Bright and new

We stayed close to home, but other parts of the family traveled to be together over the 4th of July weekend.  The Viking had a wonderful time hanging out with his Cousin Stardust.

All ready to go to the 4th of July parade!

The Sailor Son and his boys were there too.

The penguin lover finally got to see the real thing!

And he got to cuddle up with Stardust's guinea pig,
Mr. Squibbles.  Awwwwww.

The little kittens I made for Stardust were a hit too.  :-)

The Tramp and I had a quiet holiday weekend at home.  We were also taking care of an extra dog while The Viking and his family were away.  Patrick and our Ivy are not happy about loud noises and we had thunderstorm after thunderstorm, to say nothing of fireworks.  Poor things.

I arbitrarily decided it was also an ideal time to take the old Singer 201-2 apart and give it a full spa treatment.  While I degunked and oiled the innards and polished up the outside, The Tramp started rewiring the potted motor.  We did all we could then I cleaned up the mess and put it safely aside.  A few parts have been ordered so we can finish the job soon.

I also visited a hand specialist for some help with the osteoarthritis that's developing in my hands.  Sigh.  Getting older isn't for sissies.  Splints were suggested (and of course pills) to help protect the joint and ease the pain.  I'm having my doubts.  It may protect the one joint, but it certainly puts strain on others.  If nothing else, the things are darned uncomfortable, and the purple velcro does nothing to boost their fashion appeal.  But we will persevere.....for now.  At least until the next appointment.

The constant storms took a small break and Sunday was a gorgeous day with a breeze perfect for laundry.

It was quite hot, but just beautiful.

I spent a couple of days prepping fabric for a joint quilt project with my mom.  I never thought to take a photo before I delivered all the pieces for her part of the process.  Ah well.  A secret project then.  :-)

I finished rosette #2 for La Passacaglia.

The Tramp helped me figure out how to crop out the seam allowances and background in Photoshop and I managed to place the rosette photos on a scan of the chart.  How much fun it will be to see the quilt grow this way!  I have a few things to finish first before I can start a new rosette.  I can't wait!

The Viking and I were back together again today.  We spotted this beautiful creature in the garden this afternoon.  The flower is part of a butterfly bush I grew from seed.  ED gave her nephews, Five and Batman, some little plastic egg seed kits several years ago.  Some how I ended up taking care of them and this was the only plant to survive, and I'm so glad it did!

"I see you Nini!  You are very small!"

Then he turned the "renoculars" around the right way.  "Now I'm looking for butterflies!"   He's too funny.

I indulged in some garment fabric the other day.  I feel the need for something bright and new to wear.  Four shirts are in process.  The original one I made from this pattern, about a month ago, is the black one in the background.  I tore the sleeve a bit on a rough shelf in a store last week.  Grumble.  I fiddled with the pulled threads and some Fray Check and it's fixed well enough to get by.  Actually no one will notice but me, so I should stop fussing about it.  :-)

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.....

I really do feel that way after finishing this project today.  The Catch All Caddy is so sturdy you could carry rocks in it.  Cross my heart!  The pattern calls for Soft and Stable which is marvelous stuff.  I love to use it in some purse patterns.  For the caddy I bought some Pellon Flex-Foam which is not quite so thick and stiff as Soft and Stable.  Good thing!  By the time I was sewing on the binding I was sewing through the outer pocket (two layers of fabric quilted to Flex-Foam), the body (two layers of fabric quilted to Flex-Foam), the sides/bottom (also two layers of fabric quilted to Flex-Foam), side pockets (also quilted with Flex-Foam), and the bottom part of the handles which are tubes of fabric with strapping inside, folded double.  Then add the binding fabric.  GOOD GRIEF!

It was quite a wrestling match, but I did it!  Thank goodness for the larger space under the presser foot on the Bernina 710 and the even feed feet.  I've also made even better friends with my stilletto.  Once I got my head around the pattern designer's way of thinking I found her methods and sewing tips spot on.

So I survived to tell the tale.  This will sit on my cutting table to hold all my junk tools.  No fair guessing how quickly it will take me to fill it up with odds and ends.  :-D

Gardening in the North Carolina summer weather will make you stronger too.  As long as the mosquitoes don't get too much of your blood.  A few pots of vegetables are starting to produce, as long as I dash between the mosquitoes to keep them well watered.

And the weather.....oh my!  Check out those black clouds.  (click on the pictures to make them larger) We are supposed to be dodging storms this whole 4th of July holiday weekend.  Sigh.

And the bugs.  Have I mentioned the bugs here?  I'm still not used to southern snakes and bugs.  This chap surprised The Viking and I right outside the library door a few days ago.  It's huge!  I didn't know they had such things here.  A bit of research tells me it's a male Eastern Hercules Beetle, the largest beetle in the United States.  'Nuff said.

Then there is the matter of small people.  In this case The Viking.  As his mother says, he has turned into a "threenager."  Some days lately my survival is in question.   :-)

Good thing he is cute.  This was "I am a monster" day.  All day.

Storytime at the library keeps him entertained, for a few minutes anyway.

He sweetly allowed his lemur to "sleep over" at Nanny's apartment for a few days.

Always a comic.

"Are you scared Nini?"

The joy of a pizza face selfie.

If it's too hot or wet he works off energy at the mall while I sit and sew.  Never have I been I happier to have the mall so close to home.

Enjoying his "hot spoiled egg."

The park is fun too.

For both of us.  I'm sure each day we survive together makes us stronger.  :-)

I also survived some kitten making.  I can't survive real cats as I'm highly allergic, but these are the cutest darned things.  A great tutorial and I've made six so far.  They are a bit like potato chips.

(Yes that's my La Passacaglia quilt behind/under that kitten.  Rosette number two is in progress.)

Three kittens and and a plastic canvas carrier are on the way to Stardust in New Jersey.

Also a couple of sleeping bags for her stuffed animals.  I added a zipper to the original pattern so it's an exercise in wonkiness, but I'm sure the animals won't care.  ;-)

Will the world survive Amazon Prime is a good question.  I ask myself that each time I get a huge box with something very small in it.  I almost couldn't get this one out of the mailbox!  Normally the mail carrier would have put it on our porch, but on this day it was pouring rain so they wedged it in.  I'll bet going in was a lot easier than prying it out was!  

The box in the mailbox contained exactly one package of sewing needles.  On the left was the box from the day before which held something equally small.  What's wrong with a small padded envelope?  I feel guilty ordering small things.  But then again, I've ordered large things that come in equally oversized boxes.  It seems to me this kind of excess could possibly kill all of us in the long run.  :-(

Thursday was a happy day all around.  The highlight was a fairy garden workshop for children at a local garden center.  ED and I scrounged around for the container and some decorative items.  The garden center provided soil, colorful pot shards, rocks and moss along with a little plastic fairy.  I bought a few small plants.  The boys and girls were given a choice of pink or blue princess tiaras, and superhero or dinosaur masks.  The Viking was adamant, he had to have a "crown" and was very happy telling everyone during the remainder of the day that he was a fairy princess named Patrick (Patrick being one of his family's dogs).  We also sprinkled fairy dust (glitter) over the garden so he was hot, sweaty and glittery too.  So much fun.

I'll bet you wouldn't have guessed it, but I'm told the blue pinwheels are radio towers for the fairy and gnome.

They had to endure helicopter traffic overhead too.

Awwwww.  My little fairy princess for a day.