Tuesday, August 4, 2020

One Monthly Goal for August

Time to get a move on and declare my OMG for August. 

This project is a partial set of blocks that I was making as a supplement to a local Block of the Month class I began last fall.  The class continued as usual until everything shut down in March because of Covid-19. Then it continued for three months virtually. But in July they decided to meet in person. That’s when I said Adios! 

The actual class blocks were done in solids, while these supplemental blocks use a busy bright colored text print with the state abbreviations as the background. From that print I’ve been pulling bright colors to play with it and simplifying the blocks. This will eventually be a kids donation quilt. So, this is where the project is starting at the beginning of August:


Seven blocks are done, but I need to make five more 12” blocks to have a 3x4 setting. These are 12-inch blocks (finished size) and I’ve decided to sash and border it in bright red. The resulting quilt should measure approximately 44x58”, which is a good size for a youth donation quilt.  So that’s my goal - to finish the 5 blocks, assemble the top, baste, quilt and bind this donation quilt by month end.


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This is what we woke up to this morning. Our Bradford Pear Tree (ornamental) in the front yard lost one of its main branches sometime during the night. We’re grateful that it didn’t happen during the day when there a lot of walkers and bikers active in the neighborhood.


Our lawn guys are also arborists. They actually come on Tuesdays, so I texted them a picture of this to give them a heads-up. When they got here, they dragged it off to the back of the driveway and were able to do the usual mowing and edging.


Apparently, Bradford Pears are known for shedding large branches like this, and he said the tree should be fine. It will look a little naked from the above angle, though.  Our trees are normally pruned in late summer/early fall, but apparently this tree didn’t want to wait another month.  


They’ll be back on Thursday to chop up the branch and haul it away and give us a bid for trimming some of the other large outreaching branches. We also have some other things that need to be trimmed, and we’ll just get all the big fall stuff done early. 


Starting tomorrow morning at VeryVeryEarly O’Clock, Bruce and I will be out in the garden  cutting back and dividing our irises and daylilies. And weeding. Then we can empty our compost/mulch bins into the beds before the fall chores start.  It’s always something!

12 comments:

  1. Typical Bradford pear behavior! They have become an invasive species in Tennessee. I need to dig up and divide my iris, but don't know how. Any suggestions?

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  2. Good heavens - good thing nobody was beneath that huge branch when it came down! It's great that your lawn guy(s) are knowledgeable about such things and also that they have the means/ability to cart it away.

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  3. Hi Cathy! What a surprise to wake up to the fallen tree branch. I'm so glad it didn't hit the house or anyone. Your lawn guys sound like gems! How nice that they can advise you about the tree plus take care of it for you. One less worry. Good luck with the dividing - can you come and do mine as well?! {{Hugs}} ~smile~ Roseanne

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  4. I love that colorful text print as the background for those blocks! I'll enjoy seeing how you finish those up! That looks like a sad sight with your tree. Hope it can survive the loss of that big branch.

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  5. Hoping the iris and daylily division went well. That's a job I need to tackle, as I've ignored it for far too many years. The number of blooms have diminished over the years because of it. :o((

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  6. I’m liking your OMG blocks! Cool!
    Oh no about the tree! That was a major shed of a branch! We are going to have to have some trees pruned this fall also!

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  7. How dare that tree take pruning into its own hands! Or limbs. Your blocks are very fun and you have a good plan to get them finished up into a usable quilt. I would have bailed on the in-person meeting, too. The time is not ripe, and neither are the pears :)

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  8. Maybe your pear tree was having sympathy pangs for Kitten Academy and their hurricane woes. And seriously, sometimes this blog suffers from TMI. I’m too scared to ask what a fall chore is and what it’s doing in August.

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  9. Wow, that branch was nearly as big around as the tree, from my angle. My one monthly goal is to actually do some SEWING on the machine! Have not done that in months!

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  10. Whoa! What a surprise that branch pulled! (Note to self: never have a picnic in the shade of a Bradford pear)

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  11. Fun blocks. Thanks for linking up with Elm Street Quilts One Monthly Goal and good luck with your project.

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  12. Timberrrr! Did you hear it? Glad your crew could get it taken care of promptly.

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