Caterpillar & Butterfly Quilts

Caterpillar Top; QUILTED with Bubble Meander (freehand)

... and this Butterfly Top; QUILTED with Single Loop Meander (freehand)

Woe is me... I'm pretty sure these were from back in the summer. I'm a bad blogger!! 

And I swear it shouldn't be NOVEMBER already?!? I'm loving having my sweats out again, truly, but the biting cold & wind this past weekend took me by surprise. Had to amp up the layers for morning walks!

Brown bubbles

I'm such a bad, neglectful blogger! I can't even remember how long ago this quilt was finished!! One of these days I'll get on a schedule & stick to it :)

Is this a Churn Dash block? This fun quilt was QUILTED with a Simple Bubble Meander (freehand)

I'm utterly gleeful that autumn is upon us. It's truly my favorite time of the year (with Christmas time almost a neck-in-neck tie.) We did a little apple picking & carved pumpkins this week. All that's needed now is a first fire roaring... but I think we'll be needing some wood for that. 

Pastel Rails

If I remember correctly, this one was made for a granddaughter! So cheerful!

This one is QUILTED with Bubble Meander (freehand)

Sept 1 brings about a renewal of time-committment for me. After having a more free-float summer schedule, it's time to figure out how to mesh working at home AND outside the home with homeschooling. It's a juggling act to be sure.

It'll be my last year homeschooling. Bi-polar feelings galore over that one! I truly love planning the subjects, learning or relearning things along side a child, but the best part of it is spending time with my favorite people in the world.

I'll miss the one-on-one, the side-tracked, heart-to-heart talks that burst forth spontaneously during school time. But I'll admit, too, that there's a small part of me that's excited by the prospect of reclaiming that time. Enormous amounts of time going into thinking it all through before & during the school year, the endless grading, keeping one step ahead of reading subjects like Chemistry or Anatomy/Physiology to aid in somewhat intelligent conversations with a daughter, researching supplements that go with lessons (like field trips or other experiences), gathering all the curriculum & learning how it can run and then deciding how it'll run for us. It's like an gigantic jigsaw puzzle. OMGosh I love it!!! 

I've been helping my kiddos with school for 20 years! Even the years they spent in "real school" took enormous amounts of time: adhering to schedules, studying for tests & plays, shuttling to/from activities or sports, making sure uniforms/bookbags/shoes could be found. Just think how much time it all takes! Our entire days revolve around those school schedules. 

And next year mine won't. 

Grouchy Ladybug Quilt

Grouchy Ladybug Top; QUILTED with Meander Bubble (freehand)

I'm thankful for this lull in the quilting schedule that comes immediately after the fall/holiday season. It gives me a little time to recover from the break-neck speed of entertaining, pulling off back to back holiday celebrations; it gives us some time to pack away Christmas & get back into our homeschool groove; and it also gives me a little space to recover emotionally. While I can readily admit I found much joy in the Christmas season this year, I'll also admit the celebrations took their toll on the fragile balance I hold on my emotions regarding my grief process. I know many of you understand this delicate balance of creating joy for our families while also experiencing our own personal sadness but not wanting to burden our loved ones with this. I'm thankful for the truest friends with whom a woman could be blessed. Without them, my girls, my hubby, and my parents, the holidays could not have been filled with so much happiness <3

School starts & Quilting Continues!

Yep, our 11th grade homeschool year is under way, but the quilting doesn't wait! I'm happy to announce I've added to my clientele the piecers at Carolyn's Quilt Shop in Tamaqua. If you haven't been to Carolyn's yet, you should make a trip to visit her:  lots of beautiful fabrics, a vat-full of kits to choose from, and samples abound. There's definitely something for everyone!

The Orange/Green Retro top is quilted in Bubble Meander:

And this Brown Chevron top is also quilted in Bubble Meander: 

Aside from quilting for Stitch & Craft & Carolyn's Quilt Shop, I've been working on a few of my own projects. This wall hanging is really a multi-generational project. My maternal Great Grandmother (Gamla Mor Mor) who lived in Finland started it, and from what I understand she probably did the majority of the handiwork. My maternal Grandmother who came to the USA as a young woman worked minimally on it but held onto it & then passed it down to my mom. Eventually my mom hinted that perhaps I could finish it for "some birthday". 

All the flowers are made from yarn wrapped around small, plastic rings, and the stems are stitched by hand with yarn as well. These were all done when I got it. I just finished it by hand-quilting in an echo pattern & binding it. 

Thanks for visiting me here :) I'm way behind in blogging & have much more to show you! 

Till next time...

Jumping into June

Just a few of the recents...

An Autumn Cross-stitch Top; QUILTED with Swirly Curl Freehand:

A Princess Top; QUILTED Custom (Freehand & SID)

Purple & Blue Rails Top; QUILTED Bubble Meander Freehand

Gold & Blue Cross-stitch Top; QUILTED with Swirls & Curls Freehand

During non-quilting hours I've been busy wrapping up the end of our homeschool year. The evaluation & portfolio for this year which just ended are done, and the paperwork is compiled to be notarized for the upcoming school year! I'll hand it all in this week & can begin planning the subjects for the upcoming 11th grade year. Hard to believe we're down to two more years of this homeschooling journey!

And though I've spent many hours already out at the pool, I've only ventured partway in once as the water is still too cold. Smokey the lab has gotten many hours of use though!

Talk to you soon!

Goodbye Spring!

How has springtime been treatin' ya? Besides some itchy eyes & sinus headaches, I've enjoyed getting outside a bit more. 

Here in Lancaster, PA, we've said goodbye to spring & have gotten Slammed with Summer this week. Sounds like a bad romance novel! The kids & the lab have enjoyed the early pool weather.

In other news, I'm almost past this stretch of time that nearly sends me over the edge every year. Springtime for me is on par with the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays. 

*Three family birthdays in May ~ one of which included my eldest turning 21!! Really, I can't possibly by THAT OLD?!?!?

*Mother's Day ~ while I'd love to tell you I look forward to this day & being pampered, it'd be a lie. I don't. It never feels "right" or completely joyful when my heart aches & it hurts to breath from missing Montie. I did have a terrific day, but maybe that's hard to understand? I still love being a mom. I still found enjoyment when my girls, their boyfriends, my hubby, and I went for a hike, and then they treated me to Sweet Frog & showered me with unexpected gifts. Plastering that smile on my face was hard, though, & took a conscious effort. And it was exhausting & so I was relieved on some level when it was over.

*Wrapping up a homeschool year ~ here in PA we have to have our child's schoolwork evaluated by a professional, then hand in a portfolio proving "appropriate learning" took place, then turn it into the school district. I have this pretty down-pat, but it still takes a great deal of time to attend to all the organization & compiling of materials.

*Planning for the upcoming homeschool year ~ need to have subjects & books picked to go to the CHAP curriculum fair in May and also prepare the affidavit to hand into the school district legally notifying them of my intent to homeschool in the upcoming year. Again, I love perusing curriculum & books, but the time factor can be huge if you don't use the same curriculum year after year (some I do & some we change up).

*This spring brought two added challenges in the midst of the craziness ~ my younger daughter was practicing to take her driver's license test AND she interviewed multiple time & has since been hired for her first job! These are definitely exciting events, but man, so much time involved!! And can I just admit that I HATE practicing parallel parking with a teen!! BLECK. Boring. Rifled & peppered with unhappy outbursts mixed with laughter. It's quite the bi-polar experience.

*And finally the crazed-spring-frenzy wraps up with Montie's birthday. He'd be 15 tomorrow, Monday, June 3rd. How I miss my little man... though I guess he wouldn't be so "little" anymore and more of a lanky teen.

I have managed to get some quilting done in between everything else in "swiss-cheese" fashion. It goes against my nature to do things in this manner but thems-the-breaks!

Red Floral Attic Window top; QUILTED in Bubble Meander freehand:

30's Scrappy Rectangles top; QUILTED with Daisy Meander freehand:

Red Labyrinth Top; QUILTED with Loops & Stars freehand:

Baby Rail Top; QUILTED Bubble Meander freehand:

Just had to show the Minky backing... quilts beautifully & so soft!

Geometric Blue top; QUILTED with Jilly panto:

Brown Batik Labyrinth top; QUILTED with Single Loop Reverse freehand:

Thanks for sticking it out till the end of this lengthy post! Hope you're enjoying a Slow Sunday :)

Short & Sweet to End April

Framed Star in Brown Top; QUILTED Bubble Meander Freehand

I love the way this quilt turned out!

African Kangaroo Top; QUILTED Meander Freehand

As the subject name suggests, I've kept this short & sweet. 

It's been a long day & I'm short on words for a change :)