Pillows for Mom and a very old UFO!

While clearing out the closet this winter I found this kit from Joann's Fabrics from back in the year 2000!

 I had purchased all 12 patterns plus the finishing kit and I'm sure I hit the sale rack later and picked up duplicates of three of them. I have sewn months 1,2,4 and 7.  I know that month 3 of the applique stopped me on this one since I had never done applique before.

 I decided two of those duplicate blocks would be made into the pillowcase covers Mom requested for camp. Well, I pulled them out yesterday and got them sewn together and pulled old curtains I made for my sewing room up in VT back in 2007 and used those for the backing. The result - two pillow covers all set for Mom.

I believe these will cover some pillows on the couch. For some reason I did not put this one on my UFO bar....... me thinks I will be adding it as number 13 and I'll bring the four applique blocks with me for a little hand work in Vermont if I have time! Now I just need to make a pillowcase for the graduate to go with her quilt. Easy peasy lemon squeezie - as my kids would say.
Off to swim lessons and then if the kids listen to their instructors we get to go bowling after. Mr A did not listen to one of his instructors yesterday so we didn't get to go bowling after swim lessons. We'll see if he learned his lesson today.

Grandmothers Choice - Cat and Mouse.

This week's block was really fun to pick fabrics out for. I had done my selection and cut everything and then laid it out.

Nope, I didn't like it. How about a darker green like I originally was thinking....

Yes, I like that one a lot better. This is my finished block for the week, Cat and Mouse.

A shot of all 42 blocks so far in this BOW.  I believe there are just seven more weeks to go!

No fabric has been purchased for this quilt - all from scraps in my stash. I do think I will purchase a sashing for it and plan to somehow embroider the names onto the sashing below each block. I'll play with that card on the sewing machine after the kids start school in August.

Tiny Tuesday

Today I paper pieced block number 93 - Cross and Crown. It is currently free over at the sentimental stitches website. This was paper pieced in four sections with the middle rectangles and square rotary cut and pieced. It went together very easily.

Time to wake the kiddo's and tire them out in the pool again. They were in this morning and then had their swim lessons at the college. Home for lunch and a forced nap and now they can go back into the pool. Early dinner tonight and then off to a Pajama Party at the library this evening. A fun filled day and I got my sewing time in!

Slow Stitching on Fathers Day.....

We had a nice day at home as a family today. Dad got to sleep in until almost 8AM (that is very late with two little kids in the house), of course I'm sure he kept hearing the 'can we wake up Daddy yet, it's light outside' every 5 minutes or so from 6:30 AM on!
My FIL was able to come over late morning and got to see the video of Aidan's graduation from pre-school and then we had a BBQ for lunch. While the kids napped (one napped and one had quiet time) I got to sew on my sewing machine and now have matchstick pairs all set for my Bricks and Cornerstone quilt. The pattern is found here over at Quiltville.com. I think it will get a black or cream small border around and then a blue/black mottled bigger border to finish it off.

I hope to get this one into rows later tonight after some time in the pool with the kids.
Once they are in bed, I get to do some slow stitching on my fireworks wall hanging. I finally started it this week and so far so good. I've got it in a hoop but am still resisting using a thimble.

Head on over to Kathy Quilts and see what other hand work is being worked on today.

Scrap Happy Saturday in Yellow

After dropping the kids to Grandma this morning, I got a pedicure and then ran some errands and finally made it home around 1PM. That allowed me a very quick lunch and then it was off to the sewing room for me.

First I pulled from the little pile of yellow and made these four crumb blocks. Since I had the blue pile out still I also made four blue ones. I seem to have issues with my pink blocks disappearing since there are only three in the bin with the others. I need to go back and make some orange and green ones to catch up. Here are all the crumb blocks so far.

I have been busy working through the blue and cream scraps from last month and have 28 of these wonky log cabin blocks. Each will finish at 12 inches. I have 8 more started for a 6x6 set..... but I'm not sure that will be big enough. I may have to make a few more.

Option one layout (I really like this one)

Option two layout. I've done this layout before in blue and yellow.

Time will tell as to how this one ends up - size and setting. I'm shooting for a full size - so 80x80 would be great. I hope to get it done and quilted with a machine binding to one side by the end of the month. I don't know if it will happen or not but that is my hope. I am also plugging away on another scrappy quilt - same hope for that one - to get completed and quilted and binding attached to the top. I'm trying to give myself something to do in the evenings in Vermont AND keep warm! It does get chilly at the camp in the evenings - down anywhere from the 50's to the 60's. They of course will stay up there when completed so no shipping back to Florida. I'm hoping to get the other one to a top form by tomorrow night. It is the bricks and stepping stone pattern from Quiltville.com in homespun, checks and solids with a cream/black four patch. I just need about 14 more four patches and then I can sew the matchsticks together.
Now I'm off to change and head over towards The Villages to pick up a gift card for my FIL and then meet G for dinner out after he finishes closing the store. Then I get to go pick up the kids from Grandma's house..... oh, I need to grab their jammies so they are ready for bed when they get home.

Head on over to SoScarappy and see what other yellow projects are being worked on today for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

Wednesday Hodgepodge

I've been reading Kathy's Hodgepodge for a while and decided to join in this week. Click on the picture to be taken to other answers for the Wednesday Hodgepodge.

1. What do you think makes a good dad? Patience. Lots of patience! Someone who will love their kids unconditionally but is not afraid to teach right from wrong. A great Dad is one who will  interact with their kids after a long day at work - reading, talk to and play with. I'm lucky to have had a Dad like that and so are my kids.

2.  What's something you learned from your own father? To recycle and take care of our environment for future generations. 

3. It's your birthday-what kind of cake will we be having? Chocolate with chocolate frosting of course!

4. When you're faced with a big decision are you more of a go with your gut type of person, or are you someone who reasons it all out, weighing the pros and cons? I reason it all out for a long time but ultimately I always go with my gut on the big decisions in life. It has served me well so far.

5. June is National Dairy Month. What's your favorite dairy item? Most often purchased dairy item? 
Being from Vermont where we have Dairy Festivals in June....... and Cabot Cheese I'm going with cheese as my favorite dairy. My fridge seems to always have lots of cheese on hand. 

6. Explorer Jacques Cousteau was born on June 11, 1910....what's something you've recently discovered or something you'd like to explore? I'd love to travel a bit more and explore Alaska and the western parts of the United States and Canada. Some day I will also get to visit Australia for about a month!

7. Are you typical of your generation? I don't think so. I had my career and travelled a bit before settling down and having my family in my mid 30's. Once my kids were born I became a SAHM and loved it. Now I mostly stay home with the kids except for a couple of days when I run the store that we own and G stay's home with the kids. I also love to quilt and craft, and I don't tend to see a lot of people my age doing this.

8.  Insert your own random thought here.
In three short weeks we get to fly 'home' to Vermont for a visit with my family. I can't wait. The kids are counting down each night and crossing the days off the calendar.
Today was day three of swim lessons. They are both doing what their coaches tell them for the most part. Jumping in so they get their eye's wet is the hardest part for my kids but they are both doing great. They should be fish by the end of the summer.
Must go clean up the house a bit for a play date this afternoon. Two 5 year olds and a 4 year old. Too hot outside so it will be loud inside my house this afternoon. I hope he likes playing with trains.... that has been keeping mine entertained a lot over the last few weeks.

Grandmothers Choice - Contrary Wife

This weeks block went together much easier than the contrary husband block a while ago. I think it will be time next week to pull them all out again and see which colors I need more of for this BOW sampler of my green, purple and cream scraps. That means a picture..... so I'd better get that star appliqued down to the background this week.