Squirrel in the Strings!

This week a “squirrel” got into my sewing room and so my sewing plans for the week took a bit of a detour. That means there was absolutely no quilting on my Halloween quilt, which puts it at the very top of my priority list for the next few sewing sessions until it is finished. But in the meantime, there are a few things to share.

My daughter Megan called and asked me if I’d sew a couple little kitty quilts for their new furbabies, Laszlo and Nadja. The kitties are named after two “funny vampires” in some TV series that Megan and Ted watch. 

Nadja and Laszlo (with crossed eyes)

So, naturally, I dropped everything to start on these, and a squirrel was born. But before I began sewing, I needed to sort through all the cat fabric and scraps that I was given last year when my friend Pat was destashing. (See that post HERE). I had a whole drawer of cat fabric, much of it cut into squares (4.5”, 5”, 6”) and 2.5” short strips. The rest was large chunks and yardage. It was a great way to spend a morning. 

Once I picked out squares and matching fabrics, it was quick work to plan out, stitch, and then pin and quilt the two little quilts. The binding was just the back folded over. 

Both quilts are in the neighborhood of 24x24”, although the pink one for Nadja is a little longer because that’s the way the fabrics worked out. 

Nadja’s quilt is in hot pink and a variety of bright squares. The batik on the back rather looks like paws, but I think they’re just meant to be dots. It’s purrfect anyway!

Laszlo’s quilt in blues and greens fits perfectly with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge’s colors of the month, a redux of blues and greens. 

A scrap of batik (thanks, Nann!) on the back for the win!

So those will be packed up and sent off to Megan and family, along with an older human-sized quilt, Starry, Starry Day.

Once the squirrels were vanquished, I did sew 15 multi-colored string string blocks and 23 brown crumb blocks. 

Strings and crumbs

That brings my string block total up to 195. I didn’t take a picture of them all pinned up in groups on the design board because I already took 60 brown string bocks (4 sets of 15) and matching boy’s football fabric to Quilts for Kids to make into quilt kits.  I figure it’s better to get them out into the world sooner rather than later since it is football season. I’ll still be counting them toward my total goal (600 blocks by year end), even if they aren’t here. 

Yesterday afternoon I was able to pin baste three little quilts in order to get them moving along. You may recognize them.

Bright Animals Strippy

little Bricks Pastel

Little Bricks Bright

These will await their turns under the needle until after I finish quilting my Halloween Quilt. My goodness, October is next week! 

This morning I’m headed off to a very sad funeral. Our former neighbor Doug, who lived across the street from us in our old house, passed away last weekend. He was only 61 and died in his sleep. His daughter Mary, the youngest of their 4 children, used to work for me after school when I had my Etsy shop. They are such a wonderful family and Doug and Lynda were just beginning their lives as grandparents. In fact, Mary is now married and pregnant with a grandchild that her dad will never meet. 

There will definitely be some calming music and quilting when I get home from the funeral. Have a good week everyone!

 

‘Tis the Season to be Jolly

….. and I’m trying to fake it until I make it! Some sunshine would go a long way towards being jolly, and so would a little self control when it comes to chocolate. But this too shall pass, so I’m rolling with it and keeping busy. 

All in all, it was a fun and productive week. I’m just going to talk about all the things in the order that Blogger deigns to upload my photos, so let’s buckle up!

What a shock, I do believe they maintained their chronological order!

Last week, I may have mentioned that several of us women in the condo community decorated the clubhouse. I didn’t take pictures at the time, but on Monday morning of this week I was back there for a quick HOA Board meeting for us to decide the new responsibilities of each board member. (I’m going to be the Treasurer). Anyway, here are some photos I snapped of the clubhouse decor so we have references of what-goes-where for future years. 

Clubhouse fireplace and mantel

Christmas Tree and reflection of Karen and Carol working on hanging more decorations 

Side table in conference area

On Monday and Tuesday, I sewed more zipper pouches, adding six instead of just five to the total. 

Here are all thirteen that I made this year. 

One evening my Weight Watcher friends and I got together for our monthly card game (Hand and Foot). We try to make our December meeting a light potluck and inexpensive gift exchange. This year, my contribution to the buffet was this fruity Christmas tree. I snapped a photo of it in my kitchen before I wrapped it and carted it off just in case it didn’t survive the ten minute car trip (but it did). 

And here are Ruby, Annette and Ellie at the buffet at our friend Lory’s house. Not shown: Lory, Lisa, Linda and Shauna. We all had fun, and that’s where a lot of the zip pouches were given, each person choosing their favorite. In return, I got hand soaps, a Christmas mug, socks, an amaryllis bulb, and more. 

Later in the week, I spent an afternoon basting kid quilt tops to their backings. Some are more recent quilt top finishes, but one dates back to the beginning of the year before we moved from the house to the condo. I really want to get them finished before year end. 

A green scrappy top from January

Recently finished Bright Blocks

An RSC2024 scrappy quilt top finished in November

Pink and light neutral string top constructed in May

My plan is to focus on quilting up those four tops ASAP. I don’t have any parties or gatherings after Monday next week, so my hope is to get them done, labeled and photographed to show here on the blog next week.

There was one quilty finish this week for my friend Maureen. This panel quilt finished at 27.5x34”. I quilted it in wavy lines for a watery effect. Maureen loves cranes, the color green, and Japanese art in general. 

It can be used as a table topper or wall hanging (I added hanging tabs on back). I will also be giving her a matching zipper pouch filled with biscotti. That’s the biscotti I plan to start baking this afternoon after we get home from the Community Christmas Brunch at the clubhouse. I was going to make another fruity Christmas tree to take to the Brunch, but it will be a hastily-assembled fruit salad in a bowl instead. 

Have a fun and festive week as we head toward Christmas! May you enjoy every moment of it!

Linking to Scrappy Saturday for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. 

Goodbye Beautiful May, Hello June

It’s been a great week here in the Salt Lake Valley. I hope you all had a lovely Memorial Day. Ours was quiet, but nice and restful. 

Tuesday was a gorgeous day, sunny and bright. That is, until I changed into my swimsuit and coverup. The clouds came out to threaten, but I walked to the condo pool a block away anyway. The wind came up and all the cotton from the cottonwood trees began falling and swirling like snow. By the time I’d sat and talked with friends at the pool for about 15 minutes, the surface of the pool was entirely covered with cotton! But I wanted to get in anyway, so I did! I just splashed and cleared an area for me to immerse up to my neck and paddle around for a few minutes. Then I called it good, got out and dried off, donned my shorts and coverup and walked home with the friends. Two hours later, the sun was out again and the cottony wind abated. I hope my next pool foray will be more successful, hehe. My friend Karen said it took her two hours to clean/skim the pool when I saw her later that evening as I was out walking. 

On Wednesday, Bruce and I drove up to Ogden to visit my friend Pat and her husband Eddie. I hadn’t seen them for about 8 years, and Bruce had never met them. Pat had a load of fabric to pawn off donate to me and Quilts for Kids, my friends or whomever could use it. The fabric, in a half dozen almost full tubs, came from her twin sister who no longer quilts due to health issues. 

L-R: Bruce, Cathy (me), Pat, Eddie

So, on Thursday, my friend Ruby came over and we spent about four and a half hours sorting through the fabric. My plan was that anything I took for myself would be primarily things that would work as quilt backs for my kids quilts, or small scraps in colors I was getting low on. I also ended up keeping a quilt that just needs to be trimmed and bound (and donated), a set of blocks ready to be sewn together, and green scraps that may potentially match a quilt I’m planning for another friend (story on that to come in a couple weeks). Oh, and fabrics for more potential kennel quilts. But my storage space here is limited. So, for everything I do end up keeping, the plan is to remove from my existing stash (and donate to QFK) an equal or greater amount of fabric. 

Ruby took several in-process quilt tops and block sets that were clearly not intended for kids. She also took some yardage and lots of precut squares in sizes from 2.5” to 10”. I had recently shown her an easy way to make 4 half-square triangles from 2 blocks of equal size, so she wanted to match up some of the squares to try that method out. She’ll take what will work and return the rest so they can be passed on. When her stuff was taken home, I snapped this picture of the remaining fabric. Down to 3 tubs and a few piles! 

Much of the fabric is too dark or too thin or just wrong for kids quilts. That’s what those three tubs in the foreground are. Cousin Kim will go through those on Sunday, then the remaining fabric, probably 2-3 tubs full, will be donated to my friend Bernadette who works with several other quilting charity quilt groups, like Project Linus, guilds who make placemats for Meals on Wheels, retirement homes and the like. No scrap left behind!!

So anyway, I haven’t made a start on my June Rainbow Scrap Challenge blocks yet. Angela has called blue for June. We usually divide blue into two months; darks/brights one month and lighter blues another month. But this year Angela wants us to just go for it with all the blues together and I’m up for the challenge! I did get my blue scraps all sorted and made a list of all the blocks I need to sew in June, so I’m ready to jump in with both feet!

I did finish up the last of my pink scraps and made eleven crumb blocks that will finish at 6”.

I also sewed up a column of pink scraps. Here are the five columns I have made so far this year.

I’m going to sew two blue columns this month, and the width of at least one of them will be a couple inches wider for size variety. 

Here’s a recent pic I snapped of the brilliant red of our Japanese maple, the green of the other landscaping and the blue of the sky. 

And one picture taken as I looked up, mesmerized. 

What can I say? I love color. And so do all the quilters who participate in Scrappy Saturday and the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. So why not follow the link and come check it out? Until next week, be safe and be happy!

A Quick Hello

First of all, I’d like to all you US moms out there a very Happy Mother’s Day tomorrow. Mine will be spent with family either in person or by phone calls for those out of our area. I hope you get all the flowers and chocolate and loving you want and deserve! 

Sewing remained a peripheral activity for me this week. I do have some sewing things to share, but most of my days were spent with friends, running errands, meeting with contractors and HOA “stuff”. Life seems to have sped up with the coming of Spring!

On Wednesday, four of us friends went to visit the public Open House of the new Taylorsville, Utah LDS (Mormon) Temple. Pictured below, left to right, are Ellie, me, Donna and Ruby. 

The Temple was stunningly beautiful in every respect. My favorite things were the beautiful stained glass windows that featured artistic interpretations of Utah wildflowers. But the marble inlay, paintings, African mahogany woodwork and crystal chandeliers were spectacular as well. It was sumptuous but at the same time very serene and reverent (large crowds notwithstanding). 

After our tour, we lunched at a sweet little cafe and art shop near my home. It was a bit too breezy to have our salads outside on their dining patio, so we ate indoors and then toured the boutique gift shop. It was a fun way to spend a few hours with friends!

In sewing news, I completed the two Star blocks in pink. We’re working through our pink scraps in May for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. In the week ahead I’ll be focusing on my pink strings. 

No progress was made on the Anne of Green Gables quilt this week. Instead, I focused on pressing new clothes, taking in seams in some old clothes, and shopping for new (smaller) underthings. 

We have selected a contractor to work with on our upcoming kitchen remodel. Most of the materials have been selected. They - the general contractor and the electrician - will visit on Monday to take final measurements and “fill in the blanks” in the numbers. We’re getting the financing in place and are beginning to check out potential new appliances. Hopefully we’ll sign a contract and get the ball rolling in the next 10 days. 

These are samples of most of the things we’ve selected. The top piece is the oak cabinet wood, which they still need to check availability and timing on. Below that are the tiles for the backsplash areas. They’re not white, but a creamy almond color with lots of variations, not visible in these two tiles. 

Below the tiles is a sample of the quartz countertop. We wanted minimal (not exaggerated) veining in it. And lastly, at the bottom, is the plank flooring that will extend from the kitchen to the family room and down our L-shaped hall. 

In the coming week I’ll be doing some more flower pot planting, and we have a community-wide luncheon here at the condo complex. The theme is Cinco do Mayo (belated). Hopefully some sewing and cards with friends will round out the week. Oh, and I need to get an RSV shot and my 10-year tetanus booster. We both have prescriptions to pick up at Costco today, so I guess we’ll be fighting the crowds to get that all done. 

Orange Sewing, Green Gardening

The days flew by this week! At this rate, I’ll be old before you know it. Oh wait….. I’m already old. Never mind.

After I share my sewing for the week, I’ve got some new garden pictures to show you. It’s always fun to take pictures in the spring and then watch how everything just explodes with growth over the summer. 

But let’s start with these orange string blocks. I literally had a basketful of orange strings at the beginning of the week. By Thursday, there were 83 string blocks at 6.5” each. See the stacked piles in the picture below? There are 15 blocks in each stack. The fanned out blocks at the bottom left - 8 of them - bring the total to 83. 

The five sets of 15 will go to Quilts for Kids for quilt kits. That is, after I remove all the papers from the back. But at least they’ll be for someone else to assemble into a top and quilt! The mindless sewing helped me to work through a lot of things - stressors, garden plans and more. It even gave me time to begin the rough outline in my head of a hopeful trip to Italy in the fall of 2024. Several of my Weight Watchers friends and I are beginning to make plans. First step: getting or renewing (me) passports! But I digress…

My second batch of blocks were these six Chaser blocks. They are so fun!

On Monday, Bruce had a doctor appointment in Bountiful, about a half hour north of us. While he was at his appointment, my dear friend Terri and I talked. Love you, girl!! Bruce joined us after his appointment and we all went out to lunch.

Terri is the widow of Bruce’s lifelong best friend Mike. We all miss him terribly. 

The rest of my week was spent sewing, shopping (housewares stuff mostly) and doing mountains of laundry. Bruce and I will be spending about 4 days in Colorado toward the end of the month for a Cousins Reunion. We’re going to travel about 4.5 hours east to Montrose County, Colorado, where my brother lives. Our cousins Julia (and husband David) and Cousin Danny will be coming in from Colorado Springs. Dan actually still lives in Southern California where we all grew up, but he’s flying out to Julia’s place where they’ll drive their motor home to Steve’s. We haven’t seen each other for over 20 years! We’re all getting excited, to say the least!

Early in the week, I snapped this picture of our back garden wall with tulips blooming and the garden beds being prepped for planting (not yet weeded in this picture, but they are now).

That trash can thing in the far right is actually a pollinator habitat we made a few years ago out of an actual trash can. I will plant the front part of it with something that will bloom and spill over the edge to soften the look. 

The east side yard along the driveway is beginning to take shape. The soil/mulch is spread and some decorations are out (prematurely). We’ll be visiting our favorite nursery to pick up a load of perennials and an ornamental cherry tree next week.  We’ve got a landscape company coming to grind an old tree stump up and remove two old root-stock roses. One will be replaced with a lovely white tea rose and the other - well, I can’t decide between a hydrangea or a lilac bush for its spot. Speaking of lilacs, here are some that I picked for myself from the neighbor’s bush that overhangs into our yard.

Our dwarf Japanese Maple is looking quite lovely… the white specks you see in the soil are the fallen buds from the flowering pear tree (shown last post).  Lots more space to fill up with fresh new plants and flowers!

In the front flower bed, the brunnera is striking! I’m going to get more of these because I love it so!

This little vignette is in the raised planter under the living room window. That miniature rose will be blooming soon.

And the bleeding heart is blooming too. I think it got a bit trampled from all the work on the irrigation and soil as it’s only half its usual size this year. 

That’s all I have for this week. I hope all you mothers have a wonderful Mothers Day on Sunday. Have a great week!

Linking up to Scrappy Saturday / Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

Mini-Reunion and Walk in the Woods

Welcome Autumn! The cooler temperatures have hit us and it is absolutely delightful. The days are clear (no fires anywhere!) and warm, the colors vibrant, and evenings and morning are cool and crisp. The furnace even kicked on last night - and we have it set at 66 degrees.  Life is good!

This is just a miscellaneous post (no quilting), but it’s all good stuff that I want to share. If you’re here just for the sewing and quilting, there’s nothing about that. Except that friends
Marilyn and OD, who are visiting from Kenya, loved the Baby Safari quilt I made for their son S (see earlier post this month).

Last night Bruce and I went out to dinner with Marilyn and OD and their son, plus my son Ryan, DDIL Kim and DGD Lauren. We had a great time! The baby is so jovial and was just the happiest little man. And my, he’s grown in the 2 months since we’ve seen him!  Bruce had already met Marilyn last summer and was looking forward to meeting OD. They enjoyed each other and sat by one another in the restaurant, talking about food, beer, animals and more. We all just gabbed and gabbed, catching up.... It was so good to see them again!

L-R: Lauren, Marilyn, Kim, Cathy, Baby S and OD

After dinner, we went to Kim and Ryan’s house, where the baby could play and crawl around (and maybe some grandma person did too).

And here is OD (“King Dangerous”) in his favorite chair of Kim’s. He remembered it from their visit last year. Anyway, he’s holding the walking stick that Kim bought for herself while we were in Kenya this summer. OD’s mom did the beading on it. So, I snapped a picture of him holding it so that he could show his mom, whom we all adore, to let her know that the walking stick with her beautiful beaded handwork was safe and loved!

And the irony of Kim having a walking stick is delightful; she’s a physical therapist. But still, if she ever needs a cane or walking stick ...







We ate apple pie, laughed, took pictures and talked until we all regrettably decided we’d better get home and to bed. We have tentatively planned another family trip to Kenya when Lauren graduates from high school in 3.5 years.

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Today I’ve started a bit of autumn decorating. Here is my favorite vignette: I was able to find a new raven this year to replace the old one that had lost its beak, and will NEVERMORE sit atop the Poe book ......  (get it?)  Oh, BTW, “karibu" - with the emphasis on the last syllable - means “Welcome” in Maasai.

We also replaced our porch light, house numbers, mailbox and doorbell. The old ones were original to the house, built in 1963. The light is motion-sensor and doorbell is lighted. I’m tickled that even small things like this can update a look and generate so much enjoyment.

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Often on Wednesdays, Cousin Kim comes by for a visit. We go walking, out to lunch, and then sew for a couple hours. These pictures were taken about 2-3 weeks ago when we went walking at Wheeler Farm, a county-owned park/historical homestead a block away. I’ve talked about Wheeler Farm many times over the past, and worked there after I retired from my career. For one summer I was a Summer Camp Counselor (the Arts & Crafts Counselor), then was the bookkeeper for the farm for 4 years. Check out the Wheeler Farm label for more Wheeler Farm posts.

But here are the pictures from our walk this month. So many changes, and all for the better! They’ve added a native meadow and native woodland, botanical walk, teaching gardens, beehives and so much more.

 

Cousin Kim

Beehives

And of course, we visited the animals...

I think this horse was getting a vet check.

The ponds and creek were lovely, as always.

Below is the Ice House near the north pond. It’s where we used to hold Summer Camp. I would get there early in the morning to open up and sweep the floors. Often I stood out on that back porch, looking out on the grounds, the ponds and the wild geese and ducks, trying to imagine I was back in time.

Yep, Autumn is definitely on its way!