Pink is the color

Maybe you figured it out. It is a girl.

Her name will be Adalyn Jae. She is due January 2nd, 2017. This will make 3 little girls under the age of four. Heaven help us.

EPP AKA English Paper Piecing

I had been told I am crazy doing this little stitching. Well it is satisfying to me to use needle and thread when I sit to watch TV at night. 

I was also told and saw that this book is no longer in print. It has sold out. I found it on a website I was looking at.  www.paperpieces.com . They have both of Willyne Hammersteins's books available plus many others. I have loved the look of this cover quilt and am fascinated with the shapes. The pieces are larger than the mini hexies I am doing no so they should piece together quicker. The trick is picking out the correct color combinations to produce the effect you want. 

This is side ways, but you can see EPP can be done with other shapes besides hexagons and jewel shapes. 

The author is a commuter to her office everyday and she makes kits up to take on the train to her office. She says she has several quilts and blocks started in each pattern so she doesn't get bored with the same blocks. 

The book is written in several languages. So it is easy for others to read. She is from the Netherlands.

Today we are trying to recover the house and rest, but we get girls again for a couple hours. Mom and Dad are going to the Dr.s appointment together to see if the gender of the newest little one will be revealed. 

They have a couple names picked out, but nothing is for sure. Take care and see you later Chris 

I am wore out

We had three grandkids over the last two days. And we get two of them back tomorrow. 

Derek the 15 year old wanted to come and he helped grandpa finish the roof over the ramp. The girls just came to hang out. 

We went shopping today and bought shoes for the three year old and got them bubber boots as they say. Rain boots. They wear them when they go to help do chores with all the animals. 

We had another fast moving storm that dumped another 1.6 inches again. The grass grows by inches over night. The farmers don't want rain at this point. They want the crops to start drying out. This kind of moisture causes mold in the crops. 

Hopefully tomorrow afternoon we find out what the gender of the baby is. If he or she cooperates. Time will tell. 

My son has had issues of late raising his Teenage kids. You want to be their friend, but then some hard parenting has to come into play. He has experienced that from his oldest. I think they are finally getting beyond the resentment and the hurt feelings. Grandma has had to step in by Dad's request and try and smooth things out. I try and not blame, but make sure everyone has choices and we have to pay the consequences with the choice we make. I think some progress has been made and maybe they will move forward. Life is to short to hold grudges. 

Well I think the nightgown is going to get put on and maybe an early bed tonight. I had two year old feet in  my back and side all night long last night.  Chris 

 

The roof over the porch

This is what you see when you walk out the kitchen door. We had a small deck there. We decided to cover the deck so that we could sit there and keep the weather off the kitchen door. We used deck boards that are treated and we won't stain or paint them. They will be covered on the top with shingles. This will give the outdoors look to the roof. 

This was taken from the garage looking towards the house. See I still have my driveway space, but this way we have a usable deck. We used it, but when it was hot yu were right out in the sun in the afternoon. This is the North side of my house.  

This is from the driveway on the front side of my house. We are taking about changing the steps on the front side of the deck to give us a little more deck space. That maybe will be before Fall weather. It was hot and humid

yesterday. So we retreated to the garage and shade many times.

This is the ramp area and we are going to add a cover over it also. We had to attach to the wood on the house so that is why the siding is off. We get the last of the roof done the siding will be fitted back in place. 

This is the approach coming back up the ramp to the kitchen door. I really like the look. It was a trade off of adding a porch to the house. We just decided we didn't want to sit on the front side of the house. This will be our little getaway. We really like it and now maybe I can get back to sewing. Chris

Rain, Rain go away

My husband took these and didn't change the date on the camera, but this is about 10 am this morning. I went to go get groceries and as I was standing in the check out the heavens opened up and just poured and didn't stop. I could barely see to drive home it was coming down so hard. This is the street and the front yard and sidewalk in front of my house running with 5-7 inches of water. 

This is the back yard. the yard is really soggy with all the rain we had last week. We are to get 1-4 more inches overnight with flash flood warnings. 

This is the drive and the side of my neighbors house and yard. It is all soaked in now, but the grass is really wet. 

Tomorrow we are suppose to put a roof over the side deck. Wish it was done today. I got soaked bring groceries in. I change my clothes and wrung water out of my shirt. I was soaked. Now it is hot and humid. 

I am getting tired of being woke up in the middle of the night with thunder and lightening, but Mother Nature doesn't listen to me. Chris

Hand stitching

It is starting to gain in size. It is a slow process. I haven't felt real good with my allergies so sitting and hand stitching suits me. It might be five years before this has any definite size to it. 

I took it out into the natural light at 7 pm to take this picture. I keep emptying small spools of poly/cotton thread. I use it to baste the papers and fabric pieces. Might as well use it up, because I don't do much garment sewing anymore. I have been using the lighter threads on the lighter pieces and the darker threads on the darker hexies for the basting. 

Here are a few more pieced, but not added yet. I find colors and make up the flowers and the stars and when the color works I then attach it to the main piece.

Yesterday we got a delivery of wood for the out side deck. We are going to make a cover for it and the ramp we have. The weather when it is bad really hits that side of the house. We thought carrying groceries or going in and out would be nicer with a cover porch. We are thinking about adding an outside ceiling fan to the roof so we can sit out there and be comfortable also.

We really wanted to add a covered porch to the front of the house, but it would cost way more than what we cared to spend. Also in the afternoons and evenings the sun is beating on that side of the house. The porch with the ramp is on the North side of the house so it made more sense to cover it.

We painted the tall posts so we don't have to stand on ladders so we got the wood delivered early to do prep work before we get help to do the heavy lifting hopefully on Thursday.

Over the last 72 hours we have received 7 inches of rain. Not as much as in the South, but it did cause flash flooding in the area. We are ok, but I feel the pain for the families in the South that lost everything some of them for the second time.

The Olympics are almost over and the Fall TV season will be starting soon. The reruns are driving me nuts so I guess I go back to the hand sewing again for this evening. Chris

August

Where has the year gone to? I have been dreading this time of year. Normally Fall is my most favorite season.

It has been a time that I am approaching a year since my Mom struggled with her cancer and it is reminder that life comes and goes so fast.

About this time last year my Mother's illness was taking a turn to the end and she needed more help. This year has been hard to face, but I could wish her to come back and deal with all the pain.

I really think this is why I have had such a struggle with staying focused. I question in my mind did I do enough? I in reality think I did and there wasn't much more I could do. Made her last days filled with family and also as pain free as possible.

Hopefully no one else has to go through this ordeal. I know others will and I understand your pain and the sacrifice one has to go through.

Thoughts are with others who are dealing with this ugly disease. Chris