Bottling Season!!

We've been up to our elbows in amazing fruit lately, and so far we've bottled 77 quarts.  That means we can eat 1 bottle every 4.5 days for the whole year.  ...We'll have to ration to make it last...  :)

Jonathan and Seth were my right hand men.  I couldn't believe how much they stayed with me and helped, and loved it!  They're incredible.  And now Jonathan can do the whole process, from blanching to processing.  It's super fun for me, because I remember doing this with my mom when I was little, and now I get to do it with my kids.  :)

Two pieces of art

I got brave and entered some of my art into the City Art Fair this summer.  After seeing some of the other amazing entries, I was sure I didn't have a chance... 

But this one took 2nd place!!  I was so surprised when we were walking around the show, and my 7 year old started calling out to me to come see the ribbon on my painting!  It's 12 inches by 24 inches, oil on canvas.

 Of course the tree was the funnest part.  :)

Here's the other one I entered.  It's of James Madison, one of my heros.  The drawing is about 5 inches by 7 inches, and is done in grade 4B graphite.  Higher B graded pencils give you darker and richer values, and make it extra fun.  :)

Anyway, it was super fun to get an award, and made me want to spend more time on art!

Candy Jar Baby Quilt

I've been eyeing this pattern for a while now. I just found an opportunity to make it happen. This Eleanor Burns quilting book is a little older, but I thought I could make a really cute baby quilt if I updated the fabric. I love how it turned out.

 I didn't buy any fabric. This is all stuff I had in my stash. 

Kind of dying over this backing. The ultimate girly fabric. I splurged and paid a little more for it, but I think it was worth it. 

I'm becoming obsessed with rounded corners. It's so much prettier than my mitered ones. I think it looks a little more feminine too. I actually have begun cheating and machine sewing my binding lately. With my new walking foot, I think it looks great. And it's so much faster!

 Back to the stippling quilting. An old favorite. 

All ready for its new home. My friend paid me to make this for a new grandbaby. I think they'll love it. I do.

Well, we made the move and created me a wonderful sewing room.. When we built the house 13 years ago I quickly decided my sewing room was to small.  Well many things have happened from moving to a bedroom upstairs back downstairs and then back upstairs but now....I have found the permanent spot in the studio.  I have slowed down doing photography and sew more than I shoot.  I have taken the larger part of the studio area and made my permanent sewing room.  It really has been fun and it is not quite finished but Dad and I built this wonderful table and Brian helped with the granite. (that is the main reason it will never move again. 800 lbs of rock is hard to move)  I thought I would share the partial complete pictures.

This was one full Saturday.  Dad and I made this wonderful work table but it was a pain to move back downstairs but we did it.  Jalee and I put up the peg board and the thread racks and we moved the bookcases with Lark and BettyJo and everyone helped then the work on the table began.

 

 

Dad and I put together the base.

 

 

 

Then Andrea came and help stain it and now we are ready for the top.

 

 

Well that is how it looks now.  I still am moving the corner cabinet in from my existing sewing room they will go where the buffet table's are in the corner.  Then I will change out the curtains and add a few finishing touches and I will post a final picture of my new creative space.  I love it.