Cold Rainy Day

 Yesterday morning Mason and I got these little dresses in the mail for big sister, little sister and Bitty Baby doll.

 Couldn't leave their sweet Mama out so she is receiving matching kitchen towels for cleaning up after her sweet little girls.

 Spent some time this afternoon matching up 1/8th quarters to make a tube quilt. (my first)

Gonna cuddle up on the couch with AJ the beagle and a warm quilt tonight and enjoy this book I haven't taken the time to read in a long time. Crappy photo, sorry

Finally a cold rainy day!!! LOVE IT, seems crazy I know but we had such a mild winter getting this cold front and some rain is a welcome change to the summer temperatures we have been having. Perfect evening for a good cookbook, hot tea and snuggling with AJ the beagle who is very put out that her Daddy is once again on the road.

Yesterday my sister and I worked on pillow case dresses. She hasn't sewn for years but seemed to enjoy the process once she got started. Can't wait to see a photo of her Grand in her new tropical dress. Her grand Blakely was born 2 days after our Kara, we had a bunch of little girls join the family a year and a half ago!! I forgot how fun it was to sew for little girls, our youngest is 29, it's been a long time. Buttons, bows, and ruffles, OH MY. I have 3 dresses I started today for our girls and a friends grand, just need to add the ruffles and they are good to go. It might not happen tonight as the cold rainy day is calling me to just be for a night.

For a change of pace this afternoon I matched up some 1/8 quarters to begin a tube quilt. The pattern seems easy enough but I needed a "Strip Tube Ruler". Since the fabric store called yesterday to tell me a pattern I had ordered was in it was the perfect opportunity to pick up both. (saving on my gas budget) I need to STOP the spending!!! However in my defense I have whipped out 4 dresses each for the little girls without spending a dime on fabric. The new pattern is for a purse for who else but, the little girls, so cute and ruffly. It comes in 4 sizes so I might just do a little blog candy next week for an adult spring purse. I am so into this stash busting mood!!!!

On to passing along the Sunshine award!!!!

Check out Connie's blog for lots of cuteness!!

http://adayatatime2.blogspot.com/

Ms. Thrifty always has some great information, tips and motivation for all, great read!

http://craftthriftandlove.blogspot.com/

Cindy is a Canadian gal that blogs almost daily of the going on's around her place. She is expecting puppies, can't wait for their arrival!!

http://justnorthofwiarton.blogspot.com/

Debbie has the most amazing creations, she has me beginning to really like the color red, best of all she has a ESTY store you can shop from with great prices!!

http://happylittlecottage.blogspot.com/

I love following Annie and all the beautiful places she visits along with the happenings of her sweet family

http://anne-marmaladeandcatmint.blogspot.com/

Kathryn is a fellow Carolina gal who makes the most beautiful quilts and always has wonderful scripture to go along with her posts

http://quiltrestoration.blogspot.com/

Sunshine Award

Jane over at   http://lifebeginsatretirement.blogspot.com/ Gave me this award yesterday!! Thanks so much Jane, if you haven't visited her blog you need to check it out!

I need to share answers to the following questions, here goes

1.)  What is your favourite color? I think maybe soft greens, I seem to be attracted to that color with everything I buy.

2.) What is your favourite animal? That's pretty easy as well,dogs, however I love all animals, I just wouldn't want to share my house with them.

3.) What is your favourite number? My favorite number is 75. I love 75% off sales. When I am trying to put back a little cash I always feel like I am getting closer when I hit the $75.00 mark. If I can get out of Wally world or Target spending less than $75.00 I feel good.

4.) What is your favourite non-alcoholic drink? Water!!! I drink a ton of water, next best thing is tea, hot or cold. Lemon aid is another favorite. I can't have caffeine so I am a little limited in beverages.

5.) Which do you prefer - Facebook or Twitter? Don't know what the heck twitter is. I do have a FB account but I don't hang out on FB much. People seem to post the most intimate things on FB for all to see, I just don't get it. However I do love sharing photo's with friends and family on FB. It's a great way to keep up with all my friends and the new additions to their families.

6.) What is your passion? Our family, nothing else matters 

7.) Do you prefer giving or receiving presents? I LOVE to give!!!! Giving gifts or helping out charities are what float my boat! receiving is nice but giving is better.

8.) What's your favourite pattern? This is a hard one!!! I love all patterns, if you could see my fabric/scrapbook stash you would understand!! The one pattern I don't like is tie dye (is that a pattern?)

9.) What is your favourite day of the week? Sunday.....It's a day of rest, time with family, excitement of a new week ahead.

10.) What is your favourite flower? Old fashion daisies are the best. Nothing fancy, plain, simple, and sweet.

Next I need to pass this award on to others, I will hold off on that until tomorrow. I need to get my old self to the bed, 6:00AM will be here soon.

Money in the Bank

 We had a great time on the boat for many years but it was time for it to gooooo. A sweet young couple bought it Saturday morning. Yahoo, the money is in the bank!

 Hard to tell from this photo, tomatoes, cabbage, lettuce, garlic, yellow onions, strawberries, and herbs (that need to be divided). 

 Tropical dress for the little girls

 Love the back.

 And one in black. Val do you recognize this fabric? Leftovers from your Christmas purse.

Again with a sweet back.

I have driven by the lake a few times the past few days and thought I might miss the boat . Not a chance!! It had become one more thing for me to have to care for and pour money into. The boat slip rent was up to $1,800.00 a year, tax just over $500.00, insurance add an additional $200.00 not to mention gas for the day was well over $100.00 at last years prices. The big kids and Tyler are not real happy with us right now but they will recover! In our area we can rent a boat for around $250.00 a day, very doable compaired to what we were shelling out each year as owners. We have no regrets for purchasing the boat 5 years ago, our family has had some great times on it, lots of evenings out for hubby and I enjoying all the lakefront restaurants and such. We paid cash for the boat way back when, it's nice to get the money back in the bank with some depreciation of course but still a very fair price. I am so enjoying this simplifying our life!!!!

After Mason man and I did some running around this morning I got busy working on some pillow case dresses for the little girls. DD #1 wanted one in black for Karsyn without the ruffle and using a satin ribbon instead of grosgrain. I wasn't sure how it would turn out but in the end I really do like them. Less than $2.00 each using fabric in my stash (I have lots) and the purchase of the ribbon.

I really should be out working on the back garden getting a few more plants in before we have rain tomorrow but instead here I set wasting time on the PC. I am not too crazy about working outside at dusk right now, way to many snakes seem to be running around in yards lately. I am sure we have some as well.

One last thing Carla over at 1/2 dozen daily is hosting a fundraiser/giveaway check it out here

Weekend Happenings

 Look what I found at a garage sale this weekend for $60.00!! I can now say I have a mortgage free home. Only problem is I can't get my rump in it.

 Kara had fun setting on the front porch, ringing the door bell and playing with the mail slot. When she stepped in the house all we heard was "EWWWW",  this house has a dirt floor, Kara hates dirt. When things slow down I will see if I can find an outdoor rug for her.

 New dress for Karsyn with matching triple ruffle panties and two matching hair pretties. The sides are super cute. No side seams, just the ties to keep it closed, Karsyn loved trying on her new dress today!!

 Worked with the pattern a bit and made it reversible, 2 for the price of one.

 Got a little use from the embroidery machine working on Karsyn's ensemble. The flip flops, flower applique, and hair pretties were all done on the embroidery machine.

Since I was making more panties I went ahead and cut out 6 pairs. I hate cutting stuff out!!

Super Duper short post tonight!!! My tail is dragging after a long day around the house and hours in the garden getting some of the planting done. 35 tomato plants, 12 or was it 16 cabbage, lettuce (who's counting), squash, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers and a few packs of various seeds. I am dirty, hot and tired!!!!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!!

One is better than none

 Still need to add button holes and buttons to this dress but it will have to wait until tomorrow.

 I changed the pattern up a bit so the dress could be reversible. No need to waste cute lining fabric.

 Added a double ruffle to the rump of the panties. This may be my new go to pattern for fancy pants. I had a heck of a time getting Kara to model the dress for a picture. I finally gave up and took a shot while she was in the kitchen, their new favorite place to hang out!!

 Kara was happy with the dress. The little girls do love some ruffles!!

If you look closely you can see why I need a good pattern for fancy pants. The little girls won't leave their diapers on now when we put them down for a nap unless we have pants on them!! Got this shot from the french doors going into the grands room when I heard Kara jabbering after her nap. We also have to move the crib into the middle of the room or they try and escape out of the window. Life is never dull with the little girls around, boys are so much easier!!!!

Finally an almost finished dress!! I haven't used my new machine for button hole making yet, so it will have to wait until I have the time to watch a few u-tube videos and read over the manual. That won't happen when I have the grands around for sure!!! I also need to try this dress on Karsyn before I make one for her. Karsyn is a full figure gal, tank might be a better word to describe her!! Ha

This dress would have been super easy if I hadn't decided to make it reversible. Then I had the bright idea that it needed a ruffle which also needed to be reversible.  I may run the ruffle up the back to the shoulders next time. I had tried ruffles around the entire dress with REAL bad results (lots of time with the seam ripper). Now that the dress is done and I know what the heck I am doing (I think) I plan on doing some machine embroidery work on the front of the next one, the pockets are OK but an applique might be sweet and I still need to justify the purchase of the embroidery machine!

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Total cost for the dress and panties was $13.95 the cost of the pattern. There are 3 different dress patterns in the set so the price wasn't so bad after all. All the fabric was from my fabric stash of leftovers, love using stuff up (making room for more)

Off  to dinner out with the family for DD # 3 Birthday. She has decided Friday the 13th Birthday's are not so great. Hopefully we can make her feel better tonight.

Welcome to all the new followers!!! Glad to have you hanging out with us!

Things I'm Lovin

 Really good book even if I didn't get the Tim Tebow poster!

 This is a must read. I downloaded a copy onto my Nook but I will be buying a signed book for each of our DD for Christmas this year. I look like the old lady in the back of a tent revival standing on a chair shouting when reading this thing, " Ya sister, preach it"  "Amen, your right on"

A new fabulous product that will be saving me lots of $$.

Today I start back full time with the Grands, where did that week of I am going to get soooo much done go?  I did accomplish a few things but not nearly as much as I thought I could :(  Yesterday was devoted to making dresses/tops for the little girls. I got 0 finished, grr Between the phone, a trip to the park to meet up with DD and her 3 little ones, hubby calling a million times, and not leaving well enough alone on the pattern I started with all I have left to show for the day is a dress that will have to be reworked after I finish taking it apart with the seam ripper and a kitchen that is upside down with sewing notions.

The bright spot of the day, other than playing with the grands and giving them a nap after the park was using the new tracing paper the ladies at "Sew Much Fun" suggested. It is wonderful!! If your into sewing you know how expensive patterns are. I have some I have paid close to $20.00 for, CRAZY. The little girls are in the smallest size of the pattern at this point in time. If I cut out their size then the other sizes are wasted. In the past I would use butcher paper to trace out the smaller patterns, a real pain in the butt and hard to store for later use. The Kwik Trace paper is as thin as tissue paper but won't tear like tissue paper would. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this stuff!!!

I have no idea why this blooper photo loaded in the middle of the post but there you have it. Kara was a little confused when we handed her the princess wand, she threw her hands up for a touchdown. We do love us some college football around this place.

Hubby has a 3 day weekend,  with any luck and not much fussing (I hope) we should be able to tag team Kara and finish off a few things. The biggy is tilling the garden and we might have someone interested in buying the boat, fingers crossed on that one. We will also be going to the post office to mail out the dreaded income tax check. Tonight is dinner out with the family to celebrate DD # 3 birthday, how did she become 29 years old? If our girls keep this up much longer they will be the same age as us.

Progress!!

 We meet bright and early this morning to have the grands spring pictures taken. Notice that Karsyn is working on getting Kara's hair pretty out.

 The bird house quilt top is done, hard to see from this photo how cute the fabric is

Love the sweet border.

Thank goodness rotten days are few and far between!!

 Getting the grands group photo's taken this morning as well as their individuals was an active event to say the least. HA We treat the grands to photo's twice a year. Christmas and spring with new outfits for all. The Mommies can dress them in whatever they want for their individual pictures but for the group shot it's my pick (and my $$) The sweet photographer did her best to get the kiddo's to sit still and look at the camera, bless her heart. I finally convinced her if they are all in the photo it's good enough, we can't get the little girls to stand still for a minute. I am happy with what she got, the boys are looking very handsome, Kara is setting like a lady and Karsyn is herself, always up to something!!! Maybe I will share some of the bloopers later on.

I was able to finish off the birdhouse quilt top today after a quick trip to purchase more border fabric. Now on to the the sandwiching, pin basting and quilting. I would love to have this baby ready to wrap by the first of next week when the grands are all back full time. I have piles of fabric and patterns for the little girls dresses and such I want to get to very soon as well since summer is almost here. Everything is pre-washed. organized and ready, now to find the time.

We are having some great weather this week, it has finally cooled down enough to be able to sleep at night and no rain for a week. If our luck holds out we will be able to get the garden tilled Friday then the planting can begin. Hubby isn't going to have the time to build any new raised beds this week but next time home I will have all the supplies on hand so we can knock it out in record time. I have plenty to do as it is.