Nervous?

Nervous? Me nervous???? Just a little bit! See this------------------------>

My 21 year old is sitting in Kennedy Airport right now waiting to board a flight to go see the Eiffel Tower for 27 days! I think I'd be a little more nervous if she were alone but she's going on a tour with Fashion Merchandizing students from all over the area and will be studying as well as touring so I'm not as nervous as I would have been otherwise.

I've never been to Paris but this will be the 2nd daughter to go. The other one went for a haircutting and coloring class about 5 years ago and loved it.

A Finish and MORE Dots

Hope everyone is having a restful Memorial Day and we're all remembering the reason for this day.

I put the border on this baby quilt a few minutes ago and since I'm home alone I had to go outside to get a picture. It's not the best picture but once it's quilted and bound I'll take a better one. It's definitely much cuter in person!!!

I also took a few pictures of some more DOTS Vickie :) I really thought I had more but it's a funny thing, when you go in search of them you just can't find them!!!

Here's my ironing board cover, a pitcher in my china cabinet, and my beach towel that I take on vacation with me!

String Blocks

I am NOT a scrap userupper.I'm just not really interested in making scrap quilts never was, never thought I would be. I usually will bring a large garbage bag full of scraps to retreat and have fun watching all the girls go thru the bag and take baggie fulls home with them. Sometimes they will assemble small projects while they are there too. Well, the last night of retreat last week I was semi challenged by my friend Deb Smith, who makes a lot of scrap quilts, to make something and bring it to retreat in 2011. So, I grabbed an old pile of muslin and cut some 7 inch foundation blocks from it and then took my scrap basket, which is pretty much empty and tonight I started to sew together some string blocks. I actually feel "good" about not wasting the fabric and in the end I'll have a pretty scrappy top that I can use or donate...

Here's a picture of my scraps and the first 4 string blocks.

The Polka Dot War Begins

WELL...I think I've been challenged by Vickie....I guess we have to let the polka dot wars begin!!!

Yes Vickie, I have glasses with red polka dots, napkins with dots, and a little snack plate that I have on the table next to me when I am sewing while I watch tv. I can sit my hot cuppa tea on it and the loose threads and such get put on it too...easy clean up at the end of the night :)

And I know you have one of these too, but I HAD to show it :) I always bring my own shopping bag anywhere I go so now I have the best looking one around. Ain't it purty?

Retreat 2010

I had a ball at retreat AGAIN this year. The 13 hour drive from NJ with Robin is grueling but the minute we get to the hotel the night before the fun starts, all that traveling is a distant memory....the drive home on the other hand is still fresh in my mind!!! LOL

I got a couple of projects finished and ready for quilting. One is a red/white/turquoise top. I had hoped to make it full size but my starting squares were undersized so I ended up with something that a little girl could use. I also did a flannel quilt for my daughter's boyfriend's brother and a red/white & blue top that I will donate to our school in September for raffling off.

We also had a guest appearance by Laura's friend Pepe.....And, last but not least, I got lots of gifts from the girls and brought home quite a few new pincushions this year...

Dots, Dots, and More Dots

My love of anything polka dot is legendary....but all of a sudden I'm noticing my obsession has turned to everything red and white polka dot. While at retreat last week I noticed a lot of conversations with my friend Vickie turned to the subject of the red and white dots almost hourly! I thought then that I should post a picture of a few of my most recent purchases.

First, Vickie and I went on a search on the internet for a red Ott Lite. I found one and sent her the link to it. Well, before I had the chance to do anything, Vickie had hers ordered and got her shipping notice. I ordered mine as well the next day but didn't tell Vickie that I got an even more special one than she did....mine is red and white polka dot!!! YES folks, red and white polka dot!!! Then at the end of the week we had a "Secret Sister" swap which also produced some yardage of red and white dots courtesy of Connie from Indiana....

Then when I came home having finished a cute red/white/aqua quilt, I went online and ordered some red and white dotted minkee....You should feel how soft this stuff is....Well, that came yesterday.

I also have a few things around the house that are red and white dots....my desk chair is covered in them, I have tea mugs that are red and dotted and my daughter wears the BEST red and white dotted shoes!!!

Now, if I could get my hands on those dotted bowls that Liz said she got at Costco, I'd be in heaven!!!

I'm back

Sorry for such a long time since last posting but we got in from retreat VERY late last Sunday and then this past week was spent playing catch up with laundry and work and then Thursday it was time to go "back on the road" for our trip to Rhode Island to pick up the youngest child from college and to attend her awards ceremony. She finished up her junior year at Johnson & Wales and received 3 scholarships amounting to enough to pay for housing next year!! It was a wonderful surprise when we saw how much she got and finished out the year with a 3.86 GPA...another nice surprise. Since she wouldn't pose for any pictures yesterday I can only write about it, not show pictures....
Thanks Sarah for making Mom and Dad so proud of you!!!

On the road again........

On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again.............well, I could do without all the driving but I am anxious to see all the girls again and spend some real quality time sewing. Robin is supposed to be here for me tomorrow morning so we can be at the bagel shop when it opens at 6am and then we'll be heading thru NJ to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and on our way to Indiana.

I've checked and double checked my list of things I need to bring to work on as well as all my supplies....if I've forgotten anything I guess I'll just have to borrow from one of the other girls. Have a great week while I'm gone....

Peggy

I totally forgot

I totally forgot that we had a birthday here at Casa Aront last Saturday.....

Well, not really FORGOT as much as wasn't able to connect to the internet for 3 weeks from home (thank you very much Comcast)....but anyway, our beautiful daughter Jennifer turned a young 26 on May 1st. The family went out to a hibachi restaurant for dinner and then home for presents and cake....

Here's a picture of the birthday girl and her honey Tim...don't they make a cute couple? Please ignore the fat lady in red....for some odd reason the photographer would NOT listen to the lady in red and I can't get her cropped out LOL

Next time I take the pictures so I don't have to embarass myself anymore. Geesh..my hair was a mess, the angle was all off and what's with the stunned look????? Anyhow, Happy Birthday Jen, and many more!!!

Meadow Blocks

I am definitely on a finishing roll....not on UFO's but new starts. I don't know why I even make a UFO list sometimes but I do :) So, last week I'm just aimlessly wandering around the sewing room one afternoon when I'm home here by myself and not in the mood to do laundry, clean house or anything else...so I say to myself "self, get out a kit and get to sewing". I've had a kit from the Fat Quarter Shop on my shelf for at least 6 months or more and I keep looking at it so I pulled it out and cut into it. Once all the parts were cut, the assembly was quick! The pattern name is "Meadow Blocks" by Carlene Westberg Designs. 16 fat quarters and some backing and binding and you have a beautiful quilt!

I took it ouside today since it's beautiful out and tried to get a decent picture of it...sure wasn't easy with the breeze blowing, but here it is.

It is very bright but it's going to make a fun quilt for a little girl and it will go with any color room...

And speaking of flowers....everything here in NJ is blooming, I have green surfaces all over my house from the darn pollen to prove it!

We have some purple flowers out back and my beautiful weeping willow is all green!!!