Summer is here

Hope you are all having a nice Memorial Day weekend.  I've spent quite a bit of time in the flower beds and at the plant store.  The flower boxes and planters are all filled, and, while the impatiens look a little sparse, I know they will fill out nicely in a week or two.

Yesterday I pieced a back for the Christmas block of the month quilt I finished last week.  It's my least favorite job - lots of measuring and sewing of bits here and there.  I did want to use up a yard of nutcracker Christmas fabric I won during quilt Bingo last December.  I know I'll never put it into anything.  Now I need to find some batting and the quilt's ready to go for long arming.

Feeling quite satisfied with myself, I got out a bag of old ties that Paul's sister Pat gave me a couple of years ago.  Her husband had worn a tie every day during his long career as a realtor and salesman, but now he prefers golf shirts.   At the time, I told her that whatever I made, I'd give to her.  And she seemed OK with that.  

I've been thinking about what to make for a long time and, after I saw a picture somewhere, I settled on an apron since Pat is a fabulous cook.  I had already washed all of the ties and found they were pretty easy to take apart.  I cut a base for the ties out of another piece of Christmas fabric I wasn't wild about and added some lightweight interfacing.  Then I started sewing the ties down. 

It wasn't that difficult, and my walking foot helped deal with the slipperiness.  The ties and neck part I left whole with the interfacing still in.  I was nearly finished when I decided I couldn't live with the coffee stain on one of the ties.  So I covered it with a pocket.  It's done and will be wrapped up and mailed to Pat in Florida soon.