may day, may day . . .

It's been a very busy Spring! I looked up and realized if I didn't post something here, May would go by (along with the bottom two-thirds of April) without a word from me. Heaven forbid!!  ;)

Our guild strives to be active in community-oriented events.  One of those events is Panoply, an annual arts festival held in downtown Huntsville's Big Spring Park.

This year at our booth, we went interactive! We had hexies prepped and ready to baste to engage passersby!  

Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, over 200 people, adults and kids alike, basted up a hexie!

We'll whip the hexies together (after allowing members of our guild to participate) and it will become the #HEXIEquiltthatHSVbuilt! Go Team Hexie!

I also found a new-to-me LQS -- Hook & Bobin.  Cute little place ... this fabric *immediately* caught my eyes . . .

Isn't it marvelous??!!  Cat-finity!  Tah-dah! At this point I have absolutely no idea what I'll do with it, but I don't mind waiting until it speaks to me. Sometime in the summer of 2011, I fell head-over-heals in love with Moda's "Dragonfly Summer" line.  Bought yardage in several of the fabrics and a layer cake.  Once again I had absolutely NO idea what I was going to do with it all.  In fact, it's still sitting in my stash, nearly eight years later!  But it finally did speak to me . . .

This will be a picnic quilt -- 80" X 90" -- for Joc and her family. Whew! It's a very simple design, but I think it works for a big utility quilt.  Anyway, maybe I'll have something figured out for the cat fabric by 2025?

The older two local grandgirls had their end of the year ballet recitals!  They both did so well!

This was Evey's first year and she was the epitome of grace!  Edith wanted in on the picture, of course.  She's already gung-ho to start ballet and dances with her older sisters every chance she can!  

Joc and her crew were at the beach for Mother's Day, so we celebrated this past Friday.  Jocelyn set a lovely table and prepared a feast for our "Ladies' Lunch"!

Delectable, non?!  Everything was so pretty and tasted so yummy!  It was a fun treat. After lunch, they spoiled me with presents!

A little bit of something representing all my favorite things!  A book on tea that doubles as a tea diary, a pretty owl spoon rest, two wooden trivets that look like they were EPP'd, and Kathy Schmitz's book, Stitches from the Garden.  I have the other two books -- Stitches from the Yuletide and Stitches from the Harvest, so it feels nice to "complete" my set!  In fact, I think Joc has gifted me with all of them!

I'll leave with a photo of the girls and me . . .

They're growing so fast . . . and more beautiful with each day!

Linking up to sarah did it! and the HeLP post!

:)

i've fallen . . .

. . . and I can't get back up on the proverbial blogging horse!

I hesitated using that title since I have had shoulder surgery recently and didn't want to alarm anyone, but every time I went to start a post, that commercial went through my mind.  But I also couldn't bear to put a pic of a woman sprawled out on the floor at her most vulnerable hour of need (I know, I know, it's a paid actress).  Besides, the turtles are starting to show themselves in the sanctuary ... hibernation time is ending!

We've even found a few new hatchlings!  I adore teeny-tiny baby turtles! ♥

I did get my sling off this weekend, though I'm still sleeping in it.  Which is odd, because that was so tough on me with the right shoulder.  But this time (probably because of the bonus bicep tear repair), I don't sleep well *without* the sling!  C'est la guerre, huh?

I also got to sneak in some Nook time. Our April mug rug swap for guild is themed "Spring".  I haven't quilted the bottom two, yet, because I was worn out.

Aren't they cute?!  I love that little carrot ... it goes with my table topper!  I had just enough fabric to make a matchy-matchy.  I probably will not swap that one!  :)

I did a lot of shopping during my convalescing.  I don't need to have an additional surgery any time soon, y'all.  I'll share my loot next go 'round!

We did get our boat launched and into a slip for the season ... HOORAY!  That takes a LOT of stress off both Todd and me ... I didn't realize just how much it stressed me until we weren't having to do it.

Click to see the big pic!

We enjoyed a lovely day on the lake this past Friday.  

That's our slip ... the empty one between the two motor boats!  :)

It's so nice to park the truck and just walk onto the boat and vice versa when the day is done! I like  easy, happy finishes.

I appreciate all the sweet, well-wishing comments on the last two posts.  Typing was such an issue, I didn't do a very good job of responding to them all.  I hope that's all behind me now!

Have a happy week!

:)

touching base . . .

Greetings!  Just checking in real briefly to update my shoulder progress . . .

Which, all things considered, is going extremely well!  I'm very pleased, as are my PT gurus and my doc. What I need to be careful of is not getting ahead of myself; I feel so good I want to do things it's not time to do yet. Yikes! 

And to say Happy National Quilting Day! I'm totally bummed that I'm not ready to do any quilting (or stitching of any kind, for that matter--typing is exhausting enough), but when I googled "national quilting day", I came upon a link to National Day Calendar and wanted to note here what it said about this {ahem} auspicious and important holiday:

National Quilting Day is observed annually on the third Saturday in March. It is a day that is celebrated around the country with special quilting shows, classes, open museums and much more. This is a day to appreciate and to recognize quilt makers, along with all of their long labor, love and skill that goes into the making of each quilt.

A quilt is a layer of batting or stuffing between two layers of pieced together fabric. Early American quilts were the result of patched together pieces of worn out blankets and clothing. Since they had to weave their own fabrics, there was little time for creative piecing together of colorful, artful patterns. These items were purely functional.

By the mid 18th century Americans were making elaborate quilts designed to be handed down from mother to daughter, often pieced together from salvaged pieces of clothing and other bedding.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Buy a homemade quilt or make one yourself. Use #NationalQuiltingDay to post on social media.

HISTORY

At the 22nd annual show of the National Quilting Association in Lincoln, Nebraska in June of 1991, a resolution was passed and National Quilting Day was started.

Did you read what I read?!?  I feel like I just got permission to BUY. A. QUILT.  A homemade one, at that! :)

I probably will NOT go that far to celebrate, but I have purchased some sweet embroidery patterns and a darling wool sampler pattern during my recovery.  

Let those who can stitch, stitch stuff.  And those who can't, buy stitching stuff.  I'd better recover soon!

Enjoy the day ... stitch a little something and think of meeeee!!  In the meantime, I'll have a spot of tea and stick to something I *can* do . . . 

:)