Or as my friend used to say, “Time flies whether you are having fun or not.” So what have I been doing?
Blocks for our Spelling Bee for Carla, who has just opening a knitting shop. I made two and then one more for Simone, whose daughter is getting married and she’s making the wedding dress. She gets a pass, I’d say.
I made bee blocks for Mid-Century Modern Bee, for Stephanie, who doesn’t really run a blog, but is here on Instagram. Actually she’s in Russia, but try not to hate her. It looks like a fabulous trip.
Did (what I call) Duty Sewing to make an item for the Scout Auction at our church. I was thinking Scouts=Food, so I picked up four boxes of treats at Trader Joe’s, a Dairy Queen gift card and two shopping bags, and wrapped them all up fancy. It’s to help raise money to send boys to camp. I used to be in the boat of forking over moolah for Scout camp (I had three boys), and am really really happy to be at this end: donating, rather than doing.
Planted my summer garden. This time we didn’t buy the fancy-schmancy tomatoes at the Swanky Garden Center, but instead went to the local nursery and Lowe’s. They look much healthier. Things that grow in my garden are an endless fascination to me, and I sometimes check the seedlings daily. I’m #goofyaboutmygarden, thank you very much.
Did some market sewing for a friend. I also made plans to go to market, courtesy of Painter’s Palette Fabrics, who I sewed a quilt top for. . . and now I get to see it! Can’t wait–so excited.
Perused Instagram. I had no idea that people still crocheted granny square bedspreads. My horizons are widened every time I follow a hashtag that’s new to me, in this case #makersmovement, which is for (duh) people that make things. We used to be called crafters. I like the term Makers much better.
Finished up last month’s blocks for the Halloween QAL and got the blocks ready for this month’s post on May 13th. You know, when you break down a quilt into chunks, it’s much easier. And I know I would have never have gotten this far, if it hadn’t been for the fact that I had to make the bits of the quilts to post. Thank you very much for putting up with me.
Cleaned out Started cleaning out the photo cupboard, where I found my First-Ever Selfie, painted when I was six years old and in Brownie Scouts. Interestingly, we didn’t have a dog at that time, even though I painted one in the picture (wishful thinking?).
Found out that the street where we stayed in Dubrovnik, Croatia in 2014, was one of the sites used in Game of Thrones, a show I have never seen. In the top photo (taken from the web somewhere) is the scene from the movie. The middle photo is their comparison of how it looks when it’s not been movie-fied, and the bottom photo is taken by me, leaning out our window, looking back up the street. I found this out one day when I was reading the NEWSPAPER (yes, I’m that old) and saw the top photo. I ran upstairs to compare mine with theirs, then found the middle photo on the Internets.
Another eureka moment was when I discovered that Costco sells macarons. Yes, I have two boxes in my freezer right now, but I gave away the coffee-flavored cookies to a neighbor (I hate the taste and smell of mocha/coffee). I’ve also gotten three bids on a new HVAC system, and one guy is wandering around my house right now, taking mea$urement$.
In the cooking department, I made biscotti to take to my son, who lives in Normal Heights, in San Diego, California. My recipe is *here.*
Found out there is a fabric store in Normal Heights, in a former movie theater, which had some silk shantung, perfect for working on my Four-in-Art project for the May reveal. I’ve also been to the doctor’s twice, but the patient — like Mayor Shinn’s wife in the movie The Music Man — will recover.
Coming soon to a blog near you, on May 1st.
And my design wall last week, as I was figuring out a scene for under the Christmas Tree (next step is coming May 2nd), working on my Four-in-Art art quilt, and enjoyed a completed mini–a sample to check on how my pattern worked for some more market sewing, which I’ll show you very soon. (You know the game.) Now back to the sewing.
OccasionalPiece--Quilt! 
What do you use for a design wall and how did you mount it?
Thank you,
Oh my Elizabeth, you never cease to amaze me. I do have one easy question for you about Oh Christmas Tree and what you showed us of your efforts to piece Joseph for under the tree. With all of the embroidery you’be been doing on the flowers and the birds, I wondered why it didn’t automatically carry over to the Holy Family. You might just have been in the mood for some very complicated piecing, but I was just wondering? You know me. Jealous of your ability to attend market. Would love to go and was joking last night with a quilty friend from that area about descending on her whether she liked it or not to help her with her market decisions for her one woman business!
I love your roundup! It’s inspiring. Now I am going to finish binding a quilt for my good friend’s 50th birthday and applique 2 petals onto to quilt blocks so that I am completely caught up on a BOM project. Then maybe I can get back to my Oh Christmas Tree stitching (which has just barely started :-().
You have been a busy bee! More inspiration, I must put in the perspiration – I need to get the poor squash and cukes transplanted and put in some sewing time. See you at next week’s class.
You’ve been quite busy! No wonder time flies. (Yeah, either way there, too!) My list isn’t quite like yours but seems long enough, too. Son was here for about 49 hours, most of which he was otherwise occupied. It was jarring and wonderful to see him and also … hard. It was kind of a hard visit. He was in Spain as of this morning, and heading onward to his deployment base later today, after they sleep. I’m not sure who is flying, as there are something like 30 from his squadron going and most if not all are pilots. ??? Confusing. Anyway, I am rambling. Sad (a little,) worried (slightly but not much,) and rambling. Time flies. As do the people in our lives, flying in small and large orbits around us, occasionally stopping for a moment, sometimes losing the grip of our gravity altogether.
OMGoodness! So much content here that I don’t know what to comment about first. I’ve never seen Game of Thrones either, and couldn’t get into the book even though I started twice. The names and plot were too confusing. Love your raised garden. I wish I could do that here, but we’ve learned it attracts mice and rats! I didn’t know you have a mountain view. That’s lovely! I’ve still never eaten a macaroon. I don’t even know where to buy one around here; no Costco. But thanks for the scone recipe link. I’ve had those a couple times, and would love to try making them. So darned cool that you get to go to market! I’ve been several times, on writing assignments for quilting magazines. Miss being able to do that. You will enjoy, and no doubt return home on complete overload. Be rested and feeling well before you go! Have a wonderful time.
Oops. Not “scone;” biscotti. And I still want to try the recipe!
I am adoring you Halloween QAL blocks! Your skills are amazing! I am so inspired by your work. This has been fun!
Sewing? What’s that? I can see why you haven’t been using that new long-arm machine! Time flies- fun, or no fun, right!
Wow….you accomplished so much, Elizabeth. I can see why you feel time flies, but look at all you finished. I love your first selfie – creativity started early for you!
I’m glad to be on the donor end of things too. 😉
Love your finished blocks. The Halloween ones are great and your Christmas tree looks incredible on the wall. Like you, I’ve been working on words today. They are addictive.
It won’t be long before you are enjoying those first fruits of your garden. I can hardly wait.
Wow, you have been BUSY! There is a lot of making and baking and taking going on over there. Very impressive. And thanks for sharing that selfie. I always wondered what you looked like as a child, and now I know. You were really cute (as I knew you must have been), but I’m a bit relieved that you got rid of the blue skin.
Loved your rambling post today. I must get to Costco and look for those macaroons. My daughter loves them and is even considering them for her wedding dessert. Off now to look at your recipe.
Amongst your beautiful and creative post you mentioned going to the Doc twice. Pray all is well. Your chard looks delicious.
You continue to amaze me with all the goings on in your life. Your garden looks so nice and will look great once the plants start blooming. Your macaroons also look delicious as well as your biscotti which I dearly love especially when they are homemade. The Halloween quilt is coming along great and the Christmas quilt looks stunning on the wall. You’ve certainly gotten a lot done. Makes me jealous. Looking forward to the next installment of both quilts next month.
Good heavens–there’s a lot packed into this post! I can’t decide if I’m inspired or exhausted, by reading about it all! Your projects look beautiful and I can see why they each draw you back to work.
Oh, this must be the end of the month post. You have been busy! I am still working on many projects with life interferring too much. Time does fly whether we are having fun or not and the more I have to do the more frustrated I get. I love all you have been doing and enjoyed the read. But for me it is back to mostly cleaning the house (long story) before guests (again).
I loved the day we spent in Dubrovnik. Almost made me laugh out loud to see Direct TV dishes on the tops of those very old buildings. How fun to go to quilt market–can be overwhelming but still so SEW much fun!!
WHOA. The Chrismas Tree is big. I don’t know what I was thinking…. Usually I check my Instagram in the early a.m., on my phone, while the coffee is brewing. I guess those little pics on a little screen in the wee hours made me think it was little. This is IMPRESSIVE. And it’s going to be the star of the show when you decorate for Christmas. Brava!