Plugging Along

Since I’ve felt bogged down on several of my on-going projects and was having trouble focusing, I decided to finish the anti-ouch pouches I had kitted up a couple of years ago.  They are used by persons recovering from breast surgeries or biopsies and are a community service project for our Guild.  I used to make these by the dozens.  When Covid lockdown occurred, several members churned out so many that I decided to take a break.  The surplus they created is beginning to dwindle and my burn-out is cooling, so I was ready.  These will be delivered to the Guild Wednesday. 

Work is also progressing on my Kim McLean inspired project.  Several of the house blocks are cut out and ready for assembly and another applique block, this one a cactus, is prepped.  Like I said in my last post, these fabric choices are way, way out of my comfort zone. 

The northern lights last week were not visible to the naked eye in our area, but I could capture an image using the camera in my phone.  If I had a bucket list, this would have been one of its items.

I purchased some goodies from Wanda’s recent de-stash sale.   I think there may be some more aprons and hot pads in my future.

I also picked up some Christmas fat quarters from an Etsy vendor. These are Fig Tree Fabrics, which I have started collecting.

We are still having 90-degree days and my hibiscus is blooming despite a season long battle with aphids.  It’s time to retire my humming bird feeder, no visitors to it for over a week.

Since I Last Posted...

Funny thing, blog posts refuse to write and publish themselves.  At least I didn’t quite wait a full month to document what’s going on!

Two years ago, at our most recent Guild Quilt Show, I impulse purchased this Kim McLean pattern and large assortment of Kaffe Collective fabrics that had  been donated to the silent auction.  Since then it's been lurking in my stash closet.  If I made the entire pattern, I would have a bed-size quilt, and I am not interested in that big a project.  Also, looking at some of the applique blocks, I saw there were a lot of critters that don't belong in Texas.  I’ve finally come up with a plan.  

 

What I’ve decided to do, is make a smaller center, perhaps five by five blocks and add in some with a Texas theme.

My first attempt at drafting was an armadillo.  He still needs eyes, nose and maybe claws, but the applique is stitched down.

 

A second alternate block is prepped for handwork.  It comes directly from the pattern. 

 

A purple armadillo and a lollypop tree are out of my comfort zone, but I’m giving it a go because I’ve always been fascinated by Kim’s work.  I may attempt a cactus plant for another block.  I will do the EPP hexagon border, and some sort of fencing as the final border.  I won’t do the outer border shown in the pattern, a little too exotic for me.   

And in other news…

I finished this monster of a puzzle and returned it to Julia.  I’m hooked, another one is on order.

 

 

We had a bittersweet trip to Dallas to visit friends.  We are all getting older.

 And, you may have heard a shrill scream September 2. Husband was out of the house.  Dogs were on duty as usual. (Maddie was hiding.)  

I was minding my own business when I saw this on our bedroom floor.

 

I recognized it as “harmless” and managed to capture it with tongs.  After I had dropped and recaptured it several times, neither the snake nor I was amused.  I carried  it to the farthest corner of our yard and flung it as far as I could onto the golf course toward a drainage ditch.  We assume it came in through the pet door.  I love my mutts.

Although I did some cutting, a little sewing and a lot of pondering, I have very little progress to show for the two last two weeks.

 

A friend gave me some fabric for aprons, and I did complete one.

 

In other news…

 

I’ve acquired new foot apparel.  Seems the gimpy foot I’ve had for a month was caused by a stress fracture.  How that came about is unknown.  

 

My daughter loaned me this puzzle.  It has become a major distraction.

 

A porcupine was captured at our church.  I’ve lived most of my life in Texas, and it has only been in recent years that I’ve been aware that we have porcupines.  How did this little fellow make it to our church in the middle of the city?

That Indecisive, In-Beween Time

I find that I’m in that slump period before starting new projects and determining the next direction on long-term ones.  My hexagon quilt has reached the stage where it could either be enlarged, or a border added and used as a very small throw. If I do the borders now, should I add applique?  Still turning these thoughts over in my mind.  Current dimensions are 47X60 inches.

 

Meanwhile, I’ve been doing some scrap management, cutting down remnants, especially odd shaped ones, into 2 and 1 ½ inch squares.  My containers are slowly filling up and I’m looking at various options on what to do with them.  If I can at least determine a direction, I can start using them as leader/enders.

 

In other news, a friend gave me the start of a Blue Mist Flower plant last year.  This year it has really taken off and the butterflies love it.  She cautioned me to grow it in a pot because it can be invasive.  It’s reached the point now, that I will need to divide it before next spring.  So far, all my efforts to grow Milk Weed have failed.

 This weekend we celebrated our youngest grandson’s 21^st birthday.  Wasn’t he just a toddler last week?  He resumes classes at Texas A&M next week!

 

Hosting Quilty Friends

Yesterday was my turn to host the neighborhood quilters.  Whenever I visit a quilter’s home, I always hope for a glimpse of their studio.  In my case, they have to access the guest bathroom by going through my sewing room, so of course a tidy-up was necessary.

I come from a family of packrats, so my room will always have some clutter, this is much neater than usual.

The Husky tool chest serves as a storage space, as well as a pressing and cutting station.  I purchased the large pressing surface from a friend who was opening a retreat center.  It and the Husky are two of my better purchase decisions.

I keep two sewing machines ready for use at all times.  The one in the window is a straight stitch only machine with some modern convenienes like thread cutting and needle-down capabilities.  The Janome has a built in walking foot plus some extra stitches.

Then, there is my sit-down quilting machine.  I have a love-hate relationship with this machine.  I love its capabilities and hate my skill limitations.

I also received some happy mail from Wanda.  During a recent destash sale I jumped on these pretty grape fabrics.  This is a color family that is lacking in my stash, and I was happy to get them.

Another Finish

The binding is finished and my vintage bowtie quilt is bound-labeled-done.  This was done as a part of a Fig Tree & Company sew along using fabrics from their Jelly and Jam Collection.  I wanted a light weight summery quilt for my easy chair and chose the thinnest batting I could find by Quilter’s Dream.

 

My Hibiscus was not doing well and I’ve moved it to a bigger pot and a sunnier spot.  I discovered the buds and undersides of leaves were covered with tiny white bugs.  A Master Gardener friend suggested that I drench the foliage with water.  That has helped and I am now seeing more buds.  Unfortunately, the bugs keep reappearing and I have to repeat the process daily.

In other news... 

The time I spent with my daughter last weekend was wonderful, followed by a call Monday morning telling me she had tested positive for Covid.  In the past week I have tested three times, all with negative results.  I’ll be checking with my doctor Monday to see if I can resume normal activities.

A Non-Quilty Finish

My Tuesday quilting group did a road trip recently and I brought home this pattern.  The apron is reversible and made with quilter’s cotton.  The hardest part for me was making and placing the pockets.  I think I tried four different methods before I found one I liked.  I ended up making a template and turning the rounded edges using starch and an iron, similar to the way I do prepared-edge applique.  The pockets are made with two coordinating fabric layers, and I found it helpful to stitch the two layers together before prepping the edges.  The next hardest part was attaching the yoke.  Pins didn’t work well for me and I ended up using applique glue to hold the seam ends together while I stitched. 

 

Hopefully future aprons will go together quicker.  I am considering making more for the Guild boutique and as gifts.