Late night...long day

What a beautiful day here in Louisiana.  Hot, but not too humid....sunshine...slight breeze.  I managed to piece most of the day on a quilt for my Pokeno gift.  Thought it would be fun to give home made gifts this year.  My month is June and I am using ladybugs as my theme.

I made the cutest pincushions this week from a pattern I found on paperstringcloth.blogspot.com.  Made me smile all day.  So much fun and so fast I made 2 more the next day.

The Beauty Outside My Window

Couldn't wait to post these photos for everyone to see.  See the windows looking out over the side garden?  Those are the windows of my sewing room.  Every seam I stitch I get to look up and see these beautiful babies smiling at me.  I love daylilies.  They don't have problems with pests, they stay green most of the year and they add beauty to my life while they are blooming.

I hope they make you smile!

Finally

I am really going to have to work at this blogging everyday!  I forget!  It's Sunday and I am washing clothes, cleaning house and piecing blocks.  I have to make myself do other things in between quilting or I would only quilt every minute I am home.

I told you about the Garden club party and today I am going to post a picture of one of my decorations.  I am really into bright spring colors this year and usually get stuck doing October with fall colors.  I begged to change months with someone so I could do spring.  Glad I did...had a great time.

The next day I had to get grilled chicken ready for our quilt club lunch.  We chose salads for lunch and everyone was supposed to bring their quilt squares for the lucky girl of the month.  Mine were already there, but I took pictures to share with you.  There is also a picture of all the squares Barbara received laid out on the table in the back of the shop.  Can't wait to see the quilt when she gets it together.

I cooked lunch for the staff at the quilt shop yesterday.  Pork tenderloin, fresh corn on the cob, squash and fresh cucumbers, tomatos and bell peppers.  Pineapple up-side-down cake for dessert.  We had so much fun eating and sharing stories.  Great group of talented people who always in inspire me.

Time out for Garden Club Party

Wouldn't normally be home at this time of day to be posting....Garden Club party tonight and I am baking a Pineapple Up-Side Down cake and Lemon Squares for desert and since I multi-task constantly, I am cutting up watermelon and strawberries for a fruit plate (already have the canteloupe).  Didn't have time to cook anything else so local supermarket is making a sandwich tray for me and I have made a vegetable tray of cucumbers, yellow squash and bell peppers to go with the sandwiches.  All the fresh fruits and vegetables are beginning to come in here in Louisiana so I decided we needed to do fresh as much as possible tonight.  Decorations are ready, door prizes are ready and food will soon be ready. 

Weather is so gorgeous outside that I am having to fight the urge to work in the yard.  Quilting has to take a back-seat today (breaks my heart), but tomorrow I have my quilt club (Tangi Cut-Ups) luncheon.  We are doing a block swap each month.  One club member picks out her main fabric and gives us a piece and we have to add from our stash and give her back two blocks.  She then has to make a sampler quilt and bring it back to show us.  Barbara was first and she picked out a very spring like floral to which I added some mauve, green and light cream scraps.  I made her "card tricks" and the "Louisiana" block.  I will take pictures tomorrow and post a couple for you to see.  I have been watching the blocks come in and they are gorgeous, can't wait to see the quilt.

I will be the last month in April of next year....I have picked out a holiday fabric and I can hardly wait to see what the ladies come up with.  Just for fun I made the "Louisiana" block in different fabrics to show some of the visitors to the quilt shop what a difference it makes depending on the type of fabric you use.  I will post a picture of those too!

I have been reading blogs again and it is mind-boggling.  So many creative and wonderful sharing people out there.  Cake ready....got to go....have a great day.

Wow!

How does anyone have time to post to their blog?  I have spent the last two hours just reading and drooling over all the ones I am being directed to.  I guess that comes with being a newbie, but I can see that if I spend this much time reading blogs, I will never get any quilting done.  Going to have to limit myself to about 30 minutes in the morning with my coffee.

I also am going to have to remember to post on a regular basis.  Yesterday was so full and busy I forgot.  I go to my local quilt shop, http://www.mamasquiltshop.com/ every Saturday (oh don't let me kid you, I go every afternoon on my way home, too!) to see what they are doing and to get inspiration and to bring home 2 or 3 more pieces of fabric.

And of course I then had to go to the graduation party of one of my "adopted" kids, Joe Hutto.  Can you say crawfish boil?  I couldn't leave until I had eaten my 5 or so pounds and the wonderful cake his mother had made for the occasion.  You see crawfish are in season right now and here in Louisiana you never pass up an occasion to fill up on them.

The weather is delightful right now.  Warm sunny days that start out very cool in the early morning.

I have managed to finish two quilt tops and now I need to get the backing prepared so that the girls at the quilt shop can machine quilt them for me.  I started back piecing after about 15 years of doing everything else (gardening, scrapbooking, photography and WORKING) and I have tons of UFOS boxed up.  But of course after finding my local quilt shop I now have oodles and oodles of new fabric to look at and I am over-whelmed!

But I am glad I am back.  I forgot how soothing piecing can be.  It is good for the soul.  When you make a block and place it on the wall you just don't know whether to laugh or cry.  Fabric evokes moods.  I get up at 4:30 every morning, have my coffee while the world is quiet out doors and then I try to make at least one block before getting dressed for work.  I am like a kid in a candy store and I can't wait to show them to the ladies at the quilt shop.

Well enough for now, have to get to piecing, starts my day off right.

It’s All New To Me….but here goes

For today :: May 13, 2011

outside my window. . .   quiet . . . soft. . . humid, damp morning. . .sound awful….not really…we are expecting rain and everything has a soft look!

I am thinking. . . of how much I love the weather where I live. . . some people complain about the humidity (and it is tough sometimes), but I love it. . . . it might just reach 90°.

from the kitchen. . .  my favorite coffee. . . laced with plenty of French Vanilla Coffeemate (2^nd cup)

I am wearing. . . my pink jammies. . . but soon it will be work clothes and the day will start.

I am creating. . .  this blog. . .trying to work around the sweet loving “Little Man” who just decided my lap looked like a really inviting place to be….soon to be replaced with “Little Girl” who is a nuzzler and jealous.  She insists on being petted and in return gives me plenty of “kitty kisses” and purrs.

I am remembering. . .  they were both born in July before Katrina hit in 2005, so that makes them almost 6 years old. . .

I am reading. . .   blogs, by wonderful talented, creative ladies. 

I am hoping . . . that I can take their advice and live for the moment instead of always worrying about what’s going to happen tomorrow

I am hearing. . .  laughter. . .watching reruns of “Golden Girls”!

around the house. . .  how cluttered everything is and how I need to get rid of some things….but how….I love it all!

I am going. . .  take off early this afternoon and depending on the weather….work in the yard or if it’s raining (like they are predicting) hide out in my quilt room and maybe create something beautiful or just immerse myself in all the beautiful colors and texture.

one of my favorite things. . .  daylilies….pink, coral, yellow, beautiful soft colors, multiple blooms right outside my quilting room window.  My cannas are just beginning to flower and the huge elephant ears are jumping up by leaps and bounds.

a few plans for the rest of the weekend. . . getting ready for my garden club party (I am one of the hostesses), preparing for my quilt club party (we are having a salad party), finding time to attend an afternoon party for my sweet Joe who graduated from college this week (I am so proud of him)…oops….”Little Girl” is back, needing a few more rubs and kisses, hard to type around her….

from my picture journal . . .