September LaPetité

While I was getting ready for bed last night, it dawned on me that today was the last day of the month.  Yikes!! So early arise and shine for me and the first thing on the list was to finish my LaPetité project for the month.

I had made the center 9 blocks and had them together during our Saturday craft day.  Even tho it was here at my house this month, I saved this for that day as it is small and compact to have with me.

This morning I made the pieced border and added both borders.

This is the Schnibbles pattern, Nash, and I used Moda’s Together charm packs.   I found both the pattern and the charms at the Madison Quilt Show at the beginning of the month. This month was quilter’s choice and we could pick our own Schnibbles pattern. That was fun!

I was pretty sure this was the last month since we started with October last year but they say we have one more month.   So I’m on for #13 next!  October will be better on my schedule anyway!  🙂  I’m anxious to see the parades tomorrow at Sinta‘s & Sherri‘s to see what patterns everyone used!   See you there!

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Not Lost

I’m not lost….

I’m veryveryvery busy.  And the deadline is Wednesday night.  And it is a huge project.  I’m 11 hours in (just timing the quilting) and think I’m at the halfway mark in the quilting.  And then the binding & label & bigger label & sleeve &  labeled cloth case/pillowcase.

At some point, I’ll stop and take a bathroom break.

But for now.

Know that I’m alive.

Just.

🙂

And if the “bushing” ever arrives and the rain stops, THEN my hubby can go pick corn!  But really, I have no idea what a bushing is but just know that is the last hold-up not counting the weather.

Yes, I know this photo makes no sense.  It isn’t supposed to make sense.  But those rows are about 1″ tall.

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My New Bosch

In a timely manner, my 11 year old Dimension 2000 mixer gave up the ghost just days before JP’s birthday.  That is only significant in that he requested Fruit Pizza in lieu of birthday cake AND I had already offered to make cinnamon rolls for him to take for the worship team that weekend since his birthday was on one of the service days.   (The boy hasn’t had a birthday CAKE since he was old enough to request his own treat.  He is mine.  🙂  )   But I usually make my cookie dough, for the pizza crust, in the mixer and knead all my baked goods in the mixer too.

I worked by hand that weekend.

But August was too busy for me to shop for a mixer.   I thought there was another one I had looked at when I bought my old one and sure enough it was a Bosch. Thankfully, my new friend from the Milwaukee Quilt Show is a baker too and reminded me of Bosch.  🙂

I was happy it arrived just before Labor Day weekend as I wanted to be able to bake bread since K was coming home.

This photo is when I was kneading bread so the top is steamy w/ the warm bread dough.  It is nearly identical to my other model but has better ratings and I have hopes it will last longer!

I’ve made pie crust, cookies, muffins, and this bread so far.  I also have the blender attachment and the slicer/shredder attachment.  I’ve used the shredder for countless blocks of cheese and for the zucchini fritters that K & I made on Labor Day.  YUM!!

I just don’t bake as much now that I’m carb-free & sugar-free but the men like my efforts.

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Today

I’m home all morning as Phil is in charge of special parking this weekend at church and JP is drumming.   One thought would have been to sleep in but I am in charge of breakfast (Phil was trying to get chores done, a shower, and out the door by 7:15) and I had to get the cooler packed.  Yesterday I made cookies for the Saturday crew and muffins for the Sunday crew.  Those were ready but you know it sometimes takes a woman to get a man out the door.  🙂

I knew I’d like to watch the special programming for the 9/11 remembrance so was fine to be in charge of the remote.   Ten years ago, we were doing school when Phil headed out the lane to town.  He got to the highway and turned around, hearing unusual reports on the truck radio.  He rang the front doorbell.  I opened the door and he said I should turn on the TV.  He had an odd, almost dazed, look on his face.   My first thought was that he noticed the antenna was down or leaning or broken and wanted me to check.  However, once the TV was on, it was working fine and bringing the disaster live to our living room.

I have family that love NYC and friends who have lived there.  However, I’ve never been to the city and didn’t even know the skyline until that day.  I didn’t know the importance in beauty or the need of the World Trade Center.   But the TV stayed on that day even though the kids did continue their school for the day.

I saw the interview this morning of the last survivor they pulled from the debris.   I’m considering getting her book to read.

So…..

After the men were off, I went for my run.  I’m hanging at 3 1/2 laps of the lane for now.  Fed the kitties and rescued Black Nose from the second pen of pigs under the barn. The other female cleared 4 boards of the wall, I’m not sure why Black Nose didn’t want to climb up to the kitten-sized hole of board 2.   I made her walk back to the barn, just in case she hadn’t been out like that before so she’d know she could do it.     She was quite hungry.    The Mr of the bunch jumped onto my lap and PURRED so loudly.

After much delay and watching snippets of the 9/11 programs, I headed to the sewing room.  Last weekend & this weekend, I’ve not “worked” (quilting for others) but done some catch-up on my own due dates.  This weekend is for making clutches to donate to the other guild’s boutique for our show in October.

I’m making 3 for now.  It is easier to do them assembly line and at this point, the easy parts are done.  :eyeroll:  All the embroidery is finished.  The pieces are all cut out.  My last thing (before I came up for a nap and now lunch) was to put the binding around the front flaps.   The first of the tedious parts.

It is stitched by machine onto the front and then hand-stitched to the back side.  I use bias strips so try to choose a fabric with stripes or a pattern that is great on the bias.

These are my 3; hoping to appeal to a wide variety of shoppers.

They are in pieces, just laid out as they will go for you to see.

Next up is piping.  Times 3.  Hence, my procrastinating…

 

ETA — I’m done!! 🙂  Finished at 6:30 p.m.  Sewed for a few hours after posting, took another nap, still have my headache, watched some 9/11 stuff online, then finished sewing.  LOL!!

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Butterfly Garden

This spring I opted to not spend $24 on a flat of flowers for next to my deck and instead bought a big packet of seeds for $4.  I planted and watered and watered and watered.  They were slowly coming along.  Then the real rain came and they burst forth!  🙂  God’s water is best!

They are quite lovely and don’t need much maintanance.

Most are 18 – 24″ tall and have filled in the area with a burst of color.  The cosmos haven’t bloomed yet.  I don’t know if it is getting too late for them or not.   But I lamented to Phil that I had yet to see a butterfly there.

That very day while checking the grill at lunch, there was a monarch!!

I could hardly stand it. Of course, the delay in the camera from me hitting the shutter was about how long she had her wings open.   You can imagine how many tries I needed…. how I love digital photos!

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Begging

As K & I headed out to see the kitties, Nina was BEGGING  to go outside with us.  No dice!  We shared the step to put on our shoes and she rested her chin on my shoulder.

This time we gave Phil a taste of his own medicine and left her inside with him.  🙂  Usually I get the whining dog while the men go out.   (just when she can’t be out if a semi is coming or other workers are due.)

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Family Weekend

Since Phil never gets a day off like most workers do, we never paid as much attention to the long weekends as we do now that our daughter gets the long weekend and comes home!  🙂  Deeeelightful!

K even got off early on Saturday and was here in time to join us for the last 5 minutes of church on Saturday night.  Apologies to my seat neighbors as she bounded in to a hug!    We all went to Culver’s for supper afterwards and JP & K were comparing electronics while Phil & I sat and enjoyed “seeing” our kids!

After supper, JP headed home, Phil got sent to the grocery, and K & I picked up a Papa Murphy’s pizza and a few goodies at Joann’s.

On Sunday morning, Phil, K, & I went to the nearby state park for their yummy breakfast buffet while JP was at church drumming. He had made pie to share with the team on Saturday.  He brought home plenty of leftovers so he got to share with K & Phil too!

On the way home, we drove past Phil’s grandmother’s old house.   I’m surprised at how much K remembers about the house since Gma was moved to the nursing home soon after K turned 4!  Memories back from ages 2 & 3 are pretty vivid.  🙂

Of course, 2 of us chose naps Sunday afternoon.   Look who found K taking a nap in front of the TV!

Sunday evening Phil’s parents came over for pizza.  That is so nice about picking up a pizza from Papa Murphy’s…. we can get it while in town and then bake it when needed!  They like having pizza but don’t buy one for just themselves.  Plus it was fun to visit around the table.   (They got pie, too!  So many leftovers!)

Today we all went to an auction.  JP left soon after it started as the gun sale wasn’t that great.  I ended up with a partially quilted quilt.  I’m thinking I’ll unquilt it and redo it.  The fabrics are all in good condition and I’ll work on a few of the stains.

JP headed out to a church party this evening and K headed back home after an early supper.   Tonight I worked on a new quilt design and Phil worked on his small group lesson.  Nina is lonely with the kids gone!

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