Growing

There are lots of things going on, and growing on, around here. Despite my best intentions, my "to do" list is one of those things that grows out of control, like Kudzu, and thwarts all attempts to keep up with posting here. Gregory has turned eleven years old this month. Eleven! One thing that doesn't seem to to grow is available time: that shrinks! Seriously. How can it be November already? Here's the birthday boy and his sister, who's growing at the same break-neck pace as her brother. 

She spent the night with us last week; we were entertained with an interpretive, dramatic, reading of "How The Elephant Got His Trunk" after dinner. 

My list of UFOs is growing once again (even with all of those completed tops being rounded up and out of the BOM bins from years past) with the addition of two more Blocks-of-the-Month that I've signed up for (I'm unable to resist) this fall. This is one of them, "Lady's Scrap Basket", so far I've got Unit One completed, along the way I discovered a great little tool for dealing with those pesky "folded corner" triangles, it's made by Creative Grids. ↓

Rather than drawing (and then sewing on) the line, one simply aligns the "Folded Corner Clipper" with the strong diagonal across the corners of the stacked pieces and trims away the excess beforehand, stitching 1/4" away from the cut edge. It works really, really well. Thanks for this tip, Annie! 

My DIL sent this photo the other day. Gregory decided to mend a tear in his pants by himself. He raided his sister's sewing box for the needed items and set to work before it ripped any further. I couldn't help but think of this  very similar illustration from "Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt", maybe it's just the red hair. 😉

A recent retreat weekend saw something else take shape and grow: Great Granny Squared. It's one of those quilts from the always-growing "to make" list that finally rose to the top. I already love it and it still needs two more borders, it will only grow more and more lovely. I'm using Lori Holt's Bee Basics fabric line, it's a bright and cheerful day-brightener. 

A quilting friend finished this top while we retreated together, isn't it great? The pattern is one that's fat quarter friendly: "Inkling" by Patchwork and Poodles. This one really piqued my interest (like I have any business starting something else new!!). 

I have everything, except for the vine border, stitched on this sampler; at long last! It has been temporarily stowed now as and my needle, linen and hoop are being redirected toward Christmas stitching. One more growing obsession... and SEW it goes! 

These are golden days right now, it's hard to keep up with things indoors when it's this glorious outside!

What's going on ( and growing on) at your house?

Life is Good!

A Fragrant Glimpse

These gingerbread cookies have filled the house with a homey, spicy and festive fragrance. Another glimpse of Christmas from my perspective, the days are growing shorter but my "to do" lists are not!

Life is Good!

Intervention Needed!

We love the annual electronic advent calendars from Jacquie Lawson, we share them as dowloads with the grandchildren and get one for ourselves too. This year the theme is Victorian Christmas, there are lots of activities (things to create and decorate) that build on each previous day, creating a more Christmassy Main Street to revisit as time goes by and Christmas day draws closer. There are fun diversions as well: puzzles, books and games. My daughter-in-law shared this photo; Gregory and Lynnleigh enjoy their calendar each night before bed, she says that they LOVE it this year. Well, there's a certain obsessive attraction for me too: the ornamant breaking game! Ornaments apper in a large grid, clicking on three of the same color ornaments that appear in a row breaks them, allowing different ones to drop down into play. As the levels progress the speed picks up and bonus points appear for accumulation by breaking "special" ornaments. This morning I could not make it from the desk chair and laptop until I reigned victorious over this silly merciless game. Dishes to wash? Cards to address? Gifts to wrap? Trees to decorate? Nothing on my "to do" list could break the temptation to play or sway my competitive nature to beat the computer! I was definitely rendered powerless and in need of an intervention. Thank goodness this screen suddenly popped up. Whew! Now, I can get on with my day; tomorrow might just be another story!

Life is Good!

With Laser Focus...

Life has been hectic lately; lots of things going on daily that occupy my time and mind. I had a friend who used to say she had to fly sideways just to keep from taking off... that's an apt description of recent activities for me. Anyway, on Monday I loaded a quilt onto Snowbird and quilted it using this pantograph, Paisley Max. There was something so relaxing, so centering, about switching on the machine and following that laser dot with intense concentration. I couldn't veer from the path, I couldn't stop midway and come back to my laser and line later, if I even hesitated en route I feared losing course or changing direction inadvertantly. And so, I pressed on. The quilt is all paisley-ed out now with this lovely, swirling texture on its surface.  I was able to clear my mind and focus with clarity... on this one thing. It was liberating and empowering at the same time. Knowing now that I have the ability to keep competing thoughts, activities and concerns at bay gives me the encouragement I need to actually accomplish the many things demanding my attention, one at a time; and a peek at what it may be like to reach the end of "quilt tops to be quilted" queue!

Life is Good!

Hope

Yesterday was the first Sunday in Advent; in observance, I'm focusing on the word "hope".  As Christians we are people of hope. From 1 Peter 3:15 - "...always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you...". This photograph illustrates hope to me. I took it yesterday in the chapel of the rehab facility where my precious mother-in-law has been moved for physical therapy after a few days in the hospital. She is tired; we, her family, are hopeful... for her recovery, for her comfort, for peace to her body and mind. This is a difficult time... and yet, we remain hope-filled. Our prayers are petitions of hope to a loving God on her behalf. Are you ready to give a reason today for the hope that is in you?

Life is Good!

Running Sideways!

These are busy days, post vacation. It's a good thing I got plenty of R&R while I was gone, I need it now. I'm playing catch-up with various classes, commitments and everyday responsibilities. Lucy Ann's Easter dress is officially crossed off the "to-do" list. We have clean clothes, the mail has been managed and there is dinner on the table every evening, no small feat while running as fast as I can to stay abreast. Plus, tasks ahead are looming large. I should sort through 752 vacation photographs and arrange at least some of them into a slide show capturing the highlights of our journey through the Panama Canal. There is a graduating class of sixteen at church that will soon be needing quilts. Quiltkeemosabe and I used to tease each other about running so fast we needed to head sideways to keep from taking off; these days I believe there's a lot of truth in that...at any rate, it's advice I'm heeding. I can't risk taking any chances, who knows where I'd land?

Life is Good!

Legs To Stand On

This is the first of the appliqué blocks from the Hop To It class, January's is done; crossed off the list! You might remember that I expressed a question regarding my own sanity in this earlier post. I have more than a few things going on and seriously didn't know how I could cram in more appliqué too. But, I have, and at least I'm off to a good start. Sometimes, when I do crazy and impetuous things I feel a little bit like the chubby chicks pictured in my blog header, without a leg to stand on! But, as of today, we have legs. (All the better to Hop To It with. Or better yet, kicking as hard as we can to keep our heads above water!) Yep, me and the chicks...we're holding our own!

Life is Good!

Step By Step

Ever since we returned from a two week vacation last month it seems as though I've been trying to catch up with tasks, responsibilities, commitments and appointments that had piled up while I was gone. I'm not winning in my attempts to get on top of that mountain, but I have done enough now to step back and find the breathing space I've been searching for. Ahhh, it's a good thing that I rested while I was away! In the meantime, life has been racing along at breakneck speed with little regard for me lagging behind. We're into Autumn temperatures and I have yet to pot up some Mums for the front porch and set out my fall Pansies. (I'm hoping that will occur this week for sure.) The quillow project at church is still looming large but, thankfully, I have carved enough space out around me that I can now gain some much needed forward momentum on that task. I have embroidery orders due and a quilt still patiently waiting on the frame. Mason has begun walking and all reports from the Capital City indicate that he's gaining proficiency very quickly. Today I will borrow a page from my grandson's book and take things one step at a time, that's really all any of us can do anyway, right? Instead of stressing about the never-ending "to-do" list and worrying about what's not done perhaps I should concentrate solely on walking...step by baby-step, one foot in front of the other, moving forward.

Life is Good!
Dear God, take my hand today and steady my steps should I falter or stray. I ask for your help in remaining on the path, staying focused and remembering that all that I encounter along the way is a gift and a blessing from You. ~Amen

Final Four Day

Yep, today it's down to four. I've decided to commemorate today by whittling my "to do" list to the final four as well. Well maybe not the final four, but at least today's list will be comprised of four things to do.

1. Spread the pine needle bales around the Hosta beside the driveway and along the edge of the woods in back. I've been putting this off long enough. (Let's get that one out of the way so I can play in the studio the rest of the day!)

2. Finish two burp cloths for baby Nolan. The embroidery is done, I need to top-stitch the binding and ribbon.

3. Finish the quilting on "Bears at the Beach". That is definitely do-able, I'm down to the final third of the quilt and it's not very big. Stay tuned for a photo on this one.

4. Make the piping and binding for "Sunflower Love", my son and daughter-in-law's wedding quilt. (I'm just thinking that they need this before their first anniversary, right?)

How will you celebrate Final Four Day at your house? Unlike the inevitable outcome of the NCAA playoffs, my list of four things will all be winners upon completion.

Life is Good!
~Go Spartans!~