Wednesday, July 22, 2015

The Good, the Bad, and the Lovely

Patchwork Mug Rug by Heidi Staples for Fabric Mutt

So far this summer I've only had the chance to sew one thing: the little mug rug you see above. It was a small project, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Give me rainbow patchwork and a whole lot of low volume text prints, and I'm always a happy woman.

I took the time to hand quilt this little piece with AuriFloss in a soft shade of raspberry. Quilting by hand is something I definitely need to do more often. It was a lovely, quiet pause in the middle of what has been one of the craziest times in my life. In this wild roller coaster called "settling in" we've experienced just about everything there is to see...

We've had the good times: scouting for fresh peaches in Fredericksburg, enjoying family meals at some great local eateries, playing tourist at the River Walk, having movie nights with the girls at home.

We've had the bad times: watching water pour out of the light in the kitchen ceiling due to an overflowing toilet upstairs, adjusting to the thriving Texas insect culture, and going three weeks straight with something in the house -- the dryer, the air conditioning, the plumbing -- breaking down every...single...day...

But then there are those magical moments, the ones so lovely that they don't seem real. Sitting in rocking chairs chatting with our neighbors as the sun goes down. Watching my daughters gasp in delight at their first encounters with deer, frogs, and all the other local wildlife that we didn't have in the suburbs of Southern California. Splashing in the pool -- our very first pool -- with the entire family while the girls hang around our necks and sing silly songs. Life has been going past me at warp speed for the last few months. I'm seeing my daughters grow up faster than ever before, and I know these golden weeks of summer won't last forever.

So I don't mind putting down the laptop -- and yes, even my hand quilting -- to catch these memories before they drift away...

8 comments:

  1. I know just what you mean about things breaking! It seems to happen in batches :( The wonderful things sound glorious though and the mug rug is super pretty!

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  2. Sorry for your troubles. Hope they are all behind you now and you can relax and enjoy your new home.

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  3. Your family most definely come first dear. I really like your hand quilting on this patchwork. Enjoy every day and savor wonderful moments of your new living environment. High on Life July...

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  4. It might be small but it's cute! I lived in south Texas for five years and I can so relate to the Insect Culture! Heck, I'm in Florida now and it's a bit better but not by much. I remember our cat at the time used to love to catch tarantulas!

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  5. I'm glad you are settling in nicely and think of all the things that are now all fixed and tuned up. Enjoy the summer!

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  6. sweet sewing - and fun times (apart from the settling in issues - grrr!)

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  7. The peaches are the BEST this year! We just finished up a three day weekend there. The insects have been bad. The downside to all the rain earlier in the year. Enjoy getting know the area. There are so many wonderful things to see and do in the hill country!

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  8. So glad you've had some blissful times to off-set the breaking down appliances!! And I'm so glad you have the presence of mind to recognize those times and cherish them!! The sewing can wait: you have your priorities straight!! And I love the hand quilting one the mug rug. I did "big stitch" quilting on a baby blanket and it was relaxing, and pretty since I did it in different colors. Thanks for taking out the time to share. :-) Hugs, H in Healdsburg

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