Quilt Run

I hadn’t planned on doing the Quilt Run this year, especially since I spent the last 6 months cleaning out and giving away stuff I bought in prior Runs. I loved buying it and loved the Run, but I need to use up what I have. 

The shopping spoils

But… I’m planning to make multiple iPad cases (that pattern  ⬇️ - such an interesting construction!) for our July Alaska cruise and I’m out of basting spray and Soft and Stable batting. So… thought I’d take a run (ha!) up to Roxanne’s and just.buy.those.two.things. Really! But… Grant House* was just a bit up the freeway… and when they didn’t have all I needed, Super Buzzy and Fabric Town were on my way home. 

Add in lunch with a friend and it was a very nice (more expensive than I’d planned) day. Worth it!

* Grant House -3.5 yards of fabric, basting spray and a free fat quarter (whoo!) SuperBuzzy - two pretty remnants and Soft and Stable. Nothing at Roxanne’s - the store was packed! and they already get most of my quilting $$. Love the custom hat pin (made by the people at Creation Station in Buellton) and the Alice in Wonderland charm bracelet Roxanne’s had in their swag bag. Sweet!

Weave It

On our last day in CO, Cyrus brought out her SampleIt rigid heddle loom.

It’s been awhile(!), 

so I looked up YouTube how-to videos and we eventually got it warped.

Then while Cyrus wove,

I stuffed and sewed closed the lap stitch pillow I made for Rachel. 

Hedgehogs!

I love crafty days! 

The yarn we picked wasn’t the greatest (it was grabby and started shredding in the heddle) but it worked fine as a refresher. Can’t wait to see what she makes next! 

Graduation #1

It’s official. The CO teenager is a high school graduate!*

It was a nice, fairly short ceremony for the approx. 250 graduating seniors. 

Great bonus - it was held in the local sports stadium, 

with comfy seats and a nice heating system (it was cooold and windy outside…)

The graduates were allowed to decorate their caps, so Cyrus crocheted (I’m so proud!) sunflowers and glued them to the top. 

Made her very easy to spot!

John’s brother is a professional photographer and offered to take pics of the ceremony and family pics afterward. So pleased to have these!

*Well, kinda. She’s in a program where she completes high school and her AA at the same time, so she’ll actually get both diplomas next spring when she finishes her second year of college. 

With mom

 Dad

 Siblings 

 Grandpa

 Did I mention it was cold, windy & damp??

 Aunt & uncle

 Cousins

Hello From CO

We’re hanging out in Colorado this week, admiring the sunsets

and celebrating Addy’s imminent graduation from high school and the completion of her first year of college. 

Tonight was dinner with her dad’s family. Tomorrow is hair and makeup prep - and figuring out how to de-wrinkle a graduation gown that feels like it will melt if you look at it twice.🙄 Saturday is the ceremony and more party time! Whooooo! 🎉🎉🎉 

Rainbow Puff’s House

Jackie said the magic words this afternoon - “Granma, do you have any purple fabric?”

Out came the pink/purple scrap bin,

along with scissors, glue, paint brushes, stuffing, boxes and more. 

Jac had very specific ideas of what she wanted and my job was to sew things as she created them.

She started with a little stuffed pillow, then a “fancy blanket”.  (I seamed the pillow and sewed the small fabric to the blanket - Jac did everything else herself.)

While I mis-sewed the bottom rows of my quilt (seam ripper coming out tomorrow…)

Jac made fabric covered bed for Rainbow Puff,

then covered the bottom of a bigger box with glue (almost an entire small bottle’s worth…) 

and pressed in poly batting for a “cloud house.” So cute!

“Take to Idaho Rainbow Puff house”

I’m going to miss our crafting sessions so much when she and Rainbow Puff move to Idaho. 😭

Almost Finished

I’m soooooo close to being done with the cataract saga. 

Last week’s left eye surgery went well… except for the part where I wasn’t totally under and saw/felt what was happening. Freaked me out. 

 Large grid quilting

It seems to have been successful and I’m just waiting for my June 6 appointment, when I’ll get my prescription and can finally(!!) get new glasses. Can not wait. 

 Tula Pink hedgehogs are Rachel’s favorites 

We’re leaving for CO again on Wednesday, this time to celebrate Addy’s high school graduation, and I need to finish a couple or three projects to take with us. Last week’s sunflower stegosaurus (here) was one. 

Squaring up

Another is a lap stitch pillow for Rachel, like the one I made for me Jaclyn, who has claimed it as her own (here). 

 Quilted, trimmed and ready to sew

It’s a super easy make, especially if it’s quilted less densely, like I did this time. I intended to make this in stages over the weekend, but I got it cut, spray basted, quilted and sewn today. 

It’s a quirky shape and really hard to get decent pictures of. I’m holding off on stuffing until we get to Rachel’s so she can decide how fluffy she wants it.

Now I need to go finish the blue fishy quilt and maybe take it to get long-armed before we leave… definitely beats doing laundry and packing!

Off On A Tangent

Spotted this free pattern online (here) and -snap- I was off on a tangent.

Sunflowers are Addy’s favorite and she loves cute dinosaurs, 

so guess what she’s getting for a graduation gift later this month?

The fabric cutting and sewing were easy peasy but I only had a small piece of red felt (her current favorite color) 

and was nervous about mis-cutting, so I called in professional assistance (hubby). 

Didn’t he do a nice job? 

The flower eye is (accidentally) perfect

The original plan was to wait and stuff this when we were in CO, to save room in the suitcase, but I couldn’t resist.

Sure looks better in 3D than flat as a pancake, eh? 

I still need to hand-stitch the belly closed but that has to wait until after tomorrow’s eye surgery when, hopefully, I’ll be able to see close-up again. Think good thoughts for me please. I’m ready for this saga to be OVER.