#21 New Beginnings

 Let me say that this week has had its challenges....mostly emotional!! My husband and I just got back from taking our son and last child at home to college. I have been on a roller coaster of emotions all week. Fine one moment and on the verge of tears the next, out right crying when I least expect it. Sunday morning I drove to church with Adam and on the way there talking to him about school, I broke down and cried. (we both joked about how much of a nut I am!)  I have tried so hard to stay busy just to keep my mind off of the inevitable. It is so much harder this time than with the other 2 kids.... or maybe it just feels that way. On the way home from dropping him off I told my husband we should mark the calendar, because everything changed today! I know he'll be home weekends, holidays and summers, but he's tasting freedom and when school is over, he'll want to be on his own! As it should be!
 I will have to come to terms with the fact that we have reached the threshold of "empty nesters" !! I'm just glad that I have about 3 years to prepare myself to cross it!! lol
Enough about this or I will probably start to cry again!

On to happier  (or at the least  less emotionally charged)  new beginnings....a new Instagram friend @francesnewcombe (Belly Buttons Boutique) has helped me give the blog a new look! Really she did it, I'm just posting it!! A new background and banner! (oops technical problem! hopefully the banner will be up soon) 

What I've been up to:

I finished the String of Pearls QAL on time!!! 

oops I forgot to add the black border before I loaded it to quilt!! Oh well! So I improvised and although not quite what I was going for I like the way it turned out!! Another learning experience!!

For the bindings Made strip sets and cut at 2.5"

sewed them to a 1.5" strip of black

I prefer to hand stitch the bindings

 

I found the Lunch Bag and the Origami Drawstring Bag on Belly Buttons Boutique (link above)

Lunch Bag

Origami Drawstring Bag, this is adorable! A center drawstring pouch and to side pockets with flaps

 Another 3 blocks in the City Sampler QAL

This sampler table runner is constructed from the blocks I made in a beginner piecing class I took when I started quilting almost 2 years ago now!! When does a WIP officially become a UFO?? lol Oh well either way, it's done!! 

Keeping to my promise, I quilted with a stippling stitch!! It was amazing! A few minor not worth mentioning errors! (keeping it real!) It felt really good!! More practice, more experience, more joy!!!!


If you are following the blog, I did promise more on the baby quilt this week, but between the roller coaster of emotions and a bad back, I just didn't get there!! Next week for sure!!

Happy Sewing!

Late Entry:

The request for a Favourite Tool Linky Party has come from Sew Mama Sew !

My problem... How do you choose just one?? So I choose my utensil holder!! With all of my favourite tools, right at my finger tips!! Marking pens, pencil, rulers, scissors, rotary cutter, that purple thang, magnet (pick up pins), bookmark (for paper piece folding) and of course my reading glasses!!! (because without the glasses nothing is going to be right!!! lol)