June Recess

For the June LaPetité project we had our choice of patterns and I chose Schnibbles Recess.   I have fabric & charms that I purchased in May in Wisconsin but that includes border fabric.  Since this pattern doesn’t really have a separate border (it uses the background fabric), I made a quick run to a local quilt shop (the one east of Lori’s house, IYKWIM) and found this charm pack.

Love it!!  Of course, majoring in PINK, it was a hit with me.  I added a cream background and brown for the binding.

Even though I love custom quilting, this didn’t need much so I took it as another pantograph opportunity.   I chose a smaller pattern as the quilt is only 33 1/2″ x 40″.

A slightly off-white Superior So Fine thread for the quilting.

July 1 there will be a lot more of the Schnibbles quilts posted HERE & HERE.    Here’s hoping this is a prize month!  🙂

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JP @ WVA

Last week, JP was at Worldview Academy.  He really enjoys the classes there and fun activities are great too.  During the week, we have access to the photos they put up on the website so I do a daily stalking looking for my kid!

During free time on Monday….

(He gets his pool finesse from his mom and his grandmother (R)!  Who’d have thought????  Even tho he is left-handed, shooting pool right-handed….)

Receiving instructions before the street ministry time….

(Different day; different blue shirt.  I’m sure of it.  He only packed blue shirts with the hopes of being on the blue team again and being in the team spirit.  Yes, they put him on the blue team.  I couldn’t believe it!! 🙂  However, this year there weren’t as many team contest activities.  *sigh*  And the red team won the final team day tally.)

We picked him up after the closing session on Friday and I could get some photos then.

With Adam, his small group leader —

This boy shares a first name with JP and they were both there last year as well…..

We had lunch at Fridays as JP remembered they have very good slushies with free refills!  Home about 4 and Nina was so glad JP was home again!

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Today

My Bible reading in Psalms today was the 139th.   I have been using the Message paraphrase for my morning devotions this year and wanted to share it with you.

Psalm 139: 13 – 24

13Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb.14 I thank you, High God-you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration-what a creation!15 You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.16 Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.

17 Your thoughts-how rare, how beautiful! God, I’ll never comprehend them!18 I couldn’t even begin to count them-any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!19 And please, God, do away with wickedness for good! And you murderers-out of here! –20 all the men and women who belittle you, God, infatuated with cheap god-imitations.21 See how I hate those who hate you, God, see how I loathe all this godless arrogance;22 I hate it with pure, unadulterated hatred. Your enemies are my enemies!

23 Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about;24 See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong-then guide me on the road to eternal life.

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Friendship Time!

Last week, one of my online friends came to visit and it was such a treat to spend a whole day together.   🙂    Even better, we hit if off like long-lost sisters and had a wonderful day together.

They arrived in time for lunch and afterwards, Phil gave us a tour of all the buildings with pigs.   Some baby pigs had been born that morning as well as a few litters the day before.

I thought maybe Big Sister would be interested in the babies but just Little Brother held one.

After our tour, and they asked very good questions 🙂 ,  Christine & I agreed to the house in lieu of drizzle while Big Sister stayed out to climb trees, brush Nina, and visit the creek.   (She is such a younger version of Miss K!  🙂  )  Little Brother got in some good man-time with Phil and rode in (probably) every tractor and the combine as Phil was rearranging the machine shed so that he could get the combine ready for wheat next month.    C & I  popped outside for photo ops (on her camera) when Little Brother was in another tractor.   He liked riding but Phil said he didn’t want to drive when offered the chance.

C & I are quilting buddies, too, so enjoyed lots of time in the new studio as well as the disastrous sewing room.  She has offered/threatened to organize the sewing room on the next visit.  🙂

All of a sudden it was time for supper and they had to head off to some family in Wisconsin. They got a later than planned start so hopefully arrived all right so late at night.

Before they left, we had to have a photo with the 2 of us.

She got a photo of Little Brother with a favorite toy out in the field.

And then Christine wanted a photo of her quilt in the field!  It looked fantastic.  🙂

Little Brother noted that the corn was past (his) knee-high.   In the last few days, it has really grown even more.  We can’t figure that out… hardly any sun (until today) and cool temps.  Usually, not the best growing conditions.

Today I’m sending extra prayers for Christine as she is making her long (multi-day) trip back home.

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Embellishment Workshop

The afternoon guild workshop on Monday was on embellishments.   It was so much fun to PLAY!

I enjoy art quilts and the techniques but I haven’t bought many of the new & extra fun things as I haven’t been sure how I’d use them.   The workshop was only $20 and included everything we needed for lots of play.

First, Diane taught us how to use everything in our kits as well as some things of hers we could use.   Angelina fibers, paintsticks, BoNash & foil, MistyFuse, & fibers.  I think our kits had 6 colors of Angelina and 3 sheets of foil, as well as a large piece of Misty Fuse.

After her demos, we were free to play.   Our kit also had 2 pieces of batik fabric but she forgot the batting so we couldn’t get to the quilting stage.

Here is my background fabric –

I added paint sticks and quick set them with an iron so I could continue working.   Then I fused a mix of angelina fibers and cut my fish from them.

The starfish is with Misty Fuse & foil.   And I added some fibers that I couched down with my sewing machine.

And I added more fibers.   I used small sprinkles of BoNash and pink foil for fish bubbles.   I was done at this point.  I think it needs a LOT of thread work to bring out some details and make more water plants.  Plus some quilting for depth.   Diane talked about Aleene’s Jewelry glue for adding beaded accents and maybe I’ll use that for fish eyes.

In reality, there are more pressing things on my to-do quilting list so I’m not sure this piece will get finished anytime soon.   I loved the time to play and learn about these new products.

Diane did the program at 7 as well and showed more of her art quilts.   At the end of her program, we showed what we had worked on during the workshop.   There were 9 of us in the class.

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Phil’s Father’s Day

On Sunday we took JP to Worldview Academy.  On the way, we picked up K and got to spend a few hours with her.

After JP was checked in and we found his room, we walked around the campus a bit.  K thought it was hot & humid and we thought it was quite pleasant.  She  is used to lake breezes and we are far from that!   Funny!

We headed back to where we left K’s car and did a bit of shopping.  Then for supper we tried California Pizza Kitchen.  K had heard it was good.  YES!!  Quite yummy!!  For dessert, Phil had apple crisp with ice cream and caramel sauce and K had a warm brownie with hot fudge sundae on top.  I had a sample of each.

We parted ways just before 7.   K had to get a few groceries and make Monday’s lunch.  We had a long trip home and had to pick up JP’s truck on the way.  It was wonderful to get a bit of time with K.  🙂   We know JP is having a wonderful week.  He loves the week of classes!

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Two Friends

were sent 2 little quilts this month.

These are from the Little Twister pattern that starts with 3″ squares.   The quilts finish to 12 1/2″ x 12″.   I put hanging sleeves on them but they can also be on a table or in a basket.

I don’t know how either friend decorates her house so went with patriotic fabrics for the summer.

I continue to pray for Sandy & Denise.  ♥  They are very sweet online friends that are having long hauls with medical issues.

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Storms

We’ve had quite a few storms of note-worthy status this spring but thankfully none to make the national news!  We are all fine and our home & buildings are fine.

FIL’s maple syrup trees are not so fine.

When we were gone for our anniversary trip, JP called the next morning to tell us the storm that night had knocked some tree branches down taking down the power line to the barn and landing on some of Phil’s equipment.

Phil took these photos for insurance.   I don’t remember what he said after he could access it all better.

Last Wednesday night, I was outside talking with Phil and we discussed the trees.   One next to the one above had been taken down on Sunday by a professional tree trimmer with the right equipment.  Phil commented that if he had been here, he was going to ask the man about trimming some of the branches from this tree.

It needed to come down but was one of the few trees, FIL has left here for tapping for maple syrup.

A few hours later, as we were all camped out in the basement during the next storm, the last maple tree came down.   Also the leaning apple tree near our fire pit is gone now and the pine trees and other trees near the house have been pruned.

And by the time I got out for photos, Phil was already burning branches….

FIL does think that the 2 young maples up near our house are old enough to tap next spring.

I seriously think there is a photo someplace of K drinking sap out of the tap on this second tree.   Oh that we would have had digital cameras then….

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Office

If I had an office, it would look like this:

But I don’t.

And it doesn’t.

Meanwhile, sorry for the lack of posts last week.  I have a cold.  It canceled beginning sewing class.  It canceled my trip to visit my parents.  It is a bit better today.  *sigh*

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New Couch

This is K’s new couch with the newly dyed cover.

She has plans to ….

1.  steam the bottom skirt

(really???? Cuz I would probably not go there. However, she has a very cool steamer and works where she sees very nicely pressed everythings.)

2.  make hot pink & turquoise (& ????) pillows  to tone down the purple a tad.

The original plan was to have a pinkish purple but the purple overpowered the pink in the mix.  Hang on to your hats, cuz you know this could all change with a few cycles in the washer!    🙂

For now, she is happy to have more places to sit and a piece of real furniture.  This is super comfy too!

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