Lots of Walking

 

The 90 Mile Yard Sale is this week-end.  We went yesterday. I’m still tired.  Dora and Cecile made out good.  They did so good that we had to drop off the 1st load before we could continue on. All I got was two Christmas ornaments for $1.00 each, a book for 50 cents and an office chair for David for $15.00. Oh, yes, and a cup of lemonade at our last stop where we did the most walking.  Plus, I bought our breakfast at Martin’s as we were starting our adventure. We drove around 115 miles even though we only did about 35 or 40 miles of the yard sale.

 

This picture is from our last stop and where we did the longest walk.  This is along Hwy 41 north of Cartersville headed toward Adairsville.  My truck is parked on the side of the road about 1/2 a mile down the road. We did 3 set-up spots along this strip.  Glad they only do this once a year.  That will give me a chance to get in better shape for all the walking required.

 

These pictures were taken the day before Mother’s Day.  I like the one of Lydia smelling the flowers.

 

The chickens are in their new home.  Think they like it.  So far I can tell that we have 1 rooster  and 1 hen.  I haven’t figured out what the other 3 are.  I’m thinking about just giving them to the man we got the eggs we hatched them from and ordering some hens from a hatchery. That way I can get the kind of chickens I want.

 

We down sized our garden this year.  I’m not planning on doing a lot of canning.  Mostly we just want to eat out of our garden this year.  We’ve got tomatoes, peppers, carrots, cantaloupe, cucumbers and green beans.

May BOMs Finished

 

Can’t say the same for my Quilt A Longs.  I’m behind on them and getting further behind by the minute.  I didn’t make it into my quilting studio for the past two days.  Today a lady is supposed to bring me a quilt to quilt for her and the Quilty Fun quilt is still on the frame. I’m waiting for more fabric for the “Never Enough Chocolate” quilt A Long and I’m two weeks behind on “Delightful Stars” because of issues with Comcast email.  It seems they have taken a dislike to the Quilting Gallery and won’t let the emails through.  I requested a change of email address for the emails to be delivered to and now have my missing patterns, but haven’t had time to even think about making them. 

Still deciding on fabrics, but getting close.  Think I will go with the fabrics in the blocks on the left, but waiting on another with black background to replace the one with the green in the blocks on the right.

 

This is clue (month) 5 of the M for Mystery.  I especially love the blue paisley fabric that came this month. I want to add some to my “paisley” stash.

 

After nine blocks I really am regretting some of my purple fabric choices.  That’s what comes from working from my stash and refusing to buy more fabric.  Use what is in my stash or forgo the project.  I’ve lighten up a little on that plan.  Although I still think it is a good way to operate. 

 

May Vise Versa blocks.  I so am loving this BOM.  It may be partially due to the colors I picked.

 

So far the May block is my favorite.  This is another scrappy project.  So far I’ve been able to dig through my scrap bin for fabrics. 

 

These plastic molded chairs sure have held up well.  Think I’ve had these for around 20 years.  The one Lydia is sitting in was here mother’s when she was little. 

May BOM Progress

 

Off to a good start.  I’ve finished 3 BOMs for this May and working on # 4.

 

Second row right is the May block.  The four white corners don’t show up well on the white design wall.

This month’s Globetrotting block is London.  Wish I could visit all of these cities.

Finally some more purple!  I like these star blocks, especially the May block. Maybe the color scheme will grow on me. 

 

Another UFO on the design wall.  I’ve started sewing the sashing between the rows.  I worked on this before the May BOMs came out.  Hope I can get back to it shortly.  I’m calling it “Almost Christmas”.  It is made from a line of Moda Christmas fabrics from a few years ago.  The only one that looks really Christmassy is the print with the holly leaves on it.  I would like to finish up some of the UFOs that are laying around.

 

Almost got this quilted last month.  It won’t take long to finish once I get all of this month’s BOM blocks out of the way. The binding is made and ready to be applied as soon as it is off the frame. And get caught up on the quilt alongs.

 

It will be time to start the blocks for the new quilt along I couldn’t resist doing.  I’m waiting on some Kaffe fabrics that I ordered from Hancock’s of Paducah to arrive.  Maybe I will like them better than a couple of the ones I all ready have.  I wasn’t real happy with the light purple.  Thought it was too light for the dark fabrics in the other blocks.  Hope it get here soon.  This is a short quilt along and I don’t want to get too far behind.

Flowers

 

All of the pretty flowers are planted.

I put up a couple more hooks so I would have room for the baskets and the wind chimes.  The ring propped up against the porch was suppose to be for a fire ring. 

 

These are my two large pots filled with flowers.  The tall one is the one my son gave me.

 

I planted the Gerbera Daises and some other plants on the side of the house, along the edge of the driveway.  I can see them from my window when I’m on the computer.  I like to have the flowers where I can enjoy them.

 

The Quilty Fun top is on the quilt frame and I made one pass across and was on the second one when Lydia got up from her nap.  That was the end of my quilting for the day.  I did get the scrappy binding made for the quilt.  And then it was out side to plant all the plants.

Empty Basket

 

An empty basket!  Does that mean a project is finally finished?!  Yes it does.

This is what was in that basket.  I like baskets and I like using them to store my current and sometimes not so current projects in.  I also have project boxes.  They stack better than baskets. The quilt top that I finished was the 2012-2013 BOM, Sweet Dreams and Sunbeams, at http://www.persimmonquilts.com.  I just love this quilt.  Of course I had to make it bigger by adding an extra row of blocks at the top and bottom.  It is on my May To-Do list to be quilted.  I’d like to put it in the guild quilt show in October.

 

I made pillowcases to co-ordinate with my purple (eggplant) sheets.

 

I think they look nice on the bed. The quilt is one of the mysteries the Quilters’ World did.  Think it is the 3rd one.  They just have finished their 5th scrappy mystery.  I collected the clues, but haven’t done it.  Too many other projects in the works.  Besides, I still have the 1st and 4th mystery blocks to make into a quilt top. 

 

My oldest son brought me all these flowers yesterday and a planter.  I haven’t decided yet what to do with all of them. the hanging baskets will get hung on the front porch and some will be planted in the 2 planters that I have.  I would like to plant some along the edge of the walkway.

Not So Much About Quilting

 

The baby chicks are growing.  They will need a new home soon.  Waiting for them to start laying eggs.  I imagine that is a while off and only if they are hens.  We haven’t figured that out yet.  These are mixed breed chickens.  I’d like to have some Road Island Reds.

 

I finally got around to potting some flowers to go on the front porch.  I have 4 hanging baskets and 4 in pots so far, plus the poinsettias.  The poinsettias are doing really well.

 

The plant on the left had two pretty orange flowers on it and my granddaughter decided to pick them.  There is still one bud that hasn’t opened up yet.  Hope it will get more. The one in the center is a miniature rose. I haven’t had good luck with them.  They always get aphids or some tiny bugs on them.  Guess I will need to get some rose dust and see if that will help prevent them. Or find a home remedy.

 

I’ve been working on UFOs.  Have almost finished a top.  I’m on the next to last border.  Hope I can get it finished today.  The UFO leader and ender blocks are going nicely.  I’m still hoping to get the Quilty Fun quilt top quilted before the end of the month.  I need to concentrate on getting quilts finished for the guild quilt show in October.  I’d like to enter 3 or 4 quilts. Think the paperwork with pictures is due in June. 

Moving On Along

 

 

The Quilty fun top is done.  I’m hoping to get it quilted this week.  The backing is being washed.  Maybe I can get it on the frame today as well.  Still need to decide on the quilting design to use.

 

All up to date on the Delightful Stars.  This is the Lesson 11 block. I’m going to have to open up the design wall soon for this one.  That means finishing the UFO on it. 

 

I just couldn’t resist doing the “Never Enough Chocolate” Quilt Along.

I was auditioning background fabrics for the dark blocks.  Decided I didn’t like the orange.

Here are the fabrics I finally decided on.  The are Kaffe Fassett fabrics, except for the background fabrics.  That was the challenge part of the quilt along for me; finally using some of my Kaffe fabrics I’ve been hording.  It will probably be May before I actually start the quilt.  Need to try and finish the UFO on my design wall.