Erin's Butterfly blocks

I had good intentions to press and load a quilt top and backing onto the boards for pinning yesterday. That would have involved clearing off my sewing table. The backing blocks and the parts for Erin's Butterfly were sitting on my cutting mat. I had zigzag stitched the pink and a light blue one earlier this year. Instead of moving them..... I decided to cut the fusible to attach to the wings, pressed them on then placed onto the background and machine stitched them down. All eight are ready for the body to be attached by hand, (the pink was done) and then they need embroidery for the antenna. I do need one more of these made... so I think that will be the next step in the sewing room. Dark green I think - I'll steal from the greens I got for the Christmas tree quilt I have yet to make for those wings. Julierose - this one making progress should make you happy! I know you've been rooting for this one to be moved along for a while now.

I hand stitched this purple shoo fly block yesterday as well. 

I'll link up on Saturday with the RSC for progress on some purple sewing this month!

The blah's

 I've had zero motivation to do much of anything the last few days. I'm calling it vacation overload? 

Tuesday I had scheduled the kids cleaning at the dentist. It had been since 2023! Busy kids. They did say I could just send the kids and not be there. Aidan paid attention when we got there and when I told the receptionist their names and then sat down, he said 'that it?'. Yup, I just pay outright for their dentist so no forms. Clean bill of health for both! 

Wednesday, I got my eyes checked. It has been since March 2023. I guess I completely missed everything in 2024! I noticed the close up is getting worse. Seems the distance got slightly better, and instead of the dime store readers of a 1.0, I should switch to the 1.5. Not bad for age 52 I guess! I've had glasses for distance since age 16. Something about headaches every day after school by sitting in the back in math class. Good thing I was good at math and didn't need to see the board. The poor teacher..... he knew if my hand went up, he had to fix something on the board he wrote wrong in Algebra. 

Did I mention the Kia's issues lately? Before the trip there was a shimmy that we had it in for twice. $1,200+. Well, it was not fixed 100% and still happened occasionally on the trip up and back. On the way home, the oil light came on occasionally when pressing the brake. I did check the oil level, and it was ok. I did an oil change this week and the little light came on again after. Sigh. We have been looking at Carvana for the past week, and I found a 2018 Honda CRV that is being delivered to us on Saturday. They will take the Kia as a trade in. I guess a bunch of time has been reviewing cars online this week. I need to clear out the Kia today of all the stuff. Greg will head to the DMV today and get the title. It appears Florida doesn't give it out when you own or transfer the vehicle unless you ask for it. We need it for the trade in. 

I 'kinda' cooked this week. Sunday, Aidan was at Grandma's and Emily tends to make her own stuff, so I made the hamburger tater tot dish for Greg and I. She did take some! Monday, I tried a new dish with lentils. I did not have the red lentils it called for so used the brown I had. It was a red lentil curry. I think the red lentils would have been better for texture, but it was yummy. I used a little chicken broth I had made from the Sam's roaster chicken I had in the crock pot Sunday night. Tuesday, the kids had Pub subs for lunch so were not hungry. I did some wings and roasted potato and veggies later that night. Wednesday, I cooked up the beef fajita meat I got at Sams last week with onions and peppers, some fresh salsa, guac and black beans. I'll do something with chicken and veggies tonight. 

I did finish the shoo fly block and pieced a light purple flowering snowball block on Sunday.

This one has been coming out to snuggle in the living room in the evenings. Well, the dog sensed it 2 nights ago and chased him back to the master bedroom. Poor guy has not come out since! This is Ollie, my standoffish one. He is not the cuddle bug so him being on my lap for pets is very out of his nature. I guess he missed me!

I went through my 'to go' bag to see the status of the crochet granny squares. I have 10 dark blue with their surround on. I found a rogue light blue with a surround on it. Then 6 that need the grey added. 4 dark blue, 1 light and 1 medium.  I'll have to start playing with them to see how many I have and what might work for putting them together. 

The dog got walked and is back in bed with Emily sleeping. Time to wander into the sewing room and see if I can get a top and backing pressed and rolled onto the boards for pinning. I really would like to get a quilt finished this month.

Slowing down on a Sunday

 Every week Kathy reminds us to slow down, breathe and relax with some slow stitching. I did a little prep work yesterday and marked the hand stitching line on about 7 blocks (flowering snowball and shoo fly - cut by my Accuquilt to finish at 12 inches.). I plan to slowly add some stitches each day and build this new quilt the old fashioned way. I'm calling my version of this 'Flying Snowballs'. I pulled blues, purples and greens from my stash for the colors.

I did stitch up the purple flowering snowball block yesterday and just need to stitch the 2 rows together for the shoo fly block. Needle and thread. Fabric and some nice relaxing stitches.

Linking up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

It sounds like one kid is headed to Grandma's house today and will go watch the F1 movie in the theater. The other one has not decided if she is going or not. I plan to press and roll the Arkansas Traveller top and it's pieced backing onto boards so it is ready to pin for machine quilting. Some pool time might also happen!

RSC in purple

 I should get a little sewing area time later today to see what purples I have.

I do know my next hand pieced block will be in purple. I did a shoo fly block in blue last night while listening to an audio book - No Mallets Intended - Book 3 I think of a Victoria Hamilton cozy mystery series.

I'll be marking this one with it's 1/4 inch stitching line today on this Flowering snowball block. I was thinking of names for this quilt while driving home to Florida from Vermont. I'm thinking Flying Snowballs? The two blocks are Shoo Fly and Flowering Snowballs. Any other good name ideas?

Linking up with the RSC.

Time to go drop off the car for an oil change and to see why the oil light keeps coming on and off. It started happening on the drive home Monday afternoon. I pulled over right off and checked the oil level and it was fine. The intermittent shaking, that I thought was fixed with 2 stays at the car place before we left, was still happening on and off. I might be looking for a different vehicle now. It is just shy of 70K miles and a 2016 Kia Sorento. Time to go back to a Honda, I think. That has been my go to vehicle - as I had 3 honda civics, then after kids I got a dodge caravan. When that got totaled, I got a Honda CRV in 2014. That is currently Aidan's vehicle to drive now. Emily is very happy, we picked up the 2013 Tacoma truck that was getting a new paint job while we were gone. It looks like new (the old white paint was all peeling from the sun down here) and she is a happy camper with 'her' vehicle. Looks like Mom and Dad get to share a vehicle. It is a good thing I work from home and Greg is pretty much retired at home at this point. 

Made it home last night around 8PM.

 Lots of rain driving on the last day, but we made it home safely with 2 Buc ees stops! Lunch and early dinner to go.

We left Vermont on Monday morning and stopped in Bennington for the monument. The elevator was out, but we got to look in the little museum at the bottom. The views from the top would have been beautiful.

We made it to PA that evening. Day 2 was for Harpers Ferry and then Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah Valley. We all walked on part of the Appalachian Trail, and wandered around the town. Aidan described it like an old west town, but with old brick buildings. It was a nice stop, and the deli restaurant down in a basement had wonderful food... and had AC. It was hot out that day. We got back to the car right before the rain started and headed to Skyline Drive. It was rainy and overcast at parts, but beautiful. It is a 105 mile windy road through the mountains with great vista views and lots of wildlife. The speed limit is 35 and lower in some places. Aidan's 3 hours.... was more like 6 with stops!

Just a few photo's I took through there.

Our tally, 1 black bear, 1 bunny and 11 deer. Aidan drove the last 40 miles of this and got us down to Rocky Mount, NC driving through Richmond,VA during a downpour. He did good. It was a late arrival in NC - after 11PM.

The last day was the long drive home with a couple of Buc ees stops for gas. We arrived home around 8PM last night. 

I could not remember if I had today off or not. Normally I do, but logged into work for about an hour to weed through my e-mails. Looks like I am off today, so time to restock the fridge and get back to the daily grind. We will also go check in on my FIL today. He seems to be adjusting well to the new facility, which is good. Eating 3 meals a day and the staff love him. He is not a complainer.

Summer UFO 2025

I had no finishes in the Spring 2025 quarter. I'm hoping to get sewing time in this quarter. Both kids will have vehicles this year for school, so no pick up's needed! my FIL is now in Assisted Living, so hopefully no more ER trips, hospital stays and rehab stints 40-60 minutes away from us. I'm hoping for a calmer quarter this time!

 The list of UFO's - I pared it down this quarter.

 1.) I know I have at least one more cut somewhere to fill that open spot for a 7x6 setting. *** found the parts in a baggie!  These are hand pieced.... and might need a little fixing along the way on some of those middle joins. Just ordered some kona solids for an alternate block for these to become a quilt. From Inklingo lemoyne stars. Might need to order more since I am using that bolt for a few things! The blocks are 4.5 inches.

 

2.)  I think it's a 6.5 inch cut center of greys and 2.5 inch strips. Finishes 10 inches. 

3.) Midget Applique quilt from Sentimental Stitches. I need to add more flowers and leaves and the vines... and the last border. Hand pieced and hand appliqued. Started January 2015 as a car line project. One block a week.

4.) Midget block collection - I started these in Vermont in 2010! I have a light blue for sashing.

5.) Birds in the Air block collection - counted and needed 27 more blocks made for the size I wanted. All blocks are completed. Ready for assembly for 15x15 and a 90x90 quilt.

6.) Erin's Butterfly - I made the wings in 2021.  Need to add one more set of wings... thinking 9 is a nice number?

7.) mostly cut out and some 9 patches are made. Hehe... from the first quilting book I had and made a quilt from. Introduction to Quilting 101 - the basics by Sharon Hultgren. I think this was Sunrise Surprise! The four patch from this book is at my Mom's hanging over a crib still!

8.) Quilters Patch. A sew along that I completely did not meet my goals on in 2022. One block is done.

9.) Happy Village using my Accuquilt. Flowering Snowball and my 8 inch cube - shape 1+3 for the Shoo Fly block. Free pattern from Accuquilt. I am hand piecing this one.

10) Brimfield Awakening EPP. I did start this and have the first fabric thread basted in purple!

11.) Bonnie Hunter Mystery - On Ringo Lake - maybe step #2?

12) Bonnie Hunter Mystery - Grassy Creek (2020) Think I am on step #4.

13.) 30's log cabin tulip quilt.

Quilt Tops: 

 14) Ella Maria Deacon Blocks. Hand pieced, machine stitched together into a top. Patterns from Sentimental Stitches.

 I need to measure and see if it is happy with it's size or now. All my quilts seem to have a mind of their own!

15.) 1857 Quilt Along Top - This one is in the hoop for hand quilting as of December 2024.

16.) Triple Irish Chain - green. 80x80 I think. I did find both fabrics extra with it... Might need a green or cream border first or both... Made in the early 2000's. circular feathers in open spaces.

17.) Harmony - hand pieced project started March 2021-

2/5/24 it is a top!

18.) Hexagon flowers on a black background. These are a stack of blocks I hand pieced a few years ago then hand appliqued to the black background a couple years after that!  

19.) 2024 RSC - Arkansas Traveller Quilt.

Progressed to a top in the winter quarter 2025.

Sunday stitching

I've done a bit of hand stitching while up in Vermont and away from a sewing machine. I've added 3 blocks to the collection while stitching outside on the swing near the fire pit in the evenings. It is a nice relaxing spot, looking out over the lake.

I've also added the grey surrounds on a bunch of my granny squares. I do need to crochet a top to 2 kitchen towels for Mom today before we head out tomorrow.

Aidan has an F1 race to watch today. Mom and Dad are headed to church, and my sister and a niece are planning to come out today to visit. It should be a nice day at the lake in Vermont.

Travel day tomorrow, when we have to head back home and see what hot and humid Florida feels like again. 

Linking up with Kathy and the slow Sunday Stitchers.