Autograph Pillow

Leia was blessed with a fantastic long-term sub teaching her class this year. 
 
Unfortunately, today was Miss J's last day - the regular teacher comes back to work Tuesday for the remaining few weeks of school.
 
I got to know Miss J while volunteering in Leia's classroom and wanted to do something to make her last day special. 
 
So last week, Mary, Leia and I picked out some fabric; 
 
I cut it up and had each of Leia's classmates sign a square; 
 
then sewed it into a quilted pillow*; 
 
and had Leia present it to Miss J during the farewell ice cream party today.
 
I think Miss J liked it!

* The pillow back design was a fortunate "oopsie". I only bought a half-yard of the main fabric, not quite enough for a solid back, as I'd planned. While stuck in traffic on the way to quilt night - to get help from the sewing experts - I came up with this design, which allowed me to also document the school name, grade and year. Very happy with how it turned out.

Down On The Farm

It's been awhile since we've had both grand-girls at the same time, so when the stars aligned today, we packed them up and headed out for some fun at a local farm.

There's plenty to do -

pony rides,

brushing the sheep

and the very pregnant, very patient, goats.

Leanne loves the swing - go higher! -

Leia likes climbing the rope wall,

and they both agree that the sandpit is for making pancakes and waffles for PopPop.

And just like the cousin/sisters they are,

they love to bicker and argue get along pretty well.

Most of the time.

Crochet Happens

I'm behind - again - on posting completed crochet projects. I'd rather put up pics of cute grandgirls and the silly fun we have, I guess. But I have finished a few things lately -
 
a shawl made with gradient yarn I picked up at Yarn Fest from Wooly Wonka Fibers. Love the name and the yarn. (Details are here.)
 
I've worn this almost everyday - when I could get it away from Leia. Made the mistake of wearing it when I volunteered in her first grade class.
 
She whipped it off my neck and around her shoulders, and that was the last I saw of it until class was over.

Two samples for upcoming classes - 
 
Bruges lace scarf, made with Knitted Wit's Cashy Wool - yummy merino and cashmere blend. The color is gorgeous, even if it looks a bit weird in these photos. 
 
Entrelac bowl class, both felted and unfelted versions.
 
This was the first time I'd tried felting in my new-ish washing machine and I wasn't sure how the high-tech electronics and low-tech felting would mesh. 
 
I ended up pouring 2 pots of boiling water in the machine to get the temperature high enough, then letting it go for a normal cycle without checking on progress. Nerve-wracking, but it worked.   

Boys and Toys

Hubby has been excited about the Apple iWatch since it was announced last year. He ordered one the first day they were available, but not within the first couple of hours. As a result, he was told delivery would be delayed almost 2 months, to around June 24. (insert sad hubby face here.)
 
But guess what arrived yesterday? Over a month early?
 
The packaging is beautiful, as you'd expect from Apple.
 
That white disc in the box? That's the magnetic battery charger - very, very cool.
 
As you would expect, hubby immediately sat down, read all the instructions and got his new toy up and running in record time.
  
Yeah, right. Research and set-up is my job. I may not want one (hubby still doesn't believe me when I say that . . . ) but that doesn't mean I don't want to play with the newest tech toy. 
  
Best of both worlds. For both of us. 

Great Flood of '15

We finally got some rain today. 
 
Can't you just hear the newsies screaming, "Flood Watch 2015!!"?  
Sooo much excitement in S. California when nature does that H2O thing.
 
Leanne and I went out to play in the rain and look for rainbows,
 
and she got to use the umbrella we bought her months ago for the first time.
 
And she was sooo willing to share. Not.
 
"Get out from my burella!"