ANTICIPATION

This is what I will be working on today!  

The usual start-of-the-week chores will get done but playing with quilt blocks will be the fun part of the day!

 

ON THE FLY

I have all of the blocks made and now will stitch this together for a fun donation quilt.  It is out of the someday pile and will soon be keeping someone warm.  It's a good feeling!  (40" x 50")

 

FABRIC FUN

The Shadow Blocks quilt is off the frame 

and will get its binding today!!

This was the assigned project for our Fat Quarter Club from my local quilt shop; an armchair sewing caddy. 

 I decided to join in, for a change,

 and it turned out beautifully!

I put it right to good use! 

 It will more likely be a yarn station for me--a place to put my crochet hook and darning needle with a pair of little scissors for sewing in all of those yarn ends on my dishcloths, 

afghan blocks or socks!

 

TWO FINISHES THIS FRIDAY

All of the blue blocks are finished!  There are only 6 more red blocks to make!  This has been a very fun scrap project!  The white is my only constant color.  I will be making the last ones later today and tomorrow!  First, I am meeting up with the the QOV ladies to hand in the finished quilts! 

Maybe some lunch will happen, too! lol

I loaded and quilted the halloween quilt.  

This will go to an acquaintance, since it's not my thing.

Skulls and spiders are highlighted.

I do like the crows, though.

Both the table runner and the horses quilt went into the washer and dryer so now they look just the way a quilt should look! 

A PRE-SEPSIS PROJECT IS FINISHED!

The lovely fairy garden 3 yard quilt finally has binding (and I put it on right to machine stitch it all the way this time!) It was all ready to finish just before I got sick and it has languished all of this time!  Now it is even washed and dried!  But if you remember , there is something extra special about this quilt---it glows in the dark!!!!

This is a view of the corner!

And the blocks with the mushrooms look like this---

in the dark!  How cool is that!

The quilt finishes at 44" x 54"

 

LOOKING FORWARD TO DIVING IN...

During quilt group, I began the work of cutting out two new quilts!  Things went well but since I am still trying to think through

 'the miserable headache that never ends', 

I read everything four times 

and checked and rechecked to avoid mistakes.!

  I am cutting out all of the pieces before I begin the piecing on these two quilts.  I don't always do that but since I am making two,

 I thought it would be a good idea to have them both cut out. 

 Do you have a preference for cutting out--everything at once 

or enough for a block at a time?

I also picked up some more jute cord to add to the leaves.  

These are the colors I want to add; 

 I will also vary the sizes of the leaves.  

I've picked out another branch 

to begin a more traditional wall hanging out of a thicker jute cord.  

 

THE VOILA OF SHAME

I did finish the binding at quilting group and when I did the 'voila!' moment, we all went silent.

And the worst part was, I saw it last week when I put the border on and said to myself, 'be sure and fix that before you quilt it!'  Which I promptly forgot by the time I got home.  I was all for taking it back home and ripping out the quilting and re-piecing the block but the QOV Director said that it was perfect just like that and she would be sure it went to just the right Vet. 

 I'm glad but the design goof has plagued me all day!

(This was the MQOV by Alycia at Quilty Girl

she named Stars like Spaghetti.)

WRAPPING UP THE YEAR

I learned how to make the half-hexagons so the sides will be squared on this afghan.  I had a few false starts before I could make the right shape but I think it's imprinted now!

I did finish the quilting on this top, have it trimmed

 and today will get the binding attached!

It will join these two which are washed and dried even! 

 You can see underneath these

 that I have the next quilt loaded , too.  

It's amazing what you can accomplish if you just keep plugging away on them...

 

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?!

WHERE I'VE BEEN!

Thursday I went with a friend to an absolutely excellent plant nursery!  We enjoyed the many garden areas and bought several plants to commemorate the day! All of the plants are started and grown by them for our planting zone 9 , all native plants , so they are all success stories!

This is an ever bearing cherry tomato plant--for Bill who loves them and will enjoy keeping this one alive for his own tasting pleasure!

I bought myself a Soap Nut tree-I don't know everything about it yet, but it grows nuts which are used as a soap-I've got a lot of learning to do before this starts to grow its fruit!  It will grow up to 30' tall-we will have to find the right spot for it!  

This little guy is a guava tree and will produce fruit next year!  It will be in the new grove we have started in our side yard!

And yestereday, Mary and I went to the Daytona Beach AQS  Quilt Show!  What a great day!

There were many quilts which caught my attention but this is one I will actually make!  A QOV, of course!  Today I will be home (phew) and will sew on the latest quilt to get it off the design wall and into a top!  
 

KEEPING WARM

Look at what I get to play with!!!  I will be making this for QOV-it was donated to our local group and I get to make it!!!!  I am thrilled to begin...I will show you the fabrics when I begin cutting it up!

I spent a good chunk of yesterday at my friend, Mary's, to help her navigate a new quilt.  We had a great time sorting out the 50          pieces for each block! (there are 8 llamas in the quilt!)             The quilt is called Llama by SewFreshQuilts.

And a lot of this happened for the rest of the day!   

Today, the hippos quilt is callling!

(and one year ago today, I broke my wrist!)

 

GETTING THERE!

Ahhh, the piecing of the clamshells is completed and I am staging some border colors.  I will be appliquieing the top and bottom rows over the border but keeping the sides straight. 

 I'm not sure of the progression of color on the borders 

but I will make a decision and start piecing today.

Only two more rows needed on the star quilt 

so it will soon find itself bound, washed and dried!

And wood?  I finished the second bowl in a satin finish this time.

It turned out lovely for an old, dried piece of Maple wood! 

 The bowl is 8' across and 4" deep.

Here are the two halves of the log I split to be able to turn them on the lathe.  These will make a nice bowl on any table to hold fruit, yarn or ornaments!

 

YARN PURCHASE

I finished the last two blocks this top needed

and now I just need to stitch them together!

This is Muse yarn from KnitPicks, I finally tried it on the Sentro knitting machine and it worked beautifully!  I lined the hat with grey in I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby.

I had bought the Muse on sale thinking it was sock yarn-three different skeins of it!  I ordered it in the evening-note to self to pay better attention but it is worked out okay; 

the yarn is gorgeous and so is the hat!

DRAGON SCALES!

The feather quilting is completed and the quilt is off the frame and trimmed.  If the hurricane holds off for a few more days, I will be able to get the binding on and this one will be done!

I tackled the job of reloading the Dragon quilt and promptly  loaded the new pantograph upside down---AGAIN---but I saw it before I did any stitching this time!  Yikes!  I like the way the new 'scales' are more complex and do not leave such large areas blank like I had with the one I drew.  It's a good thing mine was so simple because it was a bear to rip out-even with the help of my daughter!!!!  I'd rather not have to do that again!  I found I could be upright for  almost an hour before I got shaky--I see glimmers of my better self!

While I was readying the bedrooms and doing laundry and cleaning (in case we have company during the hurricane), Bill was working on securing the solar panels on the roof, filling fuel cans for the generator and putting things away outside so they will not become missiles.  

I did a bit of knitting towards the end of the day yesterday, I think I can eke out one more kids' had out of the last skein of DK yarn!  I like the narrow stripes the best!  I will keep that in mind for future hats!
 

SOFT AND SURPRISING!

I finally found the energy after therapy yesterday to finish the binding on the flannel baby quilt. I pressed the bnding towards the outside which made it a lot easier to then fold it over to the right side when sewing the binding down on the front; it was a hint I watched on a video from YouTube..

 When I went outside to get a little air, I was startled by this guy. It  wasn't one of our lizards or chameleons but rather is a mole skink which should be under the sand and not running across my house! I'm used to finding him in the mulch or dead leaves around my plants, not up on my wall!

A TRIP

This is the weekend that  we get together with youngest son and his family-no matter what.

I was pretty excited to see this quilt still being used-it has been passed down to son's son!

I didn't use binding on the edge and in a few spots the fabric has worn through but the fabric is holding up well on the quilt top and even the backing--it is soft and snuggly!  And still loved.

It is 'old'! lol

And I am happy to say that this photo bomber has come with us to Caleb's and she will be staying with them until he finds her a forever home.  They already have a dog and so their cats are very used to a dogs' loudness and rambunctious romping.  My cats are sighing with relief but it will be several days until they trust the dog is truly gone!