CUT IT UP!

I tackled the new quillt kit--so much to read and figure out when you first open it up because there are lots of fabrics and you need to label EVERYTHING!  I cut out a few block worth of pieces so I could get the feel of the block.

There are 17 of each of these two blocks-one larger star and one smaller.  The center is different on the small star but is all the same fabric on the large one!  I'm already thinking how different it would look if I do the stripes in red and white and all of the stars in blue on the next quilt! lol

I have only two rows left to do on the quilt frame but my laser light needed charging and so I had to quit!

So I went and played in the garage --a new oak bowl is growing!  The wormwood screw broke on this piece and I had to figure out how to continue on this.  The answer is using a piece of wood that fits in the chuck which is hot glued onto the bowl!  My daughter and I worked with my two little craft glue guns to get enough glue in place at the same time--a lot of fun!  And it worked!  I am ready to use the heat gun to soften the glue and pull the bowl off so I can turn it around on the lathe and hollow out the center of the bowl!  I'm glad so many of my tools work in differnt genres!

 

GETTING THERE!

I have most of the second round to make the lattice work on the border done.  We did head into town and got our new credit cards and I worked on it up and back yesterday.  It takes most of the 50G skein to go around the border each time! But It is pleasureable and forgiveable to work each round

.  I didn't sleep well last night and had a killer headache which sapped me of most of my energy. 

 I didn't do much after we got home.

After a nap,  I went out to the garage and did a bit of sanding and then I filled the large worm holes with Milliput which is a two-part epoxy putty that I mixed by hand and then pushed it into the holes.  Usually, I leave the worm holes but they were too deep and when I hollow out the inside of the bowl, I knew it would catch and not cut evenly.  This looks dull and ugly now but after it dries overnight, I will sand and polih it to look great!

  Trust me! lol  Here's to a good day!

 

WOOD ON THE WEEKEND

I enjoyed some time at the lathe Saturday when I should've been attaching binding but I was lost in the wonder of working with wood.  This is a piece of the holly cut down in my daughter's yard!

I think it took as much time to drill it out (using first a small forstner bit and then a larger one) as it did to turn the shape!

I need to apply the many layers of shellac yet so I will wait to share the final beauty shots!

 

STAYING THE COURSE

I turned the bowl, polished the outside with wax and a buffing pad and then began the work on the inside.

I had to level the surface and then I began the job of hollowing--I requires a lot of sharpening;  did I mention that Hickory is very hard wood?! lol

When I couldn't bear the heat of the garage any more, I came in to do some more on my king-sized quilt when Lena decided to sit and take a bath....

When she finished, I began to do some sewing and added another row and began laying out the next.

 I did go ahead and cut out the rest of the blocks 

but I will piece them on Monday.  

I am looking forward to a long knit this afternoon!

Playing Around

I added the sashing and sewed the blocks together for a table runner.  I have the VanGogh quilt still on the frame so I can't finish it but I hope to remedy that today!

 I did get to play with the lathe--I am working with a piece of Camphor and the whole garage smells like a Vicks bottle! lol  I'm not sure what shape this will end up but I am getting the hang of the lathe in the meantime.  It's a ton of fun!

Yay! and Nay!

Right on time, the big tractor trailer pulled up at the end of our driveway to drop off my new, full sized lathe! 

Bill met him at there with the tractor and forks to bring the 484 lb box up to the garage!

Where it is sitting pretty until things settle down here and I can open it up!  

Another beautiful season of budding for the dwarf canna lily--just spectacular!

The nay in all of the good news is that the furniture delivery has been put off another month.  Again.  April?  No, but May, yes....then they said June....and now they tell me it will really be here in July-like the first.  I said I will believe it when I see it.  I am so ready to have the finishing touch on all of the work we've done. 

 I will go out and pet my lathe in its box.

Catching My Breath

                             

 Socks have been completed....

New socks have been started...

A new piece of wood is on the lathe

And some garage cleaning happened!

Today, I will be home all day-what a treat!

A Simple Day

I can't have an empty lathe! 

 I loaded on another  piece of the maple for a bowl.

A square bowl emerged pretty quickly. 

 I will wrap up  the sanding and finishing today!

Look what I finished at the frame yesterday!

I will be putting the binding on today and loading the pieced backing on the frame for the table runner!

The young sandhill crane is a teenager! 

 As soon as the parents saw me at the window for a photo,

He herded the kid right away 

staying between me and him the whole way! 

 Lena likes watching them, too!

Grandmother's Flower Garden Runner

I did it!  The Grandmother's Flower Garden table runner is completely pieced and waiting its turn on the frame! 

 It's big-and will look very striking on the table-soon!

As I watered the flowers this morning, 

I noted the blooms inside the bromeliads.  

So delicate and such a funny color compared to its host!

I spent some time at the lathe! 

 This vase is from a Sycamore branch. 

 I left some bark it and didn't worry about getting it completely round--I like the look of the vase emerging from the branch! 

 It is 10' tall and about 3" at its widest. 

 This one is going to my sister--a thank you for the gift of the visit last month.

 

Grapefruit and Yarrow

Another natural edge bowl from the grapefruit tree. 

 It is such a pleasure to work with this wood!

Since it was turned from a crotched branch, it has a very interesting grain pattern and lots of color in the wood.  

(Happy Birthday, daughter;  this one is yours!)

In the front yard, my patch of yarrow has really spread with the rain this year.  It looks so soft and pleasant.

And it is blooming!  

What a pleasing texture and color for this plant. 

 I need to read up on how to use it for tea!

 

A Milestone

Today is our 45th anniversary!  What a journey together.

I worked yesterday using up the last pieces of baseboard to finish the bathroom;

it is just such a beautiful touch to each room!  Don't take it for granted--I've never lived in a house with completed baseboards!  No joke.

I celebrated with some work on the lathe.  I have to get creative with my finger still not able to take any pressure but find a way I did!

This is more of the grapefruit tree wood.  I will be turning the bowl around and finishing the bottom today.

I also made another bluebird house--I'm getting much quicker at these now, too, even with my handicap!  I'm going to have to start selling them if Bill doesn't get them posted out back soon!!!!

Maybe we will do that AFTER we go out to eat to celebrate first!

 

BlueBird House #2

And then there were TWO! 

 I made the lighter one from the pallet wood 

I stacked a few weeks ago. 

 I also made the back shorter to try out different designs.

As usual, the second bluebird house went together 

much more quickly and easily! 

 Very enjoyable!

As long as I was in the area, I finished the bowl on the lathe,

 a grapefruit bowl again.

This bowl doesn't have the orange coloring in this section of wood but it does include spalting 

and a good grain pattern. 

 I also kept the irregularities in two spots on the rim.  

The bowl is 5.5" wide and 2.5" tall.

I worked for house to catch up on the Dakota Inspired QAL; 

 I had to make 8 more red blocks which I did 

and then sewed them into diagonal rows according to instructions--with only a two more to do--no, I didn't miss a row-

it is stacked and ready to tackle first thing in the morning 

so I will be able to then prepare for clue #8!

Reward

Another grapefruit bowl is finished.  

The coloring in this one is gorgeous, too.

6 x 4", sitting on the grapefruit tree stump!

The coloring runs through the inside, too.

I finished this with beeswax from a friend of mine

 who is a beekeeper!  It smells delicious.

Signed and ready for use!  

Bill and I are going to my brother's for another bit of family time;

we will be playing some games (Spinner's) today.

The lathe time was a reward for getting our taxes done!

What an ordeal! lol