Been keeping busy…I just love sights like this one …a sure sign of work getting done.
Turning all those tiny 1” scraps into this.
It’s going quicker than I thought.
It does help to be listening to this while I work …such a good book!!
Can’t seem to put it down or the sewing ☺
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.
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!
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… ☺
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.
Still working on the double wedding ring quilt. While I sew, I’ve been calling these “eyes.” That was the first thing that came to mind. I also sometimes think “almonds.” I know others have called them “footballs” or “melons.”
What do you call them?
So far the sewing has been all good. I’m sure that scary challenge that I’ve been expecting is going to come along eventually. But not yet.
…I’ll be sure to let everyone know when it arrives. ☺
I also finished four more sprig blocks. One more and I’ll be half way through the appliqued blocks for my Stars and Sprigs quilt top. Yes!
The weird lighting and shadows in the photo are because it’s late … just haven’t been ready to give up my day for sleep yet.
My latest read is God’s Smuggler. I thought it would be like “Angel on Her Shoulder” by Kenneth L. Wilson, about a missionary woman in Taiwan. I read that book many years ago and loved it and still think about it from time to time. I was so touched by that woman’s sacrifices and her determination. This one hasn’t made an impact on me that way but I am enjoying the story.
…I’ll be linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times….right here.
And then finally… off to bed.
I whipped these little book bags up the other morning. They each hold 6 crayons and a few smaller sized coloring books … perfect for a carry-along project… sort of like me and my take-along sewing bags. So nice to have something to do at all times. They should keep my two granddaughters occupied for a little while. They were made with love and I hope they like them.
This week I am reading “Summer of the Monkeys” by Wilson Rawls and am about half way through. It’s a fun story. I thought it might be like “Where the Red Fern Grows” also by Wilson Rawls. That was a special book for sure. But this one is its own story and is keeping me entertained. I’m looking forward to finding out what finally happens between Jay Berry and those monkeys.
Thanks so much to Norece, a reader of my blog, for recommending it.
And now I’m going over to link up with “Whatcha Reading Tuesday.”
Have a wonderful day everyone!
So… I started sewing the “eyes” for my Double Wedding Ring quilt…those curves making me a tad nervous. But I found out it isn’t so difficult as I imagined.
Just pin carefully and sew carefully and ta-da! They aren’t perfect, but by the time I finish 194 curves for the “eyes” plus 168 more curves for the centers…(whoa!!) I should be better at it by then don’t you think?
So far the pieces are matching up so I’m not feeling exasperated and frustrated. That’s what I worried about the most.
Instead I’m having fun!
Two more sprig blocks are finished.
I’m in the middle of reading the book “Killing Lincoln” by Bill O’Reilly and having a hard time putting it down. Learning things about our past that I never knew before. History wasn’t my favorite class in school and I struggled through those text books…but lately I find myself enjoying a little bit of history. Other good ones are “1776” by David McCullough, and “Destiny of the Republic” by Candice Millard.
Now I’m going over to link up with “Whatcha Reading Tuesday”.
Woo..hoo! I finally finished the arcs for my Double Wedding Ring quilt. 197 of them! Then I realized I only need 194 arcs, but, oh well, better too many than not enough. I’ve been working on them for a few months now so I am excited to have them done.
Next comes curved piecing….yikes!!
I also finished two more sprig appliques. Always a pleasure to work on these.
This month our book club chose to read Mr. Churchill’s Secretary. I’m only a few chapters into it, but so far it’s interesting.
And with that, I’m linking up to Judy’s “Whatcha Reading Tuesday” here.
Ten sprig blocks done….thirty to go…but I’ve only been working on them for a little over a month…at that rate it is possible to finish the quilt by year’s end…but…you know…we’ll see how that goes.
So far so good. This is surely a nice way to spend our cold winter evenings…cuddled in a cushy chair in front of the fireplace and TV and stitching away.
Judy, at Patchwork Times, had a contest for a subject for her Tuesday link party. Since I’m a reader, I mentioned sharing books. Judy chose that idea and generously gave me a gift certificate to the Fat Quarter Shop. I was so excited! and used it to get some awesome fabric for my Stars and Sprigs quilt.
Thank you so much Judy. That was really nice of you and I appreciate it.
Speaking of which, the book I am reading right now is “Speaking from the Bones” by Alan Bradley. I’ve waited a year for this book to come out.
The star of the story is Flavia, a precocious 11 year old growing up in an old English mansion. She’s a genius in chemistry, lives to solve murder mysteries and can be a little melodramatic.
I have read every other book in the series and they are are so much fun! Mr. Bradley is a gifted writer. I could easily have finished this one by now but I ‘m trying to make it last, because the next book in the series isn’t due to be out till next year.
Another whole year!!
I’m linking up with Judy for “Whatcha Reading Tuesday.” Hoping for leads to more good books.
.JPG)
