Happy Labor Day

I got a few stitches in today to finish up the yellow dots on this appliqué block. Time to move onto the last appliqué block for this Century Quilt. I picked up two of the December appliqué pattern for some reason so I think I will make one for the quilt and one for a pillow to go with the quilt....

The kids and I spent a bit of time in the pool this afternoon. Lots of games were played (Sorry, Zingo, Trouble) and a few of the kid puzzles were put together. A nice visit with Grandpa A and Grandma H with a mid afternoon BBQ was enjoyed by all. Now to get the kids cleaned up and into bed early so they are all set for school tomorrow. I think there is one more s'more from the grill this afternoon that needs to be devoured. I can't let that go to waste now can I?

I think I will hand stitch that last row of flowers onto the spring quilt tonight and maybe start the border. I guess I need to prep some hand work tomorrow after my walk and before I dig into the new quilt I am starting. Oops, need to get a Tiny Tuesday block done too. I see a good chunk of my kid free time tomorrow in the sewing room! Pure Heaven.

Slow stitching Sunday....

The kids let us sleep in until 7:40. I did hear them a bit after 7 but they went into the play room and watched a Wallykazam on tv to let us sleep a bit more.

I am getting a few stitches in this morning on my appliqué block and it should be completed later tonight. Just in time for a August finish =).

Head on over to Kathy's Quilts and see what other slow stitching is going on today. I am looking forward to some calzones for dinner after I get done working today and then a family day in the pool with a BBQ tomorrow for the holiday.

August Wrap Up...

Well, the month is almost done and I had a huge list of things I would have loved to get through. Alas, life keeps getting in the way. Oh well..... maybe next week? (I keep telling myself that the last two weeks.... we'll see if I actually get to sew this next week or not!)

Of my list I was successful in a few things (so much easier to find the positive in life.)
1. ) I got a quilt finished - my crossroads quilt got completed.

2.) I did all my RSC blocks this month. The color of the month over at Angela's Saturday Rainbow Scrap Challenge link up was bright and light green.

3.) Tiny Tuesday blocks - I missed a couple of weeks but did make a few blocks this month.
4.) Step 2 of the Bonnie Hunter mystery Celtic Solstice from last fall is done - 100 chevron blocks.

5.) Move more - Once the kids got into school I have been doing great at going to walks in the morning.
6.) Applique a Century Quilt block - almost done with this. The second blue flower part will be put on tonight or tomorrow night as well as the yellow circles. I'm counting this as almost done..... or will be done by the end of the month.

7.) I read a couple of books this month for a change of pace. I'm currently reading 'A quilt in Time' by Arlene Sachitano.

Lots of time this week was spent researching vehicles and test drives and dealing with salesmen. I have spent way too much time in car dealerships and really hate all the sales hoopla but...... I now have a nice new Honda CRV - EX sitting in my driveway and am all done with dealing with the van accident from last Saturday. Just need to add it to the insurance policy and we are done. Thankfully Greg has had no pain in his back or neck and the kids were not in the van when it happened.

My old van - 2006 Dodge Caravan.

My new Honda CRV 2014!

My goals for September.
1.) Test a pattern Starlight Starbright for my blog friend Joanne. I tested her Quilters Scrapbook pattern in January which is available for purchase at her site. It was so well written and went together like a dream. I can't wait to play with my fabrics and her pattern this month.
2.) Applique the last Century Quilt block and put the top together. Well, get the block done anyway.
3.) Continue my RSC blocks in the color chosen for September.
4.) Tiny Tuesday blocks from the Civil War Diary quilt.
5.) Step 3 and/or 4 of the Celtic Solstice Mystery. I started the orange and green four patches for step 4 yesterday with the 20 minutes I did get to sew this week.
6.) Walk every morning M-F for 30-60 minutes after dropping the kids to school.

I may add some more hand work in (spring flowers or hand quilting) but we'll see how the month goes =).

Linking up with Kathi for the Laundry list link party. Please join us. All you have to do is make a blog post about some goals you would like to achieve for the month of September and link up this weekend. No pressure to finish those goals... but sometimes having it in writing does keep you focused to get things done.

Feeling blessed on this Slow Stitching Sunday.

Sometimes things happen to make you really appreciate what you have. Yesterday morning I got a phone call from Greg that he was in a car accident. The kids had already been dropped off to his Mom when someone pulled out in front of him. Both cars were towed but both people (Greg and the lady in the other car) were ok after the accident. It makes you stop and count your blessings for what you have and are blessed with.

Tonight I will be doing some slow stitching on this appliqué block to finish off the 6 leaves. Then tomorrow I can start with the pretty blue flowers while waiting in the car line on the kids. Don't mind the wrinkles - it was tucked into my busy bag for work yesterday.

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

Saturday in green.....

You would think having both kids in school full time for three days this week I would have more done. Nope - I only got to sew on Friday. Lots of errands run on Wednesday and a whole stack of newspapers from the previous week got read after a 2.5 mile walk in the morning. I did cut lots of strips out for Celtic Solstice before getting the kids. Thursday - I dusted and vacuumed and cleaned; went to my bowling meeting that took 1 hour in the morning. That starts next Thursday - a new league to me and it will be while the kids are in school =). I got a 3 mile walk in before the temps got ridiculous. Friday..... I sewed and made a bunch of phone calls (school concerning Em's speech, pediatrician for Aidan's canker sores that keep happening, Mom and Mom-in-law a few times). Did I mention I got to sew?

It does not look like much but I have 80 of my 100 step two units done. Oh boy do these take a lot of time! They will be 3 inches finished! Notice all those 2 inch strips ready for parts of step 3,4 and 5?Not a single orange cut yet =)

These are the parts for the next 20 units of step 2 of the Celtic Solstice Mystery. 

I also got to sew the sampler block posted today - Bouncing Betty. This would be a great scrap quilt unit.

Head on over to SoScrappy on Saturday morning to see the other Rainbow Scrap Challenge links. I will be busy at work on Saturday and Sunday this week - assuming people are willing to go shopping in the 100+ heat indexes we are having this week. My car temp was 100 on Tuesday when we got in the car around 4PM and that was with the windshield screen up!

On my walks this weeks I got to see the turkeys again each day and this bunny was in my yard as I was coming home from my walk on Thursday.

Oh - Emily did start school on Wednesday - this is her in her classroom. It is very scary how much she looks exactly like me at that age!

Tiny Tuesday

Day two of school for the boy and the last free day for the girl.
This was him yesterday heading out to school.

After we dropped him off we headed out for a little bike ride. Then we headed to the bowling alley but they did not open until 11........ Em had seen a mail box in a magazine and wanted to make one so a quick trip to Joann's turned up a little crate with some flower buttons and stickers to decorate it. I have a feeling they will be playing mail man later today! Yes Mom, we got one for Aidan too with some dinosaurs.

Before we headed out I got a few minutes to sew up this block from The Civil War Diary book called Delayed Mail.

Since there is a mail theme today the kids got the mail this morning when we headed out to school. They got a card wishing them good luck in school this year from their Uncle Mike and Aunt Kathy. We also got a couple of Thank you cards in the mail. Today we need to send a few more birthday cards out - Grandma's is tomorrow and my sisters is next week. I guess it is a complete mail day today!

Saturday in green......

First off - I'm happy to report that my crossroads quilt I made during the first green month is now completed! Well... two more binding sides to go.

I also made my 12 churn dashes this week. Oops.... 11 not 12!

A 16 patch block.

I started cutting out step two for the Celtic Solstice mystery from last fall. All 200 bright green rectangles are cut. Now for the 200 neutral and yellow squares. I think I'll also do the step of the four patches of orange and green - or at least cut the green strips out this month while the pile is next to the cutting mat. Maybe orange will be next month so I can do the other steps with orange then?!? Pretty Please Angela?

Head on over Saturday morning to see what other scrappy greens were played with this week over at the Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

We went to school this morning to meet the kids teachers. Em is tickled pink to have Mrs. Weiss - who happens to team teach with Mrs. Honstead (Aidan's KG teacher last year). Aidan has Mrs. Medina who knew him and his teacher from last year. She looks like a great teacher too. They are very excited to head to school next week. Aidan gets to go all week and Emily will go the last three days. There was only one person under Wednesday so Mrs. W asked if she would like to go that day and make a new friend. She agreed. Looks like a great school year ahead for the kids.