1857 finishes and shortbread

Unique bias black bias for centers

Haven't done the embroidered stems etc. yet

I think I should have chosen a different green for the leaves but  done is good!

Need to add embroidered stems

I don't think I've shown these before.

 I am starting to wane on this project.  I think it's because I'm working with dark hued colors and need a little variety.  I'm not sure I'll do the circles block this month.  It will take some energy to figure out the placement and I don't think I'm up to it.

We will be working 3 days a week for the next 3 weeks because it's corn season at the cannery and I plan on coming home exhausted each day.

Now on to the aroma in my kitchen. . . .

Before baking

There is nothing like a shortbread pan to make me feel like I've made something spectacular

It's cute enough to display without using it for the purpose it was designed.

And here is the final product.  I need to remember to press down more firmly in the corners.  Two of them didn't brown because they were too shallow.  I pressed raw sugar into the dough before it baked so it came out with a double crunch.  I made these to go with the peaches my husband sliced up - YUM!

Our hibiscus at the bottom of the back stairs is rupturing in bloom.  The blossoms only last one day but everyday for the last two weeks has been like this.  It's delightful.

This is Titan, our patio guard tortoise.  He has a smile on his face if you are at the right angle.  He's doing an excellent job.

This is the waterfall my husband has finally had time to build.  He has been collecting the materials for years.
It's right outside the back door and down the steps.  I should have waited to take the picture till there was water running.  Trust me, it's terrific.

And finally, the grand chickens are producing.  It's tiny, it's cute, and it's a good start.
Robin

Creativity thrives on outside influences

It all started by reading Alla Blanca's most recent post here where she gives a list of all the links she's been saving in her head - so now all she has to do is return to her post for reference.                                                 
She suggested we go read Felicia's STASH LESS series in the third paragraph.

And so I went to read about ways to "Stash Less".  It's a fascinating series and well worth the time to read each and every post!

One of the posts I particularly liked led me to the whole cloth quilt Felicia made.  The idea is so creative and quirky,  not at all like what I normally make.  I am a 100% quilt-weight cotton girl.   I don't use wool and I try to avoid polyester (except for batting). The thought of making a quilt out of linen never occurred to me but I love the drape of the fabric on this particular quilt.  Felicia excuses her newness to quilting and lack of experience but I think that her amateur status is what makes this quilt sing.

I want to make a Kantha quilt and I have one all pin basted in the queue.  I'll start out with the overall big stitch with different colors and different spacing but who knows where I'll go from there.

Found on Pinterest

Here is a link and tutorial for kantha quilts like the one below.




I love blogland that feeds my need to learn and be exposed to new things.

Thanks Alla, thanks Felicia, for sharing your ideas with me and the many others who benefit from your information.

Thanks to all,
Robin

PS  I think I might need to go to the bargain fabric at JoAnns and look for some linen.

Okay,

Here is what I came up with. . . .

The quilt top is all assembled,

 I finally got enough blocks by adding solid blocks of the pez fabric.  It's busy enough that unless you're looking for it - it doesn't catch your eye.

(And, once again, nothing looks good next to my pink/raspberry carpet - especially something with orange in it!)  Someday. . . . . . . .

I found some cute navy swirl fabric, ironed freezer paper on it, and cut out the letters.

Can you tell what it's going to say?  Of course, it will look much different when the white paper comes off and the letter centers are cut out.

I was trying to think of a song that my mother would sing to me when I was a child.  I came up with; "I love you a bushel and a peck", "How much is that doggy in the window?", "I'm going to buy a paperdoll that I can call my own" (Mills Brothers), "Where have you been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy?", lullabys, and another favorite, "My what a beautiful day" (the song the harp sings at the beginning of Mickey and the Bean stock).   I always loved that song.  My grandmother had old 78's of that story and my sister and I would play it as many times as we could when we visited.  We usually only got away with hearing it once but we always tried for more.

Any way, Zip a dee doo dah, Zip a dee ay" was the winner.  I had a hard time figuring out how to spell it and had to go to the original lyrics by Ray Gilbert.  The Wikipedia information is very interesting as to how Allie Wruble came up with the melody.  I may have to change the spelling, I'm not sure about copyright laws.

DIL and Son

I caught my Son and DIL sitting in my van in the garage.  They were trying to figure out my new radio which has given me much grief.  I couldn't even turn it off let alone change stations.

Thanks to them I can now turn it on and off, and four stations are pre-set so I can just listen and drive.
Thank you
Thank you
Thank you!

Applique time,
Robin

New idea!

I calculated how many blocks I would need to complete the nine-patch pinwheel quilt top and discovered that I needed five more blocks to have the border work out.  So, I cut out five more blocks (see previous post) and sat down at the sewing machine when I could squeeze in a few minutes.

 100 HSTs all pressed

200 Dog ears trimmed

Sewn into the next units

Pressed again

Pinwheels waiting for a trim

5 blocks assembled - sigh~

Experimenting with border zigzag

Now I can get back to assembling the quilt top.  I reworked my plan on graph paper and found that I really needed 10 more blocks not five.  Not to worry, while working with the previous five, I came up with another idea which I'm kind of excited about.  Now to put it into action!!!

I'm going to put some lettering on the quilt, something reminiscent of childhood because this fabric line is in crayon box colors.

Stay tuned. . . . . . . .
Robin

Quilt talking back~

You know how you plan a quilt

 with certain fabric in mind 

and a fun pattern.

And then you push ahead only to find out what you had visualized in your mind wasn't the way the quilt wanted to be made?

I planned on making this nine-patch pinwheel quilt top using American Jane "Potluck" line.  I loved the shaded alternate blocks and especially the zigzag border.  Lovely, lovely.

So I faithfully made 64 blocks (which took forever!!!) and started cutting out Kona Snow for the alternate blocks - NO!  It stopped me in my tracks because it was so wrong.

I searched my stash and came up with a darling conversational print from years ago.  But. . . I couldn't cut it for the alternate blocks on point or it would be sideways.  If I cut it out so it was upright - all the seams would be bias.

I decided to use a straight set (above).  That would mean a different configuration so I began picking blocks apart.  I need to sew it 12 blocks by 11 blocks to get the zigzag border placement correct.

Changing the setting means making 5 more nine-patch pinwheel blocks - gasp!  I am so over making these blocks but alas. . .

I cut out 220 more pieces and began to sew.

100 half square triangles.

                                    to be continued. . . . . . . . 

Just right

I decided I wanted to try and make sashing using 2 1/2" shoo-fly blocks.

The first one was way too small.  The 2nd one was way too big.

The 3rd one was just right!

Now I need to decide if I want to make 196 of these little guys.

Although, technically, I'd only have to make 195 since one is already made - sigh~

Robin

virtual Gwennie inspired quilt

I really wanted to join this Gwen Marston inspired QAL.  It looks like so much fun!  But, alas, I will only do it in my dreams. They had the reveal of the first border  last week and it was so much fun to see what everyone has done.  Debra just revealed her quilt today and the fireflies in the border are delightful

My center medallion would have a patriotic Maggie Bonanomi feel with  the basket holding  some fruit and it would have to have an American flag.  I love the pattern below.

The border has the theme of "childhood" and would have to represent my 33 cousins because they were all an important part of my childhood.  We would get together for picnics and camp outs in Logan Canyon or Bear Lake.  I remember the summer we visited the cousins in Boise and their rabbit had just had babies.  What more could a 10 yr. old want than a soft cuddly baby bunny?  I thought about embroidering all their names on different colored strips of fabric like a piano key border.

Some teenage cousins - I'm on the far right.

I instantly had an inspiration for the next border themed "Log Cabin".   But I won't share that idea yet.  Too bad I'm not really making the quilt because it's a fabulous idea.

Thanks to all of you who ARE actually participating in this QAL and are making it so much fun to follow along.  I look forward to the amazing ideas that appear next month.


Also, ancestry.com is have a 20% off deal on the DNA kits today.  I ordered one.  It's going to be so hard to wait the 6-8 wks. for the results.  I keep thinking about what the results might be because your parents only give you a random half of their DNA in the 23 chromosomes that make up the egg or sperm, there are all kinds of possibilities.  There's a great little film here that explains a lot.

Have a great day!
Robin

PS  I only have 13 more blocks (see previous post)