Great Screen Door Quest

So, I don't know how handy all of you are around the house, but our motto is, "If we can pay someone to do it, write the check!" No matter how hard we try, something usually manages to go wrong.

We've been waiting for this weekend to replace the screen doors on the back of our house. We did this 6 years ago when we bought the house, but we got very cheap doors and they have warped. Our cats also learned to pull the spline out of the track so they could walk through the screen when it was loose. Smart cats...don't bother with just ripping the screen!

We took all of our measurements last night to Home Depot. We looked at doors. My husband found some metal storm doors that he liked. I didn't. To me, the sound of a wooden screen door banging is one of the sounds of summer. We looked around some more and realized that our door openings are 33" wide. The doors are 32" and 36"...33" is a special order. We headed to Lowes, hoping they would have doors to fit. Nope...they didn't even have a door we liked. We went to Home Depot #2 and they didn't have anything either.

At that point, we called it a night and headed to the ice cream shop...we were going to get SOMETHING good out of the night! This morning we got up at 7 and continued the quest. As we were standing in Home Depot #3 (isn't it great that they are just EVERYWHERE???) I said to my husband, "I'd really still like a wooden door. I wonder if we can just take some 1" furring strips and cover the spline so the cats can't get it?" We went to find the wooden screen doors to see if this was a possibility. After 10 minutes we finally asked someone to show us where the doors were. He showed us a BRAND NEW type of screen door that was made for pets...it has a wire mesh on the bottom in addition to the screen to keep pets in, AND the spline is covered. Just what I wanted! Of course, they only have one 32" door. We need 2 - 33" doors. So, we have to go home and measure our doors to see if we can use a 32" door and pack it to make it fit. Home we go.

On our way to Home Depot #4 we decided that now that we had a plan, they probably wouldn't have the doors we need...and we were right. So we headed to Lowes #2 to see if they had something similar. They didn't. So, we went back to Home Depot #1 and don't you know...they had the doors we need. We couldn't have thought of this last night and saved all the aggravation today? They just didn't have the right size boards for the packing and we don't have a table saw, so we can't rip them to what we need. Anyway, we bought the doors and hardware, then stopped at the hardware store to get more of the green paint that all of our outdoor trim is painted. MAB Montgomery Green. Only, the hardware store is now a Benjamin Moore dealer and doesn't carry MAB. We decided on a color match and called it a day.

Now, this is just the buying the supplies part of the project! I dread to think what will happen next week when we try to install the doors! On a much better note, after we got home I sent my DH off with our son to play golf. My son just texted me...DH just got a hole in one!

Oh...the eye candy is a customer quilt. She wanted shamrocks in the plain squares. I'm guessing this is one of those times it would be nice to have a Statler Stitcher! But, they are all done, she loved the quilt and told me it will be hanging in the same quilt show that I'll have one hanging in next weekend.

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend!

Shelves are Filling Up!

Ummm...I had a little fun this weekend! We took our daughter up to our Diocesan Spring Youth Event in Lebanon, NJ. On the way home on Sunday, after picking her up, we stopped at my favorite quilt shop. I only did a little damage...not nearly as much as last time! The two large pieces were on the clearance shelf...how can you pass up neutrals when they're on clearance? Apparently I can't!

The others are repros for a pattern I picked up awhile ago...or for two, actually! One is Amadeus
and the other is Rose Pistola, both by Miss Rosie's Quilt Company.

My daughter picked up the pattern for the sheep from Rumpled Quiltskins. She picked the cow fabric to make the body, the hot pink Moda below for the ruffles and a teal green for the inside of the ears and the foot pads. This will be one interesting sheep!


Other than that it's been quiet here. My DH is off to New England for the week. He called me from the ferry that runs from Orient Point, Long Island, NY to somewhere in CT. It's a gorgeous day and he was sitting on the top deck of the ferry while he crossed. I wish I was there with him!

Tonight I'll be watching American Idol while I sew...I've gotten so much done during that show this season! My kids have been wandering into my sewing room to watch with me...it's been nice! I still can't believe Chris got voted off the show...I was heartbroken. This has been about the only show I watch on a regular basis, aside from House. I'll have to tape tonight's finale of that...will be out picking up my daughter from work when it ends.

Starting new projects

Remember the stack of Christmas fabrics I bought about a month or so ago? I've started the quilt that I'm making out of them. It's from the book Thimbleberries Holiday Collection. I have to make lots of flying geese for it...about 144, so they are what I've been working on lately. I love the background fabric with the little Christmas balls...too cute!

I've also finished another customer quilt (thank goodness for those Baptist Fans! She picked it up today and just loved it. I love the pattern she used and her fabric choices are beautiful!
Other than that it's been pretty quiet here. It sounds as if you all had a nice Mother's Day. I did too! I spent most of Saturday working in the yard. Saturday night we met some of my husband's customers at a little Italian place in Philadelphia called Ristorante Pesto. The food there is amazing and the limoncello is divine! We were a little early so we spent some time driving around Center City Philadelphia. Now, I'm not a city girl at all...but I could see myself living in Philly. In the right areas, of course! The architecture is beautiful in Center City, Olde City and several other areas. Everything you need is in walking distance...food, shopping, restaurants, coffee shops, book stores, museums, historic sites, medical care...you name it and you can find it. Moving to the city once the kids are grown is something we've been knocking around for awhile and I've always been dead set against it. I'm beginning to see where there could be some advantages too! Oh well, we have a lot of years before we have to think about that!

On Mother's Day, after church we headed to my parents' house. My brother and sister and their families all met there for lunch. Mom seemed so happy to have us all together. When we got home, my husband got ready to leave on a business trip while I worked in the yard. For MD, my DH and kids gave me 4 David Austen Old English rosebushes. I got those planted...I can't wait to see them bloom. I've ordered a few more hybrid tea roses for the side of the house as well as two climbers to put on either side of the Old English roses to be trained up the posts of the porch. I love roses. :o) Anyway, DH left for Connecticut, we ordered sandwiches for dinner and that was our evening...very quiet.

Not much to report from NJ...I think I'll go look for an update on Judy's cabin!!!

The rains came last night, the air smells fresh and my plants are no longer drooping! I hope to get out and work in the garden at some time this weekend...maybe on Mother's Day. It's now time to plant some annuals and get some hanging pots. I want to plant white impatiens along our walkway. They will catch the light from the garage and will glow at night...I love white gardens at night!

The baby quilt is done...when my DH stops traveling and heads into the office once again, it will be going to its new owner. That picture is last. The other pictures are of my Amish Round Robin quilt. I don't have a good place to take pictures, so I did what I could. This is something I need to address over the summer when I paint my studio. I don't have much wall space in there...I'm thinking maybe those pinch clip quilt hangers. I could space them about every 10" on the wall over the door and could clip my quilts up to photograph. Any other ideas out there?

I made the row with the square in a square and the pinwheels. The other rows were all done by online friends from Arizona, New Mexico, New York and Ohio. I'm not sure what I'll do with it now that it's done, but I do love it! I'm sure my youngest daughter would steal it when I wasn't looking if she thought I wouldn't notice! :o) It will be hanging in the Kirby's Mill quilt show the first weekend in June. This is a display of quilts from local quilters. They call every year and ask me to bring quilts for the show...this year, because of Stash Quilts, Mavericks and Stashbuster, I actually have quilts to show! I'm so glad you are all here to motivate me!

Housework is calling my name...I've been ignoring it all week, I guess I should answer!

Anticipating Rain...

The weather for the last few weeks has been absolutely glorious. Temperatures have been in the 70s, the skies have been clear blue and it has been wonderful to be outside. Except for the pollen. The town I live in is part of the Pine Barrens of New Jersey...which, obviously, has a lot of trees. Pine trees, maples, oaks...they're all here. And they're beautiful. However, in the spring, they all release their pollen at the same time and EVERYTHING is covered with a thick coating of yellow dust. I've never lived anywhere with so much pollen! Normally the rain will wash it away, but we haven't had any rain. This allergy season is horrible!

Today we're anticipating rain...and lots of it. I can't wait! I love the sound of rain drumming on the windows, the smell of the air during a storm, the feeling that home is exactly where I should be...I love rain. It will also nourish my roses which have started to bloom. The pictures are of my absolute favorite rose, the Rio Samba. The buds are red/orange/ yellow and they open up into beautiful blooms. As they fade they turn pink, so at any given time there will be roses ranging from red to orange to yellow to pink on the bush...it's gorgeous! I've shared a few pictures of mine...buds on the kitchen table, a full bloom and the bush of many colors. If you love roses, give this one a try!

Speaking of roses, my family has given me 4 David Austen old English roses for Mother's Day. Of course, I have no bed prepared to plant them, so they'll have to wait until the rains go...sometime next week. I can't wait to get them in the ground and watch them grow.

Better Day...

Today was a much better day than yesterday! I spent the morning cleaning house, doing laundry and all that fun stuff. This afternoon I headed up to my sewing room. The windows were open, there was a cool breeze blowing and I have a nice view of the green leaves and wisteria swaying in the breeze. I finished piecing the baby quilt for our friend's baby. It's WAY out of my comfort zone...so much color broken up by the black sashing. I love how it turned out. I'm thinking either clamshells or Baptist Fans in black thread for quilting...any thoughts? I'm hoping to load it on the longarm tonight if I have something suitable for a backing. This came completely from my stash!

A Very Long Week

It's been such a long, draining week here. I finished a very challenging customer quilt, but still haven't finished the binding on my Amish quilt...maybe tonight! Took this picture in my studio this morning...I store all my thread in a china closet and the colors were shining out at me this morning...I needed a bright spot in my day!

This week has been eye opening...we learned first hand how young girls can be so very cruel. I know they don't think of how their actions affect others and that's a shame. It also amazes me that parents can turn a blind eye to what their children are doing. I'm not a parent who believes my child can do no wrong. Apparently, I'm one of the few. It also floors me that they will blame bullying and abuse on the victim rather than address the problem at home. It's been a sad and frustrating week...one that I don't care to repeat any time soon!