this and that

Last weekend, we (Bob and I) made a little journey south.  We were hoping for a bit of warmer weather to counteract the unusually cold spring we are having, but the weather really didn't get much better.  After all, it's less than 200 miles, so we shouldn't expect to wear flip flops with our winter coats, right?!

We did get to attend a baby shower for my niece, Nora, hosted by 2 of her girlfriends.  It's Nora's first, and her mom's first grandbaby, so I really enjoyed catching up with them on how this baby-making is progressing!  Here's Nora, with her mom, Mary, and my mom, too.  This will be my mom's 6th great-grandchild and the 4th boy.

One of the shower decorations was this sign, and I love the verse on it!

Meanwhile, my own little grandson, Leo, is growing by leaps and bounds!  We went from the 20th percentile on growth curves at his 1 month checkup, to 50th percentile at 2 months!  I think he's determined to catch up with his big brothers, Ian and Jack.

I can't wait for Nora and Mary to get the chance to ooh and aah over their little guy's milestones!  Leo is starting to smile and interact in a real way, not just hopeful thinking!

I'm into baby-hat-knitting mode, and here's another one just finished!

And another cast on!

This yarn looks a lot like denim.  It's called Tenderfoot and comes from The Polka Dot Sheep out of Whitefish, MT.  The color is named Stillwater.  I've lost the name of the yarn used in that first hat, unfortunately.  I really should get better about keeping the names and care info with the yarn, but if the yarn sometimes needs to be wound into a ball or "cake", and then the label doesn't stay connected.

No sewing done here except to get the quilting and binding done on 2 quilts for classes at Bear Patch, that was on a deadline so I was very happy just to meet that deadline!  Especially since I was the one that set that deadline for all the class samples to be turned in!

Along with getting all the class samples ready for display, there is a lot of "backroom" work on the computer, which is what I have spent some time on the last few days.  If you want to see proof of my labors, just look through the class information for the store's website.  Click on any class, and you will get a full description plus details.  I'm glad that's all done for now, but I'm still looking for errors every time I look at it!  There are a lot of dates and times and requirements to include, and after awhile they are all swimming around in my head like a whirlpool!

Today, I'm swearing off computers and going outside while the sun is shining so I can pull some weeds!  Have a great day!

bathroom before/after

Our little bathroom is so spiffed up, it feels like it must be someone else's house!

Since we don't have a "master mega suite", this little bathroom is not only the bathroom that we use daily, but also the place that visitors use when we have friends or family over.

So I am really happy that is a spot that gives us space to keep all of our personal items put away.  So guests don't have to stare at our toothbrushes when they wash their hands!

I do need to work on getting something up on the walls and pick out some new coordinating towels.  That will eventually happen.

The placement of the toilet and shower flip-flopped, and better use of the space allows for a larger shower and more countertop.

Where the throne previously sat, we now have a beautiful tiled shower with glass wall and door.

And the sink stayed in approximately the same place, with additional cabinets and countertop.  We used the same old medicine cabinet but had it painted to match the cabinets.  I looked and looked at new medicine cabinets, but couldn't find anything that would work as well for us as the old one.  New lighting was added.  And a new fan with light, and that fan is so quiet you barely know it's running!

So that pretty much sums it all up!

a little bit of quilting

I have been seriously lacking time to quilt on my longarm, but I hope to kick that habit soon!  Right now I am using a poinsettia pantogram on this Christmas quilt--

The quilt blocks were all made by members of my quilt group, the Ham Lake Piecemakers.  At Christmas time, we take up the challenge to use one or two chosen fabrics to create a block.  Then we have a drawing to pick the winner(s).  Our friend, Thora Lee, won this group of blocks.  She has moved away from the area, but still comes back here occasionally so I hope that this can all get done and be ready for her soon.

One big reason why my quilting time has become minimal is the fact that I have been involved with the kitchen and bath renovation at home.  Some days it just isn't conducive to creative work, and other days I just have to be out of the house.  To have our cabinetry all painted, the 2 rooms had to be completely taped off and sealed up.  The fumes were very strong, and we stayed 3 nights with Ben and Brita.  Here are some pictures of how much has been accomplished--

tile floor in the bathroom looks wonderful

counter tops and sink installation looks fantastic

shower is coming together, still some grout left to do on the dark sections

and the wood flooring is now completely done

I really love to see the craftsmanship that goes into all of this.  I regret that I was not at home when the counter tops were done, because I would really like to see that process.  We chose to use a laminate product, meticulously installed by our friend, Dana Lewis.  He can undermount sinks from a certain manufacturer, and the join is flawless!  And now the faucets and drains are in working order, so we can start using them.  Oh, the things we take for granted!

finishes

A few more finishes to note:

Two matching Christmas quilts for a customer are done and ready to be delivered:

I used a new pantogram design for these called Poinsettia by Patricia Ritter. This design looked to me like it needed to be stitched in vertical rows on the quilt instead of the usual horizontal. That simply meant that I needed to mount the quilt "sideways" on the frame, which normally is fine and something I often do. But this backing fabric was directional with cardinals perched on branches, so they needed to go "sideways", too. And that meant the seam in the backing was also "sideways", meaning parallel to the rollers, and centering it in the middle of the quilt top was a new thing for me. It took several extra steps, but it got done!

When I was gone in January on my little quilting journey, I sewedup 4 little quilts to be donated to Quilts For Kids.

First thing I did when I got home was quilt them up, now the bindings are cut and ready. It is fun to be able to do those. The 2 on the bottom of the stack are just simple panels of fabric and small enough for a little baby. The other 2 are a bit bigger and made with a 4-patch pattern from the QFK website. I just put a large all-over meander on them and call it good.

Now here's a chocolate cake that I did not personally finish, but I can vouch for its yumminess! It was served yesterday at a baby shower I attended at Brita's house, she and Molly put together a fun celebration for Sara's upcoming first baby. Thanks for inviting me, girls!

The witches are flying

The witchy ladies are flying on out of here--finally! This quilt isn't huge but sure seemed to stretch on for a long time due to many interruptions. Of course, the interruptions were for some very fun and important things, like weekends away and visits from kids and wedding showers! So here is the quilt:

And here is a glimpse at the shower:

Brita and Molly, who hosted the shower and is the Maid of Honor

Grandma Sally, Aunt Ruth and Grandma Ruth

It was nice enough to enjoy the backyard, which was gorgeous with all the flowers planted there. Even though it was a very hot and muggy weekend, we needed the outdoor space to have all the guests seated for brunch. This was a combined group of high school friends, college friends and family from all over, all together in one smashing party for Brita. I was amazed at all the beautiful and generous gifts that were shared, what a testament to the love and support for Ben and Brita as they build their life together. Thank you so much to Molly, Katie, Barb and all the others who helped out, I really appreciate all the time and effort. The shower was followed by a night out in Minneapolis for the bride and 6 bridesmaids, of which no pictures will be shared! I did accompany them for awhile to serve as photographer and cheerleader, but I have no idea of what happened after I excused myself about 6:00 and that's the way it should be! They are a fantastic group of friends and truly wonderful people, all living positive and productive lives. Can it get any better than that??!! Oh wait, yes, I get to see them all again in October!