Spectacular days...

     It's been all about sewing here the last week.  Whenever we haven't been outside enjoying the most beautiful weather, you could find us working on something that involved the sewing machine.  Even cooking has taken to the back burner because of the need to sew has been more important.  There have been a few last moment scrounge things together dinners because of this need.

     Little B got bit by the sewing bug and had to make a couple of pillow cases.  She picked her fabrics, helped trim them just right and got down to sewing after watching this how to video for them.  Super easy, very quick.  They turned out great.  No other pillow case will work now for her.  Love that!

     The weather has been spectacular.  If the sun is out, so are we.  Windows are open from sun up till sun down.  I have been wiping pollen off of everything.  But I don't care.  It has been more important to have the windows open than it is to freak out about the pollen coming in.

     Our Spring time friends are back.  Mostly during the evening.  It's so wonderful to be in the craft room after dinner and look up and see these two right outside my window.  A few times they have even come up to the window and pecked at it as if to say "Pardon me but we are going to use your yard for a bit.  Hope you don't mind."  Don't mind at all.  Sit as long as you like.

     I'm still deciding on how I want the labels to look and read for the two old quilts.  So while I'm giving that some thought I decided to start on another by using a technique I've not tried before, quilt-as-you-go.  So far so good.  There are scraps all over my desk right now.  But it's all good when things are turning out as well as it is.  I may have to do this method more often.  Love it!

     It's suppose to rain for the majority of the weekend and I can't think of a better way to spend my time than sewing.  I might just have to put something into the crock pot so we don't have to scrounge for dinner the next few days.

~*~

Kar

Two old quilts...

     There once were two old quilts that someone (BIL) kept telling me about.  I was asked if ever these quilts were sent to me would I be willing to fix them up.  "Sure!  Send them to me." I said.  Quilts must be in a usable state, right.  They must be used and cuddled with, not sitting around taking up space just because.  After a couple of years I gave up asking about them being sent here for their repair.  Then one day after my father-in-law's passing, a box is delivered with all kinds of treasures that were given to my husband that were his Dad's and the quilts were packed in also.

     Old and tattered they were.  I was shocked to say the least.  But no matter how bad they looked I was determined to make them better again.  The pinwheel quilt was the worst.  The entire front had to be taken apart.  Some blocks were salvaged but others had to be totally remade.  Luckily the backing was in great shape except for one little spot.  It was sad to see all that great old fabric beyond repair.  The colors and prints were awesome.  I kept thinking wouldn't it be grand to have a yard of this, a yard of that.  I would be in heaven.

     The churn dash quilt was better off than the other.  Only one block to repair and a whole new backing was put on.  Piece of cake.  The floral fabrics on this one were my absolute favorite.  Dreamy.

     After hours of ripping seams out, pulling out all of the yarn tied quilting, cutting out new pieces of fabric, salvaging what I could, the quilts have new life in them.  Basically all new fronts, all new batting, new and repaired backings.  Good as new, ready for a new life of cuddling.

Love the little heart I added to repair the one little whole on the original backing of the pinwheel quilt.

     It was a frustrating project but a rewarding one over all.  I thought often of the person who originally made them.  So many emotions and thoughts ran through my head during this project.  I'm just glad to put them back together so that another generation will be able see bits and pieces of a loved one who is now long gone.  It's nice to know that there was someone else in the family who created things either for necessity or pure joy.  Someone who loved the process of making things just like we do.  Now all that is left to do is make a label for each to record the original creator and possibly the repair "date".  Then they will be packaged up and sent back to my BIL, already for many more years of loving use.

~*~

Kar

Taking it easy...

     This Spring is proving to be wonderful.  Cool mornings, perfectly warm afternoons.  Days filled with sunshine.  Being outside as much as possible until late in the evening.  The Lilacs are all but gone now.  I'm a little sad about that.  But the sight of all the sprouts coming up around the yard and in the greenhouse makes the sadness pass quickly.

     Most mornings are started with the most wonderful colors in the sky.  Natures beautiful artwork.  My favorite.  This is why I love waking up so early in the morning.

     The quilt repairs are nearly finished.  It's been a frustrating and satisfying project all rolled into one.  I get quite emotional over quilts.  It's hard to explain sometimes.  I'm pretty pleased with them at the moment.

     The girls and I finally convinced our talented personal photographer to display some of his work down on the art wall at our library.  Such wonderful comments are coming from everyone who stops to look at them all.  Next on the list is to get a website built for him so he can sell his work.  Baby steps.  It's all about the baby steps with him.





































 

     The only thing that has kept me from taking it easy around here is the ever hated maple seeds from a neighbors trees.  They absolutely send me into a twitching fit.  Especially when the yard is all clean and lovely looking and a mysterious wind comes up and flings more of these beasts into the yard.  So far this year I have bagged well over 15 big yard bags of the beasts.  Beyond frustrating.  Hexes do not work on these trees.  Trust me, I have tried.  Every year for 18 years.  We are all starting to wonder if the hexes are just making things worse.  Just when I thought it could not get any worse, a bright bit of light appeared the past two days in the form of tree trimmers that the neighbors hired to trim back a lot of the trees.  I'm just wondering if they saw one of my hissy fits on the roof of the house and out in the yard when I was cleaning one of these messes up and decided something needed to be done.  I don't really care right now.  I'm just praying that there won't be 15 bags of seeds in the years to come.  Only time will tell if the hexes will end.

~*~

Kar