FROM THE ASHES!

This is an old composite fountain that used to have an electric pump which died several years ago!  I gave it a facelift of new paint, patched its leaks and added a solar pump

 so I could use it out front, away from an outlet.  

The water just bubbles out of the 'pineapple' and flows with a delightful sound.  While I enjoyed the blue ceramic ball, it didn't attract birds or squirrels so it is moved once again.

Now this is my view from the kitchen or from my recliner. 

 I'm very pleased!

Another dishcloth is finished!  I had just a little bit of the skein

 left after knitting two dishcloths.

  It's always nice to win at yarn chicken!

 And keeping to the Autumn theme, I started a table runner from a charm pack.  I stitched this together while at quilting group which has begun again after a summer hiatus.  It was so good to be with the ladies again and catch up on our summers.  

SHOWER RUNNERS

In September, we will be hosting a wedding shower for a young woman in church.  Her favorite season is Autumn so we found just the right fabric to make some table runners to accent the sage green table cloths.

My friend, Mary and I cut up the 14" x 84" runners

 and then turned a rolled edge on them!

That 7' lasted a long run until the corners! lol  But I am glad to say, the runners are done and stored until it is time to decorate.  No procrastination allowed.

I stopped to buy some solids to fill in the blank blocks for the court house steps scraps that highlights a shoe in each block!  This will be what I piece next!

 

AND THUNDER STORMS!

I woke up to both butds blooming!  Such a pretty sight in my bedroom window!

I got right to work and finished off the second table runner in no time.  Lena is watching the sky-there is thunder rumbling out there!

Sadly, the design wall and the frame are empty!  I need to get piecing and to shop for some backing fabrics for the tops already made.

I did go out and play with the newest bowl on the lathe.  I learned this new way for getting the bowls thinner by leaving the weight remaining in the center of the piece--using it to stablize the bowl.  Letting centrifugal force work for me!  

 This mess is just from the inside of the bowl!  I cleaned up from the work turning the back!

When the storms hit, I went inside, of course, and the power promptly went out.  I sat listening to a book while knitting on a sock--I'm glad I got the 'machine' work done early!

HEAT WAVE!

This is where Lena goes to escape a house full of kids

 I invited for a swim! lol

I played on the lathe until I couldln't stand the heat any longer!

I put some binding on the table runner; 

 the other one is on the frame!

 

TOWN & COUNTRY

I did indeed get a lot of knitting done while at the doctor's yesterday and finished casting off when I came home.

I did use the gift certificate after the doctor's to pick out some fabrics for a new pattern which will become a new table runner soon!  Who needs a lollipop after being a good girl at the doctor's?!

After lunch, I helped Bill, who was finishing this shed, by packing up the golf cart with boxes from the garage and bringing them to him--he then filled the shelves inside.

I brought 6 cart loads of  junk treasure to him until I was done in more ways than one!

Seeing all of this floor was very encouraging to us!

How do I know it is Fall?  The giant grasshoppers appear!  These are 5" whoppers which I am unable to kill because they are so disgusting....Bill to the rescue!

Today, I will knit on the blue top and begin to work on the new runner!  Umm, after I put the binding on the two QFK's first.

 

A Color Theme

Ahhhh,  sock knitting, I have missed you! 

 A little Felici yarn makes my fingers happy!

And while the stitching of the hexagon table runner isn't the most fun piecing I've ever done, it is very pleasing in its entirety! 

 I only need to stitch a few more rows 

and then I will be able to sneak it onto the frame,

 as soon as I complete the Dakota Inspired QOV!  

UFO DONE!

Remember this idea for a table runner?!  Well, I dug it out yesterday and finished the stitching around each of the appliques.  Then before I could leave it in another pile, I put it right on the frame and quilted it up.

I did a bit of thread play, too, which was a fun accent.  

I will be putting the binding on first thing today 

so it will be able to be used! 

By then, my friend will be here to help me paint

 the living room/kitchen walls!  

Up to My Neck in Clover!

I went right to work on piecing the last lobe for the clover and just wasn't satisfied!  They needed to touch in the middle at the stem and they weren't.  I ripped out each large block from the other and took off the sashing strips.

When I put them down to see it wasn't distinct enough--each lobe blended into its neighbor....

I added a strip to the side between lobes and pressed it out and trimmed so it is still a squared block.

Now when they are together, it is just the right look!  What a lot of work but such a good feeling to conquer a problem!

I put the two newly renovated blocks back together and I liked what I had...but there were so many green squares leftover, 

I added a border like I did to last month's runner. 

 It looks framed now!

I even loaded it onto the frame and wait until you see the backing!  I went stash diving to find just the right piece I remembered from somewhere a long time ago....

That pretty much summed up my Saturday!  

Today, I am knitting the ribbing up that man sock!

 

Squares on a Wall

I worked outside until the heat chased me indoors-yes, heat! 

 A very warm 87* today!  

The sun was too much for me 

but I did get halfway up the higher section of the chimney 

so I am on the home stretch now!

After a nice glass of iced tea, I played with fabric squares! 

 This is just for placement right now, 

once sewn together this section will be a 26" square

-two will make my table runner for the month! 

 In the big white square will be the appliqued stem 

for the shamrock.

Goodbye, February!

 

Pink Speaks

I can't spread the table runner out for it's full glory because of that dratted puzzle! lol  

I've done all of the fun parts and now there is only blues....

my eyes still blur when I try to study for the right piece!

See how nice it looks without the puzzle?! lol

This is part of the Table Scraps Challenge for February.

The first of the azalea blossoms are out and the bushes are covered with buds!  How exciting.  

See the bits of brown leaves?  That is the damage from the freeze so we weren't sure how it would fare 

but resilience is the byword of plants.  

Proof that Spring is coming. 

 We are having a warm spell, warm enough for me to sit in the afternoon sun and talk with a friend-on the phone but still, 

it was almost like having her in the chair next to me. 

 A perfect time.

 

Taking Shape!

See, I really did finish the Stay-at-home-Round-Robin QAL!  I'm ready for the next prompt on Monday.

And I finished the table runner, too.  30" x  42"

It picks up the color of the dining room and the kitchen/family room just through the doorway!

(see-no baseboards!  but that is going to be happening very soon!)

And I did some more work on the square bowl--it is hollowed out and has finish drying on it here.

I love the shape of this--worm holes and all!  It is 6" x 6".  I will be finishing the bottom today.

The closing was delayed-not because anyone had cold feet (gratefully!) but because the bank made a mistake on the check and couldn't issue a new one in time for the closing.  Now it is postponed until sometime next week.  What a let down.  That's pretty common, I know but all the same, it is an emotional roller coaster!
 

Finding My Stride Again!

First thing yesterday, I sewed the two borders in place.  

Once pressed, I admired the work of my hands! 

 The quilt is 42 x 54" and like the rest of the tops, 

await a backing before it can be loaded on the frame.

The centers each have a very pretty Fall scene with either cats or kittens!

I took the many hst's that were rejected from the border and started sewing them into pinwheels; 

 I will add solid squares in between these blocks to make another top. 

 Fabric never goes to waste!

I also decided to finish cutting out the flowers and tropical leaves for a table runner--

I don't have the background fabric because I sacrificed it for the quilt above! lol

 Robbing Peter to pay Paul as the saying goes. 

 I hope to make it to the fabric store at the end of the week!

Sock number one was bound off and number two is begun; 

 I think I have matched the stripes after several false starts.

I ended the sock just a bit before the point of repeat to do the toe.  

And for the guessing game-here is the latest watercolor postcard!

  Happy guessing!