An Apple Pie

“Mom, I’m picking apples at Matt’s and we’re going to make an apple pie…”
So driving off in the pouring rain she set off on her mission. A few hours later, we had created this:

Lots of fun – she ‘camera-phoned’ pictures of the pie to her Dad. We had girls night watching chick flicks and eating pie. I ended up with Ransom, Bruno and Chelsey all in my Bed – and no… I don’t have a king size bed….But there was enough covers for everyone so we all slept well.

I’ve got 8 blocks completed on the Harvest Home project. The completed size will be 64 by 76 ¼”. I’m shooting for four blocks a day. But first I’ve got my last class with my Sunday school kids before getting a new crop for the coming school year. I want the class to be special so I’m off to play with the construction paper for tomorrow’s class.

Gratitudes:
Cellphones to talk with Don
Pie plates and Dishes - I’m guilty of having too many
The hum of the dishwasher this morning while everyone else sleeps

Rainy Days

A rainy day, quilt blocks, and a porch hammock…. Not too shabby I guess.
I pieced the first four of a twenty block quilt. I love the look and with working with a layer cake there are plenty of options for coordinating the groupings of three prints in each set.

I moved my ironing board and sewing machine upstairs next to a window to where the pups aren’t navigating stairs to the basement sewing room. Bruno did fine through the surgery. I just want him taking it easy for a while.

Chelsey is coming home today to check on Mom. I got a call and I’m expected back at work o n Monday which is a blessing.

I’ll probably head to the store later for a few groceries… and sew till my heart’s content.

Enjoy your weekend….

Baskets of Life Blocks

Here are two more completed blocks from my Baskets of Life quilt. I’ve got two more prepped and ready to go. Getting the binding completed on the Cottage Garden has been top priority in the evenings.

Bruno is getting ‘fixed’ this morning at the Vet. He can’t have anything to eat until this evening--- so I’m making Ransom be a ‘team player’. I know it’s the right thing to do…but I hate taking him to the Vet and leaving him. Oh well, this, too, shall pass. And Ransom can have his breakfast .

Of course the furnace is acting up. They are only predicting temperatures in the upper fifties on Sunday so I guess I need to get it looked at today.

Just pausing to count my blessings:
My warm coffee this morning
Chelsey got a job at school
Sunshine peeking through the porch rails

Fabric Cut Up

I took out my frustrations on the fabric. I finally cut up the layer cake of Blackbird designs Harvest Home last night.
The game plan for the moment is to start piecing today. I’m using muslin as my background fabric. I have a friend that doesn’t quilt, but listens patiently to my stories. She always tells me she doesn’t want to quilt---she just wants to buy the fabric to hold and look at. That’s exactly how I felt about those fabric squares.
Thanks for the support in yesterday’s post. It’s a tough situation and friends make the difference.

The forecast is predicting 73 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. That will go a long way to healing heart aches.

Scallops on my Cottage Garden

Hey—remember me? My college kids are tucked away in their universities and the house is quiet. For the record—Bruno,
Chelsey’s dog, is an official college dropout and home with me…we tell Chelsey she’s paying child support. I don’t mind... he’s a lot of company to Ransom.

Here’s my Cottage Garden quilt. The binding is partially own. Yesterday I dove into the scallops. It’s my first attempt. No fancy rulers (but they are definitely on my Christmas list), I used freezer paper and A pie plate to set up the alignment. The scallops on just two inches deep, next time I think I’ll make them deeper. For my first attempt—I rate myself at a B+. Never a risk taker – to cut on a completed quilt was definitely a “grown up” moment for me.

My husband lost his job. There I said it. I am laid off a week at a time—on my second week. Not easy to talk about. I don’t think I’m special – why shouldn’t bad things happen to me? It just doesn’t make it any less hurtful. I try to not make it personal… but when it is happening to you it’s INCREDIBLY personal. I tell myself the appropriate things:

All things happen for a reason.
Nobody died – no one is even sick
I have food, a roof over my head, and even quilt junk(short of batting) to last until 2020.
We’re planners and list makers…My kids will never skip a college beat.

But it really hurts.

Life goes on. My garden is full of ghourds. The echinea and Black-eyed Susans are beautiful this year as we haven’t had the heat to burn any of them.






Thanks for all of the emails checking on me. Hopefully, you’ll have another post tomorrow. I’m taking it a day at a time.