the kids are here!

It's that glorious time of year when the days are extra long and the world is a riot of growing things.  It's hard to imagine that life could get much better than that, but it did!  The kids are here!

Brita, Ben and the 3 little boys flew from Charlotte, NC, for a nice long stay.

They said it was the best flight they have ever made with kids, so that's a great way to start the vacation!  If you have ever traveled much with little people, you know that it takes a whole different kind of wrangling to get to your destination!

It's been about 2 months since we saw baby Leo, and what a change!  He is almost identical to his 2 older brothers at the same age.  There is so much more of him to love and snuggle!

He interacts now, has developed a little smiley face, holds his own head up, likes to be upright so he can learn how it feels to support his weight on his feet, and can be happy spending some moments on his playmat alone.  He's just amazing!  I imagine he's thinking "oh boy, my grandpa and grandma are back, I remember their arms and scent from my days as a baby!"

 Ian and Jack are growing into such wonderful little boys, and they LOVE Superheroes!

They have these great little shirts with capes on the back, so they totally have awesome super powers!

We have a deep window well that often is home to some frogs, 

and they were looking to see if any needed to be rescued.  

Yesterday our pastor performed a baptism service for Leo, so that makes 3 for 3 that he has baptized!

The big brothers and 2 of their best Minnesota friends had ringside seats, and they even poured the water into the basin!  It was fun for them to help and they stood so nice and still during the important bits! 

We arrived at church just as a severe thunderstorm hit, so actually we were all baptized by the heavens above on our dash into the church!

We love having the Burkes visit, and I'm sure we will have many memorable moments while they are here.  Sometimes we get photos, but just as often they are images that pop up in our conversation weeks or months later that are vivid reminders of our family life together.  We are so blessed!

this is all about the grandkids

I spent the last 2 weeks of March in Charlotte, North Carolina, (actually Ballantyne, a southern suburb) at the home of my daughter and son-in-law, Brita and Ben.

But primarily, it's the home of my 3 grandsons, Ian (5), Jack (3) and Leo (1 month).

It is such a busy, lively, happy house!  There's a lot going on within those 4 walls, and it takes a whole lot of energy just to keep up!  I got to do so many fun things with the little boys!  Here's a sampling:

Leo the Lion in his full regalia!

We celebrated Jack's 3rd birthday!
Although they don't always get along (typical brothers),
there are moments of clarity
when the brotherly love really does happen.

I had the privilege of being the "Mystery Reader" and surprised Ian at his preschool!  It's been a long time since I had to read a book upside down and show the pictures.  Then I got to answer questions from his classmates.  Such friendly teachers and kids!

Tree climbing with Papa--this was as high as it got, but I know there are some nervous moments ahead as they grow up and tackle bigger trees!

And here's the 3 of them on Leo's 1-month-old day.

I just want to cuddle them!  Ian and Jack like to know what's going on with Leo at all times.  Or Buster, which is what he was called before his birth.  I tried to squeeze in as much time to help keep up the house as I could during those 2 weeks, helping with meals, sweeping floors, doing laundry, walks to the playground, driving to/from the Y for preschool, getting groceries, etc., etc.!  It was hard to leave there.  It's such a happy but stressful time for Brita and Ben.  Brita has had to cope with postpartum depression after each baby, and that can be rough for both of them.  Things seem to be on a pretty even keel now, and I know they are more than capable of raising up these children.  But I can't wait to see them all again!

birthday pancakes

I am still plugging away on my most recent hexie project.  English paper piecing is something I enjoy doing, although it can seem tedious at times.  I used to do counted cross stitch and that was the same deal.  It was neat and orderly, every stitch in just the right spot to make the picture complete.

I am on the downhill run with this project, I've decided what I'm going to do to call it finished.  After I complete the green and gray florets at the bottom of this picture, I'm adding one row of hexagons around the entire piece.  I think they need to be primarily dark shades of purple/pink/green and some gray to balance out the dark in the center.  Then I might applique this onto a square background, I think it would be about the right size for the center of my dining table.

When I was on retreat a week ago, one of the things I did was to take a guided driving tour around the Amish communities near Augusta.  One place we stopped was at an Amish General Store and I picked up these little hats for the little boys.

That was such an interesting opportunity to learn a lot more about the culture and society of the Amish.  Such different lives!  As an example, the little store had shelves loaded with all of the kitchenware and hardware and naturopathic remedies and clothing they would ordinarily use.  But there are no electric lights, so the windows give the only light.  But you can buy all the parts needed for your gas-powered lights there!  Very nice people, we had a good conversation with the shop lady, she patiently answered our questions.  She is also a midwife, so she shared some interesting information about that role.  They really value their privacy and separation from the "English" world.  But they are friendly, waving to us from their buggies and finding ways to co-exist.  In close proximity there is a large mining area for the silica sand used in fracking for oil.  It has become a big problem for the Amish community because they have lost land in the deal, and the underground blasting shakes their buildings, and they had been led to believe that this new industry would not effect them.  I don't see much hope for them stopping big investors and big business.

Meanwhile, back at home, I enjoy this visit with my 2 grandsons.  Ian turned 4 on Friday, and it was just the 2 of us for breakfast so I made him a stack of birthday pancakes with a candle on top!  In a couple weeks, little Jack turns 2.  This picture of hugs is so special.  They aren't always that enamored with each other, believe me!

something's missing

I've had the feeling that something has been missing in my life, hard to put my finger on it because there's more than 1 thing missing!

Mostly, when I think of things I miss, my kids and grandkids are #1 on that list.  When Brita and Dan were kids, one of my main goals with parenting was to make sure that my kids would grow up to be fully functional adults who could take care of themselves.  That meant when Dan had a job that required ironed pants and shirts, he had to learn how to iron for himself.  And now he is really good at ironing, even though his work attire now is probably the antithesis of ironing!  So, with that frame of mind on childrearing, it shouldn't come as a surprise when they grow up and away, right?!  Doesn't mean I don't love knowing that they have happy lives far from their original home, but also doesn't mean I don't miss them sooo much!!  But that's not what this "something's missing" feeling was about.

Maybe that "something missing" has to do with the lost and founds happening to me lately?  I really strive to keep my home and belongings organized, mainly so I don't run into that problem of things going lost.  Just within the last few weeks, I've "lost" some important things:  my #37 foot for my Bernina 730, my Socks with 2 Circs knitting book and my mechanical needle threader.  I'm happy to say that the first 2 things turned up in unexpected places, and I'm still working on the 3rd one.  I know it's here somewhere!

Finally, it dawned on me that what was missing was this!  Yes, writing and sharing pictures on my Frayed Edge blog!

I have casually drifted away from regular writing, and I think that's been bothering me.  Partly, the drifting happens because of the time that it takes for me to organize my pictures and words.  I really labor over it, probably more than it needs.  I want to avoid saying the wrong thing, so sometimes just saying nothing is my preference.  Also, it bugs me when spelling and grammar are left by the wayside, so I always need to check and double check.

A lot of times an idea pops into my head that something I see or do would be fun to put on the blog, but then a moment passes and I'm on to something else.  So that's something I am going to work on.  Most of what I have intended this blog to represent is the sewing, quilting, knitting, etc., that I like to share.  Along with that comes the scenes from my everyday life, involving family, vacations, cooking, books, etc.  So all of that gets lumped together, hopefully someone reading this will find it interesting in some way or another.

We have had some beautiful sunrises lately, and the days are definitely getting longer!

Not very long ago, I wrote that we were doing some updating on the room that used to be Brita's bedroom.  I now call it my "overflow sewing room", since I use it for storing everything that won't fit in my actual sewing room.  This is also the room that has the crib for visits from the grandsons. The first picture shows the work on the floor happening, by this time the rest of the wallpaper gunk had been removed and new paint applied.  The flooring is easy to do in those long uninterrupted areas, but putzy to do around nooks and crannies.  The second picture shows things going back into the closet, hopefully in a much neater and orderly way than before!

That sorting and organizing job has yielded some interesting finds of things that I had forgotten about.  For example, these 2 Pendleton wool shirts--

 Both of which did not fit me, but were in perfect condition.  So, I wondered who might really appreciate them.  I decided they needed to go to Montana, since the style and fabric would be appreciated there, and they should be arriving on Dan's doorstep soon.  He says he knows people there that would be glad to have them, so it's a win-win!

I just had 2 recent finishes on these things:

Last fall I started working on a new concept for a custom tote bag for a friend.  I used pieces of other tote bags that I have collected with this in mind.  It has taken awhile to work out the plan, but now I am very happy I took the time to make it into something she will be proud to use.  I used the design for my own pattern, Aisle Style, which is loosely based on the measurements of a paper grocery sack.  I quilted the outer bag to Soft & Stable, also called headliner because it's used in the ceilings of vehicles.  It gives enough body to stand up on its own.  I had these nice leather handles that attach with a metal clip that is pounded together to grip the edge of the fabric.  I might have to keep collecting and make one for myself!

And someone has a birthday coming up, the big #2 celebration calls for a personalized quilty blankie for this little guy!  As so often happens with the second child, Jack gets a lot of things handed down from big brother.  So it's time to make sure he has some things with his own name loud and clear!  And I put Cuddle fabric (plushy) on the back, so it's even better for snuggles!

That's enough, probably more than enough, for now!  

I need to get ready for the Super Bowl, after all!

a little trip

In the not too distant past, Bob and I made a trip to North Carolina.  Charlotte, actually.  The Ballantyne area, southern outskirts of the city, is where Ben, Brita, Ian and Jack are working on creating a new home.  It's a long ways to go for our babysitting gig, but so wonderful to visit them there.  It has been a big move, and it's not over yet because they are in an apartment temporarily.  That means there are a lot of boxes still packed and stored in the garage.  And one of them holds the Christmas tree stand!  We ended up sending Bob and Brita out to get a tree and new stand so the decorating could begin.  

We all got to go on an overnight trip to Asheville.  A great area, getting into the mountain region of the state.  Some beautiful scenery, good food and drink, and much more sightseeing than we had time for on this trip.  Here are Brita and Ian on one of the patio areas of the Grove Point Inn, a fabulous historic hotel.

And here's a good shot of little Jack, he had just learned how to get up to sitting from laying down, and started to get up on hands and knees, too.  A couple days ago Brita sent me a little video showing Jack actually making synchronized crawling movements!

We were eating out at a Mexican restaurant (excellent!) and Ian was trading hats around and gave his grandpa a smooch.  That puts a big grin on Bob's face!  Ben was a bit under the weather, so he had to kind of take it easy.  Mexican food, and most other kinds of food, held no appeal for him!  But about 48 hours later things were back to good again.

The Asheville area seems to be a gathering place for artistic and creative minds, so the town reflects that free-thinking spirit.  It was a young mindset that I enjoyed.  The "arts" extend to the craft of brewing, and we enjoyed a delicious local brew at the Wicked Weed taproom.  That name relates to the hops plant, sometimes known as a weed, that can transform into beer.  So clever!   

Jack thinks so, too!

whew!

A lot of busyness going on, living every minute with as much oomph as I can muster!  A little trauma in our lives last week when Ian had to have a tonsillectomy, not a good experience for a 2 year old that has no concept of what's really happening to him!  After surgery, he stayed overnight with his papa, mama and favorite things near:  pillow, blankie, trains, ipad, juice, monkey and videos to distract from the soreness and strange surroundings.  Recovery has been a rocky road at home, with the most irritable and hard-to-please child that I have seen in forever!  Well, he is progressing, and that is excellent.  The tonsils had to be removed due to hypertrophy, causing airway and swallowing problems.  So the fact that he will be able to sleep without apnea and snoring is wonderful!

And while big brother was struggling, Baby Jack was giggling!

I got to spend a lot of time with Jack over a few days, which was great.  And now I'm playing catch-up with getting 3 patterns ready for display and purchase at Bear Patch.

These use the new 2014 Quilt MN fabrics, and are part of a large display and collection at the store.  If you want to know more, head on over to the Bear Patch blog where I will be showcasing projects over the next few days.

16 In Between is a makeover of a pattern I made 4 years ago.  I enlarged the blocks to be able to use the 2 1/2" strip packs and the pictures panel that are part of the fabric group.

16 In Between

 This pillow is probably my favorite thing that I have made lately, I enjoyed the process and the result is pleasing.  I have some good tips in the pattern for getting a really nice professional finish to not only the pillow top but the back, as well.  I have to credit my mom with helping me come up with the name "Stix Mix".  I was sitting in her kitchen with my computer, working on writing the directions, and pondering variations of pattern names.  We were looking for words rhyming (since that is my thing!) with sticks or stripes or strips.  She was mixing up something, as is usual for her, and up popped Mix and Stix, and it stuck!

Stix Mix

 And thirdly, Ring-A-Ding, a twofer, since I have both a circular and oval tabletopper in the pattern.

Ring-A-Ding

And to make things easier with pattern-writing, I had a great view of Silver Lake from the kitchen window and deck.  This is a small lake in the middle of farm country in northwest Iowa.  The town of Lake Park is situated next to the lake, and houses surround part of the shore.  But there is a state park and city park and undeveloped land on a large portion of the shoreline.  It's not busy with boat traffic, although the occasional pontoon, motorboat and jet-ski can be found.  It's a tranquil spot.

Silver Lake, Iowa

And then it's back home to enjoy my own little spot of tranquility, with the not so tranquil city and bustle nearby!  One final word of advice for all of you--make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector in your house!  Last Saturday, ours detected CO and alarmed.  Not life-threatening levels, but not good for your health.  The fire department came and verified that it was a legitimate alarm on their meter, as well, and they summoned the energy company who narrowed it down to a problem with our oven.  It's the same oven I had before the remodel, but it had been disconnected for about 2 months, then put back into place and something is amiss.  Anyway, I'm glad we had the detector in place!

I cooked in my kitchen!

Oh, happy day!  All appliances in place and in working order!  Just a few loose ends left to finish before I can actually say the remodel is totally done, but won't it always be a work in progress?  I have targeted my next update--the light over our table has got to go.  It is sooo 1989!

Still awaiting the range hood, 1 light fixture and shower glass to be installed.  We have made a lot of progress with unpacking everything that we removed from the kitchen and bath 2 months ago.  Why does it seem like this has been going on for 6 months?!  Anyway, I did do some sorting at that time to weed out stuff to donate, but now as I am unpacking I am doing the same thing!  This is mostly because I feel like I have all of the essentials in place in the new kitchen, yet there are more boxes awaiting us.  This probably means that we have non-essentials that could go live with someone else instead of cluttering up this place!  Just one small example:

Inside a plastic storage box I found a whole bunch of costume jewelry.  Some of it I actually remembered wearing at about the turn of the century!  Some of it seemed totally unfamiliar to me, like maybe someone else stashed it in there?  And I don't think it was Bob!  So almost all of it went into a bag for the donation box.  One very fine rose among the thorns were those fantastic skeleton earrings!  Halloween, here I come!

Some updates on the kiddos:

Ian cashed in his IOU that we gave him at Christmas to go to a ballgame with us.  Last Sunday we took him to see the St. Paul Saints, our minor league team.  They have a very entertaining ballgame and very family friendly.  They have spectators participate in contests between innings, doing races while rolling a tire around the bases; spinning around until too dizzy to stand then required to cross a finish line; sumo wrestling, etc.  The ballgame was pretty non-existant to Ian, except when the pitchers were warming up right in front of our seats.  His biggest impressions from the excursion were the garbage truck in the parking lot (he loves garbage trucks) and the "funny lady" (a pig mascot wearing a dress).

Jack is now a little over 3 months old, and I propped him up on a pillow for a different perspective.  He is so happy and healthy right now.  His mommy had her first day back at work and he did OK being away from her for 13 hours.  Next week he will start at the same daycare that Ian goes to, so that will be another transition.  Much easier the second time around, and not just for his parents!

Most of my time at home has been devoted to organizing and cleaning.  I have been on a cleaning bender the likes of which this house has not experienced in a long time!  With the new kitchen and bathroom, I feel like the whole place needs sprucing up.  I think I have cleaned and washed in a few places that have not been touched in decades!  Seriously!  But occasionally I take a few moments to sit down and do something like write a blogpost or assemble these little pie pieces:

English paper pieced circles that measure 5" diameter.
Plans for more but not sure where it is all going.
I just get satisfaction in how neatly the points all meet!

 So I hope you are getting some satisfaction from something you are doing, too!