Our Anniversary, 36 Years!

 

Today we celebrate 36 years of wedded bliss.  What a wonderful thing to be married to your best friend.  We had the best present this weekend, to share it with the sweetest p. ever, our baby granddaughter Penny.

 

With eyes as blue as Lake Michigan, this little sweetheart visited us for 4 short days... We had the best time, with all the family, and so many friends. Kristen, Doug and Penny make the best little family, bursting with love for each other.  And this face... Penny was kissed and rocked, snuggled and walked around our house and yard.  She even helped me water the plants!  I got some precious "penny time",  when two Penny's have the time to really get to know each other and become best friends! I have photos to share and stories to tell... But today, we celebrate two crazy kids that fell in love, have been blessed beyond measure.  Honey, I love you, happy anniversary. 

A musical interlude.  For my dearest.  Enjoy this beautiful day my friends!

With a Little Help from My Friends

 

Have I mentioned that I have the very best friends?  Well, I do.  My friend Mary Ann asked me if we needed a crib for when sweet p. comes to visit.  I never imagined the fancy crib we would receive from my generous friend.  It is beautiful, and fits perfectly in our guest room.  All I had to buy was a sheet, since the last one I thrifted in gingham blue, I gave to Kristen for babygrand's crib at home. I'm still on the lookout for more.  Babies need lots of sheets.

 

I found this popcorn stitched crochet afghan at the local thrift.  I've actually made this pattern before.  I only got to scarf width.  I had to rescue this one, and the price, well, I couldn't have bought a skein of "pound of love" yarn with what I paid for this.  Who made this?  How did it end up in a thrift store?  Kinda breaks my heart a little.  (It is beautifully made and washed up like new!)

It looks great with the cute patterned sheet.

 

The Mom and Dad side of the room. The quilt on the wall I made, the one on the bed from a rummage sale.

 Things are pretty close. Someday I will make or find a canopy, but it's so sweet with just the frame.

On the other side of the room, the bird dresser.  From another dear friend Jean.

 A cozy corner to rock.  The most expensive thing in the room is on the rocker, (except for the mattress) a Mennonite quilt bought at an auction over 25 years ago.  I got caught up in the bidding, but I was never sorry I won it.  It has been on the wall, on the bed, in a box, with a fox...;-)

And a cuddly flannel quilt...OK, I'm ready... Oh, the anticipation!  Have a great day my friends.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

 

I'm starting to see table tops and floor.  A good sign. Table skirting, that's what I need, right?

 

Truth in blogging...BEFORE, sewing side.

 

AFTER... I even put back  my second bulletin board that I had to remove when moving things around.

 

Crafting side BEFORE...


 

AFTER...I did organize and put things away and actually got rid of some junk.  The truth is I am a slob when it comes to my own space up here in the trees.

I used to work on my kitchen table, and pack things up when we needed the table, like, to eat...  Now I have this space where I can close the door and not look at it...It's a blessing and a invitation to my sloppy side.  A few more hours of work and I can close the door... to a temporarily tidy space...but I have plans, and they involve making a mess again.
Now you know the real me. ;-)  Enjoy this beautiful day!

Making Progress...

 

Cleaning and changing things up in my office/craft room/studio.  I've been collecting clip boards for this wall for a while.  Found another large one after this photo was taken. 

 

I've got so much stuff.

 

Some is sentimental, like this tote from my first ever blog event.  It still has all the things that the other girls shared, from handmade soap to vintage paper... the talented Jen Rizzo made the tote.  In many ways that blog event is why I'm typing these words to you now...  A life changing event.  The tote stays!

 

As things settle in, I'll just mess it up again... But there is something about working in a clean, neat space... Just one table to go and I've completed a 360 around the room.  Found so many things I forgot I had, and tossed some, organized most. 

If you are neat, and put things away as you use them, and cast off the junk as it accumulates, I salute you.  That is not me.  We are heading into prime crafting season.  I've got a bug to quilt, my stamps and paper are calling me.  Sweet p. needs a scrapbook, and a Christmas quilt, and I want a flannel throw for the couch, and there's a footstool to upholster, crochet projects to complete... I've got a whole house to clean, I come here to create... You get the picture. More tomorrow!

Rain!  We got walloped by a storm this morning.  It's a great day to get things done!  Thanks for stopping by.

Cool and Green and Shady

 

Saturdays, holidays, easy afternoon
Lazy days, summer days, nothing much to do
Rainy days are better days, for hanging out inside
Rainy days and city ways make me want to hide
Someplace cool and green and shady

 

Find yourself a piece of grassy ground
Lay own close your eyes
Find yourself and maybe lose yourself
While your free spirit flies

 

August skies, lullaby's, promises to keep
Dandelions and twisting vines, clover at your feet
Memories of Aspen leaves, trembling on the wind
Honeybees and fantasies
Where to start again

 

Someplace cool  and green and shady...

 

Cool and green and shady...
 John Denver

Gosh I miss John Denver... So much a part of my life when I was young and still today.  With another 100 degree day ahead of me, this song came to mind.  When every picture I choose today was green, it all came together.

The weekend report...Grandpa built a crib, (a beautiful crib given to G-Ma from a dear and generous friend) photos soon. Grandma is trying to clean her creative space as it has been neglected for many months.  Finding all kinds of WIP's, fabric, supplies and inspiration.  Our baby grand, sweet p. is now two months old.  She'll be here for a visit soon, and these empty arms are aching for some snuggle time.  Enjoy this beautiful day my friends.

Contentment in Creativity

 

I saw this little saying on Cory's blog a while back and jotted it down.  I AM content when I create, and I find when there are stresses in other parts of my life, making something always centers me again.

 

I've had these fat quarters for years.  I bought them on vacation in Door County.  They are cotton flannel with a cozy Autumn palette.

 

I've been looking for the source of this quilt idea, and can't find it anywhere...I even checked my histories to try and backtrack to no avail...  There are many similar quilts on YouTube, but not the one I originally saw.  Anyway it's the technique I copied.  It's pretty easy...  I cut the flannel into 4 inch squares and lined them up in even rows, putting a little glue stick on the back of each to hold them in place.  (if there are special fabric glue sticks, I didn't use one.  Just had my trusty old UHU stic and it worked great.)

 

I made my quilt sandwich of flannel back, cotton batting and quilt top and went to the machine.  You sew on the squares as you quilt the three layers together.  Going down the side of each block, to the next.  I started at the end and worked my way over, in one direction then the next.

 

When I was finished attaching all the squares, I did a little machine quilting in the area around the squares.  This was the first time I ever tried machine quilting, and it looks pretty good. The last steps were binding the quilt.  My most satisfying part.  Last night on local PBS was an episode of the National Parks.  I don't know about anyone else, but I would watch this Ken Burns series all day long.  The music is great, calming and the story compelling.  How these parks were saved for all Americans is a miracle, but I digress...;-)
I sew on the binding on the front by machine and turn the binding and sew in place by hand.  Gives the quilt a very nice finish.

The next thing you do is throw the quilt in the washer, to fray the raw edges of the squares.

After you trim all the threads, ta da....  Penny's Commuter Quilt... Here is the description I sent my daughter Kristen with photos...

Introducing Penny's Commuter Quilt...at just 35 inches by 31 inches, this warm and cozy flannel quilt will be perfect on the subway, yet stylish enough for Park Avenue...lovingly machine quilted, this 100 percent cotton quilt will take a beating, and retain it's good looks...with machine quilting in the motif, LEAVES, this quilt will take our tiny cosmopolitan through Thanksgiving in style.

                                    
I will get to give the quilt to Penny in person when she visits Grandma and Grandpa in a few weeks!

Son Jon has started taking portraits again, when several local actors needed new head shots.  Jon recently got some new moo cards, and I think they are so cool I wanted to share them with you.

These are people you will see in local comedy venues and theaters...maybe someday on SNL...Chicago is a hot bed of comedic talent.

This guy is pretty handsome, sorry girls he's taken..(Remember when The Beatles were on Ed Sullivan, and they put that on the screen when they put the camera on John Lennon...)

All Jon's subjects have been so happy with their photos, some gave permission for Jon to use them on his web page and in his advertising material.

Jon... I know I'm his Mom, but he has so much talent.

I guess contentment through creativity runs in the family.  Have a wonderful weekend my friends.  Thanks so much for your  kind support and friendship.

Just Something I Made

 

I used the hot dog method to put a boarder of bark cloth fabric on these 100%
cotton fabric scraps.

 

My apologies to Cathe Holden for stealing her line... Just something I made...

 

I used the fabric samples I bought at a recent rummage sale to make these finger tip and hand towels. 

 

Then I spent the late afternoon taking photos and playing with some photo editing. Just so you know, I got the wash basin at a rummage sale for a dollar and I crocheted the washcloth in the soap dish.  (The soap dish from dear Joy that belonged to our friend Annie) That's Beekman 1802 goat's milk soap from a friend and fellow admirer of Josh and Brent.  

We got rain overnight.  Must have been all you girls "rain dancing" to the video I posted yesterday.  LOL 

My dear friends Jean and Kathy lost their Mom on Saturday.  Mrs. F. was a wonderful woman and raised the most wonderful daughters.  If you are so inclined, please remember these dear girls in your prayers.  Losing your Mom is so hard, and the funeral is not the hardest part...missing her everyday is.  Sending out a big hug to my sweetest pals.

I'm going back to the sewing machine today.  Hope your day is a great one.
Thanks for stopping by...