May Flowers!

 What do April Showers bring?...............May Flowers!

Ok, so I'm a little embarrassed by this picture.  We took this at an Amish greenhouse we stopped at one day.  I guess this would be an "upcycle"?  Well-fertilized???  No, we didn't bring any home.  We did get 4 tomato plants and flowers for 3 pots.  I'm hoping to stop at another greenhouse later this week.

And speaking of flowers.........

Here is the wonderful young lady I have been mentoring at church for the last four years.  David built her this wall of old barn boards to use as a photo backdrop for her graduation party on Saturday.  She loves flowers so decorated it with flowers.  The wall was a big hit and we were asked by her friend's parents to borrow if for their party.

Sunday I attended a vocal recital and then had my piano recital.  They all did very well.  

Speaking of piano students, my student who took 2 of Mabel's kittens sent me this photo.  Doesn't she look just like Mabel?

I am glad piano is finished for the summer.  I will miss the students, but their schedules were becoming so chaotic that it was difficult to squeeze in lessons.  

On Monday, I looked at my calendar to find a completely blank square of white!  Whatever should I do?

Well, here is the list.............

I did a load of laundry, moved the piano to a new location and rearranged some other furniture, hung up new quilted all hangings, I quilted the Snailin' Around Town Quilt,

While it was quilting out, I pieced these drunkards path blocks just to try out a template I hadn't used before.  Not sure I like them, but I do like the template.  This might become a quilt, or not.

And I quilted and bound this wall hanging for my hubby to give to his mother for Mother's Day.

And I baked cookies.........

And I gave Esme a bath (she's not too sure about this new-found freedom in my calendar)

I also took the cushion off the piano bench so that I could recover it.  I might have worked on that, but the cushion was in use.

As was the cushion from the window seat which I also want to recover.  I have never seen Esme and Mabel spend this much time this close together.

And earlier in the week, I did the cutting for the Cozy Picnic sew-along that starts in May.  I'm trying to hold off sewing ahead and am making myself stay with the weekly assignment.  We'll see how long I can make it.  I love this Art Gallery fabric.  I am doing the Earthy fabric kit.

Well, that's about it for the start of May.  I'm hoping to get a lot more quilting done this month since the TBQ closet is really full.  

Christi

Big Catch Up!

Some people were worried about how Esme might survive as an only cat now that Cici is gone.  You can see that it has been really bothersome to her.  

Her new favorite place to sleep in the sewing room is on top of a basket of old quilt blocks that I need to work up into some kind of project.  

Mabel and Harry Potter do come inside occasionally.  When Harry is around, some sort of chaos usually happens...........

Fortunately I did finally get these block off the floor and set together.  This will hopefully be the next thing I quilt.  I did 3 quilts for my mom last week, delivered them, and she handed me 2 more.

I love how this Snailin' Around Town quilt came out.  It will have a yellow backing.  Everything is cut and hanging in the TBQ closet ready to go when I get a chance.  It probably won't be this week.

Remember all these little pieces?

They became little piggies!

Which became a pink pig/John Deere baby quilt that my sister is gifting to someone.

The backing was pink checked John Deere as well and I quilted it with farm animals.

Speaking of farm animals, I took this lady to Columbia and got help grooming her.  She is so soft and fluffy now.  She thought she was really spoiled that day and she even got a pup cup from DQ on the way home.  

And in other animal news, I finished the last 8 of the Foxes in Flannels.

Here are all 24 of them on the floor.  I have since gotten them sashed and sewn into a top.  Backing, binding, and batting are all hanging in the TBQ closet.

Both the snails and foxes were on my UFO list, so I hope to get them quilted and finished up soon.  Something NOT on my UFO list was to discover just how many mondo bags I could get from a jelly roll.  The answer?  3.  And 2 zipper pouches, and there was no scrap bigger than an inch thrown away.

These will be gifted to my cousin Brenda and her 2 daughters, Hannah and Mackenzie soon.  

And I made 2 of the string blocks for the block lotto at guild this month.  I like the look of string blocks, but HATE to make them.  So these 2 blocks are really a miracle.

David has been planting corn (until the rains started).  He has about a days worth left to plant.  He planted our 12 rows of sweet corn first.  I made him this corn bag from an old pair of jeans to wear to pick corn.  I made one for myself as well.  I think it will also be nice when you are on a ladder picking apples or peaches.  Or picking green beans or peas.  I did tell him it shouldn't be used for cherries or blackberries or raspberries.

I also finished all 72 of the blocks for the O Christmas Tree quilt.  I have half of them sewn together, but am taking a break.  I loved this quilt in the pattern book, but it really hasn't been that much fun to make.  I think that once it's quilted and finished, I might have the same love for it that I did when I started.

Well, that's about it from the sewing room.  Actually, I did finally finish the borders on Sarah's Christmas Quilt and it's also in the TBQ closet (yes, the closet is getting full, some some major quilting needs to happen soon).

It's gonna be a busy week.  It's the last week of piano lessons, with a recital this weekend.  Several of my students are in their school musical, Peter Pan, this week, so that's Thursday evening.  And Friday I'm helping my mentee from church get ready for her graduation open house on Saturday.  Oh, and some of my piano students have a vocal recital on Sunday, so busy, busy, busy.  But at least I got the blog caught up a little.  I just keep saying if I can make it through the weekend, I'll be able to breath again.

Christi

 

Happy Easter!

Well, we survived Easter weekend, barely.  We had a great time at Sarah's in St. Peters.

When we arrived Friday afternoon, they had the sewing machine out and I was tasked with creating a sword cover for Aaron.  He wanted a thicker fabric than anything I had brought, so he and I went to Hobby Lobby where he selected this chicken fabric.  I never would have thought this would be the selection choice.

Saturday morning, David and Aaron went to Menards and got stuff to sew some more grass in the yard.  Sarah and I hung out and sported our Harry Potter t-shirts.

After an early lunch, we headed to the Fabulous Fox Theater to see..............

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child!  We were in the balcony for a sold out performance.  The theatre holds 4900 people, so it was crowded.  It was a great play and the special effects were amazing.

After the show we ate at Pappy's Smokehouse.  Sunday morning, we went to Sarah's church and then lunch at Olive Garden.  

It was a fun weekend.  We did get a call Friday evening from David's mom that his Dad was in pain.  Our neighbor came up and took him to the ER.  David's brother and sister-in-law came.  The short story is that Lloyd has a kink in his intestines.  He was transferred to Boone Hospital in Columbia and is still there.  David had to put his mom in the nursing home on Monday.  Taking care of all of the stuff surrounding that has taken up most of his time since.  He did actually get to the field yesterday afternoon.

I spent Tuesday afternoon cleaning out their frig and freezer and working in the kitchen.  It's no where near finished.  I have 3 tubs of clean tupperware containers to take back over when I head over to do more cleaning, probably tomorrow.  

The only sewing I have done was to put the binding on this wall hanging.  It was a pattern I drew up and made with some batik fabrics that I had won.  It was not a UFO, so yes, I did start something new, but I also finished it!  And it has already been gifted.

I caught Mabel snoozing in the window seat without Harry.  This was concerning, because this is usually his spot and if he wasn't there, what could he possibly be up to?

Well, I should have realized that the dryer is actually his favorite spot and when the door is closed and you can't get in, you do the next best thing..........

And here is the UFO list update.  It actually wasn't as much fun as I thought since I had only finished 2 more things, the Show and Tell quilt and the Chalet quilt.  But that brings the total to 15 of 29 finished, so just over half.  I may spend a little time in the sewing room today and then hopefully most of Saturday.  I'll deserve it after cleaning all day Friday.

 1.  Proposal  (FINISHED!)

2.  Waverly  (FINISHED!)

3.  Lookout  (FINISHED AND GIFTED!)

4.  St. Pats Pillow  (FINISHED!)

5.  St. Pats Runner  (FINISHED!)

6.  St. Pats Wall Hanging  (FINISHED!)

7.  Jimmy John  (FINISHED AND GIFTED!)

8.  Snailing Around Town

9.  Chalet  (FINISHED!)

10.  Foxes in Flannels

11.  Show and Tell  (FINISHED!)

12.  Love in Bloom Panel  (FINISHED AND GIFTED!)

13.  O Christmas Tree

14.  Heaven and Nature Sing

15.  Scrap Jar Stars  (FINISHED!)

16.  Hash Tag

17.  Jelly Twist

18.  Halloween Panel

19.  Thanksgiving Panel

20.  Redlin Panel

21.  Legendary

22.  My Kinda Town

23.  Turkey Lurkey  (FINISHED!)

24.  Turkey Blocks  (FINISHED!)

25.  Cat Nip

26.  Pineapple  (FINISHED!)

27.  Tea Time Topper  (FINISHED!)

28.  Vintage 30's Blocks

29.  Great Grandma's Fans

Fifteen of 29 finished!

Christi

It's April!

 It's only the third day of April and I can say that we have already had our share of April Showers.  The days have been dreary, sleepy days............

It's good to stay close to those you love when the weather is so dreary.

There was a big sewing room finish already this month.............

The Show and Tell quilt is a FINISH!!!!  (yes, it's probably time to update the UFO list again..........maybe in the next post)  I just love this quilt.  It was so much fun to make and I already want to do it again and change up the quilts.  It's just so stinkin' adorable!  I am thinking about writing up something telling about each of the animals (of course, they'll need names) and their quilts.  They are like my sewing room friends.  (Esme takes great umbridge with this notion, SHE is the best sewing room friend and is actually alive!)

Speaking of notions...........

I finally tried out those new letter labels when I cut the pieces for this quilt.  Can you guess what it will be?  Stay tuned for this one.

I seem to be moving at a snails pace on some things (or maybe just getting side tracked by other things.....stay tuned).  The Snailin' Around Town quilt is laid out on the floor (well, it has been somewhat rearranged since this photo by various four-legged sewing room assistants), just waiting to be sewn together.  I'm anxious to get to it since I love the border fabric I purchased at Marshall Dry Goods.

I also made some updates to my t-shirt from the big track meet in Arkansas...........

I will wear it proudly!  The outdoor season is underway now.

Well, you can see how the morning is progressing here.  

Happy Easter weekend everyone.  Maybe the bunny will bring us some sunshine!

Christi

Goodbye

Cici died yesterday.  She had been throwing up all day and when I called the vet, they first available appointment they had was at 8 am this morning which turned out to be too late.  I will say that Cici would have hated a trip to the vet, so maybe it was a blessing that she went quickly.  She was 10 years old.

There was never a basket that she didn't try to fit herself into............

She loved hanging out in the cat tower and looking outside or hanging out in the window seat.  

Or on the kitchen table............I mean, there was a quilt laying there, so she should obviously be there too.

She also spent some time in the sewing room.  She was great help at unthreading the machines and doing her own quilt layouts when I put blocks out on the floor.   She will be missed.

Christi