A little sun and some thunderstorms

It was a good Sunday because I did a little sewing and plan on doing more when I am done with this post. We had sun this morning and mild temps, but storms this afternoon. I love sewing when it is raining!
I wanted to share this picture of grandson, Graham, who got student of the month for 7th grade. We were invited to share the honors and a lite breakfast Friday morning at his middle school. We love you, Graham!


This came in the mail this past week and I started reading it. Love her books and have read all of them....in fact, I own all of them too!

I just got under the wire with Jelly Roll Block #4. This one was pretty simple and yet very striking, I think.

I really love this fabric, Verna. I haven't worked with such bold colors on such a large project, but I really am loving them. There will be sashing between blocks and they will really stand out and shout summer!! Can't wait for #5.

Ouch!

Poor little Oliver had a run in with the edge of his wooden toybox!! At 2 1/2 he has acquired his first shiner. He's a toughy though....love you Olvie!

Guild Meeting

Last night was Quilt Guild meeting and this was the block I stitched for April....guess what, I didn't win the blocks this month either.


We started bringing gifts for our secret sister this month and this is what I got. The piping is wrap and fuse piping that looks really easy to apply. I just love the purse pattern. I read through it already and really want to make this soon....love it. And a little "sampler" of Frolic by Moda....love that line a lot too! Of course a gift wouldn't be complete without chocolate!

We had a hands on demo for the blanket stitch. I have done it before, but I always have problems with getting it started and looking good. I learned the right way last night. And we have a needle case in the end!

Mia loves to sew!

Last week was Spring Break for the grandkids and Mia went to our LQS for 3 days of sewing. On Wednesday there was 3 girls and they made pajama pants. Her fabric is really cute and she had a ball sewing from 9-2....with a salad lunch provided! Aren't these cute?


For Thursday and Friday the other 2 girls couldn't be there, so Mia had a one on one class with the 2 owners. One of them on Thursday and the other one on Friday. The class was to be a Mother's Day gift....I wish it was a Grandmother's Day gift. It is a gorgeous tabletopper! I am sure she had help, but she does follow directions well annnndddd she even got to use the longarm machine to quilt it. She has her name quilted in and the date! I am so proud of her! She is going to be surpassing me with her skills....I have never used a longarm! The binding is on and pinned and she is now doing the handwork at home. Mom knows about it....she couldn't wait!

She won't be 10 until June!! She started sewing on my lap when she was 6....great job, sweetie!

Cold Sewing

This morning the temperature was 37 deg. after having a high of 86 deg. several days ago. I knew we weren't going to maintain those high temps in April, but it actually feels bitter this morning. Got a picture of my grape hyacinths with my new forsythia shoots in the background.


These are the blossoms on our Cleveland Pear tree....very early for these to be out this much.



A couple of tulip blossoms closed really tight this morning.

These are blossoms on the Bradford Pear....again a really early blossom time this year. Both of these pear trees do not bear fruit, just lovely blossoms in the Spring.

I hadn't sewed in several days...I was a little bummed because my sewing room was a disaster and I didn't have the drive to get it clean....until last evening! Some of my "bakery" in a blanket bag.

Some of my stash behind closed doors again. The piles are a little wonky, but still put away.

Mat is clear for action!

Sewing machine table and machine are cleared.

I may start this on the weekend or I might finish putting together one of the grandkids quilts. This layer cake will be used for Rachel's Pinwheel Sampler Quilt Along. I did not start when she began posting the patterns, but I really love the patterns and will work at my own pace.

Warm Easter

Easter was gorgeous in NE Ohio yesterday. We don't always have nice weather even if Easter is later in April. One of our April Easters saw the kids in winter coats and gloves hunting for eggs. Grandpa always writes up clues for each of the grandkids and they follow these around the yard for the next clue hidden in an egg. At the end of each of their searches is their basket with sweets and also an extra "gold" treat! Here is Oliver, the youngest, and his eggs are within easy reach...he loved it!


Mia retrieving another egg clue.......

Ethan and one of his clues......

Graham..........

By the end of the day it was time to get silly and I looked a little "strained" at this point. Lots of food and family....good times.

Giveaway

This is just PART of three different giveaways to be drawn tomorrow, April 5th, over at Adventures in Alice Land....really some neat things!

Happy Easter

I want to wish everyone a very happy Easter weekend. May you be with loved ones and/or enjoying something that makes you feel extra special. Hopefully there will be lots of food and sweets involved too!

Some sewing!

I haven't posted in over a week and have missed it, but I have been nursing bronchitis and have been coughing my head off (I wish) since last Friday. I got the meds. from the Doctor to help this, but it is going very sloooow! They always say it takes longer to feel better when you are older and I am definitely proving that fact! But last evening I started to feel like I wanted to do something besides lying around and I sewed! I had block #2 for Jelly Roll Sampler cut out, but had procrastinated in sewing it. I did that and then looked at block #3 and I thought that I could probably crank that one out also, so I did!! So, now I am ahead! Yeah! Btw, I really love Verna!


Block #3........

And just for a chuckle, doesn't this little guy just make you want to have a slice??? ;o)

Good Cause

One of the gals in our quilt guild owns a quilt shop. She asked us to purchase a kit with the fabrics she provided and make a 12 1/2 inch block that we thought best depicted hope. She would make these blocks into a quilt to be used for fundraising for ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease. I went simple, but to me friendship would be something that would definitely give me hope in good times and bad.


And I was ecstatic that it came out to a perfect 12 1/2 inches. Oh joy!!

Giveaway

Vickie at Spun Sugar Quilts is having a giveaway for this lovely layer cake, Botany. I have seen this line and it is gorgeous.

Sew-In

I got started a little later then I planned on for Friday Night Sew-In....you know how life gets in the way of your plans sometimes?? But I still played with my sewing machine and fabrics as I had NBA (Cavaliers) basketball on as my background "music". I chain pieced.....


Pressed.................

And wound up with these when I decided to call it a night. Everything is all cut for the whole quilt, so will work some more on this tomorrow. Today is hubby's birthday and grandsons Spring concert. Then back home for pizza and cupcakes.

It is National Quilting Day....maybe I will try and do at least another block later....and think about my fellow sewers from all over doing the same!

Spring Goodies

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring, so wooly bunny is now hanging instead of wooly snowman. Our weather lately certainly has been like Spring ....love it.

When I saw this line of fabric, Rainy Days and Mondays, I knew I wanted it real bad. I have seen it on several blogs and think I might like to use it to make Spring Showers, a really cute pattern over at Freda's Hive.

Tonight is Friday Night Sew-In (sidebar button) and I plan on seeing how many blocks of this Kansas Troubles fabric I can sew into blocks.

Over at Moda, they have this free word search for National Quilting Day....I really love word seach puzzles!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

In NE Ohio we are noted for our unpredictable weather. There have been jokes saying that Ohio can have all 4 seasons in one day and I believe it. We have had lots of snow on St. Patrick's Day, but today is gorgeous.....sun, blue skies and mild temps! Spring starts officially this Saturday and I hope these buds will just keep getting bigger!



With the smidge of Irish I have in me, I offer you a toast with some of my favorites!

I love these eggs....can't remember which blog they were from last year and can't find my pattern either....oh, the joys of being unorganized in my sewing room!

Jelly Roll Sampler

I got my first block finished for the Jelly Roll Sampler Quilt Along. I absolutely love these fabrics, Verna by Kate Spain.....I can't wait to start cutting into the rest of that jelly roll....yummy!

Guild Meeting

We had quilt guild meeting tonight and this was our block to make for this month. There were a lot of beauties and again......I did not win them!

We also revealed the Round Robins that had been going around for the past year. These were so fantastic...everyone different. The "owner" of the quilt is on the left in these pictures and the gal on the right is the one that had that quilt last. The center block or panel was put in a pizza box with any other fabrics they wanted used and then the boxes were passed around. This center applique was gorgeous!

This center panel was a girl feeding chickens....I didn't zoom in on this one!

They didn't keep the quilt open long enough here...it was so cool. The owner made a vase on a "table" background. There were then flowers added by someone else....like broderie perse.

Round robins are fun.....definitely!!

Sewing

The blogging community has again grouped together to help one of us with problems in their life. We all love sending our best to someone that is suffering. She will be getting a lovely red and white quilt...yummy!

I wanted to get the above blocks in the mail so I could commence to working on the new Jelly Roll Sampler that started today. Can't wait to start cutting into Verna!