Blue skies

The first thing I did after last weekend's fun with family, dogs, and muddy yard was wash floors.  Phew!

The Viking was all about Ninjago on Tuesday.  He spent lots of time waving around and spinning his pirate sword like nunchucks.  So a quick raid of the fabric stash to make him into a "green ninja."  

We took dogs for a walk and he ninja-ed the whole way.  Running and spinning and saving us from numerous imaginary villans.  :-)

I finished The Tramp's weighted blanket.  Well....actually....to be honest....silly me left two rows off by mistake.  Ooops.  They've since been added.  The denim is awfully hot though and now the weather has warmed up (it was 84F today!) I'll have to make one with lighter fabric.  "Hurry up and take the picture!  It's heavy!"

Such a messy process!  My clothes, the floor, the table, inside my sewing machine, and now all over our bedroom.  Sigh.

These shears are the only way to get through all the snipping on a rag quilt.  And snipping the heavy denim required me to wear a leather work glove to save my hand!  I'm thinking this blanket is also way too heavy for my washer and dryer and we're going to have to haul it to a commercial laundry.  Hmmmmm.  Not my best thought out idea.

On Thursday The Viking announced he wanted to sew a giraffe.  Not sure where that came from.  He was happy to switch his allegiance to a pre-printed stuffed bunny project panel.  He manned the foot pedal while I guided the fabric.  Very tricky, but we managed it.  He happily pulled wads of stuffing out of the box while I stuffed and sewed up the opening.  "I love it Nini!  It doesn't look like any of my other bunnies!"  He insisted it was a bobble head bunny because he could punch it, and named the poor thing "Bouncing Butt" because bunny starts with the letter B.  Okaaaay.  Whatever you say kiddo.

The weather was lovely the past few days so we had fun in the yard too.  He wanted to play basketball and was happy with the only basket I could provide.  :-)

Gorgeous blue skies.

This is the current project in progress.  Six denim tote bags with colorful linings.

I'm warming up my quilting muscles on one for me.  Fun!

This morning was also gorgeous and Ivy and I went for a walk.  We live side-on to a busyish road which is slated to be widened and sidewalks added to both sides.  Before deciding to offer on this house we met with the town engineer in charge of the project to find out what the impact on the property would be.  "Widening" is a bit of a misnomer.  The road will be widened only to add turning lanes where there are none and to add a planted median in the center.   Two roundabouts will be added up the road from us to make the intersections safer and of course the sidewalks will be a marvelous addition.  We were assured the whole plan is designed to slow traffic and guide it safely along this very curvy road.  In addition, it is hoped that much of the traffic that uses this route as a cut-through will be encouraged to use the main roads instead.  We shall see, but the sidewalks will make things much safer for the pedestrians we often see.  There is a school at one end of the road and a small shopping center at the other end which would be nice to walk to.  This stretch of verge, in the photo, is nice and wide, but I can't go too far or I'll be walking in the busy road.

The surveyors have recently finished their work and left colorful flagged posts all up and down the road.  Our wall is just outside of the work zone thank goodness.

Ivy and I walked a new-to-us side road today and found lots of flowering shrubs and trees, along with a large patch of purple iris, as well as stumbling upon a small (ish) water tower.

 No flat roads here.  Everything is up and down.  Good exercise!

 It was lovely sitting on our own deck as well.  Very breezy.

Enjoy it while it lasts, Ivy.  Storms predicted for tomorrow!  :-)

In need of some rest

It's been a crazy couple of weeks.  Let's see now....

The Viking was thrilled to receive a belated ribbon for his quilt.  He was very resistant about the idea of hanging up with his quilt.  I'll have to remember to ask if it ever got there.  In the meantime he's picked out a pile of fat quarters to make into another quilt.

Partly because of pantry moths (which we think we bought with the house...sigh), and partly because the wall color was brown, and partly because the shelving was woefully inadequate, we embarked upon a pantry update.  New shelves, white paint, and dog approved.

So I loaded the shelves.  It's wonderful!  Everything has been washed or dipped in vinegar to discourage the moths.  All cardboard is banished or encased in plastic bags.  What a pain, but necessary at the moment.

Every spice bottle is in plastic as well.  Dog food has been banished to the garage.  I'm not taking any chances.  So far no moths have shown up in here, though we still occasionally catch one elsewhere in the house.  Sigh.

After painting the dining room I unpacked all of the breakables.  Makes quite a pile on the front porch each time I unpack a room.  Thank goodness for Freecycle.  We've been able to pass on so much packing material and so many boxes.

The weather has mostly been fabulous for outdoor activities.  Like dog walks...

...and trips to the park for play, exploring, and picnics.

It's the time for yard work too.  On this day we were trying to strip off the bottom of all the vines growing on the tree.  English Ivy for sure and most likely poison ivy.  I didn't realize poison ivy vines grew thick and hairy so I was happily ripping them off the tree, with gloves on thank goodness.  Amazingly I've not broken out in a rash after such foolishness.  It would have been better to do some research first!

This really thick vine is a mystery though.  I don't think it's wisteria.  Maybe grape?  Anyway, either of them can bring down a tree so we are doing our best to kill it.

And close up.  Look at the size of that!

Leaf buds are just starting to show.  I'd hate to loose this tree.

And the pollen is flying.  The cars and everything else have a coating of yellow.   Yuck.

As for sewing.....   I'm working on a weighted blanket for The Tramp.  I cut these squares from denim jeans many years ago.  (Yes, I have a UFO problem.)  Look at that homemade template.  A cabinet handle screwed on a not very square piece of acrylic, which won't lay flat because of the screws.  Ancient history!  lol

But I've sewn them all together with hot pink flannel and stuffed them all with plastic pellets.

A third of a cup in each square worked out perfectly for 126 squares (9x14).  I got them put together in rows, then the trouble started.  It's all just too thick to sew the rows together properly, so I'm testing out various strategies to get this thing together so The Tramp can use it.   Live and learn!

I spent a whole day hanging plates and pictures all over the house.  Exhausting work as it turns out.  Climbing, measuring, marking, hammering, polishing up, lifting, hooking, straightening.  Phew!  But worth it.  It feels so much more like home.

When you have a loft it makes sense to take advantage of it, though on the first day he was here I took The Viking aside to explain that he is NOT to throw anything over or through the railings except  paper.  We made an exception for paper airplanes.  He had remembered however, seeing a kit in JoAnn's for plastic men with parachutes.  So I broke down and bought the kit, and we had the best time launching and retrieving our paratroopers.  Correction....he had the best time retrieving them.  I have to wear him out somehow.  ;-)

We also finally got the "sleepover room" put together.  Two Ikea Slakt beds with trundles.  While The Viking bounced around me getting reaquainted with the toys, I got a serious physical workout wrestling allergy covers onto four heavy and annoyingly floppy foam mattresses, to say nothing of mattress pads and sheets.  Then getting the slippery duvets into the duvet covers was a whole 'nother ordeal.  But it's done, and the toys are closeted and shelved, and we are ready to go.  :-)

Such a great moment of The Viking taking a photo of Ivy with his phone.  The ramp is proving popular for more than just getting old dogs on and off the deck.  Ngaire has found a favorite spot underneath, and Ivy likes a perch from which to survey any action.

And happy, happy day, Precious came to visit.  Eighth great-grand for a proud Nanny and Papa.

I got a little action too.  :-)

Dad had some fun with her hair!

And she enjoyed the round quilt my friend Cathy made for her.

Much close examination of the quilting.  Maybe a future quilt judge?

Once we got the dining room set up, the table was looking the worse for wear with a major sag in the middle.  So new table slides were ordered and The Sailor Son assisted with the repair.

 Just in time for our first family dinner in this house.  :-)

It was a horrible rainy and cold day.

But no one cared.  Lasagne and good company warmed us all up.

Precious helped with the entertainment.  :-)

I even got in a little sewing.  The Sailor Son is required to wear new a new uniform starting Monday, so I did my patriotic duty and sewed on all his patches.

We had six dogs in the house over the weekend as well.  Stella is apparently good to have around if your feet are cold.  lol

And her sister, Rose, likes to be decorative.  Actually, they are 7 month old puppies, and spent most of the time running and playing.  I washed and dried two loads of towels this weekend, trying to keep up with six soaking wet dogs on the rainy day.  My sainthood awaits.  ;-)

Oh no!  It's time to go home.

Ah well.  You'll be back soon.

In the meantime we will rest up!