And another year gone....

I have been gone for awhile, and actually forgot I even *HAD* a blog until E mentioned it in passing one day. Life has changed quite a bit. I now work at a a small grocery, 2 out of 4 kids have graduated high school, 1 of those is now married, and 1 is on year 3 of a 6 year contract with the US Army.  Of the younger two, one is a junior in high school, and one will be in high school next year. So S1 came home from Iraq safe and whole. D1 married S1's best friend. While he was overseas, no bitterness there. (and if you can't feel the snark.....6 months later he is still upset.) DH took a new job, which we had high hopes for, but didn't pan out as well as we thought.  We were hand to mouth, payday to payevening, how to get milk for a while there.  Just surviving. No art, for either of us. No hobbies or fun unless it benefited the household budget or someone else bought it as a gift. No dreams, no way to get out of the mess we got ourselves into.  And now, we are back to new job, new hope, it can't be worse than the last.  And in all that I was looking for one thing online. ONE. And I could find snippets here and there, but not enough to work with.  Actual frugal living. Just google that and tell me how most of those results happen on food stamps.

 I already knew how to make my grocery dollars work.  Hi! I was a single parent food stamp mom for longer than I care to think about. Once a month cooking is a joke in that place. I was happy to get lunch leftovers, and DH was happy to take them. Scrap sewing?  Does NOT begin with precuts.  All I could think was "Are you people serious? Oh, hell, no. I hope that is the worst you live through." Really. Not in a bitchy way, but somethings just suck.  It's not to be bitchy, or judgy. It's just reality. If someone is googling "scrap yarn gifts" they should be able to make it with scrappy pieces of yarn.  Not minis or whatever.

In the midst of all this we had some family problems.  Some in-laws were constantly, CONSTANTLY, "triggering" (I kind of really hate that word) a spouse. To the extent that a holiday at home alone was better than being with the spouse and kids if involved the in-laws. Police were involved. It got ugly, and expensive. And the holidays were still coming up.  Can we say stress?

In light of all that, I have decided to take things in a new direction. The beginning of this blog was part of the OPAM challenge hosted by Kris Meares of Tag Along Teddies  and Sweet Peg of Happy in Quilting.   It is a great thing if it fits your life, and I finished so many projects thanks to their encouragement. But seasons come and go, and things change.  And now here we are.

I hope to sign up for next years OPAM. If fact, I just re-saved their sites to my toolbar. (It's kind of fascinating how much you lose from one 'puter to another) But for now, my goal is to be change I want to see in the world. ( I am not attributing that because I have have seen way to many different people....let's just go with it's true, shall we?) Less waste. Less stress. More beauty. More giving. More hobbityness and less scroogyness. Less wanting and needing and more helping and wrapping. (just because it's basics doesn't make it less worthy of giftyness.)

I am planning on reviewing actual scrappy patterns and books for both yarn and fabric.  I am planning on sharing the things I have done to save my home money and time. Some of them are and will be fails.  Some of them won't be. I won't do the math for you. (hell, I don't do the math for me, LOL)  But maybe there is something that you can pull that does help.  Most important, I want every mom or wife to know she's not the only one.  Most of us, and I would bet money that it is really all of us, have been there. Maybe for a week, maybe for years. But we all learned something, and that something isn't sponsored by Amazon (ps....I hate Amazon. They are my last resort.), or followed by a "may have been compensated by". I think if you need to compensate me, you are already realizing your failure. ( ahem....amazon). If I like what I see, I may facilitate a give-a-way. Or sponsor it out of my own pocket. I have a background in marketing, so I am familiar with the game.  (cue Reel Big Fish--Sell out with me to tonight, sell out with me......)

Here's my first book recommendation, no footnotes required. Get your hands on a copy of "The Science of Shopping". No, I don't remember the guy's name. Nor do I care. What  I do care about is how he walks you through marketing and sales angles in a way that leave you afraid to read an ingredient list in the store again.  And yes, I am. If I am interested in a product, I buy it, try it, keep or toss it. End of story. I let my dollar vote. And it carries a big stick.

My first project recommendation for yarn is find the cheapest granny shawl pattern you can find. They are almost all the same. And search for a free log cabin block for quilting. Really, its x*x x*a, x*b,x*c all the way around.  X is your starting square. 2*2, 2*4, 2*6, and on and on. And on. Mostly, just remember to research the public domain.  Because both of those should be in it.  I paid $6.00 (NOT REALLY...IT WAS IN STORE CREDIT!!!!!) for my granny shawl pattern because a) it was one page to put in a binder, and b) I liked the colors they used in the example photo by the header. It was the one by Ewe Ewe (here's a link just in case. I don't think they know I exist. And really, all you need is the first 2 rows. But I am  a basic crocheter.)

My first garden recommendation? Start a compost pile.  No walls, fences, or worms or whatever.  Just take the nasty veggies bits to a corner you don't go to often and dump them. Do the same thing next week. It is free. the worms will come on their own. Next year, dirt. And maybe some food and plants. I am not ashamed it admit I have harvested food from the compost pile. Celery, carrots, tatoes, whatever. It grows, I cook it.

My first household recommendation? Buy some vinager. Both kinds. Just have it on hand. Hair rinse? Got it. Counter spray? got it. Laundry softener? got it. Mildew? got it. I don't remember the last time I bough household cleaner.

Hopefully, next week I will remember I have this blog.  And maybe some photos. And I know there is always more snark...(blame my dad....he *thought* it measured critical thinking skills. The jury is still out on that.)

oooh, I may have hoarding issues

Recently I was looking for threads for a cross-stitch project.  One that may make D2 veeeerrry happy on Christmas morning. Or maybe St. Nicholas Day, depending on when I finish.  None of my "real" embroidery threads fit the color scheme I wanted, so in to the leftovers I went.  That may have been a mistake.  There are BAGS and BAGS of 'leftovers' I have saved over the years. Because, you know, I may need them. None of them are labeled. I have no idea what the color number is or which company it is from.  The same goes for fabric, fancy papers, and yarn.

So...My plan, or goal, or thing which needs to be done, is to use them or give them away.  I know there are widgets and whatever to help keep track. I have no idea if I have time to track one down.  So in the meantime, I will keep an actual tally sheet with my project basket to keep track.  Hopefully in the next week or so I will add a list of tallies to the side bar.  If anyone has need of a general item to finish a project, I will happily send it off in the mail. And by general, I mean:

2.5 x 2.5 cotton squares in blue

or

any lengths of green embroidery floss in 3's (or 2's, or single, or whatever!!)

or

acrylic yarn ends of any color

or

green cotton yarns


Just remember, we are going really generic.  If you want greens with no snowmen, I can handle that. If you want the green that matches your sofa cushions, I'm not sure I can help.
Please. Please send me an email at dburnette10@hotmail.com with your request. lease put "crafty leftovers" in the subject line, so if it goes to my junk box, I'll be able to spot it!!! I can't throw it away, the pile represents too much money for me.  But if it goes where it is needed and wanted, the anxiety goes away.  Funny how that happens!  Now, on the upside, I DID find all the colors I needed for this particular project.  So I may not have any grey embroidery thread to give away. Right now anyways!

So think about your bazaar or holiday projects, and the things that can be a little iffy and drop me a line.  If I can help, I will. And if I can't, well, we won't know until we try! Here I would normally say "one man's trash is another man's treasure". But it's not trash.  That would be the problem to begin with!!

I would love to make this an annual or seasonal project, so let me know if you think it's worth doing!

About that great start...

After being off to a great start, my finishes for August fell off.  We had 2 kids coming and going for a couple different events. Also the yard work needed a catch up.  Blah... I am starting to feel a little overwhelmed by all the house stuff that needs to be done.  DH says it doesn't NEED to be done, but things like trim and molding do simplify house work.  Sweeping is usually messier when one has the edge of the flooring to get the broom caught on.  And washing the window is tricky with exposed drywall.  It's all stupid little stuff, but it isn't getting done.  We are on year five, (FIVE!!!!) with a big hole in the rec room wall.  The reason? No one goes down there.  Except for EVERYONE.  It's where the tv is!!! So I've been puttering around trying to work on some these things, while also running the kids around and trying to work on my other projects.   Ok...deep breath.....

I started quilting S2's quilt, and was hoping to have it finished by now. Instead I wound up stripping paint off an old cabinet and prepping it for a new paint job.  I did finish two projects, thanks to their simplicity and portability. First was a scarf for D2.

She wanted it long and skinny. And with a lot of blue.  Thankfully, it finished off a few odds and ends of yarn for me.  After that was a shawl for me! YAY!

I'm not thrilled with it, since it's all scraps of acrylic yarn.  But I do love the colors and it'll keep me warm in the rec room we never use.  It's not quite as bright as the photo looks, the real colors are much more in natural/neutral color scheme. It also finished off some balls of yarn.

I also got the pincushion done for a friend.  She got a cute fabric that was from Western Washington Shop Hop a few years ago.  It has cute sayings all over it.  My favorite is "a clean house is a sign of a broken sewing machine."

She inherited some sewing notions from her MIL and Grandma to fill hers with.

School starts on Tuesday, Scouts the week after, and library club the week after.  We'll see what happens.

a FANTASTIC week!!!

Well last week was a pretty good week. I am pretty surprised at the amount I got done as far as housework AND projects!  Isn't this a great pile? 

I finished an afghan for S2. He picked out all the crayola colored yarn out the big box I had received last month. I can feel my retinas burning when I look at it, but he LOVES it!  It's the perfect size for when he is doing reading homework on the couch.  He asled me to "not finish" it so we can make it bigger when he gets taller.  By "not finish" he means the row or two of single crochet for a nice edge.  He's the child that can roll with anything, and he forgets that the rest of us don't work that way here!  :)

I also finished a table runner and one of four placemats.  I guess that's what happens when you finish on a Sunday evening.  The other three should be done this week, but honestly, I don't love them as much as I though I would.  So if something comes up I like better, they may be put off for a while.

And of course I worked up some dishcloths.   As many of those as I've made this year, I know some the other ladies that send items to bazaar make hundreds of dishcloths. And hats, and scarves, and all kinds of other goodies.  DH and S1 are usually the "unloaders of cars" during bazaar set up.  It amazing how much the ladies get done. 

And my favorite finishes are the hot-pads and Halloween coaster in the middle. I pieced the coaster back in September, to have by the 'puter during the week of Halloween.  Somewhere in the chaos of Carnival I lost it, but I have it now!!  And the hot pads were made out of scraps of fabric I loved, but weren't really big enough for anything.  DH is afraid to use them since they might get dirty.  I am positive as soon as I get them dirty, his concern will disappear, LOL!  I will be making some up for my BLS, since new kitchen stuff is always nice.  At least, with kids, mine never look good for long! 


 This week started out pretty awesome as well. After church and breakfast yesterday, I hopped online  after D2 did some research for  report.  I'm blog hopping, and as I go through the OPAM blogs, I find out they did a January drawing, not something that was scheduled, and I forget about the drawing anyways when they are.  I discovered OPAM through  Kris at Tag Along Teddies, and her co-hostess is Peg at Happy in Quilting.  They both make such beautiful projects, and when I can't sew, I just visit them to look at the eye candy!  As I am reading and scrolling at Peg's blog, I see the  announcements for the winners of the Jaunary drawing, and so of course, visit their blogs to see what works of beauty they've finished up.....and one of them is ME. It took me awhile to figure that out.  DH and D2 got quite a hearty laugh out of that!

Now if only S1 would finish high school, life would be moving along quite well. But I guess we can't have it all.

A slow week for crafting

Well, besides the TARDIS I finished last week, I only finished 3 dishcloths.  Since I spent about 2 hours a day on the TARDIS, I don't feel to bad about it. 

. 

I should never again have to buy dishcloths again though!!  This week I am making some potholders to get ready for Christmas.  It's never too early for Christmas prep!  I'm also cutting out blue, pink, green, and brown thimbles for a scrap quilt.  With the winter we've had, we can't have too many cozy blankets are!  Any water in the shade is frozen right now, and the bad winter weather is half the continent away!  Now I just need to get all the right fabrics dug out!

January BLS

My January Birthday Love Stash actually got finished! After telling S2 that I really didn't want to buy another pattern or book right now, he looked at me with his big brown eyes and said "Mom, you don't need a pattern.  You just need the yarn."  Now really, who can say no to that?! So of course I didn't. One handmade, stuffed TARDIS coming up. When D2 found it, it looked like this:

Now, it looks like this:

I didn't want to add too much detail, since we are talking about little big boy, almost to his double digits, who has a cat that loves to pick apart yarn.  The less for the cat to pick apart, the better.  And I think we got the "important" details, the ones that say "THIS IS A TARDIS!"

Now it is all wrapped up and packed away until S2's birthday. I am really excited about him receiving this, as it is something he has specifically asked for. He even picked out the shade of blue, he just didn't know what it was for!

Now I am thinking about March, and the birthday then.  DH is already going to a comic show for his birthday, but it is nice to have something to unwrap!

Found it!!!

For the last two weeks, maybe more, I have been looking for the little stuffed TARDIS I had been working on for S2 for his birthday.  All of sudden Saturday, D2 comes out to the living room and says "is this what you've been looking for?"

YES!!!  Apparently she had found it, and then put it in a drawer.  Then she forgot, until I was tearing the house apart looking for it.  I am trying to get it done by Friday while the kids are at school.  Then I can wrap it and put it away.  It has no pattern, and I am using the Dr. WHO Yahtzee container for the model.  It seems to be working out ok.  As long as no one ever wants me to make another one!

The only other things I got done were some more dishcloths.  I have a few other semi-started projects, but they may take awhile to finish!

I am making a use of the cotton yarn faster than I had thought.  But that's fine.  Bazaar is in November, and I am sure there will be plenty of other projects to work on between now and then.

And the best news of all is .....OPAM 2014  is here!   One of my favorite internet things ever!! 

I might be making up for lost time...

Well, now that I'm feeling better, I think I may be making up for lost time!  This last week was busy, and not just at the sewing machine. And OPAM 2014 sign ups have started.  I have already emailed the hostesses, who do such an amazing job!!!  I love OPAM!! You can read all about it Tag Along Teddies!

 First off, I made some lanyards for keys and scissors.

I had a lanyard from the kids' school, but since I am not what you would call a "team player," I wanted something a little less about the "team" and little more me.  Not that I don't believe in teamwork, just that I am not all about the "team."  It really doesn't matter what team we are talking about at that point.  Anyways, I got a little carried away, and instead of two, I made six.  One for me, one for D2, and one for my embroidery scissors.  The others will go into a gift stash.

And I made up some dishcloths!  Surprise, surprise.  They really are great little take along projects, and that's what I've been doing.  I'll be keeping some of the red and blue, since they match my kitchen.  I'm even going to wrap them up prettily before storing them, so it feels like I've been out shopping when it's time to replace the old ones!

And I started a new scrap project!  This may have been stupid.

 I pulled all the yellow and blue fabrics and dumped them in their own bin.  I was surprised at how much yellow there was, since it isn't a color I usually choose.

Some of them have never been touched!  Just picked up for some project or another and then not needed!  There were a lot of "E scraps", blues bought for projects for my bestest-friend.  Her color preferences are so opposite mine!  Which makes it so much fun to sew for her!  I never feel guilty about cutting the fabric up, and she loves the end results!!



So here are the pieces I have already cut for thimble quilts.  I started with 5.5", and when fabric got too small for those, I got the 4.5" template out!  I think I'm doing some 60"x60" quilts with them.

This week, I am hoping to find my BLS crochet project.  I have no idea where it went to, and I have been tearing the house apart looking for it.  Not good for my peace of mind.  I'm also going to cut out the remaining 60 pieces for the large thimble quilt, and maybe start piecing it.  I'll finish cutting out the 4.5" thimbles later.  I only started now so I would have to get fabric out twice.  I'm going to need another color combination to sort out, and I have no idea what to do.

Bleh!

 I hate being sick, and after the last two weeks, I should be healthy for at least 6 months!  A constant fever with body aches like I haven't had since I was in basic training!  I am blessed to have wonderful friends, though!  I had hunkered down on the sofa for a few days and made the kids and DH answer the phone.  One call was a friend who asked if it was alright to drop some stuff off.  The kids said sure.  In came a HUGE box of fabric and a HUGE box of yarn.

This most of the acrylic.  It is piled so deep!  And I have to be honest, I buried the colors I loved so the kids wouldn't claim them!

This is the box of cottons. I think there should be plenty of dish clothes for the bazaar in November.  In fact, since I was laying on the sofa watching LotR for the millionth time, when I was n't dozing off....

...I made some up!! Seven dish clothes ready for bazaar.  In 11 months, I will really glad I had these done early!   I love the candy colors, but I think I'll keep some of the dark blue.  And if there are any colors D1 & D2 for their hope chests, those will move to the keep pile.




And for my big finish.....

...a quilt!  This one drove me nuts.  Not the quilt itself, just the timing.  I think I should never attempt a project of this scale (umm, really anything bigger then a dishcloth) in the holiday season.  And stitching the binding while I was sick didn't work either.  I would fall asleep and drop the needle.  But at least I was UNDER the quilt while I stitched the binding!! :)

Also, in my internet surfing, I found this: 

http://sugarlanequilts.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/birthday-love-stash-sign-ups-and-pledge.html

While I was in the midst of thinking about how to get birthday present done.  So I have signed up for that as well.  And while I have a half-finished list of birthday projects already, she posts some gorgeous ideas and inspiration!  I think I am half way through my first project.  I just need to finish the top (the scary part) and do the details. My first BLS project will be, I hope , if I don't mess it up to badly, and small stuffed TARDIS.  I think I spelled it right that time.  By special request from the youngest Dr. WHO fan in the house. 

Bazaar is this week!

Carnival is over!  It was great, but it took a lot of time and energy and we are still recovering.  We didn't get a lot of stuff done around the house at all!  We were getting home at 10:00 each night, everything else fell by the way side.  I did get some more dishcloths made.  After this is posted, I'm going wrap them and get them ready to go.  Bazaar is this weekend, so I'm hoping to get some more done. 

I'm also trying to get some dry soup mixes made up for bazaar, and I have the supplies. I just need to get the stuff lined up and done.  After that, we are gearing up for the holidays!  That list has been made and amended several times, so we'll see what the final projects are.

At least the quilt is bright and cheerful! ;)

I am going nuts.  And I may go postal if I hear "since, you're, well, more available" one more time.  It's code for "you don't do anything else all day so you can do this project because I have a job."  I was telling a friend about that comment and she was shocked that people actually say this.  (She works, so it's not something she hears)  I told DH that someday, when I have time, I'm going to get network t.v., buy some bonbons and sit around watching soap operas all day.  Just to see if it can be done.  But maybe that's my inner witch talking.  In my free time (not really, but we'll go with it!) I finished another quilt!  I loved how this quilt came out! 

I also finished this little basket for myself.  A few weeks ago I had made one for E, and never bothered to finish mine. So one stressed out, sleepless night I finished it!  I think it turned out cute, although I had to eliminate a ton of batting.

I also finished some more dishcloths.  I think I am almost out of  cotton yarn, but who knows.  I'll keep making them until I run out, and then see if there is time for more before bazaar.

This week is carnival, so I may not get much done by next week.  We'll see. I may be able to sneak in sometime in the mornings before the kids are up!

Well, all the craziness from school starting up is over.  We are one our first "real world" schedule for the year, and it looks like blog updates may be moving to Wednesday.  Which is fine, I think.  We'll see. 

Last week I finished some more dishcloths.  That may be an everyday thing as long as we home school.  It is the perfect project when supervising tests.  Part of me would really like to do something else.

I think I have 10 sets ready and wrapped for the Christmas bazaar.  I have no idea how many they usually sell.  And, I finally ran out of the yellow.  So I bought a ball of turquoise to make some with.

I also finished my set of coasters. It took me a while to get them all slip-stitched closed.  I'm not sure I love the coasters, but I do love the fabrics in them. 

The rest of this week is more grading and testing.  Which amounts to more dishcloths.  I have a few other things I *NEED* to finish as well.  Here to them getting done!!!

Still in school year warm up mode

Well, we are in to week three of the school year, and it still hasn't settled down.  I am craving a routine!!!  We didn't get much done in the last week, with meetings, "welcome" events, and orientations.  One more left, that I know of, and then we are done.  I hate meetings, and I think that the increase of meetings, orientations, trainings, committees, and other like time suckers may explain why people don't do as many things as they used to.  My grandmothers were always at "meetings" and "conferences", but they were actually doing things.  I go to a meeting now, and they decide to do something, set up a committee, who sets up sub-committees, who plan a meeting, to talk about what they want to do.  But one more. Then we are done.  For now.  In keeping with all these, well, blocks of time lost to real life, I got several dishcloths done. 

 

That's it. Seven dishcloths.  I am really hoping this changes by Friday.  I have a lot of other projects floating around my head I would like to get started on, as well as getting ready for the holiday bazaar.  We'll see what happens by the weekend! 

If only I had the RIGHT color of ribbon!

So I got a bit of sewing done last week.  And I was on track to finish the projects by Saturday, but then came the part where I stitched the casing and threaded the ribbon.  I had made a couple of drawstring bags to carry my yarn in, as well as a couple for wrapping Christmas gifts and one for my best friend.  They were the perfect size to hold the yarn and crochet hook when waiting at the doctor's office or for the kids to finish their activities.   I had ribbon to finish ONE!

 
The other four need ribbon that matches so I can finish. I'm pretty sure that doesn't count as grocery, though.  I am planning on finishing them this week.  I also finished another dishcloth, and I think there are more around here somewhere. However, after school shopping, I can't find much else besides packs of paper and pens and markers!

This week, aside from the bags, I am planning on doing some quilted boxes, and more dishcloths.  I have a big bin of blue/yellow/green fabrics I am working my through, almost all bought for projects for my best friend. So now she will be getting an assortment of handmade household things that all match! I'll probably do two of each project since I probably want one to, just in different colors.

Exciting things going on around here!!

The most important is my patio.  I never really wanted a patio, and if I was picking a spot for a patio, it would be somewhere near the kitchen.  But my husband likes split levels.  So there is absolutely "near the kitchen".  But what we did have were 2 two-car garages and 1 two-car carport.  No one needs that many vehicles.  And DH is *NOT* a car guy.  So they were filled with *stuff*.  You know, the *stuff* that needs to go to the dump or the Goodwill.  So you put it in the garage until you have time to get it all loaded and dropped off.  So the carport is coming down.  And I'll have a patio whether I want one or not!   I don't have a 'before' picture handy, but since Friday, that is what we have been working on!

After stripping the lights and electrical.

 So we learned about turning off and disconnecting electrical.  And had a grand time getting the lights out!  That mostly S1 and me, with the others upset because they couldn't reach the lights to help get them out.

The pile of shingles.

 Stripping the shingles and felt paper went pretty fast.  The kids were very proud of the pile that resulted!  It was somewhat like jumping in leaves.  I was pretty sure jumping in it like leaves would have been a bad idea!

 

 

It'll be a nice, sunny patio!

I am already planning what I want to do with the patio.  It'll be a nice size, with good sun.  And DH hasn't had to do anything in this project!  Which is good since it's his busy time of year!

I also got some projects done! 

 I finished the garland for D2.  She got really good at weaving in ends when we assembled it!  It did come out longer than I had anticipated, which is good, since she ended up wanting long enough to go around the room!

 I made a dishcloth in MY favorite color.  I'm sure it'll get lost as soon as it goes through the wash, LOL!

And I made myself a dress.  DH really likes it, and D2 wants when I grow out of it.  So it's a winner all around!

This week I want to finish taking down the carport.  Aside from that, I don't know!

No, August isn't almost here!

I really do not care what the calender says!!!  I can say that I really don't remember last week.  Every time I THOUGHT I had a day at home, I didn't.  And somethings you have to leave the house, like grocery shopping.  I did get one project done.  Last year's Christmas present for my bestest friend ever.  I lost it after cutting out all the pieces, and for some reason kids thought it would be helpful to "put away."  Under D2's bed.  Not sure of the logic there, but we found it!  In July.  So after the chaos of camps, and getting S1 home from West Virginia, I got time with my sewing machine.  She hasn't seen it yet, and she may check today so she can.   But anyways, here it is.

I made it fully reversible, so the inside is yellow with a blue ruffle.  Her favorite color since we were 16 is cobalt blue, a rather difficult color to find in fabric.  The apron is all wrapped up and ready to give, we just need to work out a day for a visit.  She's only a 3 hours away, but catching the ferry in tourist season is, well, there are no polite words for it. (And that's just the ferry, it's worse when they start driving!!!GRRR!) (Can we tell I have an issue?)

I also started a new crochet project for D2's room.  A flower garland.  Right now I am still making the flowers.

It's one of those great little time fillers.  Waiting to leave? Make up a flower.  Waiting for someone to get home?  Make up a flower.  We have 11 out of 20 done, and then I'll crochet the ribbon they will hang from.

We also got a huge portion on our carport cleaned out, so I could finally get to the demolition work that needed to get done.  DH wasn't impressed.  He isn't ready for the thing to come down, and I've been waiting for YEARS!!! So the kids and I started with all the bits and pieces that had no purpose,  like the wood nailed to the frame, 6 inches thick,  to do what?  Be there?  5 HOURS later, we called it quits for the day.  The next day, I primed all the parts of the attached wall (for a different building!) I could get to.  Then came the cloudy weather.  But that's okay because I have tons of inside work to do as well. 

After yet another discussion about the carport, I think he has agreed I can take it down, however he wants nothing to do with it. Which I am really ok with, because the man has a tone of his own house projects to work on.  Which is what I've been telling him, but he thought I wanted *him* to take the stupid thing down.  Now, to learn about disconnecting electrical.

Who knows what this week will bring.  I am hoping dome more good weather, as well as a really short errand list!! 

We finally get a day at home!

Usually we are home a good chunk of the week.  But the last week and a half we have been all over the county!  We've been getting in the door, and falling over!  It's been mostly good stuff, with the regular household stuff thrown in.  S1 has had two camps this week, and we finally told him he better start finding rides.  Carpooling is good!  So we may be picking kids up at the end of the week.

I did squeeze in some sewing time in the (really late) evenings.  I finished a pillow for my stepmom's mom, and a basket for shoe supplies. I just got really tired of extra shoelaces everywhere.

 I also finished three dishcloths for my friend's mom.  I love these, and apparently so does everyone else.

This week I NEED to get another quilt done.  It is a charm quilt for my BF, and she has been waiting so patiently for the last couple of years while we collected the 204 different fabrics to make it.  So now that it is pieced, I NEEEED to get it done before I see her this weekend.

Summer break has started!

And I am all sorts of confuzled!  But I did get a few things done last week.  First off, a few more dish clothes.  I really like the red and white, but it makes me think of Christmas!  I love these fill little bits of spare time, and I may get a ball of yarn to keep in my purse or in the car.

THIS!!!!!!

This is the big super secret project I have been working on!   A couple weeks ago I had posted some fabric chosen for a special surprise.  You can find it here.  Well, the big day came and went.  Our beloved teacher has retired! As her big retirement surprise, we made a quilt for her.  The kids in D2's class did a skit about an infamous quilt not finished by a specific lady's 16th birthday.  Nor her 18th, and not her wedding.

I'm not sure I ever heard so much laughter at an awards assembly!

The skit ended with the students presenting this beloved teacher with her quilt.

She is now retired, and the infamous quilt top is still not finished! 

However she now as a quilt that is hers!  And if she can get her unfinished quilt top from her mother, we have volunteered to finish it so she can least enjoy the memories associated with it.

I am not sure I have ever completed a project that brought so much out of so many people.  Between the giggling kids and the laughter (and some tears) from the grown ups, I realized THIS is why I love sewing.  

And to Mrs. H- for all the years you've put into our children, THANK YOU!

It's the end of the year as I know it...

...and I'm not fine. That, to the tune of REM's End of the World, is what has been going around in my head lately.  All the end-of-the-year stuff has got my brain on overload.  Awards ceremonies for everything each child has ever done, with every child getting a ribbon for something (I am so not that parent.  Sometimes you win, and sometimes you don't.  (Oh, do I really need more to dust?? Really? Just for showing up??))  One activity did not have an awards ceremony (yes, I'll sign up again just for that!!)  Dance class had their recitals this weekend.  It was really cool to see the little ones doing and how they were just happy to be there, as well as the graduate solos.  It was a lovely evening, but it made for a chaotic week end!

I had one finish last week.

That's it.  One dishcloth!

Well, one is better than none.  Unless we're talking about bills!  The next few weeks should be better, I have at least 1 project that has a firm deadline, as well as a few that are SO CLOSE to being done.  

A surprise in the works....

Last week, I started a secret project.  I won't be able to share details until the middle of June, but until then, here's a peek at the chosen fabrics!

So far it looks gorgeous!

I also finished 4 dishclothes.  There's only 3 in the photo since D2 stole the first one as soon as it was done.  She was really happy with it. They are surprisingly quick and easy to make, each one taking just over an hour. Perfect when you only have a couple of minutes before heading out the door! 

I also finished my apron!  I've had this pattern for 2 years, and kept putting off getting the fabric. More on that Friday for the Shabby Art Boutique link party.

And over the course of the week, we had some some and I got 1 yard project done.  It was kind of a lark, but I think it'll be really cute when done.  DH will bury the legs at some point for stability, since I didn't think of that.  I planted butternut squash and some kind of flower.  I think, if it works, I'm going to love the squash vines hanging over the edge.  I have no idea what flower I planted, and it may get choked out by the squash. 

I have no idea what this week will bring.  There are a lot of things going on, and the end of the school year is creeping up a little too fast!