Anniversary fabric continued

I've been sewing for about a year now and have just realized how important prep is prior to sitting down at the sewing machine... =) Can you hear the ding of the light bulb going on right above my head? 

So I have precut all of my 1.5 by 3.5 strips to being making these (can you tell I'm a big fan of Ayumi's tutorials? She's one of the best teachers for sewing on the net in my opinion!) and placed them right next to my machine. Then I cut and made all of my binding for all the place mats and hung those within reachable distance. And then I stated chain piecing my 156 pieces for my six place mats... ( ::wiping brow:: man, those 156 pieces took me about the better part of the morning to put together.) I finished the tops and cut the batting and was just about to cut into my backing before I realized ::sigh:: I don't have enough fabric to back these babies... so that means another trip to the fabric store (which is an hour away =( so it will have to be postponed until tomorrow or at latest monday) 

So I went to the post office to get mail and to run to the store for some last minute things before dinner and guess what I got in the mail!!!! Jam!!! Lots and lots of jam! My dad sent me a package of a dozen jars of homemade jam. Man, when I asked my dad to mail me some strawberry jam next time he made some I didn't realize he was going to send me a whole pantry worth! Along with the strawberry he sent peach, mint, and guava... a lot of the fruit and mint grew in his garden. I got a little teary eyed when I opened it and imagined him packing them for me... ::sigh:: sometimes family seems so far away... I miss my parents a lot. This weekend I will be busy making fresh bread to go along with this treasure trove! =) 

Although I wanted to continue sewing, my hands were cramping after I started binding a bit of the place mats... so I got a little piano practice in. I go a text from the mother of one of my piano students. He left school early with a sore throat and wouldn't be able to come for lessons today.  So even though he didn't come for lessons, the piano still got some play time. It was nice being able to stretch my fingers and play for myself.  I played a lot of my favorites... ::smile:: I will have to make sure I do more of that. (Every time I look at my keyboard I am reminded how I still haven't made a cover for it... oh the list gets longer) 

This is where I will have to stop my project for the day. Ross is home and friday night is date night. I oh so wanted to be able to get at least two place mats done so that we could use them during date night dinner (Ross is cooking chicken in mushroom gravy tonight... lucky girl!) but ::sigh:: didn't happen. Maybe by next friday I'll be done. 

This morning Ross smiled at me and told me, "I'm looking forward to date night tonight. To eating, and to watching a movie with you..." Oh how I love the way that he loves dinner and a movie at home just as much as I do. Wonderful yes?  Those quiet moments that we have a times ::smile:;