Sewing Machine

 I’ve been having trouble sewing the next quilt because my sewing machine is acting up; even when I talk nice to it! It bunches up underneath and all the threads make a mess of tangles. It actually has an official name-bird’s nest. I have done everything like rethreaded it and cleaned  out the bobbin area. Riley did that and found lots of threads and little lint balls. And still it won’t sew. 🧵 

So I did what only I can do best. I ordered a new Brother sewing  machine from Amazon. It is coming today and I can’t wait to try it out. The old machine hopefully will be given away to a new home and I can go on sewing quilts.

Picture coming soon! 

This Looks So Good!

 I’m going to try these tomorrow! 

Recipe;

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Back Again

 Well we went back to Neighborhood Sip for coffee after lunch and met Karen there. She rode her bike. Riley was happy to see us and we enjoyed a time of refreshment and being together. It’s a really nice coffee shop and Riley is a knowledgeable and capable barista! 

I started my scripture writing yesterday and today. I am really enjoying doing it. I am doing a topical study on prayer and it is really good. I write out the verse and then any notes that I think are applicable. It helps to have a new journal and different colored gel pens 

What Do I See?

 I took a break from sewing to sit outside to read.  It was a little warm but there was a nice breeze. There was a robin in the birdbath and a fawn lying in the shade. A monarch butterfly was flitting on the zinnias. There was a pretty view of the yard and flowers. All in all it was a nice experience! 

Scripture Writing

 I’ve been in a slump reading my Bible and praying. I read a great article today by Tim Challes about what to do when you are having trouble focusing on scripture. This is the part about scripture writing. You can click on the highlighted words and see the article. 

Rebekah is a committed Scripture-writer, and in this article she lays out the benefits while also suggesting a method. You could also try Scripture journaling with one of the many Bibles created for that purpose.

I really enjoyed the article and think I will try it. I got a journal and colored pens and am going to try writing topically first and then go to books of the Bible. I come by this naturally as my grandmother wrote out the whole New Testament when my dad was in the army.  I now have these notebooks in my possession.

I think writing out scripture will help me to pray because I can pray the verses from the Bible for myself and others. 

I’m looking forward to picking a topic and starting tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it goes. 

Last Night

We ended the day yesterday by going to the Black Label Tavern with Karen and the kids. We had steak bites and Brussel sprout stir fry. It was so good! Don said it was the best birthday he has had. 

Today I am sewing another baby rag quilt. It is light green and gray with cute little snails on it. 

The actual day of

 …The 80th birthday is today! We went to Greenfield Village this morning. It was a beautiful morning with blue skies and a nice breeze. The flowers at the village were gorgeous! We took lots of pictures and had lunch outside at the Taste of History. We are sitting outside now and talking about going to dinner at the Black Label Tavern. There is a fawn drinking out of the bird bath and there is a lovely breeze. 

There is a piece of birthday cake for Don to eat tonight after dinner. What great birthday celebrations Don has had! 

Blessed

 I looked around last night on our deck and saw all our children and grandchildren gathered for Don’s 80th birthday and thought “how blessed we are.” And we have two great grandchildren on the way! What memories we had of our times together in the past! And this was another memory for us. 

Karen and Riley made a framed collage with pictures of Don with everybody and some wrote typed tributes to Don. It was beautiful and the talented Riley put it all together. He also got a lovely note from Megan and Maddie and a book, Bible and card from Cavan and Ashley. How nice to be remembered by family in this way. What a wonderful man I married! 

The collage that Karen and Riley made

Bakers

 This is the Baker family minus Kristen and Alyssa. They are here for the day and decided to take a walk after the rain stopped. We are waiting to go to the birthday party for Don who still doesn’t know where it is. There is Megan, Bryce, Ryan, Cavan and Ashley. I wonder how far pregnant Megan will go. She is due in 2 months. 

Festivities

 The festivities start tonight with dinner for all out of town guests. We have schwarma chicken in the crockpot and Kristen is bringing the fixings. Then a brunch tomorrow morning for the girls and the party for Don at Buddy’s Pizza which is also 80 years old. That’s at 5:00. Then to our house for cake. On Sunday after church there is a baby shower for Alyssa. I’m so excited to see everyone! Such a busy weekend! 

 This is the second quilt I have made and it is so pretty and soft. I think I’m going to stick with baby quilts for a while. I’m thinking of donating them to the pregnancy center like my sister Jan did with her receiving blankets a while back. 

What am I going to do now? I am going to take a little break and then start another baby quilt. It’s very satisfying to do! 

This is the next one. Is all ready to get ready and sew. I have another quilt in the cart on Etsy. Just waiting to get it. It is pink. 

Damage

 The stupid groundhog ate my flowers on the deck and made a mess all over the deck. He really chewed on the plant after he walked over the Irish Spring that was meant to deter him. He did it this morning in broad daylight! Don threw the pot out and I’m hoping he doesn’t eat anymore! It’s very frustrating to fight against the wildlife around here. The deer have eaten all our hydrangeas. What a crying shame! 

The Big Party

 

Don’s 80th birthday party is coming up this Saturday and 
all the kids and grandkids are coming to town for the party. We can’t wait to see them all! We are having dinner at an undisclosed place and coming back here for cake. How fun! 

It’s hard to believe Don is going to be 80! You would never know it! He is in excellent health and takes no medication. Cavan once called him “the energizer bunny,”  and he definitely is that! The time has gone by so fast!

 Our lives are just a vapor as the Bible says and it so true! The Lord has blessed our lives together and we are thankful to him for the many blessings he has given us! 

Elephants

 How cute is this? My next quilt is a baby blanket that came in a kit all cut up into squares with directions on how to lay it out! I’m sold on this method! Now I’m ready to start sewing it. The blue elephants are so cute. Can’t wait to see how it turns out! 

Pillow

 I had some left over material from the quilt, so I made a pillow. It was very hard to sew the closing after I put the pillow form in. But I got it together and it is on the bed with the quilt. Now…going forward to the next project. I’m hooked! 

Done!!

The quilt is done! I don’t know how many hours it took, but it is soft and cozy now sitting on the bed. It goes with our colors perfectly! I washed it and dried it and the exposed seams are fluffed up and looking just right. 

Now onto another one! Perhaps it will be a Christmas present. 

Almost Done

 

The quilt is almost done. All the squares are sewn on; now I have to sew all around the outside of it. I have done one side so far and clipped it. Now I have 3 more sides to do. It is hard with the bulk of the quilt in your lap. Then I have to wash it and dry it so all the clippings get fluffy. Thus it will become a rag quilt. Can’t wait! 

Progress

 I’m sewing the squares for row 8 on the quilt; the last row. The sewing machine is working great and I’m on a roll! 

I ordered a quilt kit on Etsy where all the fabric is pre-cut so I won’t have to cut all the squares out myself. It is coming next week. I have enough time to finish the one I’m making. 

It’s a baby boy quilt with little elephants on it. Hmmm…,,,who could it be for? 

Bees, Butterflies, and Badgers

 Well, it’s a groundhog not a badger but an animal who destroys my plants has got to go! I caught him in the middle of the day on his hind legs chomping on my flowers in the pot. I yelled and knocked on the window and he scampered off the deck. He left a mess of flowers and leaves on the deck. I put the Irish Spring back out and it’s going to stay there. 

On another note, I got good pictures of a butterfly and a bee on my zinnia. I love to watch them going from flower to flower. It is that time of year when the butterflies 🦋 appear. 

Pressing On

 I’m amazed that I keep on sewing no matter what the little problems I run into along the way. I used a good word yesterday to describe what I am feeling and it was tenacity! Maybe I’ve learned a little patience along the way too. I just added row 5 to the quilt and have three more rows to go. I’m already planning the next quilt in my mind. We will see! 

Problems

 After many problems with my sewing machine, I changed the needle on it and it is sewing like a dream. The thread kept breaking and I do think it was the needle. The guy at tech support said you need to change it every 6 to 8 hours of sewing. I am almost ready to add row 4 to the quilt. Oh no! The presser foot just fell off. What is going on? Stay tuned…..

Whew! Got that presser foot back on. Thanks Don for helping! Row 4 is on! Yay! 

Bedraggled

 I’m sitting outside and my pots look a bit overgrown and bedraggled: meaning in rough shape. The groundhog helped himself to some of them, the wave petunias are dead in the middle and the Mandevillas are growing together. And the gardening wagon is filled with flowers. One other thing; the basil is prolific and I keep pinching off the flowers and it keeps growing. I don’t know what I will do with all the basil. It rained last night which makes things look worse! Sometimes I think I’m ready for fall. One good thing is the hanging pots look great and there are lots of butterflies. 

Oh, there is some Irish Spring soap to keep the groundhog away. It got wet in the rain last night. 

Snafu

Row 1 and 2 done

 I had a little snafu in the quilt-making. I had to go to Hobby Lobby—twice—to get more material. But I digress. Onward and forward sewing a rag quilt. I am determined to finish it. 

Guess What??

 I decided to sew my quilt myself. Riley helped lay it out and I got the first row done yesterday. The material is very pretty and I think it is going to turn out beautifully!