Saturday, July 25, 2020

Life is good!

An update,
Hocus Pocus is pieced.
I need to sash it before it goes to the quilter;
but I have restricted cutting space here at the cabin,
so it will be a flimsy when I return to AZ.

Botanical Sketchbook is a flimsy!!
This is so me!
I have a degree in Biological Sciences and Botany was one of my favs...
no secret with my love of wildflowers!

Desperately missing Sue Spargo's daily sampler circles,
I decided to do my own Colorado wildflower study.
This study is of the wildflowers I see on my hikes up above the treeline...
Purple Fringe, Snowball Saxifrage and Cushion Phlox so far.
Waiting on some yellow ribbon that is on a slow boat from China to finish it up 
with a cluster of alpine Sunflowers,
known as Old Man of the Mountains.
I have plans for a study that includes Colorado Columbine,
but it is that same slow boat that is holding me up.

Next on my list of WIPS is my Cactus Sampler by Laura Heine.
Background fabrics are sewn together.
Now to start the cacti. 

Also started a pouch by Ariane Zurcher
called River Rocks.
Hopefully, pictures next time, 
but I am waiting on threads for these projects too. 

We are gearing up for homeschooling.
High speed internet due to be installed Aug. 6th.
A printer has been installed.
Actually,
I enjoy teaching my granddaughter.
She gets a kick out of me being the teacher.
We have been doing some review with telling time, reading comprehension, 
spelling, money and math problems.
Her mom is the principal and computer teacher.
Grandpa is the science and shop teacher.
Hammer and nail skills are a must!

All I know is that we are so blessed to be in the cool, safe mountains.
Next week,
a camping trip to Ice Lakes near Silverton.
I cannot wait...
tons of wildflowers to see.







Monday, July 13, 2020

One step forward and two steps back!

I was buzzing along with Hocus Pocus,
piecing the individual pumpkin blocks together until I got to Row 3.
Oops, pattern designer asked for too many medium gray pumpkins,
and now I need another large gray pumpkin.
So I cut the component parts, started sewing them together, 
and oops, put the corner squares on the wrong corners!
Time to take a break and revisit on another day!

I have made progress on a Christmas present for my son and his wife,
Bringing Home the Tree
by Buttermilk Basin.
Block 1 is stitched and block 3 is almost done.

With the closing of The Olde World Quilt Shoppe,
I got all my samples back.
I brought several of them up to the cabin and
I love how they adorn the walls of the cabin!
An all time favorite Lori Smith quilt that I added a little something to the borders.
This Norma Whaley project is perfect for the hallway.
A great patriotic project by Lisa Bongean.
This Heart to Hand project fits perfectly over the back doors.
My miniature sampler that won me a blue ribbon from the AZ Quilters Guild
now hangs in my bedroom.
Added to my wall of small quilts too!

Finished the last 3 circles of my Toned-Down Sampler.
A flamingo of my own design.
Had to put his feet in a flower bed since I did not plan too well.
The jellyfish at the bottom is my own design also.
Will need to quilt and bind it when I get back to AZ.

Speaking of going home...
School had been pushed back to September for my grandchildren,
so my daughter and the girls will stay here with us through August.
My son and his family are looking to join us as well.
A safe, cool place to wait and see what our lives will be in the future.

Fell Off the Wagon

 It was bound to happen. I had stuck to my guns until I saw Laundry Basket Quilts' pattern, Alaska Magic. I told myself,  "It is te...