Design Wall Monday

It's time to work on Garden Party #2.

This is from our retreat in May with Bonnie Hunter.

I haven't opened the box since May 22. 

After finishing Midnight Flight, 

I decided this is my next get it done project.

I have all the flowers kitted up ready to sew.

I decided to do the 9 patch chain blocks first.

Since I'm changing from Bonnie's original setting,

I need more blocks.

No problem, these are so fun to make.

I have my bins of parts to pull from

and everything else is already cut and ready to sew.

I have a retreat coming up pretty soon.

When your granddaughter sends you a picture of a quilt from a store

and she loves the colors and wants one kind of like that for her 18th (gasp) birthday,

you get busy.

I'll be making Quiltville's Scrappy Trips.

Found in her free patterns section.

I have a big bin of black and white strips but no aqua.

I ordered a strip set from my friend Judy at SewFunQuilts on Etsy.

Miss 18 is going to love this. 

Yesterday I sat down with my strips and made up block kits.

Each set is stacked in the order I want them sewn together.

Oh yes, I have a retreat plan.

Scrappy Trips first, then work on Garden Party flower blocks.

I think this will be enough to keep me busy for the whole retreat.

That's my plan today. 😉

Check out all the fabulous Design Wall Monday posts at

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

Long Day In And Out Of The Kitchen

Our freezer has an abundance of clams.

I don't like them but Ernie loves them.

I canned Clam Chowder base from the recipe in the Ball Blue Book

last year and emptied the last jar a few days ago.

So it was time to make more.

11 half pints (single serving) and 8 pints were canned today.

Plus 2 more pints went in the freezer.

I ran out of potatoes so will grab some tomorrow for another batch or 2.

Clamming season is about to open again and the freezer needs space.

I figured since I had the canner out, I may as well can some beans.

I love this simple process and having them on the shelf ready to use.

8 pints of red kidney beans, 5 pints of black beans and 19 pints of pinto beans.

My pantry shelves are going to look full again.

And my husband is thrilled to have his stinky clam chowder whenever he wants!

While I was canning, Ernie was outside.

He is the proud owner of an Alaskan Chainsaw Mill.

While wood cutting this summer, 

he brought home some maple logs to mill.

Out son in law is a woodworker and cannot wait to get his hands on these slabs.

I can't wait to see what he does with them.

This will make a gorgeous, rustic coffee table.

Design Wall Monday

Wednesday is Binding Friends Day.

I had my rows to Midnight Flight sewn together, 

I took them so the ladies would help me lay them out.

I really need to get a design wall up again!

After much oohing and aahing and a couple of rows switched,

we had it perfect!

It is now a completed top,

arrangements have been made for the quilting.

Pressing needs to happen today.

Lori at Humble Quilts is hosting another QAL.

This one is called Palmateer Point and part 2 is up today.

I know what else I'll be doing today.

Oklahoma Backroads is coming along nicely.

It's my leader/ender project.

I am one block short of half way.

This will be a lap quilt.

I worked on Mischief Quilt in the evenings this week.

I had to lay out a few of my blocks because it's time to cut more parts.

I can't wait to see what the next set of blocks will be.

No more pink or blue because there is a lot of that.

The strips are in the bin so it will be easy to cut the next bunch.

It's nice to be back into super sewing mode. 

And to make it better, the rain has returned to the Pacific Northwest!

I'm very thankful for that!

It's Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

It's a great day to sit with my coffee and catch up with my friends.

Saying Goodbye to Summer

We did a last summer hurrah at the beach.

11 days of family, fun and sun!

One day it was 94 degrees! 

At the beach!

Since buying the lot next door

(our 45th Anniversary gift to ourselves)

lots of brush clearing has been happening!

There is a big pampas grass bush right in the middle.

The plums are about to burst open.

I'm probably not going to see them. 😒

Unless we make a quick 2 or 3 trip next week. 

Over Labor Day weekend, Crystal and Co came to camp.

I can't believe I didn't get one single picture of the campers.

I guess we were having too much fun!

Over the Rod Run Weekend, Dee & Co + Stellie came down.

It's so fun when family comes to stay! 

Makes this Momma's dream come true.

We were ready to watch the cars as they headed from Ocean Park to Longbeach.

That didn't happen but we had a great time with friends.

We did see quite a few awesome old cars but not the parade.

Next year we will be better informed.

Remember the septic tank that isn't buried in the ground?

(You can see it here in this post behind Ernie in his lounger.)

I convinced him to use the fence boards to make a deck over it.

It can be easily lifted if the tank ever needs to be pumped.

It sure looks a lot better now. 

I want to fill it with flower pots next spring.

And this is how we spent our summer vacations.

Retirement is awesome!

With hunting season starting soon, 

I'm sure our trips will be made around the clam tide.

I am ready to get back to my sewing machine.

I have a list of projects longer than my arm!!