Well, the month has come and gone and I say where did the time go?  I have been super busy around here with classes and working on models and preparing for November and December classes and spending lots and lots of time with the grandchildren.  I haven't taken many pictures in class but have some to share of the kiddos, of course!!! 

Reagan, Raleigh and I made a trip to Build-a-Bear for their grand re-opening of the Raleigh store.  The girls made adorable bears and left with two new outfits for their bears.  They had a great time and I had a great time watching them enjoy themselves! 

Attended Reagan's tournament volley ball game.......they had three rounds of games and lost in the very last game.  I think she has found a new sport to love.  With her height I think she could be good at this game. 

All three kids and I went to a local corn maze which stretched over six acres.  We made it through all the mazes and completed the card they gave us at the beginning which was quite a feat.  I didn't know if little Joshua would make it the whole time but he hung in there until the very end.  I had to carry him out!! 

After we left the corn maze there was a playground and some other things for the kids to do.  Didn't realize when I was taking this picture that Joshua had stuck his entire head through the hole.  Well, it got stuck and I had to run over and get him out.  Needless to say, he wouldn't pose again!  He's new at this sort of thing I suppose!  The girls are old hat. 

I do believe this giant wooden truck was Joshua's favorite thing.  He kept running back to it. 

A face only a mother could love!!! 

Well, look what Joshua found.  A wooden cow to milk.  Imagine! 

Right after the corn maze we all had to run home and shower because we were taking my oldest son out to dinner for his birthday.  Well, poor little Joshua just couldn't hang on any longer.  He konked out with his head on the table in the restaurant.  It was a quiet dinner! 

The birthday boy celebrating the big 35!   

A family portrait making silly faces!  The girls had put on their costumes to show us.  A peacock and a Madam Hatter.  Can't remember what Joshua is going to be. 

Spent several hours with little Joshua yesterday afternoon.  He was showing me the pumpkin he and his Mommy carved.  I cannot get that child to smile for the life of me.  It was his nap time and he was patiently waiting to go to the playground. 

Finally, a smile....... 

Look at me Mina......... 

Three ladies have completed their hexagon pieces.  We met this week to put them all together.  That turned out to be quite a feat but we got it done. 

 

Another birthday celebration.......Joan turned 35 this month!  Happy birthday Joan! 

My friend and neighbor Sally stopped by to show me her Halloween costume.  She was just in Vegas and decided to do a Wheel of Fortune slot machine.  Very creative!!

 

Well, tonight is Halloween and I can't wait to see what all the little goblins and ghouls come dressed as.  We always have so much fun talking to the kids and looking at some pretty creative costumes.  Later on we'll see the grandkids and their costumes. 

 

I hope you all have a safe and fun Halloween and maybe find a little time to do some stitching. 

 

My new class schedule has been posted and lots of the classes are filling up but there's always room for more!!  So come and visit!

 

Happy Halloween!!

 Well, what can I say?  Bad blogger.  I don't do Facebook or Twitter or Facetime or whatever else there is out there.  I do well to answer emails these days.  And it seems that it takes me forever to get things downloaded for the blog.  So just know that lots has been going on around here but I just don't have time (nor do you!) to load all the pictures or even remember what has happened in the past month.  Mostly sewing and more sewing and classes and then more sewing with a quick trip to Florida to celebrate Mom and Dad's 60th wedding anniversary and then more classes and a little wool dying and some babysitting and visiting with the grandkids and more classes.......you get the drift!

Several of the ladies got together to do a rag quilt.  Everyone came loaded with all their flannel fabrics and just worked the day away........ 

Pat decided to do a smaller version to make a tablerunner......she knew she could get that one finished!

Making progress!!  Looks great!

Great-Grandpa has three very eager students wanting to learn how to play the organ.  The girls have always loved playing the organ when they visit but now it seems Joshua wants to learn too!!  Great-Grandpa gifted the girls with a keyboard of their very own to take home with them.  What a wonderful gift! 

We were at the tennis courts one morning and I noticed, as Poppy and Joshua walked away, that they were dressed the same.  By coincidence but so cute!! 

Mina and Joshua playing cars while everyone else played tennis. 

Stitching by the pool.  I had just moved into the shade.  A little too warm for me!! 

Happy 60th anniversary Pete & Irene aka Mom and Dad aka Grandma & Grandpa aka Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa!!!  We love you both and can't believe you've been married for 60 years!!  We were all so blessed to be able to travel to Florida to share this big day. 

We brought little Joshua home with us so the girls and Mommy and Daddy could visit Sea World.  It was such a long drive.  He started out holding the cars Great-Grandpa bought for him and watched his favorite "Cars" movie. 

But finally conked out for a little R&R!!  Sweet baby...... 

Working on re-doing an older piece for a possible Vermont Retreat next year.  Also working on a couple other wool pieces for that retreat.  Could be lots of fun!! 

Recipe card class......lots of ladies with lots of work to do but a very fun card! 

Well, lookie here......it's Tricia's birthday and all the gals showered her with birthday presents and we had a Coca-Cola Cake and helped her celebrate her "special" day! 

Oh my, what a wonderful gift!!!!  Thank you so much and I can't believe it!!  Or something like that!!  

Oh what a surprise, a muffin tin pincushion.....just what I've always wanted!! 

The gifts were passed around the room.........  

A wee bit of Irish in the lassie! 

Finished up lots of stitching on my Vermont projects and decided to reward myself with a little time at the sewing machine.  I had picked up a couple of the mini charm packs of the new Midwinter Red fabrics and decided to whip them into a small table topper. 

Now for a little quilting and binding and it will look great in my freshly painted kitchen!

 

Now, I'm sort of caught up and need to go soak my feet and do a little stitching!!  Hope you're all doing well and finding some time to stitch along the way.

 

Happy Fall......love the weather right now!

 

 Well, I guess absence does make the heart grow fonder since I have been told numerous times that I need to update my blog.  I've thought about it, wanted to do it, but there just hasn't been enough time for me to actually take the time to sit at the computer and figure out how to do the pictures, etc.  So now is the time, before this day is over, to update my web site as well as the blog! 

Life has been hectic, busy and then hectic some more.  My sister was here for a little more than a month.  We took her home last Thursday.  I know she was glad to get home and I guess I was glad to get back to "normal" but I miss her so much.  Even though we were both here together, usually both working, her painting and me teaching or working on class stuff, she was still here.  We had a good time together and she finally got to put names and faces together for so many of you she has read about on the blog.  She misses us too!!!

Lots of new fall classes on the schedule.  Come and join me if you find some free time.  The schedule is updated on my web site calendar.

Speaking of classes, Joyce has already finished (and gotten framed) her Frost on the Pumpkin piece.  It looks great and perfect timing for decorating!

 

And my little over-achiever (just kidding) Joyce has also finished her Halloween Tree project.  She really worked hard and quickly on this project.  And again, just in time for Halloween decorating.  Way to go Joyce......you're the first to finish! 

We had a full room of ladies today working on "Thanks" mats.  Unfortunately I let them all escape but these two before I remembered to take pictures.  They are all beautiful and everyone left with all their pieces in place and lots of blanket stitching to be done!  Love both of these and each is so different from the other. 

A friend brought me this sweet little salt and pepper set the other day.  I love surprises and squirrels and acorns and all things fall!   

Well, today another friend brought me a surprise in a gift bag and lo and behold, it was another squirrel holding an acorn.  Love it!  Thanks so much to both of you for thinking of me!!!  And by the way, are you trying to tell me something, like maybe I'm a little nuts?!!!  Or squirrely?!  Hmmmmm...........just thinking.........

 

On that note, off to grab some dinner with hubby and do some stitching.  Hope you all enjoy the beautiful fall days (technically still summer) but close to fall and find some time to do some stitching yourself, especially all you gals that were here today!!!!!

Slow Down Time Please!!!

I cannot believe how fast time is going by.  I took the week off from classes to get caught up on some things at home.  I have been so busy trying to finish up fall class models, getting the fall schedule together and lots of other paperwork type things that needed tending to. 

 

Also, my sister has been here for a day shy of two weeks working on some orders she received after she arrived for a visit to HELP ME!!!!  So, I have been plugging along doing my thing and she has been plugging along doing her thing and we have managed to stay sisters and share the space and all things are wonderful!!!  Truly, she is such a talented person, it has been fun to watch her creations come to fruition.  I have taken pictures of a few things either in progress or completed.  She has done an amazing job and there are many more that I didn't show pictures of that are equally amazing.  I think the ladies that ordered these pieces are going to love them!!

A progression of Santas all in various stages of paint completion. 

Well, somehow when I took this picture I must have had the video on so there you go, enjoy whatever the show is that is probably me saying something goofy!!

Get your Halloween witchy on..................... 

A very happy HOHOHO! 

Love this sweet little "witch" girl.  Her face is so adorable!

 

Again, another video.  I wondered what I was doing when the button wouldn't work right.  Oh well, I'm still learning how to use all this technology!!! 

The artist hard at work.  Kathy has worked 12-15 hour days on all her beautiful creations.  Lots of time and patience goes into each piece. 

 

Hope you all have a great weekend.

 

I just emailed the new class schedules.  Let me know if I missed you.  Remember, we have switched over to Windows 8 and nothing is the same!!!!

 

Find a little time to do some stitching.

The Stork Has Arrived!!

My husband gave birth to a bouncing, jagged, ugly 4mm stone this morning.  So glad this "baby" finally got here and he can breathe a sigh of relief now.  Thank you all for your good wishes for Mark and his "baby"!

Don't you just love all the beautiful flowers that bloom in the summer time?  I surely do and love looking out my classroom window at the beautiful garden in the back.  All of the flowers in there I planted from seed late spring.  It's hard to believe that such beautiful flowers come from a teeny tiny little seed.  This morning the weather was beautiful and cooler and less humid so I decided to stroll around the yard before class and visit the flowers.  Took a few pics to share with you.  I would have taken more in the front but my next door neighbor was out and then a work truck showed up and then someone was walking their dog and I was in my pajamas so I decided to call it quits and get inside before too many people saw me roaming around the yard!! 

Zinnias are my favorite summer flower.  Remind me of going to my Mammaw's house all those years ago.  She had the most beautiful flower gardens, all planted from seeds. 

There sits that sweet little potting shed in the distance.   

A side view of the potting shed.  I still love it so much.  And so do the ladies that come to the house for classes.  Hubby did such a great job!!   

My husband planted pumpkin seeds awhile back and now they're starting to flower.  I hope we at least get a wheel barrow full of pumpkins for my front porch!!! 

Red zinnias this time.  This was a different variety.   

 

As well as teaching lots of classes, I have been working on some new fall projects.  Here are a few snippits since none of them are completely finished.  I'm doing some wool and some fabric projects this time for September and October. 

This is part of the Halloween tree that several of the ladies have already met and started creating.  I still have a couple of groups to meet to put down their trees so not too late to join in the fun!

 

I hope you're all finding time to do a little stitching and enjoying the last full month of summer.  Hard to believe how quickly it is going by.  And we have been blessed with no 100 degree days so far!!!  YAY!!!!  I am longing for fall..................