Shopping, yard work, thread beds and chocolate bunnies

I picked up my guests on Thursday afternoon late. Friday was going to the mall and shopping for bargains.  I think we were at the mall for at least 3 - 3 1/2 hours and found some great bargains! Everything we bought was 30 to 70 percent off except for one top. After that we made a couple more stops including to a large box store to get some hearing protection, then headed home. In trade for all the clothes, I was promised some help with yard work. We started on the bed out front.

It sure was helpful having extra hands! I used my neighbor's hedge trimmers to cut down the ornamental grass and my helpers hauled the stuff to the back. Leaf blowing was next and after a short lesson they took turns with the leaf blower. Here is the after.

While I had the hedge trimmer, I cut down the ornamental grass along the property line. I forgot to take a before picture. Here is an in progress shot and the finished shot after some raking and leaf blowing.

We had some dinner then went for a walk around the neighborhood. After watching RuPaul's Drag Race we all headed for bed. Everyone was tired after a long day! Saturday we headed to the East side for some more shopping at a place call Ross. It's kind of an outlet for off season or overstock items. My helpers looked thru every rack to find tops and jeans to try on and we found some great stuff. We were there about 2 hours. We made a couple more stops including getting gas. They got a lesson on how to put gas in a car and then we headed home. After getting a bite to eat, unloading the car, and checking out our purchases, we headed out to work on another planting bed. It was so hot - almost 80 - so we worked on the Lenten Rose bed in the shade out back. I would guess we were out there for 1 1/2 hours and got the worst of the mess cleaned up.

I took my company home late Saturday afternoon. When I got back, I started working on the thread beds. I worked on them Sunday along with doing laundry. There are now pieces for 20 thread beds. I got the flannel interfaced and trimmed to size and the green felt needle holders cut too. The zipper/pocket units are started.

I still need to sew three more zipper units.

Here is the part I am working on

Here are the pieces needed to make the zippered pocket. There is a piece of vinyl - not sure you can see that in the picture

Here are all the rest of pieces cut for the rest of the thread bed except for some interfacing.

Sunday afternoon I went to my brother's for Easter. I took a cheesecake and some of the curved top pouches for everyone to pick one. I came home with lots of goodies! My nephew's girlfriend's mother worked at JoAnns. She said she had lots of those mugs.

It was hot Friday and Saturday - almost 80! Right now it is lightly snowing! What the heck!

Straightening up and thread beds

Last evening was all about straightening up for company coming. I had to clear off the guest room beds - boxes of sorted scraps, a pile of baby quilts, and recipe books - so that I could make up the beds. I had bought new sheets for them so I got those washed. I also cleared off my big table so I could start organizing the pieces I need for making some thread beads. I still need to cut some fleece interfacing, some flannel, felt squares for a needle, and pair up a matching zipper. Once I get all the pieces cut the assembly will go quick.

I also paired up some fabrics for thread beds that I will get cut hopefully this weekend.

Last 20 done!

193 out of 193 done! Here are the last 20.

I had two big tote bags that were used for transporting quilts. I filled those to the top with the pouches so those are ready to go for the retreat I will be going to.

Here are the empty spools from this project.

I figured I used 43 yards of fabric including pieces that were in my scrap bins. I found out last evening I will be having company coming Thursday afternoon thru Saturday afternoon so not much sewing will get done. I am now figuring out food and activities which will be a nice break from sitting at the sewing machine for hours.

Getting closer to the finish line!

I did the zipper topstitching done on the last 30 pouches. I had time to do the finishing on 10.

I ought to be able to finish up the last 20 tonight. This will be a big project done! It will be nice to move on to something else.

Pouches and protest

Orange on Friday night

Yellow and blue Saturday

Green on Sunday along with a couple of rouge blue ones.

That makes 109 finished this weekend and only 30 purple one's left to finish. That makes me 85% done with these pouches.

I did go to the grocery store on Sunday and Saturday I met up with my nephew and we went to the No Kings protest. My guess there was 3 - 4 thousand people participating. Many people decorated their cars or held signs as they honked their horns and drove back and forth thru the streets.

It was chilly, but at least there was sunshine! Here was my drum and sign set up. Many people stopped and thanked me for bringing the drum. Michael brought a cowbell. People like my "Decorate This!" side of my sign too.

Pouch progress

I worked hard last evening and managed to get all 22 of the red pouches done. I am now 28% done (54 done out of 193) with finishing the pouches. I don't need to have them done until April 28th, but I have other things I need to work on so the sooner I get these done the better.

Here are the 139 left to finish.

I am so ready for the weekend! My plans are to get as many pouches finished as possible, go to the No Kings protest and bang my drum, get started on cutting out some thread beds, and possibly get a start on the Harley quilt. It's going to be a busy one! Have a great weekend!

More finished pouches; now we're having fun!

19 more finished. 161 to go. That is almost 17% done! Once I get the zippers topstitched, then it is nothing but fun to get the final construction done.

My next group are the red pouches. I wound bobbins and changed the thread in the machine so I am ready to go! I have no idea how many are in this stack.