RSC Hexagons

July has been a bit of a non sewing machine month. I did manage to make one hexagon QAYG for each day this month (I know there are 30 here but I think the other one got in with the light blues in the box). I did attach a few together and decided I like the standard whip stitch over the one from the Daisy and Grace tutorial on my tab. It is quicker and seems to hold better. I think I am going to do sets of 4 colors together and then will start putting them together. It will be time to pull the teal/aqua pile off the shelf and prep some Hexagons for the month of August. 

Linking up with the RSC.

I have been searching for the backings I know I purchased.... I plan to prep a couple of quilts for hand quilting - the Endless Diamonds (which decided it was ok as is and I don't need to add a border!) and the Flowering Snowballs. I'd better get off and do it since I have been meaning to do this for the last week and have yet to do it!

 

July OMG

I finished hand stitching this hand pieced flowering snowball together this afternoon to complete my OMG for July. Now to press it and prep it for hand quilting. I think I managed to flip my rows somewhere along the way but I'm leaving it as is. Linking up with ElmStreetQuilts for One Monthly Goal.

These girls came running when I went outside for the photo. We have one chicken who is broody and we take her out of the nesting box a few times a day.  She has plucked all the feathers off her underside to better heat those eggs that will never hatch as we don't have a rooster. Poor girl. She does eat and drink when we take her out which is good. 

I have not gotten much accomplished on my day off sewing wise... but I did get a walk in this morning, colored that grey in my hair (when I asked Aidan if he noticed anything different and he said 'No', Hubby kindly said I got younger! We will see if Em notices when she gets home from school shopping and lunch with Grandma.) and washed the sheets. I also set up my new Fitbit Charge 4 that arrived today. The screen on my old Charge 3 was starting to have lines through it. 

 

Table Scrap Challenge for July

 I had hoped that blue would come up for July. I had made this one block from a packet I had purchased at Joanns many, many years ago - late 90's or early 2000 range. It was in the discount bin with instructions and fabrics included. I found it  earlier this year and decided to attempt the round robin that was happening around blog land but I only added the first round of a checkerboard. It was around 15 inches square.... a good table topper size.

Being gone on Vacation away from a sewing machine for the first half of the month had me in a bit of a scramble coming home. I had this in mind as a topper assuming dark blue popped up for July. I found a backing and decided to add some hand quilting to it. Today I found a plain dark blue and made and attached the binding by machine to the front and then by hand before dinner. I think it turned out pretty cute. 

Linking up Saturday with the RSC and on Friday with Joy at the Table Scrap Challenge.

Sunday slow prepping

I have fallen a bit behind on my hexagons this month so I worked this morning to prep the rest needed through the 31st. These go quickly once all prepped in the evenings so I should be able to catch up on these by the end of the week.

My OMG was to get these blocks into a top. I have them into rows and just need 3 long hand stitched seams to finish it into a top. I hope to get one of the long seams stitched this afternoon.

Yesterday, a lot on the diagonal from us in being cleared of trees and they were burning them there causing lots of smoke in our area. I decided it would be a good time to burn this pile of brush so tended this for a couple of hours before popping into the pool to cool off with Aidan. I did pick up the girl from girl scout horse camp yesterday morning.  She had a great time but it was like pulling teeth to get that out of her. Her horse did not want to jump over the poles but he did 'walk' over them! Oh well, she had a good time and that is what mattered.

I took a little walk last night while listening to my audio book and caught this little squirrel in a tree. 

My lunch break is almost over. Kids are off to Grandmas for the day and hubby is working on a 3 hour mid term exam so I will head back into the sewing room and get out my Accuquilt to cut some flowering snowball parts in dark blue to add to the scrap quilt parts I am prepping each month with the RSC before I cut my HST's for the garden path block. 

Linking up with Kathy and the other slow stitchers.

 

RSC Saturday in dark blue.

 Not much sewing this week. Hopefully next week will be better as I have a few more blocks that need to get made before the end of the month. I think I will add a black and white one of the above to go with this dark navy. I'm not sure if the new medicine I started Monday morning is the culprit of my headaches this week or if it is just something going around? Lets hope they take a break this weekend so I can get some things done!

I'm headed to pick up the girl from Girl Scout Camp soon and I expect to hear all about her adventures from this week at horse camp. She did Puddle Jumpers and I think she got to try jumping in her horse riding adventures. She has been wanting to try that for over a year now so I'm curious to see if she enjoyed it. 

Linking up with the RSC Saturday morning.

Monday....

 The thunder is rumbling outside with a little rain coming down. Aidan and I made Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner. Emily is away at Girl Scout Horse camp this week so Aidan is getting all the meals he likes that she does not! I figured I'd better start on the table topper challenge for the month. I had this block that I was trying to work with on a round robin but I only added the first round of the checkerboard. 

I found a backing and a batting and pinned it. Some hand quilting is now being added and eventually this will be my table topper in blue for July. It is also #17 of my UFO list for the Summer Ravelry challenge! Love when I can join two projects together.

Back to stitching as I listen to my latest Audiobook - Death in Kew Gardens by Jennifer Ashley. I finished up a couple of other books this weekend. Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L Trump and Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet by M. C. Beaton. I was reading along to the Virgin River Series and the Brigerton Series but for some reason June 1st they both disappeared from the Libby App from the library. Oh well, I'm enjoying these two authors of mysteries. I was curious on the book by Mary Trump. It was actually interesting to listen to and provided some insight. 

Back to my mystery and stitching.

Dark Blue - Full Stop

The sewing machine works! I managed to make some of the Colons for this month in dark blues. 

Aidan made a sponge cake last night with frosting. A little dry- I think that is why they add jam or a liquid to it - but it was pretty yummy.  Only 2 small slivers left!

Linking up with the RSC.

 

Home with Hexagons....

 We made it home around 12:05AM this morning safe and sound. We got Greg's doctor appointment done this morning as well. The rest of the afternoon was unpacking, sweeping floors, playing with the cats and I did pop out to grab some veggies and fruit to stock the empty drawers in the fridge. Seems we were out of mayo.... so I tried making some (I improvised on one ingredient and used yellow mustard since I was out of dijon. I did get dijon when I went shopping for the next batch.) I had boiled up 12 eggs and was making deviled eggs when I realized I was out!

I think we have plenty of eggs to play with. I have butter out softening to make some brownies... which will use 6 eggs.  Ice Cream, angel food cake or Aidan mentioned a sponge cake might get made as well.

Yesterday was some stitching at the airport on a handful of hexagons and then I read a book on the flight. I picked up a 2.5 and 3.5 inch snowflake cookie cutter at the Ski museum in Stowe last Saturday. They were marked $1. each! I figured it was a typo as they are really solid and well made but it rang up as $2 and change for tax! I think they will be great as a marking took for hand quilting Hoarfrost! I'd better finish the 15th one before I get back to the flowering snowball blocks being sewn into rows.

Linking up with the RSC... since I have not made it into the sewing room yet. Hopefully today!

Cascade falls

 After working on Monday, Emily and I headed to Cascade Falls. This is just a little area that was created in the last few years as a walking trail with little outlets down to the brook with pretty waterfalls. I had never been here. It was a lovely afternoon and Emily and I were gone for a couple of hours. Good thing we went yesterday as today is cool and rainy.

The sound of waterfalls are just so calming.

Last night we went on a kayak paddle and got to see a couple of loons. This one popped up about a half paddle from Emily's kayak! It was so neat to see him dive way down and watch him through the water.

This is the Momma with two babies on her back. I was pretty far away and tried to zoom in on my phone camera.

We also went to a Vermont Mountaineers game on Sunday night. They won and we got to see a pretty good game including a home run and a run down on an attempt at a stolen base. Lots of foul balls for a 4-1 game. The local sponser for the night was giving out free ice cream sandwiches as a bonus to the free tickets my sister Joanne got for us. 

Last full day here and it is cool and rainy. Another day of enjoying wearing jeans and a sweatshirt.

Last Sunday in Vermont

 I have a few days left of my visit but I have to log back into work starting tomorrow. It was a nice week off and just relaxing. Today I have things prepped a bit for my siblings all coming out again and my cousin is stopping in to visit before she fly's back home. We had the graveside funeral for my Aunt who passed in March yesterday. I saw a lot of cousins I have not seen in 15-20 years! We opted for appetizers rather than a 'meal'. I have some veggies prepped and some meatballs in the crockpot with a jar of chili sauce and 8 ounces of grape jelly. A yummy treat... someone might have been wanting them so I offered to make them! Emily and I made some no bake chocolate peanut butter cookies last night as well. My siblings are each bringing something to share and we have some fruits coming to supplement the grapes I picked up yesterday. Tonight we are heading to a local baseball game (college level players in the summer). 

Since everything is prepped, I'm sitting on the glider rocker on the porch. The lake is twinkling with the sunlight making it sparkle on the water. Perfect setting to stitch my Hexagon for the day. 

I hand stitched the first row of the flowering snowball blocks together last night on the porch. I have one block to attach to the second row. This was cut out on my Accuquilt and hand pieced earlier this year. I have been cutting out parts in each color of the month this year for a future scrap quilt. This one stitched together so easily!

Linking up with Kathy and the other slow stitchers.

My view.... Aidan was heading down to feed the ducks that were quacking their arrival and wanting breakfast.

Saturday in blue

I have my first 9 darker blue hexagons stitched and quilted. Emily and I prepped the last 6 that I brought up with me this afternoon after a kayak paddle on the lake and some feeding of the ducks.

I finished knitting the dish cloth a few days ago and really need to weave those ends in. 

Saturday I'll link up with the RSC. Head on over and see what everyone is working on.

 

Cog train up Mt. Washington NH

Today was the day! Wednesday we headed over to NH to ride the Cog coal/steam train up the mountain. I had never been up the mountain and when I mentioned the trains to Aidan - it was a done deal. I asked my parents and since it was a day trip- they decided to go. Neither had been up before. My sister found out and decided her and her hubby would go too... then their son added to the mix as well. 

This is the train that pulled us up the mountain today.

Looking out the front as we went up the mountain.

We reached the top! 

This is the view that could happen.... if the mountain is not in the clouds at the top.

Today - around 4PM it was very cloudy with zero visibility. 48 with 40MPH winds making it feel like the 30's. That wind can really move you!

The kids and I at the summit. Photo taken by my nephew Charlie.

 

4th of July in Vermont with my family

 All my siblings gathered at camp yesterday for the 4th of July holiday. The boat was decorated for the boat parade on the lake and a few were on the boat in the parade while the others were on the shore cheering the boats as they passed. It was a chilly day in Vermont - low 60's and cooler than last Christmas!

Right before everyone left we got the 'siblings' photos. My brothers Mike and David are standing then me, Terri and Joanne are sitting.

 This one by the lake was in age order - it is youngest on the left with me.... then David, Joanne, Terri and Mike as the oldest.

After everyone left Aidan and I were down by the fire and it was a nice knitting spot by the lake.

with a cloudy sunset last night.

 

Feeling blue in Vermont

I guess I guessed correct! I prepped some dark blue hexagons before I travelled up here last weekend. I waited for the cool front to go through and July to start before I stitched them.

Before the rain started yesterday, this was my sunset photos from the dock on Wednesday night. 

We have been enjoying the various duck families that visit with their babies and are feeding them a little corn feed. So far we have a Momma with 9 ducklings, one with 7 and one with 5. There is a lone duck that comes and she comes up onto the grass to let us know she is there. Aidan named her Hoover, since she eats everything up like a hoover vacuum! We have sighted the loons as well but no photo of them yet.

The rainy shot from the screened in porch this morning. Cool in the 50's with rain.

I woke up with a spinning head when I moved, so I went back to sleep and got up around 11:30! Feeling a little better but not 100% so it will be a take it easy day with maybe a little hand stitching. We will see. It is probably my electrolites off balance so I have had some Power Zero and that usually fixes it up.

Linking up my blues with Angela over at the RSC. Go see how everyone is playing with their darks this month.

 

July OMG

I am away on vacation but did bring some slow stitching with me. I think for July I'd like to hand stitch together these 12 flowering snowball blocks. I enjoyed stitching the flowering snowball block in the hand stitching sew along last year so I ordered the Accuquilt die for that block and cut out these parts from a few FQ's that I have had for years waiting for a special project.  Things might get moved around a bit as I stitch, we will see.  

Linking up with the July OneMonthlyGoal.

I plan to stitch a few of these blocks together for Slow Sunday stitching after the 4th of July family gathering. Linking up with Kathy and the other Slow Sunday Stitchers.

Not much stitching yet.....

There has been game playing. The kids found a Bonkers game (1978!) and yesterday was Michigan Rummy with everyone.

Tuesday night the kids wanted to drive the boat - so I took them out after Uncle David and Aunt Donna left. We had a visit earlier Tuesday with Aunt Terri and Sally.

There has been ducks visiting. I think there is a family of 9 ducklings, 7 ducklings and 5 ducklings. They all visited one day. 

Wednesday was an quick trip home with the parents. Dad was turning in his vehicle so they are down to 1 for the 2 of them. These are the chickens that they get to watch out their dining room window.

Her roses are in bloom. I picked some of the heritage ones from another spot to have at camp and they smell so pretty.

Angela announced July RSC is blue! Yea! I prepped dark blue hexagons to work on up here and might have taken the 12 flowering snowball blocks in blue and green up here as well. Since it is cooler - 60 degrees on the porch this morning I might get a little stitching in today!