Humble Pie

Hot! This is the water temperature on Saturday afternoon!

I often reread my posts to remind myself of what I posted and what I need to follow up.   Well, I guess karma is bitch as they say......way to brag about a pristine yard a couple of posts back and now my haughty words don't taste so  good.......rain, rain and more rain, heat, heat and record heat and then a minor little mole removed and stitches with instructions for no yard work (because of the bending and lifting and sweating) until the stitches came out.    My yard is in desperate need of some TLC!   Dag nabbet! Stitches came out Monday and now I have a summer head cold.    It's all good, just a little pot hole in the road of my summer time.    Enough, woe is me, let's get to catching up and getting crafty.

I had great visit from William last weekend.  Just love watching the world through his little eyes.   Love how he calls  his uncle Steve - Steam instead of Steve.  Love that he can say Grand mom but I am still his Dam-ma.  We were in the middle of a massive heat wave and spent a lot of time in the pool.     But wait, when all were told to stay  in AC, we went hiking!   OMGosh, I really questioned my sanity when we loaded up the car and headed to Brandywine State Park.  A mile and 3/4's in, wading in the creek and then a walk out really wasn't bad.   It was an easy 15 degrees cooler in the canopy of the trees.  Wading in the cool creek water was a plus especially with a little guy that loves everything water.  When it was time for them to leave on Sunday evening, he was reduced to the biggest puddle of tears when he realized I wasn't going with him.   I don't think I have every seen such big tears.  He told his daddy his daddy was not his friend anymore.   And when they said they had to get home for his step-brother and their dog, there was a pathetic.....but I LOVE her.  

When is was time to leave, he took his clothes off and ran up the stairs.

.......just when I don't think I could be anymore in love with this little guy.    So blessed that we are able to travel back and forth for visits and use Face Time in between.  Next visit, end of August.

As for my for projects, I have finished up Hooray for the Red, White and Blue.    I have "placed" it in the frame but am not sure if I want to do something different with it.  

I am close to finishing Patriotic Poppies from With Thy Needle and Thread.   Problem here is working on the large count, it is eating up the thread like crazy.   I ran out of GA Endive.   I will first pull my ring of fancy flosses to see if I have something that is close and try to use up my stash.  If not I guess it is time to go to the LNS.     Plan is to make this into a pillow.  It's not the only project I have ready to turn into a pillow so I  need to get my machine stitching back on.  

With William here last week, the sewing machine got put away.   I had been on a great tear with my cutting mat set up on the dining room table.   I could take 20 minutes in the morning,  cut or seam pieces, and another 20 minutes at night and BAM!  I'd have a lot to show in one week with little effort.   If I have to pick between the sewing machine and the treadmill, hands down, the sewing machine wins.  

And I have been kind of happy with myself for all the projects I have moved from WIP's to finishes in the last year and gave myself permission to make a new start!    In true Jersey Girl fashion, we Jersey Girls are doing it as a SAL.   I think there are 5 of us starting it today!   I had to order 5 skeins of GA Cranberry that has not yet arrived so I started on the white.     It is called Sampler Santa from The Needle's Notion.

Thanks all I've got for now.....I think I am returning to the couch and a box of tissues.    Ugh, summer colds.  Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching.

Decompressing

After a 5-day weekend with my daughter's and intense stitching time, it is time to mellow out.    Not that it was not mellow and the best time with my girls....it is just back to reality this week.  As you can see, we were mellow with our wine sippy cups and our unicorn floating drink holders.

First, I want to go back to my last post and when  I told you about the historic Salem Oak tree that fell over.   This is a clever, well thought out obituary that a local gal wrote and submitted to the Philadelphia Inquirer.   It is very well written and gives one pause for thought.







So what did we girls do last weekend......
I did finishing of several patriotic ornaments.    

They are from several designers.    Heart in Hand, a souvenir from Williamsburg, With Thy Needle and Thread.

I also finished off this from my Basket 'o Shame of Unfinished Finishes.  (Staci I will email you about the edges! I haven't forgotten)

I cut out 80 1 and 1/2 inch strips of fabric for a new quilt

And isn't it pretty when all your seams are pressed the same way?   I managed to get all the strips pieced and cut into squares.    I need to square them up and then I can start the piecing process.   

Heather gave me a really good idea for the layout.   She said to arrange all the pieces, then photograph in black and white.   I will then be able to better see the color values and more blocks around to a better arrangement.

The inner border, outer border and bidding are at the bottom of the photo.

I also stitched up this project bag for a friend.   It was a thank you for all the stash she has been passing to me as she is downsizing.   Somehow the orientation got turned around and I disavow any knowledge that mimosa's were had on this morning of stitching.  

I worked on my Hooray for the Red White and Blue and even came up with a fantastic frame weight.  

Here is how far I have gotten by week's end........I am enjoying this stitch but I am ready to be done if you know what I mean.  I'm getting there.

Heather and Amy each accomplished a lot but silly me didn't take photos of everything.  Heather managed two dresses and one top (or maybe the other way around) and a pin cushion.   Amy made two dresses, finished all the blocks for a quilt top and made an awesome weekender bag that rivals Vera Bradley.

Heather's pin cushion

Complete with a strap to put over your luggage handle.

For me to wind down this week, I pulled out a quilt top I finished several years ago.   Since all the necessary 'equipment' was already set up in the dining room, I quilted this up and am left to hand stitch the binding.

Can you tell I am just in love with the colors and how this turned out?    No way near flawless but I am thrilled to have it done.

Had this framed at Michael's and love how the frame compliments the stitching.  Even more so in person.

And had this framed at new framer's this week.   It is ABCD from La-D-Da.

Well, that's all I've got folks.    Time for me to lounge by the pool and swing in my egg chair and maybe take a little nippy nap between stitches.    Thanks for stopping by and keep on stitching!