10th finish for 2020, sampler, drapes, and TDF

The 16 patch quilt is done! It is 72" x 88". I am very happy with how it turned out.

Here is the quilt that was my inspiration. I don't know who make it or when.

The next job on my list was to lengthen four drapery panels for a co-worker. I had to buy something close in color to add to the hem. I first had to straighten the bottom of each panel so they were the same length. I was happy with how they turned out.

I got more done on that sampler. I am working on the border and the lines dividing the text first then I will go back and stitch the text.

We got lots of rain on Friday; around 1.3 inches. The plants perked up. I only had to trim; the grass has not grown enough to bother mowing, but I am sure it will need mowed by this weekend with all that rain.

The Tour de France started Saturday. They had put in place lots of rules because of covid. The riders have to wear masks all the time up until the time they begin to race. As soon as the race is over the masks go back on. If any two people on a team including managers, mechanics, and staff test positive within 7 days the whole team has to leave the race. The crowds are way down because if someone in Europe comes into France from another country they have to quarantine for 14 days and then when they go back home they have to quarantine for 14 more days. The race staff has put barricades farther away from the riders to keep the people farther away from the riders and of course, they are all need to wear masks. There is a lot less media there too. Hopefully the race can make it thru the three weeks of racing safely. On Sunday the riders had some mountains to climb. Here are pictures of them going around a switchback and a view of the road going back and forth down the mountain.

The shots of the bay made me want to book a trip to Nice. So beautiful!

Binding, cross stitch, and mairgolds

I managed to get the binding cut for the 16 patch quilt. I am taking a day of vacation tomorrow so my goal is to get th2 16 patch quilt bound by Monday for an August finish.

Here is what the back looks like. I had this fabric in my stash for years. I think I must have got it in the bargain basement at Miller's Dry Goods during one of the sales I use to work. Just a nice subtle print. I still had a yard left over even after making the back for this quilt which is 72" x 88".

I had to water last night. We might have gotten a little rain earlier in the day, but by the time I got home from work I couldn't tell if it had rained or not. I just know my Lenten Roses that I had transplanted earlier this year looked a whole lot better after I watered them Monday so I knew another drink would be good for them. I am impressed on how wonderful the marigolds I grew from seed have grown! They seem very happy in this heat and with the amount of water I have been giving them. I may have to plant more next year and the deer don't eat them!

I got a bit more done on the sampler.

The list for the weekend is growing by the minute so let's see what I can get done in the next three days. Have a great weekend!

Binding is next!

I got the rest of the 16 patch quilt quilted last night. Yeah! Swooze, I will take a picture of the back and post it tomorrow so you can see the quilting. I had some pale greenish tan fabric in my stash and it was enough for the back of this quilt so the quilting does show up nicely.

I dug around in the fabric storage room and the only wine/marron fabric I have left are these two pieces. I like this gray and navy piece and I only have a little bit of it left so I may use it up for this quilt.

I did get a bit of stitching done on that reproduction sampler. It is hard to see the ivory stitching.

It is overcast here today so maybe we will get some rain. Down south they will get too much with both of those hurricanes.

Almost done

I had a busy evening last night so I didn't have much time to sew. I had to go out and give the plants a big drink of water; it has been hot and dry. I did find another zucchini! I forgot to take its picture before I gave it to my neighbor, but it was about 9 -10" long and a real beauty. I have two more coming on that same plant so I am getting a lot more this year than I did last year. The organic lime I put in the soil when I planted made all the difference this year. I did get a little quilting done on the 16 patch quilt and now have 96% of it quilted. Looks like I should finish it tonight.

16 patch project, counted cross stitch, and mystery solved

I worked most of Saturday and Sunday on the 16 patch quilt. I am 92% done with having it quilted! I am going to have to start looking for fabric for the binding.

I got that Danish cross stitch completed. I washed and pressed it and it is all ready for framing. I use to do all my own framing at a place call The Framers Workshop. I don't think they are in business anymore. It was less expensive to do the framing yourself. That place cut the framing materials and all you had to do was put it together.

I quit doing counted cross stitch samplers a long time ago. I mean how many samplers does a person need to make? LOL!! The last one I completed was this one in 1993 which I found in the bin with all my other cross stitch fabric and patterns.

There was also this sampler I had started. The original is in the Ohio Historical Society collection, but was originally made in Massachusetts. I will take it to work on at lunch time.

I did some research on that cast iron Staub pot and found that I was completely wrong about what it was for. It is a specialty piece for cooking mussels! I don't think I have ever eating a mussel in my life! I have a Staub cookbook on hold at the library and maybe I can find what else I can cook in this little pot. It is still a cute pot!

16 patch and embroidery progress, handed off DWR quilt

I got a bit more quilted on the 16 patch quilt. I haven't bothered to figure out yet my progress by percentage done; I don't have enough done to bother, but maybe by Monday I will have taken the time to figure that out.

For the embroidery, I have all the branches, stems, and leaves done in that color of green. I am now working on another green to fill in all of those leaves in that shade of green.

Last night the lady came over to get the DWR quilt. We kept our social distance so I set up a small table in the garage so she could just walk up and get it. She looked at it, flipped back one of the corners and said "this fabric here, my grandma made me a dress and a dress for my doll out of this fabric." She said she was going to cry she was so happy with the quilt. Whew! Then she brought me a token of her appreciation. Look at the lovely wrapping!

Inside was a cute piece of Staub cast iron! I have always wanted a piece of Staub! I can't wait to get a little chicken and cook it in this pot.

I am taking a day of vacation tomorrow so I will check back on Monday. Have a great weekend!

16 patch quilt progress

I spent a little time getting started on quilting the 16 patch quilt. I am using taupe thread and so far I like the way it looks.

I also got more done on that embroidered tree. It is coming along nicely. I have all the red berries stitched.

Repair job, zucchini, and bobbins

I had a repair job last night on a couple masks for a fellow I work with. He was happy this morning when I delivered them to him.

I was only 74 degrees when I got home from work so I decided to go out to my garden and see if there were any squash growing. To my surprise I found a big zucchini growing! It is 13" long!

I managed to get all the empty bobbins I had wound with thread for the 16 patch quilt. I am looking forward to getting started on the quilting.

Thanks to everyone on your kind comments on getting the DWR quilt done.

9th finish for 2020

In case you wonder where I have been I had an unexpected emergency and had to take last week off. It's all good. What I did get done was the double wedding ring quilt! Yeah!!!! It turned out 59" x 91". I labeled it, washed it, and it is now ready to be turned over to the owner. The colors are dark in this picture, but I was just not that concerned about a perfect picture. I am just glad it is done and soon to be out of my life!

I will show you a couple before pictures. This is how the quilt was bound when it was handed over to me. Yes, someone rolled the backing over the front and zig zagged it!

How I bound it. I think a bit better if I do say so myself!

These pictures show how badly the quilt was pieced and it was falling apart. I think this was the last quilt the lady had pieced and her skills had diminished. I had seen another quilt the lady had made and it was impeccably made.

I did also manage to get the 16 patch quilt pin basted.

I made a step up box out of scraps.

Made 5 masks for a fellow at work.

And decided to get out an old piece of cross stitch that needed finished. I have no idea why I didn't finish it in 1999. I will work on this a lunchtime since I have the DWR quilt done. Here is where it was and where I am at now.

We did get some much needed rain yesterday. We could use more, but at least the plants got a drink of rain water instead of tap water.

DWR quilt progress and weekend plans

I got three melons quilted yesterday so I am down to 5 left to quilt along with 8 centers.

I am taking a day of vacation tomorrow so another 3 day weekend to get stuff done! I need to get the 16 patch blocks on the design wall sewn together so I can get that top off the design wall.

I may have a t-shirt quilt commission coming and I want to be prepared by having the wall blank. I know I will have to mow and of course, I need to make sure I pull any weeds that came up since last Friday.

Have a great weekend!

DWR progress and plan B.

Only another week or so and you won't have to hear about the DWR quilt again! LOL!! Here is a picture of one of the two melons I got done yesterday. I now have only 8 more melons and 8 more centers to quilt.

When I got home from work I went over to look at the liriope to make sure they were all still in the ground, but they were not. It wasn't the chipmunks digging them up; I figured out it was the deer pulling them out of the ground. The plants have not spread their roots enough and can easily be pulled out of the ground. The deer come by, chomp on the leaves, and when they yank, the plants come out of the ground. I was thinking of what I could do to get the deer to leave them alone. I didn't want to cover them so I decided to put chopsticks in the ground next to the plants. I figure the deer's nose will get poked with the chopstick and they will leave them alone and move on. I went thru the house and gathered every chopstick I could find; I came up with a dozen of them. I threw in a couple of pencils while I was at it. So now I will wait and see if this deters the deer.

I should not have bought these grasses. I never thought that the deer would eat them. They don't touch my other ornamental grasses, but those all have sharp edges to their leaves and the liriope does not. I don't think the chopsticks look too bad. I guess I could get more artistic and paint the chopsticks different colors so they look more intentional. I need more chopsticks!