Family Time, Studio Improvement and a tiny bit of sewing

We have had company since last Friday the 15th. Our only son is visiting from Phoenix. He wanted to be here for his dad's birthday, Sunday and then to stay and help/visit. His job can mostly be done over the phone and via the computer, so it is a working vacation for him.

I haven't been sewing. We picked him up from an away airport - due to Allegiant Airlines flying directly from Mesa AZ into Rapid City SD. It's a 2 hour drive for us, but then we shopped in the "Big City" while there.

Now we have a new TV in the living room. We have done without one since the new flooring went in last year and mostly that has been fine. I don't really watch a lot of TV. But during Hurricane Harvey, I wished I had access to the news while still cooking and cleaning. Then Hurricane Irma arrived and we have several family members and friends in Florida, so I really wanted to stay informed. Guess that was all it took for Mr. Busy to go television shopping!

While Mr Busy and DS were hanging the new TV on the wall above the couch, I hid in the sewing room.  I recounted all my En Provence block pieces to make sure I had the correct amount. Then I stacked them in the block configuration.

  These are laid out on my portable ironing table, it's the only flat sturdy place that was big enough for these 15" blocks. Then a sheet of freezer paper was laid on top and the sashing strips were laid out. Half are sewn and these are the last 12 sets of five . If you are not sure what it is supposed to look like, check out Bonnie Hunter's blog. Her quilt is the header photo.

Sunday was Mr Busy's birthday, so we had a family day. Then Monday, our granddaughter and her family came for dinner because her hubby was home at dinnertime for a change. Yesterday and today, the "boys" are putting extra lights in my sewing studio!  Whoo Hoo!!  I have been using a ceiling fixture with 3 bulbs, circa 1977 when the house was built. I have been supplementing with an Ott Light, and extra light at the sewing machine and 2 halogen lights at each end of my cutting table. I am willing to put a hold on the machine sewing to get new lighting!.  I have hand sewing to keep me busy if need be. I am a pretty good supervisor too!  heehee!

My cutting table still looks like the above pic. " a work bench"

Mr Busy and our son working overhead to attach the third LED ceiling light. There will also be one over my sewing machine. I was having some withdrawal symptoms, so I set up a temporary cutting space on my kitchen counter. I am cutting block for Covered in Love monthly block drive to send to Kat in Texas. Its the Scrappy Susannah block in fall colors. They will be 12" blocks.

All this is happening between great visits, family dinners and DS at his computer for his work. He'll be here until we take him back to the RC, SD airport on Monday morning. I may cry all the way home. "sad face"

We will see if I have a block or two done for Finish It Up Friday. I may have to set up my extra machine at the computer desk or dining room table. I have a binding to attach to a wall hanging so it will be ready to hang at our local quilt show the first weekend in October. I should be able to get that done and then work like mad to get it sewed down. The label is done, and the hanging triangle have to be cut. **sigh**

Until next time.
Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Two small finishes- George & Martha and a fall themed table topper

New monthly challenges have been selected, so I have dug into my UFO stash to pull out the projects and see what needs to be done. In the mean time, I did finish the Disappearing Hour Glass project that was started in July. It is now hanging on the wall in our living room. 

I've been experimenting with Instagram from my phone. I don't know if I like it or not. More practice is in the future.

I also finished this Fall themed table topper.

Probably the most amazing part about this project, is that it was in a project bag with the Quilts and More magazine, dated 2012 and the charm pack of fabric. I actually had it all together. That is a bit amazing.  The hexie papers all had to be cut to the same size and that gave me a bit of trouble.  The embroidered motifs were backed with an interfacing. My usual practice and recommended in the pattern instructions. But then they were difficult to get wrapped around the hexie papers to be the same size as the plain fabric. I finally took the backing paper from behind the embroidered blocks and adjusted the seam allowance so they all fit together. This after I had the rows already all whipped stitched together. BUMMER. Anyway, now it is done. I like how it turned out and I have some charms lefts from this collection, so I am planning a set of hexagon folded coasters. 

In between all this sewing, I have been sending leaders and enders through the machine,  making 9 patches like a maniac. Only 95 more to go!  Phew!  


That is all for this week. Next week I will be getting ready for my son's visit. He will be here from Phoenix to spend 10 days with us. We will celebrate his dad's birthday on the 17th and his early. His is the 30th. I am looking forward to that. 

I am linking up to Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts

All this week, praying for the  victims of Harvy, family in Montana amongst the burning forest, and now for family in Florida who have decided to shelter-in-place. They are north quite a ways, but I still am concerned. 

Until next time
Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Saturday Snapshots 9-2-17

Today I am linking up with Melinda at West Metro Mommy Reads for"

There are a few rules if you want to post also. Check out Melinda's blog at  West Metro Mommy Reads, then link up your Saturday Snapshots.

I will begin by sharing a photo from our front porch on August 21st. This is Mr Busy and our great grandson, Joe. He is almost 4.  Can you guess what they are doing? We were not in totality, but 97.8% was pretty awesome.

Pa (Mr Busy) fashioned the unique eye wear for J out of eclipse glasses and a paper plate, because the glasses were too big for him. It worked great.


I'm late posting today. We have been at our granddaughter and grandson-in-law's house celebrating our great grandson's 4th birthday. His actual birthday is September 5th.  But his grandma and his Auntie Shasta could visit from Colorado this weekend, so we celebrated today. Also, his Dad was off this weekend. Dad works retail, so lots of weekends he is not around. Here are just 3 of the many photos taken today.

 I am afraid I caught his momma unaware, as I tried to get a picture of the red and black cupcakes for his Mickey Mouse themed party.

A large blow up Mickey joined the party. These were ears for all. Here is Joseph and his Auntie Shasta and Mickey

I made him a super hero cape, with belt, wristband and a mask.  Showing off a bit in this one.

Busy  Busy  in our neck of the woods this week.

Off to check out all the rest of the Saturday Snapshots.

Til next time:

Finished or Not Friday!

Not a big finish this week but a necessary one. I made 2 skinny place mats for our camper. The table in our 5th wheel is not very wide and regular sized place mats overlap. So as I was going through a tote ( looking for my misplaced Fiskars) I found 4 orphan blocks left over from the quilt I made for Mr. Busy in 2009.  He flies RC airplanes as a hobby and I found a log cabin block with alternate setting applique blocks in a magazine. The original had bears in the alternate blogs, but the designer said, use your own idea. So a plane block was born. I found a very basic plane shape in a children's coloring book. We use that quilt in the camper now when we attend some "fly-ins".  Kind of like a quilt retreat for RC flyers. All that background just so you know about why these particular blocks.

They are 9.5" by 16".  They are backed with a piece of leftover denim fabric and bound with the leftover binding from the original quilt.

I ventured out to the camper this morning as soon as there was enough light to take this photo of the quilt on the bed. This angle is from the side of the bed. The slide is in, so I couldn't stand at the end of the bed. 

Sort of standing at the corner. Can you see the wall pocket I made to hang , in place of a night stand. A place for glasses, a book, cell phone and a bottle of water. I had lots of the airplane fabric that was the border of the quilt, the backing, and the binding.

Also a not finished yet.........just back from the long arm quilter.. My disappearing hour glass wall hanging that I did at our WY State Quilt Guild convention. I am calling it George and Martha.
The white fabric has cherries on it, the flowers on the border remind me of geraniums (Martha Washington geranium) and the backing is the Declaration of Independence. Sort of patriotic and maybe it will be added to my July 4th decor.

Still needs to be trimmed and the binding sewed on. I realize looking at this photo, the border looks kind of muddy. Not the image I was hoping for. When I finish it up, I'll try to get an outdoor photo with better light. 

You can just barely see the gray writing on the cream background fabric. I'll shoot for a better photo of that too, when the binding in complete. 

Well, that was a rambling post. Until next time, 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy. 
I am linking this long post to Busy Hands Quilts  Finished or Not Friday linky party. 

Finished or Not Friday Snowy Tote

 I'm linking up with Myra at Busy Hand Quilts and Finished or Not Friday. 

Finally I have a finish.   It is Snowy Tote from Connecting Threads.  It's 10" X 12" tall and approximately 4" deep.   I purchased the kit quite a while ago from Connecting Threads.  I am a sucker for fabric with words, and the fabric in this kit had lots of fun words. Like"Mittens, Snowflakes, Brrr!, Cold Hands, Warm Heart"  I started it last October at a retreat. Got stopped because the next step was to quilt the sandwich before assembling the bag. That always stalls me. I can Stitch in the Ditch, I can follow a grid, some stipple.  The instructions did call for "in the ditch" and a grid pattern on the back. Anyway, it got set aside. Then I put it on my challenge list for another group I belong to.  It is the challenge due to be done for our September 17th meeting. Success!!

The front is patchwork.

The back is a piece of fabric, with side pieces and then a tiny strip and a larger top piece. The entire tote is done in a single slab of pieces, quilted with the lining as the backing of the sandwich and then sewn into the tote shape . The bottom is a separate piece.  Inside, all the seams are sewn right sides together and then the seams are finished with a zig zag.  There are no inner pockets, but they could be added easily enough, if I make this pattern again. I have quite a bit of leftover fabric, the kit was very generous. 

The top is then bound with bias binding,  as are the handles. I really like it. Now to decide... do I keep it for me, give it for a gift or donate it to the county library's Christmas Silent Auction. All proceeds from the auction are used to buy craft, sewing, needle art type books. 

Until next time

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

I am linking up late to Book Date's feature, It's Monday! What Are You Reading?


If I had written and posted this late Sunday, I could tell you I was reading Liar, Liar, Tabloid Writer 

by Suzy Quint.  But it is now 2:00 pm Monday and I just finished it. Rather abruptly too, I might add. It was coming to a conclusion, I thought. Annaliese has been arrested, Alec has just discovered the relationship between Annaliese and Cleo. And he was starting to have some real feelings for Cleo. Then the last sentence says, Cleo and Alec's story concludes in Liar, Liar, Heart's Desire.  Bummer!


So now I'll go on to reading the last of the 3 summer selections for my Face to Face book club. We meet again in September. We decided to pick 3 novel of Fredrik Backman. I have finished A Man Called Ove and My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry. So I will read
Britt- Marie Was Here  this week.

Because I like these books so much I may have to pick another before the week is over. If that happens, I guess I'll chose between Jane Green's The Beach House 

and Kristin Hannah's Between Sisters.  Any one have a favorite? 

Until next time, I'll be reading and putting a binding on a Christmas Wall Hanging. Maybe I'll even finish the place mats for the camper. Or maybe I'll just hang out on Facebook and wait for my son or daughter-in-law to post pictures of their new granddaughter.  She is our 5th great grandchild. She lives in Arizona, so I don't know when we will get to meet her in person. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy

Finish It Up Friday or maybe it's really Not!

Last weekend I attended our Wyoming State Quilt Guild convention that was held in my town. We had a wonderful time, great regional teachers and 2 fabulous National Teachers, J. Michelle Watts and Susan Brubaker Knapp. They each taught a class and had a trunk show.

I took a class from a designer and teacher from Billings MT.  This is my finished table topper/wall hanging.

 It is going to my friend and long arm quilter today. I am considering it a finish for today....but I will share it when the binding is done.

I really like the backing. This fabric has been in my stash for a few years. I seem to pick up fabric with words whenever I can. This one works for the backing here. The white fabric on the front has cherries, white on white.  I am considering some George Washington, Cherry Tree , Patriotic reference when I decide to give it a name. I think the floral border has a reproduction feel also.

I have permission to share these photos of some of the other projects completed or partially completed by some of my friends.

 This is the project made by my friend Carolyn. It was a class in the technique of using a special ruler.

 A tuffet class was very popular. And demanding according to my friend Lynn.

My friend Maggie, made two tuffets. This brightly colored one and the one below, all sewing themed fabric for use in her studio.  Talk about an over-achiever!  She was also the co-chair for the entire convention.

Maggie also entered a piece in the quilt show. It was a peoples choice type competition,and this is her entry. Applique and custom quilted. She won 2nd place.

This photo shows the back of the applique piece . Isn't it marvelous?

I am linking up with Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts and  Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts. 


Until next time
Stay Busy and Stay Happy