Hot weather is making me so lazy....

Gees, it is hot outside.  It must be 100+ out there today.  It feels like Las Vegas.  If you have never been to Las Vegas in the summer, then let me explain what it feels like when you walk out side.  Turn your oven to about 400 degrees, wait 10 minutes and then stick your head in...only for about 2 minutes because that is about as long as you can stay outside.  The humidity is so different here and in your oven, that you don't really "sweat"...you just get red faced and hot feeling.  At least my hair is not sopping wet like at home.  Ok, I have whined enough.

We went into town today to buy a ruler that I had left at home.  After that, we decided to look around one of the thrift shops.  I found a very old piece that is appliqued.  It is most amazing because it is only about 10" big.  I could not believe how much work someone put into this little piece of circular fabric.  Some of the applique pieces are only about 1/4 inch big.  There are over 300 pieces appliqued on the circle...and they did not even have good drugs back then.  The piece also has embroidery through out it.  The person must have had the patience of Jobe plus some.  I am going to wash it in some quilt soak and maybe have it framed.  I cannot imagine sewing this small.  The first picture is a full on picture and the second is a close up of the center.  It has one little place where it is coming apart...other than that, it is in very good condition.

The family member who donated it must have no idea of the time and effort put into this little baby.  For the most part, you must look hard to see the stitches.  The applique is very good quality.  I am excited about this little treasure.  Just had to share while it was on my mind.  Until we meet again....

Lazy day for me...

Today was a very peaceful lazy day.  I did not hit a lick at a snake all day long.  We even ate out tonight.  I helped Kallie with her quilt.  She has all the blocks sewed together and most of the rows sewed together.  She will have to stitch about 5 more rows and that part will be completed.  The next step is to sew the borders, quilt it and bind it.  It will probably take from now until Christmas to get it completed since she is not with Brad and Jennifer all the time.  This is a partial picture of what she got completed.  For the first time, she did pretty good.

I did the pinning, pressing and part of the ripping for her so that she could get most of it completed while they were here.  I will start my sewing projects after tomorrow.  I did not feel comfortable sewing with her since she had never sewed before...to much risk of her sewing a finger.  So I did not accomplish much this week other than enjoying Jennifer and her family.

Anyway, I cannot wait to get started on my sewing projects.  I also need to do some work in the yard here since most of my plants were weed wacked with the weeds.  I won't do much because my wrists won't take it.  I just plan on planting some seeds in some of the pots I have here so maybe I can enjoy watching them grown.

I brought Tababua tree seeds, plumera seeds from one of my plants, some purple spikey plant seeds that I cannot remember the name of right now, black eyed susans, cone plant seeds and sunflower seeds.  I had planted a lot of sunflower seed up by the road before we left last March...but a freeze came about a week later and froze them.  I might plant them again if I get it done this weekend.

It is supposed to be really hot here over the next few days so seeds should not have an issue sprouting.  Although it is supposed to be really hot, it is going to be in the 50's at night.  That is all for now....until we meet again.


 

I'm baaackkkkk

January, the last time I blogged seems like such a long time ago.  How time flies when you are having so much fun...yardwork, housework, clearing all the dead plants and junk off the patio.  Those are the fun things I have been doing.  I have not touched my sewing machine since March when I made a swirly strata table topper.  It was fun to make and I plan on making a patriotic and Halloween one at some point.

Jen and her family has been visiting us and I am teaching Kallie how to make a quilt.  We picked out fabrics at home to match some 5 inch squares that I have bought for her.  She has been learning the term "rippit".  She has gotten quite proficient with the seam ripper.  I could win a ripping contest for sure because I am the champion.  It seems I never have to "not" rip out seams when I am sewing.  I have helped rip some of her seams and I have done her pressing and matching up rows.  It would have been easier if she had just sewed all the squares random but it was my bright idea to lay them out in a pattern so that has been fun...keeping all the rows in order when we have ripped.  Ripping is just part of quilting so I figured she needed to learn that along with the sewing and matching seams.  She is about half way through with the rows.  Hopefully, we can work on it a lot tomorrow so she can at least get the top finished and then I will quilt it for her.  Jen can help with the binding when I get it quilted.

Kallie, Jen and I went to the Tuesday Technique sewing demo today.  The lady who taught the swirl strata table topper was there and showed a Christmas tree skirt using the same type technique.  Maxine showed a prairie point ornament that was really cute.  I have seen them before and made a pine cone ornament similar several years ago.  The Christmas skirt which could also be a table topper was really pretty and I am going to have Lisa bring my ruler when they come.  I love the quilt that was  shown last week.  Here is a u-tube video that shows my next quilt.  I picked the fabrics from my stash.  Hopefully, I will get the piecing completed next month.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sII20q7IrtQ

Maxine the owner of the shop is such a sweet and helpful person.  I am sure it is a lot of work to come up with something to demonstrate each week.  I enjoyed seeing several friends that I have not seen in a couple of months.  We all went to lunch at the Gazebo after the demo.

Bill and Brad have been weed whacking the yard.  We have a whole yard full of thorny blackberries.  Most have not turned black.  When you look out, all you see is red berries.  They whacked a lot of them.  I went down and picked some for Cooper and Kallie yesterday.  Kallie did not care for them but my little berry boy loved them.  He had them again in his yogurt tonight.  I wish they were not so thorny and I would pick a bunch to make a cobbler.  Maybe when more ripen closer to the outside edge, I can get enough.  They are good to me.

I guess I have to be in the mood to blog so maybe I will try to be in the mood more...until we meet again...