This is what I did all month. . .

It took me a whole month to applique this piece.  It measures 16" X 48".  I didn't work on it every day.  Not Sunday and I usually skipped another day during the week.  But the rest of the days I spent 2 - 4 hrs stitching.  Whew!  Those trees are just something else...................

I decided to name the blocks as I go along.  The one above is the "Masochist"  (The tendency to invite and enjoy misery of any kind) block for obvious reasons.  I like the block I just don't want to ever put myself through that again.

The left side panel is "The Coloring Book" panel because it felt like I was picking out the most beautiful crayon and while staying within the lines, colored it in with fabric.

The bottom panel I just finished was originally named "The Garden of Eden"  because of the two trees.  Then I started on the animals and thought maybe "Old MacDonald" would be a more fitting name.  It was when I was appliqueing the goats horns and began to think about fainting goats that I came up with it's final title.  I call it the "Not for the faint of heart" panel.

I haven't decided which block or panel I will do next.  But, I do know it will be one of the easy ones for sure.

Harvest/canning season has started at our house.  I've put a bunch of peas in the freezer.  I've made both raspberry and strawberry jam and have frozen a bunch of those too.

At least, the ones we haven't just popped into our mouths right out of the garden - yum!

DH planted some new hollyhocks.  They are something to behold.  Remember making hollyhock dolls as a child?  I'm going to have to find some instructions because these would make some lovely hollyhock brides.

birds, cats, and a cow

I've been working on this panel all week but it doesn't look like I did much.  I finished the purple bird in the upper left hand corner.

I finished the cat and the shrub underneath her.  I worked on these because I needed a break from all the up, down, and around of the blue tree.  But if you look closely you notice on the shrub branches and the cat's tail and feet . . . it was the exact motion of up, down and around that I had been doing all along.  My applique isn't perfect, that's for sure, but I keep improving.

I finished the cow, an udderly tricky accomplishment.

And here is the progress so far.  I still have 2 horses, 3 chickens, a goat, another shrub, and a passel of birds (as well as the rest of the tree.  For those of you who have made this quilt, you'll notice my panel is a mirror image of the original.  I forgot to reverse the pattern when I traced it.  It won't make any difference in the placement of the blocks and design but I'll have to keep better track of things from now on.

We had an interesting delivery this week.  Above is my DIL's turtle named Romeo.  She's had him since she was a little girl.

My sister came on Wednesday and she had to step over a big shoe box on the front porch to knock on the door.  Inside the box was a much larger red ear slider with a slightly damp cloth on top of her.  She has been dubbed Juliet - appropriately I guess.  Poor Romeo isn't going to get a chance to meet her because my DIL quickly found a new home for her and she's going to a kindergarten class in Logan.  Meanwhile my son and DIL went to St. George for four days and I've got the responsibility of keeping Juliet alive in a outdoor kiddie pool.  I know it's no big deal but when a person is used to only feeding a spouse. . . . . .    I'm afraid I'll forget to feel them -yikes!

And a Happy Father's Day to my DH.  This is one of my favorite pictures of him from our mission to Wisconsin.  It is taken in the Chequamegon National Forest where someone has put chainsaws all up and down about 50 large polls.  (We saw some crazy things while we were there.)

Hope you're having a quiet Sunday with your family close by.
Robin

I'm linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching, go check it out.

Applique, charm quilt, and fabric in the mail

I've been busy appliqueing again this week.  I finished the gold tree, stitched the pig, a cat, and the bull.  I love the fabric for the bull.  The wings and the tail of a bird are in the upper left hand corner - more birds to follow.

I got started on the other tree.  I figured I'd work a little on it and then do an animal or bird.  Then do a little more.  That way it will feel like I'm getting more accomplished and it will be more interesting.

I' put my charm quilt on the frames finally.  I'm doing a big stitch around each diamond and into the border.  I like the way the border looks.  I'm hoping it will go quickly and I can finish it up by the end of June.  But, the appliqueing time cuts into my quilting time.  Although July's humidity is not far away and I'll welcome the cooler temps of the basement where the quilt frames are.

Now here is the fabric saga.  I ordered some fabric from Country Sampler in Spring Green WI last week.  I mentioned it in my previous post.  I got a call two days later to tell me that they only had 1 yard of the lovely fabric that I wanted 3 yrds. of for a border.  So I cancelled the whole order including a book that was on sale.

I was very disappointed.

This is a little washed out.  It is much prettier in person

It was a birthday present in a way.  But I decided to go to the Windham fabric site to see if I could get a better picture of the focus fabric since the pictures on my blog didn't come through very well.

On the Windham site I found other stores that carried the fabric (by Jeanne Horton) and so I ordered some from Threadbear in Georgia.  Yippee!  The fabric was cheaper and so was the postage.  Win, win.

Except I was on my IPAD and having never ordered anything on it before - there was a learning curve.  When I clicked on the Place Your Order tab a screen came up saying there was an error when I sent my credit card information (not very encouraging)  but not to worry.

Artsy photo

I looked for the confirmation email the next day.  It never came.  Frustrated, I just decided I wasn't meant to have this fabric and gave up.  That was Wednesday.

The blue is more gray and the pink is more salmon.

I surprisingly got an email on Thursday saying my order had shipped.

My package arrived Saturday.  To say I was thrilled is putting it mildly.  I will order from Threadbear again and again with that kind of service.


This is the way I imagine the fabric for a border.  Probably not for this quilt but you get the idea.

Pretty, pretty border fabric

This is a picture of one corner of my CW BOW from Barbara Brackman a few years ago.  I appliqued a little border but I've never put it together.

I also found the book I had originally ordered from Country Sampler at Amazon Marketplace for a cheaper price.  Who knew?

Now, I just want to say that Country Sampler is still one of my favorite places.  They couldn't help that the fabric I wanted was selling out so fast.  That's a good thing, right?

And last, but not least, dessert.  This is the way my DH coats his desserts with whipped cream.  There is some key lime pie under all that sweetness.  Too funny!

Hope the day finds you with a needle in hand,
Robin

I am linking with  Design Wall Monday on Small Quilts and Doll Quilts
Go check it out!

I have been contentedly sitting in my settee, radio playing, needle in hand, cool air blowing, working on this rather intricate tree for the last week.  I think I've got the hang of it so it's going a little faster than it was when I started.  I had to force myself to work on it some days because it isn't particularly interesting going up and down - up and down using the same fabric day after day.  But, I knew it would be worth it so I kept plugging along.  It's looking great!

This is the tree on the left side of the lower panel on the Roseville Album quilt.  I would be getting close to celebrating the finish if it wasn't for the fact that I need to do another similar tree on the other side of the panel - gasp!

But, I've decided that's why summer was invented; a cozy niche to sit in and a project in my lap.

Speaking of summer, look what my DH brought in this morning.  Yum!!!

Here he is working hard digging up some plants he no long wants to keep.

The iris' are still blooming away.  They were gorgeous this year.

I just found this fabric at my favorite quilt store (that I've never been able to go to).  It is called Country Sampler  and is located in Spring Green Wisconsin.  When we stayed in Wisconsin I never could justify the  2 - 3 hr. trip.  Once we were about 1/2 hour away when we were out inspecting apartments but we were in too big of a hurry to indulge a whim.  Sigh~




This is a new line called Riverbanks by Jeanne Horton the owner of Country Sampler.  I think this piece would make a wonderful border or alternate blocks.   So. . . I ordered some.

My youngest son and his wife moved in the basement last week.  It is going to be fun to have them around for a while.

Off to eat as many strawberries as I want.........................
Robin

Hooking up with Design Wall Monday at Small Quilts & Doll Quilts