Checking in

This was a picture that Wendee, my tablemate took of me at the sew-in and recently posted to the guild album.  We were to wear an old fashioned apron that day which explains the attire.  Otherwise, I'm in my standard t-shirt and jeans or in hot weather, t-shirt and bike shorts until I get the summer clothes officially out in circulation, LOL.

Anyway---
 I have been doing a good bit of sewing recently with this one getting moved along.  This is the Climbing Roses top I showed you from last week though at that point I had 5 more rows to go.  I did that on Thursday when I was trying to keep my mind occupied and not get so mopey about the day's significance to me.    I then spent the rest of the day flipping strips, re-sewing and generally changing most of the quilt around in some manner.  Sometimes more than once on the same section.  Friday morning it got so bad with all this quilt fiddling that I finally got out of the house and went to Ashville House Quilt Shop for some retail therapy, LOL.

They were having a 25% off sale of everything except sewing machines and I needed some backing for this top.  I ended up getting something that is not quite the same shade of aqua but it WILL work since I am using some yardage that is that aqua and red diagonal stripe for the binding.  It also happens to be the same Good Karma yardage that was issued for the fall challenge quilt for the retreat with the Attalla bunch.  The shop has plenty more on hand if I mis-calculated my needs for the two quilts.  I know what I am going to do for THAT one but have not started it yet.

Saturday, I started sewing the sections into pairs.  Later that evening I sewed the pairs into sections of 4, or into thirds since there are 12 vertical rows.  That is where it still stands two days later--just two joining seams to go.  I didn't feel much like sewing yesterday and then we had some thunderstorms roll in.  Figures too since it was Race Weekend at Talladega, near here.  Always rains, storms, even tornado threats.

I am un-decided what I want to do next but have it narrowed down to three things.  That is, after I prep the back and binding.

1)  Make the other 5 blocks needed for Square Dance.  Leaning more to this one as it would be a quicker finish.

2)   Get back to the Granny Squares that have been waiting since two fall sew-in's.  I don't remember how many I have done or even how many more I need but it used some of the leftover Ellen challenge fabric.  I already did one top and this was a bonus one, or two.  I had planned to see how far I would get with the strips I had already cut.

3)  Something altogether new.  I have a charm pack of Bernatex "Brigitte" that I got for free from Missouri Star last fall.  I had pulled some Moda Marble background from my stash, ordered just a bit more to be sure to have enough.  I want to try that Missouri Star tutorial for Floating Squares with it.  When I put the fabric away in its own little compartment, I had typed up my own sort of cutting guidelines so it would just be a matter of going in to cut the background fabrics up, more or less. Might do that if I don't want to drag the machine to evening sewing this week.

 ALWAYS thinking of the next project or in this case, the next three, LOL.

To commemorate DJ's birthday, I did two things in his honor.  I made pizza, albeit this one was topped with turkey pepperoni.  He would have preferred ground beef or ham and cheese with white sauce like they had at Cici's.   When I think of all the crust recipes I tried till I found the one we both liked.  I think I told you the story about how he was telling me about his days working the part-time job at George's Pizza in Bloomington while he proceeded to burn the tar out of frozen one we planned to have for supper.  The 2nd, he had ice cream almost every blessed night---it was the lowest fat content he could find or the cheapest store brand low fat he could get.  I asked him once why he didn't get the "good stuff" and cut back on the frequency of eating it.  I did not want to get in the habit like him and rarely ate it but I did buy some Klondike Bars (Heath Crunch, thank you very much!)  and consumed TWO in his honor.  That's the closest I could come to a bowl of fat free whatever stuff.  Mostly, I treasured my memories and him.  I was truly a blessed woman and wife.

Okay, what else?  Saturday I was invited over to Paul's for a fish fry.  He had been out fishing a couple days late last week and told his mom to call and tell me late Friday evening.  His former boss even gave him some fish he had caught.  I guess Sonny wanted the fun of fishing but didn't care to clean or eat them!  Miss Kathryn said she was bringing some coleslaw but I didn't need to fix anything else.  I did anyway recalling that they had apparently had to hunt to find some tartar sauce last week.  I whipped up some Comeback Sauce which is supposed to be "so good that it would make you slap your mama", whatever that means!  Anyway, I used what is supposed to be a copy of Zax Sauce but a tad less heavy on the hot sauce content or it was when I made it but I still ended up adding about what the recipe called for, and made a triple batch.

These critters!  Oscar can't decide if he wants in or out.  Mostly the opposite of whatever he IS doing.  It has been threatening rain or actually raining for three days now so outside is a little chancy.   I am almost positive that the back gate was his escape site based on something he managed to do today inside.  I had the hallway gate closed and the bungee cord tightened across the top.  You may recall that I caught him recently with his head between the gate door and the frame?  I was working in the kitchen when  I heard him clattering the gate.  With it intact, the little booger had gotten on the other side and I found him sitting in the master bedroom near the foot of the bed.  I stretched the bungee cord a bit tighter.

I had found one of Skyler's old sparkly puff balls (AKA PomPoms) in the couch cushions recently.  He used to love those things!  Oscar tried to eat them so neither one of them was getting any to play with.  Skyler promptly lost it, I thought under the coffee table.  I could feel that there were others in the frame.  You see, DJ had hammered some lumber strips on the table to keep Skyler from loosing all his puff balls in the crack in the frame.  He knew I would try lifting and scooting it to get at them or use a yard stick under the couches to dig them out.   I don't think the strips worked as look what was under or jammed into the frame work!!

I never did find the blue sparkly one but man, did I others of them.  The frayed one was extracted with an old hemostat from the sewing room.  Skyler has again become enamored with his scratching post too hence the catnip mess on the floor!  And a pink sparkly puff ball.  I think it is lost again but he sure had some fun tossing it around.

Glynda and Robert sent a bag of cat toys that had been the sister-in-law's the other day.  You got it, Sky wants nothing to do with it and Oscar plays with the stuffed mouse though so far he has not managed to tear it up.  As soon as I see stuffing, it is gone and he can play with his squeaky frog again.

I probably better walk Oscar one more time before the rains come in.  THX for stopping by to see the latest installment of "Life on the Lane".  Few dull moments here, that's for sure!

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------

an idea, maybe

I think this might work.

These fabrics from the last post and what I am calling my "Ellen Challenge" using WTIL donated fabric from Fabric Traditions.  Others have received other fabric bundles from what their group posts have said.  I look forward to seeing what they come up with.

So I'm thinking that the Quatrefoil block from Missouri Star Quilt Company will work just fine though I have yardage instead of pre-cuts.  I think that is preferable as there will be less waste with what I have available.

Ellen sent about 2 yards of the floral and approximately a yard of the two contrasting prints.  I'll need one or two more colors for contrast and a bunch of background.  This is do-able.   I'll do it up in EQ in a minute to get it Wrap 'Em target sized or larger.  Kids DO come in all sizes.  This will verify how many 4 patch strips to cut and just how many background strips to cut for the 4 patches.  Jennie said 9 but not sure if that covered 8 flippy corners per block.

Okay, I think I have come to a decision and am NOT waffling and changing my mind looking for the next "squirrel" to distract my attention, LOL.  Trust me, it happens----a lot.  I may not be sewing much lately but I do think about it, a lot, too much.

Oscar logged about 4 hours of outside time yesterday afternoon and I got most of the two deadline blocks completed.  You'll have to take my word for this as I cannot share any pictures of them until after the retreat next month.  The 6 inch fall (not Halloween) block is done.  The 12 inch Quilt of Valor block is almost done, just have to join the sections (4 short seams).  I chose to foundation piece both of them for accuracy but the QOV choice was mostly because of the odd sizes I would have had to cut the components.  9 divisions does not divided evenly into the requested 12 inch finished.  If I were to ever make one of these again, I would go with 1 1/2 inch strips and let it finish at 13.5.  Far easier than so many 16th's of any inch, right?

 I'll carve out a little sewing time after Oscar goes to bed or heads outside for awhile.  It looks like it might rain any minute so I doubt he is heading out anytime soon.  Besides, he is conked out on the floor near my feet here on the couch.  Meanwhile, Skyler is napping up the pass through up high.  In the evening, his go to spot is the end of the coffee table since I put down the fall leaf table runner on it.  There or the couch arm by "my" spot.

None of us got a whole lot of sleep last night though I logged about 4 hours early on. Oscar woke me up around 3 whimpering in his bed.  Thinking he needed to potty or didn't feel well, I let him go out.  He cleaned up what was left in his food bowl, drank a bunch of water, may or may not have done his business.  I was out with Oscar on the patio in my pjs  Actually it was kinda nice out there.  Cooler than in the house, breeze blowing.  We tried again.  He didn't go back to sleep, Skyle rwas roaming around  because I was roaming around. I did not get back to sleep though trust me, I tried. By then it  was about 4:15.  Whimpering and whining, again or still?  Repeat all the above but minus the food and water.  This trip, he was barking out there and I will not have him disturbing the neighborhood.   I still couldn't back to sleep and had switched to the master bedroom trying to drown out the LOUD cricket chirping sounds from outside, in the crawl space and the front bushes.  The air return sort of accentuates the noise and it is right outside my bedroom.  In spite of a closed door and window, the noise is in stereo.  Meanwhile, Skyler managed to worm himself into the master bedroom and commences to scratch, lick, groom himself.   Not conducive to sleep.  I bailed again for my own bed though this time Oscar was back to sleep and Skyler got the master bed all to himself.  It is 5:30 by then.  THX to some Motrin and exhaustion, I finally awakened at 10:15 having achieved the elusive "cool, dark and quiet" in spite of those darned crickets.  How cold does it have to get to kill off this year's crop of crickets anyway???

Worse still is this has not been an isolated incident.  I've strung a couple of "can't get to sleep in the first place" night together lately.  Friday night it was whining dog, those darned crickets and topped off by the low battery beeping of the carbon monoxide/gas detector thing. I had no idea that there was a battery even in there as DJ put the thing up on the advice of someone who came to service the furnace and ducts.   I only knock the thing off on the floor periodically when vacuuming in the hallway.  Always says "O" but that is a good thing, LOL.  Anyway, I'm thinking that the noise from notification beeps is what woke Oscar in the first place as it hurt his ears.  Hurt mine and humans are no where near the hearing capabilities of dogs and cats.  I unplugged it and took the battery out till I could hunt for a new one come light of day.  I hope we all have an easier night of it tonight.  SIGH

I see some reading ahead as a book is available now from a camellia dot (net) hold the Joanne Fluke Christmas bundle of Sugar Cookie Murder, Candy Cane Murder, Plum Pudding Murder and Ginger Cookie Murder.   I finished Catherine Lloyd's Death Comes to the Village yesterday which the librarian had recommended.  There is one other book on epub that I get for only a week more and a half finished library book to read as well.   Good thing I read fast, LOL?

Hope you are enjoying your weekend----thx for stopping by.

Ready to sew?

 Well, I did it.  I thought about it since the idea came to me last evening as I posted.  I had often said that if it was just me, I wouldn't need a living room.  I just need a big enough space to sew and store my sewing stuff.  I'm not quite ready to ditch the couch or loveseat for one comfortable chair, LOL.

But I could move my portable sewing table up into the living room.  Doesn't look good but who cares?  Maybe, just maybe, I can get a pillowcase or two done by next week and get started on the D4P with my friends.

I vacuumed first as you know there will be strings on the carpet.  Oscar barks at it and is in protector mode when it is running, lunging at it.  Skyler knows it is a kitty eating machine and leaves the room.

Skyler was immediately crawling up on the chair and now he is seated under the table.  Uh, I CAN see you under there, you know!   Since I'm at the kitchen table, Oscar is in his bed rather than hanging on the couch with his toys.  These two!

I pulled one of the bins from the closet last night that has some of the five yard bundle kit fabric I got at Mtn. Quiltfest last year.  Some I had used on Lily's Chevron quilt.  (need to get that back prepped and quilted as she is coming up on her first birthday before long!)  Anyway, I am pretty sure I can come up with a pillowcase or two from there.  Just need to head in to cut.

Oh, I couldn't get to sleep again last night and about 1245 I bailed. Once more, I started going through my notebooks looking for my copy of Donna Poster's Texas Trellis to go with my other hexagon-half hexie book.  I laid hands on it, in a notebook that I did NOT go through before apparently as I was just sure it only contained one particular pattern collection.  Woohoo!  I had even tried to re-order it a month ago but so far she has neither sent it or got the money from paypal.  I can cancel the order.

That led to a little minor reorganization though. With the sewing table out of the way I could get at the sleeves behind it a bit better.   I have/had one 3 inch binder that rings would not close tightly enough and it was difficult to turn the sleeves and things were attached by the top and middle rings but not the bottom one.  After struggling with it yet again last night, I decided to pick up a replacement at Dollar General before I came home from walking.  They didn't have 3 inch ones so I got 2- 2 inch ones  I loaded one of them up really full as I emptied out two smaller ones into it.  I still needed some shelf space.  I emptied out two open fabric storage containers that were a bit of a space hog.  It crammed into two 20 qt. snap lid containers that I like and had picked up last week.  I'd need them eventually as I organize by project, no doubt.  Mission accomplished.  The things that side track me!

I've got some ground beef thawed out that needs to be cooked up so I'm off to fix a little lunch.  Stay cool!

this and that

I think I know what I may piece next--this little quilt kit from Connecting Threads that using their Hampton Hues line though I bought more of the chevron piece to be sure to have plenty of binding, the width I want it to be.  The pattern "Merry-Go-Round" included in the kit is by Terry Atkinson, one of my favorite designers.  Should be fun to try.  My fellow Atkinson Designs nut, Norma already made her version for a guild challenge and beat me done!  I have not been rewarded yet if it remains a kit after purchase last fall.

I am not sure why I am so fascinated by hexagons lately!  It might be because I have my version of Thimble Blossoms "Juggle" sitting on the loveseat and I look at it often and think about making another one but bigger.  It might be because I have Marti Michell's Six is for Hexagon sitting on my coffee table.  Inner City catches my eye but so does Millwheel and I still cannot find my Texas Trellis mega pattern either!  She has a neat way of doing Seven Sisters too---where you use a larger and smaller 60 degree equilateral triangle rather than a traditional method.  I hope this shows up on the borrowed image below from this link  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/268527196504370198/       I might get brave and try it, LOL---someday.  Hexagons, the bigger the better IMHO.

 

I was still digging for treasure yesterday.  I dug out the hiding dark blues from the bins on the sewing room shelving.  I tried to combine it with the container that houses Massachusetts Cross and Crown, a Marsha McCloskey design from her book On to Square Two.  (It is the cover quilt actually).   With two pieces of larger yardage, I could not get the thing closed.  Some went back where I found it but I am hoping that some cutting for the proposed Blue and Light Disappearing 4 Patch (D4P) will make some room in there!!

I think I told you about this being a pass around quilt with one of my small quilt groups in central IL.  It was like a trip back in time digging around in the box!  16 friends participated in this round.  Some are no longer with us.  The year was 1993 into 1994.  Yes, this is an ancient UFO but I have others that are older!  This was the section that I completed and sent around with my travel box.

You see the little notes on the blocks.  Those and the directions I sent to the group suggested several different ways one might do the half square triangles (HST) and quarter square triangles (QST) including the Fons and Porter directions for QST's.  I had templates made, sent along an EZ angle ruler for the HSTs which I used a lot at that time.  The static thing on there was when I used it for my beloved Road to Oklahoma quilt, another pass around project that remains a top.   I had totally forgotten about that speed grid marker thing but I may give that some attention.

 It is a similar type thing to that recent demonstration at the JOY guild  by the gals at P. S. Goin' Sewin'.  (Shannon had developed a template for making the squares and HSTs required to make a 6 inch finished Jewel Box block or any other combo.  You could use two layer cake sections to get started.)   Somewhere around here I have some block making templates that I picked up in Paducah during the AQS show years ago.   I think with all my foundation piecing stuff along with some foundation stamps that Boline's at Indian Creek used to sell (B-N area vendor).  I'm going to have to go treasure hunting----again!  I think I know where it might be but getting at it is the problem.  Who makes a closet with one itty bitty door instead of bi-folds, for Pete's sake?   Just try to get at anything in the way back of the closet--I dare ya!

It looks like I have 74 or 75 blocks done.  These are nine inch blocks.  The sashing bits are two inch finished.  I think I know what it is those bags but didn't want to dig through them---ugh!  Part of the reason why the container wouldn't close, those things.

As I was looking through the blocks and counting, several had "Mom" written on the back in the seam allowances.  I counted 5 and had asked for 3 or 4.  That blue fabric is sort of a joke between Mom and I.  It was once a sundress I had made to wear.  Loosely fitting, my mom got to looking at it for the yardage as the print went so well with something she had been making.  She got the dress!

I should also tell you that this is a case of history repeating itself.  This Young Man's Fancy was made by my great-grandmom and passed on to me by my materal grandmother.  The family story is that Great-Grandmom had always wanted to make this quilt and years later she made it in two colors, a soft blue and a print.  It has faded a good bit so it almost looks like a whole cloth quilt but the picture below might show it a bit better as it is used in the borders.
Well, apparently she ran out of that print fabric and word is, my grandmother had to give up her dress that was made from that same print in order for it to be completed.  You know how full skirted those used to be.   It was hand quilted by a local church group in Nebraska.

This was something else that I discovered stuck up on the shelves.  I sort of remember putting it there but the origin is a little fuzzy.  Lois will have to help me remember BUT I think 6 or 7 of the BOM packets came from Linda C in a box she mailed to Lois.  I took them as I knew I had a packet here at home from the Friendship Guild sew-in packets or library or some such thing.  It is the 2004 Hancock's Quilter's Sampler Party.   I had put my packet in one of my notebooks the other day so dug it out and dug through the bag these were in to organize the rest in its own notebook.  Turns out there are 3 blocks completed and another that just needs the sections joined.   I found the missing ones on ebay.  No way will I find the fabrics they used for framing the blocks and doing the borders but eventually this can be finished in some manner.  I like the green and peach even though it is probably a little dated.  Think a kid will care?

It's time to think about lunch and I have an errand to run.  Oscar is outside at the present while Skyler already had his second "treat" bite and settled back on his kitchen chair.   I will hate to see how much white belly fur is covering the chair pad!

That's it for today's note---thx for stopping by to see me!

busy day

It has been a busy Monday!

• I took the day off from lap walking as I had agreed to follow the neighbor to drop off the car and bring Robert home.  However, Glynda had an unexpected cancellation in the shop schedule.  I was up and dressed anyway but depending on when they get the call, I may run him to pick it up. 
•  I received the articles I needed to complete the guild newsletter, finished that up, emailed it off and posted it on our website.  
• I'm on the 2nd load of wash now.
• Got my hair cut.  Glynda did a bit more layering so we'll see how that goes.   It is fine if it takes some of the heaviness out especially around my face.   I just know that curly/wavy headed might be the way to go as once my head gets sweaty, it turns into a version of it anyway, LOL.
• Walked Oscar twice with one or two more runs scheduled.
• Got groceries, concentrating on more fruits and veggies
• Got busy in the kitchen prepping veggies and made another pot of iced tea.  Drink a lot of that when it is this warm and humid, decaf though

I am trying to get more fit.  That's why the walking laps.  Since the 14th of June walking 6 days out of 7 I walked just shy of 30 miles.  Add in the dog trips in the lane average of 3 times a day--sometimes 4 or 5--add another 20 miles.  WOW!  No wonder my joints are wondering "what's up?"  The weight has stabilized, I guess.  I am not losing as much as staying in a holding pattern but hopefully that will move the needle the correct direction soon so I don't get discouraged.

I keep a raw veggie tray at the ready for the afternoon hunger fade. There are some cukes sliced in vinegar in the fridge too.  I don't like broccoli raw so much so that gets a teeny taste of some Feta Dill dressing when I do eat it.  I love those halo oranges--seedless, easily peeled.  Kiwis and apples are good too.  I got a mango at the store and think I need a lesson on cubing those or what to look for when you buy them as it was a mushy mess!  They had advertised cantaloupes for a good price but there were none available today.  I still want one though.  They had berries but still a little high, I thought.

I also nuked a couple ears of sweet corn, snapped and steamed some green beans and made a bowl of guacamole.  Avocados are good for you but those tortilla chips not so much, LOL.  I like it on wraps though.  I'll try to behave.   Fish tacos would have been good!  Too bad I didn't think of that sooner.  There is a good recipe for those on Taste of Home Fish Tacos with Avocado Sauce though I left out the hot stuff.  DJ even liked them.

 The critters are staying to stay cool though Skyler has since moved to the front door.  There is a good bit of cloud cover and we won't see much sun till it gets below the tree line.  I think he is waiting for the neighborhood cat to come strolling by.

Oscar is up and down, in and out.  I could do without doggie backside on my arm and leg but yes, I love you too.

The view as I came back up the hall.  What sillies!  Four eyes checking out my every move, LOL.

On the quilting front, or rather "thinking about quilting" front yesterday:

• I got a "wrap 'em" sized Treasure Amidst the Bric a Brac drawn up in EQ but eliminated a couple pieces I don't think need to be in the periphery of the quilt.
• I spent entirely too much time going through my notebooks looking for something I have either loaned out or misplaced.  Donna Poster's Mega Pattern for Texas Trellis.   I wanted to compare that pattern with how Marti Michell does it in her Hexagon book. 

Still, looking through the notebooks locates other fun things that I have saved or patterns I have bought/downloaded/been gifted with by quilting friends.

• I wanted to show Bev the Terry Atkinson clipping of a yo-yo quilt since she is making them.  
• I found two cool star blocks that might go in my Farmer's Wife Inspired Sampler once resized or would make a good donation quilt idea.   I'll show those down the line as one has more than one name, this one for the fabric. I think. 
•  There is a printout for a cool intertwining squares and rectangles called "Movement in Squares".  That one is free if you want it.   
• There is a screen shot I printed out of my Kindle copy of Camille Roskelley's Simply Retro for her "Framed" pattern which uses layer cakes.  I have one that I got with Christmas money several years ago searching for the right pattern.  Maybe this would work?  
• I like one called "Sweet Life" too but that takes fat quarters.   
• The Big EZ pattern from Bloom Creek.  
• A section of Braid my mom sent me  using a technique in Fons and Porter Scrap Quilt Magazine, fall 2011 that uses half hexies.  Great!  I've got one of those which is why I was looking for that Texas Trellis.  
• Stitchery stuff that Maggie sent me recently, etc etc.   

It's all in its own notebook now---inspirations file.  I had planned on searching for and cutting any dark blue and white on white bits hiding in the sewing room today but so far that hasn't happened.  Laundry, errands, kitchen details have taken precedence.  Maybe tomorrow.  Maybe later tonight.  There is the timer for the dryer.

THX for stopping by------

this and that on a Saturday

......And the non-sewing drought continues though I have been studying and considering different aspects of a couple of different patterns. I went to a "one woman" quilt exhibit held at a nearby church yesterday which triggered some of that quilty curiosity.   More on that in a bit!

Also I reorganized a few of my fabric totes and made sure the containers were labeled as to what is housed in there. I want to do that blue and white Disappearing 4 patch (D4P) sometime next month so most of the shifting around was because of that. However, I know there is more hiding in my sewing room, depleted from several QOVs but I may be able to scrounge some 6 1/2 inch squares from those bits. If not, I am cutting them up for other uses. I've got an old UFO of Massachusetts Cross and Crown that also uses dark blues, for example.  I'll dig it out for you to see or you can read about it on the link above.

The Hancock's of Paducah catalog came a few days ago and I was finding myself intrigued by a quilt on the cover and on page 51 done up in the Gardenvale fabric line by Jen Kingswell.  The quilt is called "Gene Pool".  Well, it looks like Marti Michell's "Cubic Turtle" from Quilting for People Who Still Don't Have Time to Quilt to me.   This blogger refers to it and you can check the graphic she used.  I have had those pages flagged in my copy of the book forever.  Essentially it is a four color quilt and I just have not found the perfect fabric combo in sufficient quantity to try it.    Also stuck in the pages of the Cubic Turtle pattern:  printouts.  Sometimes, in the end, it is called Tile Quilt.   The block does not look like much until you join them together.  Scroll on down the page on the threadlove site I liked to and you will see a version of my friend Cher of Marathon Quilter made.

SO I am thinking, looking at a more scrappy version of this from Ms.  Kingswell, "how did she do a scrappy version?".  Boy, would you really have to watch your color placement!  Design wall a must.  Closer inspection shows that she didn't use larger plain squares and 4 patches but they are strips and squares.  Take a look at the version shown here in progress and you can see how it might go together.  Maybe it is made to be jelly roll friendly or some such thing.  She changed it up.

There are many patterns open to interpretation that turn out looking much the same, from a distance anyway.  Like, I can stitch my blue and white D4P using those directions OR I can strip piece sections and use a pattern like this Block of the Month on azpatch and call it woven 9 patch.  (There was another site that had the same thing and called it Knots but no longer available.  Trust me, I looked!)   It isn't the size I want but hey, it is drawn up in EQ now and I could make them 11 inches or 13 inches or whatever trips my trigger if I go that route.  The Disappearing 4 patch way, mine came out 11 as I cut mine a little wider by accident---see HERE --but I liked my way better, LOL.  And will repeat that "error" on purpose.

What else has my attention?   I postponed my lap walking yesterday until AFTER I went to look at Fleeta's quilt exhibit.  I get pretty sweaty after walking almost 2 miles in the Alabama heat and humidity and then car's a/c does a number on my hair.  Good plan to wait!  Fleeta used to come to Bama Belles but then later settled in with the JOY Guild and more specifically with a small group within the guild.  I don't see her much anymore but many of the quilts were probably held up for guild show and tell.  A few pieces I remembered.  She also cross stitches beautifully so other items were there as well.  She walked around with me to tell me more about the quilts.  Many of them are going to family members if they haven't already been borrowed back for the exhibit.  I took a few pictures with my phone.

I forgot what she called this and she had another done up in blues that was very well done.  Obviously there are alternating blocks which complete the framing of green around the other Weather Vane-like block.  I told her I would look and see if I could come up with the name in BlockBase.

She had two made in this pattern and said it was "Treasures Amidst the Bric-a-Brac"  apparently taught in a guild class by a mother and daughter quiltshop owners team up on the Mountaintop.  Thing is, I know who/what she meant though I cannot come up with the name either though some of the Belles and I have been there on a field trip.

I have a photo of quilt just like it in my files but it did not print off with the blog name and I neglected to label it but it did intrigue me.  I can sort of see how the alternating block goes together but not what happens where the two chains intertwine.

Here it is in the alternate colorway.  

Mr. Google showed me that this is a mystery quilt from a book called amazingly, Mystery Quilts by Rita Fishel.  This link will open to a pdf file. There is a pattern for something called "legend of the spinning top" that looks like something fun for Belles to try.  I like the blocks shown in the pdf file even though I am not crazy about doing mystery quilts so I ordered a used copy from amazon.  I like to read mystery books but quilts is about the process to me.  "Here is a picture of my fabrics now visualize your own" and make the blocks to make it happen.  I like the one down near "meet the author" on the table of contents on the left.  Wonder what that looks like when combined with other blocks?  Guess I'll find out soon enough!

I am hoping that Oscar and I can settle into a bit of a routine so he can go outside for a few hours in the backyard once the sun is more in the front of the house.  Just a couple hours to sew or cut.  Or even quilt or that matter as I have several pinned and waiting.  Used wisely, I would not feel like such a slug.  I miss it.  I am due that reward project!!  Past due.

Well, speaking of Oscar we have done the "do you need to go out?" hokey pokey for about an hour.  I go to open the back door and he hops in his bed or just looks at me like " what?  are you nuts, lady?"  He did at one point head to the carport door but I was not ready to go and he ran back to the couch.  I was ignoring his "please walk" signal.  I finally made him go out the back but feel guilty---a little, LOL.  I'm tired and achy but will do it anyway.  Skyler, on the other hand, is practically Velcro'd to his chair in the kitchen.  It has been days and days since he got on either window perch.   He has taken to climbing on Oscar's spot on the couch however, mostly once Oscar is in bed.

Till next time------

Done, done, done

I finished the quilting on Thursday afternoon and snuck back into the sewing room after I got Oscar in bed to press the pile of binding and sew it on the quilt. Friday I trimmed it, pressed the binding back and started hand finishing the binding getting most of it done that day. Saturday, I finished the remaining 56 inches (yeah, I measured it, LOL) and tada! It is finished! I've got a call in to arrange a drop off time.

Without a quilt holder (and I've got another quilt hanging in the design wall spot) I cannot get a decent picture of it so I just tossed it over the bed in the master over the quilt that is on the bed (Cheese and Crackers designed by Terry Atkinson).  As I said on Facebook to a comment of "do we get to see a picture?" It may not look a whole lot different than the top since I stitch in the ditch mostly. The pieced blocks are quilted and a few others have other quilting lines in there---a few hearts, X's and square in a square deals.   The binding and backing is blue as that is the little girls favorite color.  Well, that and turquoise and there isn't much of that in the quilt while there is a bit of various shades of blue.

There is quite a bit of quilting in it however when you view it from the backside.  The pieced blocks are quilted and a few others have other quilting lines in there---a few hearts, X's and square in a square deals.

Another attempt but closer in

Since there was enough backing fabric left I was able to whip up a pillow/presentation case for it yesterday afternoon.   The blue dot and red tone on tone stripe is from my stash, of course.  Robbed some backing yardage stored in one of the closets and the red, don't need much for an accent piece.

So, I'm done with another commissioned project---woohoo!  Let the happy dance begin.   I should sweep, dust and vacuum my neglected house before I start making more mess by sewing but I believe that will wait till tomorrow.  Rain is on the way in the early part of the week.  Translation:  Oscar will remain in rather than out.   No heading into the sewing room if that is the case.  I do want to get started playing with that lovely Block Party fabric.  I've earned a reward project---in spades!

As I was in the home stretch with the quilting, I felt like getting out of the house for a few hours and went to the JOY Quilt Guild meeting.  Bev had invited me months ago but we could never quite get it to work out.   Marilyn had said they were having a program with a couple of ladies from an East Atlanta quilt shop so it would be a good time to visit.   They were demonstrating the use of several rulers and such.  One of the items was developed by the demonstrator for using two nine or ten inch squares to make HST's and 4 patches by marking it through a stencil type thing.  Really clever!  Jewel Box, Milky Way, Buckeye Beauty, Jacob's Ladder as just a few patterns that require these elements.  I didn't get one but wished I had!  I need to get the contact information from Marilyn.

What I did get was Creative Grids Sweet 'N Sassy Templates developed by Phyllis (PJ) Anderson for doing diamond quilts.  Rhomboids really, in three sizes.  One (Mattie Bea) actually creates two quilts at once, one a mini version.  I want to go sew some 2 inch strips together and play with that a bit.  The demonstrator says you can use larger as you are just going to trim it off anyway so if you have some leftover bits bigger but long enough to accomodate the template, go for it.   You don't have to use strip sets as there were some cool quilts that were not pieced at all.    I've got a bunch of strip leftover from my PopStix quilt so those might be the ones I grab to play with.

 

I SHOULD also get outside ansd trim back/rake back or spray the kudzu but we are headed up to the 90's today.  It is already way more humid than it has been, maybe with the fronts pushing in or up from the Gulf.  Not my idea of a good time ----back breaker or dehydration, here I come!  Honestly, everything I like to do is inside, not out.

DJ's grandson has finished his undergraduate degree at SIU-Edwardsville.  He wants to go into dentistry in some form so more work is ahead.  I cannot help but think how proud DJ would be to see how well Josh is doing.

This being May,we also celebrate Mother's Day.  Have a Happy Day, all my readers who are moms.  To my mom, I love you and appreciate all you have done to make me who I am.  It could not have been easy to raise 6 kids but I think we all turned out pretty well, thanks to you and Dad.  Love you both.

2 weeks gone by

How did that happen?  Two weeks just whizzed on by while I was busy here at home.  So what's been going on?

I got a bit of sewing done on a project for my niece.  There is a bit more to do this afternoon provided the sun stays out and Oscar can log a couple hours outside.

I am a great auntie again with the arrival of my oldest nephew and his lovely wife's precious little girl.  I do not have their approval to share any pictures and will respect their privacy.  Also not sure what information I can share other than she arrived safely.  My sister has been out to help with the baby this past week so my photo gallery is filling up!

Grandmother called me and we met up for me to deliver the 100 Good Wishes top on the 13th.  She loved what I had done with all those fabrics.  We will meet up sometime later this coming week to get the backing fabric so I can finish it up in some manner.

14th and 15th---House cleaning and grocery shopping to prepare for company.  Well, family really.

My sister Jan who lives in Colorado flew in to the ATL airport on the 16th and back out on the 20th.  Two trips to the Parking Spot 1 and shuttle in to the airport but solo this time for me.  How many times did DJ have to make that trip for me?  Jane and Hugh have filled in too.    We had a great time visiting and catching up though we had a lot of rain.  The threat of worse weather kept us from going up to Mt. Cheeha.  Jan is a hiker, runner, biker and there is a lot of opportunities for that in our area.   She was able to get me a number on how many feet Oscar and I go on our lane lap---0.36 so those 4 or 5 trips DO add up!  3 makes a mile, 5, 1.8?  She is training for a half marathon later this year so ran while I attempted to walk my laps in the park but it was entirely too wet with water standing and even a wide berth met with stepping in puddles.

While Jan was here on Friday, my brother Steve and wife Jan were down from their TN home on their way to a vacation on the coast.  Good to see them as well!  Jan and I had something prepared for lunch but we went out for supper near I-20 as they were staying overnight in Leeds, driving down to the rental propery the next day.  The hostess obliged us in taking a picture though I was being less than photogenic. ( Coughing, talking, etc--she looked right at me when she said she had to take another for a reason, LOL )

I've been down with a cold, bronchitis and/or allergies for two weeks now though I am much better now.   At least I seem to be sleeping a bit better and coughing less.  Finally!  Mostly it had left me achy and low energy for much of last week.  Talking made it worse and I was quite close to losing my voice as it was.  I just hope my friends and family members did not get sick because of me.

The friends met for Terri's birthday luncheon on the 15th at Zoe's on the Lake and again on Saturday the 18th at McAlister's Deli as they wanted to meet my sister.   Not much cooking going on lately, I'm afraid though I spent a chunk of yesterday morning looking at past NancyLand recipe archives.  There is hope!

I discovered that an old favorite that I used to watch on WE is available on Hulu--all 7 or 8 seasons.  Just a fluke search really and I found it-- McLeod's Daughters.  Based in South Australia.  Wikipedia says "McLeod's Daughters is an Australian television series that began airing on the Nine Network on 8 August 2001. This Logie awardwinning drama series follows the lives of half sisters Claire and Tess McLeod as they embark on a mission: to run Drovers Run, a farm that has been in the McLeod family for generations. After being passed down from father to son, Drover's has now reunited Claire and Tess after 20 years. They now have to run a farm while balancing their lives, loves and losses."  Oscar and I have been watching a few epi's in the evenings and I had it on the desktop when I was sewing a few days ago.  As it stopped airing on WE after a major plot point, I am thrilled to find I can see some shows I missed early on and move on past that part if I chose.

Of course, the Kindle app gets a workout, thanks to BookBub and OHFB 0ne hundred free books or deeply discounted ones.   I do mysteries mostly but some other things for variety.  Lately thougb I have been looking at the oldest to newesr of the downloads and some of those were downloaded a year ago.  Still, free is good!

I am dreaming about the next quilt I want to make---using Block Party by Sandy Gervais.  Split Decision, I think but I have figured out how to piece a bit differently than the jelly roll the pattern calls for.  I love this stuff and want to sew something fun once my obligations are done.

In chatting with my friend Norma yesterday it looks like we may be doing a stay at home, long distant retreat as I want to do another blue and white Disappearing 4 patch for the master bedroom.  I say another as I did make one back in July 2011 for a QOV and the guild's project to outfit each bed at the Col. Robert L. Howard Veteran's Home in Pell City.    Well, here it is.

 I really liked this quilt, gave it away and now it would go with the curtain and dust ruffle I made for that bed.   This one honored the service (Air Force) of my dad.  The next one would be in memory of my husband.  I've got the Cheese and Crackers in 30's repros on their now for spring/ summer and it looks okay, fits fine but this is something I want to do.

His birthday would be on Tuesday.   I pray this will be a bit easier to deal with than last year.  I still have figured out how you honor the day and what it meant to you without becoming an emotional mess.    Give in to it and move on the next day?  Still a hole in my heart.

THX for stopping by----Oscar needs to walk and I could use a leg stretch myself.

Checking In

I honestly do not know just where the last two weeks have gone.  It sure was not doing anything much of a creative bent though I did finally get Donna's lap quilt for one of her nieces quilted once I did a bit of marking.

 I've been knitting a bit--more dish cloths.  It is a good project for when you have to sit and wait which I had to do on Tuesday while they changed my oil, and then the brake pads too.  One, maybe two rear tires I was mentally prepared for as one has had a slow leak for several months now but that just turned out to be a small nail embedded in the tire and they patched it.   (I am still waiting for the GMC people to call back about the recall on the G6.  Apparently there about 300 people on the list, waiting for the parts to come in, the staff said.)    Half a dish cloth was done by the time I left.  I got a few more skeins as I have a lab appointment coming up as well as the 6 month checkup a week later.   Unless they have done something to streamline the lab process better than they have in the past, you can count on a couple hours right there.  I can wait a little more patiently if I have something to occupy myself.

I have read a good bit on the kindle app.  Nothing world shaking, just light reading, mysteries mostly.  I read the books I cared to read on Jane's Kindle finally and returned hers so I am back to using the kindle app on my tablet.

I have played entirely too much free cell on netsolitaire.  I admit it.  But I also spent one full day recently in the office clearing up the paper stuff on my desk, lining up the to-do things, organizing receipts, balancing the checking account and so forth.

I finally gave in and called the plumber to fix the toilet shortly after I most in late October.  Been a pricey two weeks what with the brakes on the car too.  But necessary.  If anything else breaks or quits running, I am apt to be in tears.  How in the world did  he keep things running around here?  Why didn't I pay closer attention to how to fix them?

I binged cooked yesterday and again this morning because the weather had finally cooled enough to not object to having the oven turned on.  It is so hard for me to want to cook without DJ here to enjoy a meal with me.  Mostly it is "why bother" when a sandwich or some convenience meal in the toaster oven is done quickly, with little fuss?  Well here is why I should bother--- I am getting tired of sandwiches and I hate most convenience food . Maybe I had better make my own version of it. This way I can clear out a bit of stuff in the freezer just to add more back into it, LOL.

•  Shrimp Creole and Mama's Cornbread along with two batches of rice in the steamer as I took half the recipe down to the neighbor's.  
• Then I made a version of Shepherd's Pie with some leftovers from the freezer and set those up in three serving portions with half the ground beef.  The other half I turned into Maid Rite loose meat for a few sandwiches down the line. That is not the version of the recipe I use.  Actually I don't use a recipe really.   
• I roasted a couple of sweet potatoes and then made a whipped up casserole version, not sure what it is called really along with Pilgrim's Pride Turkey Loaf from one of those "365 Ways to Cook Hamburger and Other Ground Meats". It was a good thing I was not trying to serve this to anybody else as the loaf fell all apart when I tried to get it out of the pan.  Some remained in chunks and part of it looks more like loose meat!  I already have some homemade cranberry relish up in the freezer so just need to add a veggie.  
• I also tried a new to me recipe from Taste of Home for Butterscotch Pumpkin Mousse submitted by a cook from my area as it turns out.  It would make a nice parfait.
• I've got a ham steak slice to grill later in the week so I made some hashbrown casserole supposedly like Cracker Barrel's.  I don't think so as there is wayyyyy too much sour cream in there.  I think theirs taste more like chicken broth than sour cream.   But there are three serving size dishes for me to use up now and the bag of hash browns has been used up.

This morning---

• my version of Pimento Cheese spread but wayyyyyy less cream cheese and mayo, etc.  Hot sauce instead of jalapenos and a few other minor tweaks.
• Pumpkin Muffins for the freezer with some of the leftover pumpkin from that dessert plus another can for the muffins with some added walnuts and dried cranberries though.  
• Then finally breakfast/brunch  sausage and potato frittata--no recipe there either.  Like Maid Rites, I make this often enough that I don't need one.

Now I am running the dishwasher for the like the 4th time in 3 days.  I think you can see why, LOL.

Glynda asked me yesterday if I would consider helping her with a chair pad cover project.  She has a sewing machine but does not really like to sew and thought maybe I would be interested.  We consulted to a bit .  She has the foam padding to use and in fact, I have a couple of the ones she cut here on the sewing room table.  I offered the dog hammock fabric since I gave up on that thing and have the rest of the bolt the gal gave me for free.  The green will go with her kitchen and I need to do 6 of them.  I don't have to do piping or ties which is a bonus but they do have to be curved a bit at the corners.  I think I know how to proceed with this though I really didn't find a tutorial for what I was considering exactly.   I may make a mock up one first just to see if it is possible before getting too carried away cutting.

I have other stuff I could be doing but what's another week or so?  When it was so cold and blustery for about 4 days recently Oscar was spending more time inside and that translates to me not getting anything done in the back of the house--sewing room or office.  So we toss his toy whatever animal it is around  "Pinkie" and he cuddles up next to me on the couch.   Not a bad thing, right?

I had accidentally dropped the Quaker Oats container as I emptied that last little bit into the new container.  Oscar ran off with it--first to his bed and then to the couch.  Silly pupper!

Since it has turned colder at night, Skyler has been my bed mate.  I turn over and he often will go to the other side where I am facing.  Now if I can just get him to quit licking and scratching..........here he is in the laundry basket last week.  I wish I had had the camera when he was crawling around on the entertainment center the other night in that sort of open spot where DJ's model car replica of a Crown Vic sits.  You can see what I am talking about from a previous post  HERE  just scroll down to the last pictures.

If you want to see some quilt pictures I do have a few, just none that I have made.  Well scratch that---one project I did participate in!  Tell you more about that one in a minute.

First these are ones that Lois turned in and one that we were preparing to pin at Belles recently.

Double 4 patch

Scrappy Diagonal Strips

4 Patch ZigZag

that may not be the correct name--from past Quilter's World

From a Bargello class at JOY Quilters Guild.  Looks like a Billie Lauder version

My mom has been quite busy the past two years and more making full sized quilts for each of the grandkids.  We have 11 and there is a foster daughter too. The 4 oldest grands got their quilts as wedding presents.  This is the last one and it is going to one of my twin nieces, my youngest brother's youngest kids.  Well, they just turned 15 so "kids" doesn't really fit so much anymore but you know what I mean.  The pattern is "Country Cousins" from Judy Martin's Scrap Quilts book.  Mom and I had made this block for the Hands All Around Quilt Guild (central Illinois) monthly block raffle back in 92 or 3.  I won a stack of them and made more.  SO last year when Mom was looking at doing a red quilt for Elizabeth the pattern and blocks came up.  I said she could HAVE the blocks and jump start the project a bit.  Obviously I was going to do anything with them and I mailed them to her once I returned home from my visit.

She liked the more scrappy look as shown in the book and pulled the blocks apart so each of the 4 sections of the block would be different fabrics.  The block might not be what you think it is as when the blocks are joined you see stars or even a version of square in a square but there is a light and dark side.  I drew one up in EQ so you could see it up closer.  It is like a variation of a block called Four Knaves  Brackman #1197  Nancy Cabot 1938 except for the coloration of light and darks.  Martin likened it to a traditional Fox and Geese block (but no center sashing) but said the quilt setting and coloring more strongly resemble Birds in the Air (but less small half square triangles)

And just because she is so darned cute and just about 4 months old now, here is one of the recent pictures her Nana sent me.   Diane keeps me well supplied with Lily pictures and I love it!

Well enough of this pecking at the keys.  It is a decent day weather-wise.  Oscar and I need to go walk, a little "Mama" face time.  Not sure that I will get any cutting done on those chair pads today or not and there is a bit of paperwork I need to tend to anyway.