Down to nine days of students left for this year, plus June 1 as a workday for teachers. It seems silly to have to go back after Memorial Day, but it's because of a make-up snow day. At least it's just a workday. Kids would not be there in large numbers if they had to come back then. School is just plain depressing because of cuts due to financial woes. Huntsville City has always funded extra units beyond those required by the state. Now with the recession hitting the state coffers -- with schools financed here by sales taxes -- we are losing teacher units. From a teacher's perspective, the cuts and shifts in staff don't always make sense, and it seems like the best interests of the students are not first and foremost. So I head to my quilting room. I finished this quick table quilt a couple of weeks ago. It's from a layer cake that I bought in Colorado a couple of years ago. It's a first attempt at all over free motion quilting. I'm not very good at it, but I did it.
This was the view from my sewing room when we had several trees removed. If you haven't been to my house, keep in mind that my sewing room is on the second floor, and you are looking up at this guy. Quite the legs, I have to say. Allen was home while they were here, but he said it was too creepy to watch them for long. We had the trees taken out because they were hanging over our house, too close to the house in general.

This is what I'm working on right now. I really like the pattern. Although it's a little quilt measuring about 30 x 40" it has right at 1000 pieces in it. I started quilting yesterday and then took a good bit of it out this afternoon because I wasn't happy with it, but it's almost ready for the binding now. I got this pattern last fall at the Country Living Fair, and the fabrics are 1800's reproduction prints. I am really stuck on those these days. Love them. Love the colors.

This is really exciting to me. I got back my block of the month quilt from my quilter, and Allen helped me get it hung in our balcony hallway.
This is what it looks like from downstairs. Pretty cool, I think. I know, I know...some people dislike decorating with quilts, but I am happy seeing the colors and patterns. Oh, one other thing I've been up to. Shannon had me make some pincushions and such for Sew Beautiful. She and I had an article in the magazine this month. The directions to what I made are online, and you can see them if you click on the link and scroll down to Style Your Space.
Oz, on the other hand, could not care what the quilts look like. Comfy, cozy, that's all that matters. And then there is his new toy. Check out the video below. He is terrified of anything new in his space and barks and barks until he decides it is safe. He loves his new toy now, but this weekend, he was a big old chicken.