October Days

Blogger is still misbehaving even after I have reset it several times.  If I do not reply to you, it is because I am not seeing your comments.  I tried comment moderation, but no comments came through so I have reverted back.  We will see how it goes.

Some old business first....I have drawn two names for my Words to Live By blog hop giveaway and have not received a reply to e-mails that I have sent.  Today I drew again and it is Pat from Life in the Scrapatch blog.  I have sent her an e-mail and I hope I finally have a winner.

It has been rather chaotic around the house as we have had painters working on all of the baseboards.  Nothing like having a washer and dryer in the middle of your living room.  Every room has had all the furniture pulled to the middle of the room.  It's an interesting way to live!

But....it has allowed extra time in my creative space.  I needed to keep Toby confined in the room with me so we had some good bonding time.

Fort Worth Fabric Studios had a Boo to You QAL that I joined.  I made a few changes, but really like the way it finally came out.  Of course, Toby had to inspect it too.

The Seeing Stars QAL is also culminating this month.  I was hoping to get it quilted before the reveal day on October 16th, but I don't think that will happen.  I do have the top all pieced.

I was one of the lucky winners in the weekly giveaways during the QAL.  This beautiful Portsmouth layer cake was a donation from https://www.greenfairyquilts.com/.  

My sister is the queen in our Gridster Bee this month and I love her idea for her blocks - black and white NYBeauty blocks with a splash of color.  Won't a quilt of all these blocks look fabulous?

October means another monthly marker for my square in a square (SIS) Temperature quilt.  Our September did not see the exceptionally high temps that we can normally expect, but the nights are cooling off a bit.  Only two more months to go.

  

October is a busy birthday month in our family.  We have ten birthdays, including my own.  There's no time for stale birthday cake!!!

We had one of our sons and his family for dinner Sunday night and we were treated to this night sky display during dessert.  A rocket was launched from Vandenberg AFB.  It created two sonic booms before returning to Vandenberg and landing as planned - a great accomplishment.  

Just to end with some super cuteness, I'll share this picture.  Our daughter's family got a new puppy and their older pooch loves the new companion.  

Little Stitching

The week has been busy as we have been saying farewell to the college bound grandchildren with what has been endless parties as well as celebrating family birthdays.  I had to chuckle at my friend, Elizabeth, who was making meal plans for the week.  That would not be something that I would need to worry about.  We ate dinner at home just two nights this past week.  lol

The weekend allowed for a wee bit of sewing.  I decided to join Melissa in her Seeing Stars QAL.  The first block pattern was published this week so there is still plenty of time to join in if you are interested.  I love the Star in a Star pattern.

I also played a bit with my scrappy hearts that my Gridster Bee mates made for me.  I still need to add a border on it, but I really love the way this is turning out.  Setting the blocks on point with sashing was stimulating for the brain!!!

Our DIL adopted a pregnant cat and the little thing had three aby kittens this weekend.  She has already found homes for the kittens and will get the mom fixed as soon as possibly.  The little kittens are so cute - all three are different colors.

I have been working on my Minis and More project for this month.  It is a Trip Around the World mini this month - one that I have wanted to make for awhile.  The Parade is at the beginning of the month so I hope to have it finished for the parade at that time.  No preview here yet!!

Best Laid Plans

Remember all of that sewing time that I was planning on while our floors were being refinished?  What was I thinking?   The first few days were okay, in spite of all the noise from the sanding machines, etc.  After that they suggested we leave the house because of the fumes and inability to walk on the floors.  I am glad to say that they finished up this morning and now it is cleaning and putting everything back where it belongs.  UGH!

So....what did we do when we had to leave?  We took a spur of the moment road trip.  We headed out to Las Vegas to visit some dear friends who moved there several years ago.  We stayed in Vegas for two days and enjoyed some rather cool and tropical weather.  It was a joy to see thunderstorms and enjoy a bit of rain in the desert.

I would love to know more geology so I could tell you about the different colored layers in the mountains and just how long ago it happened.  It would be so interesting.

From there we drove to Death Valley, stopping in at Ash Meadows Wildlife Refuge along the way.  Ash Meadows is located just a short distance from Death Valley and is an oasis in the middle of the hottest, driest desert in North America.  They had a lovely visitor center about 8 miles down a gravel road.  We were the only visitors at the beautiful facility.  What a shame!  I was amazed to see so much water in the desert.  The colors in the pools of water were gorgeous and they were homes to tiny little puff fish, an endangered species.

Death Valley was toasty warm at 114* when we pulled into the Inn for the evening.   We enjoyed a pretty sunset overlooking the desert.

It was still warm when we left a little after 6 a.m. the next morning.

What sewing did I get done during the mess?  I finished a fall table runner for Sara who is in our Sewing With Friends swap.

I also got all the blocks sewn together for my Sea and Sand quilt.

Lastly, I did some mindless sewing, adding 20 more blocks to my selvage block project.

I also caught up on my Temperature Quilt.  The reds were making an appearance for a few days, but we are back in the low 80s again - back to the rusty reds.

The last of my Gridster Bee blocks arrived from Afton.  She actually made me EIGHT blocks for my month!  I am excited about getting this quilt made with all of the gorgeous hearts that I received in the month of June.

My computer was stored away in a room with no access during the refinishing so it is nice to have it out again.  I have missed following blogs.

This is what my house has looked like.

No cooking!!!!

Even Toby is glad to have things back to a more normal living situation again.

Summer Has Arrived

Summer has finally arrived and it is packing a punch.  The high yesterday was 107* and is right up there again today.  The heatwave is suppose to break this evening and take us back to more seasonal temperatures.  I finally get to add those red fabrics to my Temperature Quilt.

It has been a busy week.  They were suppose to start on refinishing the wood floors on Friday, but that got postponed until Monday.  The closets, drawers and curios are now all emptied in anticipation.  Lots of purging has gone on here.

As well, we had the big July 4th party on Wednesday.  We do the BBQ and everyone brings side dishes so it makes it easier.  Games are played during the day and then the little ones light sparklers when it gets to be dusk.

My cousin's son is in L.A. for a summer internship so he and his friend joined us as well.

June was my month to be queen in our Gridster Bee.  I just love seeing the variation of the fabrics.  I'm looking forward to getting all of these together.

Several years ago I participated in the MCM Bee.  For my month I chose blocks to create the Woven pattern.  The blocks had been boxed up for too long.  I pulled them all out and added some more to create this layout.  I am calling it Sand and Sea.  It will be fun to get this one finished.

One last bit of sewing here.  While these little ones were staying with us this week, we had a chance to make some pink polka dot pajama bottoms.  The girls both loved them and didn't want to take them off.  Win/win!

I'm hoping to get some good sewing time in the next few weeks while they work on the floors.  I certainly won't be cleaning house!  That will come afterwards.  SIGH.

Goodbye June

It's hard to believe that the year is now half way gone and summer is in full swing in many places.  Although our foreseeable future is still forecast to remain cool, I hope to see some summer temperatures appearing here in July.  My Temperature Quilt 2018 is looking quite boring!  Every day is the same color.  We had only two days in the entire month that went over 80* - an 84 and 85.  Our January and February both had warmer days, and more of them.

June has been my month for being the Queen Bee in our Gridster Bee.  I had requested Scrappy Heart blocks.  I am loving the secondary effect that the beautiful hearts are creating.   This is where they are right now, but I see on IG that more are arriving shortly.

Now that July is almost upon us, Leisa is our Queen Bee for that month.  Her request is for the Starry Sky Quilt blocks.  I love this pattern and have wanted to make one myself.  I think it will be gorgeous to see all of the stars together.  

We've had several birthdays this week in the family.  One of the granddaughters loves to cook so I made her a vintage apron as one of her gifts.  

The afternoons have been warm enough to enjoy a little pool time with the grandchildren.  

One of the gals in our quilt guild always shares the cutest cartoons.  This one struck my fancy and I am sure many can relate.