Slow Stitching Sunday.....

Applique.... being the last day of the month I have just a little bit of stitching left on this last 1857 block for July. I have 4 circles to make and add, a little embroidery for the stems and then 4 peels. Very doable as today is just a relaxing Sunday with everyone at home.

stem and leaves are done.

berries are next.

Linking up with Kathy's Quilts. Head on over and see what other slow stitching is happening around the world.
Emily, her guinea pig flower and Sophie the cat this morning.

This was before we made an apple cinnamon coffee cake that is absolutely yummy! It came out of the oven while Grandpa A was here visiting. Just waiting on the washer to finish so I can swap to the dryer and then it is pool time! I do need to get some groceries at some point today... think we'll have steak on the grill with baked potato and salad for dinner. Nice and easy. 

RSC Saturday in Pink...

Thank goodness we had this last weekend in July so I could finish up my pinks this week. I did get a little sewing and prep time and got my 5 houses sewn up.

I also got out all my birds in the air blocks and determined what I have left to make. 

There were 6 pink ones that needed to be created and I was able to make them and cross pink off the list. Just need to add some in brown (I missed making any in Feb), black/grey, yellow and light/bright green. Who knows... I may have some time Saturday afternoon after running a girl scout recruiting booth for a few hours to get a little more sewing in. Maybe the bright and light green... since those fabrics are near the top of the scrap bins....

Linking up with the RSC Challenge on Saturday morning. I do wonder what color will be selected for August... I am hoping for one of the colors I have remaining for the BITA blocks..... =).

Two of three July Appliqué blocks done....

Good thing I have a few more days in the month. I finished adding the peels to these last night. Just have one more block to finish for this month. Maybe I can get to it today? We will see.

Mid week...

I'm happy to say I finished the binding on the Floating Cubes quilt on Sunday morning. So nice to get a finish.

Grandma decided to take the kids Monday for a sleepover and returned them after a late afternoon movie last night. That gave me a chance to spend a few hours deep cleaning the house Monday after working in the morning. Remind me to get a smaller house the next time! The main rooms are all cleaned - just need to work on bedrooms next then tackle the sewing room. Not touching the play room...... Yesterday morning was a little weeding out front to find the flowers again before it got too hot. Then working.... then a quick meeting to pick up some girl scout things for an information booth I am running on Saturday. That turned into a nice chat and lasted way longer than I was planning... but was a nice time.

While cleaning..... I found my favorite quilting hoop! Who knew it was small enough to fit in the hope chest with the other quilts? I found it when I changed out the quilt hanging in the dining room. Apples are now hanging... as the kids go back to school soon.

While searching in the sewing room I found my Fireworks quilt.... that has been waiting on hand quilting for a few years now. I put a few stitches in last night..... and will probably pull them out again like the first batch I had put in a while ago. Just need to figure out how I want to quilt it. Decisions, decisions...... Any ideas? I was thinking a line through the blue chains. Outline the 'stars'.... then?

Well, I think Emily forgot I said we could do the pool first thing this morning so I'll log into work for my 5 hours and then we'll do pool time this afternoon.

Weekend......

I got a much needed break from kids and had a nice quiet house to relax in today. You know how to relax, right? Sewing of course! I know, I know...the house is really dusty and needs cleaning badly.... but that will come next. After dropping the kids to Grandma (they had to be 'good' while up in Vermont for 11 days and boy did they let the other stuff out the last two days! Try concentrating on the computer working with that in the house =(. ) I was so happy for peace and quiet. Thankfully my splitting headache all day yesterday went away overnight so I was able to enjoy my 'day off'. 

After uncovering the sewing area (yup - things got thrown in there before vacation and somehow a ladder and a box of paper towels and moving padding got added to the mix while I was gone).... I pulled out my Goodnight Irene top and my walking foot and got to work. It took me 2.5 hours..... I outlined all the cubes and am calling it quilted. Next I grabbed some fabric and made my scrappy binding and attached it to my quilt. I think I am calling this one 'Floating Cubes' for lack of a better name. My slow stitching this weekend will be to hand stitch the binding down in the back and the triangle label area I remembered to put on as I was sewing the last corner. I had some oops muslin squares I had cut about 11 inches and folded that in half and sewed it in the corner while putting the binding on. Just need to sew the long side and write on the label. I made the 16 patches last year with the RSC Challenge and made the alternate X blocks and the borders last month and got it to a top stage. It will be so nice to have a Finish soon.

Floating Cubes

Back - outlined all the cubes with the walking foot

close up of back quilting.

Binding on and ready to hand stitch down.

I saw this shirt in Stowe Vermont - it is one of the Life is Good shirts, which I love. This saying was perfect. Kicking myself for not buying it... but then again... it could be found online here.

While up in Vermont I did manage to add the pink dot fabric to the trip around the world quilt. It is about 46 inches at this point. Time to mark the hot pink for the next round.

Linking up this weekend with the RSC Challenge on Saturday, Slow Stitching Sunday and Oh Scrap.

Since I am feeling much better now that I have played with fabric and my sewing machine (oh how I missed you the last 2 weeks!) I think I'll go clean the house before everyone descends on me. It might actually stay clean for an hour or so that way!

Saturday in Vermont....

I've been up here for a week and have done very little stitching. I have hand stitched a few light pinks to my trip around the world quilt. The next round will be a hot pink... then a lime green to hit the RSC colors for July.

I have done a little stitching on my 1857 album quilt blocks. This one 'might' get finished today while watching the kids play in the lake. I did promise kayaking today... since the little rain shower just nixed the hiking up the mountain this morning. We'll do that tomorrow morning before the family gathering around lunchtime.

After the last update in the Wednesday post.... we have been busy. Thursday my sister and a friend came out to camp and we headed out for a little hike at Moss Glenn Falls in Stowe. Beautiful views and a nice hike with some playing in the steam after.

Aidan and Emily July 2016 Moss Glenn Falls, VT

 Then it was back home for the afternoon with a boat ride while Mom took Dad to the Er to have a quick check with a droopy left eye. Nothing popped up on that and it went back to normal. We'll just keep an eye on it.  My niece came out for the afternoon to visit. After the boat ride she was in the lake with the kids until it started to thunder. We moved inside and played some games, had dinner (Firehouse pizza from the little store) and then went to the community bingo game. Big stakes.... $1 or bring a baked good to get in and cards were 3 for a $1!. The old fashioned way with chips to cover the called numbers. We didn't win anything but had a great time.

Friday was a Burlington day. We headed up and hit the Fizz Festival at Echo Science Center right on the waterfront. The kids had a great time watching soda explode and bubbles foaming everywhere.
We did a quick stop at Lake Champlain Chocolates to get some factory seconds of dark chocolate for Greg. Hopefully it did not melt too much in the cooler while we headed to the minor league baseball game that night. I am working part time at VSAC as a computer programmer and I got a few tickets to the game for employee appreciation night and a BBQ before hand.

It turned out to be princess and superhero night at the Lake Monster game.... so Emily got  a tiara and wand and ring, they also had The Oasis Day Spa doing hair, nails and glitter designs for the girls. Emily got a flower on her face and Aidan got a leaf on his arm. The kids had a great time at the ball game and despite it being a late night for them (in bed at 10PM) they actually SLEPT IN until 8 this morning!

Linking up with  Slow Stitching Sunday on Sunday. Linking up with the RSC Challenge for a teeny tiny bit of pink.

Having fun in Vermont....

Took our afternoon boat ride. 

There has been fishing off the dock for a few days. Emily has caught one pumpkin seed and Aidan has caught a couple pumpkin seed and one perch. We released them back into the lake for them to grow bigger and catch again. Emily did have a little mishap... she was showing Grammy how she can cast and fell right off the end of the dock! Yes, that was the 60 degree day. Once we convinced her to stand up.... she would not put one foot down.... so we had Aidan walk out and help her walk back. She was just scared with no injuries. She is more careful casting and making sure she is not on the end now! It was only waist deep on her at the end of the dock.

They drove on the boat ride Monday.

Monday we hit Ben and Jerry's and Cold Hollow Cider Mill in Waterbury.

I had to snap a picture of this sign =)

Yesterday I went into work and my sister Terri came out and helped out with the kids along with my niece Sarah. They were all tired out last night with playing in the woods, water and being kids.

Today someone flew in for a visit. A mallard duck must have known the kids were here. They fed it some duck food.

I have made a little progress on this. It seems like every time I pull this out to stitch, I get summoned to put a worm on a hook (solved that by putting a lure on each pole!), take a fish off a hook, put the paddle boat into the water, etc.... Maybe I can turn this flower and add a middle then four peels tonight? 

Sunday in a very rainy and cool Vermont!

I LOVE it! Ok, could do without the rain but I have to say, after 106 getting into the car Friday night in Florida to drive over to the hotel, I'll take the upper 50's this morning and rain with no complaints. The kids got a good night sleep in the cool temps and are up in the woods, rebuilding the teepee. Yes, it is raining but they are happy as clams.

I plan to relax and get some nice slow stitching in on my trip around the world quilt today as I listen to the rain hit the leaves and the roof. Such a relaxing sound here out at camp. The first round of light pink got marked on the first plane ride yesterday.

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

Friday....

All packed and ready to travel. I did get to finish off some teal houses this week from the June RSC colors.


 For pink.... I'll just see what happens to this pink yarn.

Linking up on Saturday morning with the RSC Challenge. As for me... I'll be on a jet plane very, very early to fly up to Vermont for a nice visit with the kids. Wish me luck. 

Monday... July 4th....

It seems like a very lazy day today. 11AM and still in my pjs!
Emily decided she wanted to sew... so she quilted her little doll quilt.

I decided to cut lots of little 2 inch squares. I have 88 light pink, 92 hot pink, 96 bright greens and 100 yellow. That is for the next 4 rows on the trip quilt. I think that should keep me busy up in VT for 11 days. Or.... should I cut out 104 purple squares too?

Just need to print out the latest 3 blocks for the 1857 album quilt and prep the backgrounds for drawing my design on then pulling fabrics. She gave us 3 easy ones this month.... which should allow me to finish them and make progress on the 4 time consuming ones I still have to do. Those will get prepped sometime today and packed into their ziplock baggie to head up to VT with me  as well.

For now... Daddy just snuck out into the pool. The kids are playing with blocks, lincoln logs and trains and cars in the living room.

Lunch will be grilled chicken.... my family's recipe which sounds terrible but is oh so yummy. And no... you can not modify the salt in the recipe.

BBQ Chicken recipe from Laribees in northern VT. (I think... right Mom?)

1 stick butter
1 stick margarine
2 cups vinegar (apple cider)
1 cup water
4 Tablespoons salt.

Bring to a boil. Then baste chicken on the grill as it is cooking. Works best with bone in- skin on chicken. I always half the recipe for my small family... but growing up with a family of 7 we used this version. I also reserve off a bit and dunk my cooked chicken in it at the table. Very yummy.
Greg will have the copycat version of Montgomery Inn BBQ sauce I made for him a couple of weeks ago on his. Just made a potato salad and have the corn on the cob boiling away. Just a few more degrees on the chicken and we'll call it lunchtime.

Slow Stitching.....

Kathy reminds us to slow down each Sunday and today she is encouraging us to slow down even more and enjoy the process. I have to say..... I always enjoy the slow stitching!

After a little machine stitching yesterday to make my RSC row along row.....I seem to have settled into my recliner with some hand stitching and a couple of movies while the house was nice and quiet. I do love Netflix. Adventures in Baby Sitting and Back to the Future were watched while I added this blue round to the trip quilt. We did Back to the Future 2 after the kids went to bed....

Each of these are little 2 inch squares that I hand stitch onto the round. Mom, that means the square you see is 1.5 inches =) The kids had selected the light pink dots fabric for the next round.... I was thinking to swap that with a hot pink (the RSC color this month) but in the initial search for fabric....I did not have enough for the needed 88 squares! I'll have to go double check this morning with a fresh perspective..... maybe I can find enough?(WooHoo - I have enough of the hot pink for a round)  Or...maybe the light pink, then hot pink then bright green? Either way I need to decide and get the squares cut as this will be one of my hand work projects heading to Vermont next weekend. They just need to get cut and I'll bring the ruler with me to mark them.. probably while sitting on the picnic table on the porch looking out over the lake =) The bright green will have to be a mix.. but they are the same value so it will have to 'work'! From this point on I am guessing it will become more scrappy as I am just trying to pull from the stash wall and not shop for more fabric. I am at the point that  fat quarter is not going to be enough.

The other hand work that needs prepping will be the remaining blocks for the 1857 Album quilt - 3 were released on the 1st and I have 4 more to prep from previous months. I finished this one this week and started prepping the oak leaves yesterday with back basting.

That should keep me busy for 12 days and 2 of those involving plane rides...as long as I remember to pack the neck ott light. The lighting at camp is not the greatest for hand stitching. Think the kids will allow me to stitch on the flights? Hmmm. Me either. Guess the kindle will come with as well.

Linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday. What will you be working on today?

For those that read yesterday's post.... Flower was diagnosed with head trauma. Since it had been 4 days since we noticed the strange behavior and he is getting better each day (walking and eating but falls over occasionally now) it will be a wait and see. He said he probably will make a full recovery but it will take up to 3 months. Hopefully the kids learned the lesson to be very careful (not sure what really happened still) with them and to let us know immediately if something happens. The good news... a vet that specializes in exotic animals (including guinea pigs but he is allergic to them!) is just 5 minutes from our house!

Time to get dressed and make up for the lazy day yesterday.....

RSC Saturday in hot pink...

I took some time this morning and decided to sew. The teal row of pinwheels got finished and the row of hot pink got cut and sewn. Hmmm. I think I did 20 instead of the needed 18 on the pink row. Oops.

Maxie just had to check out what I was doing..... must make sure those rows are set down correctly Mom!

I should be making up some programming hours while the kids are at Grandma's today.... but I think I will sew instead. The goodnight irene quilt is pinned and has decided it really wants to be quilted today.... so I think I'll listen.

A couple of pictures of the kids from the beach earlier this week.

Yes, she is really tan. No, she does not get that from me!

Other than machine quilting that quilt I will just have a little break to bring one of the guinea pigs into the vet this afternoon. When we got home from the beach Flower (Emily's cavie) was acting a little strange. His balance seems to be off and he is walking weird and not running. We noticed he is not as big as Jimmy Jr. either and after a weigh in this morning he is 4 ounces less than the other. A visit to a vet who specializes in them is in order today. We will see what he says.

Hope you all have a nice weekend (holiday weekend here in the states) and find some time to sew. Linking up with the RSC Challenge.