Mother's Day pics and keeping busy........

I am way behind in posting photos of stuff that has happened the last few weeks. So, in an effort to get caught up and since nothing of note happened today to write about, I'll go back to last week and share photos from Mother's Day.

That's my daughter, Collette, and grandson, Jacob in the photo above, and in the one below, that's me and son-in-law, Daryl. We all enjoyed a great lunch at Ruttles in Mankato, a great little restaurant, known for the cars and motorcyclists that pull in for lunch. Sometimes you can see some really cool cars parked there!

Some of you have asked how I get so many things done. Well, I don't get all that much done but I do always have some stitching nearby in just about every room in the house so I never miss a moment to stitch. There's even a bag of yo-yo's in the car so that if I am somewhere and I find myself waiting, I can wait patiently because I have a stitching project to occupy my hands.

So, what's the project on the silver tray (actually it's cheap chrome)? An easter cookie? Nope, it's a little wool penny rug that is a project offered free through Better Homes and Gardens (go here for the pattern). I printed the pattern off more than a couple of years ago and finally decided to start it! One of the members of my Wooly Buddies group had made the little rug and reminded me how cute it was, so I decided I just had to get going on one, too. It's my kitchen counter project. The wool is painted with Setacolor fabric paints. It was a beautiful white wool that ended up with being this yummy pastel piece of wool and was perfect for this project. Since taking this picture, I have finished all the pennies and am ready to attach them.

My kitchen table project is this one..........

A quilting friend, Pam, gave me these pre-cut rectangles that she wasn't going to use and I decided to stitch them into rows and then will stitch the rows together and make a table topper out of the piece. I am stitching it by hand as this project is one I stitch on when I'm listening to my husband tell me about the next project he's planning (he's home for ten days of vacation and he's got lots of them planned). And since taking this picture, I now have only two rows left to sew. I want to finish this one by the end of the week as it will go on a table in my pink guest bedroom.

This Shamrock design is one that I shared on the March Tea and Stitches post and is my family room project. I'm embroidering the bow and have only the stems left to do and then I can put it in a frame.

The angel design in this basket is from a series of 12 angels that I drew in 2005. This one is finished now and I plan to use it on a totebag.......I think......or else a notebook cover. It was my living room project and because the handwork on it is finished, I had to start a new handwork project. In my "to-do" pile was the "Star Blooms" pattern by Pat Sloan. One night last week, I just took an hour and picked my fabrics, stitched up the background piece and then fused the star flower and basket shapes in place. I taped it to the wall and like the way it looks even before it is embellished with embroidery stitches. I am very happy with it and want it done ASAP! Patience, though, must have patience. I started the handwork and tonight I finished all the yellow star centers while we watched "Desperate Housewives". I'm going to get a lot done on this tomorrow night and Tuesday, as I'll be stitching on it while we're watching "Dancing with the Stars". Hope to finish the handwork on this one by the end of the week so that I can add the backing and finish it by the end of May. I have another Pat Sloan pattern that I want to start and I am not letting myself work on it til the "Star Blooms" one is done!!

I also have a Thimbleberries project that is waiting for a warm, sunny day so I can sit on the front porch and work on it. When that happens, I'll take a photo of that project.

Speaking of photos, some of those that I've loaded and haven't shared are ones taken at a couple of quilt shops. Those shops involve a gingerbread man, a firefly and a bit of wool. I will get those photos shared by the end of the week. Photos that I've taken and haven't loaded include ones of some sock related stuff for a Sock Swap that we are having in my Wooly Buddies group, plus more photos of Devlin and me working on this CD project he's doing.

Thanks to all of you that have joined my Seasons BOM group. I have a pattern to load there for the Grandma's Garden runner and will get to that in a day or two. Had a busier than expected weekend so didn't get it posted today as planned. Tomorrow is my yearly exam and, as noted, my husband is home on vacation all this week and has many projects planned and some require my help. I don't mind too much as some are little "to do" items that I have wanted done for some time.

That's all for now. Hope you had a great weekend and look forward to a great week. It is going to be near 80 degrees here on Monday! Yay! I may get to the porch to stitch!

Sandi