2018 County Fair----and family !

Kelley and the kids came down on Saturday afternoon.  We had fun going around to most of the local second-hand stores.  We found some fun goodies and had a good time.  Arriving back at my house, Zoe talked her brother into a facial masque, telling him that guys, as well as girls, need to practice 'good hygeine' with a really clean face!

Then I fixed us all a little supper before we got ready to go to the fair.  It was funny to hear the two struggling to open their mouths wide enough to eat those burgers with that masque holding their cheeks tight !
Plain, simple fare to eat.......hamburgers, (boxed) mac n cheese , and, by request of my daughter, my fried potatoes (she says no one else's come out like mine).

This being the first time we've all been able to go to the fair together, we had a wonderfully, fun time!  Upon arriving there, I was immediately talked into going on a ride with my daughter (really, a pretty tame one), and it wore me out from trying to keep the centrifugal force from making me squish her!   That was enough riding for me !   But the kids tried most everything but the kiddie rides, had some lemonade and funnel cakes, and went with me to see the quilts that I had entered into the exhibits.

  It was demolition derby night, but somehow with the allure of the 'midway', we never made it over to the grandstands to watch the smash-ups.  I think the boys would have loved it, but it just couldn't compete with carnival rides.

I wound up bringing home a couple of ribbons for my quilts, but was very disappointed with lack of public participation in entering, and with the fact that the quilts that WERE there were not well-displayed.

Remember this 16-patch quilt that I made last year while working at WalMart?
It won first place in the hand-quilted category.

And this one, that was made for a friend's grandson, won second place in the machine-quilted category.

 Still, atleast my grandkids got to see good, ol'-timey fair exhibits, such as they were.

When we finally took time out for funnel cakes, the bit of spitting rain picked up until it was a steady downpour coming over us while we sprinted towards the other end of the park where we had parked the minivan.  More laughter ensued !  God is good !

P.S.  I got this quilt-top basted.  It was pieced so many years ago that I hate the fabrics that I used.  But it reflects the time period in which it was done, so I'm just trying to make it a finished work.

Prep work, Kelley's move, and Rod Stewart

I've been getting a bit of quilting done since I last posted.  One of the projects was a secret, and I haven't received word that it has been gifted, so I'd better not say more about it.  But it was a project that I had forgotten about, so it was good to be able to check it off of my 'to do' list.

Yesterday, I cleared the furniture away in my living room, and set up my basting frame for this quilt.  County Fair time sort of snuck up on me, so I don't guess I'm going to have an entry, but atleast it has motivated me to do a little bit of prep work this week.

I resurrected a batting (from my shed) that I have had in storage for

probably 20 years !  It is one of two that I bought at an estate sale back then.   They were both 'new' in the package, and I used one of them on several smaller projects many years ago.  It made the most drapeable quilt that I have ever produced, so I hoarded the second one, waiting for a very special project.  Well, time has gotten away from me, and I figure that I either use it or now, or it winds up in MY estate sale some day.  I

I bought a luscious solid fabric in coral for this backing, thinking that it will give me a nice option for flipping the quilt over and using it as a whole-cloth look sometimes.

On July 2nd, my daughter and her family moved to Clarksville as her husband has been restationed at Ft. Campbell.  It's so nice to have them so near to me after all these years of them being 12 or more hours away !
She had said that if she ever lived close to me, she would take me to see Rod Stewart live in concert.   Well, surprisingly, that opportunity presented itself on the first of August, so her husband drove down to take me up to their house for a few days.  She and I attended my first 'real' concert, and we had a WONDERFULLY MEMORABLE night !

It was great to get to spend some quality family time too, before Tim had to leave for a year in South Korea.  We played monopoly late into the evening one night, and really got to see each other's competitive side.  It was fun.

I like this photo of Tim and the kids at the airport.

Other big news..........ZOE GOT CONTACT LENSES !

"Tracking East"

This is my latest quilt-top.  I got the idea from a quilt that I saw on Moda's Bake Shop, I think.  I'm not sure because I see these things that I want to make, but that I do not need a pattern to figure out,  and I save the photo, but not always the details.

 I did not make it to sell, though that COULD happen eventually as I have so many quilts at this point.  Their quilt was titled, "Jane's Ladder".  I have just found it here, offered as a free pdf pattern, so if you like it, go wild !

I pulled all of the limey/medium greens that I could find, and eventually had to throw in a few that weren't exactly what I wanted, but that worked anyway.  For the other 4 colorways, I used mostly "good neighbor" prints from Connecting Threads, plus other fabrics that I thought would continue the look.  The background fabric is a text fabric, also from Connecting Threads.

They are 8-inch finished blocks, set 7 blocks by 9 blocks, so it currently measures approximately 56 inches by 72 inches.  I have no plans for adding borders, as this is my favorite size to make currently.....a large nap quilt/twin bed topper.

under construction

It was a pleasant way to pass the hours while it is so very hot outside.  I DO miss working at Walmart, but don't miss being constantly worn out, and worrying about what I was going to fix to take for dinners and eat at home, too.  And now I'm told that they're phasing out all part-time positions, so it appears that the LORD gave me just what I needed, WHEN I needed it, and now that time has passed !   Praise God in His ultimate wisdom !
                                                         ****************************
My daughter and her family got moved to Tennessee (restationed with the army), and I had my first experience with driving up to see them.  I don't think I'll be doing that VERY MUCH, but it's so good to know they're so much closer to me now !

Borders ON !

Okay, I just finished attaching the borders to James' memorial, flannel-shirt quilt-top.

Now the search begins for a backing and batting.  I want a really soft, cuddly, comforting quilt.   Because these fabrics were cut from shirts that were repeatedly worn and washed, they are just totally broken in and drapey.  I MUST find a backing and batting that lets the finished quilt feel that way.

While pushing the top through my machine just now, my wrist was REALLY rebelling !  Those movements were definitely not welcomed, so I don't know HOW I'll get this thing machine-quilted.  I was hoping for a Fathers' Day finish, but that's looking (and feeling) doubtful.

Still, progress feels good !

Memorial quilt top progress

The center is all pieced together, measuring approximately 61 inches square.

I have enough shirting left to add length.  I'll probably add 6 x 15 inch pieces of each shirt to top and bottom to finish up a rectangular top.

The star section is made from a tiny grey and black plaid that I found in our local fabric store.  That and Walmart were my only local choices.  I felt that I had settled, but it turned out to be just the right choice to go with all the different colors of plaid shirts.

In other news, after being 'retired' for 3 weeks, rather than feeling rested up and energized, I have practically no energy or incentive to do much of anything.  I don't know what's going on, and it makes me feel worthless,; so I'm happy to atleast be making progress on my year-long desire to make this memorial quilt for my daughter.   Hopefully, it will be done by Father's Day, or atleast sometime this summer.

Memorial quilt begun

Last night, I began cutting up James' flannel shirts in preparation for making his memorial quilt. 

Maybe this is why I haven't been able to make anything else lately.  It's time for this to begin.

Slow down !

Spring took FOREVER to get here, and now it's moving way too fast.  Soon, most of the perennials will have finished blooming, but I have a few more pictures to share today.

Volunteer Coreopsis have come up along the discarded phone pole.  Love that !

A red Lily shows up underneath the mailbox.

This is the pink Coneflower that I bought at end of season last year.  It's planted in the bed along the front sidewalk.

The Delphinium are blooming up against the Rose of Sharon bush.

No news on the quilting front.  I seem to have 'quilters' block'.  Hope it passes soon !   Being retired makes for long boring days !   But Walmart proved faithful and is paying me my paid-time-off, and my 'myshare bonus' on a check this week.  I figured I'd have to wait longer than this.

I didn't file a workman's comp claim for my hurting wrist, and am praying that rest and the LORD's mercy will restore it.

We enjoyed a visit from my sister's husband (widowed in October of last year) this week.  He drove out to the east coast from California.

Unwelcome visitors

Twice in the same week !

First, about 3 days ago, I see this one crawing ACROSS MY FRONT YARD !   I follow him, videotaping on my phone, and he disappears underneath my back deck.

Then, today, while attempting to transplant a few volunteer Blackeyed Susans, I nearly step on this one.  He was lying just over my boundary line in the backyard of the next door (unoccupied) property.

I don't know if this is two separate snakes, or the same snake seen twice, but I'm not loving it !

Spring Gardening, 2018

I haven't been keeping up with much quilting, but, praise God, thanks to perennials, the garden goes on!

Here are a few pictures from this morning.  Warning,.....there are LOTS of Daisies !   Years ago, I stopped alongside a country road and dug up a few clusters of Daisies that were growing wild.  I moved them when I moved to this place, and they continue to grow and spread.  I have to make myself mow them sometimes, but this one patch that I leave out by my shade garden is becoming my 'field of Daisies', and I love it.   I guess it'll be more of a daisy patch, but that's fine.  It makes me smile.

These Salvia beside the front porch are really 'givers', just showing out every Spring ! 

And I have quite a few Sweet Williams plants scattered all around the place.  I love how they come up in different colors within the same little patch.

There's a double Knockout Rose at the entrance of the driveway, and a little birdhouse, in the shape of a little travel trailer, adorning the address sign.

 My Coreopsis (yellow) didn't do much last year, but I took the time to spread it's seed afterwards, and they came back wonderfully this year.  That golden touch is so refreshing and eye-catching !

Out in the shade garden, the Spiderwort is slowing spreading itself with new little bunches here and there.  I love that, as long as it doesnt just take over !  I sprinkled it with Blood Meal when it first started coming in again this Spring, and even kindo 'tented' branches over the clumps, to keep the deer away.   Oh how they love the new green sprouts !   Probably like we look forward to our first garden tomato of the year. 

Well, MAYBE I'm back !

The big news is that I"VE RETIRED ! 

That's a fancy way for saying that I had to resign my stocking job at Walmart !   I drove myself hard for a full year, and it took a toll on my knees, hips, and most recently, my left wrist.  I just couldn't keep doing that kind of damage to this old, 60-yr.-old body of mine.  I have no desire to undergo surgeries for new parts, or reconditioned old ones ! 

So,........maybe I'll get reaquainted with my old Singer .  I've already been doing a bit of catch-up work on the flowerbeds. 

Anyway........no photo today, but I hope that you'll welcome me back !   More changes..........I guess that's life, huh?

Bye-bye WIFI

Sorry to be absent for so long !

I'm awaiting a new bundle price from Spectrum again, so I'm using Hardee's WIFI for now.

But all is good on the homefront, and I've squeezed in a bit of sewing time lately.  Here are the photos of my finished Orange (Aqua/blue/green) Peels quilt top.  It measures 77 x 94, bigger than the wide backing that I purchased for it months ago, so I'll be re-shopping for a back.

It's going to be quite a job getting this one basted out on the covered carport, so I'm waiting and watching for a nice, warm, still day.

Another Free Monday !

And I enjoyed spending it in my sewing room.

I've had these leftover pieces hanging on my wall catching my eye each time I pass the sewing room doorway.  I have little real need for a quilt this size, and I can hear the ghost of my dear departed  husband saying, "what good is a quilt that is that small?"  I love the man, but that question did get on my nerves.

Measures approximately 35" by 43".

What GOOD it is.......is getting me into the sewing room for a day's worth of mindless, peaceful sewing, cutting and pressing without any worry over WHAT FOR.   I needed just that.

And it's pretty, don't you think?  I get a kick out of hanging something different on my living room quilt rack every couple of months, but many of them, even though small, are big enough to atleast be a baby or lap quilt, so I didn't put hanging sleeves on them.  This means that I have to pin them over the hanging rod and that's a nuisance.

So I've decided that when I am in need of a quick 'quilting fix', I can just whip up something specifically for hanging there !   Sounds fun and opens up the possibility for all kinds of things that I wouldn't take the time to make if having to fit a bed.

Maybe I'll even hand-quilt this one, just to have lap-work.

I hope you're enjoying some 'stay in and stay happily occupied' time !

Back in the sewing room

On my second Monday off, I finally went in to the sewing room and cleared that piled up cutting table.  I started looking around for some little project to get into, and came across a picture I had saved on my computer.  These pieced birds show up all over the place, but I know that I have read about them on the patchy menagerie's blog.

I didn't use her tutorial.  I can just look at some piecing designs and figure them out on my own, and I don't intend to sell this design, so I just tried making one up for fun.

Besides making that block, I dug into some scraps leftover from a quilt that I made for my second grandson years ago.  These strips were just too intrigueing to throw away, and I'm so glad that I found a good use for them.  I'm wild about these hotpads that I made.

They're not thick enough for, nor are they intended to be used for, actual potholders.  I use them when holding a plate or bowl to eat in the living room.  My coworkers laugh because I take them to work with me, along with real dishes to warm my meals.  But, why not?  It's the little things in life that bring you daily joy, right?

So, that's my report for the new year's beginning.  Feels like it's off to a good start.  I hope yours is filled with little things that bring YOU happiness.