I made my friend Marcia a patchwork camera strap for her birthday.

This is the third one I have made and I think the kinks are almost worked out.  I need a new foot for my machine so I can sew the vinyl easier.  Does anyone have a good source for buying Bernina parts online?  The store where I bought my machine went out of business when I was in Telluride.  It was a wonderful, locally owned fabric store that had been open for 103 years.  To say that I am going to miss it sorely is an understatement.  I was there so often that many of the employees knew me by name.  Anyhow, I need a part and have no place to get it.  I'd appreciate any leads.

I can't believe it is already Friday and at the same time, I am so ready for the weekend.  I started binding the state fair quilt last night and I anticipate more than a few hours sitting in front of the TV, stitching away over the next few days.  Fatty and I have a date tonight and the girls start volleyball tomorrow.  School starts on the 20th and our days are getting increasingly busier.  I'm going to savor these last few weeks of down time and squeeze in as much summer as I can.

Hope your weekend is a good one.

The girls and I just came home from meeting our new nephew and cousin.  The little guy is so sweet - it was great to finally see him and hold him.

This morning I whipped up some cuteness for the new baby.  I made him some burp cloths like the ones I did for Declan and Augie.  I also got out my embroidery machine and put his name on some onesies and a hat.  Sweet things for a sweet babe.

And in case you were counting, that is 7 nephews and 0 nieces.  Lucky me!

We are home!  And just like every time we get back, there are bags to unpack and laundry to do.  But I haven't even started that.

Instead I started a quilt.

Happy Monday!

We head home tomorrow.

Sigh.

It seems like we just got here in some ways.  In other ways, I feel like I have been away from home for months.

Have a great weekend.  I'll be back in this space sometime next week.

Yes, I am knitting!  Knitting!  And my wrist is feeling OK.  Not great, but OK.  The first tangled yoke sleeve is on the needles.  I am much further along than in this photo - I am finished with the garter rib, well into the stockinette stitch.  3 more increases to go.  So far so good.  The bonus:  there is a yarn store in Telluride!  I haven't been in yet - just drove by this morning.  I plan on checking it out later today.  Good thing I saw it, too.  I forgot my cable needle at home.

The girls are off on their overnight camp out and in a few minutes I am off to the airport to pick up Fatty.  He's here for the weekend so if I disappear until next week, you'll know I am busy hiking and hanging out with my best friend.  Ta ta for now!

I spent most of the weekend sewing, but I don't have anything to show for it.  All of the projects are in different stages of "not yet finished."  I have myself to blame for this:  running out of thread seems to be a specialty of mine.  And now, I can add math miscalculations to the list as I cut a two and a half yard piece of batting in to a completely unusable mess along with squaring a full size sheet incorrectly.  Yikes.  I think I might start chanting, "Measure twice, cut once" but I am not sure it would help.

The good news is that there are a few things making my heart race lately.  The first is Sarah's latest gocco swap.  Oh boy!  I love me some good looking notes.  See the button on the right side bar?  Click it and sign up.  You know you want to.

Second is Pam's February Lady Sweater.  Seriously.  I have spent a couple weeks deciding if I love this so much because it is the most perfect shade of green or because I really like the sweater.  Turns out, I think it is both.  So now I am on the hunt for the most perfect yarn in the most perfect green.  You know, so I can knit the most perfect sweater.  Preferably wool - suggestions?  I won't start it for awhile - the wrist, you know.  But the girls and I are headed to my favorite place at the end of the week (another thing making my heart rate rise) and the tangled yoke is coming along.  It is the only crafty thing I'm bringing.  That will be either disastrous or genius (the wrist,  you know).  Only time will tell.

Finally, Blair sent Emily, Tracy and I our new assignment.  (As an aside, can I just say how happy I am that Blair is back at the blog thing?  So very happy - I really missed her words).  I pulled out the dictionary - man, oh man!  There are lots of choices with this word.

Cover.  Noun and verb.  My initial thoughts surprised even me.  Wordplay is so fun - it gets me thinking in so many different ways.

Enough for a Monday morning.  Back tomorrow with quilt news.

Grace came to visit.  I know:  two bloggy meet-ups in one week!  Lucky me!

I met Grace and her kids at the aquarium on Wednesday.  It was like meeting an old friend.  I knew her when I saw her and it was just so easy.  After the aquarium, we got ice cream and then sat in the kids' section at Barnes and Noble while sweet James played with the trains and Elisabeth and my girls looked at books.  Grace and I just talked - it was so nice and really wonderful.  Then yesterday, they all came to our house and we just hung out and chatted more.  It was a lovely afternoon and I was so sad to see them go.

I wasn't the only sad one.  We will just have to do it again sometime.  Thanks for visiting, Grace!

Friday night, we had a few guests for dinner.  Well, actually it was a full house.  Five from Wisconsin and another 10 from here.  Add our four and it was officially a fiesta!

Tracy is wonderful.  Friendly and funny, adorable and charming - just as I knew from all our emails and then some more on top.  I loved meeting her and putting a voice with her words.  We talked and laughed and then laughed some more.  My only wish is that our visit could have been longer.

Both of us sat at the table with our cameras.  I'm used to being the only shutterbug in the group so it was fun to see someone else snapping just as much as me.

Of course, me with my procrastinating ways, still had a lot to do in the kitchen once the guests arrived.  It was nice to have some extra hands to help out.  You know you have a good friend when you aren't afraid to put them to work.

Until next time, friend.  Maybe in your neck of the woods?  Or somewhere in between.  Enjoy your roadtrip, Tracy.  Give Emily a hug for me.