Catching up.......AGAIN!

 Where, oh where, did the first half of the month go?  I hope you have time to sit awhile cuz this could get to be a long one!

First, let's just say that THE CROPS ARE IN!  And now it's raining!

We had some storms last night, which meant Willow had to come inside and for some reason my DH let Harry Potter inside too.

Now, would you think that this cute kitty would be a problem?

Don't let the photos deceive you!  He was leaping over us on the bed in the middle of the night.  So, there is a new rule at our house, NO BOYS in the house overnight. 

We'll still let Willow in as long as she doesn't look like she does this morning.  She and Friday went on an "explore" this morning.  

I spent Mother's Day weekend at Sarah's in St. Peters.  We had brunch at Kingside Diner after church on Sunday.  YUM!

She took me to a chic flick Friday night.  On Saturday she took me to a big flea market/antique mall, then to the City Sewing Room where people donate old fabric and craft supplies and they resell them at low prices.  Here is what I got.............

We also had the last bell choir event.............bell polishing and a meal out.  The ringers presented me with this beautiful planter.

I made it to a few more soccer games including Senior Night!  They are playing the district tournament now.  They have a tough opponent tonight, so we're hoping for a win.

After Mother's Day, I went to Bethany for a couple of days to help my mom in her sewing room.  We cut out stuff for 8 projects!  We went to eat at the Pizza Shack in the evening and I took pics of the "interesting" decor..........

And outside was interesting as well........

On the way home, I detoured a bit to stop by a "you pick" strawberry farm in Lexington.  

I managed to pick a WHOLE LONG ROW!  Cousin Susie bought most of them from me to stock her freezer.  It was a fun experience.

In the sewing room, I got the Snailin' Around Town quilt totally finished.  I was able to show it at our guild meeting.

Our new opportunity quilt was shown at the meeting.  

And the back really shows off the quilting.

I made 2 of the block lotto blocks.  These aren't due until the July meeting.

And I did some patching on Harry Potter's house.  

I started a sew along on May 1st.  This was the scene at my sewing machine for about 10 days.  I was working on it, and got interrupted and never got back to it until last Thursday evening.  

Now it looks like this............3 rows are completely sewn together!  This is the Cozy Picnic pattern from Miriam at Stitch Obsessed.  I bought her Earthy kit of fabric to make it.

Well, are you exhausted?  I'm going to try to do a better job of blogging at regular intervals.  Hopefully!

Christi

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