Friday, July 26, 2019

Wedding Shower Makes

I decided that I wanted to make Christmas stockings for the kids as my shower gift to them.  
I had chosen a pattern a few years ago that I thought they would like and I happened to be right.

I had to make a few modifications but I am really pleased with how they turned out.  
The pattern called for quilting the front and back but I just did the front.  
They are quite large and I felt it would make them even heavier.

You can see that I put white behind the nose and eyes on the bear to make them stand out.


Little mice with Christmas trees grace the inside of this one.


Funny story about Nick's. 
I forgot to add the string before I put the whole stocking and lining together.  
I had to add it after and try not to stitch through into the lining while I was doing it!  
I managed to do it but it was tricky.


Little Christmas trees are on the inside of this one.




This is when they opened them.  You can see how big they are!


 I also made a pillow for the ring bearer to carry.  
She was VERY specific about what she wanted and I think this came out just as she wanted.  
She had seen it before the shower as I wanted her opinion 
about the ribbon to put on it to attach the rings with.

This was before I added the white flower dots, the ribbon or had the words stitched.


They will attach the rings by tying them with the ribbon.


Opening the pillow.


Now I need to get my butt in gear and work on the wedding quilt.
At the retreat I made 670 blocks for the quilt, PHEW!
Now I have to get the motivation to sew it all together.

Where has my sewjo gone??
Wish me luck with this one.
It's going to be HUGE!

~XOP~





Thursday, July 25, 2019

More From The Wedding Shower

I got to take a few photos with my daughter before the shower.  
The day was so HOT, I thought we should take a couple of pictures before we melted.



Managed to snap one of these two also.


 One of my very best friends was able to make it to the shower too.  


Another one of my long time friends came from another state to help celebrate!
I feel so blessed that she made the long drive to be here


As you can see by my red face, it was really HOT that day, LOL
This is me with my daughter and our beautiful hostess (my SIL)


Two of the bridesmaids attended the shower.  It was so nice to see them both!


It was such a hot day that after the shower was over some of us went swimming in the pool!
(hope she doesn't kill me for sharing this one!!)


Our great niece was there too as was my hubby (he came after the shower).  
She just loves him so they had a blast in the pool together.  
That's a ring pop in his mouth.  
She found the most "rings" and shared with Uncle Chris!


Tomorrow I will share the things I made as gifts for the shower.  
I couldn't share them before they were gifted and one I finished the morning of the shower!

~XOP~


Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Wedding Shower

I have been frantically getting things ready for the wedding shower last weekend
at my SIL's beautiful home.  
I made a bunch of different sugar scrubs using lemon, lavender and Geranium.  
So easy!  

Sugar Scrub Recipe
One cup Sugar
1/2 cup Coconut oil
Drops of essential oil to your desired scent level.




I put lavender sprigs on top of the lavender.  
I grated lemon peel into the lemon. 
 The morning of the shower I put a geranium flower on top of the geranium ones. 
 I bought labels on ETSY that were similar to the flowers on the shower invites too.


My SIL, Jackie, hosted the shower and my other SIL's helped her, but it was at her beautiful home.  This is what we saw as we walked up.  


They put the pool in a few years ago.


Mimosa bar and 


gift table


The eating area


This was to the right of the eating area.  Notice the "Lincoln" on the fire place!


Everything was so elegant and beautiful!


She has a friend that painted all the signs she used


Her sister did all of the desserts. I LOVED the "Almost Mrs" on top of the red velvet cake.


 Those cookies had the flowers painted on!


These two were so happy that we had such a beautiful day and so many friend to celebrate with!


This engagement ring pool float was so clever.


Preview of the wedding cake cutting??


 It was an amazing day and I was so thrilled we got to celebrate with all of these incredible women.


Thank you so much Jackie and Mark for opening up your home to us!
You guys are the BEST!

~XOP~




Monday, July 15, 2019

Quilt Retreat

As you all know already, Thursday was my BIG 60th birthday.  
What you don't know is that it is also my annual retreat with 3 of my best friends.  
Every year for the last 3 years we have gotten together to celebrate my birthday 
(and my friend Cori's birthday, although that got forgotten this year, sorry Cori).  
She and I used to go out to dinner and then one year I suggested 
we make our own quilt retreat, so we did!  
I also invited my SIL, Mary and after the first year, my friend Traci.  
Traci is the only one that doesn't live in MI.  S
he flies in from Wisconsin.  

Traci arrived at the airport on Thursday.  
I picked her up and we went shopping at some quilt shops, at the grocery store and at JAF.  
THEN we got pedicures and then it was time to go home and pack up the car.

Here we are getting our toes done.


Much to no one's surprise mine are sparkly teal!


Next up was heading to the retreat.  
We arrived and got unpacked and settled in.  
I cannot believe the amount of food we brought for the 4 of us.  


Also movies, lots and lots of movies. 
 I forgot Bad Mom's Christmas, which they would not let me forget


I suggested that we make the Double Slice quilt.  It required one layer cake.  
Cori, Mary and I each made one.

I used some of my Vintage Sheets to make mine and made it a row longer.


Cori made one that used the blocks, cut yet again, into 2.5" pieces to make the borders


Mary's was the original pattern.  


Cori, that little over achiever, finished this quilt before making her Double Slice quilt top.


Cori had her needle come off and it stuck right in her fabric, still threaded!


Traci was helping the other 2 make an "easy" bag 
while I was working away on the infamous"Wedding Quilt". 
 Little did I realize how small the blocks for this pattern are.  
I had to make 670 blocks before I could even begin assembling the top. 
I sewed, and sewed and SEWED.  
This is about half of my trimmings.  
I can't even show you the blocks yet.  
I did manage to get all of the blocks made.  
I still need to trim the last 70 of them, but I thought I did pretty well!


 Cori made one more top too.  
They both finished their bags and Cori made a one hour basket.  
Traci finished her bag, and some other things. 
Mary also got started on some dresses for her grands, did some self binding blankets and 
finished her Winnie the Pooh top.

I made kabobs for our Friday night dinner and Cori brought the rice.  
We got to eat outside.  
It was so nice.
Mary brought her famous sugar cookies
(goodbye Ketosis for me)


Back to work for everyone.


Mary gave us all unicorn pinatas full of sewing notions.  Jack made a new friend.


Birthday gifts and cards were abundant.
Check out the science wine.


I even received a beautiful bouquet of flowers.  Delivered after I got home from my sweet SIL.


I'm pretty sure this was one of my best birthdays ever!  I'm hoping we can do this again next year.

Maybe the year each of them turns 60 it will be their turn to be showered with so much love.

Thank you my sweet, sweet friends for making this an amazing birthday.  
My sixties have begun with so much love, I hope the whole decade is the same.  

You guys are the BEST!
I miss you already
Is it February yet??

~XOP~