WIP Weds wk 23

I'm afraid that this is another one of those weeks where I have marginally gotten anything quilt related done. Borders finally are on my May calendar block but it awaits quilting and hand finishing---a little progress on THAT front.

Norma and I had to postpone starting on our version of Terry Atkinson's Bridge Creek Blossoms until Saturday. At left you see the "kitted up" quilt so I could show Norma the fabrics I would be using.

Cutting this donation quilt and the calendar quilt stuff was Thursday and Friday's project. The jigsaw fabric at the extreme left of the shot is some that my mom passed on to me for this project. It is a directional print so I tried my best to match up the puzzle pieces for the borders. Fortunately the fabric is so busy I don't think you will hardly see the seams but I did want the eye to follow the vertical and horizontal lines without too much jumping around, LOL. The blue tone on tone will be the inner border and binding and also centers for the flowers on at least some of the blocks. In some cases I had to substitute a bright yellow in order to have enough contrast. The other fabrics are the fabric pairings for each blocks. I need 18 blocks for a lap sized quilt so I picked 9 fabric combinations and will make two identical blocks.


Here is where I left off on Sunday. Two blocks are done and a pile of the 3 sections of the blocks awaiting pressing and joining. Other stuff has intervened---errands one day, playing on the computer with new software another. I just didn't feel like it, still another. To be honest, because of some other obligations I have over the next two days it will probably be Saturday before I get back to it. The blocks, I must say, DO go together very quickly if you actually fire up the machine and chain the sections through, LOL.

Today's sewing interruption? So far it has been playing in the kitchen, walking and a bookmobile run . I had decided to make some wrap bread for chicken fajitas for our supper tonight. Well, to be completely honest I wanted them for lunch but forgot how long it took to prepare the bread and I started too late for that. Supper, it is then, LOL. I used THIS recipe from King Arthur Flour and my sister Jan's marinade recipe for the chicken. I grilled it already so the rest of the meal prep will be a snap in comparison to the time I have already put in.


The Rose of Sharon bush is finally blooming so here is its "glamour shot".

We had a passing cloud burst right around lunch time and rain shortened my walk by one lap yesterday morning. I had started the week by ADDING another lap to my routine and maintaining my 6 days out of 7 so I am currently up to 1.9 miles ( 7 laps). I am back to getting up at 5:30 and trying to be on the trail a little after 6 to try to beat the sun from shining thru the trees too much. Poor DJ can hardly keep up with the mowing, weed whacking and kudzu trimming now that we seem to have hit summer weather, even if the calendar says it is about 2 weeks away.

Guess that is about it---maybe some embroidery or go read one of my newly checked out books? I'll find something to keep me busy! Thanks for stopping by.............

WIP Weds, #22?

No progress here in the sewing department on ANY count. No embroidery, no borders on the May block, no cutting, no sewing, definitely no quilting. Nothing, zip, nada, zilch............well, you get the picture.

What I did do was go through a stack of my old cooking magazines and enter the recipes into my cooking software. Now I can donate all those to the friends of the library and regain some space on the book shelf. Another bonus---some new recipes to try in coming weeks. Who can't use some inspiration or a new twist with the same ingredients? For example, I can heartily recommend last nights dish, Fish Tacos in Avocado Sauce. Unfortunately that link may not open for you unless you subscribe to one of the Reiman Publication family of magazines--this one was in Taste of Home. Tonight I am trying Meatball Sub Casserole which hopefully gives us some for the freezer down the line.

So what is on tap for today now that I am done with THAT big project? I have a mailing to send out to the quilt group regarding our summer schedule. The church where we meet is having ARC camp in the fellowship hall again Tuesday-Friday all through June and July. This is the 3rd year they have done this and the pastor gave me a heads up a couple of months ago which I appreciate. The first year it was a surprise due to a communication breakdown. Last year we tried to meet on Monday's instead which didn't work out very well. SOOO this year we have some field trips planned for two of the meeting and we will meet at two of the members homes the others. I can't trust that everyone will read their email (if they even have email) in a timely manner so a mailed note it will be.

Then if I have time today, I will start cutting. Norma and I plan to sew on our version of Terry Atkinson's Bridge Creek Blossoms on Friday. Other than washing some background fabric, I am no way near ready. I am going to make a donation quilt sized version to test the pattern this time around. LOL, maybe I'll even get those borders cut for that May block. The box of homespun fabrics has been parked on the sewing table all week, waiting.

To keep this from becoming a pictureless post, I thought you might like to see some of the flowering stuff around the yard again. In my travels around the county I have seen stella d'oro day lilies as well as the tiger lilies out. So far the angel trumpet variety are the only ones in our patch under the Rose of Sharon bush. At least I think that is what they are called, LOL.













The gardenia bush is just starting to bloom, on the east side of the bush that gets the morning sun. They smell heavenly and look so pretty till they brown up. DJ said to wait to take a picture till more of the buds open up in a few days. See how well I listen?






I had not even noticed till I left to walk this morning that the crape myrtle was flowering! The pink and the red bushes are not but the more mature tree version sure is. See how gray it looks outside? Been like this for about 6 days running now. Oh the sun might peek through but not for long stretches plus we have had rain and even thunderstorms over the holiday weekend. They still say we are behind on our rainfall totals so I shouldn't complain too much about rain but ugh, this dismal humid stuff is getting a tad old. Only good thing is that DJ can get some of the yard chores done when there is some cloud cover and it is a bit cooler out.





And look who was waiting for me when I came back up the lane with camera in hand? The screen section of the door is about 21 inches up so you can see how long he is when he stands on those back legs to peer out and meow at me. I honestly don't think he wants to try to sneak out but he wants ME back in.

I promised DJ some muffins for 10 a.m. coffee break time so best get out to the kitchen. What kind? Not sure but I guarantee you that I can find a recipe pretty easily. Blueberry, maybe? I'm craving chocolate so we'll see. I normally make these decisions when they can go a couple directions on the way out to the kitchen, LOL.

Thanks for stopping by............................

WIP Weds, #21

A little of this and that going on around here---or about to, LOL. I finished up the slightly resized May block from Nancy Halvorsen's Calendar Quilts & Stitcheries and will be cutting some borders for it later today to get it up to flimsy and maybe spray basted if I have time. A little ladybug button will be attached and some running stitch applied to quilt it. I like the natural Moda Marble for the background better than the Kona cotton I used for the April quilt-let.







Next up:
I started this top on Saturday and didn't touch it since. I was stitching, dealing with paperwork on the home front and for the quilt group. I have also been adding recipes to my Mastercook 11 software from my mail lists and such intermittently.

Oh and last night I was re-arranging the quilting stuff in the "annex" since some fabric followed me home from the meeting yesterday. It all started with my dragging out all the personal tops on the far end shelf of the closet---all pinned and ready to quilt(6), one even mostly done. Some stuff got tossed because no way, no how am I ever going to deal with re-making those wonky tops. LOL, I can make my OWN wonky tops and not rescue someone else's castoffs if they are that bad and the fabric isn't even worth saving to re-purpose. Some of my unearthed fabric finds might work for Bridge Creek Blossom. Some I would like to pass on to Aline's granddaughter, a fledgling quilter. Space is finite.

If I get the borders on that little quilt-let as planned, I will lay out another row for TV viewing time. (Mom, point out to Dad who well the table insert fits the machine, will you? THX again to Dad!)

I don't know if you can see that pattern clipped to the basket very well plus it is turned the wrong direction. Try THIS for a better view of the sewing machine cover that I want to make for the Singer---the cat version, of course! But wait! See that cat wallhanging right next to it on the Cotton Ginny site? Looks just like Skyler! I got to get that pattern!


Lastly, I have been dealing with this stuff for the last couple hours When Sarah passed away, sewing the batting cut-aways together into something usable fell to me. She was so good to take that on for the group. Others are stalwarts at the pinning table but Sarah hated to see anything go to waste. I have one large long piece to sew on and it will accommodate that top above that I am supposed to be piecing. The top will finish about 52 x 68 while the batting is 48 wide and purchased in 60 yd (?) rolls.

I suspect but do not know for sure ( yet ) that the stuff in the bag is NOT the same type or weight of batting that we normally use. Linda C dropped it off in the closet from her projects at home so I have a feeling it is a "mixed bag" I'll see what is hiding in there in a bit. (ed. note: no such luck. The lightweight stuff on top made me hopeful. Counting the custom piece above and cutting a bit off the existing roll I sewed together 4 batts WTIL sized. There was even one large piece in there! That is all I got done after dealing with the batting till after 8 p.m.)

What I don't get done goes to tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after...........Thanks for stopping by!

Meeting day

Quilt group meeting today----and it looks like Miss Jane has been very busy with binding! Because I have been very busy quilting (done for now on the donation stuff anyway----woohoo!) she went home with three more to finish up and Linda C got three of hers back as well. When it was time to pull out some handwork, Beverly and Lois were binding on two of their quilts so I should have more pics to share before long.

This one is one I made----I do love making 3-D bowties but this is the first one I made with something other than a muslin background. I would do it again and in fact, I may have to, LOL. I have way more of those 3 1/2 inch gold squares cut and more yardage on the roll the WTIL head sent me.





At right---Aline's Stack and Whack fans. Pattern source : Bethany Reynolds. When DJ was holding this one up, he told me that he really liked the wild colors. I totally forgot to pack my camera (again!) so he got roped into being quilt holder after he was done riding his exercise bike.



This little cutie was one that Linda C whipped up from other project leftovers. Looking at it you might think that she used that old favorite "Snuggle Up" from the Quiltmaker website but that was not the case. Easy, peasy for me to quilt with zoom lines.


And this last one, our dear departed friend and fellow Belle Theramae made most of these blocks. When she passed away, her family donated a good bit of her sewing things to the quilt group and these were among her fabrics, books and magazines. I made maybe 5 or 6 more to have enough for the block set and assembled it. A little poignant for me to work on this quilt, I will tell you.

It was a fabric kind of day today. One of Linda C's friends had done a bit of spring cleaning of her quilt supplies so she had fabrics and patterns for us to go through and "help yourself" Linda said Sonia's only stipulation was that they NOT come back to live at her house. What we didn't want was bound for the Salvation Army thrift store.

Also Kris the church secretary had brought some kid novelty fabrics that her friend in Mobile had passed along. Becky had recently passed along some fleece throws and whole cloth quilts that she had made with her nieces and nephews. (I mailed them on to WTIL headquarters)

Lastly, I passed out the next Belles challenge quilt fabrics. Cute Michael Miller "Romance" from some time back that had been donated to us by a WTIL list friend in KY. Should be fun, nice primary colors in it.

Well, I said I would pick up the pizza so best be off. I'll do WIP Weds post tomorrow---not that I am doing a whole lot, LOL.

Still at it

I think this quilting has become a bit like taking a multi-vitamin lately----one a day, LOL. I took Sunday off but I have essentially had that kind of output as you will see from the stack below on the right.

I had just started #6 of 7 when DJ took this picture after lunch today. It is a 12 block Thimbleberries sampler that Linda C made. Since I basically just do stitch in the ditch, it is taking a lot of pivoting and quilt wrestling. My upper back and shoulders have had it! I quit with 4 blocks and borders to go for tomorrow's detail.

There is one more in the stack but I honestly do not feel up to the task. It is large, backed with flannel, bulky and the pattern does not excite me since I just quilted one like it but with smaller blocks. I didn't volunteer to quilt it in the first place so that might have something to do with the attitude. Whine, whine, whine. After spending the better part of 2 weeks quilting, I am SO ready to piece or finish up my embroidery block(s). I know that my pal Norma is due some comp time and has a national holiday coming up this weekend. We normally get a lot done when we have some time to work together even when we are not working on the same thing. I'll think about what project I want to tackle while I finish up #6.

SO, onto another topic. My friend Mary Frances used to be with the Master Gardener group her in the county before she and her husband re-located back to eastern Indiana. She didn't recognize my mystery shrubbery from the picture and referred me to the county extension agent. Pointed to the picture on my blog---the verdict was that it is a form of Chinese privet. Thanks for the help in answering that question!

It has been quite pleasant out the last two days with no need for a/c though I hear 90's are coming and maybe rain come Friday. We need the rain. DJ has been trying to reclaim a bit more of the yard back from the kudzu vines and is trying to grow some grass seed. Watering that spot requires two long, long lengths of hose so he would rather Mother Nature tend to that, LOL.

Walking continues 6 days out of 7 and I will be adding another quarter mile lap next week. Not much else going on but that's okay. Hope you have had a good day in whatever you chose to do. Thanks for stopping by!

WIP Weds, wk 19

First, some of the flowering things around our house


The honeysuckle is out in full force---and taking over this holly bush at the entrance to our lane. I love how it smells but it sure can stuff up my nose! There is some that grows, just as wildly, at the city park on the south and west ends where I walk my morning laps.





The climbing rose is in full glory while the white azalea is almost spent. I should have taken its picture last week.

I have seen some magnolias out in my travels but the people across the lane have one so we get to enjoy theirs from afar.






Then there are these bushes, whatever they are, LOL. They also have a scent though fainter than the honeysuckle. We have two of them in the backyard but it also seems to grow wild as I see it all along the places I routinely drive. The two bushes are huge and were originally planted in a planter area with a bird bath in the front yard. Obviously not a good choice for such a small area if they are going to grow up taller than the house! Does anyone know what it is? I don't think it is spirea but what do I know about these things?

Next to bloom, the Rose of Sharon bush and the crepe myrtles in another month or so.


SO where are the quilt pictures? I am in quilting mode so unless you want to see my room set up while I work there aren't going to be any till the binding is done. I got three of the donation quilts done in recent days and took them to the Belles meeting, binding one of them while I was there. Jane and Lois were up for the hand finishing detail so those are out of sight for the time being. The stack was down for a few hours anyway...........then three others took their place. We pinned the Rails in a Square that I showed in the last post. I had volunteered to do one of Lois' tops so that added the 2nd one. Some time back a friend had asked me to do a small top for pay and that was dropped off -- there is the 3rd addition. 7 to quilt and DJ's Strip Twist to hand finish the binding. I'll see how far I get this week and then I am back to piecing something---I have a couple options in that department, LOL.

You know where to find me...........

Finished to flimsy

Here is the view I saw while I attempted to join the top and bottom halves on the donation quilt I had been working. Skyler loves to dive under any protective covering--- a quilt, a towel, the sheets and blankets while you try to make the bed, a piece of fabric, even a quilt block. We ordinarily play a round of "where's the kitty?" but not with quilt tops still in the machine, LOL. He cracks me up! At least he was not laying in the front of the machine this time!



To the right, the finished remodeled top. You know, I did not notice that a block in the bottom row is not oriented the same direction as the others till I rotated the image. Well, it is too late now----IIWII. I had debated about trying to use a rusty colored leftover fabric that I had on hand for cornerstones. It might have worked with the other fabrics but I found I had just enough to use that yardage for backing. Back to the "no stones" plan then. I still pieced it as a pre-sashed blocks rather than line up long narrow rows of sashing. Since I used a tone on tone the seams are not glaring and would it matter a whole lot if they were? I seamed the backing and binding before I called it quits for the night.

It is supposed to hit 90 today--ugh. I believe it, as it was 68 when I left to walk at 8 a.m. I added another lap this past week so I am at 1.4 miles now. I must have sped up to a 5 minute lap because I still only got 25 minutes in, LOL. Some progress, however slow.

In spite of the heat I am going to set up to quilt some of those donation tops. Yeah, I know--hot stuff on my lap. Jane has been asking if I have any done tops done for her to work on binding. Nope, I keep saying in response. Well, that pile in the bedroom is not going to get any smaller. I have vowed that I am not going to pin any of the tops I have ready (3 at this point) till I get something, anything moved along. Two of the 7 in the pinned stack are ones I either assembled or made start to finish so I'll start with them.

Hope you have a great day and thanks for stopping by-----------