End Results...

I find it satisfying to see the end product of longer termed projects.  This weekend, our first cabbage became stuffed cabbage (that was very yummy by the way) and will also become some coleslaw later today.  We also had another batch of pickles - 10 quarts of slices, spears, and whole pickles.  The zucchini in the above right picture was also used to make 4 loaves of bread, but I didn't get any pictures of the bread.  Trust me, they are very tasty.  :)

I have been messing with some new techniques in the quilting world...and then put them all into a cool basket for Timothy's room (it is no longer raining diapers in his closet when you open the door).  Two quilts being quilted this afternoon...hopefully binding will go on today or tomorrow and then a week of handwork will commence - it is also VBS week at church, so not so much sewing is going to happen.  More pictures coming soon...

Hour Glass Quilt

I had a lovely surprise last Thursday when the quilt shop in town called and my quilt was done at last!  It got it's scrappy binding attached on Sunday afternoon and I just finished hand stitching the binding on the back to complete it!

Hour Glass Quilt

60" x 60"

I used the leftover pieces to make a scrappy binding

Garden Update:  We have officially moved into a jungle state. :)  We have been harvesting loads of cucumbers, zucchinis, and carrots, and onions lately.  Looking forward to the tomatoes, squash and cabbage coming soon!

Garden Produce

Yet another thing to fill my day...but a tasty reward at the end for sure!

This is also the first batch of pickles that I sealed in a water bath and all 12 cans sealed, so I am pretty excited about my success!  Cucumber plants are going crazy and there are DOZENS of blooms, so I am predicting there will be lots of pickling at our house over the next few weeks...

just plain silly

a couple of videos to provide a little joy in your day.  :)

Cousins

Water splashing

Park swings squeaking

Cool dude sunglasses

Bubble blowing

Eli visiting!

work in progress

I promise that I have been working...just not taking pictures at the same time...

 

First, my new table runner officially has a new home.  Yay!  :)  The three men of the house (my husband, my dad, and their short, plastic-tool-wielding sidekick) put our new buffet together so I could then decorate it and fill it with dishes.  Our china from our wedding finally has an official home and is also accompanied by my grandma's china set.  Thank you IKEA for keeping the boys busy for an entire afternoon...

Secondly, my mom's visit really helped last week because she did all of my pressing for me, so lots of piecing was accomplished!  In exchange for her help, I made her a red, white, and blue runner too (sorry, no pictures).  It is the same as mine, but with one, larger blue field on one end and just a few white stars.  I also made a couple of cross-stitched pictures my sister stitched into pillows for my other sister's new baby (did you follow that?).  I was reminded how much I dislike using piping on corners.

Here is what we accomplished: 

 Disappearing 9-patch quilt top (I used the tutorial on Cluck, Cluck Sew).  All of the center squares in my 9 patches were white, and I think the white really makes it pop.  Don't mind the wrinkles...it has already been folded up and waiting on my shelf for sandwiching and quilting.  Closeups will be taken when they are all done.

Lattice Quilt made with half triangle squares (I used the tutorial on Oh, Fransson!)

Now I just need to quilt them...which might take awhile because I have another quilt that I am trying to finish up by the end of the week.  Hopefully an update will be coming over the weekend with a finished quilt or two!  :)  After these are quilted, the next projects will include a baby quilt that, through our local quilt guild, will be donated to Project Linus, and some potholders to use up some of my scraps.  

To my love

Happy Anniversary to us.  :)  

The past three years have flown by unbelievably fast and have been full of both joys and sorrows.  Looking forward to everything else coming our way...bring it on!

4th of July fun

What is the 4th without a parade?  Gregory doesn't disappoint...it even goes right past our house.  Last year, we didn't know that the crowd would be coming early and fill our lawn before we could get good seats.  This year, Jared put our chairs out first thing in the morning so we could get a spot.  :)