Play Time in Nonna's Closet and Jumping on the Bed

First Nonna gets all the boxes of shoes down from storage for Piper to play with, but she chooses the sparkley dress shoes....Of course, she has to try them on and then walk around in them...she had me in stitches...it was like having a two ton weight on her feet for each step...

On to the next pair....

These were the most challenging...too tall for her to stand up in!

One of Piper's favorite jingles is "two little monkeys jumping on the bed.....", so she would jump and then say, "Monkeys, Nonna", wanting me to say the whole thing...she would wave her finger with a stern look and join me in saying, "No more monkeys jumping on the bed!". 

Piper has to say goodbye to everything...."Goodbye, fireplace...goodbye, table,.......", then finally, "Cheese" for the camera.  I followed them to the mall in Augusta where we had lunch and shopped and then we went our separate ways....Next week on to see Anne, Gene, Ben, McLean and Mary Elizabeth...and then the next week, Piper and Paige will be back for the craft faire!!!  Yay!

Anne, see anything different about the fireplace?

Piper and Paige Come to Visit

Paige and Piper came to visit for a few days and it was pronto out to the sandbox and swingset for Piper.  She had a blast in the sandbox...and she sure wasn't ready to come in at bedtime

Before bedtime, Nonna, Pops, Paige and Piper took a long walk around the neighborhood...she loved

picking up tiny rocks, hearing birds sing and talking non-stop.

The next morning off we went to EdVenture Museum.  Piper was mesmerized, to say the least.  She couldn't quite figure out the giant boy!

This next picture is inside the head of the giant boy...kinda scarey to Piper!

Anyone for a game of giant chess?

11:30 was story time in the theatre...The Cat In The Hat...Dr Seuss

Lots of soda cans to make this sign....

The grocery store was Piper's favorite stop of the day...she had so much fun loading up the cart and checking out, just like mommy!

Spring Has Spring and The Making of a Quilt

Although it is not officially Spring yet, it has definitely "sprung".  Temperatures today were in the 80's and it has been gloriously warm and sunny.  There will be a couple of postings; first, two together - getting ready for Spring as we prepare for Easter and the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus....one of my favorite verses is Isaiah 49:14:16 which points to his nail-scarred hands as he hung on the cross for me/us..."Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion for the son of her womb?  Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.  Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands".....

and the second post is 'the making of a quilt'....showing the tools, the process and 2/3 completion of the quilt.

This quilt is for Piper's birthday on May 29...I hope she will always cherish it and consider it an heirloom....Mary Elizabeth will be receiving one next.

The Making of a Quilt....

To begin with...the tools of the trade:  ample quilting tools; quilt square rulers; side rulers; quilt cutting matts....these tools make all the difference in the world in making the quilt pieces even so that they all fit together when the time comes....

The proper cutting tools are seriously important for proper measurements and placement....

These templates are cut out of quilting plastic traced off the original pattern....

Fabric choices were made earlier with color schemes in mind.

These pieces were cut out early on for the inner square...

                            


                                                            

                                                                                   


                                                                                  

It takes a full day of cutting and gathering to prepare all the strips for the gathering pieces that go on the edges of some of the flowers, etc.

                     
                                     

                                      This is what the gathering looks like on the individual pieces.....

This is the quilt about 2/3 of the way completed.....I have already sewn all these pieces together, but haven't taken a picture yet....when it is all completed, I will feature the quilt on my blog.