Friday, September 01, 2006

September 1, 2006. I’m hoping work is awfully quiet and I can slip out early. I’ve got a four-day weekend. There’s Labor Day and I took the day after. It’s Chelsey’s first day of her junior year of high school. As silly as it sounds, I’m going to be there to take her picture. I've done it every year before. Surely, I’ll can get some quilting time in the next four days.

Last night, I gave Eric’s room a good scrubbing. I got a new comforter for the bed. The kids are responsible for take care of their own rooms, but every once in a while they need ‘Mom’s touch’. Chelsey walks by—‘Wow – looks nice…he’s gonna hate it.” Thanks Chelsey. I laughed, we’ll see.

It’s about time to drag out the fall quilts. This one is hanging in my breakfast room. Yeah – I’m a plaid person; you can see the wallpaper.
The pattern was out of an old American Patchwork and quilting. I bought the background, but every thing else was scraps. I like the hair and straw toes – they are frayed homespun. It’s a little varied from the pattern. When piecing the quilt together, I couldn’t get the knees to line up. I must have ‘re-sewed’ five or six times. I don’t know if the pattern dimensions were wrong or what. Honestly, it was probably my cutting and seam allowances. After the fabric started “disintegrating” from ripping seams, I got an idea--- enter stage left the leaf and patches on the knees. Now, no one but us knows the problem.

I made it through August without any fabric purchases. I’m not bragging. It was pretty much a lack of options. No fabric stores close.
When we did go shopping it was for Eric setting up college or Chelsey with school clothes. I guess I could have purchased on line, but there is just something about ‘feeling’ the fabric first.

It’s a holiday weekend, hope everyone remembers a couple of things:
1. Slow down, when you’re in a hurry, exhale when you’re angry, rest if you’re tired. Accidents happen all the time, and emotions running high are a major cause.

2. Observe Labor Day. We all Labor hard throughout our day, whether an income is involved or not. If you work at home, my money says you work really hard at picking up the slack where someone else can work outside the home.

3. I thoroughly enjoy having you to talk to. I count on you girls being on the other end of the keyboard.

Take care,

Covered Porches and Wooden Screen Doors

19 comments:

Carol said...

Thank you for your list of things to remember this Labor Day weekend. Such good ones and we are always moving so fast we very often don't stop to take that deep breath. Have a great weekend.

Tazzie said...

I really like your scarecrow quilt, and your idea of the patches on the knees is a great one, well done for thinking outside the square.
I hope you have a great Labor Day, and kudos to you for reminding everyone to use their commonsense. Sometimes it can be easy to forget that it's not a race, the object is to get where you're going safely.
Here's hoping life quietens a little for you :-)
*huge hugs*
Tazzie

Quilts And Pieces said...

I love the scarecrow! And I love the frayed stuffing! I was just digging through the closets to find sheets for Adam and get them washed. He prefers the bare mattress - yuck, but I"m going to at least make the bed up first!

Juliann in WA said...

Melanie - congrats on making it a whole month - me too! And your scarecrow is lovely. Hope you weekend is nice and relaxing.

Libby said...

I hope you enjoy your long weekend with your family together and a new school year. We photograph The Princess in front of the Christmas tree each year -- no longer such a willing subject, but Mom 'needs' that photo *s* Your scarecrow is a cute guy. Love the plaid. Take some time for yourself, do a little stitchin' or whatever feels right.

quiltpixie said...

I never would have guessed you had probelms with the knees if you hadn't told! I think the "patshes" look great as part of the pattern :-)

McIrish Annie said...

thanks for remembering those who work IN the home as well as OUTSIDE the home. hope you have a great weekend with eric, chelsey and DH.. squeeze in some "Q" time for yourself.

we enjoy having you respond from your neck of the woods. have a good weekend.

MARCIE said...

I love Chelsey's comment on her brother's clean room. I raised two boys and as soon as they went away for a few days I was in there cleaning. She is right--they hated it! Have a nice weekend. It is storming here like crazy!

Joanne said...

Good cover on the scarecrow! I'd have just left him uneven! I like plaids, too -- and for some reason plaids and fall fit together well.
Enjoy your son this weekend and hopefully you'll get some sewing time in too.

Finn said...

Hi Mel, Happy Labor Day weekend to you! Hope you got out early..*VBS*

Love your scarecrow..it's a darling pattern, and a creative solution to your problem...LOL I've missed a few of your posts, but wanted to say I've read back down to Tuesday..LOL
Will be great to have Eric home for the weekend. And hurray for your gold star, the clean bedroom for Eric, and a very happy daughter. That speaks volumes!
I think your gourds are lovely, and I know they make great bird houses. If you need survival foods hopefully we'll know that in advance of planting season..LOL. Mean time enjoy, which I know you do. It's been a great garden all the way back to Make room... I love it!
hope you get lots of stitching time. Hugs, Finn
P.S. your grandmothers blocks...I don't know the pattern either, but I'll bet Linda J will look it up...*VBG* They are great to have.

Passionate Quilter said...

Congratulations on earning your star--no matter how you got it! :) And I love the scarecrow, and you are such the typical quilter--pointing out your mistakes! Now we would have never known and all loved how you made the pattern your own with those patches. So, back up and say, "here's my fall quilt!" and we all say, "we love it!" and you say, "thank you!" :)

Jeanne said...

I love the scarecrow wallhanging and the gourds!!! It's beginning to look like autumn ...
Jeanne :)

Patti said...

Cute wallhanging, and great solution to your problem. One of my goals this weekend is to get the summer stuff put away and the fall stuff out. We'll see if it actually happens . . .

ForestJane said...

I think the patches on the knees add a lot to it! It's a great quilt for Fall. :)

Granny said...

Congratulations on making it through August without buying fabric. There's always the internet for buying . . that's what got me.

What did your son say about his clean room?

Judy L.

Cynthia said...

I love your fall quilt. The idea of adding patches to the knees is a good one.
Have a great weekend.

Fiona said...

Love the scarecrow - your comment about being a plaid kind of girl made me laugh - guess what wallpaper covers the lower half of my kitchen walls?

Susan said...

I think the knee pieces add character and make it individual - and it looks as if it were designed that way! Great quilt!

I hope you get a lot of sewing done the next few days. How neat it is that you are taking your daughter's picture again. Tell her she only has to "endure" it one more year after this. =) She doesn't need to know that you'll want a first day of college picture, too. =)

Vicky said...

Your quilt made me smile! It's perfect!

((HUGS))