting makes so much difference in how we see the colors. 

I am also painting my livingroom and hallway.  The trim is a bear and there is lots of it.  I hope to finish by the end of February.  I was working on it on my days off, but since there is so much trim I am working on it for an hour or so everyday.

I am hoping to machine quilt a top I finished several years ago by the end of February also.  Unfortunately, I am not getting things completed as fast as I would like.  

My sewing thought for this week:

Happiness is a Full Bobbin!

Sew Long for Now!