Update on America

Good afternoon. I know I haven't been around as much lately. For some reason I just haven't gotten into blogging like I use to. Also I haven't stitched much in the last 3 weeks until yesterday and today. I think I stitched more yesterday and today than I have the last 3 weeks. I definitely got twice as much done. Anyway this is my progress on pages 7 & 8.

My sister is coming in to town later today. So the next couple of days I won't get much stitching in. We'll probably just relax tonight, doing our running around tomorrow and then play games whenever.

My small garden is doing good except for one of the hydrangea plants. The first one that got planted just never really took off well. Now the one planted later is really doing good and new buds are even coming up. I'm hoping next year the plants will really do well. Everyone tells me it takes a year or two for them to really get going. I also wonder if the first one is getting too much sun. I've been pruning it but then someone told me not to prune it, just let it take care of itself. But I don't know some of those leaves and flowers are pretty dead. But like I said the second one is doing great and the rest of the flowers are doing good.

August will be a busy month. Several of my nieces and nephews will be coming in from out of state. Each week someone is coming in except for the first week and last week some will be leaving. I'm looking forward to seeing them again. I haven't seen Jeremy, who lives in AZ in 4 years.

Well...until next time. Happy Stitching!

Hope Sampler Finished

Good morning! I am just waiting for a friend and her daughter to get here so thought I would post my finish. I finished it a couple of days ago and just getting around to posting it. This will go to a boy at Love Quilts who has Religious as theme of his quilt. I have my America piece back now so am back to stitching on that. I finished page 9. Here it is:I never thought I would get page 9 done, that was by far the hardest page. I think it was because of the colors being so similiar. Now I'm doing page 7 which is a much easier page to do.

Last night my sister in law came with a new hydrengia plant. It is so pretty. The first one she gave me isn't doing that well but everyone says it will do better next year. So I'm not giving up on it yet. A friend is coming over in a few minutes and we'll do a little more work in the garden

Hope Sampler

Good afternoon! Boy! June did fly by! It is already July 1. I left my America piece at my brother's last week and don't have it back yet, so I decided to do the Hope Sampler in mean time. And may be doing a couple of other pieces before I get that piece back. Anyway this piece is full of improvisions. For one thing I don't know how to do the specialty stitches so the bands are just my own version of the bands on the pattern. Another thing the word Hope is also going to be improvised somewhat since the pattern is for 28 count and I'm doing it on 14 count. At least the Lighthouse will be accurate. This piece is going to a little boy at Love Quilts unless I decide I messed it up too bad, then I'll find another piece to do for him.

Last week I got to see my Aunt and Uncle at my brothers. It's been a year since I've seen them. We had a nice visit with them. We admired my sister-in-law's garden and all her flowers in front yard and back yard and my brother redid the sun porch and it is really nice.

I'm looking forward to the Summer Olympics. I like the winter ones better, but I do like the Swimming, Diving, and Gymnastic events and some Track & Field. I've been watching the tryouts so that gives me a taste of what the Olympics will be like.

Well....until next time...Happy Stitching!