Lots of bits

No I haven't fallen off the face off the earth as it has been rumored. Life has been extremely busy and I although I have been doing some sewing, I haven't had much to really show as of yet.

One recent trip we took was to our annual China travel group reunion. This year 9 families out of the 15 total in the group were able to attend. Seeing the girls together was wonderful, watching them maintain their connections to each others is priceless. Now each of the girls are truly starting to understand the meaning of their "China Sisters". This was just one of the group photos we captured, on Sunday morning at breakfast before everyone started their trips home. This time we lined them up by height. As you can see, Sunshine is on the far left. She is the 3rd oldest of the girls but the shortest. And the tall girl on the right? She is the 2nd youngest of them all.

School starts back up for my 2 the Wednesday after Labor Day as is tradition in these parts so I've been taking each of them out shopping for the needed new garb. Thankfully I ordered Sunshine's uniform shirts and skorts a few weeks back and the shirts are currently getting the required school name embroidery done.

Of course along with the new clothes is the need for school supplies and I'm happy to say that neither kid's list was bad this year and everything is purchased and ready to be delivered to their classrooms during the "Meet the teacher" events this coming week.

We have been working on other projects around the house. We've finally painted the new bookshelves that hubs is permanently installing today in the playroom/future library. I love the pop of blue pain on the back. We still need to paint all the shelves and the doors for the bottom part but that will be easier without these big things taking up so much space in the basement. I'm now on the hunt for the perfect blue and white curtains for this room to give it the punch of color it so desperately needs.

This morning Sunshine was all about making rubber band bracelets and this necklace.  She learned how to do it, without the loom, at summer camp yesterday and now she is planning on making a bracelet for each of her China sisters.

In the studio there has been some progress too. I've finished the projects for the It's A Sister Thing Swap and I was able to take the pictures this morning so it will get boxed up and sent on its way on Monday. I won't show you what I created until it is received but I will show you this little sneak peak.

I've also been adding to the pile of completed blocks for my leader/ender project.

Both kiddos were home sick on Monday and Tuesday so I wasn't able to work on much but eventually I was able to load Spellbound onto the frame and I got it quilted. Plus I even got the binding sewn onto the front. Now all that is left is the hand sewing onto the back and the label. Until it is 100% and I get some proper pictures, here is a little teaser.

Another recent completed top is the kids art quilt for Sunshine's school. After I finished piecing the blocks and showed it to them on the last day of school, they wanted to keep it up on the wall for a few weeks of summer camp. I picked it up after returning home from our vacation and got the final top row and the applique letters done and last night it got loaded on the frame. Once I get the tension right, this should quilt up fast. It has too.... I need it finished for the welcome back BBQ on Friday night.

And while I was away at the China group reunion, this box arrived.  Do you see where it came from?

It just might have something to do with this.

Yes it is a super secret project that I can't tell you about but trust me, it is going to be fabulous and Yes I will torment you in the coming weeks with a few sneak peaks until the big reveal in a few months. I'm just nice that way.

It seems like everyone else is regrouping after the end of their summer activities and the return to the school year schedule and I will soon too. Then the pedal will be to the metal carpet as I work toward completing many things on the list. Stay tuned.