Thursday, June 30, 2016

Ending June

OK Seriously where did June go?  Life is falling into a rhythm which is nice, and I have time to sew. 

I finished up the friendship block for quilt guild.  It is called chop suey.

I managed to get a quilt back made for this quilt.
I also decided on thread to quilt it with and received it in the mail today.

When I pulled out my roll of batting from the closet I discovered two sweater boxes full of fabric.  Gasp!  I got them folded and put away pretty quickly. 

Lots of yardage, and smaller pieces.  The smaller pieces were cut up into 5 inch strips, 2 1/2 inch strips, 2 inch strips, and 1 1/2 inch strips. 
Some of these were cut up to use in a Dresden Plate quilt that I decided I was going to finish up.

 I had found these in the boxes that I received from my MIL.  They were not even, I wasn't a fan of the blue, and I really did not want to do needle turn applique to roll the edges over,  so I took them all apart, trimmed them up and resewn.
I pulled some fabrics from my stash  and spent several hours pressing today.  See all of these pretty fan blades?

I started sewing them together.
I think the dark one needs to come out and be replaced. After looking at the picture I am not loving it, but I love the flowers.  Dang that means I need to make 5 more blades.  Hopefully I can find something that goes in my stash.  Otherwise I will have to make a stash enhancement. 

Last Friday my daughter sent me a picture and asked do you want it?

I loved how rustic looking the cabinet was, and the little doodad on top.  Inside? 

This is a Kenmore Rotary 120-71.   The two leaves actually open up to each side so you have lots of room.  It even had the book, and the accessories. 
I can't wait to have some time to play with it. 

This afternoon while the boys were playing in the pool I looked at my little crate I use as a table on the deck, and surprise I had a friend.

DH says these are tree frogs, they are a lot bigger than the ones that I am used to.  I seem to have one almost everywhere I spend time outside lately.

Hopefully July is a wee bit slower. 







Tuesday, June 28, 2016

June RSC Wrap Up

 I managed to get my final two blocks finished in aqua for the RSC.

Navajo

All of the Navajo blocks

Twisted Blossom

All Twisted Blossoms

Crown and Star

All Crown and Star blocks

Saw Toothed Square

All Saw Toothed Square blocks

Fancy Fox

All of my Fancy Fox blocks
It was nice to get all of the blocks done and be able to move onto something else.  I am linking up at Soscrappy for the final June linky party. 

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Summer and the Strawberry Moon

Summer has arrived and I cannot believe how busy it is.  So far in the past couple of weeks I have managed to get in a little sewing--

When we are not catching raccoons (yep caught coon #2) the Friday before last, this one was much more aggressive than the sibling we had caught a couple of days before. 


Picking wild strawberries in the field.

Unfortunately I have no pictures to show of our bounty, but we ended up with a couple of cups worth of berries which Finn devoured later on that day, hence no pictures.

I baked a mile high coconut cream pie for DH for Father's Day.

I have also done lots of watering, and weed pulling.  Here are a few of our radishes that I put in a salad I fixed for dinner. Aren't the different colors pretty?  I have carrots which are supposed to be different colors of orange and red.  I can't wait until they are ready. 

I also managed to get a couple of blocks done for the RSC.  The color this month is Aqua.
Saw Toothed Square
I finished up the Crown and Star late Friday evening.
Crown and Star

I have a couple of more days left this month.  I need to get an aqua twisted blossom block, and an aqua Navajo block completed also.  Is your summer crazy busy too?

Friday, June 24, 2016

June In Our Garden Blocks

I know it is the 24th and I feel like I am just squeaking under the wire finishing up my "In Our Garden Blocks" for the month of June. 

Garden Party




Coming Home


I decided that my bird needed to be a goldfinch after watching the ones in the pine tree.  I didn't realize that Sue of Supermom No Cape had an alternate bird which was a goldfinch, until after I had decided to make my bird different.  That is why you should read the pattern through. 

June-Designed by Sue of Supermom No Cape  
May-Designed by Carla of Creatin in the Sticks
April-Designed by Doris of Quilting Queen Online
March-Designed by Carol of Just Let Me Quilt
February-Designed by Amy of Sew Incredibly Crazy 
Amy also had a bonus block that I just had to make in April.

I am joining up with the linky party over at Sew Incredibly Crazy.  Last month I won the fat quarter bundle of Apricot and Persimmon from Riley Blake.  I just love the colors in this bundle!
It isn't too late to join the blog hop.

Friday, June 17, 2016

Summer Surprises

It is the middle of June.  Spring finally sprung in Michigan and I also had another surprise sprung on me.  My parents came to visit and brought two of my grand daughters from Oregon.
The girl on the top is Lillian, then the next step is Xander who lives here, his alter ego (they are only 3 months apart) cousin Aubri Jo, and the bottom is Gabriel.  Finn was being uncooperative for pictures of course.  We had time to visit, and play.
We visited Sterling State Park and went swimming in Lake Erie.


We even got brave enough to attempt to ride a bike.
While spending time outside with them I have been doing a lot of gardening.
My beans are starting to come up.  See all the cottonwood seed pods laying around my garden?
Sunflowers are making an appearance.  We are still waiting for corn, and carrots they are taking a bit.  I may replant carrots later this week if I don't have more come up.  I do have radishes, and beets though.
I planted about 25 gallon pots full of flower seeds.  I found a store on Ebay that had seeds for $1.00 per pack so I picked up some columbine, pineapple sage, borage, lupine, Baptista (false indigo), African Daisies, Heliotrope, and foxglove.  Each pack had anywhere from 10 seed to 1,000.  I only planted a couple of seeds in each pot.  I figure for the $10 total I couldn't buy 2 different gallon plants for that amount. 
My lettuce and romaine is coming along even though I had to replant after a little bird decided my planter would be a great place to take a dust bath, this was just after my seeds had started to sprout.
The cabbage probably needs to be replanted and only 1 or 2 left in the barrel, the rest going into the garden.

Look Dawn  I have tomatoes!
OK I did cheat I bought it as a gallon plant, it is a grape tomato.  But look at this baby she is huge!
My honeysuckle is blooming too!
I love sitting out on our porch with all of the beautiful fragrant flowers.

We have been having problems with rodents and vermin due to the ancient ones keeping a chicken in their garage and throwing out enough food, and seed to feed a small army.  Recently we had a large raccoon, we attempted to catch it but were not successful, doesn't help when people mess with the live trap.  A couple of days ago I saw 2 little raccoons scrambling up the tree behind our chicken house.  I was not happy, so we set a live trap.


Its twins!  We caught one, and the other will not venture far away.  I feel bad, but I don't need them around my chickens either.  Unfortunately our county animal control does not do wild animal pick up.  Which means I need to figure out a way to move them safely  for both me and them to a wooded area where there is water, and at least 1 mile from me. I set up a 2nd trap, but could not catch the twin, but he/she figured out how to get the treat I had in the trap out.  We took the one which was caught to the nearest wildlife refuge near the marshes on Lake Erie.  Lots of trees, brush, and water.  We will reset the bigger trap and try to catch the twin so that hopefully we can reunite them.

I also had this little beauty that visited for a couple of days.
This is a luna moth.  We had a couple of very windy days and I guess it knew it could not fly so it hung out on the garage for a couple of days. 

Enough of the flora and fauna I have done a little sewing.  The color for June's RSC is Aqua.  I managed to get my foxes done.

I think I may have already decided on the backing for this quilt too.  Have you seen the new line by Cloud 9 Organics called Foxglove?  I think it will be perfect.

I also got my bag lady block done for this month too.

The family from Oregon left on Wednesday, which was also the first full day of summer vacation for the boys.  We have some summer schooling and tutoring which will be happening.  Hopefully I will have some time for sewing too.