Thoughts of a Grasshopper

I started this quilt April 5th and finished it July 31st.  I started with cutting the fabric and on April 7th I had the circle done, minus the very center that just needed two circles cut for it.  It sat for 11 weeks before I had time to work on it more.  I spent most of the day into the wee hours of the morning cutting the fabric for the backing and sewing the strips together.  It was crazy to think that these simple strips took 12+ hours of pressing, cutting, sewing pressing, sewing, pressing . . . It sat a few more weeks before braved attaching the circle to the background.  That part seemed a little intimidating to me.  One part of me wishes I attached it so the lines pointed to the corners and another part of me is glad it is the way it is and slightly offset. A little more sitting and waiting before I got it layered, quilted and bound.  I stitched in the ditch so that I would detract from the circle.  This is 48" x 48".  I love seeing it on our wall.

So, it's no surprise that this is the only picture from the baby shower, right?  Yep.  Once again, I didn't give a thought to the camera, but hey, you can see a couple of hot air balloon paper lanterns and balloons so that counts.  This isn't even everyone that came, just who was left when the thought came to take a picture. We went with a hot air balloon theme for the baby shower.  I ordered some paper lanterns from Amazon.  I made a hot air balloon centerpiece with a small basket, round paper lantern, dowels and ribbon.  I never did find a bear small enough to fit in the basket of the centerpiece.  I ended up filling it with clear marbles. When guests arrived we had a scale to weigh their purse.  The heaviest ended up winning a prize.  We also played an emoji baby phrases game that I bought off of Etsy.  I was originally going to do the children's books game but that seemed too easy with the emojis.  Another game was everyone held a paper plate on their head an