RSC Sampler blocks - in Green.

I got a chance to sew today and managed to catch up on a bunch of the RSC sampler blocks in green. I think the block in the top left hand corner is my favorite, followed by the one below it. Truly scrappy and fun. I am ready to move onto the next color of yellow with these sampler blocks.
I also sewed all my crossroads blocks into a top today. It measures 48x60 and I think that will be the size of this top. Now to figure out a backing for this so it can get some free motion quilting sometime this week I hope. Emily is done school now and Aidan has three half day's left. I hope to sneak in a little sewing if I can.

In between the above sewing I have been playing with a bag of scraps from a quilt I made Greg 6 years ago. Quite a few blocks have been made that finish at 4.5 inches and a handful at 3 inches. I am not sure what these will become but I have a feeling they will come out to play again if we get a month of neutrals or browns sometime this year.

It has been very busy at my house this week. Emily is now an official Kindergarten girl. She graduated last night from VPK. This is while they were singing one of the songs.

Aidan had his bridging ceremony to celebrate the completion of Kindergarten and his entry into 1st grade on Thursday night. 

I'll need to get a good picture of her in her cap and gown as I did not get one last night. I did get this shot of both of them before we left for the ceremony last night. Notice those beautiful fingers and toes - Daddy was painting them for her yesterday afternoon when I got home from work. I love walking into the house and seeing him do things like that with the kids. I have a few more hours until I have to pick them up from Grandma's house. Since some thunderstorms are moving in I think it is time for some hand quilting while watching a movie in the nice quiet house. 

I'm linking up to Angela over at SoScrappy for the Rainbow Scrap challenge. Head on over and check out the pretty green projects everyone is working on before we move onto yellow tomorrow.

A tisket, a tasket a cute little basket....

It is the end of the school year and I finally remembered a post my friend Cyn had done a while ago. It was the cutest little basket. Here is the direct link to the free instructions.

I made a test one out of 10 inch squares in blue and yellow and also a 12 inch square to make one for Em's teacher. I used the monkey fabric that I had used as a backing for her daughters baby quilt last year. Note to self - leave the turning opening in the middle and not on an edge! Good thing I tested that out with the 10 inch one...which will sit by my recliner and hold my hand quilting thread and scissors. I just need to get some buttons to finish them off. I also am not going to bother tacking down the insides of mine.... they might come in handy to separate things like hexagons and hold the scissors in one place.

Aidan is to find out his teachers favorite colors today so I can make her one for next week. I will tuck in a little gift card that they can use as they see fit - classroom supplies or something for themselves.

Tiny Tuesday - Sweet Pleasure

I snuck into the sewing room and got this little block sewn up while the kids were watching a show after school.  I went with an easy one - Sweet Pleasure

A shot of all the blocks so far from The Civil War Love Letter. I really plan to get back to posting one each Tuesday with a little catch up planned for the first couple of weeks of June.

Last Thursday was the last soccer game of the season. Both kids got a trophy and a picture with their coaches - Coach Chris and Coach Pam. The kids have learned a lot in a few short months the last two seasons. 

We finished the last set of lessons for Emily's Hippy Lessons this morning and met with Ms. Stacie to do the final test. She got everything except the rhyming words correct. Something for us to work on this summer along with her speech. Both will go to the HIPPY graduation on June 13th since Aidan finished his last fall.

This afternoon we made some cupcakes that we will frost later this evening. The best part of course is licking the bowl! Some of these will be brought in to Emily's last speech session at Saddlewood. They will have a little party tomorrow to celebrate the end of the year. She has done well with Ms. Currin and hopefully will have great results with a couple of sessions a week next year during Kindergarten. She is smart as a whip but understanding her is still a little difficult.

The kids are getting some energy out in the pool while I supervise from the back patio. Time to think about dinner - a selection of leftovers to clear out the fridge a bit I think. No work for me other than to heat up things in the microwave. The best type of dinners on a hot afternoon! I know both kids will have the brats and pasta salad.... unless they are reminded of the chinese leftovers Grandma H left with us on Sunday. I'm planning to have leftover t-bone steak from Saturday night over some spring greens and fresh tomato's that taste like a tomato should. Yummy. I'll just sit back for now and enjoy the marvelous smell of the magnolias in bloom right by the screen room. Pure Heaven.

Weekend Wrap up....

I finally get to post this weekend! I got to work both days this weekend and what a busy one it was. It was a good thing I got some sewing in during the week because I have done nothing sewing related at all yet this weekend. I plan to do some slow stitching as soon as the kids are in bed tonight though. I need some me time. Tomorrow is a vacation day for us all and we plan to spend a lot of the day in the pool.

For the RSC Challenge I have been working with my greens. I just have not done any of the sampler blocks yet.... good thing I have all week to get those done.

Churn dashes - 12 green done for the month and one 16 patch block of 2.5 inch squares.

20 - crossroads blocks at 12 inches each..... done. I think I need 4 more to make this a 4x6 setting. 48x60 just does not seem big enough to snuggle under. I may just sew them together and then decide if I need 4 more or not.

 This will be a nice throw size to replace the green Jacobs Ladder quilt that will find a new home with one of the teachers at Capstone. I think Ms. Miriam will love it since I did not get this one done in time. She did mention she loves green when I asked her favorite color a couple of weeks ago.

It is almost time to put the kids to bed. Em is still feverish. She got three shots on Friday and I think it is just a reaction to that. She stayed over with Grandma last night and was a little off upon her return today. I beeped her at 100.2 when I got home from work - a nice sleep in tomorrow for everyone should help. As for me.... I can't wait to put some slow stitches into my little T quilt this evening.

I'm linking up with Angela at SoScrappy for the RSC Challenge and Kathy's Quilts for Slow Stitching Sunday. Head on over to both link parties for some wonderful inspiration.

Bloggers Quilt Festival - Hand Quilting

I've decided to join in the Bloggers Quilt Festival with my apple quilt that I made last year. I started making scrappy 9 patch blocks in red with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. Then I was coloring with the kids and noticed an apple that would fit perfectly into a 5 inch block. Red was the color of the month and I had plenty of red and maroon fabrics. I also needed a hand work project while waiting in the car line to pick up the kids. How about some applique apples? I drew my lines and glued them to the backgrounds and had plenty of hand work for a few weeks. After I put the quilt together, I took the plunge and decided to hand quilt it. I had plenty of encouragement from the ladies who link up with Kathy's Sunday Slow Stitching and soon I had a finished quilt. This quilt finished at 36 inches square. I love how this quilt came out and look forward to displaying it in my dining room in the fall. This just reminds me of my home state of Vermont and all those wonderful Macintosh apples that I have picked over the years with my Mom and family. Good times and some great memories. Not to mention all those yummy apple pies =). Please excuse the Miss Kitty socks in the picture - my daughter Emily has to be in all my quilt pictures one way or another.

Head on over to the Bloggers Quilt Festival and enjoy the quilt link up party.

Where is Tiny Tuesday?

Well, it seems to have been pushed to the back burner for a month or two. I do hope to get back on track next week with my Civil War Love Letter blocks.... thinking I will plan to do one by hand per day while the kids are at swim lessons the week of June 9 and June 16. That should get me back on track!

Today - I decided to show the graduation quilt that did get the binding finished last Friday. I think it came out pretty good. This is a twin size quilt 60x84 and the pattern can be found here. I just need to sew up a teal pillowcase for storage and throw it through a bath cycle in the washer and it will be all set to mail up to Vermont in plenty of time for the High School Graduation. Don't mind the three pins on the front. A little 'fixing' needs to be done as well on three seams. I hate when I don't catch that before quilting.

I missed the Sunday Slow Stitching post - instead I decided to trim some hedges out front  Sunday evening while Greg was mowing the lawn. I did it by hand... so my arms were in no shape to do anything that night. I did some more Monday night but I figured I could manage a few stitches. I sandwiched my little T wall hanging and started hand quilting it last night. I am testing out my new toy - a PVC type holder and so far it is working well. Maybe I can adjust to using a hoop for quilting!

Crossroads progress.

I seem to have done a lot of sewing yesterday. It was my reward after steam cleaning Em's carpet and the first attempt at the dining room and entry way. The living room - well that can wait until Tuesday unless I can convince Greg to do it today while everyone is gone.

My reward was to keep popping into the sewing room and sewing some of the crossroads blocks. They go together so quick and the 12 inch blocks make a very quick quilt! 12 blocks so far and I love it. I think I'll make 20 for a 4x5 setting - a good lap size throw.
The pattern can be found here.

Off to shower and then time to bring the girl to her graduation practice for 9. Hopefully the sore throat Aidan has shared with me will not morph into whatever he had the last week or two.