Sunday, March 4, 2012

Projects with my girls

You all know I love to create (and not necessarily havoc, haha). I am so happy to report that my girls like to be creative too. And they are good at it !!!

YOUR TALENT IS GOD'S GIFT TO YOU!
WHAT YOU DO WITH IT IS YOUR GIFT TO GOD!

End of January Sarah called on her day off whether I would like to work on some projects with her. Well, yeeesss!

Here she is sewing squares together for an 'I spy with my little eye ... ' quilt.
 She did a really good job.
Then she wanted to try out her new cricut machine.She almost gave up but finally it worked. She cut dots in different sizes.
 Getting a bowl ready for glass etching.


















 The finished art work.
My Easter egg cummerbund making period!
I made one after the other. Had a new lace book ... had an idea (one after the other) ... and had to try. From Easter to Pentecost all my eggs will be out hanging on branches in vases on the mantel.














Sewing thread. Like it.
Ah, yes, Block Lotto! February pattern: 'Heart pattern of your choice using orange, pink, cream or grey'(this looks really whiter then it is). I only wanted to make one.
But then I had another idea. Never have tried machine applique.
 And then I had another idea.
And another.(My local quilt shop had a free demo on different things and there was this tool ... on sale too, haha).
Most of the February blocks are made from these fabrics which I ... won!!! Somebody had donated the whole stash (8 fat quarters) to Block Lotto and I was the lucky winner. I admit ... that was fun. Winning is fun!
And since I had the fabric ... I had another idea. January pattern had been 'curved rails'.
I invented this pattern (at least I think so) using what I had learned in January. Here is the work in progress.
And since I had made a February block, I received the sneak preview pattern for March: Scrappy triangles.  I was planning to take the sewing machine to Nashville (where there are two already but they both are 'sick' plus my old Pfaff which might or might not be beyond repair). Helen loves Block Lotto even more then me and wanted to make her squares while I was visiting, I decided I had to know how to make it before I helped Helen. So here is my ONE block for March.
And these are Helen's two squares she made beginning of this week. It seems addictive. You can't just make one.
I love her color choices.
And then Helen wanted to try out the spritz cookie gadget she got from us on her last birthday (January 24). We had a lot of fun with that in my kitchen while grandpa played with William.  Glad we didn't have to eat all 100 of them. Ben shared most with his friends.
These are the discs Helen used to make the cookie shapes. There are many more different ones. Good thing there are pictures on the box matching disc with cookie. Hard to figure it out otherwise.














Several times this week we went to pick up William early from Helen. He loved going shopping with us. Grandpa just got a call from Sarah as soon as we were through the door at Kroger. He is so patient.
Grandpa thought Omi is paranoid because I disinfected the cart before we set him into it. I forgot the cover Auntie Sarah gave him.
Today (Sunday) we took William with us after dropping Helen off at their house. After his lunch he took his nap and Omi cooked several William-portions for Helen's freezer. May be he will think of us when we are gone. In Germany we say "Love goes through the stomach".
Helen came in the afternoon and while Grandpa played with William she sewed her March block.
 Ended up to be blocks. Two of them.
Up on the guest room wall, Helen's two January blocks and two February blocks and two March blocks. The beginning of her sampler quilt.
Then she asked William for his opinion. He was playing with Grandpa's golf balls.
He seems to prefer blue.
The glass container was not such a good idea and we swopped it for an unbreakable pot. William was excited. The balls went nicely 'clonk, clonk'.
Oh, oh, Pelli's eyes are interesting.
 Pelli was sitting there as if laying all those eggs.












 The 'I spy' quilt is almost done too.
 A little writing top right ...
... and bottom left ... Sarah wanted it to be clear what this little quilt is all about.













And this is the back side.


And this concludes the time in Nashville again. The good news is though that it will not be too long. Helen and William will visit us in RIC for Easter. Helen wants to see her sister and Wade also. Yeah for family.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Visit in Nashville

The weather could not be any stranger. T-shirt weather sometimes. Gorgeous! Rain coming down like from buckets sometimes. And then, yesterday, James and I, Helen and William were ready to take shelter in the 'powder room' under the stairs. Williams blanket and toys were already there ... and flashlights. The tornado warnings were very scary. But luckily all was fine for us. Our hearts go out to those who were devastated though.

Monday Feb 27: Centennial Park is ideal on a beautiful day. And we took a picnic with us.
First of course William needs to do his thing on the play ground.
 Sliding down the tunnel.

Mommy says you need to sit down and lay back to slide.

















 He is a pro in laying back.
 Most of these pictures were taken by Helen. Super job, Helen.

She also took some lovely videos:

Click here!

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Yes, picnic! Numnum! (William's word for food).

 To watch a video  click here.
More play ground. William wasn't done yet.


















William so enjoyed running free on the big lawn. Here are some really cute videos: (first three from Helen)

Click here!

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Back to the car past the Parthenon.

We got to help Helen out with a lot of baby sitting. William is an excellent player.


William loves meal times!

Here he is trying out spaghetti!

He is getting better every day with the spoon. Applesauce! (third try video)
In case you wonder about this picture. We took a walk with William in the stroller in our neighborhood. The creek runs next to the road at one point. Beavers! Several signs of their 'work'. 
After the walk we enjoyed the back patio.

William found a 'new toy'.

?
See the video!









Life is fun!
Life is good!