{Post 1,547} Happy Hubby

My husband has rarely asked me to sew him something. But he wanted a travel bag for his beloved Aeropress coffee maker. It is a cross between a French press and a pour-over coffee making system for you coffee affectionados. I have had 3 sips of coffee in close to 55 years, and it has been more then enough. In retrospect, I should not have taken the 2nd or 3rd. But he loves his coffee.

I was out yesterday and picked up this fabric. It is darker in person.

I made a drawstring bag with a boxed bottom. I could not find a notion to buy that would allow me to use one drawstring and keep it from opening on its own, so I made two drawstrings so they could be pulled to the opposite sides of the bag, and they would stay closed. I just cut a slit in the non-seam side of the bag and zigzagged it on the edges, then turned it under a little bit and topstitched it. I have made bags for game pieces this way.

Lastly, I boxed the bottom edge and gave it a trial run with the Aeropress parts in it...success!

Our youngest daughter is traveling with the Merrill Evangelistic Team this summer. She was in our hometown several weeks ago. Now she is going to a church that is 4 hours away. We are leaving tomorrow early afternoon and will see her tomorrow night at 6. Then she will stay overnight with us in a hotel and we have to have her back by 4 the next afternoon. We will come home after that. Good thing the Aeropress is ready to travel.

{Post 1,546} Those Spots

Do you have "spots" at your house that make you smile? This is one of mine. It is right outside my front door. 

I LOVE houseplants. I have always wanted a spider plant, but cannot keep them alive. I admired one of my friend's, and she had her husband pot one for me. I got the plant stand at a local thrift store. I love it. When it gets too cold outside for the spider plant, I'll bring it right inside the door. I hope it makes it through the winter.

The planter with the geranium in it right in front of the basket was my mother's. I went to see her in May. I had been looking for a plant display just like this one. She had it in a "to be discarded" place, so I asked if I could have it. The geranium has lovely salmon/peach colored flowers. The most recent blooms just withered. Maybe time for one more set of new blooms this summer?

While I was in Arizona, the long-awaited black steel railings were installed.They are sleek, sturdy, and beautiful. We custom-ordered them, and they are lovely. We have lived here over 11 years, and I have anticipated them all that time! I am already thinking about decorating them for Christmas.

{Post 1,545} Side Trip

I had mailed my DIL a box containing a baby quilt for her 6-month-old and a few special things for her. When she called to thank me, I asked her "What's new?" She said she had broken her arm. My son is deployed overseas right now, and she is caring for the 6- and 22-month old children alone (think about giving baths, changing diapers, putting in car seats, etc. alone with one working arm). To make a long story short, I flew out 2 days later to spend a week with her. She had a check up and is mostly fine right now. Turns out the break was too small to see on an x-ray, and now she is splint and sling-free and does not have much pain at all.

It is a Pioneer Braid with red squares marching down the rows. All Thimbleberries fabrics. Before trimming and binding...

Here is one picture of my older grandson. He endlessly babbles. I know his clear words are coming!!

I started the Christmas ornaments for the 6/8 of my children who still want them. Here is a picture of the one I actually stitched to completion and a picture of the kit insert so you can see the rest of them.

I will be making some for my grandchildren as well. The same idea, but green or red felt for the background of the mitten and a complimentary color for the cuff.  I will have 6 grandchildren by Christmas this year, Lord willing.

Now to get my own house in order. Laundry, meals, weeds. They just never go away. Good thing I enjoy quilting/sewing projectsto keep me going.