Monday, August 13, 2018

Sewing and Decorating on this Rainy Monday!

Another rainy day and I am SO not complaining!!!
Rain is a gift anytime in Texas (usually!) but even more so in August!
We had our coffee and reading out in the den this morning - it was a little wet in the gazebo.
Right now we are on the last chapters of Deuteronomy for our Bible reading and in the 30 Great Stories we are now at The Devil and Daniel Webster written in 1941 by Stephen Vincent Benet.



Louis Dean got busy with the three projects I gave him to do and I went to the sewing room.


I had the quilt pinned together but I was a little overwhelmed at the whole project but then I just dug in and started sewing. I meant to get it to the point I knew I could finish in time for the bridal shower on Saturday but I surprised myself and finished the whole thing. It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought!
I machine stitched 'in the ditch' making a big tic tac toe to hold the backing to the front with the batting sandwiched between. Then I folded the backing up to form a border and sewed that around.
It's not perfect by any means but it is sturdy and lays flat and is mostly square! That's as much as I hoped for. I am not a real quilter but I do churn out these denim ones on a regular basis.


This one is now ready to tuck into a gift bag and add some tissue.
I am ready!

And guess what?
 My friend, Carla - who is a gifted real life quilter - invited me to a quilter's retreat!
I have never even dreamed of being invited to one of those!
She said it didn't make any difference - I could bring whatever I was working on.
Wow! I have seen Carla's posts and I know these ladies are a great bunch and have a lot of fun together so I was truly honored to be invited.
I can't go to this one - it's in October - but I told her I hope she will ask me again.
It would be an awesome thing to get to do!

So - my quilt was done and I moved on to do some more decorating.
I really needed to clean the kitchen but I ignored that thought.
Instead I decided to decorate the utility room. Laundry room.


I packed up a big tub full of 'debris' that lives in here during most of the year and set the stage with a swath of crisp orange cotton fabric I found in my stash. I believe Candie or Louise must have given it to me way back when. I am a keeper of nearly everything, you know.


Last year I decorated for fall.....and then added Halloween stuff.....and then Thanksgiving things.


Not this year! I'm throwing it all out there!!


I see this area all the time going back and forth to the den and doing laundry or getting things out of the pantry. 


I'm going to enjoy looking at it!


All the electric jack-o-lanterns are plugged into a power strip and I turn it off with one click!


Only one has a small candle and I will change that pretty soon.


I keep a stack of tins for storing and giving food things in.
A fall cloth covered them up nicely!
You know I am the Queen of Cover up!!




There's a soft place in my heart for all things fall.


Summer gifted me this basket and several personalized liners.
I filled it with snacky stuff so Louis Dean can always find something easily.
Speaking of snacking - he generally gets up in the middle of the night hungry.
I know to leave some things where he can find them without tearing the kitchen up.
Last night - or in the wee hours of this morning - he said he was sitting at the table right by the kitchen French doors eating a peach and was thoroughly entertained by a baby possum!
He said the little critter ran across the patio and up on the benches and back down and all around just as carefree as he could be. We have a possum friendly yard and I leave watermelon or cantaloupe rinds out for them. I leave the light on outside the kitchen door so I can look out and see them - not that it happens often. I will make sure to leave it on tonight and I am planning on getting up and having myself a snack!

It's been a good Monday here at the Chapmans!
Louis Dean repaired a chair, capped off a water line to the ice maker that doesn't work anyway and he repaired the stoop at the front door. I cleaned up after him and will need to buy some paint to freshen it up now that it's smeared with that Rock Hard stuff Louis Dean uses so much and it works so well.


 I close tonight's journal entry a bit earlier than usual.
  I dedicate this photo to Sandra aka The Mad Snapper!!!
I have a few sets of the battery powered fairy lights and strung them around the pumpkins under the curio cabinet in the foyer.



Goodnight to all our Friends and Family.....
Sleep well!


























18 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

I see you are replicating The Mad One's nook! Everything looks better with these twinkling lights! I now do believe that you just MAY have more pumpkins than me!! I said on Facebook that you got so much done so quickly that you must have flown!! I adore your quilt. The fact that it may not be perfect makes it even better! Then you know it was actually all handmade! I love this bible verse, and must have put it on my blog several times. But I have never read it in this translation!

Linda said...

Your house puts me in the mood for fall. Possums have a job to do in the world just like the rest of us, we best be nice to them. I honestly didn’t know they had enough energy to play. I guess I thought even the babies were slow moving.

Joy@aVintageGreen said...

You had a wonderful day Linda and I am so glad you took pictures to share along with your day. The quilt looks great and will be so useful for the Bride and Groom. Love your utility room, it is so happy and inviting.
Hugs and Love.
Joy

Bluebird49 said...

I love reading about your days! Sounds like you never rested Monday! 😊

Carol said...

I am impressed with how much you got accomplished on Monday. I had to meet with one of my Pink Zebra team members and then I helped my daughter. I also done some house cleaning and I picked a ton of green beans from the garden.

Susie said...

Linda, I love the laundry room. The quilt came out nicely. You do not give yourself enough credit. Teddy Bear's mom was a quilter. She make everyone in her family a quilt. I will have to show Ted's. She did them by hand on one of those rolling quilt holders. Pray for me today, cleaning time at the dentist. :):) Blessings to you and LD, love you guys, xoxo, Susie

mxtodis123 said...

Oh my. Now I am really ready for fall. Just holding off my decorating until September. When kids go back to school signals fall for me. Great job on that quilt. A lot of hard work, but you must have a great sense of satisfaction. Awesome gift.

Nonnie said...

A wonderful way to spend a rainy Monday. I have so enjoyed this wonderful rain the past few days and my hopes and prayers for a cool respite in August was answered this weekend. I love your Fall preparations and your quilt. I'm sure it will be cherished.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

You have everything so pretty and now I want to go out and buy more fairy lights! I'm going to decorate for Fall....soon! I've started making some places for the pretties. Fall colors are my favorite...even though Fall is my least favorite season. Thanks for the inspiration! Hugs! PS I love that beautiful quilt!

Estelle's said...

What a feast for the eyes...I cannot imagine where you store all these seasonal treasures but it sure must make one happy when they are on display....just marvelous Linda!!!

Arlene G said...

I love your pretty basket with Chapman on it. I have a cute orange basket that I got from Pererboro baskets for all my fall treats. I may just go ahead and ge tit out and put all my snack type food in it right now.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

You definitely let your light shine for all to see and do a wonderful job of it too. I love all the decorations and that quilt is a treasure and will be a fabulous gift to the happy couple. So glad you got it done in plenty of time for the wedding. Now you can do more decorating! Have a happy Tuesday!!

MadSnapper said...

when I saw the pumpkin photo, before I read the dedication, I thought This Is My Favorite Photo and then I read it is for ME. I do LOVE it. it is my favorite. shine on Autumn.. you are ready.. I just wish you could get mother nature to think autumn, or even just a little less HEAT... you are The Queen of decorating.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Now I am so ready for fall weather after seeing your pumpkins, Linda. We are now in the return home part of our cross country road trip somit will be nearly fall when we return to NH. Thanks for your comments and glad you are enjoying our travels. I had nit heard of Charles Goodnight before reading the back story on how the Chuck-Arama restaurants were named.

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

I love the fall! Can’t wait!

Judy said...

Everything looks sooooooo cute!!

Kathy said...

I always love your fall decorating. So pretty with all the fall colors.

Carole said...

Hey what a lot of decorating you got done. I think I am a minimalist compared to you - I have to admit I don't change anythiing between seasons - I even have my nativity set out all year.... Cheers