Cleaning Up

I belong to the local Junior Women's Club and today was our day for trash pick-up at the local park.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to attend as we keep the grandson on Saturdays, but, as you can see... he was happy to join in on the fun!

With the hard work done and temperatures in the 90's I thought I'd give him a treat and visit the fountain in the park. My grandson isn't one for taking showers... baths are ok, but and a drop of water on his face and screams of terror can be heard throughout the neighborhood.  I wasn't sure how well this would go.... He was a bit shy at first, but after watching some other young ones running through the water shooting up from the ground he totally enjoyed running around and getting wet... with an occasional run to the bench to towel off his face. 

If only bath time could be so much fun!

Dresden Plates

Recently, while browsing the web, I came across an idea to make dresden plate placemats.

I love my Studio cutter...
after pressing several fat quarters I quickly ran them through the cutter and in a matter of minutes had enough blades cut for 13 plates!

I quickly pieced together six  plates.  Then I layered batting, backing. and the plate face-down and carefully stitched around the zig zag edge.  I birthed through the center hole, but couldn't get the points to lay flat. (sorry didn't think to take a picture of the mess!)




My back-up plan had me reverse-birthing (yikes!) and then stitching around the edge and cutting off the points.  When I birthed it the second time I had a nice 10inch round plate.

I'm not sure if a 10inch round matt is big enough for a placemat.  I may have to applique the plates onto a larger square or rectangle before layering. 

 Maybe I can just round out the points and stitch them on rather than fuss with applique-ing the points.   What do you think?

blue bag update

I recently made my grandson a little  blue bag,  at his request, so that he could carry his books to church for reading during mass.  The grocery sacks that we were using, were just too big!

When he came back to visit the next weekend, he wanted a red bag.  Time being short, we compromised!

Projects

I have been working on several crafts the last few weeks.

I joined an online yahoo swap group to make hand-pieced POTC blocks. (I don't remember exactly what POTC stands for... I think its something like points of the cross.. but I'm not sure.) After an incorrectly-sized home-made template and false start, I am finally on track and have completed my first block.

It's a little bit wonky in the picture because I removed the template papers from the top.  I should have left them in until connecting it to the next block.  I'll leave it for now and fuss with it later.

I have also begun making some dresden plate placemats for sale at a couple of upcoming craft shows.  These are still a work in progress.

Last, but not least, I pieced this little bag from scraps for my grandson to carry some books to church in.  He is now big enough for Sunday school and the last few weeks he has been able to sit through mass without fidgeting too much if he has some picture books to read.   The shopping bags I had on hand for him to carry his books were way too big so he asked me to make him a blue one that was just his size.  How could Nana refuse?!   As you can see, he was very pleased. 

, 

But now, I must add some red to the bag!  (why, I have no idea, but that is what has gotten into his head this week).  So I will be fusing his initials onto the bag ... and maybe the outline of a little car too, just for fun!

August Happenings

My daughters new used car broke down two days after driving it off the lot.  She bought the car "as is" and was shocked when the dealer wouldn't do anything about it.  After a lot of tears and whining and phone calls back and forth with the dealer, they finally agreed to look at it and 10 days later it is finally in working order... there was something wrong with the computer chip in the key!  While all the car drama was going on I was called on to be Mom's taxi service, shuffling her to and from work.  Also, my oldest grandson's time at daycare ended and Pre-K schooling began.  The first two weeks of Pre-K are only part-time classes... so I have been picking him up and keeping him busy in the afternoons until her workday was done, then picking her up and taking them both home.

Of course, this all happens as the county fair opened!  I worked with some of the FCE ladies receiving entries for the Women's Building competition and display.  I was able to gather and enter a couple of my own entries too! 

Easy Street won a blue ribbon in the machine piece/quilted category
Welcome Basket Sampler won a blue ribbon in the wall hanging category
Lucky Charms won a red ribbon in the applique category
Matthew's Puppy Quilt won a red ribbon in the embroidered quilt category... and....

 

I also won a blue ribbon in the "Farm Life" category for a picture of my grandson after picking a basket of berries!

 

We took him to the last day of the fair and he really enjoyed all the rides..each of them.... several times!  We had to stop and get some cotton candy before heading home!

P. C. Fair

Wednesday was day one of the ten day Putnam County Fair.

I will be working in the Women's Building taking in and displaying entries for competition.  I will be entering my Easy Street, Welcome Basket Wall Hanging as well as some photographs, and Matthew will enter his Puppy Quilt.)

Janice, Merry and I in 2012

In years past, FCE clubs ran the Country Store to raise money to fund our charitable activities in the community (school supplies, backpacks for children of Vets, backpacks of food for disadvantaged kids to have something to eat on weekends).  


Regulations imposed and liability issues faced by UT in the unlikely event of food poisoning,  make it impossible for us to sell foods that are not prepared in a certified kitchen.  It is a time-consuming proposition for our members to individually go through the inspection and certification process in order to bake at home and bring some items to sell.  So, the decision was made to give up the Country Store as our fundraising project.  

However, there will still be a Country Store this year.  Some ladies in the community (some of whom are FCE members) got permission from the Fair Board, and they will be running the Country Store for profit instead. They aren't worried about certified kitchens or liability.  I  may bake a few cakes and pies to sell... just for the fun of it... or, I may not.  I may just enjoy my grandson this year and have fun at the fair instead of working all those hours!

Trees

We recently discovered that the pine tree closest to the house had branches that were splitting up the middle and we were risking a chance that they would fall on the house with the next storm.  Also, those 4 maple tree trunks at the back of the property have grown so big that they fill up the drainage ditch that runs across the back of the property causing the yard to flood every time it rains!... and it has been a very wet Spring/Summer season.  

When the weather finally dried up enough we had a contractor come in and remove the two pines and those 4 maples.  I spent the day taking pictures and watching in awe as the guy in the bucket went up and down and  up an down, removing branches. 




 He would drop the branches to the ground and the guys below would feed them into the grinder.

 When he had free access the to trunks, the big crane was brought in. 

 He then tied cables high up on the trunk... and a second cable a few feet lower.  He hooked up to the crane and sliced off the top of the tree.

 It was a bit scary seeing the tree top swinging over the roof top.  But they gently lowered it to the ground and fed it through the grinder.

 

Now the job is done and the backyard is much brighter.  We can even wave hello to our neighbors now.

TOTALS July 2013

July was a busy month... but, aren't they all!

I spent 3 weeks working on a customer quilt... custom work, twenty 15inch blocks, with each block uniquely quilted... and some simple feathers in the sashing and cornerstones.  It seems each summer I have one big free-motion job, and this was it!  I stressed over getting everything perfect, but it was worth it in the end, as the customer was very happy!  My biggest disappointment is that I have been unable to take a picture that shows all the quilting that went into it.

Once that was done, I was free to get Easy Street quilted, bound and entered into the FCE Cultural Arts Competition... winning a blue ribbon!  I will be entering it into the County Fair this coming weekend and it will progress to the Regional FCE competition in September.

I also completed the quilting on Matthew's Puppy Quilt... it will also be entered into the Fair competition.  Then he will decide if he wants to sell it, or not, and how much to ask.

And, as if I didn't have enough UFOs to work on, I started another new project... POTC.. (I forget what the letters stand for.. will have to go back to yahoo groups and check)  It is a hand-pieced elongated-hexie block swap!  The swap doesn't officially begin until September, but I am working on my first one as a practice!  So far, I am enjoying it!

                       I think I like the right side setting better... I need to make more pieces and decide which way to stitch it together

I made a bit more progress on my Spring Wall Hanging.... fusing the daffodils and some hyacinths onto the background.  The tulips and narcissus and more hyacinths are still in progress.

WORK COMPLETED IN July
 .....03.....customer tops quilted (YTD 39)
.....01.....customer quilts bound (YTD  11)
.....00.....flimsy completed waiting for quilting (YTD 13)
.....02.....quilted flimsy (YTD 11 )
.....20.....hand-work hours (76 YTD )

MY PROJECTS COMPLETED THIS YEAR:
Lucky Charms wall hanging (1/21/13)
Basket Sampler Welcome wall hanging (2/15/13)
Knitted afghan  (3/20/13)
Scrap Mania quilt (3/19/13)
Orange/Blue Jelly Roll quilt (3/18/13)
Hope Academy Banner (3/27/13)
Jaxson's quilt (3/22/13)
Baltimore Album (4/5/13)
Civil War Snowball (4/5/13)
Big Brother Quilt (5/7/13)
Easy Street (7/22/13)
Matthew's Puppies (7/25/13)

Projects Waiting to be Quilted
 Sloanie Christmas Star Swap
 Floribunda


Projects in Progress 
  Spring Wall Hanging....backing prepared.  preparing flowers for applique, some fused to backing
  Disappearing 4 patch...blocks are completed, ready for assembly
  Sweet & Sassy.....9 blocks completed, sashed and quilt corner assembled
  Becky's Barn basket wall hanging...4 blocks completed, assembly to be decided
  Novelty Quilt... blocks cut, need assembly
  Happiness Key...background complete, needs applique/embroidery
  Floral & Pinwheels.... made 4 pinwheels then renamed.... Florals&9patch
  POTC... a hand-pieced hexie swap project.
 
Bonnie Projects in Progress
.....01.....cheddar bowties blocks hand-pieced (YTD  1  of  81)   ...  (81 of 162 in 2012)
.....00.....cheddar bowtie rows stitched (YTD  0 .... 9 of 18 in 2012)
...done....Orca Bay Step 1 hourglass blocks made (YTD 49  plus 21 in 2012) total  70 of 112 
....done...Orca Bay Step 2  3.5in string blocks made (completed in 2012 )
....done...Orca Bay Step 3 2in HSTs (YTD 55 plus120 in 2012)  total 175
.....done..Orca Bay Step 4 5.5in string blocks (YTD 08 plus 24 of 32 in 2012) total 32
.....done..Orca Bay Step 5 cut 350 triangles and stitch to part 3 to make winged triangles (175 of 175)
.....00.....Orca Bay Step 6 cut 2.5in squares and assemble Ohio Stars (0)
.....00.....Orca Bay Step 7 make flying geese (0)
..done.....Floribunda Blocks assembled into flimsy and ready to quilt!
..............Talkin Turkey..... 2 blocks complete plus parts
..............Midnight Flight....1 block complete plus parts
..............Winston Ways... 2 blocks complete plus parts
..done....Easy Street is now assembled into flimsy and ready to quilt

Easy Street

Easy Street is now completed.  It was a big rush to get the binding finished Monday night... just in time for the FCE competition Tuesday morning. (I'm waiting for a dry day to take it outside for a final picture)

Good thing too, because I won a BLUE RIBBON!!

Blueberries!

There is no beating the taste of home-grown fresh-picked made-from-scratch blueberry muffins!

Except, of course, unless they are fresh blueberry pancakes!

They were so good, I almost forgot to take a picture!

Back to School

It's that time of year again... summer is over and the new school year begins.

Or, as in the case of my grandson... his first day of school...pre-K

Today was just a short day... a few minutes to register, meet the teacher and discover that your best friend from daycare is in your class!

Summer Time Recipe

It's that time of year when the garden is beginning to put out lots of fresh vegetables.  One of our favorites is yellow squash.... and below are two family favorite recipes.

Battletown Squash Casserole

 from the chef at the 1776 Battletown Inn, Berryville, VA.

6 small yellow squash

1 small onion, diced

1 cup heavy cream

12 saltines, crushed

2 Tbs butter

salt & pepper to taste

Peel, slice, boil till tender, and mash squash.  Drain excess liquid and set aside.

Lightly grease individual ramekins or a casserole dish, (I like to use a 9x12 baking dish and top with extra saltines for the topping).

Finely dice onion and sauté in butter.  Add cream.  Heat until not quite ready to boil.  Add  half of the crushed saltines.  Stir… it will become thick pudding like consistency.

Fold into mashed squash.  Spoon into ramekins or casserole dish. (It will be a thin layer in the 9x12 pan)  Sprinkle with remaining crushed saltines and dot with extra butter for a slightly crunchy topping.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake in a 400deg. Oven for approx 20 min or until golden.

Yellow Squash Muffins

2 C mashed yellow squash. 

2 eggs, beaten

1 C melted butter (2 sticks)*

1 C sugar*

3 C flour          

1 Tbs + 1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Peel, slice, boil until soft, drain, then mash several small yellow squash for a total of 2 cups mashed squash.  You can puree the squash if you prefer no chunks in your muffin.  Set aside to cool to room temp.  Drain excess liquid.  When cool, mix in eggs and butter and set aside.

Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center and fold in squash mixture until moist.  Spoon into muffin tins ¾ full

Bake at 375deg until golden …. 15-20 min.

These are a nice breakfast muffin and freeze well if you want to make large batches.

 Options:

I have added blueberries or strawberry pieces to the muffins,  but it is best to use foil papers in the muffin tin so that they don’t stick.

*These can be made lower fat/less rich by using only 1 stick of butter.

* 1 Cup of Splenda can be used in place of sugar

You can also add some cinnamon to the sugar/splenda before mixing for a different taste.

 

Wednesday Sewing Sisters

This morning I met with my girlfriends at the library to chat, sew and have a bit of fun!

I think it was back in March the group agreed to work on a Spring Wall Hanging together.  I really didn't need to start another new project, but this one appealed to me and since several others wanted to try it too, well, why not!?!

I purchased the pattern book, raided the stash, and organized fabrics (my only purchase was that blue butterfly background fabric... but it was just a rementant ... on sale!)  

Here is the book we are using... the pattern is on page 96

Applique The basics & beyond by Janet Pittman  
ISBN 13: 978-1-890621-06-3

At our April meeting I cut and pieced the background and cut and pinned some of the fencing.  I was disappointed that none of the others were starting yet... they had other projects they were finishing up first, but planned on starting soon.  I have other projects too, but decide I would work on this one only at our meetings and find time at home for the other projects.

In May, I needleturned the fence rails.

In June I began with tracing and fusing the flowers together.

When fusing multiple-part or layered applique (like the grouping of daffodils) I learned that once the fusible  is ironed onto the back of the fabric and the shapes are cut, you can peel off the paper and place them on a piece of parchment paper fussing with them until the are set just right.  Then you lightly press with the iron to fuse them all together.  (I use Heat&Bond Light.) When cooled, the entire grouping easily peels away from the parchment.  If it isn't quite right, you can still carefully peel it apart and easily correct the placement before finally fusing the entire grouping on the background.  In this case, the hyacinths are added after the daffodil grouping to cover and hide the mess of stems at the bottom.
  
Now it's July, and today my daffodils and some hyacinths are complete and fused to the background ... and I am started on the tulips.  (I forgot to take step by step pictures, but here is a picture of how far along I am today).   

The tulips are fused together, but just laying on the background for now.  I still need to cut out the stems and leaves before layering and fusing everything in place.  There are narcissus and a bunch more hyacinths to be added before I start the process of blanket-stitching all the pieces.  There will be some embellishment stitching, also, to hopefully bring out the finer details of the flowers.  I plan to add a pieced border, and a final border that should, hopefully, make it big enough to fit my wall.  If I keep plugging away at this each month, I may have it quilted in time to hang next Spring!

Rain

This has been an extremely wet summer.  We had almost 8 inches of rain in the last 5 days alone!  The run-off ditches at the side and back of our property have been flowing like a river.... the ground is completely waterlogged!

Back in the end of May/early June we had arranged to have some large trees near the house removed because we noticed some of the large branches were splitting and there is a risk of them breaking off and damaging the house! Because of the proximity to the house and fenced yard, they need to bring in some heavy trucks with buckets and cranes... and that is just not possible with the ground so saturated... unless we want the lawn totally destroyed!  The almost constant rains are preventing any work being done.

We also wanted to have our driveway repaired and repaved.  The city did their part and fixed the top, but again, the paving must wait until the rains stop. 

So far, the rains have not damaged or washed out the new gravel base.  Once the paving is complete, we will have to bring in some dirt to "support" the sides of the driveway and hopefully direct the water away to prevent damage again.

The rain has kept me inside and I have been working on a challenging (for me) customer quilt.  The majority of the quilting I do is with pantograms and occasionally, some echo stitching.  This quilt has twenty 15inch blocks and she requested a different quilting design for each block.  There is lots of ruler work and some free-hand quilting that I am not accustomed to doing, so progress has been slow.  But, I am nearing the end and hope to get some pictures soon.

Pat Sloan issued a challenge to sew at least 15 minutes every day for the month of July as a means to bust some UFOs!  My Orca Bay quilt has been my leader/ender project for quite some time as I completed other small projects and worked to complete my Easy Street.   Orca Bay is now my daily sewing project and I am making steady progress.... I'm about half-way done with the Step 5 Winged Triangles.  Only 3 more steps to go!

I've been following Esther's blog and the excitement over her newest pattern, Love Entwined.  I've gathered some fabrics and just found and ordered a fabric that I believe will work well for the background.  I still haven't decided if I will do this or not as it involves lots of very challenging applique over the next 18 months.  I could possibly make just the center block... which may be enough of a challenge and time commitment for me.  I'm waiting on starting until her next updated post... and the release of a simpler pattern (Lilly, Rose & Cherry??) that I hope will be more realistic for me to accomplish.