Quilting and Gardening Really Help My Attitude!

This has been a much better week for me, though the attitude could still use a bit more adjustment.  At least I was able to accomplish a little sewing, and I got 20 red begonias around the tree in the front yard early in the week.  I even spent all of Thursday at church quilting; that quilt is looking so good!  Maybe I will remember to take my camera next week.

After making the green/pink rose table mat, I decided to make four little circle mug mats to go with it on the coffee table.  The roses, different from last week's, smell so good, and looked prettier a day or two before the picture, but I just wanted to share them.

After the little circle mats, I used the corners left from the large circles to make a piano bench mat.

  I also managed to make three Civil War blocks.  I now have 34 of the 53 blocks made.

Week 35 - Star of the West

Week 36 - Kentucky Crossroads
(Color is off in picture; it's really Dark Brown!)

Week 37 - Confederate Rose

When I first began this Civil War Quilt project, Ruth, of Country Log Cabin Quilts, sent me the rose center block; I waited to use it in just the right place, and I think this is it!  I dug in my stash and found the little roses, and while they are not really from Civil War fabrics, I wanted to use them here.  They are very similar to the ones used in Barbara Brackman's blog for this block, so I guess they will be just fine.  The block suits me anyway!  You know me and pink roses; I would like an entire quilt just like this block!   Thanks again, Ruth!

I am so grateful for the beautiful weather we've had this week, and more of the same is in store in the coming week.  That certainly will help my attitude! 

Tonight I'm making Scottish Potato-Leek Soup for a Missions Luncheon after church tomorrow.  It surely smells good; guess I better go check on it.

Hope everyone has a blessed Sunday and a great week to follow!

---"Love"

 

"Don't Want To Do It" Mood

Do you ever have a time when you just don't want to do anything?  I mean, including quilting?  Seems like I've been in that "don't want to do it" mood for several days, and I don't like it a bit!  I don't want to clean house, work in the yard, or even sew, but I've made myself do a little of all those.  I think the quilt frame incident affected me more than I like to admit, and I've just rebelled against everything!  Got to get over that attitude right now!

I did get a couple of Civil War blocks made.  I had skipped Week 6 - Richmond block, thinking I needed to get a special fabric, but decided to use these fabrics this week, and I like how it turned out.



Week 6 - Richmond Block

Yesterday I made Week 33 block - Indiana Puzzle.  I really enjoyed Barbara Brackman's history lesson on this block, and the Copperheads and copper pennies.  I was using my Curvemaster foot, and somehow managed to get the needle stuck in the plastic; the needle broke, and so did the foot!  In desperation, I learned that using the same technique with my 1/4" foot with the little lip edge worked just as well, or maybe even better!  I've glued the foot back together; maybe it will hold; if not, so be it!  (I forgot to square up the edges of the block before the picture, but I'm not going back now!)


Week 33 - Indiana Puzzle

I had received a birthday gift certificate from a quilt store I rarely shop, and I kept forgetting to redeem it.  I finally did that, and got a few notions and a Thermore batting, and a baby quilt panel.  I've never used Thermore, but I'm looking forward to it someday.  I got the baby quilt made last week, and did something I've never done.  I'm not sure who will be the recipient yet, but I'm guessing it will go to a summer baby.  Rather than put a heavier cotton batting, for our Texas summers, I used just a double-sided cotton flannel which I washed in hot water and dried on high dryer heat to do a total shrink job.  The quilt is very thin, but should be just right for a tiny one when the A.C. is a little cool.  The quilt is 36" square, and has nursery rhyme lines. 

I think today I'll go get some plants for the patio and yard.  I usually have that all done by now, and I haven't bought a single plant yet this year!  At least I got the taxes done last week!  Got to get out of this "don't want to" mood!   Maybe the sunshine will help!

Hope everyone gets lots of sewing/quilting done this week!

---"Love"

Another Doll Quilt, Four Civil War Blocks, and Lots of Roses!

This has been another busy week, but at least I got a little sewing/quilting done!

I think those 2" half-square scrap blocks are growing in number, but quite a few are in this little 16"x22" donation doll quilt.  I got the idea from a really old magazine with lots of mini-quilts.



I was also able to get four more blocks made for my Barbara Brackman Civil War Quilt.


Week 29 - Next Door Neighbor



Week 29 - Railroad Crossing



Week 30 - Peterson's Stars and Stripes
Points are a little wonky, and picture doesn't show good color.
Both the red and white stripes have little stars too.
First applique in a long time!  Actually it was fun,
but now my finger aches!

Week 31 - Empty Spools
The spool fabric has tiny lines, but they don't show well here.
A double-click shows them better.

I went with the church "Golden Agers" to Tyler, Texas on Thursday to see the Azalea Trails there.  We were about a week too late; the rain and storms had finished them off on Tuesday, but the Tyler Rose Garden was in full bloom!  Simply beautiful!  If you live within a day's drive, it is well worth seeing!

Just about the only Azalea left intact!

Just a portion of the expanse of the Rose Garden!

Full bloom!  Every color imagineable!

AND THEN THERE'S THESE NEXT TWO JUST OUTSIDE MY SUNROOM WINDOWS:

A little rain damaged, but full of new buds to come again!

I hope everyone had a glorious Easter.  I did!

---"Love"

 

Three Civil War Blocks; Whatta Week!

Very little quilting done around here this week, until Saturday and Sunday!  I have a little doll quilt almost finished, but failed to get a picture; that will come later.  Here's three Civil War Quilt blocks -  Weeks 25, 26, and 27 --- Calico Puzzle, Barbara Frietchie Star, and Iris Chain (which could use more contrast). 

Most of Monday was spent working in the yard and hassling with the quilting frame vendor over my refund.  They held out a steep re-stocking charge.  Again, I finally just gave up!  Another hard lesson, but at least the credit will be on the same credit card statement as the original charge!  I'm just glad that's all over!

On Tuesday my son's home got flooded, literally, when the commode malfunctioned and wasn't found for several hours.  Water was more than an inch deep in every room and closet, and was running to the outside from between the brick and foundation on every side.  It was even running out of the garage from inside the house!  What a mess!  Of course, the carpet had to be ripped out, and their furniture loaded onto a U-Haul truck still sitting in the driveway.  Fifteen huge fans have been running since then to dry out all the baseboards, etc.  The insurance company provided a room in a hotel, but I think that may come to an end on Tuesday, and they will most likely be with me for a few (I hope!) days until new carpet can be put down and the furniture is back in place.  Believe me, it has been, and will continue to be, a bad experience! 

Finally got to sew a bit on the little doll quilt on Wednesday and worked in the yard more.  Then I quilted at church on Thursday, which, I might add, was a fun day, full of laughter.  I needed that badly after Tuesday when I dragged out all those wet clothes from the floor of the grandsons' closets!  Not fun for sure!

I had planned to sew all day Friday, but you know what happens to the best laid plans!  My friend, whose husband has cancer and Parkinson's, needed to go to Penny's about 20 miles away, but doesn't drive there, so I took her to do her shopping, and then went back to her house Saturday night to help hang some pictures she bought.  I did get two of the Civil War blocks made Saturday, and the third one Sunday.   

I'm afraid to even plan or predict what will transpire this week!  I'm pretty sure it will be just a tiring as last week, and probably will not include much sewing!  I will try, honestly,  I will try!  This old lady is getting tired! 

I will leave you with a couple of pictures of Spring in my back yard, just outside my sunroom windows!  I love to just stand and look at the rose garden!

The rose is Earthkind's Belinda's Dream.  I have three of these, and they are full of buds ready to open in a day or two, and they smell so wonderful!  The Climbing Pinkie, red Knockouts, and others will be in full bloom later in the week.

Have fun this week.

---"Love"