Summer Holidays...

Last day of school was on Friday, and we've begun the summer vacation!  It's been a really busy few weeks,  June, July and August are birthday/holiday h*ll around here.  Seems like everything happens in these three months!

Anyways...no crafty progress.  It's been a lot of work in the yard trying to get things somewhat nice, and a few projects around the house too.   

First round of visitors, my sister and her boyfriend/spouse - don't know what to call him! (Brother-in-law except they're not married) and my nephew (one of my brother's kids wanted to tag along, and we gladly want him here!) are coming for the week.

My crochet career...

My crochet career ended very very quickly.  I was easily reminded at how my poor fingers don't like it.  Good thing I only bought one skein of cotton for $1  ;-)  I barely finished the second row and pulled the plug on it.  

In other craft news, I've been slowly working away at my traditional quilt.  It has lots of little pieces which require lots of little bits of sewing, which requires lots of little bits of ironing.  I'm

  

almost there however.  It's a double nine patch mixed with a nine patch.  These little blue and white pieces are wee.   I'm making this for my mil, it's navy white, with cranberry and white.  My husband picked out the pattern, and he's very traditional and homey.  I'm very not.  LOL!

I think that's why this project is getting dibbled and dabbled upon. 

In other awesome news, we were able to score decent fares for our flights to Myrtle Beach, SC in July!  My mil and fil live in Pawley's Island, so we have a great place to stay that's very close to the beach, and a convenient holiday for us... plus the kids get to see grammy and papa (and us too!)  Grammy is battling cancer right now, so before she goes into her big stem cell treatments, we want to see her before things get kinda ugly for her.  Hopefully a good dose of her grandkids will give her lots of strength for August!

You know I have it bad when I've been searching for quilt shops in the SC area already. 

My son the sewist!

Ethan loves animals...and so he decided he wanted to make a stuffy.   He drew the picture of the crocodile, I enlarged it and traced it onto fleece for him. We cut it out together, I started the whipstitch for him, and off he went.   I helped him with the pipecleaner teeth and beaded eyes (hot glue gun) and he was done in 2 hours!  I'm always amazed at how much patience he has to stick through things.

Sewing Green

I really really love this book.  Enough that I may buy it.   I picked it up from the library this week, and have been reading and re-reading it.   It's definately an autumn project book.   I need to get some thrift store finds first to accomplish some of these projects.  If you frequent the library like I do...request this book.    you can make aprons from old men's shirts.  Wallets from men shirt cuffs.   Pillowcase skirts, pillowcase dresses.  Table cloth wrap skirts, picnic blankets.  Felted wool coasters, blankets, quilts.   Napkin rings from water bottle rings and ribbons.  Water bottle holders/totes. Produce bags for the grocery store. So cool.    I love the ideas, the photography and the inspiration, and most of all the concept - reusing stuff.

**Edited to add - Check out some of the book projects, including a really cute pillowcase sumer top on Betz White's blog.

I've done nothing in sewing land this past while.  The weather turned nice and the garden needed to be tended to.  In a major way.   Still more work to be done.   Frost warning tonight though, so I'm hoping my babies survive.  So far, I think my cucumber and tomato plants have croaked.  The peas are in ICU.  The carrots - I think they may be pretty hearty.  

My grass, what little bit of it I have, is a mess as my dog and cat have destroyed patches.  Yes, my cat.  He thinks he's a dog too. They saunter out there together and do their business.  

I yearn to sew, and keep my interests in the major books and magazines I sign out each week at the library.  I love my library.   

Three more weeks of school for my little guy, and then we're off for two months of summer holidays.  Still trying to figure that item out, vacation plans, that is.   Myrtle Beach if the flight fares come down to reasonable (they're double the price this year as last) or  saunter down to Montana and explore around there. 

I plan this week to start sewing again.   What I'm not sure yet.  I've got a few projects lined up, it depends what inspires me.   I'm on a no spending freeze fabric wise until I get some of these done.   

While I'm at it.  I need to do a computer blogland freeze as well.   I read quilting blogs like I read my library books - can't get enough.  They just mesmorize me and inspire me.  If only i could tunnel that into productivity!!!