Stack-N-Slash

At Bighorn Quilts in Greybull the first Saturday of every month we get together for a program, pattern, and sew day if we want to stay. The objective for the next few months is to help get rid of our stashes, like that is going to happen since we shop afterwards. Even though most of the patterns will involve 2 1/2" strips, this month was fat quarters. I decided it was a good time to use a crayon fabric I've had for years. It became my border and focus fabric. The backing is little hand prints in primary colors that I'v had since Randy was really young, and now I'm using it for my grandson.

Kathi Charles, Jeanie Kieft and I sewed that Saturday at Kathi's house, after shopping of course. We actually sewed both Saturday and Sunday. Kathi is the most amazing hostess. We have our Knotty Girls Group there one Friday evening a month and she ALWAYS makes the most amazing dinners. That is one night I REALLY look so foward to.

Randy Turned 20!

Randy turned 20 years old on the 22nd. My youngest is now officially a man . I just have to say that I am so proud of the man he is becoming. I love his compassion for other people and his vision for himself. He has applied for the Operating Engineers Apprenticeship Program in Washington state and so far has passed the test and been interviewed. Notice the "blade" on the cake. Dad picked the cake out. Kenzies fingers really aren't blue, they truned that way when I took the red out of her eyes but I am just too lazy to start over.

The party was really fun. We had Randy's favorite food, taco salad and the cake was a Dairy Queen ice cream cake. Talk about an easy party.

Preppie Vince

See this just goes to show..."The clothes makes the man". I still haven't seen him in his little duckie booties.

Vince In His Camo

I think he looks like a Gangsta' in this outfit! Doesn't he have the cutest cheeks?

Vince Got A New Book

I made Vince a machine embroidered cross-stitched book of the most adorable animals. Ellen Maurer-Stroh is the designer. The designs are free by signing up to a Cross-Stitch group at http://www.cross-stitch-board.com/stitch-board.com/ Another set she has that I haven't stitched out yet, but will soon, is of toys AND she is designing another set that will have zoo animals, including a flamingo. On the Cross-Stitch Board she also has hand charts you can download if you don't have an embroidery machine or just enjoy handwork. Her designs are just amazing. She is the one who does the little babies in animal outfits. Be sure to check her out. Here is her website http://www.maurer-stroh.com/ Her floral designs are the best I've seen.

But back to the book. I stitched it out on weavers cloth and used a lightweight interfacing in between the pages when I sewed them together. It is about 3 1/2"high. I stitched two designs on one page. It was really funny too because I took great care picking out which animals were going to be next to each other, not thinking that I was stitching out pages and they would be on opposites ends of the book. The one I made sure I kept in the center was the cat and mouse. Shelly HATES mice with a passion so I made sure it was next to the cat so in her mind she could tell herself that the cat ate the mouse.

My New Office/Baby Room

After all my hard work I can finally put Vince in his bed or sit at my desk. I'm not done with all the decorating things, like the pillows on the couch or the fact that I haven't figured out what i want to do for the window treatment yet but I am SO happy that the bed is GONE and I have room to move! Now I need to get the other two rooms finished!

Grandpa And The Kids

I haven't added anything lately so I thought I would slip in a photo of Grandpa Alan and two of the grandkids.

Alan and Randy went to Tacoma last week so Randy could be tested and interviewed to get in to the Opperating Engineers Apprenticeship Program. Out of about a thousand applicants only 100 are chosen to to to Ellensburg Washington in a few weeks for more testing and out of those, 50 will get in. This is really a great opportunity for Randy.

While the boys were gone I decided to completely rearrange rooms. I have been so sore and tired and I'm still not quite done but I really like the moves I made. I now have an office/baby room. I'll post pictures if I ever get any of the rooms done!