Progress on Garden Bird

For International Quilt Day yesterday...and today...I spent most of the day watching videos from The Quilt Show..and working on the Garden Bird..He's looking pretty cool so far!



Next up..the embroidery part..you can just see the pencil markings I have made for the stems...I need a few more colors of embroidery thread though..I can't find any grey and I think I need another greenish color..

Yesterday...it rained and rained and rained...today the weather was wildly changing..it went from this in the early afternoon:

...to this an hour later!



Here's a couple of shots of the ornamental Saturn Peach tree - one branch fell over but its still attached and it has more blossoms on that part of the tree than the other upright part!




And..a picture of my Tiger cat...just cuz!

Birthday Presents for DGD

Made a few things for DGD's fifth birthday...

A Tooth Fairy Pillow - DGD hasn't lost a tooth yet..and from what I hear, is kinda not so sure about the whole loosing a tooth thing..thought this might help her out a bit (I did check it out with her Mom to find out if the Tooth Fairy was going to be stopping at her house when DGD lost a tooth).

The pattern is by Two Blonde Mice..saying is:

in this pouch you will find
a teeny tiny tooth of mine
so while i sleep and dreams parade
can we do a little trade?

I used a piece of horse fabric - it might have been for a shirt for my Sis, but I don't remember the shirt - I found the fabric in with the stuff my Mom saved that I made the Heart's Garden quilt out of - only had two strips of it..so I had to piece the back..and there is almost nothing left!



A snack mat..made from a block that I got from the AZ Retreat..don't know whose bag of scraps it was in, but thought it was really cute!


Sponge balls - got this idea off Pinterest..went to the Dollar Tree and got several packages of sponges..the hard dry cellulose ones just don't work..in case you want to try these! Fortunately, I got a pack of 10 of the foam sponges..and they work a treat..cut each sponge into thirds with a scissor, stack up three sponges worth, tie with some cotton crochet yarn - I think I cut around 10 inches..use a couple of surgeon's knots to keep it from coming undone, turning and knotting it several times..Fluff out the ball and in less than 10 minutes, you have 3 soft balls that can be thrown in the house or used in the bathtub..
 

 Will be going to her party in the afternoon...

Trapped...

inside of Disneyland...My family had quite the adventure today..

Ya see..its the DGD's 5th birthday..and to celebrate, we took her to Disneyland..at least..that was the plan!!

DH and I got there at 7:30 am..got the tickets and since DS and company were not quite there yet at 8:00 when they opened, we entered the park..DS called a few minutes later saying they were in the parking structure...and then a few minutes later that they were on the tram..so..we were standing near the gates to hand them their tickets when one of the cast members came and said we had to go past the train tunnels into Disneyland..."A security Incident"...somewhere in the esplanade between Disneyland and California Adventure..eeppp!!

They stopped letting people in!!! And we could not get out..How's that for an adventure..STUCK INSIDE DISNEYLAND...so..DS and company were not let in until after 11...turns out a really, really STUPID person stuck a suspicious rolled up 'spiritual message' in a tree...LA Times Article about Disney Closure

While we were waiting for them to decide if they were going to let folks back in, DH and I tromped all over Disneyland..getting right on to any ride..if we didn't have folks waiting on the outside and if we weren't freaked by not being ABLE to get out..we would have had a great time...

So after 11..the masses POURED into Disneyland..we met up with the grandkid..had a very expensive lunch at the Blue Bayou (the chef made us filet mignon with green beans with mushrooms and steamed spinach)...we lasted til 5 ish..and DH and I just had to leave cuz our feet were hamburger...The younger folks are still there...

AZ Retreat 2012

I am back from the AZ Retreat...

On the way over, we stopped at KFC..I had wings and coleslaw..but they stuck a biscuit in the box..being wheat-free, I wouldn't eat the biscuit..and my traveling partner was way too full, so she suggested I feed the birds! A flock of mostly red-wing blackbirds eagerly devoured my biscuit...I didn't get a picture of the whole flock (every time I put the camera up, the birds took to the air..silly birds!) but here is one saucy fellow and a few of the bolder birds:

Here is a shot of the room before anyone started setting up.

Usually, when the two of us get to Retreat, only a couple of folks are there already..but this year, at least 1/3 of the Retreaters came the night before!! We were greeted in the hotel lobby by the whole group!

Here is a shot of the room after a few people had arrived...

I did a 'motorectomy' on Alis and turned her into a hand crank machine...I have a bit more to do - rewire the lamp to the plug receptacle and find a place to mount the plug or just connect the lamp to the cord or I could just remove the lamp (the hood is missing..and it may be too bright with a bare bulb)...and figure out how to move the hinges a couple of centimeters to the left so I can leave the hand crank attached - the hand crank is just a WEE bit too wide the way Alis is mounted into the case - I think I can do that without too much trouble - if not..I just have to leave the bolt tightener in the compartment under Alis..Oh..and I need to figure out how the heck the control box is mounted so I can remove it..I may need some 'manly muscles' to get it loose...

And I worked on stitching down the sashing on Heart's Garden...it's almost done!

 It was a fun Retreat!

Happy Village

I finished off the Happy Village today at retreat:



...And guess who showed up!

Little Roadie Goes To Retreat

Found in the Road to California program: "We know that Roadies are at Road to California in January, but where do they go the other 11 months of the year? Personalize your own Little Roadie doll...and take her on your journeys."

Meet Little Roadie...

Here she is at the Arizona Valley of the Sun Retreat

Here she is in front of the ironing station and the anniversary blocks

Here she is with Ray and Jeff at the Three Dudes Quilt Shop