birthdays and gnomes, oh my

July is rolling right along, isn't it?

Lily's birthday was this past week, and she had a roller skating party to commemorate turning 11 years old.  Needless to say, a good time was had by all.  Its been years since I've been to a roller rink.  It was nice to see the little supports like you see that Ashlynn has in front of her.  While Elise and cousins Cage and Echo couldn't quite maneuver it real well, it was a big hit with several of the kids who were still new to roller skating.

I participated in another mug rug swap this month, and the theme was "In the Garden".  I had in mind to find fabric with gnomes on it, but no luck.  However, in my search this pattern for a paper pieced gnome kept popping up.  I've done very little paper piecing, but decided to give it a try.   Here's the pattern's picture:

I was really pleased with how it came out.  In fact, I had to make another one so I could have one too!  

These little guys have different hats, beards, and bindings, otherwise they're pretty much the same.  Not knowing quite how to choose which one to part with I put them in a sack and pulled one out.  My swap partner got the white bearded gnome, and I've kept the gray bearded fellow.  I used a batik for the background, and really like the shaded look.  It sets the tone for being in the underbelly of the garden, don't you think?

I liked the paper piecing so much I can see more of it in the near future.  First though, I have a baby quilt to complete for an upcoming shower.  You'll see pictures of it in 2 or 3 weeks.

That's it for now.  Have fun summer days...