Birthday Girl

Happy 6th birthday to Jaclyn!

She had a party in the park with her friends on Saturday

- bounce house and piñata included -

so today was just opening the gifts Pop and I got her. 

Jac, opening her first gift: I LOVE it! I’m so excited!

Me: what is it?

Jac: I have no idea. 

😂

We went with traditional Jackie themes -

if it was pink, unicorn, 

rainbow or makeup, 

 Measuring to make sure it’s Jackie-sized

Jac was sure to love it. 

Happy birthday, sweet Noodle. 

Teeny Tiny Dragon Toes

Aren’t they cute??

Tiny pink dragon toes

that will eventually - teeny paper pieces willing -

become a pretty napping princess dragon. Between the c0vid (still p0sitive! still tired!) and the tiny pieces, this may take awhile. (Pattern is here: Mini Dragon Dreams. There’s also a larger, regular (non-FPP) pieced pattern.)

Progress

Finished it!

This is #6 in the Botanical Beauties SAL, so we’re halfway done. I’d never heard of a gaillardia, aka blanket flower, before, so I learned something besides paper piecing this month. 

And because I wasn’t totally exhausted yet, I started another FPP project. Didn’t get far, but it feels good to have the color choices made and the piecing underway. I’m *really* excited about this one. 

Pushing It

Since we’re grandkid-less this week during our c0vid vacation, I feel like I should get *something* accomplished. 

This is all I’ve managed in 3 days of trying to sew - something that would usually take a couple of hours.

I only have two small pieces left to paper piece, but the energy is gone, the cold sweats and shakes have returned, so it’s back to bed for me. Maybe tomorrow I’ll get more done . . . (Hubby just gave me the stink eye and suggested I “relax and get over it instead.” 😂😂)

Crazy Weak

This past week has been nuts.

  Not a happy camper

Leia was in the hospital again for several days (she’s out now). We’re waiting on tests results for more info. 

 Dinner with Daddy and puppy

Marie and I tested positive for C0vid; hubby tested negative but he’s sick with a cold; and we’re waiting on results for Scott and Leanne (she and Jac both have cold symptoms.) We’re all vaxxed and symptoms have so far been mild for everyone. I just wish I wasn’t too tired to quilt! 

Middle Schooler

Look who graduated from 5th grade

and is now an official middle schooler!

Leanne got her promotion certificate last Thursday, 

celebrating with her mom

and her pals. 

It’s been a busy semester.

She joined her school’s track team for the first time

and participated in her first district-wide track meet.

She and best buddy, Madison, 

celebrated Twin Day with cute custom shirts. 

Leanne got a big part - Camp Counselor- in her school play (she did great!)

and the school even put a big sign up in her (and her pals’) honor.

That definitely stands for “Leanne”, “Madison” and “Samuel”. 😜

Congratulations, Leanne! So proud of you!

Tiny Ballerina

Jac has been taking a ballet class since last August

and this weekend was her dress rehearsal and on-stage performance. 

She’s been a bit ambivalent about the classes - 

we thought she would *love* them 

since she loved spinning around the house in ballet poses - 

but almost from the start, 

if you asked if she wanted to go to class, she’d say “I’d rather not.”

Fortunately, she enjoyed being on stage today

and did a great job. 

And just like that, our ballet days are over. 

I’m sad there aren’t more tiny grands to take dance classes,

’cause there are very few things cuter than tiny princess ballerinas.

We Are Stardust

Sooo, back in February I volunteered to coordinate my quilt guild’s annual member’s Challenge. 

I haven’t been a member long; I’ve only seen/participated in two challenges (one in person and one virtual); and I was going it alone although everyone said it was easier with a group; but hey, why not? Right?

“Sisterhood” paper-pieced pattern

The fun part was setting the theme - based on the poem “Circles of Life” by Suzy Kassem - and the rules - 3 types or circles, use the color orange, and more or less than 4 sides on the finished entry. 

The harder part was coming up with my own entry. I started with “Sisterhood” by Happy Sew Lucky and a gradient starry sky fabric.

Add a rainbow of bodies,

the Goldilocks of flying geese - too big!

too small!

ahhhh, that’s better -

some circle quilting,

planets heads,

sparkles

and voilá, “We Are Stardust.”

When we went to set up the show last Thursday, the key to the storage closet - where the show racks were stored - didn’t work because some idiot had stuffed paper in the lock and the emergency locksmith wouldn’t be there until too late. 

So we set up the show on pews, chairs and tables. Not perfect but not too bad for a Plan B.

And we’ll have one of the guild’s best ever “remember when?” stories. A link to the slide show with all the “Circles Of Life” entries is here.