Housework!

I haven't done much sewing lately, but boy have we been doing housework.

When the ancient ones moved in we removed an eating bar,

took the cabinets and placed them back to back, and used the countertop, and made do.  We thought eventually we would remodel the kitchen.  Unfortunately many things have happened and a kitchen remodel just isn't in the cards in the near future. 

The only problem with the situation as you look at the countertop you can see that the end is raw edged. 

This edge continuously will grab your clothes as you walk by. 

The finished edge was put where all the work is done near the sink, and stove.

I wanted a new counter top, and knew I wanted to have a butcher block counter top.  Did you know that there are different types of butcher blocks.  There are end finished blocks where they look like little squares, their are side finished blocks which the wood is placed on the edge, and there are plank finishes.  I found a company that would custom make a top for me.

Of course it arrived during a cold snowy day.  The truck unloaded it into the garage.  The kids carried it in so it could come up to temperature. 

Tuesday I installed my counter top.  It is 1 1/2 inches thick, it is a plank top, made of hickory.  I love the wood, and it is so nice, not catching my clothes constantly on the Formica. 

After snow, cold, ice, then torrential rain we had a day where we were dry and in the mid 40's.  The boys wanted to burn leaves. 

There was a discussion about how to pick up the leaves.

Raking.

Some wagon surfing.

Wipeouts.

Pulling each other on top of a pile of leaves in the wagon.

There were threats of sacrificing the oldest brother to the fire gods too.  Which is why grandma has to supervise.

We had so many leaves just from the side yard, the area near the chicken house, and the front yard, that our pile burned brightly for several hours.  Little boys, a torch, and fire life was good in their eyes. 

What little sewing I have been doing is putting together the squares from the quilt kit I bought from Craftsy.  Lots of HST point matching. I have one set of 32 blocks finished finally.

I now have 31blocks to make which are a wee bit different.  The rows are sewn together it is the matching the points which takes forever, so lots of pinning. 

I have been using my Christmas stash making this quilt.

I started running low on the background, and I needed some red, and green fabric for the quilt guild friendship block because I had stripped my fabric into 2 1/2 inch strips.  So I wandered into JAF. 

I came home with a lot of Christmas fabrics.

Also lots of background fabrics.

Holly leaves white on white.

Snowmen white on white.

Poinsettia white on white. 

I calculated I need 93 HO blocks.  I have been using them as leader and enders.

I knocked out the  guild friendship block in no time. 

There is other housework going on, but I am not ready to show it yet.