For Sarah

Sarah and I were talking a couple of nights ago and I was telling her about mulching the flower/veggie beds and told her I'd send a picture. The thing is - looking at the picture, the beds look just like what they are - the second year out on a developing perennial/veggie bed. Somehow they looked better in real life. Sigh. Putting the bed on the slope was a good call, though. I don't miss mowing it at all, and I like the look of a sloping bed. I do need to do some kind of edging to keep the mulch in the beds, not sure what would be best for that.

I have a neighbor in the next block with really nice corner lot landscaping, hilly on the sides and back. Maybe I should go over for a closer look.

Redwork Trains

This is the newest premmie baby quilt - our "pattern" was to use any pattern we liked but the colors should be red and white. I chose the simplest pattern possible but embroidered redwork trains (Embroidery Library.) Later today I'll be washing this quilt. These baby quilts get washed at the hospital so there's usually no reason to wash them ahead of time, although one of the women likes to wash first so she can see how the quilt will really come out. This time, though, I want to be sure that the prewashed reds don't bleed into the white. If they do, I'll be crying, but I need to be certain. The backing is five strips of red fabrics.

***It didn't bleed and I'm not crying.

Miscellaneous Tuesday

fire hydrant with a hat

pink petunias on high

my birthday card to a friend

smiles all over

Cobblestone Cafe

At the last baby quilting meeting, the group ate at Cobblestone Cafe, just up the street from the library where we meet. And within walking distance from home, so today I did just that, walked up for a late lunch.

I don't know how I missed this place before since I know I've been in the parking lot a couple of times and it's across the street from the garage where I get my truck fixed. I love it all - vegetarian friendly, good food, casual, outdoor seating too. My sort of place.

Bag for a Book

I'm calling this a bag for a book, because the term book bag means something else with straps that fit over the shoulders. It was made for a specific book, which probably will not quite be able to slip into it. That's ok, though. 10" x 11".

Patchwork, lots of free motion quilting, hand-dyed fabric for the back. Lined. I'm excited to get this off to its person, but first . . .

I'm taking a free motion class with Sandy Ciolino on Wednesday and one of the things on the supply list is a "show and share" quilt. This will be mine.

Miscellaneous Tuesday

Shower gifts - Anita Goodesign bib and baby's sleeping, Embroidery Library burp cloth train.

Yesterday was the meeting for making premie quilts and these (and more) showed up ready to be delivered.

The kids at Eastgate Mall on Sunday. They had a good time bouncing on the inflatables but were attracted to the baby area too - go figure.

Home

Home again from the June Smokies trip - there's no place like it.

Red Quilt

The quilt from Melody's February challenge is finished, I'm probably the last one done, just like last year. This year's challenge was to make the quilt you've always wanted. I've always, always wanted a really scrappy quilt, and that's what I have. Each block is about 9" square and there are 6 blocks x 8 blocks. I've hung it at church for the summer, then it will live in my dining room.

Nora stayed with me Saturday night and she went to church with me before the service on Sunday so I could do a couple of tasks. After the service I took down the "water" wall hanging that had been up since Easter and we put up the new one.

Nora and I were discussing lunch options on the way back to her house - what she liked, what I liked. We both agreed on IHOP. It was enjoyable to watch her in the only child role since Aaron was visiting Aunt Tina. She drew a couple of nice things with her crayons and said once again that she wants to be an artist. She said she knows she can do it. I hope she always feels that way.

Why Is It?

I have a tendency to be a little absent minded and sometimes I forget to change to the walking foot when I add my borders to my quilts. And the thing is, I can tell right away by looking at the border that I've forgotten. And get out the seam ripper. Put on the walking foot, sew the border on again and it goes on so nice and flat, when before it just didn't lay flat and had a bit of a ripple look.

So, why is it that when I resew that there is only 1/4" extra border left over when I use the walking foot? Over a 60" edge? Why does that 1/4" make so much difference?

Mystery

I have to admit that I love the internet, love seeing what my friends are doing, love email, have favorite blogs. I check the weather and the Reds scores. Look up how to do things. Lots of things.

Last night all was fine, but this morning my internet home page wouldn't appear. Connection was fine, everything looked good. All my sleuthing turned up nothing. Finally went to the library this afternoon and could log in there. Back home, nothing. I was getting worried that when I updated my embroidery software, and it updated the settings when I first used it yesterday, that something got updated that shouldn't have, a driver maybe.

And then suddenly, the weather icon turned up in my sidebar. Newport, 91 degrees. And sure enough, when I tried the internet, the blue background showed up and I knew it would open. I have no idea why. Or why not earlier. I just hope the mystery doesn't repeat itself tomorrow.

Premie Quilt I

My first donation quilt for a premie. I'm calling it a snuggle quilt. It will be going to Good Samitaritan Hospital.

Sunday in Fountain Square

Nora had a Daisy Scout field trip on Sunday, so Aaron and I were on our own. The kid loves "downtown" so we got on the shuttle in Bellevue and got off at Fountain Square. The shuttles got an upgrade this year and look like little trolleys.

Cupcakes from Graeter's are his favorite downtown treat but the chocolate milk won out today. Most of the cupcake came back home.

It was a hot day, so we spent the rest of the afternoon in the library. Aaron was so dismayed when 5:00 came and the library closed for the day. We sat outside on a bench for awhile and read his Thomas book, stretching out the experience.

Sometimes I enjoy taking just one grandbabe out for the day, and they seem to enjoy that too.

Random Photos

Memorial Day cupcake - Aaron loves cupcakes.

Empty kindergarten cubbies.

Martha Pullen work project.

Last Day

Today was Nora's last day of kindergarten, marked by the graduation ceremony.

In the classroom, everything was put away for the summer, chairs and rugs were put up so the floor could be cleaned.

There was one last time with her teacher, and then . . .summer. Nora thought first grade started on Monday, but she'll learn all about vacation.

Field Trip Bag

Aaron loved his train bag - his face absolutely lit up. He carried it proudly to the ball game and spent a happy time playing with his trains. He remembered that last time he and I went "hiking" in the woods beside the ball field, so once he was finished with the trains we hiked the little loop again and again. I thought he wasn't paying much attention to the game, but afterwards he wanted to run the bases.

This morning I decided to make a field trip bag for Nora's Daisy Scout field trip on Sunday. Quilted front and back, with enough room for a small water bottle or Capri Sun plus a snack. Fully lined with two inside pockets, reinforced strips, zippered access.

In case you haven't guessed, it's all about the quilting, the piecing just goes along for the ride.