Catching Up - What's on my Sewing Table July Edition

After a few busy weeks traveling (not to mention prepping for travel and recovering up after) I'm finally getting around to catching my breath a little. And today I even spent time at my neglected sewing machine. Such is the nature of summer! Here's a little bit of an update about what's currently on my sewing table and all of the other comings and goings happening behind the scenes.

I'm getting back to work on my Land that I Love updated quilt and it's coming together quick! My goal is to get this one off to the quilter this week.

My sewing space is a bit of a creative mess, but I'm thoroughly enjoying some time to sew after a few busy weeks. The quilt I'm working on is an updated version of my Land That I Love pattern with a lighter, washed-out palette.

I've also been putting together the 4" x 4" quilted blocks I made with the M.E. Time July box and bundle. I love how the quilting looks especially! It was such a fun little project. Each block was pieced and quilted with the exclusive July quilting pattern before sewing the blocks together. I think it's so cool how it turned out!

The first week of July we spent at a family reunion in Lake Tahoe, celebrating my parents 50th anniversary. Even with a long road trip to get there, I didn't do a lick of sewing or hand work the whole time.

The extent of my creative making was teaching nieces and nephews how to make friendship bracelets using embroidery floss. (I somehow pulled that ancient knowledge out of the recesses of my teen-age-years brain.) And I'm happy to report that the bracelets were a hit. Gotta pass along those vital skills to the next generation!

(I've had a request to share how I made the bracelets. Luckily I found a Friendship Bracelet tutorial online showing the method I used, as I don't think I have the wherewithal to try and explain it over the internet.)

Said embroidery floss was also used to help us jerry-rig a tripod for a family photo using a lounge recliner and floss. MacGyver himself would have been so proud.

Lake Tahoe was SO delightful. It's definitely a sentimental favorite. We used to visit Lake Tahoe as a family when I was growing up. I've only been to Lake Tahoe twice in my adult years and each time I'm reminded how much I LOVE that place. Beautiful water, clear mountain air (thankfully no fires at that point!), the smell of pine.

It was the perfect haven. Also, fireworks over Lake Tahoe was pretty much my favorite fireworks experience ever.

From there I headed straight to Washington DC with our oldest daughter to help her get moved into and set up a new apartment with a friend.

I'm pleased to report we got A LOT done in a matter of a few days. I'm also pleased to report that my Ikea furniture assembly game has never been stronger. But that was pretty much the extent of my creative making for the week. (And it was plenty.)

Most of the monuments visited on that trip were to places like Ikea, Target, Costco, and Walgreens. But I did get to add a trip to Mount Vernon and a stroll through Old Town Alexandria, while my daughter was at work one day. Plus a stop at Arlington Cemetery on the way to the airport.

I love the east coast summer vibe and the way flowers and plants thrive in that climate. (It's a lot trickier to keep my pots pretty here in the dry west.) I'm excited to have a reason to visit the mid-Atlantic-region more often. My husband's family lived in Virginia when we got engaged there 25 years ago this summer so it's a sentimental favorite in a lot of ways. (Man, we're just racking up the milestone's this year.)

So, I'm at an interesting crossroads of life right now. By the end of the summer I'll have two of my four children living on opposite coasts of the country. I definitely excited for them and for their adventures ahead. And also a little worried as I know both experiences will be adjustments with some homesickness too. And I'll really miss them! And I guess that's why it hasn't even been hard to sew less this summer. Much more important to be spending time with people than my machine. And at the same time, I'm thankful for my machine that waits patiently and is good company to hang out with when my people are gone. ❤