Square Foot Garden Update

We are finally getting some growth on the plants in our garden. We have 2-4 foot boxes. We had some veggies harvested in the bowl. If you look closely, you can see some lettuce, one lone green bean, a few peas, onions and a nice head of broccoli. Yea, all of the watering, fertilizer, kelp and bug spraying have paid off. Yummy!

Making a rag quilt

I am liking the easy, relaxing sewing involved with my rag quilt, that may be a shower curtain. I am sewing the 144 top flannel squares to the 144 bottom squares with an "X". I ran out of bottom squares, so I will be cutting tonight. No batting.

I found the fabrics in my stash. They fit my lavendar bathroom perfectly and the theme is perfect for my husband. A perfect match for us!! And the back is Christmas.

Did you notice the dining room table is different? I now have my parents very old oak table as they have a new one. It is smaller and fits the room better.

I made something!!

I have sewn my orphan blocks into a little top. I am not sure if it I is going to be a mini quilt or a toss pillow.

I also have the center panel of the granny square sampler together. Now for the outer borders!

I started my raggy show curtain. It is "Up North" type fabrics on the top and the back is all Christmas. It is flannel with no batting. I hope it isn't too heavy to hang on my tension rod. I am just sewing the top and bottom squares together, lots of "X" sewn on the blocks right now.

It's here!

http://www.abcwarehouse.com/product_catalog/pc_proddetails.asp~assort_id~1230~prod_ID~15936The new fridge is here, the delivery was several hours late. We have purchase several appliances from this store over the past 2 years and they are ALWAYS knocking on the door at 8am. We had an email saying we were first on the route and would be early. Nope, they ran the route backwards and my DH was angry. He had a full day. At noon they showed up while I was in the shower of course, because they called and said they would be 2 more hours.

It was a production, food out of the old, squeezing in the new-after doors were removed etc. To top it all off, we have the same delivery man. He was not nice the last 2 times he came. He would not install the appliance and was rude. We complained and said if he showed up with a bad attitude no sale!! He was very nice and helpful this time. Whew, I was nervous.

I love it. No more leaking fridge. Off to grocery shop.


Sunday stash report

Dad found a fabric stash at a yard sale and Mom and I divided it. Wow tons of preprinted panels, lots of Christmas and some patriotic fabrics. I have added yards to my stash. It was the find of the decade really!!

Sewing was nothing out either. I only purchased thread. Now I can bust the stash.

I should be embarassed, but I'm NOT....

-because my house is a dog haired filled paradise, complete with muddy footprints and all. I haven't done much cleaning except on an emergency basis, not much laundry either. Dishes were washed when needed.

-because I wear sandals all summer long and I have "Fred Flinstone Feet"

-because I spend more time making things than organizing my closets

-because I like to watch TV and not read

-because I would rather have some one else cook

-because I haven't ate a vegetable in 4 days

-because I find more time to be on the computer than exercise.

Everything's coming up roses!

This is the jewel of my little garden. A Mr Lincoln rose. I photograph it annually. Every rose is the same, yet different in subtle ways. This year the bloom is small but perfect.

My high school class reunion was this past weekend. It was great to see so many attend. I had a good time. It is funny to see that finally everyone was talking to everyone, it only took 25 years. That's a lot of mileage for some of us, or wrinkles or grey hairs or... well you get the idea, it really didn't matter.

Needle case How to's

I did some research on the net to see how a needle case could be made. I wanted something practical and not over the top. Where a person could make the cases very special is in how you finish/embellish the cover.

Materials:
2 -5x10" fabric cuts (one for the cover and one for liner)
1-4x5" rectangle of liner fabric for a little pocket
2'41/2 x 91/2 piece of wool felt for the pages
embellishments for the cover, make yo-yo's, used buttons and pearle cotton embroidery threads.

fusible interfacing to stiffen the cover


I fused the interfacing to the wrong side of the rectangle fabrics for the cover and lining.

I sewed a hem for the pocket for the top edge, you know the double folded kind so no raw edges are exposed.

Then I layered it cover and liner right sides together. Pin the pocket to the liner on one end. Be sure that it is Wrong side pocket to right side liner. Sew around edges leaving a gap to turn the case right side out. Press, sew you wool (pinked the edges) alond the midpoint on where the spine would be. Finish and embellish.

Hint if there is going to be embroidery or other embellishments that is very detailed you may want to do that first before you fuse the interfacing on.

Have fun

What I have been working on

I have been working on needle cases with a failure at my first attempt. I tried to make a flannel 6 inch pieced square for the cover and as you can tell it didn't work. Flannel is not a good choice for small blocks and the "little quilt" idea for the case didn't turn out.

So back to plan b, that is the next photo of the pink and white one. I have to embellish it. I think this will work. I not sure about what I am going to do the the other 4 little blocks but maybe a very small quilt is in order. I have very little fabric left.

Here are all the grannies! Only three more to go and then I will organize them like the pattern and start joining.

It is raining on our town's festival today. Today is scheduled for Irish entertainment, the only music and dance groups I wanted to see. Maybe it will stop by the evening when the concert begins. Sigh, at least I don't have to pay the city to water my veggies and plants.

Some interesting web sites

I have been crocheting and yo yo "ing" it. I just haven't been able to get to the sewing machine in the past couple of days. Maybe tomorrow.
Here are a few great sites to check out:
www.tipnut.com
www.knittychick.com
www.knitty.com
www.pimpstitch.com
www.modabakeshop.com

You will find all types of categories, crafts and ideas. Have fun and this is a nice way for me to remember some of my favorite sites.

Yo-yo's

Well, I have been working on the yo-yo quilt. I am working on the 6th block. It is very slow but a nice hand project for the summer. I have enough made for a few more blocks. I may need to make more yo-yo's to make it big enough for the back of my couch.

I have another variety of rose blooming today. I think it is pretty. I hope it blooms more. Mr Lincoln rose will bloom next week. I have 2 more varieties but they may not bloom this year.

A Irish Giveaway

Mickey is having a give away, look for her button on the side bar so you can enter too. You will LOVE her quilts!!

It was a grand 4th of July weekend

I did have time to quilt a table runner and work on 2 small blocks. I am starting some needle cases for an exchange. The yo-yo's are a few a day.

I decided to collect Wade Whimsies. I haven't collected anything but fabrics and yarns for a long time. I love miniatures! I have several nice collections-depression glass, tea cups, angels, cookies jars, Boyd's Bears and dolls, etc. Yes I am sure I have more of what people would call "collections".

Wade's are small and cute, perfect for my house. (BTW, I don't have all of my collections out on display. I rotate them periodically. The dog has kept my bears and dolls packed away. ) I bought my first one at an antique show on Lake Michigan this past weekend, Wee Willie Winkie. The pumpkin one I bought in some Red Rose Tea.

Here is a picture from the Break Wall on Lake Michigan, looking back on the harbor. This is about 45 miles from my house. A very pretty day this 4th of July.

The fireworks were very good in spite of a bad economy. People in general behaved well. There are always a few exceptions. Note the people with a FIRE behind their car. Click on photo to enlarge and look for the orange glow. PS these people drove through the farmers field to get to their primo viewing spot. Hmmm, cars+flammable gas+fire=genuine bad judgment, too much beer or both. Hey , anyone got a marshmallow? You really can't make this stuff up!

Sunday was an afternoon at the movie theater. Today was back to work. Now off to make progress on my needle cases.

I learned a lot today

I go to my local quilt shop often. I asked the shop owner about her featherweight during a demo, because my Husquavarna Lilly machine, isn't sewing well. She said to bring it in as she is very familiar with this type of machine. In 1 minute of her looking at my machine, she figured out why it won't sew a straight line. I had the bobbin threaded wrong. OK, do you want to know how many quilts, crafts, curtains etc, etc etc, over that past couple of years I have sewed on this with it threaded wrong?!? I feel so foolish. I was winding the bobbin wrong but after a year or so I figured that out. She was kind enough to show me how to put on my walking foot. I don't think I was doing that right either. Good thing I didn't take to a repair shop. There are still nice folks out in the world.

Now that my machine is purring along well, I will share recent purchases. I really want to make the Civil War Diary quilt. I have the CD and with the help of my quilt shop I also figured out how to print off the paper piecing patterns. I am dreaming about the other two quilts in the books pictured. I need to hone my skills before trying them.

Ending the post on a bright note, here are photos of the Tea Roses in my garden and some pansies. I was pulling weeds this morning. Dh mowed. The yard looks nice. Now for some summer weather ,tomorrow? This last week it was only 60's and rainy. The week before 90's and humid . I decided I didn't care how cold it was, I wore shorts today.

Midweek progress

After reading my stash report, I starting making some items. I haven't been motivated over the past week. I made another runner with the 60 degree triangle. The stripes even lined up, just like I new what I was doing!

Then I made 3 grannies. I have 8 more to go then I start joining.

And lastly, I made another yo-yo square. I have 3 made in total.