Sunday....

A nice quiet (except for the neighbor mowing the grass at 9:30AM on a Sunday morning) morning at the lake. The whirly gigs are going with the slight breeze. The wind chimes are tinkling.

A couple of my siblings are coming out later today for 'appetizers'. I figured we didn't need a big meal as we tend to snack anyway. We will make a taco salad (recipe under the recipe tab - cream cheese and sour cream mix on bottom, strained salsa layer, then tomato, onion, lettuce and mozzarella cheese) to dip nacho chips in - Emily's favorite! My brother is bringing a buffalo chicken dip - I've never had one so we will see how it is. My sister... tends to bring the kitchen sink. She has marinated pork loin in the crock pot, watermelon, deviled eggs and a veggie platter. Knowing her... there will be another 2-3 things including a desert. Aidan made a cake last night and is frosting it this morning. I think we will have plenty of munchies for the 11 people that will be here!

I finished off the scrubby last week and Emily tested it out last night on the dishes.

I have been told I need to make one for us as well! First... I need to make another one for Mom for home. This is the start. I have to say - I much prefer this yarn to making a scrubby with the tulle. Much easier on the hands and not scratchy.

A dish cloth was started... it would have been farther along but I could not find the end of the yarn on either edge while on the boat ride the other day... so it got started yesterday with the end on the edge of the yarn under the label.  This is the book Emily is reading to me. She loved the black stallion and we had to return this book to the library before we came and we were not done so I ordered  a set of 4 of them. She loves horses that girl.

I took out the cross stitch...maybe some stitches will get put into this today finally. I am remembering I think I messed up the counting on the hoop so might have to be creative on finishing this one. We will see.

Aidan was reading down by the lake last night. I had won a $25 gift certificate to a local book store so we stopped there on our way home from the Barre Heritage Festival yesterday and got some books. Aidan got 2, I got 2 and Emily got 1. They were all used so I only went over a little bit! I noticed I have been reading a lot while up here and have finished 3 books on my kindle. I like historical romances so 2 of them were that and one a little mystery. Emily and I were reading down here last night for a bit after our walk. Such a relaxing place to read.....

Linking up with Kathy and the other Slow Stitchers this Sunday. I have just a few more days left up here in Vermont before I head back to hot and humid Florida. The kids will be starting school in a couple weeks and we have next week all lined up with Dr. Appointments. Dentist for all of us, doctor well checks for the kids and of course meet the teachers on August 9... before school starts on the 12! A whole new ball game this year for us with the kids in different schools. One in the last year of elementary and one in middle school...... about 20 minutes away. He decided to go to one with robotics and a more challenging curriculum rather than the middle school he was slated to go to. A little more car time and wait time for me...... more handwork time! 

Friday already?

I picked up the needle with a wide eye I needed on Wednesday after working at the office. I had to kill a few hours before picking up the kids from my sisters. Mom and Dad got to enjoy a full day of peace and quiet with me and the kids both gone! I hit a few stores.... all by myself! I had to walk through the AC Moore - we don't have them in Florida. Not much fabric but tons of other fun craft things. I might have picked up 3 sample Nicole yarns... for a dollar each! The Christmas Tree Shop was fun... and dangerous. Good thing I remembered I need to fly home!

With that needle I was able to finish off the scrubby with the scrubby yarn. It came out pretty cute. I think I can make one more with the yarn so Mom will have one for home and camp. We need to test it out today and see how it works.

One of the things my parents have. A card viewer.

I had asked Aidan to find something he wanted to do close to Elmore...and he found the Noyes House - a historical museum in Morrisville. I figured an hour..... when we walked in the nice lady asked if we wanted a tour. Sure.... 2.5 hours later we left. The kids asked lots of questions (I might have too) and we learned a lot. It was fun seeing all the old furniture (I might have said - Oh, my parents have that a few times) and we had the same victrola they had in the first room at our house! They were surprised we even use it occasionally! The kids loved the room with all the Toby Jugs..... no picture but lots of fun little vases with various pictures or shapes. There was easily over 1000 of them displayed! I saw a hand crank sewing machine in the bedroom.

There was also a treadle machine in one room with a loom and spinning wheel.

A beautiful crazy quilt was displayed with some awesome stitches... forgot to get a photo of that. On the bed was a hand pieced quilt by a 14 or 15 year old bride. The stitches were beautiful and what a complex pattern to hand stitch. It had the bottom corners split to fit around the bottom bed posts.

The kids had fun with the jacobs ladder toy. I wonder if we could make one.....

My sister had taken the kids to Montshire Museum on Wednesday so they have gotten a little learning in while up here! This was the scene when I picked them up Wednesday evening at Terri's. Emily in the hammock and Aidan riding the 4 wheeler with my BIL on the back.

Last night was bingo in the town hall. $1 to get in and 2 cards for a dollar. All monies raised go towards the milfoil fund for the lake association. It is working as I have not seen any milfoil this year in the lake yet! They also had a green and cream quilt on display with raffle tickets for sale!  We had almost a full table of our family - my parents, me and kids, my sister Terri and her 2 kids, sister Joanne and brother Mike and his wife and one kid and her friends came in a little later. The kids enjoyed it... it is a really fun time.

Emily and the graduation girl Sally

They sang 'take me out to the ball game', then a  local song one of the guys wrote who runs it and then just lots of fun times with bingo. Aidan really loved the echo game... when the caller calls it once and we echo the letter and number back to him..... which normally he does. They never called my age when we played the Woo Hoo game..... call out woo hoo when the number is your age! We had a couple of winners at our table - my SIL Kathy and sis Jo each won. I might have won the coverall and got a $25 gift certificate to Bear Pond Books in Montpelier. Guess we will head into Barre on Saturday for the Heritage festival and stop in and spend our gift certificate on the way.

Graduation Chevron quilt finished and gifted.

The graduation quilt has been completed and gifted to it's new owner. Sally loved it! The pillowcase forgot to jump into the suitcase so that will be mailed up before she heads to college. I think this ended up at 78x98.  Nice and heavy to snuggle under (yes, we have tested it out!).

Tuesday - Pink Umbrella

I stitched up this little one last night. He decided to hang out with a beautiful hosta in Mom's rock garden this morning. I'm enjoying the 60 degree morning and wearing jeans today! The kids and I enjoyed a walk last night with long pants and sweaters for a couple of miles. It was heavenly after Florida feels like in the 100's for the last few months! There are so many beautiful flowers in bloom - I really miss seeing bee balm, cone flowers, daisy, indian sunflowers, hosta and all the pretty annuals. The birch trees with their bright white trunks against the shades of greens. I am so lucky to be able to come up here and see them (and family of course) in the summers.

Linking up with the RSC in pink.

Slow Sunday

Sitting on the screened in porch overlooking the lake this morning. Listening to the loons call to each other - we have a Mom, Dad and baby loon on the lake this year. I was able to get this photo of them yesterday.

The sun is peeking out behind the clouds and making diamond sparkles on the lake. It will be the third hot and humid day in Vermont today before a blessed cool front moves through and drops the temps back into the high 70's for the daytime temps. Much better than the upper 80's we have been having. Lets hope the wind sticks around today... it makes the hot bearable when you don't have ac! I see us being on the lake in tubes, kayaks or boats (pontoon and/or paddle) today.

As Kathy took 5 projects with her camping recently.... I had to check and I had similar in my busy bag. The embroidery didn't fit into the bags (I had to bring 2 quilts up with me this time to gift). I do have a few stitches to add into the grad quilt binding. About 5-6 needles I think. Too hot to do that until tonight. She saw it Friday and LOVES it! Yea! Unfortunately... the pillowcase is on the back of my sewing chair in Florida! Will have to ship it up before she heads to college.

I have the counted cross stitch - yet to be touched. Some dish cloth yarn and knitting needles - yet to be touched. New to me scrubby yarn from red heart. I started a project with this Thursday night.... I hope to finish it today while stitching on the swing down by the lake.  I used the youtube video here.

I also had some 2 inch fabric squares cut out for Emily's project so added a few pinks to make a pink and white 16 patch. I'll work on that sometime this week. Should be enough to keep me busy for a couple of weeks =)

I don't think I will have as much work time while up here as I was thinking as the internet connection is not stable enough for dialing in. I'll plan to go in once or twice this week and maybe once next week and guess I get a 'forced' vacation =). I don't want to leave the kids alone all day with my parents too much. My sister is taking them overnight Tuesday so I'll work the full day Wednesday and then pick them up from her house. A big thanks to her for doing that.

Both kids have driven the boat... but I didn't get the Aidan photo. This was Emily yesterday before we heard thunder and saw lightning over the other side of the mountain. Uncle David took over and put it in fast and got us off the lake.

Linking up with the other slow stitchers at Kathy's Quilts. 

Vermont....

Looking like a beautiful day in Vermont. The kids just got back from a kayak paddle. They couldn't get the bikes out of the garage yet.. they are tucked behind a bunch of stuff. Once I shower I'll help get the paddle boat down and out so they can get to the bikes. They went fishing yesterday and caught a few little fish off the dock. They are at it again with the fishing poles this morning.

Lake Elmore, Vermont. 

Emily kayaking

They got an expanded level of where they can go this year alone - well together without me.  A little further down the lake. They were excited. Not really an issue as I'll only let them go when it is calm.

Aidan kayaking

The lake was a beautiful calm this morning with a mirror image... until the loons decided to break it up! I hear there is a Momma, Dad and baby loon this year.  The kids got back just in time... a water skier just went by and now there are little rustlings on the water with the sun hitting it - it looks like sparkling diamonds.

A lazy day at camp is planned today. I get to go into work tomorrow and see the actual office while the kids will enjoy a day at camp. I hear aunt Terri is coming out tomorrow afternoon so another adult besides Grammy and Grandpa will be out here. The temps will be high for VT - around 90 degrees so I'm sure they will have lots of water time in and on the lake.

Cross stitch....

Excuse the dust on this one... it has since been dusted but I didn't get a good photo after. This is September from the book Quilts for All Seasons. This one hung in my grandfathers room at the nursing home while he was there. 

 This one is August from Quilts for All Seasons. It needs to get pressed and framed properly. I honestly can't remember which one I did first - I am thinking the September one then August. Then I started January..... Maybe it will get a few stitches added while on the plane this morning? We will see.

Tiny Tuesday Umbrella

A pink owl decided to perch on the umbrella today!

Sunday....

Binding....that graduation quilt still needs a couple of sides bound and hopefully at least one side will get bound today. Worst case... it will get finished up in Vermont if it is not done by Tuesday!

As the sewing area is under construction (painting will finish today and then new floors) I am not really sure what will be taken on vacation. It might be a very old cross stitch to go with the embroidery work I will try. I found it finally while moving things around. Turns out it was in a yellow and blue 'backpack' purse. Amazing the things you find when going through things! This is January from Paula Vaughan's book  Quilts for All Seasons.

Linking up with the other slow stitchers at Kathy's Quilts.

Thursday....

Someone had a riding lesson today. I didn't have hand work prepped..... so took the knitting.

Emily was riding Smudge today - he is a little faster on his trot than other horses she has ridden!

I used up 4 ends of yarn... 2 of the pinks. The kids said it kinda looks like Neapolitan ice cream... if the blue were brown! These were all bits left of all cotton lily - sugar and cream yarn. Works great for dish cloths..... the dishes won't mind the multi color! The other two leftovers of color and hot pink and lilac =).  I heard Mary Poppins 2 is on Netflix.... might have to watch that tonight with a little binding and a little knitting.

Time to change and then go help the kids put the painters tape up and work on coat 1 of the yellow on a few of the walls in the sewing area - maybe 5 of the 9. There are lots of angles in the rest of the room! Lots of shredding and recycling of 'stuff' this afternoon has made a dent in the mess. 

Well - 3 walls done (good things the floors will be replaced!). My helpers....

Tiny Tuesday in pink!

A little umbrella on my attempt at a cucumber plant again.... in a pot this time. We will see if anything grows!

Linking up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge as this is the only pink I have this week!

Sunday.....

Well, it will be a slow Sunday from 11-1ish while I watch the USA Womens' Soccer team play in the World Cup. I think the graduation quilt might finally get a little of the binding sewn down during that time!

Yesterday was an electronics free day for Emily and I. She did allow me to link up my hexagon flowers post to the RSC Challenge (I need to go visit today) and I checked the radar while at Walmart with Aidan..... after waiting 10 minutes we deemed it 'slowing down for the thunder and torrential downpour' to run to the car with a cart full of bags! We got soaked... and 15 minutes away at home there was NO RAIN! It was quite a storm with the thunder booming in the store and the rain hitting on the roof. Did I mention Aidan really dislikes thunder storms?

Emily was watching me knit a little yesterday and wanted to learn. No photo - obviously as I use my phone for photo's! I cast on 21 stitches and showed her how to knit. She did pretty good... much better than I did while I was learning! 21 stitches was enough for her yesterday!

While looking for needles for her..... I cleared out my pink bag that I just grab to go with me. There is a medley of things in there to keep me busy while waiting - at soccer practice, car lines, dr appts....

There were bits of dish cloth yarn hanging around so they will make a colorful dish cloth or two!

The bag needed a clean out. I found some extra parts cut for the hand pieced quilt along. So I hand stitched them up yesterday! 4 flying geese (I do believe I mixed up the color and white when cutting this set out!) and 3-  4 patches.

Not sure why the 4th one was different colors - but one square got stolen to be used in Emily's who is finally starting to work on hers. We have done a couple of 4 patches this week for her first block! I'll show hers next week hopefully as a completed block 1!

My office and sewing area are being redone (the floor in the office will finish going down this afternoon..... the walls needed a 3rd coat last night. Note to self - don't have the kids help with coat 2 as it will be blotchy!) So everything is out of the office and tucked into the sewing area. Hopefully the office will be put back together tonight and tomorrow... then I can start on the sewing area!
I did pull all the fabrics off the storage wall and some of the bins of scraps and placed them in the bedroom..... so I dug and pulled out some pink scraps for the umbrella's this month. One of these might get finished during the soccer game as well! I use back basting for my applique. I started with the handle and top to stitch from the back and then will use needle turn to stitch it to the front.

First -  I need to clean up the messy kitchen. The kids were baking yesterday. Aidan made biscotti (yummy) and did a good job cleaning up after himself. Emily made crinkle cookies - she did not do a good job cleaning up after herself. It is a process.......

Linking up with the other slow stitchers at Kathy's Quilts.

Friday finish!

Well, technically it was a Thursday evening finish! All the hexagons are hand appliqued to a 6.5 inch black background. 167 is the total count! If I do 12x14..... I just need 1 more! I do have one more that was paper pieced that is ready to be added to a background to finish it off.  It is in the lower left hand corner. (the first one I did before I decided I disliked paper piecing so hand pieced all the other ones!)

Sorry for the bad lighting.... thunder storms again this afternoon in central Florida. If my calculations are correct this top will eventually finish at 72x84! A few years in the making..... and probably a few years to go!

Linking up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge on Saturday morning. I think there were 21 pink ones in the mix that got stitched off last month! You know... for the Pink month of July!