To be, or not to be, that is the question.

The sashing is prepped, but see those tiny white squares . . .

I must decide what color cornerstones will work best.  Not red this time, but perhaps black, navy, or dark green.

Hmmm, a conundrum.  Any suggestions?

Sadly, today's boring farm report is postponed due to inclement weather.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

There were some "itsy, bitsy, teenie weenie"

colored blocks in her Lamborghini . . .

Just kidding about the Lamborghini.  Bobby Darin I'm not.

However these 36-patch, 20-year-old blocks were recently unearthed and I thought I'd make them into something besides pot holders for Lilliputians.

 Almost the size of a stick of gum.

They were over-dyed with something, probably tea.  So I picked a warm tan background for the sashing and borders.

We cooled off to around 83 today, but I believe Dolly is ready to trade in her bikini for some fluffy white stuff.  We're not fans of hot summers.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Busy borders can be fun.

Only a small piece of the red flowered print could be found in the stash.

I accidentally cut one strip at 2", not 2-1/2, so that piece went on each long side.

Inner sashing, top and bottom pieces, cut 2-1/2" wide.  Gold squares, 2-1/2".

Triangle units began as 3-1/2" squares, sewn on each side of diagonal center line.  Then trimmed to 2-1/2".

The same gold print will be used for the binding.

It's such a festive piece, perhaps I can get it done for Xmas.

Thank you Marcie, for including this idea in your Pinterest site for Little Quilties!

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Boring Tuesday farm report . . .. a bit late

It's a long one, so we'll wait while you pour out the coffee.

 Sunflowers really starting to shoot up now at 9-1/2".

 New potatoes 19".

 Now WAIT, ohhh my, what do my tired eyes perceive but THE FIRST PUMPKIN BLOSSOM.

This is just too exciting.  My feet are doing the happy dance.

 Still around 16" in height,

 The original volunteer pumpkin has more than doubled it's tendril vine since last week, over 72".

 It must be glad I'm doing more weeding.

 English cucumber almost 36", WITH blossom.  Yippee.

 Now out in the far south 40, a small patch of pumpkin and watermelon.

 No plant thinning here, I let them all grow to their full potential.  Plenty of sun for everyone.

 Here's the digger/cutter tool by Fiskars.  If there are invasive weeds in your garden, you'll want one.  Along with a big blue kneeling pad.

Remember those tiny shoots with only 2 stems, well here they are ready to soak up what's going to be a 94 degree day.

Good sun, plenty of water and alpaca manure.  That's the recipe for happy pumpkins.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Weekend wanderings.

Venturing off into unfamiliar territory at the big W-M store

 I discovered the new kinda Keds.  They may not make me run faster and jump higher, but I sure like the girly-girl colors and eyelit pattern.

 Saturday's breezy weather allowed me time to weed half the garden.

There's some very stubborn grass out there which had to be removed with my new knife/digging tool.  A handy gadget to be sure.

 Grapes and cantaloupe were my lunchtime reward.  Don't ya love the purple bowl.  That was hand made by a potter friend years ago.

Of course Dolly was hoping for steak and taters.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

New project.

 Before I forget to ask, can anyone name this flower.  It grows at the edge of my south 40 and the butterflies seem to like it.

Last night, despite the lateness of the hour, I decided to sew.  Yes, that should make the morning's headlines, shouldn't it!  LOL

It's an idea from Marcie Patch's pinterest site.  I had the triangles in a box, and could find them immediately thanks to the major renovation reorganization project.

The trick is to get one cheddar unit in the middle of each block.  And of course to coordinate colors.  Something I had a bit of difficulty with.

Stay tuned for the final episode.

 Until then, keep stitchin' . . .  

Boring Tuesday farm report.

Do you have your coffee?  Okay, here we go.

 The biggest pumpkin measures about 16" high (2" of yardstick is in the ground).

 BUT, the leaves have doubled in size since last week and are 12" across.

 At the bottom section, what I hoped were pumpkins are now actually blooming cantaloupe.  Mother nature is tricky isn't she?

 But just down from the cantaloupe are more pumpkins, about 14" high.

 Planted in a tree bucket, lots and lots of flower seeds for the bees and butterflies.  I've planted a lot of flower seeds throughout the garden, but because the weeds have become such an issue and many of the seeds are old, there is very little sprouting.

 English cucumber, finally taking off, 19".

 When mowing the south 40 on Friday, I discovered this little gem.  Hopefully it's a watermelon.

 At the southern edge of the garden, more pumpkin seeds.  Perhaps the packet of "jumbo", not sure.

And miracle of miracles, the potato seeds bought back in early spring are really sprouting.  I'm quite thrilled about this.

God planted hope in a garden didn't he?

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Like a turtle,

I'm slow to finish, but eventually get there.

Despite yesterday's high of 85 degrees with 9.2 million percent humidity, (waaay too hot for me) the second coat was hand rolled onto the front porch. Whew.

 Dolly is very glad to have her favorite see-everything-spot back.

Weedville.  Don't forget to stop in tomorrow for the boring Tuesday farm report.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Our flag means Freedom.

Many have fought for it, but not every country has it.

The Star-Spangled Banner

O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight
O’er the ramparts we watch’d were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there,
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream,
’Tis the star-spangled banner - O long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore,
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion
A home and a Country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash’d out their foul footstep’s pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O thus be it ever when freemen shall stand
Between their lov’d home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with vict’ry and peace may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the power that hath made and preserv’d us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto - “In God is our trust,”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Guess where I went on Saturday?

 It's always great fun meeting up with friends and heading to the local quilt shop.

Fabrics Galore recently moved to Blairsville, Georgia

 So if you're in the mood for cool mountain breezes, glorious batiks,

 yummy prints,

 or even hand-dyed wool, this is the place.

They also have a phenomenally well-lit classroom.

So if your hubs wants to go trout fishing, you can tell him where to drop you off, LOL.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

Boring Tuesday Farm Report

I've decided to take photos of the garden on Tuesdays in order to document pumpkin growth.  This is primarily so I can adjust garden work as needed next year.

 This particular seed volunteered and stayed in place.  All of the other volunteers were moved to new sites.  It is by far the tallest and measures 13" after our big rainstorm last night.

 Just ignore the weeds, this is 9 loads of manure after all.

 I'm fairly sure this volunteer, which is located at the end of the garden, is a pumpkin.  It currently measures about 11 inches high.

If anyone knows how long it takes for pumpkins at this stage to start blooming, I'd love to know.

I also planted more seeds on Sunday, including pumpkin, watermelon, and many types of flowers.

All of the volunteers are from the ones I grew last year and left in the compost pile.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .

This, that, and t'other . . .

 These photos were taken at the Mennonite Market . . .

Wanted to show my pal K.C. just what she was missing by going off on adventures without me.

 Yesterday, was a slow work day so I managed to finally get the taters and onions in.

as well as the last of the pepper plants.  Every year I vow to get started early.  And it seems every year I get set back.  The potatoes and onions should have gone in in March.  Sigh.

Here's the porch floor, first coat of paint.  We'll wait for the rain to stop before adding the next coat.

However, today work was light again, so I took time to finish the second coat on the inside spokes and got a bit more of the first coat done on the outside spokes.

Life in the country, doesn't get much more exciting than this.

Until then, keep stitchin' . . .