The kids helped me weave the backyard into a tapestry last night. I LOVE SPRING!!!!!!

*UPDATE*
So, you want to know how I did it? Well, we found some sticks about the same length, then tied each end together with a 12 inch (or so) piece of string. After that we found a branch to hang it from, tied one end of a long piece of string to one end of the top stick, tossed the string over the branch, then tied it to the other end of the top stick. While it hung I wound string from top stick to bottom stick, over and over, with each wrap being about 3/4 inch from the one before. After our little loom was all warped we collected daffodil leaves, old tulip petals, pods from our locust tress, straw, sticks, etc. etc. etc. and started weaving things through the strings. Everything was loose and swingy, so we needed to weight the bottom down a bit. That’s when we added the rocks hanging from the bottom and they stabilized things quite nicely. We spent the evening weaving things in and out of the strings and it looked so beautiful in the evening light.

Block swap deadline is today. Head to the post office if you haven’t already!!!

I am just totally in love with the colors and all of the different blocks together. There’s diversity and harmony, order and chaos, and wading through them is so fun! Keep your eyes peeled for your return package!

We did the egg hunt this morning so as not to detract from the sabbath and real meaning of Easter, and because we have to be at church by 8:30 for choir practice and stuff like that. The kids had fun. Logan started stuffing his face with candy the second he found an egg. He’s been pinging off the walls and going 100 mph all day!

I thought the Easter Bunny didn’t get that much candy, but it turned out to be plenty. Luckily he stuffed most of the eggs with plastic frogs and bouncy balls, because there could have been more. We’ve got our share of candy until Halloween!

They’ve been wrapped in paper towels in boxes on the shelf for way too long.

There are some new pocket journals and quilt books up for sale.

All Quilt Journals have free shipping!

This is a favorite spot here in Ohio. It’s Carriage Hill Metropark farm–a living history park set in the 1880s and very close to our house. It is so beautiful and peaceful, so we go often. We watch the lambs and piglets grow, collect chicken feathers, chase the turkey. We walk through the farm house to the warmth of the woodstove and something baking in the oven. Sometimes there will be someone spinning or knitting and I think–”I would love to do that! I could totally do that. I could sit and spin or sew all dressed up in period clothing. I would love that.” So, there I am, all dressed in period clothing! I’m going to be a 19th century homemaker one Saturday a month:)

I just finished a 5 week class to learn the basics of woodstove cooking, 1880s fashion (unfortunately I just don’t have the right hair, but oh well), and most importantly sewing on the foot treadle sewing machine. I am beside myself excited about hand-dying some fabric with period dyes (they will supply me with whatever I want and do research to teach me!) and piecing a quilt on the foot treadle sewing machine. They have merino sheep and wool galore that I can spin! I am way excited and will take good pictures everytime I go so that you all can get a feel of 19th century women’s lives right along with me.

Taking this class has helped me feel really connected to the women who came before me. I spent the evening yesterday reading through family histories my mom had compiled from her dad’s side. I love those women, my grandmas who sacrificed so much for what they believed and worked so hard just to survive. I will bring them with me each time I go and try to learn a little bit about what it was like to live with them.

And I’ll develop a real appreciation for modern underwear and flush toilets!

It looks like we’ve bought out the world of our Kona fabrics. A lot of people are still waiting for backordered fabric, so let’s take 2 more weeks to get them done, okay? Hopefully that will get everyone’s fabric in and pieced up.

The new deadline is APRIL 21. Your blocks need to be postmarked by that day.

Still keep them coming. I will probably do the return packages in waves, so if you got yours to me on time don’t worry, you won’t have to wait forever to get blocks back. I plan on getting some out next week!

These are some of mine. Check flickr for more.

Helmets of buckets, foil, aluminum pie tins, plastic baby food containers, plumbing tubing and other shiny stuff. Oh, and lots of hot glue (the kids didn’t do that part, of course).

And the robot cake. Yum.

I am here, just busy and having a hard time finding enough time to sit and download pictures to make an entry etc. etc. etc.

The robot party was a great success. We made robot helmets with ice cream buckets covered with foil and other bits of magical metalic stuff and then the boys ran around hitting each other with rolled up paper light sabers. Every four-year-old’s dream come true. Oh, and the robot cake was very cute, if I might say so myself.

I have pictures of robot madness that need to be downloaded etc. etc.

And–quilt blocks! I made some more of mine. Love ‘em. Love everything I’ve received in the mail. Taken lots of pictures. Need to download and post.

I will… tomorrow?