And they thought sliced bread was cool

*** Disclaimer *** This post has nothing to do with quilting or sewing. There may be a mention of fabric. Maybe.

About two weeks ago I got fitted with new contact lenses. Multifocal lenses. I was so excited about them because they were going to do away with my need for reading glasses while I work, read, sew. Or so the doctor and I thought. I still needed reading glasses. I wasn't going to pay the big bucks for the contacts if I still had to wear reading glasses so I was resigned to go back to the lenses I was wearing before. Today was my appointment for the follow-up visit. Since I had to go to town anyway I met hubby for lunch at the Thai restaurant in town. Mmmmmmmm. I had enough time between lunch and the eye appointment to run to the little craft store and try to find some FABRIC for a quilt binding. Mission accomplished and off to the eye doctor.

Well the doctor was pretty disappointed that the lenses were not going to work for me and asked what I wanted to do. I said wellllllllll, what are my options?? She asked if I would like to try a different combination and I figured I had nothing to lose. She brought in another pair of lenses and after having me put them in she asked me to read the eye chart. Eye chart?? I could barely make out the wall! Not an improvement, to say the least. Then she decided on a different direction, change the prescription in the left multi focal lens and go with a stronger single vision lens in my right eye that takes my astigmatism into account. WOWEEEE! I could practically read the copyright information on the bottom of the eye chart! I couldn't wait to get home and try them out while working and reading and sewing. So far so good but I need some time to give them a good workout.

That is not even the cool thing my post title is referring to! I stopped at the library to get a book that was on hold for me and I decided to look for some books on CD. We have a car trip coming up and I would also like to try listening to some books while I work. The library has all of the audio books in one area and some are on cassette and some are on disc. Then I noticed some other titles in cases that weren't sized for cassettes or discs. There was a sign on the shelf that said only four of these selections could be checked out at one time. Huh. What is that all about?
I searched through the titles and found one I was familiar with;

and I opened it up;

It is called a Playaway. You put a AAA battery in it and plug in your headphones. Controls for Play,Pause,Volume,Search;

It fits in my pocket;


Is that the coolest thing or what??? Now maybe this is old news to those of you that live in the big city but here in Podunk this was NEWS!! When I got home I listened to five chapters while I worked. While I worked without my reading glasses.

I can read the serial number on the bottom of my camera and the directions on the back of my calculator and the ingredients on a package of food. I've been looking for little things to read. Little things to read without the aid of my reading glasses. I can hardly wait to sew something tomorrow!

Praise - that God would give people the knowledge to come up with glasses and contact lenses and they aren't one size fits all!

Prayers - for a little boy at our church that has health issues that the doctors have not been able to pinpoint yet. That his parents would continue to lean on Him. That the little boy would be able to keep food down and regain some strength.

Seems like forever

Since I have posted. I just have to say, I'm so glad that I had my own little Friday Night Sew-In after all. Turns out that the night of the REAL Friday Night Sew-In, I spent over 5 hours in the ER with hubby and his kidney stone! Not fun at all. More so for hubby of course. They almost admitted him for pain control. He was in a bad way. Isn't it amazing how something sooooo small can cause such grief? By the time we got home from the hospital I was exhausted. Praise the Lord, that stone has been passed - over a week later. Hubby was not looking forward to having a procedure to have the stone removed and was able to avoid that appointment altogether.

Monday the 21st through Friday the 25th I was teaching at Vacation Bible School at our church. I had the smallest class, with 6 students, grade 3rd & 4th. PERFECT for me! God knows what He is doing, that is for sure! Some of the other classes had over a dozen kids - you know, the little ones that can be so rambunctious. Needless to say, I think, I was tired each afternoon. Of course I was not sleeping all that well with hubby who was in pain off an on that entire week. The students that I had were sweet and polite and eager to participate and my helper was great! She is a quiet young lady that had been one of my Sunday school students before and is now entering high school. She taught our students the motions for their song and even joined them on stage on Sunday for the presentation to their parents and the congregation.

I think all of this gardening happened the weekend before the kidney stone presented itself but I forgot to get the pictures up so that College Girl could see the improvements to the backyard.

When we bought these little grasses for this area along side the steps, hubby and my son and I laughed that it looked a lot like the stuff we just pulled out and threw away and were calling weeds.


This area did have a hydrangea plant that we finally gave up on. I so love hydrangeas but I just can't get one to grow for me here in north Idaho. So we pulled that out, cleaned out the weeds and planted all of this;


Foxglove - or Digitalis. I find it interesting that this has something to do with the digitalis used for heart conditions (or at least way back they were somehow related). Highly poisonous - sure is pretty though!


Lupine. My hubby could not believe I was buying a Lupine when they grow wild around here. I was really hoping that this one was not going to be purple like the wild ones and it did not disappoint. I LOVE this color!

There is also a Azalea plant, some Vinca groundcover and two other plants that I can't recall the name off.

The blocks that I sewed on my own private Friday Night Sew-In, finally ironed and laid out on the ping pong table. I messed with them some after this picture was taken and they are ready to sew into rows now. Cotton Blossom - Mom Colorway and the pattern is Thimble Blossom's Piece of Cake.


My work suffered the week of VBS so I am trying to catch up this week. I hope to get some sewing in. I'm expecting the backing for the All Star baby quilt tomorrow so I can get that sandwiched. I also need to get the Pinwheel baby quilt cut out. I feel so behind. So many projects I want and need to do. So little time.

Praise - God can move mountains AND teeny little kidney stones!

Prayers - for Mama Spark's friend that is in a crisis situation. God knows.

Bridal Shower Gift

We have a wedding to attend in July. We've known the groom and his family for quite a few years. We met the bride very briefly at a wedding two summers ago. College girl and I could not attend the shower unfortunately. I made this on Thursday, got it in the mail the same day and hopefully it arrived in time for the Sunday afternoon shower.



Fabric is Ava Rose by Tanya Whelan. Pattern is from Retro Aprons by Cindy Taylor Oates. It goes together so nicely. It is my 'go to' quick gift apron of choice.

Rainy day here. I need to go to town but I was hoping to avoid the rain. I've already done my work for the day. Could press seams on the blocks I made on Friday. Could bake cookies. Could work on VBS stuff. I love rainy days (but not when I need to go to town).

Praise - for RAIN! I love when God waters our part of the earth for us. Everything looks so fresh and green.

Prayers - for my part in VBS. That my attitude would be glorifying to God and that I would think of each child there as His child.

Sent with Love to Isabella

Started this quilt last Sunday after church and gave it to the new mother on Wednesday evening. I used Moda's Sent With Love charm pack. I love the pop of green.

I don't know what I would do with out the ping pong table for my layouts;


Flannel backing. LOVED this white with red polka dot and the back w/binding looks like a Christmas quilt. Ready to go to the washer and dryer!



All crinkly;



a close-up;


The best picture I could get on Wednesday afternoon;


All ready to wrap;


I used Oh,Fransson!'s tutorial again. It is featured on Sew,Mama,Sew!'s site and is the Charm Squares Baby Quilt. I made the sashings and the borders a teensy bit bigger. The new mother loved it and all the ladies at the shower wanted to see it up close.


Praise - College girl got the program position that she wanted most! She is settling in nicely.

Prayers - VBS coming up next week and I am one of the teachers. That I would get my act together and be ready. For all the kids that might come to VBS.

LOL!!!

Okay, why did NO ONE stop me??? Here I am posting about the Friday Night Sew-in, about it coming up, about what I might sew and now posting about what I AM sewing and DOIH...the Friday Night Sew-in is NEXT Friday!!! LOL!!!

Oh brother. I don't think I have ever been a week early for something before. I tend to work best under pressure with the clock ticking. I actually caught this when reading Angela at SOSCRAPPY's blog post. Come to find out she and Amy of Amy's Passions both had the night wrong. Well at least I'm in good company and the three of us are sewing away.

Now I'll have to come up with another project for NEXT Friday night. The 18th. The REAL Friday Night Sew-in.

Back to the sewing machine for me!

Friday Night Sew-in

Got a late start. This is what I am working on;

Pattern is A Piece of Cake by Thimble Blossoms, fabric is Moda's Cotton Blossom in the MOM colorway.

I matched up my fabric squares, cut them into strips and I am sewing them together now.

Praise - College girl's first full day at her new job training went much better than last night did.

Prayers - continued prayers for College girl - new job, new people, new roommates, same GOD! It is so awesome that He never changes!

Let's back up

Let's go back to last Thursday. June 3rd. My son's 18th birthday. I forgot all about the surprise I was working on! Well I didn't forget about the surprise, I just forgot to post about it.

I finally made the t-shirt quilt that I have been wanting to make for a very long time. I think that I was really afraid to cut them. What if I messed it up?? No one knew that I had been saving those shirts so it was a total surprise. Yeah!!


I would like to make it larger but I need some more shirts from my son and then he needs to decide if he wants a quilt or if he wants a duvet. That is why there are no side borders or sashings. It is still in progress but enough of it was done to give it to him. I have a few small pieces of shirts that I am either going to combine to make a single block or to use on a pieced backing. I used various information that I found online for t-shirt quilts. Once I made the first cut it all came together pretty quickly.

College girl gave her brother a new lens for his video camera. He was just looking through it and I took this photo. I think it looks like it has been photo shopped but nope.


Praise - College girl has finished another year of college and has safely arrived at her summer job.

Prayers - That College girl would get along well, away from home all summer and that she will be shining His light to all she comes in contact with. That those of us at home would adjust to not having college girl home, we sure are going to miss her.

I almost forgot!

It's that time again.



It isn't too late to sign up. Go HERE.

I have a few options to choose from. Who am I kidding? I have dozens of options to choose from but what I meant is, I have narrowed down my choices to a few.
Could be piecing the Cotton Blossoms 'A Piece of Cake' quilt.
Could be piecing the Snippets Pinwheel baby quilt.
Could be sandwiching and quilting the All Star baby quilt.

I think I'll sleep on it and decide in the morning.

Up for air

That's how I feel, like I'm coming up for air and just a quick one. I know that I haven't posted in awhile but this past week I was trying to get so much done. College Girl even asked if I was wearing my SUPER MOM undies!

Three of the baby quilts were delivered at church on Sunday. Enjoy this photo of all the pretty bindings;

The first one is the Lydia quilt. Pattern is Allison at Cluck Cluck Sew's Modern Irish Chain. I LOVED making this quilt and I can't wait to make my next one. All prints are scraps from my stash,including Amy Butler,Heather Bailey, Moda, Sandi Henderson. The backing was a piece leftover from the quilt-along quilt I made last summer!

Scrappy binding;

(thanks for that input, Rene!)

A closer view;

Yes, I know the pictures are not well lit. We've had rain, rain and more rain here. GREAT quilting weather. Great weather to avoid doing the weeding and planting outside. Stinky weather for taking pictures of quilts.

A view of the entire quilt;


This is a close-up of the Megan quilt;


Tutorial by Natalia of Piece N Quilt. Fabric is Moda's Birdie, the binding is not from the Birdie line but I don't remember what it was. I forgot to put the flower appliques on.


A close up of the Patience quilt;

Tutorial was found at Sew,Mama,Sew! and had been submitted by Elizabeth of Oh,Fransson!
Fabric is Moda's Sleepytime and some prints I found to match at JoAnn's. The entire quilt;


We came home from church, ate lunch, and then I got busy with the next baby quilt.

Stay tuned!

Praise - for all the lovely little babies that have been born into our church family this year. Five precious little girls.

Prayers - for the safe delivery of the sixth baby - a boy, that will most likely be born on Friday, the 11th. The mother is in labor and has a C-section scheduled.

I blinked

and my baby grew up.
18 years old today.

That is what he bought last Wednesday.

Happy Birthday son!! I love you.


Quilty post soon. We were gone for the long weekend (taking an extra day even) and now I'm trying to catch up and get ready for a birthday celebration. Cake is in the oven as I type.

Praise - that my son has grown up loving the Lord and that he continues to grow in that relationship.

Prayers - that God would continue to bless my son and that my son would continue to glorify God.