It's Monday Again

To see what other quilters are up to go to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

I have been busy mostly prepping projects, not really sewing or quilting much.

Crimson Poppy - papers are cut and organized into baggies. The fabric has been labeled and is being cut and organized.

More Churn Dash blocks are being cut.

My quilt group met over the weekend to exchange our bags. I have the pieces for that block cut.

It was decided at this meeting to speed things up so we can be finished with this exchange before Christmas. So now we will meet every two weeks instead of once a month. Then we will take a break until spring and hopefully, things will have settled down with the virus. If not, we will at least be able to meet outside again. We all wear masks at our meetings, even outside, but I think we will all feel safer outside. I know I will.

You know there is a quilter in the house when the mending is done with pretty fabrics. At least I think it is pretty, but the color was a close match and I only had a small piece, a piece just the right size to double over and mend this small hole under the back pocket of Husband's jeans.

I kept hearing something hit the big front window and door. I finally was able to figure out what it was.

This little guy, a Golden-Crowned Kinglet,  must have seen his reflection and thought he was defending his territory. After he hit the front door he may have been a little stunned as he sat on the decking right outside the door for quite a while. He didn't fly off even after I walked by the door several times, pausing to take his photo. He finally did fly away.

Friday afternoon it was predicted that we would get some rain. I thought this tree looked pretty with the sun shining on it and the dark sky behind.

We did get a little rain, but not enough to stop the farmers from going about their business.

Today lime is being delivered in the field across the road from my house.

There will be four piles there soon and this will get spread across the field to improve the soil for next year's crop.

My top priority today is the land-line. We have had terrible issues for several years. The last time a service tech was here, which was this summer, he told us that the cable to our house was on its last leg (or line). Today I was told that the cable is beyond repair. We are the only customer on the line from the point where it is bad. It is an underground cable and goes under the road. The phone company does not deem it to be too costly to repair/replace. So, no land-line for us. I have had a cell phone for a long time; Husband only just got used to using one in the last few months. Thankfully, that is going well. I had to call to cancel our service, but we have a security bundle through the phone company. Billing for that is tied to our land-line phone and since that is being cancelled we have to set up an alternate payment method. That requires talking to a different department, which is very busy. I have been on hold most of the morning. Finally, I was given the option to have a call-back. So now I am waiting for that. 

Our Covid friend is doing well. My son and his GF and her sister are feeling fine. 

Stay safe and well.

Design Wall

 To see what other quilters are up go to 

Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

I have been quilting on 

Disappearing Double Pinwheel.

I am close to a finish.

I have twenty-two Churn Dash blocks.

I have only one more 'flower' to stitch together for Grandmother's Flower Garden. There are still LOTS of white hexies and green diamonds to work on. This is a good project for TV time.

I am pondering a new quilt using an Amish barn scene panel.

This one will probably go to my SIL. Before COVID hit we had gone on a shopping trip and managed to end up in a quilt shop (imagine that!). We both liked this panel and she loves sunflowers. I will add a large piece of the sunflower fabric to the bottom to make it lap-sized. I'm am trying to decide which green to us as a border around all that. I have a red barn wood fabric that will be a final border. 

And, now for a small rant.

I do not like this coffeemaker. My Mr. Coffee coffeemaker recently stopped working. We had an extra one on standby. Husband insists we have extras of many items because you never know when you might need them and I am always glad we do have them. Anyway, the new one is a Rival brand. The carafe drips when I pour from it - when adding water to the water tank and pouring coffee into mugs. I do not like a drippy carafe. I thought it was me and tried to figure out if I was doing something wrong. It happens every time. I will be looking for a new Mr. Coffee coffeemaker.

I am also not happy with my internet provider.

Here is the program looking for a signal.

Finally found it. On a good day that usually reads 9.something. This 1.4 is really slow. I have been checking it every 15 minutes or so since 6:00 am and it has been anywhere from 170 K (really slow) to 1.4 M (still too slow). So frustrating. 

(It was 170K as I was typing this.)

Our COVID friend continues to improve. He has been around to see how Husband is doing with farming several times. They visit socially distanced in whichever field Husband is working in at the time. He carries his oxygen with him and has to use it sometimes. He doesn't think he will ever be the same as before he got COVID.

Son and GF continue to be well.

Stay safe and well.

PS - I read on someone's blog (sorry, I don't remember whose) to try logging out of Blogger then sign back in to take care of the photo problem. I tried it and it worked! 

I still can't figure out why my font is different sizes, though. It looks fine until I publish it.

A little excitement

 around here lately.

Work continues on the hexies.

I made the block for the next Exchange.

Husband has been working away on the corn harvest.

Yesterday morning I had a very disappointing dr. appointment. I had lab work done Monday and was given the results today. Everything looked good. Yay! Everything except my blood pressure and weight. Rats. Lose weight, exercise, and eat better. I kind of expected this. I have been slowly gaining weight over the years. Not a lot, but it adds up. I have not been moving as much since I retired. I think I need a pedal-powered sewing machine! I was told to check my blood pressure every day to see if it comes down. If it doesn't I will have to 'do something' which means medication. I really want to see if I can get this under control without resorting to medication. 

The leaves are turning and falling off the trees.

At the beginning of the week, my yard was pretty covered with leaves. I don't worry about them. I know the wind will carry them off eventually. I was right, they are mostly gone now. It has been very windy here all week. Dangerously windy.

We have had wind advisories and red flag fire warnings for a couple of days. Yesterday in the middle of the afternoon I got a call from Husband telling me to look out the window. Oh, my.

This fire started about three miles west and about half a mile south of us. I watched all afternoon as it traveled a little east and mostly north of us for about four miles.

I watched firetrucks go up and down the road just north of my house all afternoon and into the evening going back to the fire station for loads of water.

This morning I heard that one old corn crib burned. There are no injuries. Some of the crops had been harvested, some have not. Thirteen area fire crews attended this fire. Most are volunteers. Some stayed well into the night to make sure there were no flare-ups.

While all that was going on I decided I better start supper. I opened my spice drawer to find this.

What a mess. So I have spent the better part of today cleaning out this drawer and making new labels for the ones that got chewed up. Then I decided to go ahead and clean out the rest of the drawers and lower cabinets. 

Our Covid friend stopped by the other day. He feels better every day and is very happy to be back to work.

Son and GF (and the sister) continue to feel well. Thank goodness!

Stay safe and well.

On My Wall

 To see what other quilters have on their design walls go to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

I am working on several projects. But, I usually don't start sewing until later in the day. This photo may explain why.

I love the light coming in that bay window, but it shines right in my eyes. And sometimes it heats up that part of the room so I wait until later in the day to sit at the machine to piece.

I finished up the five Block 5 blocks for 

Amish with a Twist Two.

Started some six inch Churn Dash blocks.

And started on the Exchange block for this month.

We have had some amazing sunsets lately. Of course, my photos do not do them justice.

This was Friday evening.

This was Saturday evening.

I am frustrated with Blogger again. I can't seem to insert photos the way I did last time. And I can't even find a couple of them. Oh well.

Our Covid friend is improving. 

He is using oxygen a little less now.

Speaking of Covid, we have had a scare closer to home. My son and GF got a call from her sister yesterday morning. She tested positive. She lives with them. Son and GF got tested yesterday morning after that call. They have been told to quarantine for fourteen days. GF and sister can't go to work. My son called this morning. His test came back negative. But, I don't think they are all clear yet. GF and sister spent the entire day together the day before driving to and from visiting their grandmother and sister with a new baby. They were in the car together for several hours. No masks. And, even though sister has been spending a lot of time at her boyfriend's house, she lives with them. They all feel fine, with no symptoms, so far. Sister is staying at the BF's house for now. He has a three-year-old son who was with him over the weekend, plus another roommate. I am nervous about this and won't feel better until they have another negative test. I hope everyone stays negative.

I had an appointment this morning for routine, annual lab work. The satellite clinic I go to has moved to a new location, same town, new practitioners, new staff. There were two people already there when I arrived, both wearing masks. The receptionist had on a mask. There was the normal signing of paperwork. Another person came, not wearing a mask, but did put one on after entering. A couple more people came in, all wearing masks. Small waiting room. It was hard to distance from other people. Thankfully I didn't have to wait long. But, while I was waiting I had a clear view of the receptionist. I am pretty sure the pens were not being sanitized between uses. She pulled her mask down onto her chin a couple of times. She was behind a sliding glass door and did put it back on properly before speaking with patients, but still, that doesn't make me feel like proper sanitary procedures are being followed. Am I being paranoid? Overly cautious? 

Stay safe and well. Wear your mask, wash your hands, social distance.

Piecing

 I have made a few more blocks for Amish with a Twist 2.

All twelve of Block 1 are done, 

as well as Block 2.

Block 3 is finished and I am working on Block 4. I need to cut fabric for the next block.

Each block or group of blocks is packaged with the cutting and sewing instructions for those particular blocks. I am cutting and sewing each packet before moving on to the next. 

I am still working on figuring out how to get my photos into the blog. I think I have it figured out, but I have been taking photos to practice doing that. So, here is a photo of a stack of six quilts that will be donated once I figure out where to donate them. 

Stay safe and well.

This is a test

 Testing... testing...

I had trouble inserting photos from my computer files yesterday. I still can't do that today. But using a suggestion from someone - thank you! - I am hoping I have figured something out. 

I clicked on the insert photo button up top, then chose the Blogger option, then Google Album Archive. Several albums appeared and I chose the one that appeared to contain most of my photos -  a lot of photos come up. I know this isn't all of my photos but the lastest ones were there. The photos appear to be in chronological order with the oldest ones at the top of the list. I chose this one from that list. 

The next two photos are the same, but I removed this photo from my phone after inserting the first one and it still shows up in the Blogger list and here on this page.

Here is another old one. 

So maybe this is the solution to my problem. I just don't understand why it changed. I think I will go make some cookies now.

Have a great day. Stay safe and well. 

Design Wall Monday

To see what other quilts have on their design walls go to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts.

Ok Blogger, what's up?!

To start a new post I had to click on my name to go to my profile, then click the B button to the new post button. That is new to me. Did Blogger make more changes? EDIT: Another fun thing from Blogger this morning - I cannot use photos downloaded from my phone to the computer. Blogger will only allow me to download the photos from my phone???? Does that mean that once I remove photos from my phone they won't show up on the blog? I don't want to keep most of these on my phone. And, I am unable to center some photos so sorry for the wonky look of things today.

Anyway, this is what I have been working on.

This is Sticks and Stones. It is made from my stash except for the backing. It is a smallish quilt but is a nice lap size or would be good for a child, especially since there are a lot of novelty prints and that fun polka dot backing.

I have been working on my Grandmother's Flower Garden blocks. 

All the hexies for the 'flowers' are basted. I have four more to put together.

 

Nine flowers have been sewn together with green diamond 'leaves' and white hexie 'paths'. Some of the leaves are basted, as are some of the white hexies. I have a lot to do still.

I loaded another quilt on the frame - Double Disappearing Pinwheels from Missouri Star Quilt Company using beautiful Christmas fabrics.

 

It is pretty big - 85ish x 95ish. So big that it uses every inch of this quilt design - 4 boards put together. I don't have five, but five wouldn't fit on the frame table anyway.

I was talking to Son and GF (I need a better way to identify them, especially her, but I'm not sure I am comfortable using their names) over the weekend. She LOVES Halloween and they were telling me about their decorations. 

I showed them mine. 

 

This is a counted cross-stitch project done on perforated paper with beads pinned to my denim jacket. That is the extent of the decorating I do. I have discovered over the years that I like to decorate for the seasons, but I do not enjoy taking down and putting the decorations away. One year our Christmas tree was up so long that not only did it get decorated with hearts for Valentine's Day, but also with shamrocks for St Patrick's Day! Oops. In my defense, I was working full-time and just didn't have the energy. Also, Son was pretty young at that time and was enjoying the tree and all the different decorations it sported that year. :)

Harvest is in full swing around here. Husband finished the first field of beans. Then it rained over the weekend so he had to stop. He is going to try to open a field of corn today. 

Our COVID friend is very slowly improving. He still requires oxygen and can only talk for a few minutes before he becomes tired. Cases are increasing in our state, as they are in many places. Stay safe and well.