Twice in one day !!

Hard as it is to believe, I am actually posting twice in one day.  It doesn't make up for those times when I don't post anything for weeks but I want people to know that I do other things besides sew.

This morning I sewed, didn't complete the block but I got the pattern copied, cut out and my fabric strips cut.  Maybe tomorrow I'll finish it but for today this is it....

This is a mistake I make often.  I sew the fabric on, then when I'm trimming, I cut it off.

 This is why this particular instrument is so necessary...

So I finished only that little part of the block but it was more time and work than it looks. :-)











Yesterday, I had lunch over at my dd's and I got to check on the 7 new puppies and their mommy.... and all the other animals and people who live up there on the north part of the island.  All of 6 miles away.  Thought I would post some pictures of the luncheon and pets.

First, Sally and her pups.

 Then, one of the kitties sleeping on a carpet that was put out to air... Mr. Jones.

Then the chickies relaxing on a carpet that is also outside being aired out.  I thought it was funny to see how much 'the girls' liked perching up there.  They're curious creatures.

 Enjoying the day while Leonidas aka: Daddy, sits at my feet.

 Flowers on the table fresh from the garden.  The Mojitos were made with mint from my garden which I was happy to contribute for drinks.

After lunch, we took two of the dogs, Chubaca and Leonidas, for a walk in the park.  Lots of new smells for them as well as new dogs to meet along the way.










A pleasant day was had by all and even though the day got cloudy by the time I drove myself home, it was still nice and warm.

Chance to win a quilt

If you go to the MaryQuilts site (page up) on or before June 23rd and donate $10 to the Red Cross, you'll have a chance to win a lovely quilt.

It's Coming Along

I've completed two more blocks on row 4 and they took forrrrevvvver to do.  All those itty-bitty parts and my usual quandary... what colors should I choose.

I'm trying to use purples and reds because they go well with the yellow and also because I know that my oldest dd as well as her daughter love purple.  Either one could be the recipient of this quilt when it's done.  Ria (gdd) and her husband have just bought their first house so that's been on my mind while working away.

I'm not completely pleased with this block because of the fabric I selected with all the white flowers but it's done, all the seams match up and none of the points were cut off so I'm keeping it.  Probably won't be noticeable in the midst of all the rest of the busy blocks anyway.  But you can see that I'm fabric-selection challenged.

Both of these blocks were paper-pieced which is accurate but a little boring to do after a while.  I like to strip quilt but there's no way to do that in this quilt... so I'll save it for the next one.

it's not particularly attractive but I find I work on the blocks more often if I can see how far I've come.  Only 5 1/2 rows to go.

My dd's doggie had her pups (yes, I know she should be spayed but she got preggers before she could be) - 7 of them.  One is a runt and she isn't feeding him so it may have to be bottle-fed if it's to live.  She had them last night so we'll see if the little guy makes it through the night.  Then I'll get some pictures of the new mommy and her babies.

Take care all.  Hope you're enjoying beautiful weather like we are here. :-)

Spring Fever (I guess)

Seems like forever... but there's just so much to be done.  Bird-watching, gardening, thrift-store shopping, birthdays, new chicks and did I mention quilting?

This is something I found in a St. Vincent de Paul thrift store which I seldom go to because it's way over in Bremerton which is quite a drive, but my dd's were heading over there and I went along too.  The label reads "This Amish doll is handmade of 100% cotton. The quilt is printed in traditional Amish colors and patterns and is lovingly quilted."

 The head is a wooden ball on a wooden neck but the body of the doll is stuffed and soft, except for the bottom part which is quite heavy and moldable so the doll stands in place very well.

 I just love her bonnet and that beautiful apron she's wearing.

 The quilt she is holding is a lovely small replica of a real quilt.

 Hand quilted as you can see from the backing.

 Isn't she lovely?!

 Look at that handwork....

... truly a work of art.  The cost of this masterpiece was so small it was obvious that the thrift shop did not know the significance of the doll to a quilter.  It was on a shelf with the children's dolls.

I'm so happy that I was able to rescue her and give her a good home.  I live so far from Amish country that it's unlikely that I would ever be fortunate enough to see one of these dolls in person.  Of course, I realize that there are probably a million of these objects all over the East coast where they are made... but that doesn't lessen it's value to me.

Oh, and I have another block to add to my 'yellow' quilt...

I paper-pieced this block in four quarters, then sewed them together to make the complete block.

I probably should have used fabric for my purples that contrasted more with each other but c'est la vie.  I might redo it when I've done more blocks but for now... it's done!