plugging along

Slow and steady will win this race to complete a Double Wedding Ring.  My hopes are to have it together by August.  There still isn’t a lot of free time available for me right now but a minute or two here and a minute or two there and I’m making progress anyway.  Pretty sure I can reach my goal.  I need 97 “eyes”, I have 67 done and the rest at various stages of completion. 

See my cute little speaker in the background?  It’s a gift from Mr. Sunshine so I can listen to audio books while I sew. 

Right now I’m reading ‘The River of Doubt’ by Candice Millard.  It’s a true story about Theodore Roosevelt’s journey to the Amazon River. 

I read ‘Destiny of the Republic’ (Pres. James A. Garfield) earlier and enjoyed it so much that I’m trying another one of her books.  I am on chapter 7 and really liking it.

little projects

This week I made myself a new Sunday bag.  I kind of made this up as I went along so that it would fit my tablet perfectly.  It dresses it up for Sunday best since I keep my scriptures and lesson manuals on my tablet.  Nice and handy.

And the wall quilt for my grandkid’s play area is finished and on the wall.  This corner of our house is in the basement so the light isn’t great for picture taking.  But it really is a bright and cheerful addition to the family room. 

My latest read is “Remembering Isaac” by Ben Behunin.  Mr. Sunshine and I met the author one day a few months ago and when I invited him to speak at our book club, he came!  …and everyone loved him!  He has written several books.  This one is about a young man named Jake, who is a village potter finding his place in a small Pennsylvania community with a long history of pottery.  The author is a potter too and I see him in this book.  I am almost half way through and really enjoying it!

sidetracked!

In a corner of our family room we’ve set up a play area for the grandkids.  They head right to it when they come to our house because they know they have fun there.  We try to keep it stocked with interesting things to do.

When I saw this project in Curiosities & Mischief by Nancy Halverson, I loved it! and knew it was the perfect addition to the play space decor.  My two other quilt projects were set to the side and this little one squeezed in instead.

 

This time of year its easy to be sidetracked anyway. It is finally nice outside and we’d rather be out there instead of in here.  Sunday Mr. Sunshine had a great time with the grandkids and the wheelbarrow.  Reminds me of him with our kids when they were little. 

Good times.

 

I’m almost half way into a new book, Eighty-Days by Matthew Goodman.  It’s a true story about Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland, two women news writers in the late 1800’s, who raced around the world in different directions.  It is really good.  I have a hard time putting it down and take it with me everywhere I go.  Not necessarily because of the suspense of the race…but its fun to read because its a good story and well written.

But if you know who won…don’t tell me… ☺

tiny treasures

Like kids collecting rocks (or my daughter who collected rubber bands when she was five), I have my own precious treasures.  I keep them in my sewing room and somehow they make me happy just sitting there.

They are little items that intrigue me…

Like thimbles…none of them valuable…except to me.  Especially that beautiful wooden one. My dad made it.

It’s always fun to come across a cute tape measure and, of course, I especially love the yellow ones!

Over the years I kept every wooden spool that came my way

…and clear glass buttons

…and shell buttons. 

Very pretty.

This past week I spent my days helping my parents move. They tossed out this Lazy-Susan.  I watched them do it, thinking nothing of it.  Later I walked by the box full of stuff and the “yellow” caught my eye.

Hmmm…

…so I brought it home and gave it new life in my sewing room….a perfect place for some of my treasures.

Oh, I forgot to say I also have a growing pile of little scissors

… you know, just too sweet to resist. 

 

This morning I started reading The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers.  Five pages into it and so far so good!

I’ll be linking with Judy’s “Whatcha Reading” over here.

R & R

Mr. Sunshine and I have been out of town getting some rest and relaxation and spending time with family.

While I was there, (in Idaho) I picked up some beautiful red fabric for Karen’s 5” red/white fabric swap.  I’m really excited to be able to participate.

 

I also found a fabric outlet store and came away with lots of other wonderful fabrics as well.  Average price….$3.60 a yard!!  And all quilt quality…the kind of fabric you like to sit and caress…it just feels so heavenly and looks so pretty.

 

My mother-in-law, sister-in-law, Rhonda and I spent an afternoon sewing some tiny book covers.  I had my camera with me but didn’t think to take a single picture of us working together at the kitchen table.  I don’t know why, other than we were just too involved in what we were doing.

 

My sweet little Featherweight came with me and she sewed like a dream.  I just love her.

We shopped and ate and played games and visited and had a great time.

 

I also got in some nap time and finished two good books.

I highly recommend them both.

It was wonderful to get away for awhile.  Now we are both refreshed and ready to dive back into our normal routines. 

Notebook Fun

 

Buy a mini composition book for your purse and make it fun with a fabric cover…

 

Like it so much that you whip up a few more to share…

 

Then play with fabrics and before you know it, you’ve sewn even more.

 

I found this cute idea over at Obsessively Stitching.  I think I caught her “obsession”  because I know I’m not done making them yet.

Marvelous Mail

This little one (complete with her sock on her head) and I had great fun opening packages today after our mailman came by.   It was almost like Christmas all over again. 

 

First was a pretty package filled with sweet fabric and a darling quilt pattern.  It was sent to me from Kris for the One Project a Month challenge.   My name was drawn from the list of those who hung in there all year long.  It was such a good program that I have signed up again for another year.  Thank you so much Kris! You are very thoughtful.

Inside another package was a book.  My name was drawn for a gift certificate to Cottage Quilts from the One Year of Schnibbles group.  I have been admiring this book by Kim Brackett for awhile and knew that was what I was spending my certificate on.  Watch out, my huge bundle of scraps, I have big plans for you now!

And last, but not least, ….My favorite TV series of all time…..Columbo! Every year for Christmas my dear Mr. Sunshine gives me the latest Columbo series that’s been put out on DVD.  This year we both kind of forgot about it until afterwards.  But he sent for it anyway because it arrived in today’s mail.  Just a couple more years and I will have collected all of them.  I never get tired of watching this guy solve the mystery!  I’m really looking forward to this evening when I settle down in front of the TV with my hand stitching and Columbo!