Play ball!

We are in the middle of the heavy high school baseball season in Iowa and dear son's team is having a great year.  This is blurry shot but this is him pitching against Ankeny which is the highest ranked team in the state, our team beat them, TWICE!

Most weeks involve Monday, Wednesday and Friday night games, most are double headers.  Games start at 5 and are over by 10.  If they are out of town this means I don't get to bed until 11 or midnight.  I work full-time, getting up very early, 6am, so pretty much my life is baseball and work.  I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Dear son mostly plays outfield but comes in for relief pitching in some games.  I love watching him, no matter which position he plays.

 Next year he will play college ball at our local community college.  We are excited for him and looking forward to being able to continue to watch him.  I hate to write a blog where I brag about my kids and I hope this blog never comes off that way, I am just very proud of him.  He has worked very very hard to be the athlete he has become and will need to continue to work very very hard.

I think it is funny that on Father's day, after a picnic with sweet college girl, we ended up at another ball diamond watching America's greatest game, baseball.

Garden update

Not a lot to report in the garden.  A very small summer squash starting to grow.  

 I love the way the chairs and cushions look in our side yard.  The gnats have been really bad so I haven't been able to spend a lot of time in them.  They sure are inviting for knitting or reading!

 The front porch is a welcoming site, except for the very large gardener snake that thinks this is a nice place to raise a family.  I need to get a picture for the blog or a brave 10 year old boy that wants to help me get rid of the snakes!

Peonies are blooming like crazy!  About a month late but still putting on an awesome show.  I love peonies but have to say, the smell reminds me of the cemetery.  This is one of the flowers that Dad and I cut every year to decorate my Mom's grave and the smell for me, brings all of that back.  Does anyone else have those types of memories?  Certain flowers make you think of events?  I love lilacs, irises and roses for other memories but the Peonies always reminds me of the cemetery. 

continued progress on the fiber studio

Continuing to make progress at organizing my crafting space aka. fiber studio.  I have my sewing machine set up now.  I plan to make a new cushion cover for my chair, the old checked country look is not what I am going for this decade.  I might also paint the chair but I need to get some guts for that. 

I am pleased how all of my quilting fabric stash is fitting so well in binds in my closet.  I have two of these and each drawer is now nicely sorted with all of my fabric.

I am slowly unpacking and putting together my Wolf Pup.   I just love it's size and how well it fits into this space.  Another addition to the room is the little tote basket by the antique quilts in the corner.  I found it at Gormans, lined it with a garbage bag and using it for a garbage basket.  I think, once I have the new paint job, it will be the perfect color.

 I set up my ball winder and swift on the back side of my cutting table, this will be so convenient for winding yarn.

 

I loved all of my spools of thread to a wall right as you enter the room.

In case you were worried about my lack of buttons in the last post, I found many more as I sorted through an old sewing box!

Quick report on the sidekick, this wheel is awesome!  I am spinning thinner that I ever have, almost frog hair!

Garden update

 It is crazy how late everything is in the midwest but things are finallly started to bloom.  The knockout roses continue to delight.

 Clementis is popping and growing like a weed.

I love the walk up to my front door which winds through roses.

Peonies just blooming, usually they are spent by Memorial day!  One of dear hubbies co-works freezes the bloom right before it bursts and puts it in water in the winter and it blooms... hmmm, thinking I need to give that at try! 

updating the studio

I am in the process of updating my sewing room to become my "fiber studio".  Dear hubby was sweet and put together come cubbies for me on Sunday.  It is perfect for holding all of my books and handspuns.  I display some cute hand-made pin cushions that were given to me by friends on the top and a little chirpie that I knitted.

An old ladder holds my antique quilts.  On the shelf are old blue mason jars.

This is my new Wolf Pup loom.  It is still not unfolded as I keep telling myself everything needs to be in it's place before I will feel at peace enough to weave.

the old mason jars hold buttons, floss and little yo-yo's that I've been sewing.  I love the way they look on the shelf.  the final touch will be new paint in a beautiful blue that my friend Bette uses in her house but that can wait for now.  I still have boxes to pack up and the sewing machines to set up but I am getting closer everytime I go into my "fiber studio".  It was be an oasis for me next winter.

Iowa Sheep and Wool fest

Iowa Sheep and Wool fest was last weekend and it did not disappoint.  The weather was perfect, cool, overcast and dry.

This is my Schact Sidekick wheel, it is a portable spinning wheel that is only 14 pounds!  I love it!  I still need to do some adjusting as it isn't quite treddling the way I would like it to but I am confident it will work out fine.

My dear Iowa City friend and I went out to Adel with a new friend from Coralville on Saturday.  We worked the Iowa Federation booth for an hour.  Well, I really didn't work it, I dinked around with my wheel while my sweet Iowa City friend did all the talking to people who came by.

There were Angora bunnies there for sale, have I mentioned how much I really want a bunny!?  One of these days dear hubby should not be surprised if I bring a sweet doe home.

We hit the mall and Trader Joe's before heading East to home.  It was a fun day!

graduation

Dear Son's graduation party was last weekend.  It was a lot of fun.  Can you believe that we went through a ceremony and a graduation and did not get any picture of hubby, dear son (and daughter) and me in one picture!  Going to have to re-enact the moment sometime when everyone feels like dressing sharp!  We didn't get pictures of all of the ladies that helped behind the scenes, including my sweet daughter, sister, sister-in-law (brothers wife) and a dear friend and neighbor.  I hate that we didn't do a better job of taking pictures but I have to say we were running our tails off!

This is one of three cakes.  The treadmill is my friend this week.  enough said!

We lucked out with a sunny day and no rain.  It has been flooding rain in Iowa this season.

A lot of friends and family made it to his party.  Three of his baseball coaches, past and present also attended. 

My Father-in-law and two of my sister-in-laws.

Fun was had by all. 

Quilt-palooza

Thanks to my sweet Iowa City friend I was able to quilt 2 of the graduation quilts on her long-arm quilting machine.  It is awesome!  Next time she lets me use her machine I will take pictures and walk you through the process.  This is the neighbor kid's quilt and my dear son's best buddy.

here is my niece's quilt, I quilted it on my home machine.

Finally dear son's graduation quilt.  I love the way it turned out and he does too!