Love the baby Abe in this... Taken several years ago in our "bus."

Big Plans...

My Sis, Lisa, and another Sis, Stephanie, and my Mom are coming for a visit- despite the snow! I am so excited. We are planning a Chinese food run and a date at the tea house with the girls. Other than that, it will just be a lot of gabbing and laughing. Mom and I might get around to sewing up a few pinafores for the girls, we'll see. Nothing too big on the agenda- just visiting and having fun. Everyone have a great weekend!

Things to talk about...in reverse...

1. Aren't the prayer rugs from Afghanistan pretty? The girls have said their prayers on them and report them to be quite comfy. Thank you David.
2. Look at my loot!! The middle picture is filled with goodies from Julie in the Barn. She was so generous and shared some crumb blocks and crumbs and also some lovely batiks. Didn't that just brighten my day? Thank you Julie.
3. I also got a gift box from Sarah filled with all things orange- you'll be seeing that soon enough I figure. Thank you Sarah.
4. And my Mom sent me some really cool colors of quilting thread. I'll post that soon, too. The hot pink is too much fun. Thank you Mom.
5. Didn't I get a lot of goodies in the mail, this week?
6. The Wayward Fabric Club meets Tuesday at 11:30 at Sezchuan Gardens. I made some kaliedescope blocks for that occasion. Four planned and two scrappy. Just trying to see how many misspelled words I can fit in one post. I wanted to call it potpourrie but figure that's spelled wrong, too.
7. On a more serious and painful note. Does anyone know how to dislodge a contact lens from the back of your eyeball? It is really uncomfortable. I'm thankful it isn't a misfunctioning eyeball, so things could be worse. It will eventually come out on it's own, right?

No pics...

Sorry. I have a lovely new computer and it is way way smarter than I am and I still can't figure out how to upload my pictures- haven't spent much time on it, to tell you the truth. My Sis is coming to see me at the end of the month and she is a whiz at that sort of thing and I figure why should I spend hours on something that would take her mere minutes? And she actually seems to enjoy it. Go figure. I'll set myself down in front of the old computer soon and show you some of what I have been up to.

• Sewing wise, I haven't been branching out beyond pinafores for the girls. McCall's 2880, view G.
• Quilting wise, well the machine was making a terrible racket and I oiled it and it seems to be running fine now- what little bit I quilted to see how well it was running. Now I just have to rouse up the nerve to get back in the saddle.
• Health wise, I am feeling better. I was down and out with a tummy bug, yesterday. After two weeks of the meanest headcold I have ever had, it just seem so unjust to be set upon by a seriously out of whack stomache. But I seem better, today.
• Weather wise, it has snowed another 5 inches, today, thusfar. Just what we needed. Cause a foot or so of snow just can't be enough. On a good note, the snow plow has come by twice- quite a rare occurance.
• Kid wise, they seem to be recovering from their colds, too. Poor Paul is taking a handful of prescription medication- anti-hystimines, decongestants, steroids, nasal sprays and breathing treatments. Asthma stinks. That's the official statement.
• Food wise, Sweet William went shopping and bought the children anything they wanted. Cheese doodles and poptarts were on the list. I just covered my ears and went lalalalalalala I can't hear this. At least I know they won't starve, right?

Hope everyone has a great week.

Wedding quilt...

Got all of these blocks put together to make a very generously sized queen quilt. Ready to quilt it as soon as I can get out and get the backing. The snow drifting over our road is something else. We live on a little plateau of prairie- it's uphill- ever so slightly- any way you come. Lovely breezes all summer, but in the winter... lots of howling winds that insist on coming in. John has been around the house stuffing batting scraps in all the little cracks around the doors- need trimmed out. And some caulk. We keep recieving calls from dh to help shovel him out of the drifts within sight of the house. So making a short story long, I'm not getting out much. At all. Just as well as we have been down with a very mean cold. Tomorrow, ds has a DR appointment so that means I'll be getting out and while I'm out... maybe Joann's will come up on the list of stops. I hear the roads in town are clear. The things I'll do to get to the fabric store...

Life can be funny...

So Will has a class every Tuesday night which leaves me at loose ends. I dug out some tiny HST that were 1 1/2" and made this little block- used all but three of the HST that I had. And it was fun to work on something small as all my other projects are doozies- that's BIG in quilterese. The block measures 14" and I am not sure of where it will end up. Thought it might make a pretty side to a book bag...

Then, when I woke up this morning, I find a picture of the quilt my Mom was working on- 300 miles away. How cool is that? The same colors. Just thought it was funny. Hers has that pretty splash of yellow in it. Often when we call we find out that we are having the same thing for dinner- except when she has squirrel gravy- I can't say that I've fixed that in oh, 20 years or so. We might be related... ya never know.

He just brightens my day...

This cutie-patootie is often found under the long arm. Here, drawing, and there, doing some schoolwork. I have a trundle bed under there for when the company overflows the guest bedroom. Among other things... Nothing makes Abe happier than a fresh quilt on the frame that he can "hide" under. This quilt is giving me grief. I put the borders on and I must say there was a huge amount of "stretchage" and now I have some pretty big waves. What was a girl to do when the quilt was 5" longer on one side than the other? So... I may have to knock off the borders when I'm done. Too bad it isn't my quilt. Ain't that the way it always goes? sigh.

On a brighter note... the cold that I was wrestling with is almost down for the count. Still in my head, but not nearly as bad and I might be able to skip the nap today. Maybe. I have all 10 dresses sewn up for the girls and now I just need to dig out the machine that does automatic button holes- it's under the longarm...somewhere. Then there are 6 pinafores... I finished all the blocks for the wedding quilt- just need to join those together- it's gonna be a pretty one, if I do say so, myself. Hope everyone that is snowed in has a big supply of thread and lots of good hot cups of tea.

42 yards of fabric...

I feel like Marilla when Mathew bought 20 lbs of brown sugar... That's what got us started on this little project in the first place. Eva and Bekah fell in love with Anne's "plain and practical" dresses. (If you are unfamiliar with Anne of Green Gables... well, that's just sad.) So I went fabric shopping and found a great deal at Hobby Lobby. I love that place- but I don't "get" all the doodads. A gazillion things to clutter up your coffee table. No thanks. But the fabric... yummo! And you won't believe what I paid for this quiltshop-quality fabric. 2 bucks a yard!! 6 yards makes two very generously full skirted dresses. And 4 yards will make 2 pinafores- the girls insisted. So I have 6 dresses made- all but the button holes and buttons and I am working on 2 more. But... I ran into a hitch. The worst cold of the decade. Very bad timing as I am really wanting to sew. OK, when do I not want to sew? But between the drip-drip-drip and the hack-hack-hack, it rather takes the bloom off the rose and sewing is a real trial. Oh, I perservered, yesterday, and got some done, but today... I am counting the minutes til nap time(42 minutes.) Then two hours of quiet bliss. Well, as blissful as the snotty nose and sore throat and congested lungs will allow.

Some quilting "dones"...

Here are a couple projects that I have finished recently. The top picture is just the back of a small wallhanging, showing my freehand feathers and the red and green... well, it speaks for itself. I love it! My Aunt Sheila gave me the top which was appliqued by her grandma. I have been meaning to get to it for a couple years, but you know how things can get crazy on ya. So I finally bought the backing and goterdone. It reminds me of a Hawaiian quilt, so that is how I quilted it- echos and such. It looks great on the bed. I am still needing to bind it- binding is cut, and I just bought some green thread, so soon, maybe.

I do have a couple quilts to do for family of family. Ordered thread for these projects as I am running low. I have been finding my empty cones all over the house with strips of fabric wrapped around them- imitating lighthouses. The kids and their imaginations never cease to make me smile. I must being doing something right as a teacher as I have been having to make them put the books away and go outside and play! I am working on a wedding quilt- I have three weddings this year. I'll be keeping it simple. Then I went and bought 42 yards of fabric... yes I think that deserves a post of its own. Maybe tomorrow. Stay tuned...