33 posts tagged “quilting”

Img_5194 - Baby

Baby came with me this evening when I went out to take pictures for this week's Photo Quest.  This picture didn't make the cut for the contest, but I had to share it anyway. 

Didn't do any quilting today.  Had a very nice visit with two of our sons and their families.  We had sandwiches for lunch and ham for dinner, so I didn't wear myself out cooking all day. 

I started cleaning up some of the pictures I have saved on my computer.  I am running out of room!  I had to delete a bunch of files just so I could get my pictures off the camera.  Need to do more deleting.  Or get more storage. 

Time for bed, but I want to try to send some pictures to Snapfish.  Wish it didn't take so long to send them. 

Tulips

I don't have very many tulips anymore, but these opened up today.  I took a walk this morning while it was still raining lightly, but I couldn't resist going back out with my camera tonight, even though I have already submitted my photographs for the challenge.  We got almost an inch of rain this morning.  Everything is so green and pretty. 

I didn't do much quilting today.  I started on another pot holder that I will work on again tonight.  I also worked on two more projects - the dresses for the twins, and a table runner that I'm knitting with fabric strips.  I know it sounds weird, but I think it is really pretty.  I will try to post a picture tomorrow. 

Wildflowers above the lake

The weather was so nice yesterday, that we went out and walked around the lake.  I was surprised by how many different wild flowers I found growing on that one hill side.  There were lots of these small white flowers and some even smaller light purple ones. 

The did some more work on my flower bed yesterday, too.  I finished moving the iris out of the fence row where they never bloomed.  I had moved them out of the flower bed when I wanted room for more annuals, but now I have decided that spring flowers and lots of them are my best bet.  It gets so hot and dry that I have to water constantly to keep things green all summer.  This way I can just add a few petunias, etc.  around the edges. 

I did some quilting last night, but don't have any pictures yet.  Maybe tomorrow!  Stay tuned. 

Baby lovie and burpie set

Here's they results of my first efforts to work with chenille.  Much harder than it looks!  Came up with this set of burpies and a lovie, but don't plan on making anything else soon, at least not for a day or two! 

I do have a couple of ideas I would like to try, so it may not be too long.

I did make three more shoo-fly blocks today.  I really like the way they turned out, but don't have the right fabric for sashing and borders. 

So I started on another project - a table runner to use up some of my odds and ends.  I think it's going to be alright.  I need some items to donate to an auction this weekend anyway. 

The lake is full!

Here's a picture of our lake that I took this afternoon from up the road close to where you turn in off the blacktop.  The buildings in the background are ours, so when I say I'm quilting in the country, I really am!  There was a lot of water running into the lake today, and the wind was really blowing from the south, so the lake was choppy and dirty. 

I feel sorry for everyone who is suffering from all the excess water, but it has been really dry here for the past three years, so we did need a lot of rain.  It could hold off for awhile now, but I'm never going to wish for it to stop raining.  One day it will. 

Sorry I have been away so long!  I went to the city last Friday, and if I ever did have a minute to look at the computer, the computer wouldn't work!  Very frustrating.

Had a busy weekend.  Took the baby to a First Communion for a nephew's daughter.  He was good, but it wore me out carrying him around.  He has asleep when I got to the school/church, so I left him in his car seat, which he is too big for, and almost impossible to carry, especially with his stuff and mine.  By the time I bumped him around getting to the door, he was awake anyway!  He did fall asleep again on our way to the nephew's house, and slept while we ate, which was nice. 

On Sunday, my daughter needed to sleep, so I took everyone, including the neighbor girl who had spent the night, to Mass, then to Krispy Kreem for doughnuts.  Then we took the long way home through a state park that has a population of elk.  It was weird to see them out in the woods so close to the city.  The girls were more excited about the geese and a couple of ducks they saw on the lake.  It was really nice.  It felt like we were a million miles away from the city. 

I wanted the girls to go outside when we got home, but they wanted to play Wii.  Of course they woke up their mom, then went outside.  They played for awhile, then I took the three of them, plus three neighbors, plus the baby shopping for flip-flops.  Two of the neighbors are older, and were actually a big help.  The girls all got sunglasses and sandals, and we got little shoes for the baby.  Stopped and picked up supper on the way home.  All that running around did me in!

I had planned to come home yesterday morning as soon as the girls left for school, but it was almost 5:00 before I got on the road.  Only made a couple of stops, but it was still 8:30 by the time I got home.  Too late to start on anything, so I just watched the basketball game. 

Wanted to catch up on the computer yesterday morning, but it was raining and thundering, and I was afraid of lightening. The least little bit of lightening will take out my modem in a heartbeat.  So I worked on a table runner instead, and got it finished last night.  I really like the way it turned out.  I have tried three times to get the picture to load, but it just won't do it, so I finally gave up.  I'll have to post it later. 

I bought some chenille at Wal-Mart on Monday, and tried to use it in a baby lovie last night, but it didn't turn out the way I had hoped.  I tried another idea this morning, but I'm not sure about it either.  This may require some more thought. 

I'm going to try to go out and do some yard work before the next big rain storm tomorrow.  I'll try to post some pictures when I come back in. 

Got to do lots of quilting today.  Started working on a flannel baby blanket.  Could have finished it, but I ran out of white flannel.  Does anyone have a good source for solid pastel colored flannel?  So much of it is muddy and not pretty at all.  So, after left overs for supper, I started on another denim table runner.  This one will have flower appliques.  It is mostly denim and pink.  I usually mix up a lot of different colors in my denim runners, so this one will be different.  Getting my hair cut in the morning (Yeh!), but I hope to be able to finish it sometime tomorrow.  I sorted through a pound of navy beans and put them on to soak, so dinner won't take long. Happy quilting!

Img_4289

Here's the spring table runner that I finished yesterday.  It's made with 4 inch squares and 1/2" seams.  The backing is white muslin.  It is listed on Etsy, so you can check it out if you want to see more pictures.  I would post more of them here, but it takes too long to load them.  I haven't gotten any quilting done this evening; it took too long to finish the Etsy listing. 

I did work on the farm lease document while the pictures were loading.  About the only other thing I can do while pictures are loading is work on documents in Works.  I was able to edit two spreadsheets and import them into the document, which is something I have never done before.  I think the finish lease agreement looks rather professional, if I may say so myself!

It rained most of the day here again today.  The ground won't hold any more water right now, but at least it is filling up our lake.  I just wish I had been here to clean out my flower beds last week while it was warm. 

I started on a flannel baby quilt this afternoon.  Hope to finish it tomorrow.  Later!

I went out after lunch today to see if any of my crocus were blooming.  Found a few purple ones and yellow ones.  Saw a robin, too.  I took his picture, but unless you know what you are looking for, you can't see him. 

Lady, March 14, 2008

Here's a picture of my dog, Lady.  She just showed up on our back step one day just before Christmas.  She loves kids and will let them hold her tail and crawl all over her.  She doesn't jump or bark.  We don't have a fenced yard, but we never worry about her.  She goes up to visit our closest neighbor almost everyday, but she always come home in the evening. 

Yellow Crocus - March 14, 2008

Here's one of the yellow crocus I found this afternoon. 

Water in leaves - March 14, 2008

If I had not been down on my hands and knees trying to take close-up pictures of the crocus, I wouldn't have even seen the rain from last night that was trapped in all of the tulip leaves that are coming up.  It was neat, but hard to get a picture of. 

I did get some quilting done today.  I just have one more row to do and I will have the first of my special order table runners finished. 

I still don't know where I will be tomorrow.  I may have to go back to the city. 

Spring appliqued rag quilted table runner

Here's the wall hanging/table mat that I finished on Sunday.  I just got it listed on Etsy, so if you want to see more pictures, you can check it out at www.countrybydesign.etsy.com. The flower in the center and the petals on the corners are cut out and stitched freehand.  I made the "grass"  by stitching 1/2 inch strips of green and white gingham in rows, then clipping it.  When I washed the finished hanging, all that was left were the vertical threads.  Very cool!  The floral print is some vintage quilt fabric that I found in my stash.  I really like it in this piece.  I usually do contrast backings but on this piece, all the backing squares are the yellow gingham.  It is 18" square. 

Shoo-fly quilt block

Here's the quilt block I started on Sunday.  I like the colors in the block, but I don't like the sashing.  It isn't bright enough.  I think I'm going to take off the sashing and add another row of quilt blocks, either flying geese, or strips.  This is the first big quilt block I have ever made!  Unusual color combination, but I like it. 

I think one reason I haven't tried to make traditional quilt blocks is that I really struggle with 1/4 inch seams.  I took the liberty in this block to make 1/2 inch seams.  I made the triangles by sewing two 5 inch blocks together.  The squares started out at 4 inches.  Much less frustration!  I'm getting too old to mess with anything that's too hard. 

It was cold here again this morning.  My warm winter coat felt good.  The sun tried to break through the haze, but it had a hard time.  I think it did warm up some this afternoon.  I meant to go out and do some work in my flower beds, but I forgot.  I felt kind of crummy all day today.  Finally this evening I watched a show of out-takes, etc.  It was hillarious; just what the doctor ordered. 

I finished the wall hanging I had started on yesterday morning.  I'll post a picture tomorrow.  I really like the way it turned out. 

Tonight I started on a quilt block from the quilting magazine I bought last week.  I thought about making another wall hanging, but I think I will make a pair of place mats instead.  I finished one block, but can't decide how to do the edges.  Maybe I will have a brain storm tonight.  Sometimes I come up with good ideas right before I go to sleep.  If that fails, I'll post a picture and ask for help.