Thursday, May 8, 2014

Today the weather was in the high 70s.  I wonder, will we  have Spring or just catapult straight into summer.  The school year is winding down for the kids.  

I'm still working on the soap for the Girls on the Run soap bags.  I have about 150 to make yet, and most of them still need to be bagged.  After that the labels have to be attached.  I guess I know what I will be doing this weekend.  Maybe I can corral the kids to help as my mother's day gift.  

I finished another rug the other day.  This one looks like sand and water so I have nicknamed it Sand 'n Surf.  

I have been sneaking in some quilting time.  I ordered a foot and feeddog cover so I can do some free motion quilting.  But now the machine is jamming.  I'll take it in tomorrow.  It needs a cleaning anyway.  I was in the Singer store last week and they had a free motion long arm machine with a compact table.  $5000.  A lot of money, but about half of what the programmable machines go for.  I have to improve my piecing skills quite a bit to even dream about a machine like that.  In the mean time, I will do my quilt as you go squares that I am making for a quilt for my son-in-law. 

 I have a quilt that I'm hand quilting for my oldest daughter, but I can't find my hoop top!  grrrrr.  I have 2 grandkids that still do not have quilts.  So many addictions - so little time.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Happy May Day everyone! As I write this, it is 42 degrees outside. Gotta love Michigan. I have been super busy the last few months. Since I am a church musician when I'm not making soap, candles, rugs, stockings, fudge, or lamps, April was especially busy. Easter, you know, the busiest time in the church. Add to that additional grandkid time and something had to give - blogging. We had the Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival last weekend and our little Claire competed in the Princess pageant. Here she is hamming it up on the parade float with one of her friends. She's the one on the left.



So now it's time to gear up for making soap for the Girls on the Run race bags. So far I have 87 soaps done out of the 650 that I need to do. Also, I did 4 batches of Apple Jack and Peel soap for a barn wedding. This is the third request I have had to make soap for weddings. Must be a new trend.



I've also started making tin can lamps. I absolutely love them!! These are timer lamps. Some are electric and some are battery. They glow for 8 hours and then automatically turn themselves off for 16 hours. Then they turn back on.













In February I had surgery on my hand for carpal tunnel. That slowed me down for a couple of weeks, but I am back to making rugs



This summer I plan to get back to quilting. I have missed that so much. The problem is, there are too many things I love to do and not enough time to them.