So many projects, so little time........

I was cleaned up a little in our office today, or at least attempting to rearrange the stacks so that it looks as if I have cleaned. And in that process I got very distracted with fabric, it happens, to me A LOT. See our farm office is ALSO my sewing room, maybe not for much longer, haven't decided where its going to be, or if the sewing stays and some of the other misc that also occupies our office will go, time will tell. Because much of my free time has been taken up with errands and chores related to remodelling our house, I haven't gotten the time to sew near as much as I would like. Not that it has stopped my 100mph creative side of my brain from taking a pit stop, oh no. So here are some recent sewing updates to share. Recently sent to the quilter were Marshall's Farm Quilt and a Graduation Quilt, that also served as sample for a recent sewing class. Currently in the works, Mom's birthday quilt is being bound, when I get five minutes to sit WHEN it is daylight outside, so yes you ppl who know her birthday is in June, and for those who might not know the whole story, this quilt was LAST YEARS gift! YIKES, but my momma got a lot of my time, handquilted, which next to NEVER happens! :) A tote that I am not really sure who is getting, I have a person or two in mind, we'll see. Another tote that has a potential 'owner' its one of those, why did I start out making this project this way, kinda things, I am stipple quilting it on my machine, which just typing the words stipple made my shoulders momentarily ache....... Let's see have special orders for a Apron for Jennifer, that she has been waiting on very patiently for quite some time, Lanyards for Billie Sue, and Graduation quilts........oh my, let's see there's Sloane, hers is about done, there's Jon, hopefully soon I will be able to say his is about done and then there's poor Andrew, I have your fabric buddy, and my rotary cutter is just sitting there itching to start cutting, hopefully soon. Let's see while I am on the subject of quilts, lets just throw out a Wedding Gift and my sweet Aunt E's birthday........ those are just the ones that are leaving our house that are in process. I have two friends wanting quilts made, hopefull Betsy and Toma, you will be on my list for summer! Now for my hopes, dreams and plans for this house.........Jenna and I have been making her a quilt for a while now, she's doing most of the sewing, so its taken a while, made one for Sam last fall that will go on his bed, Cody's is cut out and a few squares are made, and poor little ol' Seffy, well sweet pea, your fabric is here, and your momma hopes to complete your quilt before you lose interest in the cute western cowboy fabric that has been purchased for this project. Oh, there are many other projects in the works, in my mind yet, like the fabric that I purchased for someone very special to me. I bought the fabric thinking of her, and lo and behold she recently announced a quilt giving occasion that is coming up in her life, so need to put the stack of fabric to work......

Now for our house and the sewing that I have in mind creating for it. Guess I should have mentioned in the 'quilt' list, I would like to get a quilt made for our bed. I have certainly had the fabric long enough, I wanted to make it for our 20th wedding anniversary which was LAST summer, MAYBE I will get starting cutting it out before our anniversary THIS summer, who knows???? I have fabric for Jenna's curtains, Seth's curtains and ours. Not sure what is going on in Sam and Cody's rooms, but the backlog of unsewn fabric is getting tall enough that I am not feeling to bad about not having purchased theirs yet. All of these projects makes me look so forward to summer, not so much because I think that there's any chance that the kids will help me with them, or actually in my anal retentiveness I would let them. I know when summer hits, I will be able to work on MY schedule, and sew until dawn if I choose to and not have to worry about the early morning, can you sub today call?

Some upcoming projects I am dreaming of are a Sunflower purse for my sweet neighbor Janey who loves her sunflowers. It's a fun project that included the Clover Yoyo templates that I purchased at Material Girl Quilt Shop. I have fabric, well fleece for a 'football blanket' for us. It's black and white pawprints, and plans for that are to have some thing warm to either sit on or under at football games this fall, of which we will likely be attending 3 per week throughout Sept and Oct and hoping to see a few in Nov as well, yes it will be a 'season pass' year for us, with Sam in Middle School and Cody probably playing both JV and Varsity, but I look forward to it.

Well I think I have rambled on until my pics uploaded, if what I THINK I uploaded is all here, you should be seeing pics of Seth's fabric for his cowboy quilt, Andrew's 'batiks' which I am planning to sew into a 'Contemporary Nine' and the fabrics for one of the quilts I am dreaming of making, that one doesn't have a pattern yet............. Okay back to the real world for me, more 'remodelling stuff' and this week I am baking up a storm for a catering job, so its not likely that I will progress on any of this for a few days, but I have enjoyed thinking about it while adding this post.

Hearing the timer go off and loving the smell of cookies~

From Tulip,

KH

:)

Easter 2011, just some thoughts

Easter
The time of renewal.
The time of new life for Christians in the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ.

Easter brings about such precious memories. Some of my earliest ones are of Easter baskets, a new dress and a bonnet, probably not unlike most children. I fondly remember one year when we hosted an Egg Hunt. I remember Mom making baskets out of construction paper. It was a lot of times a weekend that Grandma Angle came to visit, sometimes some of my Angle cousins as well. I still have a few ceramic eggs that Grandma gave us in the era. I remember the year I got a stamp collecting kit which started a childhood love of history and government that was the basis of my interest in both still today. Memories of family dinners with Grandma Barnes making her traditional Angel Food Cake, but decorated with green coconut 'grass' and jelly beans.

As I got older, I too, began to embrace the joy of cooking and crafting in preparation of Easter. The first time I attended Hasekamp Easter, I made my first 'Easter' cake to bring along, covered in coconut and decorated to look like a bunny. (I HATE coconut, LOL) After growing up and marrying, Church Services switched from Sturgeon First Christian to Tulip Christian Church. The tradition at Tulip was an egg hunt at the end of Sunday School Class. The first year we were married, David was Sunday School Superintendent. We learned the hard way not to wait to buy Easter candy. In the following years we started being green before it was the in thing to do, we bought the plastic eggs to fill and recycled them year after year.

After we started our own family, we started some of our own traditions. We dye Easter eggs. We make Easter Story cookies. In the last several years we have hosted a large family dinner, at supper time. For the first several years it was only our own children hunting the eggs, but in the last few years the hunters have grown, now our nieces and nephews hunt with the kids. It's sometimes the first 'outside' gathering we have had, so we like to barbeque or fry fish, that has sort of become a tradition as well as Easter Bunny Kathy gets all the kids new swimming suits.

Our children have offered many Easter memories. One that comes to mind would be the Easter of 2002. Our family was getting ready to grow although no one knew it. YET. During the childrens sermon, our pastor at the time Bobby Stanford started his lesson with 'Have you ever had a secret?' To which Samuel (then about 3 and half) frantically raised his hand and began 'Pawecha Bob, Pawecha Bob' Trying to ignore him a little, Bob tried to begin the lesson, Sam wouldn't be denied, so he called on him. Sam blurted out loudly and plainly 'My Momma has a BABY in her Belly!' You could have heard a pin drop. Eyes looked around at us from all over the church. The look on Bob's face was priceless. He looked out at the congregation, repeated his original question, 'Have you ever had a secret? How do I top that?' :)

Easter memories are sweet ones. That's probably why this year not getting to add to them has made me so sad. I did however look forward to this mornings' message of hope in the Resurrection, can still hear the music and congregation singing while Susie played 'Up from the Grave, He Arose'

Still learning to accept 'new normal' and not particularly thrilled with it,

From Tulip~

KH