Life is good!

I put my new design wall to its first real use last night!  I've had various things up on it, but last night I was doing the layout for the Church Supper quilt.  It's SO much better than using the floor!  I loved being able to step back and really see the quilt as a whole.  I managed to get all the rows sewn together, so hopefully tonight I can finish the top.  I'm thinking I need a scrappy binding for this one, what do you think? 

Where has the time gone!!!  How do the weeks fly by and I NOT ACTUALLY GET ANYTHING DONE??? But I did go to my first quilt guild meeting.  A neighbor knows I'm a quilter, and she invited me along.  It was definitely fun, even if I was the youngest one there by 20 years (and I'm no spring chicken!)  But an evening with the quilt guild is not one spent sewing.  Ah decisions!  I'm just hoping I do join and can somehow manage to get to the retreat.  Two days sewing?  No kids?  Bliss, I tell you, sheer bliss!  Seeing all the fun quilts at guild definitely made me wish I didn't work this darn 45 hour a week job!  But then I wouldn't be able to afford the fabric, so I suppose it's a tradeoff. In progress: Swoon - two blocks completed Farmer's Wife - 12 blocks completed (this is a very LONG term project!!) Fiona's quilt - for my niece - almost done!  Just have one more border to sew on.  Summerville Hopscotch L...

It's the first day of school!  Cue the obligatory first day of school pictures with the new backpack. The dress is one that I made, I think it turned out pretty well!  She definitely likes it, and I even made a doll dress to match!  My first attempt at doll dresses, although it was nothing more than a little pillowcase dress for the doll. We also got her on the bus this morning.  I'll end up waiting with her at the stop most mornings, although I'm a big believer in parents NOT doing that.  I am leaving the house at the same time for work, so it just kind of ends up that way.  She did walk down the lane to the stop by herself this morning, just because she wanted to. Here's hoping for a good school year!!

My daughter starts first grade tomorrow!!! I'm really not sure how this happened, as she was just born.  I think we're pretty much ready, a couple more school supplies should be showing up via amazon (thought I had everything, then got a letter about extra things needed for class!).  Tonight is the welcome back ice cream potluck.  Ah, the joys of a small school!  I'm looking forward to meeting her teacher.  She is going to be in a combined 1st/2nd grade classroom this year, and I'm toying with the idea of asking if she can take reading with the older kids.  We shall see how it goes.  I've made her a couple of dresses for school, and found a few other things, but my frustration with the lack of appropriate clothes for six year old girls continues. We did get up to the state fair this weekend, and had a fabulous time!!!  Deep fried Snickers, funnel cakes, lemonade, baby farm animals, the midway, definitely good stuff.  

 I've finished my next two quilting bee blocks!  This is the first quilting bee I've done, and it's really quite fun.  I love the colors in this one!  Such a clean, modern feel to it.  This one is for someone who just had a baby boy.  Simple block, but I had a horrible time with it!  I had the iron hot, and the red and white square that she sent both shrunk about 25% when I ironed them the first time.  Luckily I had some in my stash that would work, but it took a lot of jiggering to get it to finish to the right size!  I hope she likes how it turned out! Still debating what my quilt will be.  Right now I'm leaning towards some blocks for the Ruby, Pearl and Opal quilt.  I have a Me and My Sisters layer cake that should be really fun for that. 

I've started working on my Farmer's Wife blocks again!  They really are such fun to work on, if challenging!  I freely admit I'm not that used to working with such small pieces.  I do, however, like to paper piece, so I found a download of all the blocks in paper piecing patterns.  It definitely works better with some blocks than with others, but I definitely get better points when I use them.  The square on the bottom right still has the paper on the back, so it's not quite sticking to the design wall. :) I'm going in order, except I skipped block three. Applique is not my strong suit, and that block is the one with the curved basket handle!  Maybe I'll get the nerve to try it before too long... And I just LOVE the fabrics.  I'm using a fat quarter bundle of A Morris Tapestry. 

So it's been waaaaaayyy too long since I've done any sewing.  It's driving me nuts.  But things have been more than a little hectic!  We went on vacation to TN, for a lovely family reunion.  We had an absolutely wonderful time, and got to see people that I haven't seen in far too long, so that was all good.  But between getting ready for that, and the trip itself, there wasn't much time to do any sewing. Then my in-laws came to town.  Love them, and it was great to see them, but again, just no time for sewing. And finally, I've made a new rule that I'm not allowed in my craft room unless I've exercised.  I get one free day per week, but other than that, no sweat, no sew.  I figure the 'baby' is nearly 18 months old, so I can't blame pregnancy for the extra pounds.  I obviously did not inherit my mother's figure (she's a pear, I'm definitely an apple) so when I start looking through the family tree, I see a very strong tendency...