Tuesday mail....

 Well, it was really Monday mail! When I checked the mailbox there were 3 packages - 2 for me and 1 for hubby... but was actually for me! 

Hubby ordered an Amazon Fire Stick for the living room tv so I can watch HBO Max (all my harry potter movies - on #7 - 1st one now!) in the living room with my ott light in the recliner. 

This one - Ollie -  after 4+ years has decided he might become a lap cat for little bits of time! He jumped up on my lap while hubby was setting up the Fire stick yesterday. This was this morning before the bully Peanut chased him away. 

The other 2 packages - I ordered some hand quilting thread from Red Rock Threads. I was almost out of the YLI Natural I was using on the cat and mouse quilt (got taken for the hexagons!) so needed more. I also grabbed a purple Superior Thread and YLI - Ecru and light brown YLI. I also got basting needles - since I'd like to thread baste a few smaller quilts and not tie up my pins. 

Package #2 for me was a nice Thank You for the Hands2Help! Complete Surprise in this package. A Moda charm pack, matching fabrics and some Cupcake cards with a hand signed Thank you note!

In other workings - I'm all caught up on the Hexagon QAYG and all purples for the month are prepped and ready to go. 

I prepped the last 2 steps of my next Harmony block and just need to unstitch that twisted triangle in tan and make the seams a little smaller to get the correct size. I found the tri recs ruler works for cutting the triangle in a square and the flying geese ruler works for the geese. Makes prepping so much easier. 2 more blocks to cut and prep later today....unfortunately it will involve templates since I had not cut that twisted triangle unit for the last 2 blocks yet.

Small progress made on the graduation quilt binding - I hope to finish the first side today. It is a big quilt!

Happy Fathers Day!

 First off - Happy Fathers Day to the best Dad ever - my Dad! 8 days and I get to see you in person for a big hug.

Today will be much needed prep work for slow stitching. I finished off one Harmony block pieced by hand this week - so I have three more to prep and hand stitch. Those will probably be my take with me project. Each block is using 2 different reds and a tan from a Fat Quarter package. 

Other prep work will be the Hexagon QAYG blocks. I need to prep the rest of the purple for this month and I'm going to guess on July's RSC color and prep 15 of those as well. If I guess wrong - I'll be that much ahead for another month! I finished off my last prepped one this morning. Peanut was not happy to have a hexagon placed on his back!

Then I'll settle in with some slow binding stitching on the graduation quilt. I have one side almost done - 3 to go! I must say, I don't think I'll bind with black backing and binding again. Working with that and black thread to hand stitch is difficult. Who knew?

As I folded it up and placed it for a photo - someone had to check it out!

Here, I'll hold it down for you Mom!

My bed now! Well, that's what he thinks. This will be traveling up to Vermont next week to gift to Charlie.

What will you be slow stitching today? Linking up with the other turtle stitchers over at Kathy's Quilts who has encouraged us to slow down, relax and stitch for the past 9 years. Thank you Kathy and all the participants for the encouragement over the years.

Purple

I need to prep a bunch more of these hexagon QAYG blocks today. 17 of 19 done this month so I'm not too far behind.

A couple of these blocks were added to the pile. I tried to keep the shades together this time.

The girls were going crazy over some cricket treats this week.

Linking up with the RSC who are playing with Purple this month. I'm going to guess on July as I'll be prepping things for my trip for the first half of the month. Hope I guess right!

 

Harmony block is finished!

 

It took me a little longer this year but I finally finished hand piecing my Harmony block and in time for the grand prize link up! This is the 3rd year I have hand stitched along with Kristin and Patty and I have learned so much through all three projects. I might have become a wee bit addicted by making my own templates and hand piecing other projects along the way! (Endless Diamonds, Flowering Snowballs)

Linking up with the Harmony QAL.

Harmony.... oh so close to a finished block

 I had some stitching time during a quarterly staff meeting today and made good progress on getting parts sewn together. The last two steps were stitched together into their sections and the assembly began. I have a few more seams to stitch - which will continue on today.

This morning I had a fasting blood draw at my new doctors office. They wanted a follow up in 3 months after a prescription change so that was done this morning. Knowing I had a 1PM meeting at work, I warned the kids they needed to be ready by the time I got home 10:30 or 11 to head out for their second dose of the vaccine. They were up and ready! We stopped on the way home at Staples and we got all 3 of the cards laminated. I need to snap photo's of the kids cards and pop them in my email folder with mine, just in case they get lost. 

Time to stitch a few more seams and see if I can get this OMG for June completed this month!

Wednesday.....

I have been trying to think of different meals or things we have not had in a few weeks. Yes, we are sick of the same old things... although some of the big meals might get pulled from the freezer from the last couple of weekends  for lunch options (pork carnitas, pulled pork, beef brisket).   I did have to pop out to grab some things from the store - on Tuesday after work. Emily had picked her carrots from the garden and decided she was going to make home made carrot cake. We needed a few ingredients. 

Tuesday night I made Mexican Chicken and Rice Skillet. It is a nice and quick one - done in under 30 minutes and everyone loves it. 

I had a thought of egg roll in a bowl so I picked up a package of ground pork. It was a 2 pound package so half will get sealed and frozen for a future meal (another of this or meatloaf). I picked up a head of cabbage and really, there is not too much else in that recipe except a little garlic and ginger which I have in the fridge in a squeeze tube.

Emily mentioned Santa Fe Rolls or southwestern egg rolls. Hmmm. We have not had them in a while either and I did see a jalapeno in the crisper, there were some leftover chicken tenders I can cook up from tonights meal. Cans of corn and beans and some spinach and peppers in the crisper. I neglected to get the egg roll wrappers though.... so might have to pop out and grab those. That is another one everyone loves so into the meal plan for the week it goes. 

That's a few of the quick meals on tap at my house this week. I'm trying to be good and mix in more veggies so made a batch of tatziki and a batch of red pepper hummus for dipping veggies into for snacks. I also got some broccoli to go with the cauliflower I had and will make a small salad with them and the rest will get roasted up in the oven. Emily does love her roasted cauliflower. That will probably fall on Friday.... assuming the kids are feeling ok after shot #2 on Thursday.

Surprise!

 Wishing Mom and Dad a very Happy Anniversary today! 58 years! Can't wait to see you in 2 weeks.

I got a surprise e-mail from participating in the Hands2Help event and shipping off a few quilts to Little Lambs. There were 1044 quilts donated this year to 5 charities! Amazing! You can read all about it here. Anyway, the e-mail indicated that we got to select a free PDF pattern from Lorna at sewfreshquilts.com  After scrolling through all 11 pages, I selected this cute chicken! 

Thank you Sarah for coordinating this fun event and Lorna for an adorable pattern. I might have to go back and grab the C is for Cat with the cats and fish in the fish bowl.