Fat chance

I mentioned last post that I had been spending time prepping a joint project for Mom and I.  Mom made what we call the "eagle quilt" about 20 years ago I think.  The pattern is in this book.  The "Star-Spangled Banner" now resides at my house and I've hung it for the 4th of July season.  

Together, we made a second eagle quilt in 2009 and donated it to the Capital Quilter's Guild Heritage Day Auction to raise funds for the guild and Military Missions In Action.  We were also thrilled to win a ribbon at the NC Quilt Symposium show that year.  Now we are making a third version of the quilt.  Mom doesn't sew as much anymore due to poor eyesight so she's declared this one to be her swan song.  Mom will hand piece the small blocks and work on the applique.  It will be my job to assemble all the pieces and quilt it.  Basically what we did the last time.

The Sailor Son and his boys visited for a few days.  I decided to surprise everyone and dragged out the dehydrator to make some fruit leather.  It was not a success.  Obviously I need dehydrating practice!

We spent a day at the lake in the sun.

At home the boys bounced back and forth between The Sandbox, the bedroom with the Lego, and the living room with the TV.  Five was fascinated with all my measuring implements and had a grand time measuring his brother with a tape measure.  He declared himself to be in business and tried to sell the clothes he had measured for.  Batman wanted his garments for free so this led to long negotiations between them and explanations from me that I couldn't give my work away for free because of time and materials.  It was lots of fun watching them in action.  :-)

My car has not one, but two DVD players!  I don't know how to work them, but the boys do and it's always a treat for them to watch movies as we drive around town.  It was so funny when Batman insisted on wearing the headphones over his hat.

The Viking didn't have sound, but he didn't care.  When his cousins are here is the only time the DVD players are used.  He was thrilled.

 The boys were fascinated with the built-in vacuum system.  They had a great time taking turns vacuuming.  I had an untapped resource!  They can come and clean house anytime.

The big treat on this visit was letting them use my sewing machine.  We went to JoAnn to choose fabric for pillowcases.  Look at that smile.  He was so excited.

The both of them were fascinated with everything.  The leftover scraps of fabric, pinning, removing pins, cutting threads, the presser foot lifter lever, the knee lift, to say nothing of driving the sewing machine!  So much excitement, so much pride.  "This is the best thing I've ever done Mimi!!"

Batman chose a US Army print with dog bones as trim.

And Five chose the US Marines print.

"Take another picture Mimi!  So the pawprints show!"  Five is determined that the next time he visits he's "going to make a whole blanket."  Oh me, oh my!  He always has big ideas.  :-)

 The dogs got lots of extra attention.

And cousins played.

On Saturday evening when they were planning to leave we had torrential rain.  I took this photo from the car as I turned into the driveway after a quick and very wet trip to see Nanny and Papa.  The road to the right is underwater and the water is higher than I've ever seen on our side of the pond.

They left after midnight when all the rain, thunder and lightening had calmed down.  The next day was such a contrast.  If you click on the photo you can see the big pile of debris on the standpipe and the pond is chocolate brown.  I think I even saw a tire floating in the pond!  Where in the world could that have come from???

 The Sailor Son is going to be stationed in Texas for a number of months so he brought his plants to stay at my house.  Before the rains came we spent a couple of hours repotting and refreshing the soil of many of our plants.  All the Spider plants, Thanksgiving cacti...

Pothos...

and some of the African Violets.  I have more to do, but we ran out of time and soil.

On Sunday The Tramp and I finished up rewiring the potted motor on the 201-2.  It's so clean and shiny now and the motor purrs.  

Today the weather remained very hot, no storms though.  There is Piglet laying on a hot paving stone in the noonday sun while I hung laundry.  It must have been like a stovetop.  Crazy dog.

I persevered with my garment making and now the four blouses are finished.  I definitely need practice with slinky type fabrics.  I'm so used to quilting cottons!

And speaking of quilting cottons I am so very behind on the 365 Challenge Quilt blocks.  I have to put some concentrated effort in and try to catch up and stop getting distracted by other projects.  Yeah.....right.  Fat chance.  :-D