Seaside Laptop Case

 As Julia started packing for her term abroad, we realized that the laptop case I made for her two years ago was rather worn out. One of our errands yesterday was to pick up some fabric for a new one. She chose this adorable beachy print from Dear Stella. She wants to take a little bit of home with her to Tanzania!

The lining is a Riley Blake medium navy chevron that I had in my stash. I layered the main print with batting and quilted it with parallel wavy lines. (I was corrected. "Straight stitched wavy lines" is an oxymoron.) In retrospect, I wish I had quilted the lining, too. When I was almost done, I decided to add another layer of batting, which was quite a chore.

I used a trick I learned from Kindred Quilters and used basting tape to hold the zipper in place as I stitched.

After I had the first side of the zipper done, I couldn't find the tape. After about 10 minutes of searching high and low, I picked up my pieces and found the tape stuck to the back!

I haven't mastered stitching the junction of the zipper and bag side. This one is better than the first one I made, so maybe the next one will be better still.

All done! About a four hour job, including a lunch break.

I can't believe I forgot to stitch one of my new labels into the lining. I'll have to stitch it in by hand later.

Edit 7pm: There. That's better.

End of Summer Weekend

Summer is unofficially over. So sad.
We tried to squeeze in some fun to enjoy the long Labor Day weekend.

Bill and I worked on a Craig family block for the Union College 215th Anniversary quilt. The maker hopes to bring together family histories to demonstrate the diversity of the College. Union itself is a huge part of Bill's family history, so the Nott Memorial is pictured in the background of the block. (I used bubble jet set to prepare the fabric and printed directly on it) His father was in the class of 1945, and returned after graduate school to teach there for 35 years. Bill and 2 of his siblings are also alumni. In 1979-80, Ed was a visiting professor at the University of Liberia. Bill attended 8th grade at the American school in Monrovia, where his best friend was the US ambassador's son. Bill and his mother fled the country after the first coup in 1980. Ed remained to finish the term. The Liberian people have held a special place in their hearts, so the quilt block is bordered with African fabrics. Bill and I are happy with the final product and happy that it is done and will be on its way to Schenectady today.

Meet Charlie, my mother's rabbit.
Let me explain. My mother lives in a low-income apartment building for senior citizens. There aren't many "extras," so the Tenant's Association, of which she is the President, tries to raise funds to provide services and entertainment. They have a craft club that meets weekly to make items for their annual bazaar.
One of the ladies received this magazine, probably in February, and encouraged my mother to crochet the bunny on the cover to be raffled at their bazaar. She accepted the challenge, assembled some yarn and started hooking. We knew we were in for trouble when we saw the size of one leg. She persisted, and a bunny started to take shape. Oh My! We can't stop singing the Veggie Tales Bunny Song.

She propped him up in my father's chair and named him Charlie. Wow. We're going to work on his facial features and getting his head sewn on right. (She wouldn't listen to me when I repeatedly told her how, instead she let her friends lead her astray. Kids- I mean Parents- just won't listen!)

We took one last trip to the beach.

I love the late afternoon light.

It seems like lobsters were everywhere this week. We realized Julia and Pete have never had one, so we took advantage of one of the many local restaurants lobster specials. Pete just had fun playing with his. Neither kid particularly liked the taste. The price was right for such an experiment. Now they know.

This was the view from our table.

And the sun went down on another summer.

Holiday Weekend Fun

We're enjoying a fun-filled 4th of July weekend with...

bocce and fireworks,

beach and pond,

red, white and blue fabric,

and the Red Sox.
Yay! We're on our way to a game at Fenway Park! Go Sox!
Tina

A Grad, a Garden, and a Gadget

Pete "graduated" from 8th Grade on Friday! Thank God! All the praying my mother did paid off. We hope that someday he'll understand the value of homework and will start doing it on a regular basis. He's looking forward to high school and we're all glad summer is finally here.


Pete was drooling all over himself when I showed him Jodi's post about this cake, so we made one for his special day. It was yummy!


Julia and Josh insisted on going to the beach as soon as they finished their final exams on Thursday, even thought the sun wasn't out yet. It's so nice living just 10 minutes from the beach.


The sun did finally emerge and we got to see this glorious blue sky for the first time in over a week.



My plants have been happily soaking up all the rain. There is a lemon thyme in the planter on the deck that is about 7 years old. The long, cold winter didn't damage it at all.


I couldn't kill this yellow rose if I tried (not that I have). It is a beast!


This huge potted Osteospermum was a lovely gift from a Girl Scout friend. It's not happy in it's pot and I'm note sure if I'll give it a bigger pot or put it in the ground.


I've been enjoying watching the hummingbirds flutter between the honeysuckle, the feeder and the annuals on the deck. Not photos. I'm not quick enough.


Here's the Gadget: a Bucilla Daisy Knitter. Julia and I wandered around the shops on Main Street this morning and ended up in my favorite consignment shop. I never walk out of there empty handed and rarely spend more than $10. I think we'll have fun this summer with this nifty tool.


I did a little searching and it looks like mine was made after 1935 because it has the patent number embossed on it. I found a pattern book dated 1931 on Etsy and an ad from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from 1932. I paid slightly more than 50 cents for it and it was worth every penny!

Have a sunny day!
Tina

A Great Mail Day and a Trip to the Beach

First off, the mail. I ordered more Boy Scout fabric from Alderwood Quilts and had to buy a couple of goodies for myself, too. Sue is super speedy with shipping... I just ordered these on Wednesday! The cute purple with shimmering polka dots was a free fat quarter. Thanks, Sue!


I got my second postcard from the Carol Doak postcard swap.
Thank you, Ruth! I'm loving all the orange today!


To the beach!
The sand between our toes,
the soothing sound of the waves,
the beach roses on the dunes ready to burst into bloom
can only mean one thing.
Summer is coming!


Stay tuned for a guest blogger and giveaway coming very soon!
Tina