Showing posts with label Desert Botanical Gardens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Desert Botanical Gardens. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

A Half a Year Later...

So I really need to get back to blogging and reading my blogs.  I miss it.  I have a few more days until the school year is over (teaching from home due to Covid 19) and we move to Milwaukee!  My daughter Hannah is pregnant with my first grandbaby (Coleman's wife has six kids and one grandkid but we never see them and well it is a long story...) and due the end of September.  We found a house about 15 minutes from her and less than ten from my video relay job (I am transferring).  I am so fatigued these past two years that I do not think I can work full time any more.  Took a lot to get through this year.
So let me share a bunch of pictures of quilty stuff that I have been up to.
 Serpentine Spider Web.  Love how it turned out but it took about an hour per block and it will take me awhile to work up enthusiasm for another huge string pieced quilt!  I do have plenty of strings though so I am going to need to find that mojo.
 Made another Eye Spy (and cut lots of squares, etc for my bin).  Lombardi is here modeling with it.  He loves to sleep near me while I sew.  His favorite thing is guessing where I will need to walk so he can lay right there.
Barb and I bought matching quilt kids again this year and we made them.  This is the third snowman quilt kit/pattern I have bought and made with her I think.  They turn out so cute.
I did several New Year's Mysteries this year.  Becky and BJ came over to sew one and I did another one alone.
 BJ finished hers and it gorgeous too!
 Sunshine (our new rescue) is posing with this one.  I already cannot remember the pattern name (and it is packed) but I think this is the Merry Mayhem...yes it is Case #143: MM's Mystery Quilt - Just Around the Corner.  
This one was donated since I was super not happy with my contrast.  It was also a mystery quilt (I forget where from already) but I enjoyed making it...and using up some crazy fabric that has been in my stash for a long time!

I was lucky enough to take a day off work and go to Bonnie Hunter's workshop at 35th Ave. again this year.  Several of my friends also went and we sat together and had the best day.  I perfected my log cabin and it is now one of my favorite blocks!


She took a few of us to breakfast that weekend too!  So good to catch up with her in person.
My brother got married March 9th right before the Covid rocked our world.  Hannah and Jeremy and Jay were able to come for the wedding.  They were only here like five days but we made the most of it.  Besides the wedding, we went to the Snakes and Lattes and played games, the Botanical Gardens (on free day!) and played a TON of games at home.  Bang was such a favorite that they bought the card game and we bought the dice game (and the card game for Buck).
The Botanical Gardens had a recycled plastic installment. It was fun to see all the animals all over the place.
 I joined a Mystery Quilts Anonymous facebook group.  The lady who writes the mysteries on there is PROLIFIC!  There are several in progress at any one time.  I love mystery quilts so I have made a few.  I made two table toppers with her tulip pattern blocks.  Super fun and uses up scraps. I am sure I will be making more.  I have one quilted as of a few days ago and one ready to go.  Not sure it will happen before the move, but we shall see.
I really enjoyed Warm Hands, Warm Heart (Quiltville pattern) too.  Hand stitched the mittens and found lots of scraps to make the blocks.  I quilted it by machine (which was not wanting to cooperate) and finished the binding by hand.  Think this is part symbolizes moving back to Wisconsin like out Arizona Dreams did moving here!
Kathy and I finished our final 35th Ave BOM quilts.  Andi Williams quilted them for us and did a fantastic job!  One went to Ben and one to Christian (nephews) since Christian is Ashley's son he did not have a quilt from when he was born.  They share a room when at the house (they go back and forth between their respective parents) so thought matching quilts with different colored backgrounds (their favorite color) were in order.  Just gifted them for their birthdays this past weekend.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Three Awesome Stops!

Yesterday we took Monica to the Desert Botanical Gardens for Chilhuly in the Garden.  It was so beautiful and we got in tons of walking!
Kathy and I especially liked the sundial in the herb garden.  So cool!


Stop number two (after lunch at Subway for us and In and Out for Randy and Monica) was the Ostrich Farm.  This wasn't really Monica's style, but Kathy and Randy were over the moon.  I got a kick out of it though I am okay if I don't feed goats, ducks, and ostriches out of my hand again any time soon.

We also got nectar to feed to the birds.  I have never done something like this (and Monica opted not to) but figured I could try it once.  It was the best part of the whole day for me!  Seriously, these birds land on you and take the lid off the nectar, lick it clean then drop it and drink from the cup!
They are so beautiful!
Our last stop was to the Casa Grande Ruins.  We heard about an hour long talk on the history of the place and got to get up really close to see them.  Unreal to think this has been here for six or seven hundred years!


We had another great visit with Monica and she really enjoyed the sun (back to snow in Eau Claire) and we hope she comes again next year!

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Desert Botanical Gardens sans Sewing

My machine is still in the hospital and I am just about mad...last weekend we kept busy by going to the Desert Botanical Garden and to the Flea Market. This helped kill time and take my mind off not sewing...but...still! Here are Randy and DJ.




And DJ and I!





My first desert pumpkin patch...and hayride in 96 degree heat. Made me miss Wisconsin!







The flowers were so gorgeous!









This was artwork on the wall...Monet's inspiration I think.








Walking up the mountain..see the giant ants ahead? There are tons of insect sculptures all around and kids like to hunt for them.











We took a seat for a bit and right next to us on a rock was this guy! We took a ton of pictures of him and spent about 8 minutes admiring him!
























Of course I also did some knitting. This picture reminds me of what my Grandma Nan always looked like knitting, LOL!






These pictures were off DJ's grandfather's camera..I have yet to download mine. I did get some fabric in the mail for Hannah's Christmas tree skirt so I need to get clicking, cutting and I hope one day soon, sewing!

Summer Sewing!

I have not been sewing too much this summer.  Playing lots of games and reading lots of books instead.  Barb keeps on trying to get me in th...