Hello June! Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit

So where did we leave off? Ah yes, I have been traveling a lot! May took me back to Georgia. This time I taught two classes and gave a chat for the Pieceful Heart Quilters Guild. I must say, the name of their guild is a direct reflection of the members. They were sooooooooo nice!! We had the most wonderful time together. They even gave me a standing ovation after my lecture chat! I have never had that happen before and it brought tears to my eyes.

I always get excited when a student adds their own twist to one of my designs. Above is my "May Basket" which you can purchase a PDF pattern HERE. Below is what Sandra did to hers. Don't you just love the prairie points she added? Fun!

Also, my friend and student, Sharon, added some extra goodies to her "Beekeeper" pincushion. I love how it turned out! Great job to both of you!

b

b

I'm already booking classes into 2019. If you would like a "Play Date" with the crazy bunny lady, hop on over to my website to find out more. Hop HERE.

I've been stopping to smell the Magnolia blooms on my morning walks. Oh how I love these. Yes, maybe because the flowers are white and the leaves are green and brown. I simply adore the color combination and have been using it in my house.

Speaking of taking some time to stop, I decided to do something fun and creative that didn't involve designing a pattern. I took a class on Eco Dying and Book Making with Leslie Marsh. I'm still adding some details to the cover and have to properly cover the book with it, but this is what it looks like so far. It was so much fun!!

All the pages were folded Origami style and the are little places that will hold treasures.

 It was amazing seeing how leaves and twigs and black walnuts could create such beautiful patterns.

Next, David and I decided to go ahead and paint our house ourselves. Yes.... we are totally nuts. It may take us a month of Sundays, but it will save us $3200, which was the cheapest estimate we got. I truly understand why it costs so much because it is a real pain in the butt and takes FOREVER! If we had the $3200, we would gladly pay it. LOL!

On Facebook, I put out a survey regarding "Shutters or No Shutters." Here is the house with shutters. The color looks different from the photos below because the early morning sun is shining on it.

Here it is without shutters. Now mind you, we had the rotten siding repaired and David pressure washed it, so it isn't looking that great in this photo. But, I kinda feel it looks less "dated and heavy" without shutters. Also, all our shrubs are still babies. Once they have a chance to grow, the one on the left side of the house at the garage, will almost reach the roof line and the smaller ones under the windows will reach the windows. Most people said they liked the shutters better and I think it's because they can't imagine the bushes grown and think it looks too plain, whereas, I can see it complete in my head. What do you like?

Here is how it looks with a fresh coat of paint under the porch only. We still have to do the gable up top and then paint the trim, which looks grey and dirty right now. Then we will make our way around to the garage side.

I love the fresh, clean look . It's called Chenille Spread by Behr. It's a soft creamy color. Not too yellow, not too white. We are going to use Polar Bear by Behr for the trim, which is a soft white.

My "Within and Inch of my Life" project is growing! I have stitched every single day since my 50th birthday on March 27th. It's been really fun sharing this journey with everyone. May 31st marked the sixth year since I took a "hop of faith" and became my own boss. I have learned so much along the way and am rather proud of myself for meeting all my goals. It's time to set some new ones and I'm going to spend the next few months working on that.

Will you be in Lancaster PA this August? I would love to meet you at the Fiber Festival! I'm teaching three classes there. You can sign up now! Hop over Here. 

I'm also thrilled to announce that I will once again be teaching at the Houston Quilt Festival! This year I will be teaching three classes. Signups will start later this month. Hop over HERE for more information. I hope to see you there!

Sabrina spends a lot of time lounging on her window seat in my studio. A full belly, a great view and some toys. What more can a puddy tat ask for? hee,hee,hee.

Hannah had her checkup and although she has some arthritis and some watery eye issues, she is doing really well for being an old bunny. I'm grateful for her and Sabrina's sweetness every single day.

Well, it's time to hop on and get things rolling for this month. Thanks for coming by to visit my little spot in the world.

Sending light, love and hugs to you!
Michelle