Sew In Retreat

Sew In Fun

Each summer my sewing sisters and I attend a wonderful sewing retreat.  You take your own projects and have three full days of sewing fun.  We stay at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Tempe and take over their large ballroom.  We had 72 ladies in attendance this year.  We have meals prepared for us, a wonderful Happy Hour, great rooms and tons of laughs.


                                                      Our Annual Toast

Beverly               Betsy               Lynn                   Mary

The Ballroom tables are FILLED with sewing and embroidery machines, fabric, ironing stations and much laughter and humming of machines.  This picture was taken during a dinner break.

We hold a raffle each year to benefit a charity.  Raffle items are made and donated by attendees.  All of the proceeds from the raffle tickets sold is given to the charity. 

This year our charity was the AZ Goldens.  AZ Goldens train service dogs for Autism, Mobility, Seizures and other disabilities.   The owners of the company came to our Saturday lunch along with  two of their dogs,  a four year old Golden and a German Shepherd puppy. They brought a video of the dogs in training and spoke to us about what they do with their company.

Every year several ladies give mini-demos of the latest and greatest tips and tricks in sewing. 
This is a great quick way to learn more stuff!

Earleen

 The ladies who attend also bring  items that they no longer need for their sewing fetish and donate fabric, notions, books,  patterns and more to our Sewing Sister's Boutique.  The boutique tables open on Friday evening and it is fun to see what is available for grabs.  We put money in a donation tin for the items we take from the tables.  We have terrific donations this year as always.



One of the Sewing Sister's Boutique Tables

Life is good when you are with your sewing friends!



Leslie



Maria
 

Betsy

 

Carole     Earleen  and Sylvia

Karon and Margie
 

 

Mary Anne,   Lou   and     Mary



 

 



Summer Fun

The Glendale Summer Band  concerts have begun.  We went to week two and three so far.

 

The band has been playing in the amphitheater in Glendale for 48 summers!  They are all volunteer musicians  from about 12 years old to 80.  They are terrific and make for a fun evening out.

We get a Panda Express Rice Bowl - Go early to get our places - set our chairs down and enjoy.  They play from 8pm to about 9:30pm   We go about 6:30 to get a prime spot.  During our wait we read - listen to audio books and of course the Diamondbacks baseball games!

If you live in Glendale come on out- The band plays on Thursday evening during the months of June and July each year.

Recent Sewing Projects

I finally have my mojo back and over the last few weeks I have completed several sewing projects.

First, I made Wine Place mats - matching Napkins and Coasters for Nathan and his new bride Amanda.

Place mats and Napkins



Coasters

 

Each year I attend a Sewing Retreat for 4 days.  We hold a raffle each year  with proceeds going to a charity.

The raffle items are donated by those who attend the retreat.  We have a different theme each year for the raffle items.

This year the theme is anything for the Tabletop and our charity is the Golden  Retriever Rescue.

 

I have made a few items to donate to the raffle.

 

Since we have an animal charity I decided to take care of their table also.

 

Doggie Place mats

 

Kitty Place mat

 

 

Then we need stuff for the people who serve the animals.

 

 

Modern Place mat and Napkin



Pumpkin Place mat and Napkin with Pumpkin ring
 

 

 

Wine Place mat and Napkin

 

 



 

 



 



 








Easter Bunny Fun

This year we celebrated Easter with our friends the Marquez family.  Great weather for our outside dinner and fun day.

I took this Dough Bunny with a dip in his tummy.  He was fun to make.

April Visit

The Dye family from Reno visited us.  It was so nice to see them,  The boys played checkers and horseshoes.  Dad and Papa helped with both.

 

Miss Paige had recently turned two so she received a birthday gift of a Minky Quilt.

Papa had also celebrated a birthday and received a picture frame for his great photography shots.

 

Dinner and conversation and lots of hugs.  Sure miss them - wonderful to spend time with them.

Prissy

                My beautiful friend Priscilla Hibbs went to heaven last evening.

 I was so blessed to have known her and been a part of her life.  I loved her dearly and will so miss her.  She was the kindest and gentlest soul this earth could have.  I know now she is free of pain and walking in the great light. 

Her daughter Betsy was always there for her especially in her time of need.  She had many friends - everyone loved Pris.

Goodbye my dear friend -  you will always be in my heart.  I loved you so.

Yeah. Baseball is Here!

I love me some baseball.   Go Diamondbacks!

Welcome Spring!!

We have not really had a winter but I love this time of year when everything is a pretty green (before the 110 degree heat), new growth and lots of pretty blooms.

Worked in the front yard this morning and thought after my clean up I would take a few shots.

Easter's Coming Soon

What I did Sunday!

I know you were all wondering "How did she spend her Sunday?"  Well I did the outside patios "Spring Clean Up."  I take everything off the patios and clean the items and them wash down the house and patios and clean the windows.   Dirt Be Gone!

Love it once it is done.  Baseball watching outside, Happy Hour , etc....

Now on to other jobs around the house. 

Playing Catch Up

Have been busy having fun. Here are some of the things I have been doing the past few weeks.

We went to the Grand Canyon for three days.  We had not been there in 38 years.  The hole is the same, but we had never stayed at the rim before.  We stayed in the Maswick Lodge.  It was about 1/4 mile from the rim.  Very clean and quiet.  It has a cafeteria style restaurant and a terrific pizza/beer pub.

We took all the bus routes and enjoyed EVERY stop on all of them.  We did one for the Sunset and it was very stunning.  The bus drivers were a hoot.

It is truly amazing all the different textures and colors you find there. 

We had quite a fun time with the Elk and Deer.  They were wandering all around the Visitor Center parking lot.  We had to walk by them at the hotel going to breakfast and to the bus several days.  It is their territory and they were eating away everywhere.  So fun to be so close.

 

 

My friend Cornelia had given me a zip tote pattern, along with zipper and fabric she bought a year ago at the Sewing Expo in Washington.  We finally got together to sew this tote.  Directions seemed complicated at first, but it was a very nice tote when finished.  If you want the bag unzips totally flat so you can travel with it and use only when needed.

  

LOVE this Fabric !!!  

 



In the last of my organizing I finished up in the garage.  I emptied the little attic above the garage and two huge cabinets that are 8 ft x 4 ft by 3 ft and gave stuff to Marshall Ranch School and Goodwill.

I now am done with organizing.   On to the yard and spring cleaning of windows patios etc.  I need it nice out there as  Dbacks baseball  season is upon us and I watch outside alot!!!

 

 

Today, Ed and I went on a Culture Pass to the Phoenix Zoo.  We were there when they opened at 9 am.  Glad we only wanted to stay a short while  ( two hours was really too long) - OMG !  I think that EVERY Kid age 6 months to 65 was there by 10 am!!! I guess with Spring Break still on - Grandparents visiting - Nice weather etc.  it was a true ZOO!!!

 

 

Have had several days out with my friend Prissy for Doctors, etc.  Meeting up with friends for Bunco night and  lunch and fabric store shopping.   Lovin Life.......

Madeleine Albright's pins

Regardless of your political affiliation you should really go see the Madeleine Albright pin collection at the Phoenix Art Museum.  She has several hundred pins on display all with a special meaning.  The stories about the pins and where and with what dignitaries she wore them is very interesting. This really is a must see.  Even Ed enjoyed them.  A side note - while we were viewing the pins there was an older lady (older than me) who had a bracelet that matched one of the pin designs.  She was definitely thrilled.

If you get a chance check it out.