Super Sunday

What a wonderful relaxing day this was.  Lazy morning waking up with a 6 year old snuggled up next to me.  It doesn't get better than that.  She wasn't feeling very well last night so after giving her medicine for a fever she cuddled with me.  Happy to say that fever gone and stayed gone throughout the day.

Spent several hours with a couple other favorites this afternoon while watching my beloved Kansas City Chiefs tank yet again, sigh.........I love crafting while watching football:

Worked on a quilt for Keely's full size bed (when we get it!).  She falls out of her tiny twin bed way to often so we are getting her a full size bed when we move.  Hopefully she will be able to stay in that!  Sewing and Starbucks - doesn't get a lot better than that on a lazy Sunday.  The blocks in the lower picture will be cut in half, mixed up, and resewed.  Sounds easy enough, BUT, I accidentally closed the blog I had gotten the idea/pattern from and have no clue who/where it was.  Should be interesting to see if I can figure this out all by my little "old" self.  I think there was sashing, but not sure.  I am figuring I will decide as I go along.  I can't wait to see how the blocks look once they are paired up and sewn back together. 

Took a long-arm quilting class last week so I can rent time on a longarm machine at a local store.  Went for a couple hours practice on Wednesday and I have to admit my work was rather dismal!!  I need a lot of practice before I attempt a whole quilt.  I really enjoy it and think it will be lots of fun once I am comfortable with it.  The possibilites are endless and I have no doubt that a longarm is in my future.  Course I do have to share that lofty desire/goal with the other half! 

Almost finished with Liam's camo blankie.  The one I made for him when he was born barely covers him and it's his favorite.  He sleeps with it naptime and bedtime.  His mom (my daughter) asked if I could make him a bigger one.  I, of course, was insanely happy to do so.  The old, well-loved one will go to his brother, baby Isaac who is 7 months old.    Also finished a super snuggly baby blankie for a friend who just had his second son.  It is some of the softest yarn ever and every one I have made and given away has been hugely enjoyed by the new parents!! 

We have a contingency contract on our home and I have to say that the wait is not much fun.  I am ready to move on, although after 21 years in this home, it is really hard to leave.  There are so many memories tied up in this house, most happy but a few not so much.  Those not so much I will be happy to leave behind, but the happy ones make it really sad to leave.  How do you go through 21 years................what to keep?  what to get rid of?  Decisions, decision, decisions.  The light at the end of the tunnel is being able to move back to Denver, where I have wanted to go since the day I left 31 years ago!!  Who knew it would take so long. 

AND HOW WAS YOUR DAY?

Weekend fun

What a glorious fall day here in Overland Park!!  Keely and I walked to school this morning in crisp upper 50 degree weather.  Going to be in low 80's by the time we walk back home.  Gotta love this time of year. 

We started our wonderful weekend with the first skating party of the school year.  Since Keely went to a private kindergarten all of the school stuff is "firsts" for her.  We had a blast and hope to get in lots more practice before the next one rolls around

Saturday morning I took a class at Quilted Memories to learn how to use a longarm quilting machine.  It was so much fun and I am so excited to start practicing.  I have rented some time Tuesday afternoon to do some practice pieces before I attempt an actual quilt.  It's a whole new world opened up for me and I am so excited to be trying it out. 

 

Shortly after I got home my oldest grand-daughter arrived for a sleep-over with cousin Keely.  What a grand time we had.  Lots of dress-up, lots of giggles and laughing, hide & seek, swimming, tooling around the drive in the Barbie Escalade, did I mention laughing and giggline??  It was a late night for those 2 giggly girls and they eventually fell asleep around midnight!! 

Donuts for breakfast Sunday and a day full of laughing commenced.  I love the sound of children and am so blessed to have the cousins near for Keely to play with.  Gary and I worry so over the fact that we will be raising her as an only child, but we are determined to give her as normal a life as possible given that her "mother and father" will not be a part of her growing up.  One of the benefits is that "papa" is around a lot and that never happened when our kids were growing up.  Being retired does have it's benefits! 

I had to share this picture I took of Keely and Avalon last week.  I absolutely love it and the look on her face is darling.  She loves to go to the barn with me and he is such a gentle giant who wants lots of petting and treats from little girls. 

Labor Day Weekend

 

Hope everyone had a nice 3 day weekend.  It was pretty warm here and I was able to spend quite a bit of time working on my latest quilt.  I am calling this Over the Fence, made from a jelly roll.  It turned out rather nice, but I made it too narrow so added the strips on the side to widen it a bit.  I can't wait to practice my free motion quilting on it.  Once it is finished I will decide who I want to give it to.  I am enjoying very much quilting again.  Especially the part where I can give something so special to someone so special to me!!

 

I spent several hours Monday morning entering a bunch of give-aways on a blog hop.  Hopefully my number will be drawn in at least one of them!!  Would be kinda cool.   Saturday coming up I am taking a class on how to use a long-arm machine so I can rent time on it.  I am super excited about that, and a bit nervous!  I think that is an excellent way to find out if that is something I might want to do at home. 

   In the above picture Keely is wearing the very first skirt I have ever made.  I have a captive audience in her and she loves everything I make.  The first one went so well I plan on making many more.  This was from our vacation in Colorado in August.  We were hiking up in the mountains and she found herself a walking stick.  She has brought so much joy to my life and being a mom again in my 50's has been quite interesting!!

This is the top I finished piecing today that I mentioned above.   I am anxious and excited to start the next one, can you say "compulsive"?  Too much to do, too little time.  Till next time.......