Happy June

With the busiest month of the year behind us, I feel as though there is a fresh start to the new month.  Life is good!

Sewing took a big hit in May.  Most sewing came in spurts here and there.  I love a good empty day where I can sit and sew till my heart is content.  The bits of stitching here and there always seem to leave me feeling scattered and looking for something quick and easy.  

These leaves fit into the schedule.  The idea comes from a photo of a table runner that I had attached to my "dream" board.  

Several years ago when Block Lotto was up and running, I won a set of Birds in the Air blocks one month.  I came across them recently, but I need to make more in order to make a quilt with them.  Again....a simple design that can be quickly sewn together.  I added another eleven blocks to the stack.  

That makes for a pretty pathetic 17 blocks for my total this month for the 350 Blocks Project.

When we moved here about thirty five years ago, we put a sand volleyball court in the backyard.  It saw a ton of use, but over the years the soft sand had blown away.  With a new generation of grandchildren playing now, we decided to upgrade the court to a more functional play space.  This month saw the transformation into a sports court that has provided many laughs.  We've learned to play pickleball and are really enjoying it.  I just need to get better at figuring out how to call the score!!!!  Sheesh!  Wonder if anyone has ever thought of a simple scoreboard.  :-)

The weather has been fairly cool for us.  The flowers continue to bloom, but the tomatoes are slow in setting fruit with our cool nights.  The vegetable garden has been a constant battle with rabbits this year.  Any good hints????

The streptocarpus are gorgeous and are transplants
from my father's from many years ago.

I believe this is a begonia of some sort.  It is a volunteer plant
that makes its appearance each year in several of my pots.

This is a Mandevilla vine that eventually grows over the 
patio cover by the end of summer.  My trellis is a 
crib spring.


So.....bring on June and summer.  I'm excited that it is here.

Quilts, Monarchs, Flowers and Such

 The main problem with posting so seldom is trying to capture everything in one post.  It has been a busy month around here.  

Sewing started the month off with a gifted quilt for a friend of my DIL who just started chemo for breast cancer.  Snails Trail seemed like an appropriate pattern for the slow months ahead of chemo, radiation, double mastectomy and reconstruction.

The camera angles make one look quite long and thin while the other is square,  It is actually a generous sized throw..  

It progressed to more fun sewing, baby burp cloths and a Christening gown for a baby shower for our eldest granddaughter.  I completely forgot to take a picture of the gown, but will do so at the Christening.  

Then we slipped off to Hawaii for a week of complete relaxation.  It was heavenly!  The view from our balcony was glorious and we enjoyed the sunsets everyday.  The flowers there were also fantastic.  

Can you spot the courting gecko?

This masterpiece was hanging in our hotel lower lobby, artist "unknown". 
A reminder to label your quilts!  (110" square)

From our room we had a view of the hotel gardens below us.  It was such fun to watch the progress of their plantings from when we arrived.  I wouldn’t mind that job!

It’s always fun to return home and see what is happening in my own gardens.  So much is blooming now.  

Cymbidiums.  Many of these once belonged to my dad.  He had quite a green thumb.

Clivia.  These were all started from seeds that my BIL gave me.

Roses...I love this one.  It is called Tuscan Sun by Jackson and Perkins.   

We’ve had so many monarch cocoons this year.  Many have flown free already, but I have several left to hatch.  One is going to break free sometime today and I am trying to capture it on a video.  It’s soooo close.

Lastly, this past week our daughter’s Golden Retriever had ten puppies.  OMGoodness....cuteness galore.  Fear not.....that is not a handmade quilt, but would be worth it.  ;-)

The Arrival of June

How can it be?  The midpoint of the year is just around the corner.  I guess it's time to start Christmas shopping.

Before May slips away, however, we celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary!  It seems like only yesterday that we were walking down the aisle, saying our "I do's" and starting our new life together.  I'd do it all again in a moment.  It has been a fabulous fifty years.

Now, fifty years later, our eldest granddaughter will be walking down the aisle and starting her new life as a wife.  It has been a busy few weeks of preparation for it.  I've altered three bridesmaid dresses, made the veil and the flower girl dress, all fun and creative sewing.

June is my month as the bee queen in our Gridster Bee.  The block I have chosen is called Star String and is found at Wombat Quilts.  My first blocks arrived from Nancy (IG @patchworkbreeze).  From the looks of these, this is going to be such a fun month.

More non quilting sewing included making a linen stole for a dear priest friend of ours who is celebrating his Silver Jubilee next week.  I wanted to use the metallic threads in the embroidery machine, but I know how difficult they can be, especially at high speeds.  I used the Superior metallic threads and I had NO problem at all with them.  I have used them in quilting with great success too. If you haven't used them before, I highly recommend them.

I actually made it reversible so he can use it when he celebrates his Golden Jubilee.  The front side is in silver and the back is in gold.  It has been a standing joke between us so I am sure he will get a chuckle when he sees it.

I did manage to finish the last three blocks for the BlooM SAL.  Hopefully, I will have time to get the sashing sewn in place and get them all sewn together soon.

The month of May has been so unseasonably cold for us, but some of the spring growth continues in the garden.  The epiphylliums are blooming and are always showstoppers.

A pineapple has set in the pineapple garden too.  This plant is about three years old now.  I start my plants by using the tops of the pineapples that we eat.

Momma tortoise laid her eggs despite the cold weather.

A final picture...….I was at our daughter's home watching the little ones earlier this week.  This little guy had no fear of the vacuum and loved to have the girls use it on him.