June Saturday Morning

I have a feeling this is going to be my month.  I finally got a little warm walking Graysen home from school yesterday and enoyed sitting on the balcony with them and listening to their chatter.

I've finally caught up from the trip and the delay on my blood pressure meds, so maybe I'll be good to go now.  I finally went into the pharmacy yesterday and told them I had been begging for my medications for over a week and experiencing delay after delay and was told very perkily that they had finally arrived!  I'm still thinking about changing back to the pharmacy Mike and I used the first year, even though it means a little drive.  That one doesn't have a drive-through, but I only use it every 3 months, so it won't kill me to go in.

I went to bed before dark and woke up twice and read but then slept late.  Someone across the way is moving this morning, very loudly and busily, but it's a happy loud, so I'm kind of enjoying it.  I almost wish it were me, but then I think about how much I love my little place in spite of the amount of rent I pay.  It's home now, and I feel safe and have neighbors I like.  Being able to walk to the library, the school, the Win-Bin house, the garden, the doctor and dentist are pluses.  I can just walk out the door and have a beautiful walk, no matter what direction I go.

I took this from the back of the library yesterday.  The smoky haze from the fires from Canada is showing up pretty clearly.  So sad.

I'm going to enjoy the weekend, because I have to get creative to keep Katherine entertained the next two weeks until Graysen gets out of school.  I have a few things in mind.  Her last-day-of-school carnival is Tuesday afternoon.  I was glad to hear her teacher say the preschool kids could show up at 1:30 and avoid having to see the "boring" graduation of the pre-K kids.  It wasn't boring last year when Graysen graduated, and it won't be boring next year when Katherine graduates, but she will be glad just to show up and get some cotton candy and lemonade and play some games.  She might even ride the pony.  Who knows?  

I'm trying to sneak back into the sewing room and get some things going, but it's slow.  I made the girls a towel last week with some embroidery on it but forgot to take a picture.

While I was looking for something else, I found three projects that I started and didn't finish, and I think I will try to get these finished before the holidays.

On one trip to Washington, Mike and I came home through Idaho, Montana, ND, Minnesota, and Michigan.  We enjoyed taking our time and finding some interesting places to stop.  We even found a little quilt shop where Mike patiently waited for me to look around.  He was so good about my hobbies and even encouraged me to make a few purchases.

I got three kits and worked on each of them - up to a certain point.

The first one is a little spooky, but I guess it's supposed to be.  I think all I need to do here is add batting and quilt and bind it.  I think the girls will enjoy having it this fall.  I might even practice my free-motion quilting if I can get up the nerve.

I think I could have done a neater job, but it will do.

The next one is a primitive hand embroidered panel that I enjoyed doing.  I don't have the packaging for this, but it looks like all I need to do is press this one and quilt and bind it.

My favorite one was this Christmas one. 

It was the first Pineapple piecing I had done, and I absolutely loved doing it.  Unlike some kits, the fabrics were perfect, and it's worth finishing.  I'm cutting back on some more of my Christmas decorations, but I think this one will definitely be used if I can get it done.

Another plan I have is to make the girls each another Hannah's Nightgown in bigger sizes.

I made Graysen a white one when she was about three.  Here's the post on the making of it, back when my camera had a dark spot on it!  She wore it constantly and loved, loved, loved twirling in it.  Then she outgrew it and passed it reluctantly down to Katherine who has worn it until it's almost threadbare and the stitching is coming loose in places.  I brought it here to repair, and she keeps seeing it and asking about it.  I just want to make them both a new one.  I have several pieces of batiste left, and Graysen has agreed to a blue one, and I'm waiting for Katherine to choose her color.  Picking the wrong color could be a deal-breaker, so I have to make absolutely sure they're sure.

I put my smocking pleater (reluctantly) on eBay, and it sold this morning for $105, which will buy some more fabric.  Maybe I'll splurge and get some lawn for the nightgowns.

The pleater was used so much back when I was smocking, but I realize I won't be doing any more now.  I had just started taking heirloom sewing classes in Meridian, and when it was my birthday, Mike sent Emily to the heirloom sewing fabric shop to get me one.  Did I mention how much he went along with every new interest I had?  He was extremely proud of the things I did and encouraged me even when I knew I was not perfect.  Adding two little girls to sew for was the icing on the cake.

It's hard to say good-bye to these special memories, but I'm hoping to make new ones as time goes by.