This is the second quilt I've made. It's intended to be a companion quilt to the first, pictured at the bottom. Those colorful scrapes were given to me by a friend from my high school days.  She is a serious quilter. I will never be though I do plan on making a stack of these throw size quilts. They are kinda fun to make. I like figuring out what to do with the scrapes. It's kinda one of my things ... working with what is available to create something beautiful and useful. 

I stacked the three pieces, the top, the filler and the bottom, together in the wrong order. It's supposed to be top and bottom "right"sides together next to each other with the filler on the outside of the stack so that when you flip it right side out, the filler is in the middle.  Bet I'll never forget that lesson learned. The quilt will have turquoise hand stitching wavy lines holding it all together. The quilt below used the same scraps organized in the rainbow pattern which was repeated in the quilt pictured above. 

I do not really like these bright colored quilts ... like if I were making them for my own use they would be muted colors. It's turning out, as I become more familiar with QUILTS, that I like modern quilts best. I probably will do one for my bed. Next up for me will be a twin size quilt for my youngest child who gets to move into an apartment for her Sophomore year at college.  She is really rocking her Freshman year.

my first quilt

I'll try to remember to put a picture of the second quilt here when I've finished the handwork. It's going to be cute.

So this friend, she was really the best friend of one of my close friends. Three of those girls who I hang out with now, again after all those years I was away, actually have know each other ever since the "crib baby" room at the First Baptist Church in our hometown. The quilter queen friend (who is a PhD and still works) and I went to Girl's State together and were in the same Driver's Ed trio with Mr. Pruney. She likes to tell the story about my turn at learning what to do if case of "uneven pavement excursions". She says I said I didn't want to do it and in fact I refused to steer myself off the road onto the lower shoulder. That does sound a bit like 16 year old me. Mr. Pruney, not one to take no from one of his students, yanked the wheel crispy to the right and I responded by flooring it. We lost a hubcap in the adjacent cornfield while I was executing donuts. Not on purpose. Once we came to a stop he made us get out and find that hubcap. I had completely forgotten that story before she reminded me by telling it during one of the "girl's weekends" that they've sweetly made me a part of.

That corn field was dusty and sticky hot. I did remember that.

There is a place in Waco, Texas,  Homestead Heritage Village, they call it "an intentional Christian community", which sounds a little red flaggy to me but other than that ... they make a lot of really cool stuff, the brooms pictured above among them.  Last week we purchased live edge lumber (for my kinda tiny) master bathroom.  It was the last room I painted in this house, having waited almost a year while we decided if we were going to work with the space as it is or take in the small adjoining space (which houses the area pictured in the preceding post). I am surprised by how much I like those areas. I do miss a deep soak tub, but it is good to have something to wish for.

Earlier today my husband and I apartment sat for our oldest son. He has recently moved and the cable guy needed in. I love the area he chose because it is like a macro community with live/work arrangement, and plenty of interesting places for him to unwind at the end of his work day ... super cool environment for the little fur monster who keeps him company.  I like Australian Shepherds a lot.  They are perfectly delightful beasts. Their energy level is very demanding though.

I wish I was able to see my two out of state kids more often. I don't worry about them, I just think they are all really neat people. And I like to hug them.

Yesterday I went to a very neat fabric store where I found the two fabrics for the next little quilt I'm getting ready to make. Cant remember if I put a picture of the one I made last year here or not.  I'm not a quilter. I don't know what people do with the quilts they make except give them away. My plan is to make a few "mini quilts" which might become baby quilts.  Lol.  I'm still truly okay with no grandchildren, though I'm concerned that today's parents might be a bit creeped out by how big I smile at their tiny shopping cart babies. It's a different world... .

I've been really happy lately.  I seem to be at a really happy time in my life. And I am trying to embrace that wholeheartedly.

We are planning a long camping/roadtrip for this Summer.  I really can't wait!  Our farthest (which I pronounce furthest even though I've been told that's incorrect) away point is Zion National Park. My HS Science teach kid is joining us for the trip. I am so glad that she can take huge chucks of time away to see the things she wants to see and I am so happy that she will be spending some of her summer traveling with her Dad and I. Max isn't going. He thinks the entire back of the car is his so he sprawls out everywhere. 

My childhood friends have a "Master Quilter" among them. She hosts a once a year girl's long weekend - that's what got me started on these mini quilts. And I secretly kinda love planning them out. And the hand-stitching is very fun.