Another Tuesday, end of month

Memorial Day weekend has come and gone for 2016.  Tomorrow we flip the calendar page to June.  Time is flying when you look back anyway.  Some days drag for me, but most don't.  Today will seem long because I woke around 4:30 and then just gave up on trying to go back to sleep a little after 5 a.m. when it was clear it wasn't happening.

It is another hot, dry day.  I believe we are probably behind on our rainfall totals for the year as it seems to rain so seldom around here.  Robert my neighbor who mows my lawn for me told me that I should start watering my yard as he is not getting paid.   It crunches when you step on it and is all brown particularly since the clover is drying up.  Nothing has come in to take its place except for tall weeds shooting up here and there.  The county finally mowed along the main hard road which looked like pasture land almost but it looks ten times worse since there are chewed up sacks and debris from the litterbugs along with dried out grass stubble.  Some of the trees are dropping leaves already but the kudzu is thriving.  Without the lawnmower running over there were shoots probably at least a yard long along the row.  I grabbed them up and pushed it back on itself the other morning when I was walking Oscar.  Of course, he wanted to go burrowing in there after whatever critters and creepy crawlies are in there.  I should have taken him around to the backyard but I seriously did not know it was THAT bad out there.  I keep forgetting to take the cutters down to the end of the lane with me as it is spiraling up the street sign again.  I think I could get at the responsible section where it begins to coil but long pants and insect repellent might be a good idea first!

What have I been doing since I last posted?  Mostly working on Aline's Disappearing 9 Patch top.  It IS done since I put the double border on it yesterday.  The goal was to get it bigger, which I did.  I had thought about getting a mix of colors from her leftover squares but I think the all blue works better especially since it was the yardage I was given to complete the task.  It measure 55 x 69 where the blocks set block to block would have been just 36 x 48.  I like the chaining effect across the quilt.  

Skyler was not being much help yesterday while I was trying to get this done though.  He would not get off the pressing surface.  I even broke for lunch, walked Oscar and he was still parked in the same spot.  Not bothered by the iron either.  When he did get down, then he wanted to climb on the quilt top on the machine table as I sewed or on my chair when I got up.  I knew better than to try to strike the vertical measurements if he was around and closed the door!!    

Oscar was being as good as gold though.  I am trying to wait to walk with him once the pavement has cooled down a bit.  I think it is too hot for his paws.  Glynda said I was welcome to walk him on their acreage just to keep off the road.  We would have still have  to do a little bit of the asphalt to get over to the open grassy areas.  I might.  He just stops, chokes himself on the leash, tries to turn into Miss Kathryn's or just plain turns around and heads me towards home.  Now, at about 5:30 in the morning no such problems or once the sun gets below the tree line he steps lively.  I picked him up yesterday  and started to carry him as he had balking about moving forward or backwards.  Robert saw this and asked if Oscar was having problems/couldn't walk--no, just tired of fighting it and carried him across the lane and to the grass though even he was pawing gently on the dry ground.  Must be what he wanted.

I am going to wait to sew on my Floating Squares till this evening when the group meets.  This morning I pressed  the binding for Aline's top and one of the Ribbon Candy tops.  I had ordered some green fabric for it and it had come in after I slogged through all that other last week!  As I looked at the storage containers with the binding all rolled up for the pending pinned or going to the long arm quilters, I realized that I had not made any for the Beach House Charming Boxes.  There was some yardage left, just enough as it turned out after backing two tops with it.  Only thing left of that bright orange is some scraps  from making a couple blocks and a 3 1/2 inch strip WOF.  I seamed and pressed it so I think I'm all set till I quilt them/have them quilted.  

I also stacked the block components for the Layer Cake Lattice top I had cut out a week ago.  It calls for the layer cake to be sliced into 4 1/2 x 10 rectangles and 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 rectangles.  I cut a bonus 2 1/2 inch square from the bottom of the shorter rectangle for another project (Granny Square centers, anyone?)  Since I layer cut all that, those were still in piles of 4 as I had left them.  Not anymore though!  This will be my sew at home project and use the old Singer I have set up while the Floating Squares was started on the New Home which I drag round in the car with me.  If I don't feel like sewing I can mark squares on the diagonal for another project.   Seas the Day that uses a Daysail Jolly Bar from Fat Quarter Ship---might go to one of the great- nephews at some point.  (We recently found out that one of the babies expected this summer is a boy while Lily is going to be a big sister before too long!)

Then there is always the tempting and inspirational things you see online---I like both of these and do have the stuff to make my version of them.  Love the summery colors!

The maker Ms. Berg called this purchased pattern "Sparkler Quilt" by Freshly Pieced  and I spotted it on Facebook on the Sew Interesting group.  She said she used a Benartex Transitions jelly roll by Sarah Vedeler.   I know it by the name "Grandmother's Windmill" and have one kitted up in 30's fabrics, maybe a few blocks done.  It is one of the 12 containers atop my bedroom entertainment center.  I think GE Designs has a similar version she calls "Strip Joints"  Might be one extra strip to hers above the motif though.  

This one was posted by Missouri Star on their Quilting Deals site on Facebook and the pattern is Surprise Pinwheels.  The maker credited there used Flow by Zen Chic for Moda.  I have a couple of charm packs of it but I think this calls for jelly rolls.  Well, I should say I HAD a couple.  I dug into them to make a couple of blocks for the group Charming Boxes.

I also saw a very beautiful version of GE Designs Square Dance in batiks.  I have one block done on that.

As you can see I have no shortage of ideas or stuff to sew and play with.  

What else?  

• The rooster who lives across the main road and annoys the heck out of me escaped from his coop this morning.  Saw him strutting across the the driveway when I let Oscar out to potty.  I couldn't call his owners to let them know since I don't know their name let alone their phone number.  Hard telling where he ended up but I could hear the hen cackling when he was roaming free.  
• Miss Kathryn's son has a boat now and caught a mess of fish this last week so I was invited to a fish fry on Saturday afternoon.  
• Binge cooked and prepped on Sunday.  I tried something called "Do Nothing Cake" as I am waffling about what to take to the guild potluck this week.  I am not sure I like the texture of it and don't even taste the pineapple in it.  I shared some with Miss Kathryn to get her take on it.  At this point I think I am just getting a vegetable tray and calling it "good".  At least I can use the leftovers here at home.
• One of my back lower crowns has fallen off on Saturday morning. At first I could plunk it back on there but it needs to be secured.  I'm afraid I am going to either swallow it or lose it so when it came off for the 3rd time yesterday, I left it off and am trying not to chew over there and damage the post it sets on.  No answer at the dentist office and no answering machine.  Odd!  I went into town a bit ago and sure enough they are taking the week off.  Wait a week and try again.   I had a couple of errands to run in town anyway.
• My nephew's baseball team the LeRoy (IL) Panthers made it into the Elite Eight--though they call it super sectional now.  That is the furthest the baseball team has gone in school history.  The girls softball team fell in the regional but ditto for them.  The team that beat them is moving on to the final four I think I read this morning.
• Signed up for a basket weaving class at the library.  Should be fun. I've done it before in an adult ed class in Illinois but that was some time ago.  Made a couple of egg baskets then but the one the Dixie Weavers Basketry Guild is going to share with us looks way different with a wire handle.  Wait and see!

Guess that's about it.  Till the next installment----thanks for stopping by.  I'm off to play with some fabric soon.