Garden Fun

After picking Taylor up, we headed to Home Depot to return a mower belt. We went to the garden section to get some more pots for another tipsy tower but they didn't have what we wanted so we bought a few flowers for a new flower bed. We stopped at the pepperoni store, then the library to enroll in the summer reading program and fill our book bag up, grabbed a couple Subway sandwiches and headed home to garden.

First we had to fix strawberries for the dehydrator, then we played in the dirt. Tomorrow we are going up to the local nursery to get some more plants and we have to put up a fence to keep the dogs and chickens out!

After dinner and dishes tonight, we climbed into the hot tub and now it's time to read for a while and sleep! Tomorrow is another full dirt day in the veggie garden and flower beds.

Design Wall Monday

Here's what's on my design wall today. These half square triangles were the bonus triangles from my red, cream, blue boxy stars. Inspired by this post by Julie in the Barn, I sat down one morning and started sewing them together. Now I need to decide on what size borders to make and get it finished.

Here is my new old sewing machine (and yes, I am jumping up and down!!). It's a Singer 401A Slant Needle and she is fancy! I have been searching for 2 years and thought I would never find one. After I got her home and cleaned and oiled, I tried to sew. Clank, eek! After being diligent, I figured out the wrong bobbin was in and I went into my mega bobbin stash and found the right one. She sews like she's brand new. I don't think she has many hours on her but I'll change that real soon.

Thanks Judy L for hosting Design Wall Monday. It's my favorite blog day of the week.

Stash Report 6.20.10

Wow. today is not the 20th, it's the 27th! Did I lose a week somewhere.....if I edit the title then I have to have Judy change the link so I'm just going to leave it be and embrace my dorkiness.

This week I focused on my crumb quilt. You would think after this quilt that my crumb bucket would be empty but it isn't. There is a whole lot of room in it but it is no where near empty. I really like the way this one turned out. It's fun to pick a fabric and know what I used it in or where/who I got it from. Too bad I can't say that about all the fabrics.

I managed to finish this top, made the binding and the backing is almost all put together. That makes the stash report look good to me.

This week's report:
Used this Week: 12 yards
Used Year to Date: 151 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 133 yards
Net Used for 2010: 18

If you go to Judy L's page, you can see her report and the report of others.

In A Few Minutes...

...I made the latest block from Moose on the Porch Quilt Along. I had to squeeze in a few minutes today because for the rest of the day, I plan to play outside. The sun is finally shining here and the weather dude said 7 days of sunshine! WaaHoo!

The lawn needs mowed, the garden has weeds in it but it also has tomatoes on the vines, beans running up their poles, carrots and beets coming up nicely.

I think sitting on the deck and overlooking the property sounds like a pretty good plan too but I better mow first.

Design Wall Monday

Look what's back up on the wall! I showed these blocks February 12, 2010. I moved them around, I thought about making more 9 patches for variety but in the end, I stacked them back up and put them away. These little 6" blocks have been haunting me-mostly because I keep seeing them in their bin and they look so lonely!

Again, another middle of the night idea hit me causing little sleep. I pulled these out and put them up on the wall in random fashion. I think I'll move a few around and then pull the first 2 rows down and sew them together. These blocks will not haunt me any more.

I thought for a minute about putting an applique border on like in the book but these blocks are crying to be done. So I will use some of the remaining 9 patches and 2 flower blocks and make a border. I guess I should play with EQ7 and figure something out. Nice excuse to play, isn't it???

Grab yourself a beverage and head over to Judy L's to check her wall and the walls of others. I love Design Wall Monday!

Stash Report 6.20.10

This week has been one of those weeks where it's hard for me to concentrate on much of anything for any length of time. I've worked on lots of projects from wallhangings to quilting to binding to small bits of time in front of the sewing machine. And I made jelly and fruit leather with a 10 year old. So i guess if I add it all up, I've done quite a bit.

I've been working on Judy L's June mystery-I'd show you a picture but then it wouldn't be a mystery any more, now would it!! I even started a new stash busting leader/ender project. This is the block Bonnie Hunter shows in the current issue of Quiltmaker magazine. I need to reduce the amount of bricks in my bin and this is the perfect project for that.

I made a quick trip to the fabric store with Taylor to pick up the remaining fabrics I needed for Pat Sloan's Meadow Breeze BOM. My used numbers include the wall hangings and Judy L's mystery fabric. Yeah!

I'm done dropping quilter's names now, so without further ado........here's this week's, in the black, stash report.


Used this Week: 13.5 yards
Used Year to Date: 139 yards
Added this Week: 2.5 yards
Added Year to Date: 133 yards
Net Used for 2010: 6

Head on over to Judy L's, check her report and then check the reports of others.

Strawberry Goodness and A Friend's Giveaway

Daughter Crystal got me a flat of strawberries yesterday and today we now have some fresh jam. Or is it jelly? I don't know, I can never remember which is which and really, I don't care! I do know it is delicious!

Granddaughter Taylor is spending the weekend so this morning she blended berries for 3 trays of roll ups and sliced 1 tray for the dehydrator. The girl doesn't like fresh berries but will eat the roll ups that only have a little apple juice for sweetener and the dried berries are like candy. Funny girl.

Kat at Kathy's Fancy Stitching News is having a giveaway to celebrate having 10,000 visitors. You should go visit her and increase her numbers. She is a very nice lady.

I think I need to make some toast and have a peanut butter and strawberry jelly foam sandwich for lunch! Yumm

Mood Lifters

The rain is back and I needed something to brighten my mood. I've had this free project from C & T Publishing Blog printed since the day they posted it. The project is called Bird on a Branch Table Runner. I didn't see this as a table runner, I saw it as a happy, make me smile wall hanging.

When I went to the Stash Builder's Bazaar in April, I found most of the fabrics for this project. So when the bug bit me Monday afternoon to sew something completely different, I grabbed this project. I get that way sometimes, I just need something quick, easy and fun.

I made mine quite a bit shorter than their design and used the cutout bits for the small wall hanging. I have a bunch of fusible and used some that wasn't labeled and I have no idea how long I've had it. It didn't stick real good but I have a fantastic washable glue stick and I used that where I needed to. My machine applique skills are a bit rusty but after a while, it started to look pretty good.

I like it! It makes me smile. Now I want to make another one! But first, I need to finish the quilt that is on the frame and quilt the other 3 that I have ready and finish piecing the quilt in progress...and, and, and!

Or I will make another wall hanging!

Design Wall Monday

My design wall has changed a little since last Monday. I rearranged a couple of the rows and they are now all sewn together. I made a couple more 3" blocks but not enough yet. I found some fabric for borders 1 and 3 and it is waiting to be cut.

The sun has found us and we have spent hours outdoors absorbing our Vitamin D. I spent lots of time last night massaging away the Charlie Horse that moved into my left calf. But the garden looks amazing and my flower bed makeover is looking pretty good. I hope today it will be complete!

Head over to Judy L's, look at her fabulous design wall and then check what everyone else is working on.

More Outside Fun

This morning we went visiting our friends Dick and Donna. Donna loves to garden and has numerous flower beds that she works very hard in.

Just walking around her yard gets me excited to come home and work in mine. I've been working on this corner since I saw this blog post at Stephanie's Scraps. I quickly commented and then followed her link to the tutorial. That led me to call my dad who has a very nice assortment of rebar and I was more than welcome to take some of it. He even cut it for me and since he knows me pretty good, he cut me 2 pieces. I went to town to buy flowerpots and plant and then it started to rain again! I'm pretty much a fair weather gardener so not much got done.

Now I have a grand plan for this section and I have Hubby willing to help with a couple projects. I also must use the other piece of rebar and I think I have the perfect spot for the second tower! My break is over and now I must go back out and plant more flowers and pull up more grass.

Stash Report 6.13.10

I actually quilted this week, this is quilt number 2--it's been on the to be quilted pile since January! Is it a bit ironic that I'm quilting baptist fans on a drunkard's path sampler??? Ironic or just plain funny, I'm picking funny. My dear son won't care, he just wants his quilt. I have flannel on the back and it's quilting up very nice. I'm still sewing on my crumb quilt. I need to make a few more 3" blocks for the border. I've decided on my solid border fabric, I just need to cut it and sew it on.

Staying home is great for the stash busting!! Nothing added, 3.5 yards used for a small quilt back. I'm still hoping for positive numbers. Guess I'll use that for this month's goal.

Used this Week: 3.5 yards
Used Year to Date: 125.5 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 130.5 yards
Net Used for 2010: <5>

Check the stash reports of others by visiting Judy L at Patchwork Times.

Marking This One Finished!

I really think binding is my favorite part of the quilting process. I love it when a quilt is finished. Looking back through my blog/journal I see this top shown as my first Design Wall Monday post of 2010 and quilting was finished in May. It had been aging for too long and now it will be folded and put away until it is gifted to it's new owner. I had to explain to Louie that he was not the new owner. He is looking rather sad about that. Don't feel sorry for him, he claims all the quilts. Kind of like another child of mine.

This quilt is one of my new favorites. Everything was from the stash. The thread was the last of a cone with just enough to fill a bobbin for my sewing machine and various bobbins were emptied of 3 different colors within the same color family. I used the very last of the polyester batting-yeah-and tested my new favorite pantograph called Alfresco by Lorien Quilting. (The link will take you to my favorite quilting supply store aka Columbia River Quilting.)

Next up to finish is one of two secret projects I've been working on. One is almost to the quilting stage and one just needs the binding sewn down so it can go in the mail. I have to hurry because sometimes it's really hard for me to keep a fabulous quilt a secret.

Do You Sew Every Day?

I try but it doesn't always happen. I didn't think it would happen today but the new Moose On The Porch Quilt Along Jelly Roll block was posted this morning. I went in to just cut the pieces. Within 30 minutes, the block was finished.

I love this block! It was fun to be able to use strips from the 1 1/2" bag. So far I've only had to use some of my cream background fabric. Every thing else has been from the bags I got at the sale last year. With only 4 more blocks to make, I think I'll have enough. I should start thinking about sashing and borders.

EQ7 arrived in my mailbox today. Yeah! I can't wait to start playing with it but we have a couple days of sunshine and I'm going to take advantage of it. I had to run into town this morning and visit with my friend for a while this afternoon but I got lots of beans planted and staked and did quite a bit weeding. How come the weeds grow so fast when all we've had is rain??? Tomorrow is more beans, corn, zucchini and cucumbers. Today I wondered how many pints of beans I planted.

Design Wall Monday

Hurray, blogger is back working again! I would hate to miss a Design Wall Monday post! I decided yesterday to start putting together some of my 6" crumb blocks. I have them pinned in sets of 10 and the pile was toppling over. I grabbed 2 sets and sewed them into 2 rows. Then 2 more sets until I had 8 rows. It didn't take very long at all. Then I started sewing the 3" blocks for the borders.

A few weeks ago, my friend Sheila gave me a bunch of fabric for borders and backings. I think this quilt can use up some of that. I'll have to hang a piece of it and see.....still in the planning stages for now.

Today my EQ7 arrived in my mailbox.....woe is me. I cannot play with that right now. I just got home from town with a car full of veggie and flower starts that must be planted in the ground today while it isn't raining. It seems we are only allowed one dry day at a time around here.

Hop over to Judy L's and see what everyone is up to.

Stash Report 6.6.10

I spent Wednesday in 4th grade. I know I would never win on the Smarter Than a 5th Grader show because I had trouble with some of the 4th grade questions. The Oregon Trail presentation was very interesting. I even learned a few things. When I finally got home, I collapsed in the chair and sat there absorbing the quiet. 4th graders are very busy people!

Saturday was spent planting in the garden. It turned out to be a beautiful day but the rains are supposed to return so I hope to get some quilting done this week. Not much to report on the stash use this week. I made binding for 2 quilts but neither have been quilted yet. I spent quite a bit of time sewing but I can't tell you about it yet.

Used this Week: 1.25 yards
Used Year to Date: 122 yards
Added this Week: 0 yards
Added Year to Date: 130.5 yards
Net Used for 2010: <8.5>

Head over to Judy L's , wish her a happy birthday, check her stash report and the reports of others.

Early Morning Soultion

My Memorial Day Quilt top is finished!

Do you ever wake up early in the morning with the perfect solution to your dilemma? I do, quite often in fact. I talked about being 6" short of fabric for this quilt and thinking maybe I needed to go back into town to get more fabric. Well after thinking about it and thinking about it, I came up with the perfect solution to my corner block dilemma.


4am thought: Paper piece the corner blocks and they will come out perfect. That means I have to draw the block and my whites have to line up and I don't know if I can do it~~alarm rings at 4:30..........finally hubby is out the door just after 5 and I sit down at the computer with my coffee.

Check email and facebook, check my morning reads, open EQ5. I can do this, I can draw a block. I can piece my pieces and they will be fine. Whoever receives this quilt will not hate me because it isn't perfect. Breath in, breath out, draw a block.

As you can see, they came out fine. Block on the left with the center strip pieced isn't near as obvious as it appears in the picture. I love this quilt. Thanks Judy L for designing and sharing.

PS: Judy L's new mystery step 1 has been posted. You know what I'm doing next!!!