...And All Through The House...

...not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse! It is soooooo quiet here. My little Sweet Pea went home on Thursday, and now the house is practically empty! I miss her already.

I was finally able to get back into my sewing room. It's been a very long time, and much has been neglected. I was able to make a set of tea towels for a friend's birthday. Our birthdays are a day apart, and we were going to go to lunch today, but the icky Midwest weather decided to show itself, so we have put it off until next week (hopefully). The poor quality photo shows the towels. I hope she likes them!

Now, off to find another project to work on...the Good Lord knows I have way too many started!

Shoe Box Love

I returned home from retreat on Sunday in time to start packing shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Filling shoe boxes with gifts for children in need is an annual event for my family. We gather and collect items for the boxes all year long, and then in early November, the boxes are assembled, labeled, and taken to a local drop off center. This year, my little Sweet Pea was here to help...she packed 10 boxes herself! She had so much fun picking things out to put in the boxes, especially the candy. She said, "Everyone needs a little candy! It wouldn't be Christmas without it."! This year, my family was able to pack 74 shoe box gifts. If you would like to fill a shoe box for a child this Christmas,
there's still time. Just go to Samaritan's Purse to get all the details
and to find a drop off location near you!

An End to Summer

Summer officially ended last week...at least for my house! Sweet pea spent most of the summer with us, and we have enjoyed her so much. There's never a dull or quiet moment when she is in the house...just the way a Grandma likes it. We ended her stay last week with a trip to the Putnam County Fair! She and Grandpa rode the rides (Grandma's not so good on these!!), ate hot dogs and popcorn, viewed the livestock exhibits, and topped the evening off with the demolition derby. I think Grandpa has found a new demo derby buddy. She was sooo cute yelling, "Go, Derby!"!!!

Butterfly Kisses

My little Sweet Pea loves to draw! She spends hours each day drawing and coloring her favorite things...cats, Mommy, flowers, and butterflies, to name a few. Recently, she asked if we could make presents for her Mom. So we took one of her creations and made it into a kitchen towel for her Mom. Allyson picked all the fabrics for the towel, including some from her own stash. I think it turned out pretty cute, and her Mom will L.O.V.E. it!!

"And I Made My First Block on the Sewing Machine!"

My little Sweet Pea was here for the past month, and what a fun time we had! She got to use my sewing machine for the first time...and at age 4, that's a pretty big deal! My little travel machine, a Janome Jem 760, is just perfect for her...especially since I can slow the speed way down for her to learn to sew. Her first block was a simple strippy block, and she LOVED the process of picking her strips and sewing them on. The blocks are 12-1/2" and she was able to make 2 that day (we were at a Project Linus sewing day, so her blocks will be made into a quilt for another child who needs a blanket). Her enthusiasm spilled over into the following days and weeks, where she daily asked to sew! She also enjoyed her first Shop Hop, where she eagerly collected new fabrics for future projects. I am so excited to have another quilter in the family! She also made her Mom and her soon-to-be Auntie Rachel custom potholders! She drew her art work on squares of muslin, and then was able to sew simple borders on the squares. They are so cute, don't you think!

Oh...and while my little Sweet Pea was here, she learned to use her scissors...to cut her own hair!! Not suppose to happen at Grandma's!! Her Mom will be taking her to the hairdressers for her first haircut.

Tu-tu Cute

What do you do when it is a very cold, snowy day and you have 6 yards of tulle??? Why, make a beautiful princess tu-tu, of course!!

My little Sweet Pea helped with this no-sew project, selecting all the colors of tulle, and then, their position on the elastic waistband. She embellished her tu-tu with ribbons and ribbon rosettes. I believe I hear the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies waltzing in my living room!

Tu-tu cute!

Summertime!

Guess who's back!! My sweet little Tootsie Roll! We are having oodles and oodles of fun. From swimming to playing in the fountain. She's even modeling the little dress I made her!!

Dress Up Day!

Earlier this week, I made a dress for my sweet granddaughter! I had purchased the fabric while I was in Arizona in April for just this dress. The fabric is Moda's "Summer Fun" by Deb Strain, and I used a pattern I purchased for cutting out the bodice, and then did my own thing for the rest of the cutting and sewing. I even did some "fussy cutting" to cover the buttons on the dress. Allyson will be here in a few weeks, and then we will be off to Seattle for a family reunion. I thought the "Summer Fun" fabric was a perfect choice for the event! I will be making her a matching purse for all of her little girly-girl needs! I tell you, it's like playing dolls all over again!

Duty Calls

We are taking our sweet granddaughter home today...early!! I've been summoned for jury duty, and have to report next week, so home she must go! For her "farewell" luncheon, Allyson chose Pizza Ranch (or Pizza Branch, as she calls it!!)...her favorite!! G.G. joined us and we had a great time! I so hate to see her go, but know that she will be back again in July for a longer visit! And jury duty should be over with by then!

Look Who's 3!

Happy, Happy Birthday, Sweet Allyson!

Grandma loves you
bunches!