Every Now and Then

Every now and then,

Like when she's playing softball,

Oh, yeah, Nora is her dad's girl.

Replaced

Since before Christmas, this little quilt has been hanging in my kitchen. It didn't bother me too much because it doesn't scream "Christmas" but it bothered me enough. Now it's down, replaced by the quilt made from the kit purchased at Victorian Quilt Shop.

It seems that the pattern had "picnic" in its title, although I could be wrong about that since it was probably purchased ten years ago. I do wish I had turned the borders on the top and bottom with the stripes up and down, but if I had, I might be wishing that I'd turned them just this way.

I can remember taking Nora to Victorian Quilt Shop and letting her pick out a couple of fat quarters - she probably was around three. And I can remember taking Aaron there in the stroller when he was a tiny babe. By then they were at the final Beechmont location and I could walk from Steph's house.

I remember thinking that I would take them many times in the future and that they would learn about quilting. "Many times in the future" didn't come to be, but they have both made their own little quilts.

Urban Spring

This picture was taken from the "downtown park" last Saturday. Leaves just starting to bud, skies just a bit overcast. The building with the tiara is new, now claiming the honor of the highest building in Cincinnati.

I thought that today was sew day with my friends and packed up my things and went on my way. Turns out that it was yesterday, when I was working. I had really looked forward to seeing my friends.

But, it's not like I can't work on my project at home. At some point, when I was looking for something else, I found a partially completed tiny quilt top. I bought it ages ago, when Victorian Quilt Shop was still open and still in their first Beechmont Road location. I used to love to shop there when I came for a visit.

This kit had Hoffman fabrics and might have been used for a class. Even though I started it years ago, the top looks pretty square and the seams pretty consistently 1/4". The directions are long gone, but it will be easy enough to figure them out.

Time to get sewing.

Four Tiny Projects

One of my goals for this month was to make four tiny sewing projects in what I call the "practical art" category. Potholder, iPhone bag, needle holder, glasses case. What I learned: if you absolutely don't like something, keep going until you like it, learned with the potholder. I liked the linen/cotton combination, hated the machine embroidery. One I realized I could add the strips, I was happy.

What I also learned: just because the basic directions suggest doing it one way, it doesn't mean you have to do it that way. Add a buttonhole or interfacing or a different kind of pocket. I need to give myself a little credit for the things that I know, consider directions as guidelines only.

I'm wondering whether my seed order will come today. If it does, then it will be officially time to turn some energy to outside projects, including some landscaping. It was the right thing to do to pull out the ugly bushes in December, but now I need to decide what to plant instead. I have new shelves to put up for the grow light system, and I'm thinking hard about a nice timer to go with it.

And those bags of top soil - I wonder how many will go in my car. No more pulling up with the old truck and asking for twenty bags.

At The Playground - Aaron's Turn

Every Child's Playground

Steph just sent me this picture, taken when Nora was not quite three, to add to the post below


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At Every Child's Playground, tucked under a busy expressway, beside the Ohio River.

As is her nature, Nora is a bit tentative trying out new things, but she is quite athletic and gets into things quickly.

And yes, Aaron was there too - tomorrow there will be pictures of him.

Afterwards there was ice cream - Nora loves Graeter's chocolate chip, with the chocolate actually being chocolate chunks. She found a huge chunk, so she wasn't disappointed.

Proud of those Bobcats

This has been a magical week, with seven area teams in the Sweet Sixteen. Louisville and Ohio State are still there. Ohio U isn't, but what a performance! I'm proud of those Bobcats. Hoping hard for Kentucky, this is the BIG one. And yes, I love this time of year.

All that basketball and just thirteen days 'til Opening Day. For weeks now, I've been saying that I'm going to the Opening Day parade. Just realized that I'm not, because of other really good stuff, but I'm so looking forward to baseball season. I can get some really good evening sewing done, listening to the games. And then there are the fireworks, for home runs and at the end of the winning games, that I can hear from my house.

Some of my teams may be leaving the Sweet Sixteen, one by one, but it's still a good time of year.