The Merry Month of May - in review

My favorite photo for the month of May: "Dandelion for YOU, Momma!"

Little Boy absolutely DELIGHTS in picking flowers for me - each one a treasure - and I have a little bud vase on the counter full of his offerings. When they die, I have to be very careful to dispose of them when he isn't looking or his feelings are deeply hurt. Even the stems and dead buds are precious in his opinion!




















This photo is from a walk to a rocky cove to throw stones on a gray, stormy day. It was a fairly cold and rainy month mixed in with some sunny days too. I don't have any puddle stomping photos because the camera battery was dead and it took me a few days to find the charger! Our big play purchase for May was a pair of rubber boots for Little Boy which he immediately tested out by SITTING in a huge, muddy puddle. "Nope, they don't work, Momma!" he gleefully shouted. Gee, really?! I wonder why??? So, our first day out with the boots didn't go exactly as planned, but once we got over the sitting in puddles bit, the boots actually do work just fine and have seen some good use this month.




















And, here he is oh so carefully doing the honors (with a little help) with my birthday cake! This is a Swedish strawberry layer cake with berries and home-made vanilla sauce in between the layers and a cream cheese frosting - I hardly ever make it because it is time consuming, but oh so yummy!!



















And here he is having a fun time on the slide at a playground we like to go to. Are we the only 2 people left wearing a hat and mittens in May? The good news is that last week the weather finally started to warm up a bit and we switched over to sun hats. To give you an idea - just this week the lilacs started to bloom! A cold spring.

All in all, we have had a really good month. Oh sure, we have had our share of daily grind - Toddler temper tantrums (after all, it is so frusting being a Little Guy sometimes), some major diet changes, the fact that showers are something like a distant memory these days and my sheer exhaustion by 8:30 pm, just to name a few... but there are many, many delightful little moments in our days too. This is such a fun time - you can almost see the little gears whirling away in Little Boy's head as he learns about and discovers his world. I can honestly say that I am very happy and I think that happiness is reflected in my darling Little Boy's face!

And - on the sewing front... as predicted, not too much sewing going on, but I did get some things done. Getting anything done sewing wise these days is difficult (goes with that 8:30 exhaustion bit), so I am fairly pleased with my following list:

1. Finished my Blue Scrappy Quilt! Ready for long-arm quilter!
2. Put final borders on Mitre Boxes! Ready for long-arm quilter!
3. Serged rags - ugh.
4. Put 1 border on a heart swap top - still need to buy fabric for final border
5. Forced myself to make 2 star blocks for another UFO - making progress!
6. Made some friendship wonky house blocks
7. I am picking away on my 2 Ocean Waves tops
8. Got the heart quilt out in the mail to my Nana's cousin - all labeled!
9. I didn't start anything new...

So - onward into June!!!

Nana's Doll and Cradle

My Nana made this doll and cradle for me when I was in my early teens. Isn't it sweet (the dolls face is embroidered)! The doll is 8" and she just fits into her cradle.

Actually, I think that Nana made alot of these. Some of my nieces also have cradles and dolls. And, I am almost positive that Nana made more to donate to needy children at Christmas time. Plus, there are a few odd dolls here and there around the family but without cradles.

My Nana was a very skilled sewer. My Grandpa encouraged her and always told her - if you are going to spend your time sewing, use the best materials you can buy. She sewed many wonderful things - this baby doll and cradle just one example (and a teddy bear for my brother)! Every year she made me a new school bag - I wish I had that pattern now because it really was the perfect bag! She made me skirts and a pocketbook, a wallet, doll clothes, a little drawstring bag for my jacks, an apron, bean bag frogs, pillows, and probably more things that I just don't remember right now. My very favorite thing she ever made for me was a little round pillow with a zipper in the back to hide my treasures. It was blue (for the color of my eyes) and had a face appliqued to the front - just simple eyes, nose, smiling mouth. I don't know what ever happened to that pillow. She made my brother and nephew similar pillows too. In anycase, I was always thrilled with whatever she made me!

Yesterday my aunt e-mailed me that Nana's cousin's DH is very ill (hospice). Today, while I watched Little Boy play with the garden hose out in the sunshine, I made a new label for that little heart quilt I just showed - I am mailing it Monday to my Nana's cousin as a comfort quilt (I took the doll photos using the quilt as a background). I am not sure I ever met this cousin, but I do know that Nana loved her dearly. It is hard for me to explain, but I feel that sending this quilt to Nana's cousin is like my tribute to Nana. I miss her. I think her cousin will like the quilt and I hope it will bring her a little cheer during this time. I didn't really have any plans for this quilt, I just happened to have it on hand, so maybe it was meant to be...

Heart Quilt

My Hearts Quilt - 43 X 64.
I made the blocks AGES ago. I think the pattern came from a Debbie Mumm book - but I donated tons of my quilting books to my library during a move, so can't double check for you.

Anyway - last summer I finally decided to piece these blocks together. Originally I had 15 blue blocks, but of course, couldn't find 2 of them at the time, so used the initial 2 green "test" blocks I did. The borders/sashing - all from stash. I've since found the missing 2 blue blocks, but rather like the green ones in there. In the fall I sent it off to my long arm quilter and got it back this spring when I was in the States. Take a look at the wonderful quilting she did (as always!)...

Don't go thinking that I sew tons and tons - because you might have noticed that lately I am showing you lots of oldies - but nothing new. Maybe like Sam, I am just on a roll finishing up things I've started. And, this UFO took many years and a few moves before it was made into this completed top.

Well, this morning I was reading a few of my quilting boards and came across a call for quilt entries. My quilts have never been in any shows. I am thinking that I might try to get this one in though - the deadline for photos is a postmark date of June 1st. The show is for machine quilted tops - check it out... www.quiltingonthewaterfront.com - click on Quilt Exhibits for information about trying to enter. And they even have a non-judged catagory so no stress! We will see - I might not be able to make the June 1 photo deadline... but it is something to think about anyway.