First Day at Home

The first day at home and the yard beckons. John did some organizing and went out to an appointment. After lunch he started working outside.
We have a huge oak tree in the back yard and numerous poplar - so there are lots of leaves. The oak hasn't really lost many leaves yet - we have been known to rake after Christmas!!!
First comes the blower....... Then the rake and then the mower......

I attacked some of the fabric that was unearthed over the weekend.

This piece of corduroy because a jumper for Allison - a really quick 2 hour pattern.

It will look really cute with a red turtleneck and red tights....

And a piece of flannel will be a nightgown......

There are a couple other pieces of flannel that will become sleep pants for Alexander. Gotta save something for tomorrow!!

Moving Day

Saturday was "Move the Office to Home" day.......John has left the office building and will have his office here in the house. Two Men and a Truck helped on Saturday - brought the big desks, cabinets, files, and chairs. The carpenter was here to cut parts down so they would fit in this room.
There are still the 2 beds that the kids use when they stay with us.......we have to keep those.
We have had to get under-bed storage containers for many wall quilts that I used to keep on the beds - under the spread and flat. Now they are folded - too bad...that's just the way it has to be.
The organizing begins........... and the adjustment to having a husband home all the time.............

I got into the act, too.......I started cleaning some shelves in a walk in closet in my sewing room. These shelves have seen many additions of fabric in 15 years - and really needed purging.
They were overflowing........and much of the fabric will never be used by me.
Not in a million years!!!!!!
My trunk is full of bags of fabric to take to a friend who makes LOTS of charity quilts. I counted 13 bags.

I also filled a large trash can.......

This is what the shelves look like now - still too much fabric......but I can see most of it now.
I also have 14 large bins of fabric - labeled -oriental, stripes, bugs, 30's, christmas, etc......and a few smaller bins of hand dyed and the like.
To the right of these shelves are 4 larger and deeper shelves - I went thru 2 of them......most of that fabric is in piles of interest - floral, food, leaves, texture, etc........and there is LOTS more to do...........
The top shelf is kid and conversation fabric and the other side is cat fabric - WAY too much of those, but they are important......at least I think so. In between on that top shelf is the laundry chute drop - I need to keep up on that front, too......
Under the shelves - more - 3 boxes of sewing fabric - not quilting fabric, and a box of flannel.........will I ever use it????? I don't know - maybe pj's for the kids are in order!!!
I also went thru 3-4 other areas where fabric has collected. And there is a pile of yardage - something I don't have much of...but still a pile.
I did save out some fabric for me to make a quilt for Ele's Place - a place for grieving children.......and their grief camp. I always make a few quilts for charity each year. Both guilds have their causes....and I contribute.
I'm pleased with what I have done so far.......but this all takes time from sewing!!!!!!!!

Sunset

The sunset last evening was AWESOME!!!!!

I stood on the deck for quite awhile.
The sky was a-blaze. What is yellow in the pictures was a bright orange and the shades of pink were amazing.
The inside of the house glowed..........it was truely a magnificent event.

It was so eerie that we had just watched the news about the fires in California. It looked like they were just over the hill..........




My pictures do not show the brilliant colors......

Latest Quilts

This is the wedding quilt for my niece, Erin. Just the top.
It is too big for me to quilt - so it will go "out" to be machine quilted by someone with a longarm machine.
The blocks were done by my block exchange group - thank you all very much.

That is a very nice batik for the border and the setting triangles.
There was a very nice breeze when taking pictures.......oh well.......the backing dried nicely....

This is the backing for the wedding quilt - it is also batik. Note my yard helper walking away.

After the pictures were taken we raked leaves...
This little quilt will go to the Grand Ledge Home Tour........my friend(?) Kathy got me into this donation.
This is a close up of Good Morning......I have finished hand quilting.
I quilted designs taken from the patterns in the Jane Sassaman focus fabric
The gentle breeze made it hard to get a picture - this will have to do.

P.S. I sent this picture to Jane Sassaman and she emailed back - she liked what I did with her fabric and she liked the title.

I'm honored!!!

Bedtime Routine

When the kids visit we have a bedtime routine that is something else.....
First comes baths.........everyone gets their own.
Then comes the selection of snacks - plural. Bars, yogurt, pudding cups, leftovers, breakfast cereal, banana bread, popcorn, rice cakes, fruit, etc. Most nights the kids eat like I haven't fed them dinner. Tonights' snack included pop tarts, yogurt, pudding cups, and leftover pasta.
I don't think anyone was hungry!!!

After snack is some snuggle time with Grandpa......he was hurting, or so he said after he saw the picture. He did something to his elbow when golfing earlier in the day.

How can you hurt with these two around you????

Then we did some exercise - or I did the exercise and the kids did the flying!!!!!!!!

This little guy would push the others away so he could have more turns.

He loved this.

My legs loved it too - good exercise....really.

Saturday, October 20.....Lots of fun

This is a reunion picture.....the 2 young ladies in the center started their friendship in 4th grade........and now look at them!! Emily has 2 cute boys and Ashley has 2 cute boys and a darling girl. On either end are 2 grandmas - they are pretty good looking too!!!!

We met at the downtown Grand Rapids Library where I did a storytime with my books and quilts. Emily lives in Kentwood and Ashley lives in Ohio. The girls have not seen each other in a few years. We came home to nice weather - and time to play outside.......

Andrew picked up golf balls as Alexander practiced with his 7 iron. He has to use plastic balls in the front yard as he can hit them pretty well now....

Alexander can throw a good spiral with the old nerf football.......

Allison got out the little wheelbarrow and re-arranged my pumpkins along the front walk.

Notice those 2 front teeth coming in.

The day also included Halloween costume try-ons.

I knew I needed to hem the red cape......and shorten the legs for the penguin.

This started out to be the Red Imperial Guard from Star Wars. Alexander decided he really wanted it to be Darth Sidious - so that's what it is!!!!

He has some red face paint to add later.

This ballet outfit was worn by Ashley is a recital a few years ago!!

Allison looks beautiful and was very graceful dancing around the house.

Andrew is a cute little penguin.......he was fascinated by a wind sock that is hanging on the front deck.

It sure was nice to spend the day with the kids - and Ashley.

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

This morning, the mouse from the book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, visited my library.

I was the mouse and boy oh boy, was the costume HOT!!!!!

First you put a tummy and back padding on.
Then the fake fur body.
Then the padded overalls..........after that come large feet, and the hands. The head is heavy and has a helmet inside - with a 5/8 inch bolt resting on top of my head!!!!!!!!!!! I found a crochet pot holder in the kitchen area and padded my head. I felt HUGE, top heavy and HOT.....but managed to wave, dance and shake hands. Vision is very limited....
There were cookies for the kids!!!! Maggie, Adam, Mouse and Darwin.......

Mrs. Bolley and me.

Trick or Treat Bags

For the past few years, I have made bags to go with Halloween costumes.
The tradition continues..............
I am NOT disclosing what the costumes are..........just that they relate to the bags.............

Ghosts

This summer when Allison was here we made flip flops with her feet. They are on an earlier post.

We also did these handprints which were turned into ghosts.

I just finished the top and wanted to get it on line so I can call Allison and have her see it. I will get backing and some machine quilting done today so I can hang it.

I hope to get some handprints the next time the kids are here - for Christmas wall hanging.

The ideas come from a book - Calendar Kids, Handprint Quilts through the Year. I've seen it at Joann's - use your 40%off coupon!!!

Where is Mango????

Mango spends his mornings outside this time of year. He usually comes in after our lunch.
I have been busy in my sewing room and looked for him in the sunshine of the living room. No cat.............
I looked ALL OVER - there are many hiding places and he has found a new one. I'm surprised he has not used this soft bed before!!!
I store the kids sleeping bags and quilts under the desk in Ashleys' room.

Beginning of Fall

I think we have had the last of the 80 plus degree days - and the humidity to go along with it!!!
Now to reality of Fall.
Many garden flowers are gone - but I still have some mums and daisys' left.....
The birds still come to my little bath.....

This is what is left of my garden. There are a few small red tomatoes and some second growth small peppers that I will harvest this afternoon......and take the vines out.

This is a no-sew project for Allison. Not intentionally, it matches her back-pack she got for first grade.

I'm thinking she can wear it over her Halloween costume - which I cannot tell here....wait for a later post.

And this is what I have been working on. I hand pieced and hand placed the curved units.

Now I am hand quilting.........using designs taken from the Jane Sassaman fabric that I started with.

I do find hand quilting to be very relaxing....even tho my stitches are not as small as they used to be.