time flies . . .

When you're having fun.  And when you get to be *my* age, even when you're NOT having fun, it flies.  Seriously!!

But mostly, even at work, I'm having fun.  I can hardly believe the month of May has come and gone and it's June! I spent time stitching and visiting grandbabies and my parents through the month, did some traveling for work . . . anyway, let me pull out the pics!

First, I finished up stitching on Ellie's and Everley's little dresses:

These are so sweet!  I can't wait to see them in them!

I finished the flimsy on the little faux ruched flower piece.  You know how when you envision something in your head and you get it finished and it just doesn't quite match up with your vision?

That was this project.  I'm not sure whether or not to pull it apart and redo, let it go and leave it, or let it go and quilt it and be done!

After a long week at work, I snuck into the Nook and knocked out a little mug run for my desk at work . . .

Of course it's purple and sports a tea cup and saucer!  My co-worker wants one just like it, only with a green cup instead of the blue.

My folks did travel down for the long Memorial Day weekend.  We spent some time at the Botanical Gardens--

Who needs flowers when there are such darling little 'bud'dies as these three?!  We also went to the Alabama Balloon Jubilee. None of us had every been, so it was quite exciting and the children were completely enchanted. And even though they didn't lift off, because of high winds aloft, they did fire up the balloons and do their 'glow' finale, which was spectacular!

It really was quite beautiful!  But not nearly as beautiful as this one . . .

Or this one . . .

Who will be celebrating the big O-N-E on Saturday.  Wow!

I did some playing around with tumblers to come up with a piece for my mini-stand:

I've always wanted to make one of these!  And now thanks to two darling bloggy friends (Sarah from sarahdidit! and Janet from Rogue QuilterI), mine is all cut and ready to be pieced!  I'll hang mine from the side, instead of the top -- hope to have it ready for June 14 -- Flag Day!

I have also been thinking I needed a little 'tea' something for that same mini-stand.  I got on the computer and started playing around with graphics until I put together something I liked.  Like this:

Then I printed it in full color on a piece of heavy white cotton and put it in the hoop!

I was very pleased with the quality with which this printed. Whew! Now I'm going to embellish it with stitches . . .

Not the whole thing, but bits and pieces.  I'm thinking I'll add a frame in some tea-ish, floral print and then quilt it.  Fun!

So I'm thinking that's enough for now.  Time to get on with the business (aka busy-ness) of June. Before it's July!

:)

a happy wrap . . .

I think I mentioned in my last stash report post that I had accidentally stumbled upon a HUGE deal on a fat quarter bundle of Kona solids.  Seriously, it was a *huge* deal -- $26 for the bundle of twenty luscious colors that arrived yesterday . . .

Isn't it purdy?!  The colors for our guild's swap block this month are "solids" on a grey background, so I'll put this to use right away!

I wanted something for St. Patrick's Day for my little quilt stand and finally, after looking around through my patterns and online, decided to sketch out my own little something . . .

I'm thinking I'd print the blessing off on fabric and then outline stitch it and then use a combination of wool applique and embroidery to do the floral design that frames it.  Did I forget to mention I'm wanting it for St. Patrick's Day 2015?!  ;)

March is a big month of celebrations in our family, kicking off with Jocelyn's birthday TODAY!  I can hardly believe my beautiful baby girl is twenty-eight years old.  Where did the time go?!  It seems like just yesterday she wasn't any older than Eleanor Pearl!  

Happy birthday, my sweet Jocelyn!

After my walk yesterday morning a little flutter of color caught my eye behind the RV.  Some past caretaker had planted a nice little plot of daffodil bulbs and so each year they continue to herald Spring.  

This is the first bloom of the year ... it made me cry I was so happy to see it!  (And maybe my hormone levels *do* need to be checked.)

And finally, Leia says . . . 

TGIFF (Thank Goodness It's Feline Friday) !!!!

:)

summer stitchin' . . .

I started that crayon tinting stint two weeks ago and haven't been able to stop! I'd been stitching away on Mr. Owlie and then . . . I got an idea.

Do you ever get an idea that just takes up residence and won't leave you alone until you do something about it?  Yeah, it was one of those kinds of ideas.

Remember the sweet little quilt block stand I got for Christmas?  Well the only thing I've made for it so far is the little Count it *all* JOY!!! block that I did for the "What's in a Word" hop, back in January. 

Oh. Dear.  Yes, it was definitely time for a new block in my little stand!  I felt like I needed to do something summery ... and something with crayon tinting.  Like maybe a sunflower.  Yes, most assuredly a sunflower.  Crayon tinted and outline-stitched with lots and lots and LOTS of French knots to make up the center. Appliqued onto a pretty strip-pieced background and very simply quilted.

That was my idea.

This my final . . .

 

I do love it when a project ends up looking like how I visualized it in my head! That doesn't always happen, you know.  But this time it really did and I'm extraordinarily pleased with it!

I used a sunflower template that I found on a scrapbooking blog . . . i love scrapbooking, to be exact. Except I didn't bother tracing over all of the circles in the center!

And I wasn't kidding ... a LOT of French knots.  It took me longer to do the French knots than it took to do the whole rest of the project combined!

And I figured it's been too long since I included grandbaby pictures, so I'd better share a few of those. Waaaay too long.  Sawyer's headed to college, Ellie's getting her driver's license, and June's not too far behind her.

Hahaha! Just kidding, though it does feel like the days are flying by!  Sawyer gets taller by the minute (doesn't he look like a kid as opposed to a toddler?), 

Ellie--no longer a baby--is adding a million words a day to her vocabulary (most notably, to me, "Neesey"!), 

and June is in charge and on the move and loves hamming it up!  

They're all so darling and precious to me!

The question now is . . . what to play with next??!

:)

crazy all the time . . .

I cannot tell you how much I'm enjoying the crazy quilting course!!  Monday night I finished up my sample stitch exercise . . . 

I had to incorporate a total of fourteen different stitches.  Whew!  But once that was finished, I was able to go to work on my block.  Oh how fun!

I'm not nearly finished, but I got a good start with it.

One of my favorite elements is where I took the yellow daisy flower from the center and extended it over the seam, into the next patch, using a satin stitch.  I didn't notice the black pencil dot until I saw the picture!!  I've subsequently taken care of that!

And I love this little row of double-feather stitch, with the fly-stitch leaves and French knot buds.  I'm also going to love that little row of French knot hyacinths!

I spent some great time with June and Sawyer last night!  They are so darling ... June is growing like no one's business and so full of giggle and charm!

What fun they are together!  Sawyer is a terrific big brother ... very loving and protective of his "Baby June" and June adores her big brother--if he's talking or nearby, she's only got eyes for him!

While I was there, Kim presented me a final Christmas present!  (Now that's really making Christmas s-t-r-etch!)  

Yay!!  I'm so excited--I've wanted this little wire quilt stand forever!!  I felt bad for Kim, though.  She ordered it on November 29, 2012 -- and it just arrived on February 11.  I was the one who provided her with the link ... and she kept getting the run around about  it being back-ordered and different shipping dates. They weren't very communicative with her--and I felt badly about it.  It was ordered from Nancy's Notions, so I was very surprised that the customer service (not to mention the overall ordering experience) was far less than satisfactory. But I LOVE the stand and am so happy to have a little quilt all ready to go in it! Yay!!

I had a little visitor in the platform feeder yesterday . . . 

He's such a dapper fellow!  But when he's on the feeder, it spins so -- it's hard to get a decent shot of him! 

I've always wondered why he's called a red-bellied woodpecker, when there's not a speck of red on his belly!  I guess red-headed was already taken?

I'll wrap this up with a plug for an upcoming online event I'm helping with . . . 

This online conference will be held tomorrow, Thursday, February 14, from noon to 4 p.m. (central time).  It will feature a terrific selection of very gifted women speakers, all dealing with marriage topics.  What a perfect day for it, too!  Marnie Swedburg is the hostess, and I've followed Marnie for a long time - she's a tremendous women's ministry mentor.  The event is free ... and you can check out the site (and the line up of speakers) on the S.O.S. Training Extravaganza website!  You may not be able to be a part for the whole thing -- but you may see a speaker/topic that particularly interests you and you can check in just for that!  The Facebook and Twitter hostesses (which I'm doing) generate conversation and answer questions on those venues during the expo.  It's pretty cool and definitely worth checking out ... it could be the best gift you give your spouse!!  Plus, if you register and participate, there are some great prizes!

Happy Valentine's Day in advance!!

:)