Two Things Checked Off the To-Do List

Some time ago I had committed to make more anti-ouch pouches for breast cancer surgery patients plus some adult clothes protectors (adult bibs) for a local nursing facility.  Both projects were hanging over me, so this weekend I decided to finish them so I could work on my quilting projects with a clear conscience. 

Here is the pile of ten anti-ouch pouches.  It had been long enough since I made any that I goofed on the bottom corners and had to do some unsewing.  These will be handed in at the next Quilt Club meeting and another team will fill them with fiber fill and transport them to the clinics where they are distributed.

Here are the five clothes protectors.  The white one on the bottom was a kitted model.  I've never liked working with terry cloth, and my machine didn't seem to enjoy it either, but at least they are finished.  There's nothing fancy about them, but I think they will be serviceable.

One Person's Trash Is Another's...

Every quilt has a story including this one, which I may have shown before.  For the last few years an effort has been made to revive the Burnet County Fair.  It has become one of the community service projects supported by the Quilt Club and for the first time this year I entered two quilts.  One did not place, but this one received a ribbon.  It was made from a kit I purchased at one of our quilt shows a few years ago.  Someone had kindly donated it to the Bits and Pieces booth and I picked it up for $5.  I substituted some of my own fabrics, many of which were from thrift store shirts, and put it together at a retreat.  It is one of the wall quilts I hang during the winter.  

Jane Stickle Triangle - Left Side 8

Here is Jane Stickle triangle block left side 8, Northern Lights.  If my spreadsheet is correct, I have four triangles and four corner kites remaining.  I sure hope I haven’t overlooked anything.  I’m getting anxious to move to the next step.

Work Continues on Multiple Projects

My pile of completed Jill Finley blocks continues to grow.   These blocks are ready for me to re-stitch the seam now that the appliqued stems have been tucked inside.  I have loved having this as a go-to handwork project ready for those nights Bob and I watch television together.  I don’t even mind his selection of programing when I have a project to work on.  I suspect that has been a survival technique used by wives for generations.

I have another Jane Stickle triangle block drafted.  It will require both paper piecing and applique.

Most of today is being spent cleaning house and running errands.  Maybe tomorrow I can sit down at the machine and do some work. 

Yesterday the forecast was for a 10% chance of rain.  Our house proved to be under the right cloud, however, and our yard gauge showed we received .4 inches.  The official LCRA gauge closest to us showed half that amount.  It was just our turn to be lucky.

Friends shared the bounty from their peach trees.  I see a cobbler in our near future.

Decision Made

Now that I am within five blocks of completing my Jane Stickle triangles, I was faced with the decision about what to use for sashing and alternate triangles in the border.  A friend invited me to accompany her on a visit to another quilt guild Monday and afterwards we made stops at two quilt shops. 

This is what I selected.  It is a dark blue floral batik that is a little less stark than a solid black, but close enough to black to serve as a neutral.  From a distance is reads as a solid. 

A cactus plant that we transplanted from the ranch decided to bloom this week.  

Jane Stickle Block: Susie Q

This is triangle block Left Side 6.  There are some errors (or maybe I could say unintentional design modifications) in this block as well as being askew.  I probably won’t redo it, however.  It is, after all, only one of 52 triangle blocks and did trim down to proper size.

 

We received significant and much needed rain this week.  Approximately 2.4 inches fell on our yard and the ranch gauge showed 1.71 inches.  While we are very grateful for the moisture, many in our area sustained terrible damage due to a tornado as well as strong straight line winds.  There was enough run off for Lake Buchanan, the source for our other lakes, to go from 38 to 39% of capacity.  At least it’s moving in the right direction.  

Another Jane Stickle Block

I worked on two Jane Stickle triangle blocks Tuesday and completed the handwork on the first last night.  This is left side 7, Sally’s Steeple.  It required both paper piecing and applique.  It wasn't that difficult, just time consuming.

The vegetable garden, which consists of three tomato plants and three pepper plants, all in pots, is really producing.  Nothing tastes as good as a vine ripened tomato.  I'm also getting a hand full of black berries to go on my cereal every other day.  I have one two-year old plant that is bearing and a newly planted bush that is trying to become established.

Last fall’s chrysanthemum is also blooming.  It has managed to thrive on complete neglect.  When the blooms fade I will try to put it into a new pot with fresh soil.

Bob made a trip to the ranch this morning to check on some things.  When he opened the screen door to the house he discovered a snake napping between the screen and the house door.  He knocked it out of the way assuming it was a harmless only to discover it was a copperhead.  By the time he found something to kill it with, it had disappeared.  

Doing a Bit of Cleanup

Another project I've been working on is culling through this stack of magazines.  Quilt magazines have a quality of timelessness for me and I enjoy browsing through old ones almost as much as the newer variety.  I like to pick them up for next to nothing at the Bits and Pieces booth at our biannual quilt show, and I keep them both in town and at the ranch house.  My collection has become too cumbersome, however, and my goal is to thin out my supply.  

I’ll keep those articles that are possible future projects or even small clippings that offer some kind of inspiration.  The clippings will be taped or glued into a notebook and the projects will be stored in page protectors.  

It’s proving to be a time consuming process.  I had hoped to have worked through these in time for the recycle truck yesterday.  I managed to get through some of it, but quite a lot still remains.  Now I've got two weeks until the next pickup.  

Progress on Multiple Fronts

I've slowly been making progress on three projects.  

Two more Jane Stickle blocks are prepped and ready for my next sew-day with friends.  

Quilting has resumed on my split nine patch quilt.   

I've completed applique handwork on nine blocks for the Jill Finley quilt.  

I had to miss sewing with my friends Tuesday, but hope to get back to that next week. 

We made a trip to the ranch yesterday and agreed to a proposed contract for the rebuild on the ranch house interior.  We hope the actual work will begin in about two weeks.

It's still nice and green since the last rainfall.