May Happenings

Happy May!  May is always our crazy month.  We have seven birthdays, our anniversary (53), Mother’s Day and then First Communions (2), Confirmations (2), and graduations (3).  It seems like it is party after party for the entire month.  There’s never a dull moment with a large family.

Sewing seems to take a back seat for the month of May.  I did manage to get my selvedge quilt quilted and bound.  It was a love/hate relationship.  I quilted the entire quilt and was not happy with the quilting.  I spent two days ripping out EVERY STITCH and requilting it!!!  The backing is a great Kaffe wide back that picks up all the colors on the front.  

Our granddaughter made her husband a pair of fleece pants for Christmas.  She left the extra fabric in my sewing room!  Their son turns one this month so I used the leftover fabric to make him a matching pair of pants and a robe that matches the pants.

My niece (in-law) cross stitched a stocking for her mom for Mother’s Day.  She asked if I could sew it into a stocking for her.  This was her first cross stitch project and I think she did a great job on it.  That metallic thread is difficult to use and all of the music is done in metallic gold.

Our momma tortoise celebrated Mother’s Day in her own way.  She laid 12 eggs this year.  

Workmen have kept us on our toes this month as well.  A new a/c unit was needed and replaced.  Of course, it’s never a “simple” replacement.  Ducting had to be replaced so there have been people inside, outside and up in the attic.  As well, we are replacing our sand volleyball court with something more practical.  After 30 years, the softer sand has blown away, leaving the court feeling more like gravel.  It isn’t a lot of fun to play on that surface.  I'll be glad to have them finish.  It’ll be nice to get rid of everyone and get the house back to ourselves.

I had a "new to me" visitor this week.  This little guy was on my path to my car.  The photo is enlarged, but it was really only about 9" long.  I loved the red band around the neck so I had to come in and look it up.  It was a non venomous ring necked snake!  The underside is a brilliant orange.  I am NOT a snake person, but this little guy was kind of cute.  He was much less intimidating than our resident five foot gopher snake that keeps scaring me in the backyard.  Although, he too, is a "good" snake.  

 
There is a field across the road from us.  The crops are rotated in it, but it is mostly planted in lettuces or cabbage.  They recently cut what we thought was a cover crop.  I thought it was such a lovely view with all the bales.  Except for the hilly background, I could imagine being back in the Midwest.

August 2020

Before August slips away, I should get a blog post in the record book.  The month has really gone quickly, although I don't have a lot to show for it.

The granddaughters and I enjoyed an extended summer of sewing and sharing our baking skills with each other.  They all left last weekend for their respective colleges.  I told them that I would need the next six months to sort out my sewing studio again.  lol

Our Gridster Bee block for this month was Room for Squares from Zen Chic.  It was a free paper pieced download. I just love Linda's color choices and you can check out what all the blocks look like together by visiting her on Instagram @quiltlady63.  These were my four blocks.  She requested that we not sew them together so she could mixt them up. 

Our tortoise eggs were busily hatching this month too.  These never cease to amaze me.  They have all gone to their adoptive homes.  

Although I haven't managed to do a lot of sewing this month, I did start putting some blocks together from a kit that has been sitting in my sewing room.  I really like these Moda fabrics and I am enjoying the blocks.  

The days are definitely getting shorter and I've noticed leaves changing colors and dropping.  It must be the colder temps we had a few weeks ago.  However, this week our summer finally arrived with higher temps and fires.  I do not know how the firefighters can battle the fires in such scorching temperatures.  They do a heroic job!

There is always a way to stay cool..... 

End of Summer

It seems way too soon for the kids to be heading back to school.  It also doesn't sound right to hear about Labor Day sales on the television and radio.  How can the summer be coming to an end so soon? 

The college grandchildren have started to leave for their schools.  They rest will depart throughout the week.  Some of the younger grandchildren have started back to school this week and the remainder will go back next week.  I'll miss having them around and stopping in all the time.  However, it was a great summer. 

I had some fun fall sewing to do before school started.  A friend of mine is a teacher.  To encourage creative writing with her students, she uses a book titled Letters From Felix.  She has used a pathetic looking "Felix" stuffed rabbit that gets to go home with the children.  I promised her that I would make a new one for her before classes started. 

Felix may have overeaten this summer so he may need to go on a diet this fall, but he is definitely an improvement over the one that was being used.  lol

He even has his own backpack for the start of school (and for carrying his notepad and pencil).

One of the granddaughters stopped over this past week because she wanted to "make a dress".  This was her first dressmaking attempt and I think she did a great job on it.  She loved it and can't wait to come home for Thanksgiving so she can sew some more.

I managed to get my Scrappy Radiant Star quilted.  I'm looking forward to getting the binding on it and having it finished.

It was my block choice for my month of the Gridster Bee.  Each of my beemates included an extra block so the construction of the quilt went quickly.  They were all stars in my book and I included their signature blocks in stars on the back.

Lastly, this week has seen excitement with several of our tortoise eggs hatching.  It's always a fun time to watch the progress.  

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.

P.P.P.

How's that for a title?  It beats writing out Pumpkin, Pipping Post.  Does anyone else struggle with post titles?

Starting next week we will be watching grandchildren for a couple of weeks - first one set and then another so I won't be getting any much computer time.

Taking that into consideration, I wanted to finish my Minis and More project for August while I had some time to sew.  The pattern this month is Mini Pumpkins by Allison Harris at Cluck Cluck Sew.  I have always enjoyed the monthly project brought to us by Michele and Sherri.  Although I can't participate each month, they have a great Mini Parade on the first of each month.

The last P is for the pipping that we've had going on here this week - our baby tortoises.  They have a little pipping tooth that cracks the shell.  They will spend the next two-three days absorbing their yolk before fully emerging and walking away from their shells. 

See the little nose?

Pipping started on August 1st and six of the seven babies were participating within 4 days.  The last one has been stubborn and finally pipped last evening.    This one has decided to do things a bit backwards as he is approaching life with an arm out - waiting for some sort of handout, I'm sure.

The mostly absorbed yolk.

Once their yolks are pretty much dried out, I transfer them to a larger container and start feeding them.

We once had a tortoise that pipped and hatched out immediately.  Unfortunately, the yolk was so large that it looked like it was balanced on a ball with no feet touching the ground.  He had to stay like that until enough of the yolk was absorbed so he could finally reach the ground.

I've been sewing in bit and spurts this week.  Do you know how it is when you can only squeeze in 10-15 minutes of stitching?  What do you work on during that time?  I know I hate to get involved in something that is going to take more time than I have.  I decided to sew some of my selvage pieces into blocks.  My box of them was overflowing and I can say that after 35 blocks - it is still overflowing.  I think I fluffed them up too much!!  I do love how they are looking and am eager to make more.  As Stephanie at (IG)sadunphy said....they are like potato chips.  So true!

Meanwhile.....in the garden the plumerias are all blooming now and they smell heavenly.  I love the shape of these two.

There was something very strange going on with one of my strawberries.  I know they say that they are covered with seeds, but this was taking that idea to a whole new level.  I was waiting to see what would happen to it, but a rabbit decided it was much too good to leave on the bush.

I'll be back in a few weeks.  

Birthday Sewing

It has been another fun week of birthday celebrations in our family.  We had three birthdays on Tuesday alone!   Another one is tomorrow.  Of course that means I have an excuse for sewing - matching outfits.

We made a quick road trip over the weekend.  We were able to experience the tremendous heat that has been stalled over the West.  This was a photo of the start of the brush fire near Brian Head, Utah.  At the time it was 112*.  I cannot imagine those firefighters working in those conditions - even without the additional heat from the fire.

It was so nice to see such full lakes and streams throughout Utah and Wyoming.  It has been too many years without such sights. 

We arrived home on Monday just in time to bond a bit with this cutie in the emergency room for stitches.  (His mom and dad were out of town.)  The tape on his nose was from his wristband used to cover up his freckles that everyone thought were so cute!

Tuesday was jam day.  We have an annual tradition of making jam and bread during the summer months.  The girls have grown up from our first jamming adventures and now they do most of it themselves, but it's fabulous that they still want to keep up the tradition.

Tuesday night was a birthday party and we enjoyed watching the older children giving rides to the little ones.  I had a dear friend stay with us for a few days and she joined us for the party.  It was fun to have her meet so many of the grandchildren as she and I were neighbors when we were raising our own young families.  There were lots of memories to share.   

I am the Queen Bee this month in our Gridster Bee.  My block choice is the Confetti Star.  It has been such fun to have the blocks arrive in the mail.  What's not to love about colorful stars?  I think it will make a great quilt. 

Although my temperature quilt will be rather boring this month with our June Gloom weather pattern, I get to add another turtle to June 26th.  Our momma tortoise laid a second batch of eggs that day.  These won't hatch until the end of September - a late hatching.  The others should start hatching around the middle of August. 

I can't believe that we are ready to put June behind us already.  The summer will be gone before we know it at this rate.  I won't be posting again before the 4th of July as we will have houseguests and a big celebration.  I wish all of those in the U.S. a safe and wonderful Independence Day.