Saturday, September 28, 2019

Wrapping up Purple

Once again it's time to recap my scrappy sewing for the month. We worked on purple for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge, and if you visit Angela's Scrappy Saturday post today, you can see some of the other wonderful things that have arisen from our purple scrap bins. But for now, you're stuck with mine, hehe!

The collage shows most but not all of my purple sewing. Not shown are the selvage tumblers (one purple row) and the selvage 4-patches. They just aren't very photogenic. However in addition to those, we have 2 Beachcomber scrappy blocks, a row of purple bitcoins, 10 cracker blocks (upper right; one is cut off the picture), six string blocks, 12 9-patch variations, 8 anvil blocks, 8 garlic knot blocks, and 6 purple International Sisters. That amounted to 56 blocks.

In October we will be working with our dark neutrals (black, gray, brown) and I will only have a few blocks to do. But that will give me time to begin assembly, basting and quilting of the 6 Rainbow Scrap projects that are waiting patiently for their Fairy Sewmother to turn them from mere blocks into real quilts.

The only real sewing I did this week was to begin an autumn wall hanging project (no pictures yet because I'm lazy) and to quilt 2 quilts for Quilts for Kids. I have one more QFK quilt basted that Cousin Kim sewed. I've also basted the International Sisters wall hanging for Harambe Humanitarian. That will get sewn this weekend so I can make my finish goal by month-end. I'll plan to get pictures of all of these for my end-of-month post.

Cousin Kim, Sarah (her daughter) and I went to see the Downton Abbey movie on Wednesday. It was so lovely to hear the opening music again and to see everything and everyone on the big screen. The plot of the movie is simple (the King and Queen are coming for a visit!) and enjoyable. The costumes! The scenery! Maggie Smith! We laughed, cried, and agreed it was everything we’d hoped the movie would be. Afterwards, we went to lunch together before heading to our respective homes.

For the rest of the week I spent more time out in the garden harvesting vegetables and fruit than I have for weeks. And time spent outside harvesting means triple the time working in the kitchen to sort, clean, preserve, cook and/or distribute the goods. I snapped some pictures of what I harvested on Monday and took to Weight Watchers on Tuesday.  Then there were two more batches of veggies and fruit harvested on Wednesday and Friday. After this week, all that's left are some Anaheim chiles, cucumbers, tomatoes and pumpkins. Oh, and some grapes in the upper reaches of the arbor that I may just leave for the birds.

Armenian cucumbers

Spaghetti Squash
Some of these carrots look like science experiments. But that's the real world of carrots.


A bag of Concord grapes. This was the second of three bagsful of the Concords. We probably had ten times this many of the regular green grapes (seedless varieties). Cousin Kim made juice, I shared lots with friends and neighbors, we've been eating tons (maybe a slight exaggeration), plus I've made raisins. Yummy!


And just when you though Alfie couldn't get weirder cuter, here he is with Bruce again one evening this week....


14 comments:

  1. Wow, what a great harvest you had! I don’t garden because I don’t like the “in the kitchen” work in the fall. As I age, it’s just too much work!

    I sure like seeing all the bounty, though!

    Your purple block bounty is especially fun this month!

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  2. I do love purple, so these blocks definitely make me happy. As does seeing all your harvest photos - yum!

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  3. Wowzers! You've REALLY been busy!
    By the way, when the Fairy Sewmother is done at your place, could you send her my way, please and thank you. I've got plans...

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  4. Love all your purples, Cathy! And "Wow!" on the produce from your garden - it all looks so yummy! Glad to hear you enjoyed the Downton Abbey movie - I'm looking forward to that one, too.

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  5. Love your purples! The anvil blocks have been a favorite for me this year. Can't wait to see that one finished. Seriously jealous of the garden production!

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  6. Love your quilts but am totally enamored with Alfie! Love him!

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  7. Well, I like those purples!! You have had a great harvest!! Veggies and fruit are so expense even here in Northern Indiana. Even the fruit stands are high. I never in my life have seen peaches sell for more than $2 a pound. Your kitty doesn't look very comfortable, lol.
    xx, Carol

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  8. Alfie gives new meaning to the phrase "get a leg up on things". Do you suppose he's trying to tell Bruce he needs more attention? You had a great month with purples and the bounty from the garden is impressive. Lots of work, but you'll save money and eat healthier.
    Pat

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  9. Well, no wonder you haven't done much sewing! Look at all those wonderful veggies. The harvest waits for no woman :)

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  10. Your post looks good enough to eat! The beachcomber block is new to me, looks like another great way to use crumbs. Is there a pattern for it?

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  11. You are as prolific with your purple blocks as your garden! But it is quite over the top to make your bounty of concord grapes match this month's color. Also, I wonder if its appropriate for Alfie to use your blog to display his obvious distain for his veterinarian's advice.

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  12. An amazing harvest of fruits, vegetables, and purple blocks!!

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  13. What wonderful things are going on at your house -- the array of purple blocks and the array of beautiful vegetables. The Downton Abbey movie was fun indeed. So nice to see familiar characters! Do you think there will be a sequel?

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  14. What a bountiful post, Cathy!!! My cup runs over. I grew up eating cucumbers much like those Armenian ones. I love all your purple blocks - the berry sisters, the mauve squares, the iris triangles and the lavender strips too!!!

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