Fabric Therapy

It was Breakfast Club today! I was almost giddy. Here's what I accomplished...which is amazing because I felt like I spent most of the time eating, talking and shopping! I will share "Show and Tell" soon.

Smiles

I was just sure you wanted to see how Jenny and Tonka are liking the new house. Smiles all around. They have a way of making every room look smaller when they are in it.

Design Wall Monday

Freedom Isn't Free

On this Memorial Day I  feel so fortunate to live at this time in history.  I am a military brat. My mom was in the Navy where she met my dad. My dad is a retired Marine who served two tours in Vietnam. I'm so grateful he made it home both times.

The military always has been...and I suppose always will be a part of my life. I served four years in the Air Force. That's where I met my husband, a fighter pilot for the Texas Air National Guard. My sons both plan to join the service when they are through with college.

 I am so grateful to those who have served our country and to those who serve it in the future. 

In my quilting world I am struggling with the decision of fabric for Dresdan Plate centers.

Think I'm going with the dark centers.

I'm so grateful these are the toughest decisions I have to make today.

Medieval Diversions

I've been catching up on needlework.

Meet "Canterbury Santa." He's one of three in a set of Medieval Santa ornaments. I enjoyed making this piece...lots of beading. 

Thought I'd share my Needlework Diary. Years ago, I bought one of those cheapie blank books from Michael's for a dollar. Wrote "Needlework," in my best crafty handwriting. 

Since I collect Santa ornament kits from Sandra Cozzolino, this helps me keep track of what kits I already own. I also have the satisfaction of marking them completed in my diary.

So far I have made...43 Sandra Cozzolino Santa ornaments. I have 63 more kits...WOW! I had no idea. I better get out the next kit and get started! 

Just to make me feel a little better I have also finished 58 other cross stitch kits...mostly ornaments. I also keep track of my completed Bucilla stockings and ornaments. I have made 31 Bucilla felt stockings and 32 Bucilla felt ornaments. I cannot divulge the number of those kits I have stashed...triple digits required. It's cheaper than collecting shoes or jewelry. And I do show some restraint...there's a series of kits from Mill Hill with holiday village buildings...adorable. I haven't bought one of those...not going to get started on that group.

New Neighbors

I was working at the new house today...cleaning. Since no contractors will be there for three days it's a good time to try and get the house clean for our move in the first week of June. While washing windows this creature walked by. I saw her yesterday too...so I guess this is her space. 

Behind the porch post is the body of a second moose...I think it was her calf from last year. I've seen these two fairly often at the house site...expect to see more pictures of them.

House Update

Thought I'd share a photo of the latest look of our wood flooring since I applied the tung oil 11 days ago. It is reclaimed wood from a barn in New York. Now it's a floor for a house in Alaska!

The floor got the Bernese Mountain Dog seal of approval today. The dogs got to walk on it for the first time since I oiled it and my male, Tonka, dug his nails in while rough housing...not a mark on the floor at all!

The only progress on the new house today was I finally hung the mirror in the powder room...it's only been sitting on the floor for 2 months.

I did buy some glass knobs for the cabinet...and I almost installed them...but my personal drill is hidden in my sewing room at the current house so I need to take that next time. I don't have man hands so I get tired of trying to use tools made for men.

And there was a typo on the Breakfast Club schedule..it's not until next Thursday...which is the last Thursday of the month. It's just as well...I needed to spend time on the phone today trying to schedule people to finish working on our new house. We are so close to being done...we are certainly ready to start moving.

Ripples

There is so much to do lately but it is almost the last Thursday of the month when I meet with kindred spirits...Breakfast Club! I just don't think I should miss it. Selling houses and building houses can wait one day. This month we are doing a freebie internet pattern from Anthology Fabrics.

"Ripples"

It's an interesting pattern that uses a set of 40,  2 1/2" strips and 40 layer cakes. I was very tempted to order new fabric (there are some really nice Tonga Treat batik strip and layer cake sets I really like but don't have) but I really have more than enough of these gems sitting in my sewing room already. So I pulled a set of Hoffman Bali Pops and noticed a set of layer cakes from Connecting Threads...looks like they will work very well together.

Of course in a couple of days I could completely change my mind....