Some productivity

I have been trying to get some sewing done for several days. Actually that plan is just as much so I can get the machine put up and get my kitchen table back and mop the floor in there!  Yeah, that last part is no fun but needs to be done desperately.  Same with the living room, hallway, master bedroom floors for strings.   I would still rather do something creative than clean but not always possible.

I considered going to the evening group earlier this week but got held up here at home (laundry dragged on longer than it should).   I did go over just to say "hello" to the girls and see what they were up to.   Three of the gals work days and relatively new to quilting, well Donna not so much but the other two girls need assistance from the more seasoned quilters among us.  I was happy to see Janice working on the binding on what I think is her 2nd or 3rd quilt.  Margarita is feeling more confident about following the block of the month instructions this go round.  Even the newest member has a completed top of simple squares and was starting on a baby quilt with a panel at center.

Wednesday night after Oscar was tucked in bed I sat down and finished sewing the blocks together for row 7 and then joined the sections seams (2 long seams).  This is called "Prairie Sticks" and uses a Jolly Bar from the Fat Quarter Shop.  These measure 5 x 10 or half of a layer cake.   Only took me a half hour to finish up but by 9:30 pm I was beat and ready to call it a day.

Yesterday morning I woke up early and got up and cut what will be the backing for this.  I would like quilted with a loose stipple which means it will go to a long arm quilter (maybe--I don't do that!).  A long armer requires at least 4 inches all around the top so I knew I had to get the top wider and longer.  I had fabric left over from this and the other top I made with the same fabric line a couple months back.   I only had to snitch one strip from another junior jelly roll to make the 7 blocks as I had typically over-cut section of the jelly roll for the Prairie Sticks.    I sewed this up today between home chores today.

I also cut binding for 4 quilts.  The pink/orange stripe was already cut for my recent Ribbon Candy top (the pink and purple one) but it was just sitting around in the sewing room.  This may sound crazy but that red/orange print from the Charming Box might work for backing THAT one too.   I should have enough for both tops.  The blue goes for two Ribbon Candy tops that the Belles and I worked on.   The multi-stripe goes on the No Bake Jolly Bars Chevron.  The Doily stuff,  Prairie Sticks.

Sewing this goes on the "tomorrow list" though knowing me I will not press these till somewhere down the line!  It is too sticky standing over the iron when the indoor temp hit 78 this afternoon.  I called "uncle" and turned on the air for just a bit till the sun truly sets and the outside temps start to drop a bit.  It was 66 when I got up at 6 a.m. and sticky with rain on the way in.  Way too early in the year to start with that stuff!

Then I finished up today's production by joining the blocks into rows for this top from late March.  It has been pinned to the table cloth and folded up since I thought I MIGHT get to it at the retreat---I didn't, LOL.  The top two rows are joined but not the two bottom ones---not in this picture, but trust me, I got it moved along.   Tomorrow.  It won't take long.

Electronics maintenance continues.  I think I told you I had re-set my phone this week.  It kept draining the battery and I think it is that darned google play mostly.  Anyway, I decided to switch phones with one I had tried before and had in the drawer.   It took a bit to get that switched over yesterday and make sure the number was activated properly and the few things I had downloaded added to the new one.

Today between sewing I had to go to Walmart to find out what had happened to some software I had ordered online that had been delivered on 4/16 but I was never notified to come get it.  I had chatted with Customer Service online who said contact the vendor.  The vendor was no help because, as I already knew, UPS/USPS had already delivered it and I had confirmation.  I printed all that stuff out and headed over to Site to Store.  The CSR couldn't even find the order number in the computer.  After a few in store phone calls, her supervisor came by and she remembered the package.  Come to find out, the address label only had my first name and middle initial, no last name with the store address.  NO packing slip, no order number, no way of tracing it.  She put it in the back figuring someone (ME!) would come looking for it.  I did, one day after the delivering window ended.  So anyway, after a late lunch and this unplanned break, I got Office Home and Student 2013 installed on the desktop.  Then back to the OTHER machine.   See above.

Oscar has been such a good boy since he ran away up the lane!  Goes out and comes right back in practically sitting on the back stoop till I let him in.  I still don't know how he got out or the modifications I made were the escape routes and they are effectively blocked.   I got him a new harness type thing and retractable leash so we are both getting used to that.  Well, I thought the webbing leash I had gotten was too long.  Glynda said "you sew.  shorten it".  Machine was sitting there so who cared about the wrong color thread?  Then I cut the wrong section away---oops!  I took the old handle apart which frayed the leash and then it was way too short.  Get the retractable one and it can be long or short or just right!   Thing is Oscar is poking and plodding along so I don't know if it just needs adjusting somehow or he is just in that frame of mind, LOL.  He keeps wanting to go over the neighbors but then we often stop to see Paul and his dog when he visits his mom or just to visit with Miss Kathryn.  He is starting to think it is part of walking in the lane, I guess.

I took the day off from walking my laps in the park, woke up too early and I'm beat!   I've been a busy girl  most of the day today with not much down time.  I think it is an early to bed kind of night but I hope I don't keep waking up before 6 especially when I can't get to sleep till after midnight.  

Guess that's it for this installment.  Off to find my jammies----

another week goes by...........

Here the machine sits, not even plugged in from last week's meeting day.  I only have to put on two side borders and this top would be/could be done.

The closest I came to doing anything quilty was draw up this block in EQ.  It is a block in the friendship quilt that my friend Veronica assembled and quilted for me that I particularly like--there are two identical blocks using this pattern in the quilt.

You see, I am going to a guild sew-in come mid-April.  An email was sent out saying we are to bring the two blocks to our next meeting.  Why so early, was not explained but whatever!  One is to be a 12 inch "male" themed block that will be pooled to make comfort quilts for the guys.   The other is a 6 inch Spring themed block.  We did something similar for the fall sew-in that many of us went too only it was fall themed blocks and QOV's for donation.  Some lucky duck(s) won the fall blocks.

SO I figure this block can work for both and printed off the two sizes to foundation piece them.  Oh, I could do it the standard piecing way--EQ does give rotary cutting instructions as you can see on my print out but that one shape almost needs a template to verify it is cut correctly.  Besides, I like to foundation piece.

About the only creative thing I have done lately is cook.  That is something that I seem to do precious little of.  Why bother for just me, too easy to throw a salad or sandwich together or grab something out.  You know all the excuses.  Saturday I spent a good bit of time in the kitchen figuring I would at least fix something good for Easter.  I made a half batch of blueberry congealed salad, prepped some asparagus and nuked it, made a batch of scalloped potatoes (they can be frozen--not quite as good but okay enough).   I put the pork tenderloin in the crockpot and sliced it up and ended up making a small batch of egg salad.  

Actually I decided to do a tenderloin instead of some ham expressly so I could make this Cubano sandwich.   Does that make it planned-overs??  Thin slices of pork, deli ham, swiss cheese, mustard, dill pickles slice on a ciabatta bun and grilled on the panini press.  YUMMO!   Last night the leftover asparagus wound up in a quiche. The rest (not the blueberry stuff though--ate most of that!) is in the freezer for down the line.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I took those pictures this morning before lunch intending to post then.  Oscar wanted to go to the back yard so I let him!  He was testing out the new bedding out in the dog house.  I had taken his old one to air the other day as it felt a bit damp. The next thing I knew, the side split out and huge clumps of stuffing were falling out on the patio.  I guess the extremes of hot and cold got to the fabric after two years.  I chased around yesterday tracking down a new one to put in there.  

That and 3 more bags of ant mound treatment where the main shopping .  I had already gone through what was left in the shed and 3 bags the day before.  I had spent two mornings this week treating every fire ant mound I had spotted, along the road, even some technically in the new neighbor's yard since Oscar heads that way when we walk.  40 lbs of the stuff and it had not looked all that bad yet.  I hate those things!

Today dawned and I was off to walk.  I have found by the pedometer app that 7 laps and walking TO and FROM the park via the trail access totals the same as doing 8 laps or close enough to it 2.2 miles.  Add another mile, mile and half to the days totals walking Oscar in the lane 4 times.  The parking lot is still not re-paved but most of the work must be done as only two pieces of heavy equipment are on the premises.  No one was operating it at 9 a.m. but maybe it has to settle a bit before they lay down the asphalt or something?  Word is, they hope to open the Community Center sometime in April so there were a few workmen around for that.  I heard a power saw going when I neared the building.  We'll see!

After lunch, ashamed of myself for being such a slug about sewing and with obliging dog outside, I went into the sewing room for a bit.  Skyler was happy that I let him sit in the open window.  I only had to chase him from the cutting/pressing area twice.


Borders are all on this one now------

 ..........and so you can see the fabric better, particularly the dot which is not really showing up above.  This is the one that Bev and I teemed up to assemble last week.

This next group of Ribbon Candy blocks was a team effort with Brenda and Lois.  I finished up one small section of the blocks halves on the lighter green one and joined the halves.  Then I cut the setting triangles and corner triangles using that same blue fabric.  It works better than what I originally thought I might use as Lois used more blue fabrics from the strips Beverly had left for us to use.   There is enough left of the blue dot and the blue to back each of the quilts so I set that aside.   I still need to cut binding for the two quilts but I'll wait till my new blades arrive to do that.  I was having to re-cut those "hairs" a bit too much with the one in the rotary cutter now.

Oscar is back in and keeping me company on the couch.  I may head back there to pull some fabric for those two blocks but I have a feeling I'm done for the day in the sewing department.   The top can wait till next Belles meeting anyway.

Tomorrow/late tonight we have been advised to be weather aware.  2-4 inches of rain and some possible tornadic activity or high wind speeds are possible.  I doubt that it will be too conducive to sewing but I wouldn't be able to hide back here for a couple of hours anyway if it is storming.  Oscar would most definitely be in and he hates wind, rain, lightning.  Lots of that high pitched whining.  We'll see what happens.

Lily did well with her surgery on Friday and may have even gotten to go home yesterday or today.  I have not heard from my sister, her Nana, for a couple days.  The tumor is out, all systems go.   Diane said Lily was playing games on her phone and didn't seem too uncomfortable.  Smiling.

Guess that's it for now----thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a good day wherever you are.

Sew Day and other stuff

Bama Belles met today and the plan was to get those three stacks of Ribbon Candy blocks made up into tops if possible.  I had sort of grouped them by intensity of color or shade last time and knew that we had enough blocks, once I made one more green toned one, for three tops.

Bev and I are always the first ones to arrive (we have the keys to open the Fellowship Hall)  and I had laid out the blocks for the tops.  She said "what do you want me to do?"  I had asked Lois to bring her humungous 20.5 inch square for me to cut the setting triangles for two of them so I pointed her to this first grouping using Lois' idea for making Ribbon rings.  15 - 12 inch blocks gets it in WTIL range.   She kept on plugging so this was the first one finished.

I had gotten my 3rd row joined yesterday afternoon and joined to 4 so all I needed to do is join the two halves.  After I cut two quilts worth of setting triangles, that is!

I used some yardage someone donated for setting this one as it sort picked up on the yellow tones, the blues and teals.  The green in it isn't quite the same shade but there are 5 different greens that I could have attempted to match, LOL.   Lois put this one together and then pieced 5 more blocks to go with 3 blocks Brenda had made.  I will put that one together here at home.

This one does not show the blue polka dot used in the setting triangles very well.  I am in the process putting on a darker blue border but left before I got the two outer verticals on it.  Bev and I teamed up to get this together.  She had never done an on-point setting so I talked her through it.  I joined the rows as Bev had to leave for a 2 p.m. appointment and assembled row three.

Margarita was diligently working on getting the borders on her big block of the month quilt.  I suspect she will have it completed by this evening--she was close and working on her outer borders when she left.  Jane was working on binding for a donation quilt and Brenda was busy marking a fusible applique project.   Linda S was able to come join us for the first time in a long time and preparing hexies.  We enjoyed a potluck lunch again.  Teresa stopped by on the way back from an appointment.  Good day with friends!

I thought you might like to see a couple other of the girl's projects.   Bev made this disappearing nine patch for the JOY Guild's challenge to make a disappearing block of some sort for donation to the comfort quilt program.   She will be vacationing when it is meeting time so she brought it to have us deliver it to the group leader.  They can just be tops though they would take completed ones too, LOL.

Linda S said this has been hanging in her sewing room just waiting for her to drop it off.  The fabrics in it were one of those "grocery" bags challenges.  Make something with a variety of scraps we had loaded up to share.  

Brenda had a couple tops to share with us today but I didn't get any pictures of those.  Maybe once Lena has worked her magic quilting them?

Linda had messaged me Saturday and asked me to call her as she had been given a huge box of fabrics and yarn for her neighbor's estate.  The sons were clearing out their mother's home and needed help connecting the items with crafters/sewers that Linda might know.   The box was huge, tall and heavy, so we just dug through it on my driveway from the back of her van.  Some I was able to keep for Belles use, some I thought Teresa could use since she makes purses and tote bags.   She picked it up today.

Gene saw the message from Linda to me and perked up at the "yarn" part.  I told him he could have at it, LOL.  He dropped by yesterday and picked out some for his weaving.  Some of bagged up to see if Margarita might want as she is an expert knitter.  She thought her daughter could use it since she crochets little animals and such for fundraising.   Woohoo!  Very little is living at my house right now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other than that, no much happened around here last week.  Same old, same old.  Walk, walk the dog, housework, errands----yada, yada, yada.  Seriously, home all week.  I've got a new neighbor across the lane as the house finally sold.  I don't know if she is still moving things in or not but she has been working out in the yard a bit, trimming overgrown bushes and picking up after the two half dead trees.  Going to be one heck of a bonfire!   The house across the main road is apparently off the market as the same folks are still there.  Chickens and all.

We did get one last blast of winter after almost two weeks of being able to shut off the furnace.  It got so warm one afternoon that I did turn the a/c on for about an hour.   The sun sets on the front of the house and I knew it was not going to be pleasant trying to sleep if the bedroom stayed at 78!  It had frosted last night and I think we have one more night in the 30's overnight.  Then it is back to real spring.

The local park where I walk my laps was working on re-doing a large section of the parking lot.  Monday there where three road working large vehicles busy under the supervision of the Public Works Department with barricades going up as well as caution tape.    You see, the construction for the new Community Center had cause a great deal of damage to the asphalt so it had to be repaved.  They had one of those things with the nobby rollers and one with smoother roller and an endloader, I think it is, going back and forth.  I got my laps in but had to walk around the new building and duck under the tape at one end to get to my car.  Later the Mayor said the park was closed due to the activity and that meant the drive through lane for paying the water bill was closed too---come into City Hall.  I guess I'll see if I get to use the park tomorrow or not.  There is another way to access it from the back OR walk the trail.  

I am going to ask for prayers for my great niece Lily.  She has to have further surgery on Friday to remove the teratoma that remains in place.  You may recall that she had surgery on it when she was a bitty baby but due to the location, it was not all removed.  She has been monitored by a team in St. Louis since then and the doctors felt it was time. The procedure will take 4-7 hours and she will have to stay in the hospital for about a week afterwards.

Here is the little cutie---they did Easter egg hunting early at her Nana's yesterday.  Diane said they egg hunted like 10 times so you know she was getting into, LOL.  Love those purple shoes that look like dyed eggs.

Okay, I think that is really it for this post.  I hope you have had a good day and thanks for stopping by to see what my buds and I have been up to.

this and that on a Monday

Around the house---

Oscar has been in and out all day today, walked three times as of this writing (4:30 pm).  1st trip was before I went to the park to do my 2.2 miles.  We'll go again about 6 and then it is the backyard should he indicate he needs out.  Of course, we go through the usual "Time for bed, Oscar.  Get in your bed."  and he interprets this as "go outside and bark", LOL.  BUT he usually will hop right into his crate when he comes back in to settle in for the night.

Meanwhile, Skyler has been napping in the back of the house this afternoon, other side of the gate.  I was busy with laundry this afternoon and assumed he was either sitting in the sewing room window though he cannot see out OR on my bed or window perch.   I was wrong!  This is a new one on me.  He only used the perch to get UP on the armoire and the stack of pinned quilts (3 are mine and they've been waiting for some time!)

He only used the perch to get UP on the armoire and the stack of pinned quilts (3 are mine and they've been waiting for some time!  One is Aline's.  3 are donation quilts and the one that Skyler is parked on is a personal quilt.  I see I missed grabbing one of my t-shirts for the wash too.)

No sewing since last Belles' day.  The closest I came to doing anything quilt related was cutting the setting and corner triangles, oversized.  The butterfly fabric is kind of growing on me but then I look at this each time I pass the master bedroom.

Oh, I think about sewing but walking in the sewing room to do it isn't happening again.  I didn't even unpack the machine from last Tuesday.  Probably going to Tuesday sewing so that part is handy, LOL.

Today, I ordered some cone thread for a couple of the Belles along with some marked down 40% Connecting Threads fabric ($3.96 or something a yard) that will work for a background on another of GE Designs projects.   If the order is $50 or over, no shipping so we have combined orders before.

 I also finally got around to packing up the used rotaty cutter blades for both the Belles and me personally.   I so rarely turn on the desktop anymore unless I need to print.  Today I did so I could send a note with the checks and then ran it into the post office.  L.P. Sharp does an exchange thing where you send in a minimum of 5 used blades and they send you brand new Olfa blades in their place.  They have recently increased their pricing but slightly.  The girls know to turn in their old ones for me to collect when they got a new one from me, reimbursing the treasury.

So what have I been doing?  Well, Friday and Saturday it was high school Basketball mania around here!  My nephew Teddy is a senior at LeRoy (IL) high school and is on the basketball team with a group of kids he has played ball with since 2nd or 3rd grade.  The Panthers had finally gotten passed the regional round on the 3rd try, I think that's right.  They won the sectional---they won their super sectional last Tuesday which makes them part of the Elite Eight and on to State.  Class 1A, the smallest enrollment schools.  Friday, they won the semi-final game beating Liberty by 16 but trust me, the other team pulled within 4 at one point.  So on to the finals!  They beat a tough Chicago St. Leo team by 3 points---and that game was tied up late in the game, exchanging shots.  It took a 3 point shot and a last second missed shot for them to emerge as the 1st place team.  Exciting, nerve wracking to watch.  Teddy is in the last row next to the assistant coach in the blue shirt.  I was able to watch the games, post game interviews and read the articles off Facebook links along with enjoy pictures my brother and other parents took and posted.  I paced, I told Oscar he had 5 minutes to walk as it was half time but by golly, the kids made history,  not only with their team getting passed regionals but going to State and then winning the whole enchilada!  The football team had done well this school year also---some of the guys played football as well--I believe they made it to the semi's?  Teddy had an injury then so his season was cut short.  Here is one Phil took after the medal and trophy presentation.

Sunday after all that excitement I read,  finished up one half done book, read another one through and started on a third till Skyler came and sat on my chest/belly again and I gave up.  It is hard to read a real book or use the Kindle app on the tablet with a cat inches from your face.  Unfortunately, I did not get really get to sleep till 4 a.m. new time ( I hate changing the stinkin' clocks!  pick a time and leave it there---sheesh)  I don't know what my problem was but I hope it does not recur tonight.  I crashed and burned till 8:30.

Guess that's about it for this installment.  It is just been errands, walking and more walking with the dog,  haircut, two showers (the 2nd one to get those itty bitty scratchy hairs off me) and laundry today.   THX for stopping by-------

decisions, decisions

We have been blessed with some lovely weather the past few days. Oscar and I went for a long walk on the trail yesterday but also went on a short lap in the park to see if the water had cleared enough on the southwest low corner that is notorious for huge puddles. Enough time had intervened that the worst of the water is along the left side. If you stick to the extreme right hand side, it was okay.   I did my normal laps in the park today but left Oscar home!  Dogs that stop at every tree or vertical surface tend to slow a walker down.    We've done 4 trips in the lane and the day is not over.

Best thing about lovely weather is that Oscar can be outside for a bit.  Please don't think I am booting him out the door.  He wants to go out and in fact, sometimes I bring him only to have stand at the back door wanting right back out there!  Still, let me have an hour or so to sew.   I stitched up a couple more blocks that will go in my Ribbon Candy efforts yesterday and today, finished two pretty blue blocks that Jane had started.

4 of these blocks were plucked off the table at our Sew Day, thinking that they might go with this weird butterfly fabric.  It is one of those "changeling" one that switches shades when you think you have found the perfect shade of a pinkish purple.  The butterflies look orange  and then they look pink/coral.  It was a fabric donated to the group for challenge quilt purposes.  It IS a little tricky finding compatible fabrics, I am finding. You can see a little better in this shot.  Top left and center are two of the 4 I have gotten done specifically for this. (At the sew day I was re-doing two blocks that sections reversed.)   I have 4 more cut out and will give the other ones back UNLESS............

I am trying to decide if I am going to do like I initially thought.  Aline set one like this but thought it too narrow and added borders.  I hate doing borders and would just cut the setting bits over-sized if I continue with the 2 x 3 set.

Here is Aline's that I took at guild with the phone camera.  Looking good even it is hanging a little crooked, LOL.

Anyway, I could do it 3 x 4 and use up more of that challenge fabric with plain setting squares.  It would finish more in lap quilt size of 50 x 70.  Kids come in all sizes, after all.  I think I have enough butterfly fabrics to do it this way but will to verify that assumption before I start whacking out 12 1/2 squares.

So this is what is occupying much of my thoughts and will continue to do so till the top is done, I'm guessing.

THX for stopping by---------

Around here.........

 Around the house this week----

Skyler thinks he is hiding but I can see him!  Now you can too.

I had a ton of laundry to do Wednesday.  Skyler was waiting for warm clothes but at this point all he got was socks!

Of course, Oscar can't stand it when Skyler is getting some attention and he is not.

Skyler stands his ground and Oscar leaves to join me in the living room once I get the pjs dealt with.

I was working on the notebook on the kitchen table the day I took this.  It is one of Sky's fav spots to get away from the dog.

I wish I had gotten the camera out this morning though.   Oscar was waiting on the loveseat for me to get out of the shower.  At some point he pulled that precious blue wool throw off the back of it.  Skyler has been sleeping on it at night so smells like cat.  When I came out of the bathroom, Oscar had pulled it down to the floor and had wrapped himself up in it to the point where all I saw was a doggy shaped lump and the tip of his nose.    Silly dog!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well another week has rolled along and this awful month is about gone.  I say awful because of the anniversary of DJ's passing and funeral, a unwillingly single Valentine's Day mostly.  Usually the weather is horrid too.  Well, some days are and other days you are reminded that yes, spring is coming and not all that far off.  When Oscar and I walk, we pass under and near the row of Bradford Pears at the south end of the lane near the subdivision entrance.  The buds are just waiting to open.  I have seen some tulip trees in flower this week.  This morning we had had frost overnight.  I had no expected that it was going to be that cold so it surprised me.   It has turned into a lovely day---in the low 60's, less windy than the past couple days and clear blue skies.

We had two quite rainy, stormy days early in the week.  Tuesday morning, I emptied 2 inches of rain from the gauge.  Wednesday, 3 inches.  There was flooding in spots in the county, not surprising with that much rain on saturated ground.  It was also quite windy, overnight Wednesday with the storms but it continued.  Gusts 30 some mph making it feel colder than it was.  Oscar and I get thrown off his routine with the rain and storms.  Naturally,  he wants no part of the wet ground and turns around and hops back in his crate to keep me from making him go out in the back yard.   He doesn't like the rain, wind or thunder INSIDE the house either.  High pitch whining ensues.  Skyler, on the other hand, doesn't head for under the bed near as often when the storms come.

I've not touched my partially done quilt top since Sunday.  I put the machine up as I knew I would not get to it on Monday---eye doc appointment and a few errands to run.  Besides, we had Bama Belles sew day on Tuesday and I had to pack up for that.   I thought maybe today but my plans changed with a phone call from Jane last night.  Now, it's 3 pm as I write this and not likely to happen.

Tuesday, we had planned a sew day and the girls wanted to try the Ribbon Candy block they liked in the Gudrun Erla book Strip Your Stash.  I had taken the book with me to an earlier meeting in January because we are always looking for ideas of what you can do with 2 1/2 inch strips.   Trust me, that book has several ideas for that.  It is rare for me to like and what to make as many of the quilts that are in a quilt book as this one.   That Square Dance block I finally finished is from there and is featured on the cover of the book.  Only need 5 more, LOL, and I'll have enough for a donation top.

Anyway, the girls brought their machines.  I had cut white background fabric enough for 5 quilts.  The girls brought 2 1/2 inch strips to share.  We were happy to have two of the girls that have been with us before back for the day and one guest from the JOY group.  In addition, another stopped by on the way to work to see what we were up to.  I think I told you that another of the girls (Brenda) just retired and she can come back to join the group.  We were table mates.

This is a top that Lois made before the sew day with an interesting setting.   The book shows 8 blocks and set on point but I really like this version!

Here is a picture of the day's output looking from one direction on the two long tables.

And looking back from the opposite end.  

There will be more!  Brenda had 4 more planned.  Aline was going to make a dedicated quilt with the ones she made----those sort of citrus looking colors you see on the left of the shot above were a few of them as well as the two in the foreground.   I'm going with a purple and pink sort of theme for a dedicated one as well though I picked up a few of the ones the others made that might work in it.  I've got this purple, pinkish, orange butterfly print for the setting triangles and am picking strips that will go with it.  I still need to finish those and one Jane handed to me partially done.  I think she was stitching more at home though since they would be a fun one for donation quilt for one of her other quilt groups.  Beverly was our champion presser and un-sewer.

We had a wonderful potluck lunch with sort of picnic theme.  Lois made some wonderful pork barbecue and others brought potato salad, corn salad, coleslaw, some yummy homemade bread and butter pickles,  fresh fruit, Milo's iced tea to drink.  Desserts were homemade blueberry pie and I had made a pan of those Quick and Easy Oatmeal Carmelitas.   The leftovers are in my freezer for another day!  What a fun day though!  Good friends, good fellowship and good food.  Does it get any better than that.

Some of the girls went on to the Tuesday afternoon group at the church near here but I went home to my two neglected critters.  I'll go this coming week along with my machine and try to get back to my half done Jolly Bar top.  The Ribbon Candy blocks can wait till the next Belles meeting.  We'll decide how we want to set them, combine the colors and see if we need to add another color or make a few more to have enough.   They look good block to block too.   Lois said she had flipped them sort of zigzagged too when she did her top.

Today, as I had said, my plans changed.  I thought maybe I'd do a bit of cleaning around my messy house.  BUT Jane called last evening and asked me to accompany her to the Ashville Quilt Shop and then run up to Gadsden to eat lunch.  Clean or Girlfriend Day??  I think you know what I decided!  Jane and Aline are on the guild's Sew-In committee and needed to ask the shop for a door prize contribution.  We did do a bit of personal shopping too though.   The quilt shop is in St. Clair County, Gadsden is in Etowah County just north of us in Calhoun County so we were all over the Alabama country side, LOL.  Actually we stopped in Rainbow City and ate at El Tapatio there rather than drive all the way into Gadsden.  Chicken Enchiladas Suizas for me though they sure didn't taste like mine!

Even though I had recently made a Mexican version of Cheeseburger Soup  I love Mexican food.  My variation involves omitting the potatoes, celery and carrots in the original and then subbing brown rice, corn, black beans, tomatoes, mild green chiles along with more traditional chili seasonings and way less cheese and more broth.  I call it "Mexican Cheese Soup".  I shared this with my neighbors along with some of that cheese bread that had pulled from the freezer.  I've really not done much cooking this week unless you count a little personal bread bowl pizza or roasting a couple sweet potatoes.

A little reading---I enjoyed What Stands in a Storm by Kim Cross.  Non-fiction, it is about the horrible tornado outbreak in Alabama back on April 27, 2011.  Sad, yet hopeful.  The science is right our weather dude said and he and his station are featured in the book.  It is not some stupid national news anchor saying that the storms came without warning.  We had plenty of warning that a possibly generational intense outbreak was coming.   There a lot of fatalities in several states in that outbreak but perhaps none as bad as Alabama in those strings of storms.  There were 9 here in the north end of my county and 14 in St. Clair, lost that day but part of a larger 240 some, I think statewide.  We drove past one of the areas today on the way to the quilt shop and the land and trees are still scarred by this onslaught.  After, that heavy reading I was on to a romance novel by Cindy Myers called The View From Here that the bookmobile lady (also named Linda) had saved for me.  About half done with it.

Guess that's about it for this installment.  Oscar is going to want to go out walking soon though both he and Skyler as sunning in front of the open front door at the moment.  All I have to do is say the words "Oscar!  Walkies?" and he'd be up like a shot.  That or open the refrigerator, LOL.  Skyler has the lead position right smack dab in front of the door but then it is HIS house.  The dog is allowed to live here, according to him.

Hope you are having a lovely weekend, doing something you enjoy.  THX for stopping by------