A SEWING SUCCESS!

The homeschooler I am teaching sewing has completed another success!  She sewed the blocks together, quilted the top and yesterday, she learned how to make a lapped zipper on the back!  I love to see the confidence she is gaining over the weeks we have been working together!

After our morning of sewing, I finished the work on this bowl at the lathe.  There is a fault in the center of the bowl-no matter what I do, the center is pithy but I think I have it stabilized with the Shellac.  If I worked the area any more, I would've put a hole there so the bit of irregularity is a better solution!  This one is made from Poplar, 6" across and 4' high.  
 

A TREAT FOR MARCH

The fringe tree is in bloom-it smells so sweet 

and has lasted long this month!  It's one of the trees that bloom before the leaves form.  Since the tips are starting to grow leaves, it won't be long before the blooms will be done.

The whole tree is about 20" tall and almost as round.  It greets me each time I pull up my driveway!

The branches are long and curly;  they tangle and swoop all over each other!  The fringe tree is in the Olive family but we must have a male tree because it doesn't fruit :'(  BUT I love it anyway!

 

WOOD ON WEDNESDAY!

I have had this bowl on the lathe for too long--I kept having trouble with the tenon chipping and letting the bowl go.  I took it off and rearranged the bottom and then carved out 

the scoop of the bowl!  

It felt good to work at the lathe again!  I then sanded it inside and out and put on two coats of the SealCoat.  Today, I will be putting the final finish on it and take it off the lathe after I remove the tenon.  Here's hoping for a successful finsh all the way around! lol

We had a T-storm roll up tonight so I sat and played with the Diamond Dotz and made another coaster!

 

MENDING

I dug out several pairs of light weight summer pants that fint when I had the 25lb weight gain last Spring and decided to do some alterations so they will fit now!  

Just taking in the seams doesn't always work on elastic-waisted pants because the seat and hips are still not right. 

 You can see the difference in seat seam here. 

 After I cut apart the inseams on both legs, 

I can open the pants up and line up for the new crotch line.

It's a breeze then to stitch the new seams, press and have some new pants again! I also had a pair of jean capris to take in but I do them differently-I cut little slits on each side seam on the inside of the waist band and insert elastic.  I secure it on one seam and then mark where it is even on the open end and pull it out at least 3-4" farther-that waistband is dense and it needs more pull than you think to draw in.

Once I draw the line, I then secure the spot with a wide zig-zag and trim it off.  (I am not of an age or shape to tuck my t-shirts in so I do not mind that the stitching shows a bit on the outside!)

Since I do not wear a belt I don't need to stitch the belt loop back onto the jeans but I do....

This is what the corners of the blocks started doing while on the design wall.  It drove me crazy.

I searched for answers and found this--press the seams open and then use a Tailor's Clapper to set them open.

I didn't have such an item (but I will soon!) 

 I used the Tailor's Ham to weight it down and it worked! 

 This is what I will be doing at Quilting today--repressing all of the blocks I have already done.  I have this many more to make so it is good to figure out how to fix it now!

Begonias hanging in each of my hanging pots!

*I am late posting because my eyes (ocular rosacea) decided to throw a fit yesterday by burning and swelling so that by evening I couldn't see well enough to type, etc, and I ended up going to bed way early-I slept all night and this morning they are doing better, gratefully!

 

FLOWERS

Isn't this an amazing amaryllis?!!! 

 It looks radiant next to her orange sisters!

 I have the fun part done on the Palmier sweater! It's always a bit sad to now be faced with the monotony of the solid  stockinette but this cotton yarn is smooth and works very quickly on the #6 needles!  I took this picture when I was in the process of knitting onto another needle with a longer cable so it won't be so bunched up after the last  increase;  I am not cranking around on

 308 stitches now!

SPECIAL DELIVERY!

The repairs were finished on son's boat engine so we took a drive up to Fernandina Beach to deliver it to them!  The weather turned out much warmer and dryer than what was predicted and we headed out for a test drive!

We unloaded a bit north of them on the intercoastal near 

where it empties into the ocean.

Some others were out appreciating the day and the fish that were swimming near the surface of the water! 

 (a dolphin not a shark!)

And these birds were on the shoreline but too far away to see clearly!  Even when I magnify the pic, it distorts the image

 so I'm not sure what they are!

Caleb grabbed a selfie of grandson, son and me!

For those of you longing for summers blooms....a peace rose!  My daughter-in-law has a green thumb, too!

And a tea rose.  They both smelled heavenly!  it was a bit of a whirlwind day but we loved every minute together!

 

ALL FLORIDA SHOP HOP DAY #2

We visited 4 shops yestertoday, had lunch and forgot to take a single picture!  lol  This is my haul for yesterday;  many pieces which you will see highlighted in a quilt in the near future!

Today we are off to deliver my son's boat back to him after he had a new-used engine installed!  (the repairman is near us)

Bill could've taken it up yesterday while I was at the Hop but I am so grateful he waited so I can go and see the whole famiy!  I might even get to go on a boat ride on the intercoastal--

I don't do ocean boating!!!!

 

A BEAUTIFUL DAY

 

When it is sunny out, warm but not humid, you will see Floridians out in droves!  I was excited to work in the veggie beds since everything is coming up! Lena enjoyed playing near me and gratefully-no cats have tried to get into the sandboxes!

Before the peas got too big, 

I wanted to add the lattice for them to climb on.  I also added soil and some fertilizer to the area that have seedlings.

I added the banana peppers to the right of the bell peppers-

they also got some soil, fertilizer and some watering--the biggest necessity for the plants because our 'soil' just lets water drain right through it!

I also added some wooden and jute cages

 to the climbing green beans.

I also did some work in the studio--I cut out some Steam Punk fabric with watches to accent the main blocks.  More on this later!

This is the bridge we take to and from our nearest 'city'.

  I did mention it was a beautiful day, right?!

A CAST ON!

I started a new top-down sweater;  it is done in DK cotton in navy and the coral is a cotton/linen blend.  

I am working on #6 needles.

The directions are very exact which I appreciate

 and the shaping of the sweater is what I have been looking for!

  I just might rip out a recent t-shirt sweater 

to make with this pattern instead! 

 I can because I am a knitter! lol

 

DIAMONDS

I had so much fun making a coaster from the Diamond Dotz kit.  A very relaxing way to spend an hour!

I also whipped up another Shop Hop Block case-to surprise my Shop-hopping buddy, Mary!  We meet up again on Friday!

 

TUMBLING TUESDAY

This batch of rocks is on its last week-next week will be the big reveal!  I have chert, petrified wood and some other fun rocks!

This was the mystery mix from the RockShed--oh, so pretty after only one week of tumbling!

As long as we are in Spring now, I thought I would show you my veggie beds--and I have green poking up all over!  

Look hard and you can see the beans here!  See-we don't have soil here-we have sand with lots of decaying material in it!  Very different to work with but I have high hopes!

The last block is finished!  Now I have to decide how to attach them to each other--I'm pretty sure I will be crocheting the blocks together--it is easiest and looks good, too.  

I'm off to Quilting Group today; I made some

 machine/ hand needle cushions for the original four of us! 

 I made it out of canvas squares filled with walnut shells.  

The lines are inked on with permanent marker.

  The pile of threads are from the 'fringing' I did to the sides!

 

A CASE FOR SHOP BLOCKS

During the Shop Hop, each shop hands out a specialized block for their store.  It was hard to keep track of them while shopping and getting our stamps, etc.  Their catalog for the hop had a pattern for an organizer for the blocks.  While I didn't use their pattern bc it was too large for my taste, I did manage to make one just right for me!

The back side is quilted to give it some shape;  I just did some outline ree motion stitching.

 

It was easy to keep the nice and neat in the zippered case!  I put a fat quarter square of cardboard in there to aide inserting a new block.  Now, I will surprise Mary with her own, too!  Shhh, don't tell!

TRIMMING

I trimmed the motifs apart for the SteamPunk quilt blocks.  I could use plain fabric between the blocks or I could buy some coordinating fabric from this line.  I will think about it for a while.

I did dig right in to putting the grey triangles onto two opposite corners of the charm pieces to start off the Mini Petals quilt.

And the hard part for the panel has been done--

trimming it to the right dimensions 

so that you can surround it with blocks that will fit!

  In this case, it is 42 1/2" by 24 1/2 " because both numbers can be divided by 2, 3, 4 and 6 to give me

 a good variety of block choices!  

 

ALL FLORIDA SHOP HOP DAY #1

We had a beautiful day to drive to start our Shop Hop yesterday, we visited 5 shops and traveled 171 miles!

This year, you collect a printed block for each shop you visit.  These will be added to a quilt we will make to commemerate the Hop with fabric just released for the event.

This was my haul for the day-FQ's, charm packs, backing fabric, a couple of panels (the brown one in the back is a Steam  Punk one--a weakness for me!) and a new Accuquilt die!

We (Mary and I) had a wonderful day

 and look forward to Day #2 in a week or so!

  (when we recover! lol)