At Last!

I've finally finished with my last flower. I've enjoyed making a variety of them but, with this last one, I'm bringing my flower making to an end. I admit I don't really like doing so many of one item. It has helped to have each one in a different fabric. Now on to something else.

I've had this pattern in my files for a while now and decided this was the time to piece it. This is a free pattern that you can find at  http://www.mccallsquilting.com/ It's kind of hidden in their files so enter: Sew Much To Do in their search engine and you'll find the pathway to the directions. If you want this pattern don't forget to download the templates that go with the pattern.  When I finish this wall hanging I'll be placing it on the wall over my restored treadle sewing machine. Or rather where I'm going to locate the machine when it's restored.

I'm trying to come off the quilting bug for a while. I want to get back to my artwork and I'll have to can my tomatoes and butternut squash soon and that's going to be my priority until that's done. But I promise I will continue to blog every week or at least try to.

Nearing the end of my flowers

Hi folks! Today is One Flower Wednesday. I have one more flower after this to post next week. (I haven't finished it yet.) I've decided that this will be enough for my tablecloth. I'll be sewing the pathways between the flowers and will post my progress from time to time. I plan on doing a border for it in the future but I must get on to other projects for now. It's been a good experience to have to get in the habit of posting on my blog on a regular basis. I plan on continuing. I have lots of hexies cut out but not enough to make the flower petals one color.





I have completed two more blocks for our quilt guild project.

Bear Claws

Jacobs Ladder

Be sure to check out the new blog for our guild at http://twilightstitchers92.blogspot.com/   We just started it and will be posting more pictures from our latest project The Underground Railroad Quilt and also of our members other projects. Please sign up and be a follower.

I'm sorry if this post seems a little disjointed. Apparently blogger is having issues today.

Stay at Home Robin Block

I just posted a photo of my center block for our Stay-at-Home Robin group that Sunny started on flickr. This is my own original pattern. I wanted to do appliqued pomegranates but the patterns that I found didn't include the blossom end of the fruit that I think looks like a little crown. This was so much fun to do. I wonder what the next row will look like. Can't wait, but, of course, I'm on to another quilting project until the next row is posted. Gotta keep those hands busy!

Running Around Like A Chicken With My Head Cut Off...Again!

All I did was blink and it's time for One Flower Wednesday again. Where did the week go? I want to post on my blog more often but it seems like I'm always too busy. Today is no different. This morning I had to clean up the kitchen and get my canning jars ready for my zucchini pickles. Then my DH came home from work and I got his dinner ready. More dishes to wash. Then came slicing the zucchini and adding the brine. Off I went to get the car inspected, thankful that it passed. Back home and make the liquid for the pickles. Zucchini hasn't soaked long enough so to my computer while I wait for the time to pass. Pulled up my account on facebook and started reading my friends' posts. A friend comes on chat and I chat with him for a few minutes. Still not time to start processing the pickles. Grabbed leftovers for supper. Uh oh! Husband is up and wants something to eat. More dishes, this time left in the sink. Finally, finally, finally started heating everything up for the pickles. Have I got your head spinning yet? I know mine is! Haha!

Now for my latest flower. And two more to go before I assemble them into a tablecloth. Whoopee!

Last week our daughter, son-in-law and the grandchildren went camping for a week and I had the delightful assignment of 'bunny sitting'. Bunbun, as the girls named him, is a miniature lopear. He likes to chase me around the livingroom like a puppy dog. I was over everyday to feed him and clean his cage. He loves green beans and when I didn't give him as many as he wanted, I got the 'look'. It's amazing how animals can communicate without saying a word.

Okay, I've been so busy I haven't gotten my 2nd Underground Railroad Quilt block done. But I do have it cut out. So maybe I'll have more to post on my blog this week. Stay tuned. One more thing before I go. I'll give you another peak at what I'm doing for our Stay-at-home-Robin. And next week I'll have it done to show you the first part of this project. I promise you'll love it.

Where Did The Week Go?

It seems like I wake up in the morning and find it's always Wednesday. Too funny. Well, here it is again. Wednesday that is. Bet you couldn't figure that one out, could you?  And my next flower is finished. I'm getting close to having enough to do a table cloth. I'm planning on 3 more flowers to add to the pile and go from there. Next I will be adding the pathway between the flowers and then the border. Oh, and didn't I tell you, I've made to many flowers to make a table runner. Unless of course, I wanted it to be for a very long table. So my plans have changed again, back to the tablecloth. Here's my latest flower.

Have you ever noticed how difficult it is to move your image around on the page. Sometimes it co-operates and sometimes not. This time it didn't. So I'm filling in the space with worthless chatter!

Now let's see if I can post another picture. I used my pressure canner for the first time last week and I have been admiring my work ever since. (Patting myself on the back here. pat pat) It was a bit nerve racking but I managed to get through it with a lot of reading the instructions. How do you like my canned wax beans? Now that I've shared my success, it's time to put the jars in the pantry.

And last of all, I thought I'd tease you a little bit. Sunny over at http://sunny-quiltingdreams.blogspot.com/ invited readers to join her in a Stay-home-Robin. You probably know what a round robin is but, since participants are all over the world, this is a chance to make a quilt without having to personally assemble in one location.
Our first instructions were to make a 16 inch block...any design we wanted. Each month we will be given instructions on how to make the next row of the quilt. The above picture is a tidbit of my first block. When I finish the block I'll post a picture. Until then you'll have to guess. If you want to join in there is still time. Go on over to Sunny's blog and look for her post dated August 2. Make a comment and she'll get back to you with the instructions and information on a photo sharing site set up just for participants.

A Second Blog Posting This Week?

  My, oh my! Can you believe it? I'm posting two days in a row. How can that be? Probably because I don't really want to go out and check my exploding zucchini crop again. I know that I'm only procrastinating the inevitable. Meanwhile I found a lot of zucchini recipes on www.allrecipes.com. 952of them as a matter of fact. And they aren't just for zucchini bread either. Some of them sound so yummie! Fritters, casseroles, salads, soups and more.
  Last weekend my next door neighbors had a barn sale. Lots of antiques. And could I resist? Naw! But I only bought one thing. I didn't even look at all their sale items when I saw this.

  It needs a little TLC but it's doable. It was a little dirty and smelly. I had to wash it down with Murphy's Oil Soap before bringing it into the house. It still needs work. I need to clean up the sewing head yet, oil it, etc. I'm going to have to wire brush rust off of the treadle and the casters and repaint them. Then it's on to gluing down some laminate that is coming off, filling some gouges and finally, redoing the cabinet finish. She's going to be a beauty when I'm done with her. Can't wait to try quilting with my new treasure.

 There are interesting decals on the head. I've found a manual for this machine along with extra bobbins available  and some history on the manufacturer on the internet.
  I owned another treadle machine a few years ago but sold it to raise money to go to a wool festival with a friend. (For those who don't know, I spin yarn too.) My friend was my ride to the festival. Unfortunately, she was unable to go as planned. I could get over not going to the wool festival but I no longer had my sewing machine. So when I saw this one, I admit I jumped on it. With a little bit of love, she'll be like new.

The past week has been a blur...

...with the zucchini population exploding (I didn't know that zucchini in your garden can double in size in an afternoon), having to have stitches taken out (had a tooth pulled the week before), taking online classes (one in marketing and one in Hebrew), panicking that I would have to can the waxed beans from the garden before I had the kitchen prepared (whew! there were only 2 quarts worth to pick after all and I blanched and froze them), putting on mileage to pick up my 93 year old dad across town, take him to the doctors, taking him back to his residence, then picking up my husband from work and yes, spending too much time on this computer! I think my high school English teacher wouldn't be happy with my run-on sentences!

After all is said and done...it's Wednesday! Time to share my latest flower with my viewers. This makes 31 altogether and I think because I'm into so many projects I'm going to make a table runner with these flowers. I'm not sure how many more I'll make but it probably won't be many. And then I will assemble them with pathways of muslin between the flowers and maybe add a lace border.

As I shared in my last post, the members of our local quilt guild, the Twilight Stitchers Quilt Guild, are each participating in constructing the famous Underground Railroad quilt. There are 12 blocks to this quilt and the members will do a block a month until all blocks are completed, then assemble the blocks into a completed quilt. Some of the ladies from The Quilting Corner will be joining in the fun with their own versions of the patterns. Stop on over to their blog at  http://zahavaquilters.blogspot.com/ and see the quilts these talented ladies create. As a matter of fact, any of my readers are welcome to join along and make her own underground railroad quilt. It is recommended that you choose 5 different colors for this quilt although it is perfectly alright to make a scrappy version. Each block will consist of 12 square inches but if you like a challenge, you might downsize the block patterns and make a wall hanging instead of a larger quilt. Also think about what fabric you might use to place as separator strips between each block and on the border. The first block (shown in my last post dated July 27) in the quilt is the Churn Dash, also known as the Monkey Wrench. You can find the pattern at: http://www.quilterscache.com/C/ChurnDashBlock.html
Another website to check is   http://home2.fvcc.edu/~cgreig/final/blocks.html  There you will find a good representation of the twelve blocks we will be making.

I'll be taking as many pictures as I can of our guild members blocks and posting them for everyone to see. The last project our guild did was a mystery quilt wall hanging. I find it amazing how different each quilt looked using the same pattern but different fabrics. Each was unique! I'm sure this project will yield the same results. Happy quilting everyone!