Fluff, Not Fat.....

I see my girls as fluffy.....my older son moos at Sassy when he sees her. I'm not amused. I think they are not at all fat, especially Sassy, who is long haired. 

Both kitties are well fed, but not "fat", so I was more than surprised when I read the vet's report on Cammy. It said, "Overweight Female, with healthy coat and tarter free teeth.....

 I am hearing that little girl's voice on Full House...."How Rude!!!"  Cammy agrees!

I have been quilting up a storm on the baby 9 patch. 

I set a goal of a minimum of 2 blocks a day, but am trying to do more like 4.....

Once I reach my goal, I can work on some of my own projects.

I actually finished the quilting on this little, Simply Charming, 9 patch, but still need to bind it. I'll do that tomorrow. I am starting the blocks for my Secret Sister quilt tomorrow too, so more machine work. 

And since, I don't want my own medical record to match Chamomile's, I have been eating a lot of salads, and I found these toppings that really make them wonderful!!!

I cut up some Gala apple too, and it tasted so good! I think I will try the Honey Almonds next time! 

Have a blessed Lord's Day!!!

Good-Bye to Acorn Quilts

 Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers for Cammy. She seems to be back to her old self. I am praying it remains that way and we don't have cycles of this issue. 

It has been a beautifully sunny day today. It was much needed!! Today, I packed up all my supplies and headed off to teach hand quilting at Acorn Quilt Shop.

Sadly, Acorn is closing the end of May, so this was my last class. I have been teaching there for 4 years now, since she first opened the shop. She is closing the doors for a month and then reopening as a vintage shop. I will sure miss my trips to that shop. 

I am blessed to live in a city that has several quilt shops, though none 1/2 a mile from my house! ;) I heard of a new one I did not know about today, so on Tuesday, I will be headed that way. I hear they have lots of Civil War repos...my absolute favorite kinds of fabrics!

I didn't leave empty handed today. I got several yards of fabric, and a new rotary cutter.

My rotary cutter is about 15 years old, and as I am cutting with it, the whole thing falls apart!! Not a good thing. I bought the exact same kind, cause I think 15 years is a long life. 

I spent yesterday basting my Simply Charming mini and the baby quilt. I love the backing for this cute little boy quilt.

I also have this pile of "stuff" next to my chair. My calendar, bill folder, and all the score keys for Charlotte's school books sit in a pile that ends up looking unsightly. I found this wonderful wooden box downstairs. I use to fill it with pine cones and set it on the fireplace. 

Everything nice and neat! As you can see, my Simply Charming book arrived yesterday! Oh the wonderful quilts in that book! It will be difficult to choose which one to make next! 

Looking forward to a very productive week. I hope the same for you!

Chamomile

Poor Cammy is sick. It seems she may have Interstitial Cystitis. We are praying it is just a UTI. Her Vet feels it is unlikely. She was so scared when she had to go in for an ultrasound and urine culture.

When they were done with her, (she had an ultrasound of her bladder and kidneys, no urine draw as her bladder was too little, and she got a pain shot and a shot of antibiotics), she climbed my body and wrapped her arms around my neck, hanging on for dear life! She is in the litter box often only passing tiny bits, and sometimes there is blood :(  She is on pain meds every 8 hours. We may have to make some lifestyle changes for her (stress is the cause, though I can't image how she is stressed) and a prescription diet. Prayerfully, it is not this horrible bladder disease. I hate to see any animal in pain. I would appreciate some prayers for her. She is a much loved member of our family.

The Best of my Life.....Quilting and Grandkids

I can not believe it has been 5 months since my last post. I wondered if I shouldn't just close down the blog, but I remembered it's main purpose.....for them.....

 

So what has been happening? TJ turned 8 last week. I had them for Spring break. 

He is growing so fast and I miss that baby boy. This trip he decided he did not need his morning hugs any more...he was 8 now, ya know! I had a heart to heart and convinced him those morning hugs would always be needed! Emerson is growing too!!

She is such a sweet girl, but a bit of a drama queen at times....

She was left out when the boys went down the street...she is still too little to go in the road. I let her come "quilt" with me and she got happy again. Speaking of quilting....she got her quilt!!!

She was thrilled with it. I was happy with it too. I have gotten a lot of quilting done over the winter months. I finished that baby quilt from the last post I made.

The texture was wonderful.

I also made 3 tied quilts for my 3 cousins. Their dad died several years ago and I made quilts using his flannel shirts. Robby and Meghan were very surprised to see them (Sarah was not there, but she got hers too).

I made several minis and a table runner...all gifts.

All hand quilted. Earlier tonight, I took the last quilting stitches in my latest project, a baby quilt for a shower on Saturday.

I will bind it tomorrow and have set a record for myself. I quilted this 50x50 quilt by hand in two weeks. It usually takes me 6....I will say I enjoy it more when I can take my time! 

My next project is going to be a scrap quilt....oh and 2 more baby quilts. There is a baby boom at my church!!! All the scraps are chosen and ready to cut.

I can't have a post without sharing the girls....Sassy is still queen of the castle.

Cammy has all the attitude!! She was being told to MOVE off of that quilt.....see the ears? She was giving me what Winona calls the "stink eye"!

I promise to come back SOON, and catch you up on my kids. Leave a comment and let me know you are still out there!!! ;)

Summer Plans

The heat wave seems to be letting up a bit. The grandbabies were here much of the week. They stayed cool in the little pool out on the deck. Big enough to be fun, but small enough that I didn't have to worry! (I am a big worry wart where water is concerned.)

I spent my time in front of that window, in the A/C stitching away. I finished the applique on block 3 of Henrietta Whiskers. Still some embroidery to go, and there is a sign that needs to be added in that top strip of red.

Such cute blocks. I had the background for block 4 all ready to go....

 Note the seam ripper....yes, I had to redo it. There are crows in this block, and that dark background would not work. This is much better.....

All the pieces were prepped quickly, as I had already traced them onto freezer paper.

They were basted up one evening during a family movie, and those hot afternoons were spent dreaming of pumpkins, and cooler weather!

It's almost done!!!

The girls have stayed cool too. They live in the lap of luxury!

Now that triple digits are a memory, I am thankful it allowed me to find my desire for my needle again.

Big changes happening here in the next couple of weeks. We bought this house 12 years ago, and my favorite part was the little room that faced east. It has 2 large windows and the morning sun beams in beautifully. It does not get heated up in the afternoon, like the back rooms on the house. It has 5 walls, not 4, and is the PERFECT sewing room. It was the reason I wanted this house. (Did I mention that already?) Well, when Charlotte came, it was given to her with the knowledge that "someday" I would get it back. I figured it would still be several years, but she has her own desire....like any 15 year old girl, she wants her own "space", not to mention that morning sun that I love and covet, is detested by her on those mornings she wants to sleep in! We decided she has done so well this past few months, we would go ahead and let her have the big room in the basement, otherwise known as "The Man Room". LOL She'll have it turned into a teen palace in no time! In the meantime, I have wallpaper border to strip (I have become a wallpaper, stripping expert recently), painting, and new carpet to shop for. This is IT. All the moves, and seeking out the perfect space in this house....you know I've planted myself all over this house, looking for just the right spot, never quite feeling I had found it. Feels like I am moving home! Stay tuned for pictures!

Lazy Days

For the girls, anyway....for me, not much time to be lazy! Homeschool, housework, quilting, working out....it all adds up to time. I have learned I can't do it all and be successful in every area. That is when we need to prioritize.I did just that and things are running smoother. Some areas had to fall by the wayside....limited computer time, spending more time at home, focusing on those important things. Well we think they are ALL important, right.
Scheduling blocks of time for prioritized areas....working out in the mornings before my morning routines means getting up and getting moving right away. Setting aside time to hand quilt in the evenings and scheduling a Saturday afternoon in the studio help to make sure I get that relaxation.That Sass has the life! Cammy is running a close second in that area!Charlotte is attending a Youth Lock In tonight....she won't be home til 3 am. I remember those days of staying up waiting for teens to get home from activities. I am much older now, but here we go again. Her last outing was earlier...she was home by 12:30am. I am thinking a night in the sewing room is just what I need to stay awake and productive!!!!

My mom and Mamie came yesterday for a couple of hands of cards. Mamie thinks Cammy is her baby. She had several litters, so she has a strong Mama instinct. She instantly bathes and preens my poor kitten who is horrified at the misconception that she is a DOG! We all know, Mamie, that cats rule and dogs drool!!!!