Growing to Town

Garden Update

Remember this?

View from the tomato end - June 2, 2019

Just two weeks later, the Bradley tomatoes on this end are now way higher than the marigolds ...

... the cucumbers are reaching toward the trellis ...

... there are flowers on the cherry tomatoes ...

... small green peppers emerging ...

... and healthy dill ready to harvest.

We have already used some dill and thyme in a couple of our recipes.  Yes, I know I have probably over-planted in my small space.  I'm hoping some "crops" will peak before others need space.  This is a new experience for me and I am enjoying the trip!

Catching Up

Another of "those" weeks

After months of rarely leaving the house, last week was the second in a row filled with activities.  But at least last week included some sewing!

Early last Monday morning I made the 3-hour drive to the other side of Nashville to attend a 2-Fabric Bargello class taught by my S'mores friend Nancy.  This is one of those quilts that looks SEW much more complicated than it is.

Nancy's example

Because of my back and neck issues, I was careful not to spend too much time at any one activity during the day but I did get good start on one of the simpler designs in the pattern.

Libby's 2FB

I was working with fabric from my stash.  It truly only takes two fabrics.  The secret is using a gradation that creates the effect of complex piecing.  After I got a couple of other things off my design wall this morning, I got all the rows clipped and up on the wall.

I want to finish this one soon.  It will probably just be a wall hanging.  Let me tell you, the pattern is confusing, but with Nancy's excellent instructions we were all on our way to a finished project by the end of the day.  I've already picked my fabrics for the next one!
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I spent last Monday night at Nancy's so that I could attend a S'mores sew-day on Tuesday.

Sena's sewing room

I spent the entire day adding a sleeve to this quilt I entered in a nearby quild's show.

Fire and Ice

On Wednesday I drove back to Crossville to deliver Fire and Ice and Rock Island, Rock On! to the CCP show in time for judging (I didn't win anything) and in time to make a FGFQG executive board meeting.

Rock Island, Rock On!

It was a nice show, lots of beautiful quilts and a good assortment of local vendors.

Talk About a Mixed Bag ...

But it's mostly scraps!

Design Wall - June 15-16, 2019

I've been jumping from one thing to another these days.  I have this incredible desire to clean up messes and use up scraps.

On the right is Dawn to Dusk (from More Nickel Quilts).  The blues are all from my 2.5" scrap strips; the white is Grunge yardage from my stash.  Since this photo, I have added one more row and am now 4 seams shy of a quilt!  Unless I decide to add borders ... more on that in another post.

In the middle you see some of my Tiny Tuesday blocks.   I have been trying to make two each week, one in reverse values.  Some blocks just didn't lend themselves to that, like the owl.  Some weeks, like the bear claw bow tie, I was lucky to finish just one.  And then there are the weeks I said "forget that!"   The light backgrounds will get a dark grey Grunge sashing; the dark backgrounds will get a light grey Grunge sashing.  Then there's the issue of straight versus on-point.   I thought halfway through the year was a good time to assess how many blocks I have, their orientation, and sashing color.  That's tomorrow's project. 

On the left is one of two new scrap projects underway.  In one of my scrap-user-system drawers  (what a joke!) I discovered a stash of 4" (finished) 4-patches.  So I pulled a "neutral" green from my stash -- everything in nature goes with green, you know -- and what you see is the beginning of a twin-size quilt.

Also on the scrappy front, I made two more buckeye stars ...

... and two Tiny Tuesday blocks ...

It was another of "those" weeks and I have a lot to catch you up on, but for now I'll just leave you with best wishes for all the dads out there and best memories for those of us who only have memories of our dads.

Linking with Cynthia at Quilting is more fun than housework.

Wildlife Wednesdy

This baby robin fledged a little early.  Mom and Dad nowhere in sight.

Baby Robin

Apparently he/she flew into the window and had the breath knocked out of him/her.  It finally was able to fly away unassisted .. no thanks to its parents ...

TGIF

One of those weeks

We've all had them.  Weeks with "something" scheduled every day, just enough to interfere with an otherwise productive day in the sewing room.  The "15-minutes to Stitch" approach is helping, however.

Monday it was an hour drive each way to the retina doctor for Mr. Lakeside.  Good news: he's back to one drop once a day (instead of two twice a day).  In the sewing room, I cut pieces for three Buckeye Stars and made a pile of tiny 4Ps in dark blue.

Tuesday was Devo and Sew. Even though I set up my machine to sew more 2" strip sets, I ended up spending the day cutting chunks for 4-patches.  At home I cut pieces for three Double Shot blocks and made a blue TT butterfly.

Wednesday, my last chiropractor visit -- not that I'm entirely healed in the back, but he did manage to improve my carpal tunnel symptoms.  Rather than apply to Medicare for extended service, I'm going to try to fix my issues with lifestyle changes.  Specifically, losing weight, walking more, and sewing less.  (Ouch, it hurts to even say that!)  Once home, I stitched the pile of 4Ps I cut on Tuesday.  I can't wait to show you my plan for them!

70 4-patches

Thursday I spent the morning checking out a possible new venue for the guild classes when we have a professional teacher.  Our normal meeting place is a church that does not allow sales which, of course, is one of the ways itinerant teachers make their money.  Once home, I assembled three Double Shot blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Chllenge.

Double Shot (Double X)

Finally, Friday!  A free day.  My plan was to hit a half-price plant sale in a nearby town, but it is raining so hard right now -- yes, it's finally raining after almost 4 weeks without any -- that I'm tempted to stay home and sew .... in 15-minute increments.

Wildlife Wednesday

Fly away!

A couple of butterflies were enjoying my marigolds on Sunday before I got them planted.

I haven't seen them since the flowers were planted.

The spots on the top side of their wings was a beautiful iridescent blue.  

Which inspired me to make another Tiny Tuesday butterfly.

Blue butterflies mean "love"

Cut by my revised measurement, this one turned out 1/4" too long!  

In case you haven't made yours yet, the lower lobes should be 2.5" square.  

I also made an attempt at a Buckeye Star in blue.

Buckeye Star

I can see that I need to have more value contrast between the 4Ps and HSTs.  

And I noticed that in the orange stars I didn't match up the 4Ps.  

I'm glad I did a trial run before I whipped through all three.  

This one may end up on the back.

Garden Update

We shopped for vegetable plants on Friday and I finally got them installed in the Trug Sunday.

Bradley tomato end

Herbs - dill, rosemary, thyme (no sage)

Herb garden end

Three green peppers and two cucumbers

Cherry tomatoes and basil

Cucumber trellis

and a few Marigolds to ward off pests

Wish me luck!!