this and that

Obviously something outside, possibly the neighbor across the lane's dog or a bird flitting by, has attracted Skyler attention. He has developed quite a fascination for the bathroom sink when you run water or brush your teeth but no way can I get a picture of him doing that. Moves too quickly. If not for his rapt attention to whatever it was outside, I would not have gotten this shot, LOL.

A little of this and that going on since my last post. Mostly spent finishing up the binding on the commissioned T-shirt quilt. I know--boring! I took the last stitch in it Saturday evening--big woo hoo there. Still trying to make connections with the owner for delivery or pickup.

When I got my haircut the other day, my neighbor/hairdresser said to come on over and get some apples from one of the trees that was bearing. They are small and the skins are blemished but I didn't find any worms in them at all. I must have peeled and chopped those things for over a hour and half yesterday morning but boy, did we get some good applesauce that I cooked up in the crockpot.

This morning I got to walk for the first time in two weeks. I only went 2 miles rather than my customary 3.3 but I didn't know how I would do wearing my walking shoes and the uneven terrain of the park. They had just spread some new gravel to fill in the rain washed out areas and not too evenly at that. I managed fine though the foot was squawking a bit by the time I was done. I plan to keep adding a lap a day to get back up to where I was provided I don't have any increase in pain. I was at the MD's on Friday on an unrelated manner and he offered to x-ray the banged up tow but I didn't think that would be necessary. Yeah, it is a bit sore with shoes on but I know from my 12 years in a podiatry practice what little bit would be done if it WAS fractured. I'll live and don't think I need a surgical shoe.

Which brings me up to the next subject, a frozen banana fell out of the freezer last night and almost hit the same sad little toe. Since I had about 7 of them in there, I decided to use up the last of the buttermilk and half of those bananas make a banana oatmeal cake this morning. It smells wonderful at my house though I did warm up the kitchen a bit making it. (Air won't go on till at least 1030 or 11---the annual summer gripe from me). Caramel frosting will be made once it cools but I will use the tried and true one recipe from the Cake Mix Doctor for that. I love to cook and bake when I have time. Don't need to be eating much of it but it will freeze---just like the surplus applesauce.

At right (and above) the next t-shirt quilt. It will be one of those 3-D appearing ones like the last one. The polka dot stuff is what the family wanted used but it will be tempered down as the frames around the shirt sections. Maybe someone can make some pillowcases of the leftovers for the owner-to-be. Won't be me though, LOL. Fabric content is indeterminate but I am guessing that there is some synthetic in it as it feels and looks a little slick. I'll deal with it as I did with the gingham from last round. Susan sent 4 yds of WOW -- washed and pressed that up on Sunday. I already have the black fabric for the shadows on hand ready to use.

Just for grins and giggles, I am keeping track of the time it takes to make one of these since essentially that is what I am getting paid for on this one. 19 shirts--small to medium sized so less interfacing needed. FYI: I have found that it can range from 10 to 13 yards of the stuff. Took 45 minutes to rough cut them apart with the rotary cutter. Took 4 hours and 40 minutes to cut the interfacing out to rough cut size and fuse them. Next up: square the sections up so I can start the sashing process. Then I will follow the process I outlined in this post for the design process so the shirts float on the background. It all takes time and as for size, it is what it is.

Here is the last one quilted. I am afraid that I cannot get a full out shot of it as it is too big and too heavy to hold up. I won't be at the meeting place for another week to spread it out on the fellowship hall floor so DJ's bed will have to do. Susan did a wonderful job of quilting it. She used little swirls in the picture frames and all over meander between but not through the main figures of the shirts.

This is what I would like to do next after the t-shirt top is done though. I have had this pattern for years---best guess, 97 when we moved in here. I had big plans to make matching kitchen accessories but only got as far as making the curtains. Chair cushions were cut out too so if I really want to be a glutton for punishment I could make them. I still have the fabrics on hand plus others to add to it though I need greens for the job, not blues. Mainly we need a new toaster cover but I had always hoped to make the blender and food processor cover as well. The wallhanging, while cute, is nice but there is no blank wall in my kitchen to hang one anymore.

I still have a list as long as my arm of things I would like to work on for ME. I'll get to them in due time--waited this long, after all so what is a bit longer going to hurt? Norma and I have been talking about doing an Atkinson Design Cheese and Crackers with some of our 30's stash so that probably tops MY list. My mom and some of her quilting friends in Lexington (IL) made one for the Taste of Country Fair quilt raffle and she was given the leftover scraps including some that she had donated to the cause. She is going to box them up and pass them on to me. A head start, I guess.

Guess that cake has had time to cool so unload the dishwasher and make some frosting.