Denim 'n' Lace Quilt

The weeks of summer race by so fast that I'm too busy gettin'-out-and-doin' to take time to get it all blogged about. Time for some catch-up, I guess, huh?

A month or two ago I happened across a picture of a gorgeous totebag on Pinterest that gave me the idea for a quilt. My mother has been on a quilt-making "kick" for the past 3 or 4 years. Knowing she and Dad were coming out for a visit soon, I emailed her a link and a note: "Got any lace scraps? I got the denim!"

And... being the life-time, frugal, saver-of-everything-practical... sure enough, she did! Her reply: "That is beautiful!  And I just might have lace.  I got rid of a large box full at the yard sale, but I think there is still a sample book or two of lace still in the basement.  That would be perfect because the pieces would be large enough, yet varied."

The denim Lyle provided in the dozen or so pairs of jeans he had recently discarded, as being too worn for further wear as work pants. Taking a cue from my mother, I had hung on to them for just such a project.

Mother found her sample books of lace panels and packed them her suitcase. A day or two after they arrived, we set to work. 

After Mother figured out the pattern, I did most of the cutting and marking.

She did all of the sewing, of course.

And we marveled as it began to come together. The fun thing was both sides were finished as it was assembled because that's how the Cathedral Window pattern works.

The amount of denim and lace we had ended up being just enough for a nice back-of-the-couch throw.

We left the raw edges of the denim deliberately, just to give it a nice country feel. I haven't washed it yet, but when I do the edges should fringe a bit and fluff up nicely.

We think it turned out beautifully! Mother wants to make another one featuring fabric from some of Daddy's shirts. I can't wait to see how that turns out. Hopefully I can show you when she gets it done.

Silverwood

My parents have been visiting us for the past week, so we've been busy doing fun stuff in between working, and not taking time to blog.

One afternoon last week we went to Silverwood, our local theme park. It's only about 25 miles from where we live, but in all the years we've lived in this area we had never been. I guess theme parks just aren't our "thing" as a rule, mostly because they're so expensive. But Laura got a job there this summer, and she earns one free guest ticket for every 40 hours she works. She had saved up her tickets so we could all go while her grandparents were here, and we did have a lot of fun.

 The first order of business was to ride the train. It's a 3.6-mile "journey" through the forest surrounding the park... home to a herd of buffalo and "real fake" outlaws! There have even been Sasquatch sightings along the route.

 We boarded the train early and enjoyed sitting in the shade, people watching and chatting.

 "Emergency" stop at the silver mine! Oh, no! The train was held up by bandits and "robbed"! (All donations go to charity.) The Silverwood Stunt Team did a good job of entertaining us.

Becky said it was like being in a cowboy movie. And since she's a huge fan of old cowboy movies, she was thrilled.  So much so, that she and I and her grandparents rode the train again later that evening. Can you believe the bandits were still at the Silver Mine and we got held up again?

 She also had fun giving her grandparents a ride in the Antique Cars. PaPa told her it was an awfully bumpy ride, but I think he was helping the bumps along by bouncing up and down in the back seat.

 Lyle and Becky rode the Timber Terror roller coaster and got off with big smiles on their faces, so I guess they thought that was fun. Me? I think I'm too old for roller coasters, thank you.

And then the girls talked Grammy and me into riding Thunder Canyon. We got soaked, but I have to admit it was a lot of fun!

We didn't have time to try out everything we would have liked to that afternoon, but I expect we'll have a chance to go again later in the season, thanks to Laura.

Anomaly - review

Anomaly by Krista McGee is a fascinating sci-fi young adult novel. The publisher's synopsis (below) drew me in, so I was happy to have an opportunity to review this book. Stories like this stretch my imagination with all sorts of "what if" scenarios. How would you share the gospel with someone who had never even heard of God? The plot was intriguing to me and I especially appreciated the bigger message.

If you enjoy the dystopian genre, here's a more in-depth description of the book to whet your appetite like it did mine:

Thalli has fifteen minutes and twenty-three seconds left to live. The toxic gas that will complete her annihilation is invading her bloodstream. But she is not afraid. 

 Decades before Thalli's birth, the world ended in a nuclear war. But life went on deep underground, thanks to a handful of scientists known as The Ten. Since then, they have genetically engineered humans to be free from emotions in the hopes that war won't threaten their lives again. 

 But Thalli was born with the ability to feel emotions and a sense of curiosity she can barely contain. She has survived so far thanks to her ability to hide those differences. But Thalli's secret is discovered when she is overwhelmed by the emotion in an ancient piece of music. 

 She is quickly scheduled for annihilation, but her childhood friend, Berk, convinces The Ten to postpone her death and study her instead. While in the scientists' Pod, Thalli and Berk form a dangerous alliance, one strictly forbidden by the constant surveillance in the pods. 

 As her life ticks away, she hears rumors of someone called the Designer---someone even more powerful than The Ten. What's more, the parts of her that have always been an anomaly could in fact be part of a much larger plan. And the parts of her that she has always guarded could be the answer she's been looking for all along. 

 Thalli must sort out what to believe and who she can trust, before her time runs out . . .

Thanks to LitFuse Publicity for providing me with a review copy.

Enter Today - 7/12 - 7/31!

Camping on the River

Our camping season is off to a late start this year due to all the traveling we did in the spring, but we were finally able to get away for two nights this past weekend. We stayed at a lovely Forest Service campground on the Moyie River up near Bonners Ferry.

 Our campsite was right on the river. It was relaxing to just sit and listen to the water. We enjoyed cooking over the fire, playing games at the picnic table, and good conversation with friends. One afternoon we drove further up the mountain to pick huckleberries.

 Sometimes we just need these times of refreshing. Don't you agree?

Today's Gifts

Adding to the 1000 Gifts list I started yesterday. I will keep the ongoing, numbered list on a separate page which can be accessed with the "Joy Dare" tab at the top of my blog. I probably won't post it here every day, so if you're interested in following along you can check there.

• A Gift in Weakness: Contact lenses.
• A Second Gift in Weakness: A prescription for migraine medication.
• A Third Gift in Weakness: A calculator.
• A Gift Outside: Lilacs in May.
• A Gift Inside: My antique bedroom set that once belonged to my grandparents.
• A Gift on a Plate: Oatmeal cookies.
• A Grace Overheard: Kudos to Laura from her supervisor. "Thank you for rockin' it on the 4th! Great job!"
• A Second Grace Overheard: From Becky. "What can I help with today?"
• A Third Grace Overheard:  From a customer. "Thanks for all the good service!"
• A Gift Old: My mother's bridal veil which I wore on my own wedding day.
• A Gift New: The hanging basket my family gave me for Mother's Day.
• A Gift Blue: The Liberty Blue dishes Dad brought home from the grocery store where he worked when I was about 12 "for my hope chest." I still have a few pieces.
• Something I'm Reading: 1000 Gifts.
• Something I'm Making: A crocheted hoodie sweater.
• Something I'm Seeing: Mountains in the distance.
• One Thing in My Bag: My Kindle.
• One Thing in My Fridge: A 5-pound block of Tillamook cheddar, Lyle's favorite.
• One Thing in My Heart: Love for my family.
• A Grace from Someone I Love: Lyle saying "I love you" as we drift off to sleep.