Three Lovely Days

Memorial Day Weekend is on the horizon .... the unofficial start of summer!!  

Three days off and I'm trying to decide what to do...  I'd hate to get to the end of a three-day weekend
and have nothing to show for it...

Making a list....checking it Twice.

 

I L-O-V-E to check of items from a list!!! 
(Sometimes I will put items ON the list right after
the item is completed just so I can check it off !) 

 

 

 

 Let's just see what actually gets done.

In Memoriam

We all know Memorial Day is about our troops who have given all they have to keep our Freedoms Free.

While I currently have (and have had in the past) relatives serving in the military
(my son included), The Lord has spared me the heart break of losing any of them to a war. 
I cannot even imagine.  My heart goes out to all the moms, dads, sisters, brothers, cousins and people who love "Our Fallen Heroes."

Of course, Memorial Day weekend is ALSO the unofficial start of summer (the airlines know this....have you checked those fares lately?)  And, a nice three-day weekend to do.....whatever....

I spent the weekend mostly at home; a little cleaning....some gardening... some sitting-on-the-patio -sipping-an-adult-beverage-enjoying-the-fireflies.... and, of course, some quilting.  

The creation of a Memorial Wall Quilt to the Quilting Auntie, Nyla is well under way.

Using all the Row-by-Row license plates we collected over the years, and the idea I saw on Pinterest, this is what I have so far.

Memorial Day ...

 ...is more than just a three-day weekend.

And, shout out and thank you to my 9-year-old grandson's teacher for actually teaching the kids about honoring our fallen soldiers.  It was impressive that he could tell me why we celebrate Memorial Day.  As a class project they even made a lapel pin with red, white and blue ribbon and he wore it for two days... front and center....on his dirty shirt.  Did I mention he was a BOY?!

 That's not to say we didn't get in our beach time.

 

Started cool and cloudy, gradually warmed up.  Lovely Day.

 AND, spent extended sessions in the studio.

Working on Long Time Gone

 

 

Lay out the pieces on the design board next to the sewing machine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chain Piecing on Miss Ellie. 

Finished two blocks, and made a good start on a third.

Jacob's Ladder

Trip Around the World

 

Plus Star Block.
I will admit - this one is hard!
and still unfinished, I'm finding
mistakes, even now...Oy, Vey...
This block needs some time out.

 

 

My Progress

 

 

All-in-all it was a very lovely weekend.

A Long, Fabricy Weekend

The OFFICIAL start to summer.... Memorial Day Weekend.  

I'll admit, I am guilty of thinking of Memorial Day weekend as a long weekend for fun and play but I do know it is really about honoring those men and women who died while serving our country. 

So, In honor of  all the men and women who have served and are currently serving our country.

I did also managed to have some fun with fabric!

Saturday one of the Needlers, Miss Nancy, and I took a field trip to explore a shop were neither of us had been previously.....Pink Sand Beach Design Studio in Torrance, California.  It is a small-ish shop with a lot of batiks, but a very nice place to visit.  Miss Nancy and I were on the hunt for fabrics for Miss Wanda (putting together another care package for her) and fabrics for a baby quilt I want to make for a friend's daughter.  The ladies at Pink Sand were so friendly and helpful!  I will return to this shop, even though it is a bit of a drive from where I live.

Then yesterday, Monday, my long-time-friend, Miss Peggy, and I drove to San Diego to take a sewing machine to a woman.  This does require a bit of explanation.....

I don't believe in accidents.  I believe in divine providence.  Last week I was looking on Craigslist for a collapsible wagon (football season is coming up....we hope....) but I didn't find what I was looking for.  On a whim I searched "sewing machines"  just to see who was selling something wonderful I just might absolutely HAVE to have.  Up popped an ad from a woman living in transitional housing and wanted to borrow a sewing machine to make masks for the people living where she lives.  I contacted her and the adventure began.

Long-story-short....Anastasia has been gifted ... along with sewing supplies and fabrics and even elastic.... oh, I forgot to mention.... Pink Sand had packets of elastic (enough to make 6 masks) they were giving away....one to each customer....

Both these machines have now been gifted.
I'm down to only three machines.

The woman we met was very nice and VERY appreciative.  It felt good to do something nice for someone.

To read about the Machine Family, click HERE

And, now, it's back to the work-a-day life.....

 
 

Memorial Day Fun

What is MORE fun than sewing all day.... sewing with friends all day!

Robin is working on third-world, children's charity dresses; Charlotte-the-Tall is working on needle-turn-applique and I'm working on the Splendid Sampler.

Sitting, sewing, eating chocolate covered cherries and chatting...
a perfect way to spend a Memorial Day.

Well, almost perfect....

This is block 17 of the Splendid Sampler... what's wrong with this picture ???

Too much chatting and eating, not enough paying attention to detail...Robin was gracious and whipped out the Golden Seam Ripper to attack the problem for me

.

And NOW it's been a PERFECT day!