And I'm Back!

Hey, I'm actually back with the scoop on my quilting project.  It's a kit I purchased sometime in the last year from Craftsy/Bluprint. A Christmas quilt, like I need another Christmas quilt; but somehow, I just can't stop myself.  

{Side note:  Craftsy has been around for a while and sometime in the last few years was bought out and the name was changed to Bluprint.  Everything stayed pretty much the same until this spring when it was announced that Bluprint was closing.  The thing that got so many people riled was that part of C/B, a BIG part, was video classes that once purchased were available to view by the purchaser forever.  There was much grumbling and dissatisfaction, especially by those who had just purchased new classes.  I recently received an email that Bluprint has been purchased (rescued?) and will continue.}

But I digress.  Back to my project.  As mentioned yesterday, it has a lot of pieces.  A LOT.  So I backed off from my cutting and began assembly with parts I had.  

The house is the center of the quilt.   Next up were applique trees.  I actually had some Heat and Bond in my stash so I drew out the shapes and ironed them on the fabrics, cut and ironed again.  Voila!  Trees!

Now I'm back to cutting, cutting, cutting.  Here's a picture of the pattern showing the whole quilt.  

See those stars?  The checkerboard?  The flying geese? The appliqued letters?  Yup, lots of cutting coming right up!  ♥

I'm Still Here

Goodness, this month seems to have gotten away from me!  It's been busy with the graduation, Dan's birthday this week, and just general everyday things that the older I get, the longer they seem to take.  

I am working on a new quilt that seems to have quite a few pieces of varying sizes to cut. I've been cutting away and decided yesterday to begin to put some of the pieces together before I burned out on the cutting. I'll try to post again tomorrow with some pictures of this new project.  

Meanwhile, I'm off to do a little light reading and then head for my bed.  Sure glad someone invented mattresses and pillows!  ♥ 

A Real Graduation!

Yes, people, Keaton did get to have a real graduation ceremony!  We kind of held our breaths, but it took place Saturday night with many concessions to the times, and all graduates got their moment and their diplomas.  

Only family members were allowed to attend and had to wear masks. Each family had a separate seating area that was marked out, included plenty of space to spread out, and was in the balcony, so we were well distanced from the students! The students, of course, wore their masks as well as their graduation gowns and caps.  One of the moms found masks featuring fabric that said Class of 2020 and bought masks for the entire class!

Keaton was valedictorian and did a great job giving his speech (he got to take his mask off as there was no one close by).  

All masked up and ready to graduate!

Diploma in hand!

Masked and socially distancing.  Such strange times. . .

The ceremony was video taped and shown live on Facebook and YouTube so friends and far away family could watch and the parents were able to arrange a wonderful outdoor party following that was really fun, complete with tiki torches!! 

And here is one last fun photo--a bunch of neighborhood moms got together and ordered these shirts for their grads to commemorate this crazy graduation year (note the mask on the O in Senior).

And that's the way it is in 2020!! ♥

Etcetera

The last two weeks have vanished in a blink.  What have I done, I ask myself.  Good question! Reading, of course.  Having that Kindle app and taking advantage of two free months of Kindle Unlimited has made me like a kid in a candy store!  One book was very different and also thought provoking given these times.  The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson is an historical novel based on real events.  

I've finally had to make a mask or two.  Most of Dan's consulting work involves workshops and field trips and most have been cancelled due to the virus, but one is taking place this week with all kinds of precautions.  He will need a mask as he teaches so I bit the bullet and made him two out of tan fabric with pine needles on it. Suitable, I thought!  

The weather has been all over the place,  Cold, wet and dreary, hot, sunny and necessitating turning on the AC, and now back to overcast and wet.  Lots of thunder and lightning, too.  As we tell each other, it's still June! Truthfully, given the current events politically and healthwise, I'm hoping for a cool summer to help keep people calm.  

The baby shower was fun and the mom-to-be loved the bibs.  I'm thinking of making some more this week before I forget how cute these turned out.  I also have a friend who became a grandma for the first time that I want to send some bibs to.  She can keep them at her house or send them on but either way, I thought she'd have fun opening the package.  

This cool weather has been wonderful for the flower pots and the garden.  Here's the view from my front entryway.

And here's a cute one of Daniel and his friend Crosby at their swimming lessons last winter.  Here's hoping they can soon hit the water once again.  

Happy summer!  ♥

Feathered Friends

Since we live on the edge of town, actually in the county rather than inside the city limits. we get our share of wildlife.  Skunks, elk, moose, and so on.  We also get a lot of birds.  The quail make me laugh as they run in groups, always with one far in the rear.  The pheasants are gorgeous.  And this year, we've spotted a new duo in our trees.  A pair of owls.  

They are huge!  (And we're ever so glad we don't have a cat anymore!)  They seem to like our poplar trees.  

Hoot, hoot!  Look at that wise old owl!!  ♥

And In the Sewing Room . . .

. . . disaster reigns!!  I started to do a major sort and clean a week or so ago, but then I remembered that I needed to make bibs for an upcoming baby shower.  This couple has decided not to find out what they're having beforehand and I realized that the few bibs I had left in my stash were definitely boy or girl.  As in pink and frilly or blue and all boy.  It's been a long time since I went to a shower where the gender was unknown.  

I pondered designs.  I ransacked my stash of flannel--which ran to mostly pinks and blues.  Hmmm. . .  An already messy sewing room began to look as if a tornado had struck.  

 

I usually start my bib making by cutting a bunch of bib shaped blanks, and so I began.

The grey polka dot and the red polka dot seemed to be good choice for neutral bibs, and I began with the grey. I decided on a lamb theme and began with a Debbie Mumm design from her Baby Oh Baby design set.  

I have about six bibs done now, and plan to keep on stitching until I have a nice pile of them again.  So. Much. Fun!! ♥

A New Graduate

I meant to write this a few days ago, but, well, I didn't. As my friend, Kathy, says, sometimes the muse is missing.  And it was.

In this strange spring, so many usual events have gone by the wayside, and one of those is the usual high school graduation.  This was Keaton's senior year, and he hasn't been in a classroom since March 13.  We are thankful for this modern age when teachers can conduct classes over the internet, at least in a fashion, so the school year went on.  The last official day was May 22 and graduation normally would have been last Saturday, the 30th.  In lieu of an actual ceremony (there are still hopes for one, perhaps later this month), a drive-by was instigated by the teachers on Saturday at five.  Here are a few pictures of Keat's moment of honor.

Cheered on by big bro Cam!

The parade of cars!

Afterwards everyone met at the home of one of the students for a picnic.  A bonfire was also planned but had to be scrapped because of the weather--storms and wind! 

Keat and his best buddies

And here is one of my favorites of our "Keater-bug" as we called him when he was just a little guy.

And an official graduation portrait.

The years have flown by.  So thankful that he grew up right here so we could be a part of his life.  What a blessing it has been.  ♥