Saturday Sewing

I had to get at least a little bit of sewing done. Got the flag put together.  I cheated and sewed the rows together on the machine, but I am hand quilting it.

I am making a pillow of out of my batik scraps.  I plan to put it on the couch to add a little color, but since it matches the new quilt on our bed, it may end up there.

Walking Trail

I had to get out in this beautiful weather and walk.  Thought I'd make a few pics of the great walking trail along the lake in our little town.  If you started at one end, walked to the other end and back, you'd go about five miles.

Beautiful Saturday

What a gorgeous day it is today.  I took some time to sit on the porch and work on my little flag project. I think I'll get it to the quilting stage before our trip.

I decided to try a loaf of sour dough bread from the starter I've been feeding all week.  It is rising in the oven.  It felt good - the right stiffness and texture, and it appears to be rising pretty good too.  The bad thing is I only had enough starter to make one loaf.  If it is good, I'll make another starter this week.  After about 6-7 days it can go in the refrigerator and then be fed every couple weeks.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

It's that time of year......we love this stuff.  Did these four runs after work to add to the other two I did last week. Ran out of the small jelly jars and had to use pints. I use the easy recipe that comes in the Sure-Jell box.

 By the way, my sourdough starter is really coming along nicely!  I ended up using a different recipe than the first, but it is only bread flour or wheat flour and water.  You can find it at all about sourdough.

Batik Beauty Block of the Month

Finally finished the quilting on this one.  I used a pantograph called Flowing Feathers and used King Tut thread, Old Giza.  Even though mine isn't exactly like the pattern, because I made a few boo-boos, I really like it.  Still have a few hours work to do on it, hand sewing the binding down.

Busy Week

Been a very busy week.  Mom fell on Sunday and cracked her hip.  She had surgery to repair it Sunday afternoon and moved to the rehab nursing home on Wednesday where she will stay for a few weeks to regain her strength and mobility.  So glad it wasn't worse than it was.  This is a very, very busy time for us at work which normally means overtime.  I am trying to get some things wrapped up before we go on our trip.  Just trying to take one day at a time.  Tonight I am catching up on mail and laundry.

Sour Dough

Years ago, I used to make homemade sourdough bread.  The kind with the starter kept in the fridge.  I was reading about the nutritional benefits of eating sourdough bread, so I decided to try to make a starter again.  This time, I am following a recipe I found online that only uses flour and water.  I like the idea of making bread like women used to hundreds and hundreds of years ago. We'll see how it goes.

Flag Wall Hanging

I've spent the evening tracing and cutting these little pieces.  I want to have some hand work to do on our trip. I hope I can figure out how to hand sew them together.  Keepsake Quilting has a kit for this, but I found the pattern in my latest McCall's Quilting magazine. I think I'll hand quilt it also.

Carpenter Star Quilted

I know why I don't like custom work.  I still don't think I am very good at it.  I just can't get the hang of making feathers.  I think when I echo them, they look better.  Finally got it quilted after working since about 9:30.

Thanks Mary for the pattern, and Terri for the quilting ideas!

Cottage Style Table

Here is a picture of my new table.  As you can see, I am going for the mixed look rather than having everything all the same wood/style.  I plan on getting two upholstered chairs to go at the ends.  I am very excited that all of us will be able to eat at one table at holidays. The table has two leaves, neither of which are in the table in this picture.

We got some very exciting news yesterday.  Through his work, Jim won an all expense paid trip for two to Ireland!  I have been saying for years now, how I hate to travel, but Ireland.  We are going!

This is better

Boo-boo taken out and fixed.....

Carpenter's Star

I thought I needed some more blue for the side border, but......I made do.....thank goodness the Quilt Police don't check up on me.  That bottom border sure does look a little wavy;  I may have to work on it some.  Now, how should I quilt it? My, my....I just found a boo-boo!  See it?  I think I messed up the top, bottom and right...oh well, time to do some more seam rippin' and get the directions back out.  Don't you just love it when that happens?  I'm so glad I found that new seam ripper last night.......

Such a pretty, blustery, spring day!

Scrappy background

Thanks Mary for your comments.  I really appreciate all your experience and willingness to share your patterns and ideas!  I decided to stay with the blues and browns but did go to a scrappy background.  It may not be as stunning as the colors Mary chose, but I think it will end up pretty.  Here it is on my design wall floor.

Carpenter Star

I found this pattern online at Mary Quilts.  Her's is really pretty.  I think now, I see my mistake.  I didn't use one of the colors as the "dark" and one of the colors as a "light".  I don't think I am going to go ahead with it as I had planned.  It might be ok as is, but it is really stunning using the lights and darks. ...so back to the drawing board......more fabric for my stash.  Also, I was going to use one cream for the background, but it really does look better with various creams.