family time and quilting time

In and around family holiday time, Alice time, and into the weekend-quilting has been going on.
I am in the binding stage of the queen size quilt (the hand part, one side done) and the machine binding of a ufo that will be donated to wraptheminlove. Of course, when Alice spends the night, photo opportunities abound. I was pinning a doll size quilt top when Alice wandered in and decided to help me. We were still in our jammies, being a very relaxed morning of playing and so on.
As she concentrated on picking out pins and sticking them in (a cluster in one corner) it was the perfect photo opt. One day I hope when she is much, much older she can claim she started quilting at two! In the meanwhile we will keep taking baby steps towards that goal. She is ready for the large yarn (dull point) needles, yarn and punched cards or canvas to play with next I believe-as she was quite entranced with watching me stitch binding. My love of hand crafts was encouraged by my grandma (on my moms side) teaching me to knit and crochet at an early age. She did not sew , nor did my other nonna. My mother could sew but was not inspired to do any beyond a dress she made for me and something for my sister. I took over her machine as soon as I learned how to run one in home ec class and used it to death until graduating from high school.
all photos will enlarge by clicking... note Zoe close by supervising Alice-by the time Alice goes home, Zoe is exhausted! While Alice naps, Zoe will frequently check the closed door-looking at me as though to ask, are you sure she's ok? I hate not being able to go check up close!

Ok- back to all that binding! The queen quilt needs mailing out on Wednesday and I only have one side done thus far. I also promised myself to have the charity quilt done before midnight tonight. It's a ufo and I want a November finish. If I stay away from the computer-it's an easy task to complete.