Some progress

 My binding companion was a ready helper Sunday afternoon as we worked our way around another quilt. 

I was able to get the binding on this quilt.  The pattern was from a Missouri Star Triple Play video and it was called Mountain Magic.  They were showing different ways to use the equilateral triangle, and I just had to try this one.  You take a panel and cut triangles from it and then from your accent fabrics.  I had never done anything with an equilateral triangle.  It went together pretty easily.  

Then it hung in the closet for awhile while I contemplated the quilting.  I was going to try some sort of custom design for triangles, but everything I came up with was too curly or girly for this outdoorsy panel.  I finally settled on an edge to edge pattern called West Winds.  I think it gives it a nice motion and I'm really happy with it.  I've been trying more custom quilting especially after a member at our last guild meeting basically said that she didn't think it was really quilting if the quilting wasn't specific to each block of fabric in the quilt.......meaning she didn't like edge to edge quilting.  I think there is room for all styles and certain quilts lend themselves to one or the other.  This one was just meant to be West Winds all over it.

The backing featured a fabric that looked like the grasses you would find in the woods like the panel.  It was a really nice quality fabric.  I have no idea what I will do with the scrap that is left.  Also, still thinking about a name for this quilt.

The big news is IT RAINED!!!!!  Willow was so hoping for enough rain to make some mud to play in, but that hasn't happened..........yet!  You can see she's waiting patiently for this to happen.  We also picked about 3 gallon of blackberries when I got home from work yesterday.  David fixed some delicious steaks on the grill and sweet corn to go with the potatoes I had in the oven while I washed and bagged blackberries for the freezer.  

Managed to get all the laundry done except for a load of towels in the dryer this morning before work, which leaves baking some cookies on the agenda for this evening and working on a quilt binding, of course!

Christi

Back to Quilting

 Well, it's time to catch up on some things happening in the sewing room.    I had noticed Esme standing on the floor trying to peer out this second story window, so when I mentioned it to the hubby, he devised this nice cat resting shelf for the window.  It's right behind my cutting table, so she can stay close if she wants to.  It's covered with a piece of flannel fabric.  So far, she hasn't spent much time there, but I have a feeling that may change when it cools off and it's not so hot being next to the window.  The hubster also installed a new light over my long arm machine.  That has made it much brighter.............sorry, no photos.  It's just a basic light but it makes a difference!

So I have spent some time quilting for MYSELF!  I actually finished piecing this one, cut a batting and backing, and took it straight to the long arm.  This is on my UFO list, so it will be nice to show it and get it scratched off.  It was Bonnie Hunter's leader/ender challenge from last year.  

It's made totally from scraps and I set it together with blue cornerstones and binding, so used this cute blue polka dot for the back.  It was quilted in an all over pattern called West Winds.  I'm really happy with it.

I also quilted this Moda Love Layer Cake quilt that was made from a layer cake that I won from Sew Sweet quilt shop.  I did custom quilting on this one.  

This is not my usual color profile, but I did find some backing to go with it.  I really like this one as well.

I took the leftovers from the same layer cake and made this smaller version of the same pattern.  It will make a nice baby quilt.  I did custom quilting on it as well.  I actually quilted it before the large version to practice some designs.  

It has a different backing, but the quilts share the same binding.  I was excited to use up all but 2 half square triangles from the layer cake and all but a short strip of the fabric used for binding.  I do have some of each backing piece left.

I have also quilted 2 other quilts, but don't have the bindings on them yet.  My binding helper is telling me I better get to work and get those 2 finished as well.

I picked up a new table runner pattern at Sew Sweet and worked on piecing it yesterday.  I just love a cat in a bow tie!

Esme was not as impressed with the bow tie kitties.

Well, I better get back to the binding!

Christi

Summer Reading and Sweet Corn!

 Yes, the sweet corn is ready............all 12 rows of it.  We ate our first ears Friday evening and put some in the freezer on Saturday afternoon.  We've had longer ears than this, but no photos.  Of course, this makes things difficult for the hubster.  He likes to use corn cob nobs.  I don't.  But we have these nifty cob nobs from Pampered Chef that you screw into the corn before you cook it, then they cool off in a snap so you can butter your corn without burning your fingers!  Only problem - this corn is so long it won't fit into the pan with the cob nobs!  (some of it only goes in at an angle now).

Now we're also playing poker during corn season........... David, "I've trapped 3 coons so far."  My dad, "I'll see your 3 coons and raise you a possum!"  And so on, we trade stories about the corn patch traps.  I think my dad is currently winning.  Whatever he has beats David's 4 coons and a possum!  

David's cousin told me once that I had almost achieved the trifecta - I had wild turkey breast and mushrooms in the freezer.  I was only missing crappie!  Well, this is my trifecta - BLT's, sweet corn, and cucumbers & onions!

We went up to Bethany last Thursday to take Willow to the lake to play (and deliver 3 quilts to my mom). Here she is waiting patiently on the couch..............you know, you have to wait an hour after you eat before you swim!  Mom wasn't thrilled to have her on the couch because she's doing some major shedding now.  We had brushed her really well the days before the trip to try to cut down on the dog hair.  It wasn't too bad.

 Willow had an amazing time at the lake.  

There was a family with young kids there when we arrived and they were amazed to watch Willow swim.  Willow was pretty crushed when they left.  My mom and dad didn't plan to swim, but after watching us, Dad questioned how cold the water was and we said it was really nice, so he swam in his clothes!

Afterwards, we played cards before we left.  Willow was passed out on the couch, exhausted from all her fun.  Mom reported that she didn't sweep up too much dog hair after we left.  My dad said it's because she had filled the lake with hair.  They said it was pretty thick on top of the water when we left.  Better there than in the house!  

We stopped for sandwiches at Burger King on the way home................yes, Willow got her own cheeseburger.  She had a good day!

When we got home, I unpacked stuff and left some projects on the steps to go to the sewing room.  I had some numbered pins (1-6) pinned into a table runner and the next morning, they were all missing.  Esme had quite the pin party during the night.  I located 4 and have since found #5, but #3 is still missing.

And now for the summer reading report..............  I am currently reading Where the Crawdads Sing and it is excellent.  We saw the movie last night and it was really good.  So I will highly recommend both.

On our vacation, we listened to a book called As You Wish....Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride.  Now, if you haven't seen the movie The Princess Bride, you should.  And if you liked the movie, you will enjoy this book.  It's non-fiction, written by Cary Elwess who played Westley, the male lead.  It's an older movie and when they celebrated the 25th anniversary of the movie, he decided to write the book.  Of course, the movie is based on the original book, The Princess Bride, which I have not read, but am on the waiting list for at the library.

We also listened to Jenny Doan's book, How to Quilt an American Dream while on vacation.  Jenny reads it and it is excellent.  Of course, I had read the original book, but David enjoyed listening to the audio book with me.

So there you have it, my summer reads and even some movies to watch!

Christi

Quilts of Valor

 Tuesday evening was our guild meeting and we presented 5 Quilts of Valor to individuals who had served in the armed forces.

Here are photos of 4 of them.............I didn't get a photo of the one I helped with because I was helping to hold it up.

I also didn't get photos of the show and tell because I was just too busy looking at everything.  I did get a photo of our raffle quilt.......or at least half of it.  It is called Prairie Schooner.  It was folded in half for the photo.

I was able to show a couple of small things...............  and when I got home, I put away the patriotic stuff and put out my Zest table runner.

and hung up the watermelon wall hanging.

David has been getting up very early every morning to load pigs.  We are planning a day trip to Bethany today to deliver some quilts and take Willow up for a swim in the lake.  She thoroughly enjoyed this last year.  It should be a fun day!

Christi

Abundance

 The hubster loaned out his mini excavator Sunday afternoon and declined taking any rent for it.  So instead he was gifted with this wonderful array of fresh produce!

I've peeled about half the peaches and they are delicious!  BLT's are on tap for lunch today!

My 2 cucumber plants are still loaded with blooms even though I've already harvested enough cucumbers for a batch of dill pickles.

One of the poor apple trees has a branch resting on the ground because of so many apples.

And the sweet corn patch is being watched with anticipation by all, including this guy (well, he's not watching any more).

We have trapped 2 big coons.  Marshmallows make good bait for them.  Last night, we walked the perimeter of the sweet corn and dropped hair clippings I had picked up from the beauty shop.  We also dropped some of Willow's hair that I had been collecting when I brushed her.  We'll see if this works to protect at least part of the 12 rows of corn.

I have picked peas twice and should get a last picking today.  Esme is my lap sitter, but has found it difficult to get a good spot when I'm shelling peas.

She does much better with quilt binding projects.

I quilted this cute bunny pattern on a wall hanging for my neighbor.  It was so much fun to watch the bunnies be "born" in the sewing room.  It turned out really cute!

I also have this quilt top sewn together now.  It was a pattern I bought on vacation.  I used more of my collection of fabrics for Farm Girl Vintage quilts for it.  I have already made 2 quilts with those fabrics and the tub never seems to get any smaller.  I just finished piecing a backing for this from the same fabrics as well and there is still more fabric.  

When visiting my nephews, my sister-in-law cleaned out some of her fabric and passed it on to my mom.  She also had a big stack of old jeans - already deboned and ready to use!  I took those and have this large top pieced.  She is going to put it on the bed in their horse trailer.  I alternated the denim blocks with some of my homespun scraps.  You will see several pockets in the quilt.  That's so they have somewhere to put their phones at night!

I had laid it all out on the floor in Sarah's room, but the design team had other ideas.........

I was thankful that this was one of those really hot days and David was hanging out in the house, so he straightened it out and picked up the blocks in rows for me.  I have another throw size quilt with denim and homespun blocks to get sewn together.  There are still some pieces of denim left, but they will be smaller blocks.

I have also finished sewing my fish school leader ender blocks into 4's.  This is not a large quilt as they are laid out on my cutting counter (just hanging over the edges a bit).  I want to get this sewn together so I can decided on borders or if to even have borders.  

And back in the kitchen, David was making whipped cream for something and since we want everyone to feel like they are a part of the action in the kitchen, Willow was allowed to wash the mixing bowl.

She does a pretty good job, but the dishwasher will get anything she misses!

So as you can see, all this sewing, gardening, and cooking have left us exhausted here at the farm!

Christi

Family Times

So I'm way behind on this, but prior to vacation, we went to Iowa for Jackson's high school graduation reception.  He will be heading off to Iowa State in the fall to major in business.  He was heavily recruited for track, but has opted not to do college sports.  He already has a number of college credits and plans to graduate in 3 years and start making money!

His Aunt Jill crochets and made him this enormous throw.  I can't believe the time that must have taken.

And we got to see Tucker, their golden doodle.  At least Tucker will still be at home in the fall so the "empty nest" won't be so bad.  However, I think Tucker will miss Jackson as much as Jackson's parents will miss him.

And here is the relative photo from the reception..........

And it was nice to see Carter wearing something besides "track" attire!

And a couple of weeks after our vacation, we invited ourselves down to my brother's house in Lockwood.  His oldest, John, was there visiting from California.  We hadn't seen him in 4 years.  

And we saw Jacob who we hadn't seen in almost a year.  He is no longer in seminary in St. Louis.  He works for JB Hunt, the same company John does and lives in Arkansas.

And the family photo..........

 I'm hoping to work on some quilting today!

Christi