House Quilt

Wall-hanging House Top QUILTED with Stars & Loops (freehand)

My quilting machine has actually been down for a little over a week, but as I mentioned before, I'm woefully behind in posting.

During my forced "stay-cation", I did get to do some things that typically get ignored & I got to do some fun stuff. We picked apples, carved pumpkins, got the kitties in for an overdue appointment, got significant work done on a queen-sized Christmas gift, set up a mailing station, moved around & reorganized my sewing/quilting room, stacked a load of firewood on the back porch, switched my closet & bureaus out for the current fall season, prepped inventory for a month-long Christmas crafting event, and canned apple pie filling! Whew!! I get a lot done when I don't have to work & make money :-P

My machine was fixed earlier today, and I managed to get one small quilt finished before the rain & thunder moved in.

Subtle Patriotic Quilt

Quilted in Stars & Loops Meander (freehand)

Is anybody else panicking about hitting mid-July?? In the midst of a quilting session yesterday, I was struck   **as in panicked**   that we'd hit the middle of July, and I've yet to begin planning for Morgan's senior year!! 

Okay, that's a slight exaggeration. We've been talking about what she'll work on next year since the middle of last year, so I've done some mental preparation & I have most of the books, etc., we'll be needing as well. 

No, I'm talking about the physical act of sitting with each subject, each book, and devising a plan of attack. Sure she can DO most of the work on her own at this point, but she needs direction; there needs to be a basic plan of how each book/curriculum works. So that's what I'm supposed to be working on. For some of them I need to plot out those plans in some typed or written form. Things are omitted & extra things are added. Others require study guides to be worked up. But I think there's a book or two that she can just work in order without too much prep work from me. 

I wrote this to my best friend this morning: 

Summers are never the relaxing span of freedom in time & space that we hope for. I think something is ingrained in our brains that equates summer with blissful leisure that's left over from our childhoods. Only problem being that once we hit adulthood, that flies right out the window!!!

Perhaps I can just choose to see my summer as half full instead!? 

Happy Hump Day :)

Patriotic Log Cabin Quilt

Log Cabin Top; QUILTED with Stars & Loops (freehand)

Finished this quilt earlier in the week, but I've been awfully busy playing in the snow with Smokey & digging out cars (over & over!), so I'm behind in posting. 

I can't admit to being sick of the snow just yet. Even after having 20"+ dumped in the last week, I can't help but feel like I'm witnessing a beautiful event orchestrated by God. Snow is beautiful! It's peaceful (as long as you're not in one of pile-ups on the turnpike I suppose.) 

Yeah, it's annoying, it drags the school year out, messes up fun plans & work days, but well, that's life. Every day brings about annoyances & obstacles or blessings & life-changers ... a snowstorm, a hurricane, a flood, a beloved's death, a birth, an engagement, a broken heart, a mended marriage, illness, broken cars, missed bills, empty bank accounts, and the list goes on. 

Perspective is everything. And I choose to see snow as beautiful!

Autumn Arrives

I'm exceedingly happy Fall seems to be happening this year, with a proper cooling down period & not this hot-to-cold stuff we've done the past couple years. The sweatshirts have been needed for most of the early morning dog walks, and I'm thrilled to be wearing Pink sweats today! I love my bummy clothes!!

In other news, we seem to have found our homeschool rhythm, which has me a bit calmer about how to combine working from home while also effectively homeschooling. It's still quite the juggle with many days leaving me wanting more hours in the day & more energy in this middle-aged body! I've been utilizing my crock pot a bunch... so helpful when we're all starving but left with depleted energy to deal with cooking.

Here's what I've had to work on in the Quilting Realm: 

 Green Rail Top; QUILTED with Branchy Spirals (freehand) 

 Garden Twist Top; QUILTED with Leafy Swirl (freehand)

Patriotic Star Top; QUILTED with Stars & Loops (freehand)

I hope you're all enjoying a Slow Sunday! Reading, writing, sewing, sitting, Mountain Men, and football are on the agenda for today...