Curtis & A Hand Project

Yup ... Summer is here!!

Now that my son is here - we have our own version of the unofficial start of summer in my household.  We will have a busy time of it with his Boy Scout's meeting, camp outs and fund-raising commitments.  In fact last week was super busy as I did a two day baking marathon for the boys at the Lilac Festival. I made so many bake goods it covered the top of my chest freezer and then some. I was told that the bake goods that I maybe went over so well that they would like me to make more of them for the Spaghetti Dinner and Auction Fund-raiser on the 13th.  Ummm ... yea. I guess those extra pair of hands will be handy since it's for his troop.  Here we are after a long day on the 6th.  He sure is getting tall. I happen to be wear a pair of 2" heels in this photo.  This August he becomes an official 'teen and I'm not sure on my feelings on the issue these days.  Although I did have someone tell they thought I was only 26 tops - so I guess it's even.

Me & Curtis

Curtis had asked me to learn some quilting skills this year. He says it's interesting to see how things come together and he did enjoy the Sashiko project that we did last year together.  He/we made it and he gave it to his father when he went home. I can not be happier that he is looking forward to learning a new skill when he comes up for the summer.  I firmly believe that it is good to learn some basic life skills that he can use later when he gets older.  He is learning life skills by either me or Boy Scout's.  Things like sewing buttons on, repair a seam or to sew on his badges on his scout sash.  As he gets older, he is already looking forward to do more complicated blocks; but now simple things like 4 or 9 patch blocks are holding his attention. 

We are exploring more recipes too.  He wants to learn how to cook more dishes, so we will make that beef & broccoli dish that I made a few weeks ago from the Pioneer Women's blog. It's nice that he has all of  the ingredients needed for that lesson later in the week. We are looking for other recipes that he might enjoy too.  Here is a photo of him at the stove, making some sausages and scrambled eggs for breakfast. 

Curtis Makes Breakfast

We will be learning how to cook a fish this month also for his fishing badge, and tie some fly fishing lures.  I was proud of the classes he wants to take while he is at the Big Boy Scout's camping trip in July. Classes are rifle shooting, chess, sculpture, archery (long bow - I believe), wood craving, nature and fly fishing. I'm so proud of his choices.

Today he was introduced to the weed whacker from Mr Steve and seems quite happy to learn a new power tool. Last year he learned how to use the push mower. And he also learned how to use the sander on the boat seats.

A New Power Tool Lesson

On the sewing front, things are moving the speed of ... umm .... let's see ... slower than a old turtle.  But seeing how I have been working on UFO's and such not I have allowed myself to work on a NewFO.  I have an hour and half to kill while Curtis is at his scout's meetings, so what I decided was that I would on a portable hand project.  And I have my friend, Gretchen Ann; to thank for this new project.  She is on another homesteading board with me and has her own blog. She has some wonderful photos of hers here.

I had been watching the progress that she was making on her "Red Radiance" Redwork project. I had asked if she would share the design name with me. Long story short ... she sent me the magazine that the pattern is from.  So today I spent some time tracing out the center basket on to bleached muslin and this what we ended up with.

Center Basket

BH&G American Patchwork & Quilting

For those who might interested, this is in the December 2009 issue.  This has some interesting articles on Redwork and "Red Radiance" is found on page 54. We all know how much I love the combination of stitchery and piecing so this is so up my alley.  Now I love that look of Gretchen's piece in red; but I had decided it might look pretty in Blue Redwork.  So off I go to see what I could find in my floss boxes. Yippee!! I was able to find two skeins of  DMC # 336. Which is an Indigo Blue/Medium Navy Blue according to what I could find online.

I am all set for next Thursday night. When I will go to one of the little restaurants in the village to sit in a/c with a cup of coffee, stitching my time away. I plan to make this a "Make-Do" project with the exception of buying more floss as I go along.  The bleached muslin was given to me and I'm sure I have plenty of blue and light fabrics scraps that I can use for this lovely piece.  I will share lots of pictures over the summer so that you can take the journey with me. 

Speaking of following along.I also decided that it was time to drag out my "Farmer's Wife Sampler" blocks again to work on during the day.  I had started it back in the beginning of  2013.  At the time we were doing a BOW over on Q&N.  As we all know - life has a way of getting in the way and I had only completed 16 blocks of the 34 blocks we were given before putting them away because Curtis had come for the summer. You might have seen some of the blocks in my postings around March, April 2013.


I'm still working on other WIP's and it is nice to switch them up every once in a while.  I have a assortment of different types too.  One that is in the floor hoop, two cross-stitch projects, and a few of the row by row 2014 projects also.  What's one more to add to the rotation ... right?  LOL. Well I think I'm going to hang it up for now.  I have a few book reviews come up this week and I am reviewing some for a new publishing house where there will be things like cover reveals, interviews and other interesting things to see.  Until next time ...

Toodles,
Tricia