A fun pattern for a hot, muggy, and/or rainy afternoon.

Thanks to our friend Marcie, who by the way has a GREAT Pinterest site, here's another example on using up a variety of scraps.

I started with a selection of 2" squares, being sure to include several 1930s vintage, as well as bright gold, orange, pink, etc.  The brighter/lighter helps break up all of the darker/smaller prints.

To make one block, take 2 - 4 patches and sew a 3-1/2 muslin square on each side.

Sew 2 rows of 6 - 2" squares together for the center.  Press seams accordingly, tucking dark seems under when adding muslin squares.

Attach the section with muslin squares first to one side of the 6-square unit and then the other.

Be sure to straighten your grain and starch the fabric before cutting out.  If you already have your print squares cut, then be sure to starch your muslin at least.  This will cut down on the amount of threads / shedding of your fabric and help stabilize your block when adding the set-in triangles.

When your blocks are together, lightly starch each one.  Starch causes shrinkage.  And it can cause some fabrics to bleed out, so a light dusting is enough.  

When I figure out the measurement of the set-in triangles, I'll be sure to post them.

If you've seen the U.S. news, then you know parts of the country are reaching record highs.  Please be sure to keep fresh water out for all of your critters, but most especially the furry ones.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

"I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it",

says Dolly!

Connecting Threads is having their once a year THREAD SALE!

In every color your lil' heart could desire.  Get your orders in quick, they run out fast.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Wordless Wednesday

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

WOOOO HOOOO, HAPPY DANCE

DONE, done and definitely done!

Whew.  

And it only took me a little over a year.  Yes, this was a baggie project.   Final measurement 108" x 120", or thereabouts.

A large variety of prints are needed to make this quilt work.  I also used up a lot of left over muslin pieces.

Dolly breathes a sigh of relief that it's finally completed and asks once again for a truck ride.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Jungle Bunny

Since Thimbell was doing such a fine job cutting my grass today, I decided to move on to a more important project. . . .

the second bunny condo.

I took a lot of detailed shots for those who have Flemish bunnies and wish to build one like it.  The roof line angles still confuse me, but for those with roofing experience, it should be easy to figure it out.

I'm thoroughly enjoying my new camera.  Thimbell is not to sure about the whole idea though.  She was pure silver when I first got her and now the pattern of her coat could be copied by the camo fabric folks.  

Until then, keep stitchin'  . . . 

Decisions, decisions . . .

  
Does anyone recognize this type of mushroom?  I'm wondering if it can be used to dye fabric.  Hmmm.


A friend's daughter recently graduated from nursing school.  It has been an especially long journey for this young lady, and to celebrate, I'm going to bequeath her with this quilt.

Problem is, I can't decide on borders.  Perhaps a piano key border in mixed blues and white.

It needs to be just a tad larger, so maybe 6 inches on each side would work.

Any suggestions?

A bit more pink is showing today.  I'm beginning to like this color.

This is Dolly's "mom are you done work yet, so we can go for a ride face."  Evidently 13 bunnies are not enough to entertain this pup.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Ch, Cha, Cha, Changes . . .

Name that song!  We're going back a ways here, 1990s maybe.

My hydrangea changes color every day.  And even though I put rusty nails in the soil to help it turn blue, evidently it didn't work this year.  Or I heard the story wrong and was supposed to use something else besides rusty nails.

No changes here, Dolly is steadfast and loyal, keeping watch from her porch perch for any threats along the perimeter.   Either that or she's making sure no bunz escape, which did happen yesterday.

Now this streak of lightening project is undergoing major change.  I've decided that a scrappy quilt layout is not what I want.  So I'm taking all the sections apart and will use more monochromatic prints in both blues and backgrounds.  Thankfully, I have enough blues in my stash.  And since the rectangles are 4-1/2 x 2-1/2, it should work up fairly quickly.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Wordless Wednesday

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Bunny condo building project tip of the day!

Yesterday after putting in the remaining tomato plants, then planting watermelon, pumpkin and flower seeds, and mowing the lawn, I decided it was high time to tackle the condo.

Putting in door hinges is never an easy task.  Putting them on a very heavy trap door that will fall vertically is even more difficult.  When working in a grassy area, I put down a tarp or old shower curtain to catch any tiny screws that may fall.

 This is the second time I put hinges on, the first ones were too big.

After this the roof supports and door went on. 

Dolly is really tired of summer already no matter how many ice cubes I give her.  Neither of us like 90-degree heat.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Do you remember the movie, "The Pod People?"

 It came out in the late 60's, early 70's I guess.  Had something to do with giant pea pods with alien zombies taking over the world.  Whenever a human being fell asleep, their body would become an alien.  Yeah, I know really tame compared to today's sci-fi thrillers..

This is Thimbell, she's not an alien.  Just hard to get a picture of, as she runs loose in the yard.

This is the alien that has taken over my life.  What you see here is almost the half-way point.  It will contain 3,174 pieces or thereabouts when I'm done.  

But that's not the hard part.  The hard part is finding enough large scale prints AND balancing the colors.

I've declared today, my national sewing day.  I've fed the furry ones, started the wash, made the bed, and did the dishes.  Now it's time to get this baby finished!!!

Feel free to declare your own National Sewing Day!

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Well, I finally took the plunge and . . .

bought a new camera.  It's like learning a whole other computer program, only more so.

 It allows for "pet" shots at so many frames per minute.

It has adjustments for close-ups of flowers.  But the flash always turns on, go figure.

And then there are the "action" shots, proving once again that Dolly needs a bath.

I keep finding new stuff in the book which I need to memorize if I want to improve on my photography skills . . . so I'm giving myself 3 years to practice, which includes traveling to enough interesting places to do so.  Luckily, I live in a lovely part of the country for such adventures.

If you could travel to anyplace in the world to take pictures, where would you go?

Until then, keep stitchin' . . . 

Mother Nature always sets such a fine example

Of colors that work well together.

I think I'll be planting a lot more in the future.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

I'm not sure where May went, but we'll try to catch up in June.

It seems like yesterday these guys were small enough to hold in my hand.

 and now look at them.  Pretty as a picture.

 Of course they're full of mischief, always getting into or out of things they shouldn't.

All the while maintaining a look of innocence.

Along with spring chores things have really been "hoppin'" 'round here.

Very little sewing has been going on, but I'm hoping to get a quilt top done soon so I have something colorful to share.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . ..