Flash Living!

   I stack a row for the quilt and put it by the sewing machine so when I walk by, 

I can seam another pair.

I leave them attached with chain piecing so I don't lose the order.

 I take them to the ironing station still attached so I don't lose all the work of arranging them!

I pressed the seams open on this quilt;  something I do not ordinarily do but it does make the seams

flatter and it was still easy enough to match up the seams.

Look at the pretty blossoms coming out on this plant!

It was given to Bill and he can't remember the name-I think it looks orchid-ish. 

Anyone know?

 (I have been taking Will to Art Camp all week so that accounts for the

title 'cuz I've been coming and going and not always knowing

which was which! lol)

Buttonwood and Swallowtail

The buttonwood bushes are in bloom;  

another sweet smelling bloom in a lollipop shape.

Even the tiger swallowtails appreciate their scent!

Digging for Treasure

I was digging in a bin looking for something quite different

and found this pile of triangles left over from

the king sized quilt I made for my bed several years ago.

There is enough for a lap quilt-

now I have piecing work to do and it's not a brain strain either!

Yippee!

A New Week

 I pulled out the shawl, Silverleaf, to work on 

and after a few inches knew something was terribly wrong. 

  It was a two sided lace chart and I was only working the lace rows on the right side 

and purling back-it wasn't working!  

 After ripping out what I had messed up, 

I could work back and forth without too much mental strain!  

 I am working on the other side of the 'vein' of the vine pattern.

  I am liking the progress on this section!

 I also knit off several more of the motifs...it is fun to build each one and add it to the pile!

Lena is doing better;  walking around, albeit slowly, eating and grooming.  

I wish she could tell me what happened......

Finishes and Flower

           

The Winding Ways quilt is completed! 

 I put the binding on during naptime and it was a breeze!

You do NOT have to use binding cut on the bias to make this work; 

it is actually pretty easy and there are no mitered corners!                                  

I simply outlined all of the colored sections to quilt this

and it will fluff up nicely after washing and drying. 

 I also took the time to sew the borders on the LeMoyne Star quilt.  

Now to purchase batting for it...most likely I will find time this week to go to JoAnns.

I am going to scallop the edges of this one, too, 

but I will be doing it after I quilt it-I have a plan;  I think!

 A few years ago now, I brought back several little baby bulbs from my Dad's Tiger Lily plants.

They are finally mature bulbs and I have two that are ready to open!

And 24 hours later, this is the bloom-a very large and tall plant....I used to have a whole row of them on the side of our farm house in NY.  

Nice to have a flower do well here, too. 

 Tonight, Will and I and Nemo went out to check on the Cereus' crop of flowers-

I thought tonight would be their show night!

 At nine o'clock they were full of promise.....

At ten,  they were opening but not quite as showy as a midnight production...

But I won't be heading out again tonight-I startled a bobcat in our front yard

 (very near these flowers!) and so I and all the cats are in for the night! 

 (We knew something had been out there because all of the cats have been in for several nights now....nothing like country living!)  

Mermaid Sighting!

 I joined in a SAL on DaysFilledWithJoy blog and managed to finish one mermaid.

Doing embroidery (any handwork is very hard for my hands to accomplish-depth perception and slight shaking makes precise stitching a tricky and exhausting endeavor!) but I thought these five designs would make a cute quilt so I will keep working a little at a time to accomplish it!

 The next design is traced and I have started work on it!  I find the single strand DMC thread easier to work with and will fill up my palette of threads with this kind next trip to JoAnns.

 Speaking of palettes, Will was a bit antsy one rainy day this week so I took an idea from Araignee's blog and drew some squares for me to paint....

......and some for Will.  

He said he was only going to paint in his favorite colors. 

 It was a nice relaxing hour together!

Colorful Calm

 Appointments for most of yesterday so my tote of yarn scraps went with me 

and I crocheted a bunch of these. 

 All the ends are woven in except the last one

 so that it can be used to stitch the ends together

 when I decide how to organize the final crop of motifs!  

A nice way to while away the hours.

And keep me calm-my bp was 114/68 !

Little Lena has been sick all week-no fever, no vomiting, 

 just no appetite and she has stayed curled up asleep.

  She began eating yesterday morning and again last night. 

 I hope she keeps doing better.

I hesitate to go to the vet with such vague symptoms....cats do well sleeping it off.  

This or This or That?

I have so little time to knit

that I sometimes feel I need to have only one project so I don't 

waste time trying to decide what to work on  each evening!

But then that would be like having only one outfit to wear 

and we all know, 

sometimes you feel like bright colors,

sometimes subdued.

Sometimes something light

and sometimes something heavy.

So we try to have several projects to add flavor to our fibery menus!

When you only go out to a restaurant once in a grand while,

it would be hard to chose what to eat, right?

But trying something new is very appealing--

like Mystical Lanterns by Janie Crow!

(It's crochet and it's on my hook last night-just one motif at a time, I can handle that!)

Bumper Buds

There are 25 of these buds growing on the Cereua plant.

See the tree frog hanging out-he's waiting for the buds to open so he can snag some unwitting moths.

Usually when a plant has this many buds, most fall off by now and only a few will mature.

Not this time-there is indeed a bumper crop.  It's going to be an amazing midnight vigil in another week!

I can't wait!

A second plant is sending out buds-'tis the season, I guess.

Bound , Washed and Dried!

The binding is finally sewn on the two quilt! 

 I like using the clips to hold thee next little bit in place.

Completed!  41" x 53" for a lap quilt.

And the same quilt with the lighter background.

A nice experiment in color play!

 All washed and dried and ready to deliver.

The back of the darker version is in a batik-like colored backing.

And the back of the lighter version.

The quilt was cut out with the Accuquilt die called Flowering Snowball 

which doesn't even begin to do anything for me

but there you go!

Nice to have them done!

They are going to the cancer center this week!

Eyes

Do you know what this is?

I learned today;  it is an Eyed Elater.

A clicking beetle.  It will also 'snap' upright if it is turned on his back-pretty impressive!

I bet you would jump if it popped at you, too!  I certainly did!

Hardware

 I hardwired this foot pedal into the cord of my....

 Ashford Electric Spinner!  I had read that the new models are sold with a foot pedal to turn it off and on without having to let go of the fiber to use the switch on the spinner.  My husband said it was easy enough to add that feature with the  purchase of this very inexpensive foot pedal!  It was a very easy job to splice the wires and wow, is it easier to spin by using your foot to slow or stop as we are used to with a regular spinning wheel!  So nice to have an electrician for a dear husband!

 The new part came to replace my broken walking foot!  I had the old one for 30 years so I think the dollar a year part gives a lot for its value!  On to the bindings at last on the latest two quilts!

And lastly, Bill used his muscle to help me raise the level of the quilting machine 

to a better height for me to use it! 

 (I've only had it for a few years;  why did I wait to do this?!)

 I found the hunching posture as I stood at the frame was just too miserable.

I  am good to go now for hours, I am sure, if I can get healthy enough to stay in there for a few hours! lol

 Look at the lilies!  Such beautiful and sweet aromas, too.

Rain lilies in the forefront, tiger lilies in the back!

I bought just a few bulbs several years ago and they have multiplied and matured

-these plants are 48" tall this year!

Moan and Groan

Here are half of our cat residents-they engage a truce when it is time for the community cat nip dip!

To the doctor's office today-Bill had to drive me because I couldn't stand up straight;  

I thought it was pleurisy;  dr is treating me for inflamed bronchials-whatever. 

 I am ready to be put on hold and awakened healthy!

At least I woke up without a migraine and without dizziness.  I'm trying to be positive here!

As for knitting, I knit the dark half-hexagon on the baby blanket.

It's hard to knit when you can't see!!!