I Like Thursday #5

I've been so busy working extra hours this week. I wasn't even sure I could post this today but I found the time! This angel sits outside the library in my favorite corner where I like to tutor. I feel she watches over us as we work through our English lessons. The angel is there to commemorate all those who came before us.

I bought this fabric as backing for the next quilt I'm getting ready to quilt. I just love it! I bought it at a great price. It's all washed and pieced. I just need to iron it. 

I'm not sure why but I've always loved this wall hanging at my hair salon. I think it would make a very interesting quilt. I have a few ideas but find it very inspiring!

My cats have all sorts of toys and this piece of cat furniture. I've never seen either one of them sitting in the little area in the bottom piece. Just the other day, I saw Molly in there looking quite comfortable! I'm glad one of them is finally putting it to good use. 

Those are my likes for this week! For more happy things, go visit LeeAnna for more fun stuff to see!

I Like Thursday #4

I'm so late posting this today. I worked all day even though I wasn't scheduled. We're down three people at work so I've been working a little extra. I was off yesterday and went to a quilt shop with one of my friends. I've been looking for a Binding Baby for awhile! It's a great way to store those bindings. I love the teal color. I just had to have her!

I always wanted a pink cutting mat. This one is on the small side. I've already used it and love it! It's perfect for cutting those small pieces for Long Time Gone.

I actually bought this great desk lamp at the quilt shop too! It has a USB port so I can charge my phone while I use it! I also bought this in pink! It even matches my new cutting mat. It's great to put over the mat while I use my rotary cutter. I suppose I can use it with my sewing machine also. I really love using this light. (Older eyes!)

Tomorrow morning, I'll be at the library tutoring my student. I've been a literacy volunteer since last fall. I get such a great feeling when I help someone learn English. My parents were both immigrants so Italian was my first language. I remember what it was like for my mother when she went to a store. It wasn't easy. This is my way of giving back. My present student is from Turkey. She's very good with grammar and spelling but conversation is difficult for her. We have fun just talking sometimes. Becoming a literacy volunteer is something I love. I'm so glad I went for it. 

That's my likes for this week. I'm linking up with LeeAnna if you'd like to read more positive posts. So many good things out there!

Log Cabin Blocks and a Book

Here's my latest addition to Long Time Gone. I made 4 Log Cabin blocks. These were fast and fun. This is such a forgiving block. I felt I used a good amount of scraps making these blocks. 

These are my blocks so far. I'm so loving working on this quilt. It's my own personal Sew Along/Block of the Month! I really love working at my own pace.

I've been reading this book and I can't put it down! It's one of the best books I've ever read. I definitely recommend it. It's the prequel to Lilac Girls. I've had Lilac Girls for awhile but started with this one. The order doesn't really matter. If you get the chance, read it! It's such a great read!

I Like Thursday #3

I had a wonderful week especially because of Mother's Day. I just love the roses my husband got for me. They're still looking good and smell wonderful!

My daughter tries to buy us unique gifts. This picture is found in our family room. You can see that we all have our hobbies. My husbands golfs. I like to knit. (I guess she couldn't find quilting!!) My daughter likes to read and my son is into music. Even though we've been married 35 years, she chose 2014 as the year we were established. That's the year we got our second cat, Molly. Molly is younger but larger than Lily which you can see in the picture. Love that!

I got this book for Mother's Day from my daughter also. It's all about Lily and me! If you look close enough, you can see my name in the lower right hand corner. Lily has chosen me to be her person so it makes sense the book is about both of us!

So grateful that my mom spent Mother's Day with us. We've had a tough couple of years. We lost my dad, cousin, uncle and grandmother within a 2 year span. She knows she can come to my house anytime. We live very close to each other. I wish my brother would move closer but he's still working in upstate New York. 

I had a lot to like and be grateful for this week. Please take a peek at LeeAnna's blog to see more happy stuff. Enjoy!!

More Long Time Gone Blocks

I made a little more progress on Long Time Gone by Jen Kingwell. This is a picture of all my completed blocks so far. It looks rather colorful which is what I was hoping for! I'm just using scraps since I seem to have plenty to choose from!

These are my finished Churn Dash blocks. I think these blocks have been the most difficult so far. The blocks are only 3.5 inches. It took a long time to match up all those points. But they're finished, and that's good!

These are the finished Courthouse Steps. I had to make 9 of them and then sew them into 3 sets of 3  blocks. I really enjoyed making this block. It just wasn't as tedious as the Churn Dash Blocks

Here's a little peek into my Courthouse Blocks as I was making them. I cut all pieces for the 9 blocks first and then used chain sewing to get them all put together. It was much quicker to sew them together than I thought! 

Log Cabin blocks are next! More fun coming up!!

I Like Thursday #2

I like that Spring finally seems to have emerged! This picture shows a cute little bird sitting in one of our trees. New England isn't the best place to experience the springtime. Some years, we seem to just skip over the whole season. The last few days have been very springlike and I love it!!

We used to vacation in Maine when the kids were little. We found a shop that featured cupolas. My husband really loved this weather vane cupola for our shed. Although, he's not the handiest guy, he did figure out how to place it on our shed. It's aged over the years but I still like how it looks.

This is a Nook which I use to read e-books. I have my own but this particular one belongs to my best friend.She gave it to me so I can read all the books she's bought. As she buys new ones, I get to access them too! She just bought a newer version for herself. I feel like I have my own personal library thanks to her! I'm an avid reader and just love she thought of me!

I always like when Molly sleeps under one of the quilts I made! She thinks she's hiding but I know it's her! I think she likes that it's nice and warm under there.

That's it for this week! I't's been so busy but I'm thankful for so much!! I'll be linking over to LeeAnna's blog. Go over there for more fun!

More Carolina Chaining

Here is my Carolina Chain so far! I have made 31 blocks. I need a total of 72 blocks so I'm not even halfway there! However, I enjoy making these blocks and using up my stash, although you can't tell from the looks of my scrap bag! I have another block all cut and ready to sew. This is definitely a long term project!

These are the last 3 blocks I made. When I cut for Long Time Gone, I cut extra for this quilt. I hope this speeds up the process! There wasn't much sewing going on here for the last few days. I worked the last 5 days. I'm hoping to catch up now that I'm off until the weekend. It's finally sunny outside and feels like spring. Such a great day to be off!

I Like Thursday #1

This is my first I Like Thursday so I hope I'm doing it correctly! I love seeing my lilacs getting ready to bloom. I'm not much of a gardener but I did make sure to plant this lilac bush close to my back doorway. I wanted to be able to smell them and enjoy them just be stepping outside my back door onto the deck. 

I received some new pantographs in the mail today. I can't wait to use them! Urban Elementz had a sale this past weekend and I thought it was a great time to add to my collection. I love these designs!

I love sewing down binding by hand. It means another quilt is finished! This is my third finish of 2019. Love this!

Of course, I have to post pictures of my two kitties. Lily and Molly complete our family. They're so much fun and keep us entertained. We can't help but love these two!!

That's it for my first I Like Thursday. It's so nice to look for the good things in life. I wish we did this  more often. I'll be linking up with LeeAnna of Not Afraid of Color.