Home again...

Laundry is spinning. Guinea pigs have been fed, cuddled and are enjoying munching on food in their play yard. One cat has ventured out for cuddling, brushing and made sure her food dish was filled.

Relaxing time...although the kids seem to think they are hungry and Mom should know what dinner will be! Geez, I guess vacation is over.

Some shots of the sunrise yesterday from my balcony. All by myself as everyone else was sleeping.

6:09AM 6/27/16

6:19 6/27/16

6:29 6/27/16

6:39 6/27/16 Aidan joined me for this one.

Sunday fun day....

All of the prep work I did last week has paid off. After a brief day at work at the pool store with my hubby, I plan to stitch in the passenger seat of the car while riding over to the beach for a couple of days. This will be my view off the balcony

and I can't wait for this evening when the smell of the ocean and the sound of the waves will be a nice relaxing change while I stitch. The kids slept over at Grandma's last night and are heading over to the beach early this morning.

I plan to add a solid blue round to my trip quilt (all 84 squares got marked on Friday) and add some stitches to the 1857 quilt borders that I prepped last night.

Head on over to Kathy's Quilts and see what other slow stitching is happening today.

RSC Saturday.....

I got one pinwheel made this week. The other two..... well, it appears I sewed the triangles wrong...... so sewing that day stopped. I do like how it looks though with the white in the middle. Hmmmm, this might become a RSC block that I do monthly with a consistent white pinwheel. =) Sometimes those mistakes make the greatest quilts.

This morning.... I prepped the other 8 pinwheel blocks that I need and some more scrappy houses in teal.

My plans today.... once I can get the kids moving, dressed, packed and have their rooms cleaned up..... will be driving them to Grandma's with a stop for haircuts on the way. When I get back... cleaning the house, sewing, writing a note for the animal care while away and packing for the beach for a couple of days. Not necessarily in that order =).  I would love to get my UFO for the month quilted today... not sure it will fit into the plans but we will see. It has been a very busy but productive week... just not in the sewing room. My programming work week went well with the kids at swim camp and Grandma picked them up Friday since I was working in the pool store that day. Today... is prep for vacation day and tomorrow Grandma will take the kids over in the morning and Greg and I will join them tomorrow night after working the last day of the sale at the store. Busy, busy, busy as always at my house. I did lots of prep work last weekend so I have plenty of hand work for sitting on the balcony overlooking the ocean the next couple of days. =) I do love listening to the sound of the waves rolling in on the beach.

Head on over to the RSC Challenge and see how others did with their teal this week.

Row By Row Experience....

I was poking around on-line yesterday and found out that the Row by Row Experience starts today!
The travel dates this year are June 21, 2016 through September 6, 2016. The theme - Home Sweet Home.

I picked up a few of the patterns last year, mostly while on vacation at the beach around the Melbourne area - and only made one of them up! Hey - I think I hit 5 shops in about 2.5 hours so it was a great little shop hop!  Do I want to join in this year... heck yeah. Will I? Hmmmm not sure. The good thing about this is that the shops that are participating offer their pattern for free. Most also offer a kit of their block - which is a great deal... and some have fabric license plates from their shops. Last year I joined up with Angela and her daughter from the RSC Challenge over at SoScrappy and hit a few shops over by the beach while I was on vacation. I'm heading over again early next week..... might have to hit a shop or two while there..... just for the free pattern of course.

My Quilting in Vermont Facebook group was my 'reminder'. One of my favorite shops Yankee Pride in Essex Jct. Vermont posted their row... and it reminded me of my good friend Michelle up in VT. She loves the Wizard of OZ and the row is Dorothy's red shoes on the yellow brick road. Very fitting for the theme this year of 'Home Sweet Home'.

Will you be joining in? The link above has options to find stores that are participating by state or province (Canada is joining in this year again!).


Below are some photo's of my rows from last year.

Last year's Row by Row patterns and license plates.

The one row I actually made!

A shot of the row from the store... love this one. Might have to pull it out and make it. They added beads which just made this a spectacular row. 

Slow Sunday and Happy Fathers Day.....

Just wanted to wish the fathers in my life a very Happy Fathers Day.  My FIL is coming over today and his request is my Taco Salad. I'll make that up in a bit for him. The kids and I made cinnamon rolls on Thursday for Greg's breakfast this morning. He got breakfast in bed.

I have wonderful memories of growing up and those special moments with Dad are always fun to think back on. Saturday morning was 'going to the dump' (garbage and recycle for those not in VT!). There was even going to the dump music on the AM radio station! Great times with Dad and they always included a stop at a little general store either at home or camp. At home - I got some penny candy - sweedish fish, my favorite while Dad chatted with the owner. Then there was Sunday mornings...when he always read the funnies to me....as he does with my kids now. Plus.... all those games of chutes and ladders and candy land after he had a long day at work. He always took the time and played games.... as a parent now I am in awe of the numerous games in a row he played without any complaints. I love you Dad. Can't wait to see you next month. Practice your backgammon.... we'll be challenging you to some games.

Grandpa R and Aidan and Emily at camp before we moved so age 3+2.

My FIL Tom, Aidan and Greg - 2 years ago.

Now onto the quilty part of the blog! I had a wonderful day Friday. No work and the kids were at STEM camp. Free time for Mom. What did I do you ask? Well, lots of things and I am now set for hand work of any kind!

First I prepped a backing and pinned my June UFO. I did not feel like machine quilting it Friday... so it waits.

Then, I did some pressing of teal scraps.... pulled out my BITA list and no teal needed! Hmmmm. 

I then prepped 4 blocks for the 1857 album quilt and about 6 border parts. I prepped the background and drew the lines on the back so I can back baste appliqué. I still need to pull fabrics. I also made my corner peels for the blocks I have done already. This is a shot of the blocks I have completed so far.

I also marked the sewing lines on the next round of my trip around the world quilt. I have added a blue side and might be able to add some more today. I am on round 20 so have 80 squares to add this round.

Then I found my dresden plates in green and appliquéd them to their white background. I just need to add their frames and then pin them for hand quilting. I decided to do quilt as you go with these 16 inch blocks. A white sashing will connect them all. The orange one is how they all will look before hand quilting.

Then... I had dug into the bucket of hand work earlier this week and found some pink hexies. I pulled that UFO project out to figure out what happened. Oh yea.... that last row did not hand stitch on correctly. I pulled it out and it needs to get reattached. I had the teal and bright green out so I cut and prepped some more hexagons and made a few more flowers. I just need to make a white row and then attach them. I think it might be done at that point for a little wall hanging....but we'll see. This will get hand quilted whenever it decides to be done.

So many choices but much better than last week when I wanted to do hand work at night but had nothing prepped! That is remedied and I love having options.

Linking up with Kathy's Quilts and other slow stitchers this weekend. I think the row of hexagons will get added back today and blue squares will be added to the trip quilt. But who knows, that applique may be calling my name =)

RSC in aqua

A nice Friday all to myself. Kids were at their last day of STEM camp - which they absolutely loved! I worked my 20 hours M-th this week so finally got a day off with no one in the house. I got a lot of things prepped (backing made, quilt pinned, applique 1857 blocks prepped, teal scraps pulled and pressed) and a few stitches were added. This was the only thing in aqua and bright green that applied to the RSC Challenge.

I was out of hand work earlier this week so I dug into the bucket next to the recliner and found some pink hexagons all prepped. I pulled some teal and bright green out today and prepped and made a few more flowers while watching a few episodes of Downtown Abby. That led me to pull out this UFO from the drawer and see where I was and why it ended up in the drawer as a UFO. Well, first I was wondering if I should make these into diamonds since I had 2 more pink hexagons ready for each of the flowers I had made..... that would have been adding a new project. No, I will not start anything new until something gets finished. Closer examination of the little quilt explained why it landed in the UFO pile. See last last (un)stitched row? yup, somehow it was not right so I pulled out my hand stitching and will see what the issue was. I think I started the row one hexagon off. I guess it is going to be a little bigger since I made some more flowers. We will see how this one turns out. I see it as a wall hanging maybe? We shall see. Oh, for those wondering each hexagon side is 1 inch.

Linking up on Saturday morning with The RSC Challenge. 

Happy Anniversary..... June 15

Just wanted to wish the best parents ever a very Happy Anniversary. This was a photo from their anniversary party a few years ago....

And my last picture of them with the kids March 2015. We will have to remedy that next month when we are up in Vermont. Hehe...they both have gotten a lot taller in the last year. (The kids, not Mom and Dad! Those jammies are now high waters on Aidan) 

I have been up to VT to see them in December and in March but the kids have not seen them (other than Skype) since this photo. They can't wait to see you both.

Hope you both have a wonderful day.

Slow stitching Sunday.....

I have been lucky to get  a lot of slow stitching in this week while the kids were at an evening camp. I  got one of my 1857 blocks done (well, except for the peel borders) and another nearly done. I just have one green peel to finish turning on this one. I thought this one was very fitting with the cross in the middle to be stitching in the church while waiting on the kids this week.

I'm linking up with Kathy's Quilts today for a look at slow stitching around the globe. I have a short stint at the pool store working today (It has been months since I have had to go into work there!), then I hope to come home and have dinner all made for me. A nice change I think. It will allow me some nice and relaxing slow stitching time this evening.

Saturday houses in aqua....

I finally got a little sewing time this morning and worked on these two houses. They are pressed but I guess the iron was not hot enough.... those wrinkles did not come out! Yes, these fabrics were pulled from the bottom of a bucket all nice and wrinkled.

Linking up with the RSC Challenge. In that bucket... I found a slew of blues. I am seriously considering making another scrappy blue and cream log cabin quilt. I sold the one I had made with this challenge back in 2013 earlier this spring. Must finish off one or two UFO's first though.

I think I missed my walk and weeding opportunity. 9AM and way too hot and humid to be outside. Guess I'll just stay inside and get my quilt top from last week  ready for pinning. I cut the batting. Just need to make a backing and then clear off the sewing table for pinning..... ok, that will be a task in itself. I was hoping to quilt it today too... but we'll see how the day progresses. A few phone calls to make for Avon delivery and a little programming work to get done. Kids had an overnight at Grandma's yesterday but she'll return mid afternoon so we can all go rollerskating. Me..I'll be in sneakers but the kids will try it. This is a summer girl scout event but they opened it up to families so Aidan will skate for the first time. It should be interesting! Tomorrow, I have to remember pool things and actually work in the store for the short day. I don't think I have been into work there since February... the last time my manager had time off. Greg picked the short straw for today (he did not want to do the rollerskating with kids!). So much to do... and so little time. Hopefully next week will go a little easier. I have the kids scheduled for a STEM camp. It should give me time to actually work (programming)  in peace and quiet while they are away and hopefully will tire them out. The following week is a swim camp for them. I'm off to shower and get moving with my list of 'to do's. I hope to check in with the linkup later this evening.... assuming we survive the roller skating!

Mid week appliqué....

Well, TS Colin just dropped a few inches of rain on us at my house. The kids got a little stir crazy and it was interesting to try and work with them...... but I finally had an idea after lunch and had them make Kool Aid play dough. Advise - use a zip lock baggie to make this and start with 2 cups of flour not 1 1/4. That kept them busy for a while in the afternoon making 'cookies' and opening a restaurant. Yesterday I dropped them off to Grandma early in the morning and got a nice 6 hour day in and completed a project so it moved up for testing. She took them over to the gulf coast and said there was a lot of erosion on the beaches over there. They got home in time for Vacation Bible School at the church where they do scouts. A first for us... they had a good time. That will be a couple of hours each evening this week as their activity.

While they were doing activities I enjoyed quiet in the air conditioned sanctuary and got some stitching time in. This block got completed and I also finished the diamond star this weekend.

Slow Stitching Sunday....

I prepped this appliqué with back basting last night. I must have been tired since I back basted the whole thing instead of one part at a time! Oh well, it made it easy to pick it up this morning with some quiet time.

Looks like rain is starting in the afternoon.... some slow stitching time will happen then. For now... time to head out and weed a bit before the heat gets too intense. On the way home from The Crayola Experience last night around 6 and the thermometer in the car went from 99 to 100 briefly about a mile from our house. Crazy hot!

I looked out the back slider window and saw this one on the ground.... then he flew off to the trees. There are a pair of hawks in my back yard! This one perched on the pool for a little bit.

Better go out and help Emily in the garden. She is out getting the tools ready for us.

Linking up with Kathy's Quilts and her Slow Stitching Sunday link party.

RSC Saturday.....

I am so happy aqua, lime green and Caribbean Ocean colors were selected this month. I hope to pull out those scraps next week and play with them. This week I have been concentrating on my UFO I selected for the month. I made a bunch of 16 patch blocks last year with the challenge. Around this time last year I had a thought to set it in a 'goodnight irene' pattern. I'm happy to say it came out better than the picture in my head last year! This is now a top and hopefully it will get quilted in the next two weeks. I see a nice scrappy binding to finish it off. A big Thank you to Grandma H for taking the kids Thursday morning and keeping them until Friday afternoon. It allowed me to get my work done, enjoy some sewing time and have a nice dinner with the hubby.

Linking up on Saturday with the RSC Challenge. Head on over and get inspired.

I'll be hanging out in Orlando Saturday at the Crayola Experience with my girl scout troop. A slew of 5,6 and 7 year olds...thank goodness all have a parent going with us. I think we wanted to go as much as the kids did!  It should be a fun time.

Progress on my UFO for June....

Grandma took the kids to the movies yesterday and then for an overnight at her house. After working.... I got to sew! A little more progress was made. I also found and cut out the few remaining colored squares I need while I was digging in the scrap bins. I just need to cut more of the white background and then start sewing things together. I must say..... I LOVE how this is coming out. I already know the quilting pattern I want to do... hopefully the FMQ will not give me fits when I get to that point. Right now.... it is looking like 64x64 for a size... unless I add some borders. I think it will stay at that size...easier to move through the machine for quilting. A very scrappy binding will finish this off.