First Day of Summer

How we spent the first day of summer...

Watched two new fawns scamper about the back yard.

Mama knocked some seeds to the ground for her little ones.

Layed out my hexie table runner, in situ.

Watched Pete's team overcome a 5 run deficit to win a playoff game.

Unfortunately, Julia and Pete are still taking final exams. They'll be done tomorrow, then summer vacation can begin!

Totally Random

A little bit of everything today!

Twirly Girl skirt pattern and a jelly roll of Birdie.
Hoping to make 2 of these this week for my niece's little girls.
We can't wait to see them on Saturday.

A baby quilt for Bill's coworker's new baby boy.
Fabric is On the Go by Jill Webster for Clothworks.
Many thanks to Fat Quarter Shop for the speedy delivery!

Big news!
My nephew Christopher proposed to his girlfriend of 8 years yesterday at a covered bridge in Vermont. We're so happy for them both! And you know what this means: Wedding Quilt!!
(photo swiped from Jamie's facebook page)

Bill bought Julia a bouquet of roses for her birthday that faded to an incredible velvety purple-red. Of course, impossible to capture on our cheap camera.

Thank God for the lilacs!
A farmer nearby dressed his field with cow manure.
If not for the lilacs, we wouldn't be able to go outside for a week!

Pete's first at-bat of the season! Yay! I love baseball season!

An osprey family holds court over the baseball and softball fields.
We watched mama bird deliver a couple of fish to the babies during the game.

The Baltimore Oriole couple has returned home to our backyard for the summer. No pics yet. I just caught sight of them this morning. The oranges are out at the feeder for their lunch.

Happy Star Wars Day!
May the Fourth be with you!
(get it? May 4th?)

Upcycle It!

I'm loving the word Upcycle. Remember yesterday, when I couldn't decide what to do? I compromised and crafted outside! I've been wanting to try fusing plastic, and a challenge has been issued by a local quilter to create a bag to be auctioned this summer. (The only rules: a bag has handles and hold stuff.)
As I was reading blogs, surfing the net and watching the 10th hour of the Today show... Kathy Lee Gifford said something about reality shows that struck me. Why are we watching these families go on a picnic instead of taking our own family on a picnic? Which lead me to: Why am I reading about things other people have made instead of actually making something. So, I Googled fused plastic (tutorial, video), gathered up my supplies, and headed out onto the deck to get to work. (My paperweight is a hunk of Colorado marble that I collected when I was a Geology student.)


My first attempt was a failure (the tan piece shrunk up terribly). The iron was much too hot. A few more tries and I ended up with enough useable fused pieces to make this tote bag.
The Wal-Mart Bag Bag.
Cool, huh?


Just how far off the deep end have I gone into blog land when we make this for an after-school snack?


Pete's team played Josh's team last night, which is very convenient, but confusing. Especially difficult when Josh is pitching to Pete. How do we cheer for both of them at the same time? Go, Pete, get a hit! Nice pitch, Josh!


On the list for today, a pile of Linus project quilts that need to be quilted and finished by next Wednesday. I do love a deadline!
Tina

Take Me Out to the Ball Games

While sitting at a baseball field this afternoon, Julia and I counted up all the baseball games I went to this week. The grand total...
7 games in 6 days!
There is no other place I'd rather be in the spring.

Josh pitched well for the high school junior varsity team last night.


And today we cheered on our friend Rob.


I did find some time to sew yesterday and whipped up one of these origami bags. Too fun!


In the garden today...


Does anything smell better than lilacs and lilies of the valley?

Happy Day!
Tina

Mid-Week Musings

I've been finishing up a batch of pins to send to Kedar Quilts in Maine. If you find yourself in western Maine this summer, stop in and see Margaret. I love the pile of bits and pieces that accumulates next to my machine when I paper-piece.

We've been to a few ball games already this week. On Monday night, Julia and Pete played at the same time, at the same park, on adjacent fields. Sitting on the bleachers at the baseball field, all I needed to do was spin around to see the softball field.

Josh was sweet to keep me company at the games. We had a nice conversation about baseball, my Girl Scouts, school and summer. He went over to the other field to take a few pictures for me. He told Julia she was "lighting fast" running to 1st base. See the maroon blur?
There has been an osprey nest on the light pole at this field for several years. We'll try to get some shots of the birds as the season progresses. They are really fun to watch after the chicks hatch and the parents start bringing fish to the nest.


In other birding news, the Orioles have come home for the summer. I saw a catbird in the yard last week, so I knew the Orioles would soon follow. We saw the male fly by on Mother's Day, so we put out the orange and were soon rewarded with this beautiful site.


So, I found out that Josh reads my blog in computer class with Julia's friend from the swim team. Hi, Josh & Emiko! They find it amusing that I call Josh "the boyfriend." I won't do that anymore. He's a really good kid and we enjoy having him around. I love this picture of Julia & Josh that was taken in Hershey before the music festival. It's the closest they'll get to a prom picture for a couple of years.


I'm off to finish the pins for Margaret and get them in the mail today. Have a great day!
Tina

T-Tote

I finished the t-shirt tote after Pete's game last night. As much as my thumb hurts from wrangling the stretchy yarn, I couldn't put it down until it was done! The thick yarn works up really quickly with a big crochet hook (I used size K/10.5). The other baseball moms thought it was fun. Well, most of them, anyway. The froo froo moms didn't get it.


Pete was happy for the opportunity to pitch an inning after catching for 3 whole games. It was fun to watch the fog roll in across the field, but the outfielders were losing the ball against the white sky.


Julia bought this great insulated bag at Hershey Park. I can't wait to pack it with snacks to take to the beach this summer!

All the low hanging fruit has been picked. Time to get to the high stuff.
Tina

UFO's & 9-patches

I did some straightening and cleaning in my sewing room this weekend. Can I even call it that anymore? I never sew down there. It has really become a storage area. Anyway... I found no fewer than 27 (TWENTY-SEVEN!) unfinished projects! I'm a little overwhelmed.

This cleaning all started because my niece is looking to unload my mother's sewing machine cabinet. With a new baby, a toddler, and new dining room furniture, she doesn't have the space for something she doesn't use. So where will I put it? I can't let it go home with a stranger from a consignment shop.


I tidied up the fabric shelves first. (Yes, I know they should be painted. That might be a summer project for a kid who needs cash.) I restacked, removed old fabrics I'll never use, and moved fat quarters and smaller pieces. Next I'll need to figure out how to store them. I'll read through Bonnie's scrap system again and start cutting. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

I'm so happy that I signed up soon enough to be part of the twiddletails three by three swap. I might have been one of the last ones to get in. There is so much 9-patchy goodness going on! Have you see this tutorial? It's brilliant!! I made these 2 in about 5 minutes. I think when I start chopping up scraps, I'll make a pile of 4.5" squares.


Pete at bat. His team is not off to a good start, but it's early. He's not thrilled with me crocheting during sporting events. He'll get over it.


Julia went to Hershey, PA with the high school band for a music festival on Friday night. They spent Saturday at Hershey Park and on the way home today, they stopped in NYC to see a show. She sent a couple of texts, so I know she's safe and having fun. I can't wait to have her back home, especially because she's bringing chocolate!

Pete's band is done rehearsing, so it's safe for me to return to the basement. Have a great week!
Tina

Feeling Blessed

When I arrived in church this morning, I greeted our assistant pastor with a Good Morning, How are you. He replied, "Very blessed, thanks." I never heard him say that before, but after Mass I noticed that's how he replied to everyone today. I like it. I'm blessed, too! I'm so grateful that my children are healthy, happy, smart, and talented. They are growing up in a home with two parents who love them and each other.

This afternoon, we picked up my mother and went to a concert that benefited the hospital. The headlining band was our town's civic band with incredible guest soloists on piano and trumpet. As terrific as they were, our favorite part was the High School Jazz Ensemble with Julia at 4th trumpet. They opened the show with 3 tunes and got the show off to a great start.On Friday afternoon, we went from a middle school basketball game to a swim meet. Pete has been playing drums in the pep band. He really rocks on Wipe Out. He loves drumming and it shows in his performances. Julia started swimming on the HS team this year. The team has been so encouraging to the new kids, so Julia's having a great time.

And spring training is right around the corner! It's my favorite time of the year. I'll be at a field every day this spring, watching Pete play Babe Ruth and hopefully on the middle school team. Julia will play recreational softball. And we'll be at the high school baseball games, too, to watch the boyfriend. He's on his way to becoming a phenomenal pitcher.

Last spring, Julia had an inside-the-park homerun on her birthday! It was one of the few games she actually saw playing time on the middle school team. (A whole other story. Ugh!) And Pete hit one over the fence a few weeks later in one of his last little league games. We love baseball!

Aren't they cute?I'm finishing up the quilting on the racecar baby quilt, so I hope to show that to you tomorrow.

Have a blessed week,
Tina