Happy Easter

I just want to wish everyone a very Happy and Blessed Easter.  As I spend this day with my family enjoying the bright warm sunshine, watching as the G-kids get a little high on chocolate bunnies and jelly beans, as we eat just a little too much, I will thank Jesus for the sacrifices He made for me.

Blessing to all,

Katie

No Sew Phase

I’m in a no sewing phase right now.  I did pull some scraps to make up some black & white log cabin blocks for an exchange, but got side tracked working outside.  The weather is so nice right now in AZ that it is hard for me to stay indoors.  The hubby dug out around his shop to lay pavers and I decided to help him (what was I thinking?)  We will have Easter here at our house and I told him that 2 little boys would think that loose dirt would be great fun and maybe we should get the pavers in before then……  More diggin’ in the dirt for me today and maybe a little tomorrow and we’ll have the side facing the yard done.

That is really about it for now… I do hope that those who are still enduring the cold weather are staying safe and warm and that spring comes to you soon.

Katie

Ahhhhhh

Can you hear me sigh?   Just sent Kari off to her senior prom.

I was not happy with the boning in the corset.  I really wanted to snip and remove it, but Kari was okay with it and that’s what matters.  I wish I had had the time to make this up in cotton first (something I normally would have done) before making in the satin.  There are a few things I would have changed… ah well, one night and in a week no one will remember who was wearing what…..

Disney – 5 days of rides, waiting in lines and walking, lots of walking…. I really had a great time, but I think I’m to the point where 5 days is just a bit too long.  Our princess (my 3 yr. old granddaughter, Tiffani) was able to meet and greet the princesses at the “Princesses Dinner”

She has quite a few of the “princess” dresses but this night she was wearing her Cinderella dress.  And her coach turned into a pumpkin before midnight

SO, family obligations are out of the way for a couple weeks (I think) and it’s time for this grandma to do some sewing for herself before I start quilting for QFC’s next round of donations.

‘til next time –

Katie

Shapeless

Done!  I say this is the last time I will ever make a prom dress / outfit as the next granddaughter is only 3.  By the time she gets prom age, I’ll use the “I’m too old” card!

Looks short but is actually floor length.  Kari got the short gene from me and is only 5’3”.  I like the color block effect that the flounces add.

With the corset.  The corset looks so shapeless on the hanger…..  Kari loves her prom outfit and that’s all that is important.  Her only comment was that the corset felt a bit loose.  She is used to wearing her clothes at least one size too small (in my opinion).  She looked very nice in her outfit.  I will post pictures once she is Prom Ready.

I did get some piecing in.  These are actually 5 blocks for a row swap that sort of isn’t…  A row swap was organized over on QFC (we do other things beside make charity quilts) and some of the ladies requested that their row be just the blocks without being sewn into a row.  The ladies were asked to chose a block they’d like in their row.  When I do a row, I normally add fillers and ‘decorate’ the row.  I think some of these ladies thought it would be their choice of block constructed 5 times and sewn together, so I can’t blame them for not wanting that.  I did not specify a specific block.  I asked that they be creative, do whatever they liked using shades of blue.  The only real requirement was for the row to be 12½” X 60½” unfinished.

I will be MIA for the next few days.  Heading out to Disneyland early tomorrow morning.  I love this time with son and his family but, oh man, will my knees and hip be screaming.  If it was just straight walking, I’d be fine… but it’s the side stepping to go around people, the sudden stopping when someone steps out in front of you.  It comes with the crowds…

Katie

Spring Forward

What does it mean to you?  I live in Arizona where the time stays the same.  So it means that it will be a 3 hour time difference to the east and same time to the west.  It means that I soon will be seeing the wild flowers and warm temps.  Truly, I don’t understand all this nonsense (my opinion) over an hour!  Oh, well, I guess I don’t have to 'understand’ it all..

QFC quilts were finished and sent off.  Went prom dress fabric shopping with Kari (my 18 yr old G-daughter).  I was not happy with her chosen dress pattern and after some honest discussion we decided on a corset style top with a soft, A-line style skirt.  She chose a gradient blue-purple print for her skirt and because she wanted the ‘stripes’ going vertical and the print was horizontal, I ended up about a yard short…. Fortunately, JoAnn’s still had some.  The top is the color of the blue in the gradient fabric.  Still not thrilled, but I’m not wearing it and after seeing what the stores are selling……. (gosh, does this mean I’m old fashioned?)

I bought yarn to work on my g-son’s ‘big boy’ afghan.  Unfortunately, I think he’s thinking it will be a duplicate of his baby afghan.  I will have to come up with a story of how his great-grandma made that special for his mom and I didn’t think it was right to make the original less special.  I think he may go along with that….. I can only hope!

I also got some seeds planted.  We’re having a rainy weekend here in the desert and I’m hoping that it will help my garden.  I have a black thumb……..

Happy weekend to all – I’m off to do some ‘formal’ sewing

Katie

Happy 1st Saturday in March

MARCH – already!  It’s said that the older we get, the faster time flies.  I will NOT accept that it’s an age thing.  I think it’s that today people are simply more involved and busier and therefore our time is simply absorbed by activity!  That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!

I don’t believe I’ve shown these pictures so here goes -

This was a ‘create as you go’ quilt.  It started with the square-in-a-square so I trimmed the embroidered blocks on point.  Then after adding the triangles to the SnS’s realized this quilt was going to have to be set on point.  That meant additional blocks and corners.  You can see where I outlined the actual block pattern in red.

These embroidered blocks and additional fabric to construct the quilt was sent by Kathy W. from QFC.  I really had to use the old brain to get the triangles where the fabric was all going the right direction!  But it worked and I’m happy with the way it turned out.

I have managed to get all the quilts for QFC quilted but have yet to bind them and it will be Monday before I can get to that.  The binding strips are cut and setting by the machine.  Just need to find  decide on  the time to get in and get it done!

I told you here about my grandson’s ‘baby’.  Here are the before & after :

Not perfect, but it’s together and relatively ‘whole’ again.  His mom said he has doing okay without it and she was going to suggest to him that he might want to put it away.  I told her maybe he could put it aside and use it for a ‘comfort blanket’ when he wasn’t feeling well or he was sad about something and that if he wanted I would make him a ‘big boy’ afghan in his choice of colors… we’ll see.

S.W. Arizona is enjoying bright sunshine and warm days and I am so happy about that.  I feel for those who have months of cold temps and dreary days – I’ve been there and done that….. So I will spend some time outside over the weekend.  I have activities with the g-kids and I may even go to the nursery and get some plants and dig in the dirt.

Have a great weekend,

Katie