A Few Projects and a new Featherweight

My folks came for a visit for the twins birthday and we had alot of fun.  Mom and I went shopping downtown Mckinney and visited two quilt shops....and bought a few things.

 I got a few fat quarters to start my Swoon Quilt if I ever finish my 'Aster' project.  Daddy changed out my lite fixture on the patio and it looks awesome. 

 While they were here - moma started her jelly roll race quilt.  Here's the unfolded roll - really pretty colors.

 Moma and I took turns sewing and chaining the roll together.  Here's all the strips before we clipped them to one long continuous strip....abt 1600" long!

 More and more sewing.....finally she finished and Jojo took a little siesta upon the quilt top.

 Here it is all finished - beautiful!!!

Daddy even helped out to show it off!  Love it!

Here's my newest possession....I've been looking at these for a while now, I found one in Ripley, but felt it was out of my price range....so I decided to look locally and checked Craigslist.  Lo and behold, a professional quilter had one for sale.  It was $125 cheaper than the one in Ripley and not only as nice, but also had all its original feet, bobbins, accessories, etc.  The case was in pretty good shape, with just a few spots on the handles.  The best part was that she was located just a about a mile up the road.  I walked in and she said - come into my Sewing Room - it was huge - she had a Gammell long arm quilt machine, where she quilts professionally for a living.  Loved it - and lots of fabric and machines and displays of her quilts around the room.  I knew right away this little FW was coming from a happy home.  I took this little Featherweight Home...AH series from 1947 and figured out how to wind the bobbin and thread the machine...then she took off like a little choo choo train.  I worked on my own JellyRoll quilt and had so much fun on this machine - that I sewed the whole thing in one night while catching up on Downton Abbey.  But more about my quilt top next time....

Good Mornin from the Patio

Can't believe its been 2 months since I posted.  In the meantime, the flowerbeds have filled in some - it looks like the stars of the garden are the roses, and why shouldn't they be!  its a windy day today - and its going to be toasty...upper 90s.  This mornin though, its cool and high 70s.

 View from the porch swing!

 My little nephew Joey helped me put up some of this bunting...and I put up the rest - what a chore - but I think it looks great....added corbels on the sides of my post and later today - moving my flagpole to the back.  I love my patio!  I think more than my house...hahah.

 My little hosta shade garden under the Bradford Pear tree....tucked safely in the corner of the garden.....only what to do with this hideous birdbath...think i'll seal it and paint it yellow!

 My Peace and Love rosebush!  Gaining ground on the Red monster beside it!

 The beautiful Red rose bush that has grown in to a monster and I love every inch of it.  Wish I could remember the name.

 Blackberries are getting there - I tried one - but it wasn't ripe enough. 

 My beautiful Coleus - Kong Coleus on the left bottom - love this plant!

 Sweet Rose of Sharon rosebush (sweet rose of sharon, abide with me! - one of my Big Ma's favorite songs!)

 Good mornin' Mr. President!  I love this beautiful JFK rose bush!  Started from virtually nothing, planted back in March and its filling out nicely.  Can't say the same for President Lincoln....i'm hoping its just lying dormant this year!

 My mom came down for Mother's Day and here she is trimming my rose bushes for me!

 A balloon flyover about two weeks ago - when it was just a cool calm mornin!

Me and mom made salsa when she was visiting.....it was so yummy!

A Lampost, a rain barrel and one mad kitty!

This week my parents came down from Oklahoma to celebrate my twin nephews 14th birthday.  We had a great time while they were here, mom made a family favorite - Pork chops with tomato rice soup - it was delicious....each bite felt like home!

On Friday, before mom and dad went home, dad installed my rain barrel....he said he could remember as a kid, the Mallonees (my great grandparents) with barrels under their eaves catching rainwater.  I bought mine from master gardener. Beth Mortenson...of www.catchtherain.com after she spoke at the Mckinney 'rain harvest' seminar back in January.

Daddy was also kind enough to install my lampost in my east flower bed.  Charlie came over and helped him, while me, mom and Lisa went to Mckinney Trade Days.  Here they are mixing cement - I had to make two extra trips to Home Depot for more bags of quick set, who knew one lampost would take 180 lbs of cement to set!

Here's the lampost....while the cement is setting.....this is mom and dad posing just before they head back to Oklahoma....

On Saturday,  I finished the flowerbed, set the lampost and planted my two rose bushes that I bought.  A Mr. Lincoln and a John F Kennedy bush...in honor of Presidents day.  After the last frost, i'll plant my First Ladies' Snapdragons and this east flowerbed will be an honorary Presidential garden....haha.

My cats love to come outside with me....but Lola, my tortie has the heart of a hunter and wanders around the beds, lounges and stretches on the patio then without notice...she's over the fence and in the neighbors yard...here's the proof......

She did that everytime she was out this weekend, so all day Sunday - she had to stay in and it didn't sit too well.....she climbed up the windows, clawed at the door....she was one mad kitty!

 

 It was a great weekend, despite Lola running off - here's how the east Presidential garden transpired....outlined with border....

 Next got ugly with some cardboard...(pizza boxes work great)

 Then a lovely layer of newspaper, shredded bills, paper, etc.....cypress mulch, peat and repeat!

Then finally a layer of the good presentable mulch and it turns out something like this....

Can't wait to transplant my seedlings and other lovelies in the EPG!