Sunday

 This morning I got ready and went to church, so I missed my morning sewing time.

By afternoon it was hot upstairs, but I wanted to work on this week's  block for just a few minutes.

But then I really, really wanted to see if those 64 pieces would really fit together so I just kept going.  And they did go together.  And I got really, really hot.

You'll have to take my word for it, I cropped the picture, but there really is 1/4" around the outside of the block, as there should be.

Just to make the day even better, I have 8000 steps today.  It's been a minute.

I Can't Believe

 

I can't believe I just bought fabric at Michael's.  It was a one off that I was even there, my daughter was shopping at Ulta a couple of stores over and I opted for Michael's instead.

I knew Michael's had increased fabric selection after Joann closed, but I expected a few more precuts, not fabric on bolts.  This pink Kona was just what I was looking for and is usually more than $7.50 a yard.

The young guy at the cutting table wasn't experienced, and the customer in front of me helped him measure the entire bolt she was purchasing.  And then she cut my fabric too while she was waiting for him to finish her transaction.

Cuts, at least at this store, are for full yard increments.

I also can't believe I got a pair of knit shorts at Aldi, but that's a whole other story.

Stamps

 I usually don't pay too much attention to postage stamps, just ask the clerk for something pretty.  This time I paid attention and liked the stamps with the baby wild animals and dahlias.  I got both.

As we head toward evening, the sky is darkening and the breeze is picking up, same as yesterday at this time.  Yesterday there was wind, dark skies, and thunder for an hour but no rain.  Not here.

Rain this evening would mean no watering later, fingers crossed.  I don't notice the mosquitos when I'm watering but I have the bites to prove that they're there.

This should be the last day for a while with temperatures in the 90's.  Early morning pleasant temperatures are on their way.

I cut up fabrics for the new Moda block this morning and that was all I had time for.  Lots and lots of little pieces in this one.  I starched the fabrics well and hoped for the best.

Thunder has now arrived and I hear the weather siren.  My phone says rain should start in one minute.

Smokies Memories

 

There are lots of memories from last week's birthday trip to the Smokies but I'll start with this one of Nora relaxing during a hike.  The rest of us arrived on Wednesday, and she and Aaron joined us on Friday.  Wednesday evening we celebrated Winnie's birthday.

Thursday we went to the Arts and Crafts Community outside Gatlinburg.  We had lunch at Split Rail, notable for the good food and for the sixteen pour it yourself beer taps.  I know that day drinking is not for me, but I had to sample a couple of them anyway.  I was drawn in by a Country Boy brew I liked, but instead tried a couple of local selections, one with moonshine.  Sometimes the little headache is worth it.  I really only had a few ounces.

We tried a few shops, a wonderful cinnamon roll bakery, and the best little bookstore.  The bookstore had complementary gift wrapping with a wrapping paper featuring books.  Their selection isn't huge but is excellent.

Friday was a drive through Cades Cove, a must for us, and also Roaring Fork.  We did see a mama bear and cub from a distance.  The grands came that evening and we celebrated my birthday.

Saturday Sarah and Aaron hiked up Mt. LeConte and back.  The rest of us did some smaller hikes, including the Gatlinburg Trail, which allows dogs.  That's where Nora is relaxing in the picture.

Our cabin was way up in the hills, with a lovely night view of Gatlinburg on one side and the Ober tram on the other.  The view made that cabin memorable..  

Challenging Block

 

The four completed Moda Blockheads blocks.  The challenging one is on the lower right.  It's called Cats Cradle.

I kind of knew what to expect.  On the facebook group people mentioned having to redo the block and posted pictures of blocks that turned out wonky.  So I knew to read the directions carefully and repeatedly.

I'm not a fan of the block but it turned out like it should, and it's square.  If I redid it I'd choose color placement differently, but I don't feel strongly enough about that to redo it.

This will end up being a Christmas quilt - the fabric that looks grey in actually a grey green.  It will have sashings between the blocks.

It's hot, I'm considering moving a sewing machine downstairs so I can sew in the afternoons.  The upstairs in my Cape Cod just gets too hot past noon.  We'll see.

Plants Are Thriving

 

I came back from a fun few days in Gatlinburg to find the weather hot and the squash plants thriving.  They are those little yellow squash that bush rather than vine and grow so well in containers.  Tonight I'll plant a second container.  

The morning glories are growing too, and are ready to be encouraged to trail on strings to reach the back porch railing.  My dream is to have those deep purple flowers vining on the horizontal and upright railings.

This afternoon I did some bargain plant shopping at the big box store and scored a container of purple and yellow wave petunias that looked quite fine.  And a containers of healthy gerannium leaves, marked down, I'm sure, because they were finished flowering and the flower color would be mysterious.

And a couople of classic yellow day lilies for the back yard.

More about the trip later, other than to say now that it was a family trip to celebrate Winnie's and my birthdays.

Art of the Bike

 

During Sarah's visit we went to the Cincinnati Art Museum to see the exhibit The Art of the Bike.  There were bikes from different time periods and bikes made from different materials.  The bikes above were from the 1930's.

Bike enthusiast that she is, Sarah wore a bike shirt to the exhibit.  She's trying on a bike hat in the gift shop - tempting, but no.

It was fun to see the set up for a wedding happening once the museum closed.  As we left we saw people in their dressy clothes coming in their nice cars.

We could tell who hadn't been to the museum before - when they came in the door they didn't know where to look first.  It's a very impressive building, with a huge blue Chihuly in the entry.

And the nice thing is, except for special exhibits, admission and parking are free, thanks to generous donors.

And the other nice thing is, it's ten minutes from home. 

Gardening Visit

 

How lucky am I? My horticulture daughter came this weekend, bringing plants and mulch.

And herself.  She can do in an hour what would take me a week.  The front yard beds look so good and there are a few additions to the back yard too.  I'm sure my neighbors are as grateful as I am.

She took some time off and we went to Trader Joe's, neither of us had been.  I'm definitely going back.  To Hollywood Feed, the pet store that just happens to be behind Trader Joe.

This afternoon I walked up the big hill on the street below.  (It's a really big hill.)  Maybe I looked like a pitiful old woman, I don't know, but once I was up the hill and on a gentle grade a little girl came running up with a bottle of water for me.  Her mom said she had just wanted to give me some water.

The temperature was 82 - it was the nicest gesture!

Taller Zipper Bag

 

Another zipper bag completed.  This time I made it a little taller, and I'm not particularly a fan.  If the bags aren't square, I like them wider rather than taller.  But still . . . a nice bag.  Mini charms are Buttercup and Slate.

During pandemic times, a neighborhood quilt shop had opened near me, and they pivoted from being open to having an one-hour facebook sales event every Wednesday.  I don't miss much about the pandemic, but I do miss seeing the shop samples and new fabric lines and notions.  I think the shop actually did quite well, word got around, and orders came from far and wide.

The young woman from the shop decided she wanted more family and the shop closed after the pandemic was over.  Of course I still have lots of fabric that I bought during that time, and of course I love it all.  Probably the little mini charm pack I used for the bag pictured came from that time.

Is anyone following along with the new Moda Blockheads 6?  I considered not doing it, but in the end I couldn't resist.  I'm using  Christmas fabrics paired with a gray green solid. 

A new block comes out every Wednesday.  If you want to improve your piecing skills and get really familiar with a scant 1/4" seam, this may just be for you.  You can find free instructions on Moda's website.

Like an Owl

 

Last week at the quilt stop I got a new bag pattern that uses a charm pack.  The idea is to make it look like mountains, but that wasn't what I had in mind.

For my first try I grabbed a charm pack from my stash.  After a few glitches on my part the pattern went together nicely.  But the bag front - doesn't mine accidentally look like an owl?

I wish I had taken a picture of the shop sample so you could see what the designer had in mind.  I'll make another one with a different charm pack and there won't be an owl.  (Ridgeline Pouch by Chrissy Lux)

Today was lunch with my retreat friends.  All of us probably won't gather together for retreats any more, we are getting older and medical issues are creeping up, but these monthly lunches are precious.

There may be discussions of friends' illnesses, medications, husbands that are slowing down - but we still do chime in with catch-ups of our quilting projects.  Or, quiet machines.

Back Porch

Happiness on my back porch - little morning glory seedlings.  My dream is that they will vine around the uprights on the porch.  

Every morning I check them for growth.  The Burpee catalog assures me that the flowers will be a glorious shade of purple.

But, this morning there were guys replacing the gutters.  (I need so many home repairs.)  And as the men were banging around, a big black snake crawled out from under that back porch.

One of the men moved the snake across the street, after his buddy took pictures of him holding it, but still . . . it could come back.

I know, they kill mice, etc., but I'm not happy.  My plans were to weed the overgrown flower bed at the back of the porch once the day starts to cool, but now I'm reluctant.  That snake could have buddies who are looking for him.

Third Cake

 

Two weeks ago it was my turn to bake a cake for the church's Community Meal.  I decided to go way out my comfort zone and try the 13" x 9" version of December's Southern Living Cake.  No reason to try that one, other than it was a grand experiment.

There was browned butter, a cranberry orange filling, and a whipped cream icing.  Everything went well, and it as a great cake.  Only thing was, I hadn't been notified that plans were changed, a cookout was now planned with ice cream cones instead of cake.

It was ok.  I had the fun of baking something different and my neighbors got cake.  And two of the neighbors were having birthdays.

This week came around, time for another cake, and I decided to make that oatmeal cake with broiled coconut icing that we all baked, like probably 40 years ago.  Everything went fine until the broiled icing burned.  I can't begin to tell you how awful it smelled.  I couldn't wait until it was cool enough to put in the trash.

Yesterday, cake three, a Mississippi Mud cake from the Cake Ladies Cookbook.  I was a little anxious because the recipe didn't list baking powder or baking soda, but the cake turned out light.  Miniature marshmallows went on the hot cake, then a chocolate glaze.

I just delivered the cake to the church refrigerator.  I can add three cakes tried to my list of new recipes under this year's goal list.

Stuck and Cutting

 

For weeks I've felt like I nothing much to say.  Today I'll collect what's on my mind.

For years, my quilting motto has been "If you're stuck, cut."  And finally, since I've been stuck, I cut.  

For longer than I can remember, I've had a stack of pink and blue squares next to my sewing machine.  I don't know where they came from.  The squares are all close to 7" but they aren't quite the same size.  The fabric is kind of thin, not quality fabric.

I've begun the process of sewing and cutting, and we'll see where it goes.  This won't be finished tomorrow or the next day, and it will be really, really improv.  

Between times, I've been working on a couple of little zipper bags, and you'll see them as the days go by.  Making zipper bags is just something i enjoy, and I'm planning to have a little stash of them by Christmas.

The Southern Baptist Convention will be voting this week on whether to begin the long game of overturning the Obergefell v. Hudges ruling that legalized gay marriage.  My heart hurts.