LIFE'S SIMPLE PLEASURES #7

Enjoying my freedom to spend the 4th of July in my sewing room -- one of my life's pleasures!

JUNE'S RANDOMNESS

Another month has flown by since my sabbatical started.

Here is some randomness from June.

1.  The final reveal of the quilt, "Merry-go-round" (formally known as "The Albatross in the Closet") is on my quilting blog, Q-Bits (click here).  All of the statistics in the making of the quilt are listed there.

2.  With my limited computer skills, I have spent hours (and hours) revamping my quilting blog.  I've added tabs under the header that make navigating easier to find info and pictures of the 97 cotton quilts I have made, my wool projects, and my paper quilts, etc.  Click on the quilt pictured at top of the left sidebar of this blog to take you directly there.

3.  Bob has been working a lot in the garden this spring/summer.  Last November we had a very sudden freeze, and shrubs and trees all over our town were killed.  We lost several large bushes, so it has been major work for Bob and Wyatt to get those dug out and replaced.  We lost two red twig dogwoods in the front of the house.  After they were dug out, I couldn't stand the front of the house (and I'm too impatient to wait for new bushes to grow up!).

One thing leads to another -- we decided to add another decorative picket fence on the left to cover the mechanics (the hose, vents, and sprinkling system box).  It replaced the dead red twig bushes. Hopefully, the barberry bushes will grow up, and we plan to add a yellow climbing rose.  It looks much better.  This Fall the picket fence on the right needs to be replaced to match the new one.

4.  It has been pretty quiet around here this month -- just the way I like it in the heat of the summer.  July appears to be more of the same, but August will be a doozy for us old folks.  I've started a new quilt, and hope to complete it by the August quilt show.  Check my other blog for my progress on it - it is a little out of my comfort zone!

See you next month.  Have a safe July!

MAY'S RANDOMNESS

Two months have passed on my limited hiatus from my blog, so thought I would check in with May's randomness.

1.  Took a chance to get out of town for a weekend -- our usual destination, Denver.  We saw the '1968' exhibit at the Colorado History Museum. 

What fun to relive the fashions, music, furniture, etc. from that year. 

 But, of course, seeing the documentation of the assassinations, war, and discrimination of the time was sobering.  It was all special sharing the exhibit with our son, who was born in 1968.

2. A trip out of town would not be complete without some antiquing and junk hunting.  My radar is always up for brown transferware, but the prices are slowly inching up beyond my comfort zone.  I think over $100 for a single piece (in spite of any wonderfulness) is too expensive.  Bob always tells me, "They have it, and you don't!" So guess they can ask what they want for it.  

However, I did find this piece which is quite large.

 Don't have a clue what its intended purpose was.  Any ideas? It almost looks like it needs a lid, but there is no indication of a ridge to hold one.  It was in my under-$25 budget and interesting, so I bought it.  It has a kite mark, but the date symbols are blurred.  I'm sure it is from the 1880s, as I'm familiar with the pattern, "Brazil" from G. W. Turner & Sons, Tunstall -- I already have a plate in the same design.

For now it is holding a pile of antique linen dinner napkins.

3.  Caitlin and I spent a couple of afternoons working on a photo display board for her high school graduation party. 

So hard to narrow down 1000s of pictures taken over 18 years time to just a few -- she has always been so cute!

4.  High school graduation has come and gone.  It seems all her school years have passed by so fast.
 Caitlin is happy.
Grammy is sad.
I was a blubbering idiot at graduation, and took a bunch of horrible pictures.  This was the best of the lot of her with her cute boyfriend after the ceremony.  Thank goodness there will be an official picture forthcoming of her receiving the diploma (with honors) taken by the professional photographer during graduation.

5.  One of the reasons (see here) for my sabbatical from the blog is finished.  The name of the quilt has now officially been changed from "The Albatross" to "Merry-go-round".  

If it ever stops raining, I'll take it outside for a photo shoot to have for my records with the final reveal next month ----
Still a lot of work remains to get ready for the quilt show in August.  And, we are also tentatively planning a trip to Washington state in August.  Plus, we just found out our house will be on a local benefit home tour at Christmas.  I foresee some new projects in our future in preparation for the tour.
Thanks for enduring this long post - it's been a busy May.  
See you next month!