BETTER THAN EXPECTED!

So I pieced the last block and sewed them together and cut the borders.  Then came the fun--I played with the leftover diamonds and look what happened!  I love it--it's like fireworks going off!  Now to figure out how to piece those into the border

 without driving me crazy! lol

I know it is summer when the pagoda plants flower!

 

STITCHES ADD UP!

I do accumulate a pile of dishcloths over the course of a month!  The top half of the pile is going with me to the lab draw today to drop off at the iron infusion nurses for their care!  I will find out next week, if I kept the iron boost up to normal levels. 

 If not, I will be doing some more infusions!

I know we've all made the corner to corner dishcloths but I wanted the same look without doing it diagonally so I figured it out!  It turned out nicely!  Good for my brain to have to solve issues like making a yarn over and remembering to also decrease right after so that I have a square and not a parallelogram!!! lol 

 I consistently forgot that step even after making 5 dishcloths

so eventually I will remember, I hope!

I have the pieces for the last block all stacked next to the machine waiting for me to come home after the lab this morning!

 

A SWEATER ON SUNDAY

It's been a long time since I have had a sweater for a Sunday post!  The 12" of the body is done so there is only the short sleeves to finish now--they will be quick to stitch up!  

(the pattern is the Sea Haven)

After church, David and I will treat Bill to a birthday dinner out!  An interesting fact, my birthday is one day before the Winter Solstice and Bill's is one day after the Summer Solstice! 

 We are a good balance!

 

CONQUERING THE LAYOUT

Bill and David bonded over a truck replace his differential cover.  All went well!

While they played, I worked on the r/w/b blocks 

and liked what the light stars do for the layout!!!

This was the fabric I bought earlier in the week from Michael's. 

 I had to cut out the diamonds myself instead of using the Accuquilt cutter.  Easy job.

I sewed one block together and am right pleased! 

 I will make four blocks for the table runner. 

I think I will use all of the leftover diamonds

 to spiff up the borders!

INSIDE AND OUT!

I couldn't find any border fabric the other day so I cut up the last 17" of white into 7 strips to make a plain border.  Sometimes done is the best decision.  But instead of then sewing it all into a top, I played with something else!

I tackled the FQ Club fabric to make a table runner.  I began by drawing some ideas using the Hunter Star die from Accuquilt.

I cut up a strip from each of the 6 fat quarters to play around. I wanted to go for a scrappy looking block.

Yuck!  It was too chaotic!

I tried reducing it to the two colors like a Hunter Star is known for and I am still not happy with it.  I might have to introduce some kind of neutral.  I walked away for now.

Instead, David took me out back for a ride on the golf card!  There were storm clouds gathering for the afternoon storm but we did have a good ride before it hit!  

The bananas are growing.

And I love my tunnel under the live oaks!  We came in and tuned in for another LOTR extenteded ediition movie--The Two Towers !  A good day!

 

A FINISH HAPPENS!

The binding was applied finally!  It went on without a hitch.

The quilt was all done and ready for the washer/dryer!

I love the effect a good wash and dry does 

for the comfortable feel of the quilt!

And here is the finished quilt!  The pattern is Cabin in the Woods, the finished size of my quilt is now 51" x 64"

 

SOMETHING SPECIAL

My friend Mary drove with me to the dermatologist for a check on a 'spot' that was funny on my arm.  The doctor ended up removing three spots that he deemed suspicious!  I will know the results in a week or two.   Isn't the Oleander bush stunning!  It was so large and covered in RED flowers!

My arm, ankle and ear look like this.  I have to change the bandages each day.  I can bathe and then immediately cover them again.  That's doable!

Mary and I just happened to check out Michael's which is very near the doctor's office;  I bought several yards of this background fabric.  Soon they will be putting out their haul from the JoAnns stores.

When I got home, there was a new truck in the driveway--no not Bill's, it is my oldest grandchild, David!  He just finished college and is on a visit family trip until he has to knuckle under to being a full-time working man!

Oh, it is wonderful to have all 6'5" of him here for a few weeks!

 

OFF TO A GOOD START

I finished the last block and decided I do want the olive green fabric for a narrow border but I just couldn't find the right fabric for winder borders in my stash!  I will find some today, I hope, when I go out for a doctor visit!

And I am halfway through the length of the body (6 of the 12") and am enjoying the mindless round and round of the stockinette!

 

A FERNANDINA VISIT!

In a few weeks it will be Bill's birthday but the only weekend we could all coordinate was this weekend so we combined Father's Day and his birthday Friday and Saturday!  There was a rousing game of Pig after dinner on Friday!

When it was dark enough outside, we had some fireworks!

On Saturday, we packed up and headed out to the south end of Amelia Island for some fishing and beach time.

It was a perfect day!  There was lots of skim-boarding and body- surfing and wave jumping by the cousins while the adults did some fishing and I kept my recliner company!

A baby black tipped shark was a frequent visitor!

A stingray put up a huge fight!  (He is 2' long for his body with another 15" of tail.  If you look about halfway down the tail, you will see his spike that gives him his name!)

Ella has been growing so very tall--

at 12 1/2 she is only 1/2" shorter than me!  (I'm 5' 6" !)

After the beach where we were all sun-kissed, and headed to a favorite restaurant for dinner before we headed home. 

 It sure did me good to be with this bunch! 

 (the group included our two youngest sons and families!)

 

IT'S ALL PART OF THE PACKAGE

I made another block and have been working on ideas for the border.  I thought I needed a break,

 so headed to the quilting frame.

I had hoped to finish off the last few rows of this quilt but when I got to the end of the row to cut threads, I could see that from the top-side it looked great but underneath, it was not right--

the tension was completely wrong!  The new bobbin I put in to start this row didn't set right in the tension clip! 

I didn't see it until I had advanced the quilt so the whole row was useless!  I just walked away.  I didn't have the hour or more of standing there picking out stitches inside of me!  

It's a good thing I am headed to my youngest son's for a bit of family time.  I am deeply in need of the love!

 

GOING FOR THE GREEN

I cut out two more blocks for the Nordic Nights and only made one wrong cut!  Pretty good for me lately!

I've also been working on another painting project-instead of a water coloring book, this one is much larger-full 8 1/2" x 11" pages.  It's been a bit intimidating but still  enjoyable!  Each page is a light sketch of floral and I have to make sense of it all.  Good brain work!

 

AN ARCH

Yesterday, Bill and I put together a metal arch/trellis. We built it in the studio where we could have room for it and the sewing table to conveniently work at without having to be on the floor!  It is very tall and since it is only 4 1/2' wide, we could head right out the patio door ---

and carry it all the way down to the Muscadine grape vine!

 We got it all installed before the afternoon rains hit!

The yard is exploding with these lilies, which we call Rain Lilies because they wait for the rainy season to bloom and all at once, they are all blooming!  (their real name is a Crinem Lily, which is a big family of lilies, and this color is called Ellen)

 

A FEW MORE

Yes, I made the original four and said I would decide then if I wanted to make some more;  well, I do want to make at least two more and then maybe some half blocks.  I will be doing some more marathon cutting today so when I sit down, I can just make some parts a few at a time.

(not that I'm counting or anything

 but it is 10 months since Septic Shock changed so much.)

 

SEA HAVEN PROGRESS

I finished the textured portion of this sweater!  I like that the instructions recommend putting the stitches on waste yarn and trying it on to be sure it is fitting.  All of the stitches are bunched together on the circular needles so it is impossible to 'guess' if it will fit right without taking the time for this step!

I did that and it is a wonderful success!  I have just a few more inches before I separate for the sleeves!

 

PACING MYSELF

Wednesday was a wash--there is still the piper to pay when I have too many busy days in a row.  But I felt up to sewing two blocks yesterday.  As usual, the blocks are going together much better after the first one was under my belt! I have one more cut out and I will tackle it today for sure.

In between rests, I have been enjoying the garterlac dishcloths. 

 It's good for building brain cells! lol

I'm also enjoying the pleasure of the Sea Haven sweater! 

 I'm finding the repetition of the texture rounds easy to remember and am liking the results!