Binding time

 I spent a slew of hours tugging this quilt through the machine throat yesterday. I made and applied the binding to the top. I just need to hand stitch it down to the back at some point. Nearly to the finish line with this one.

tugging, and tugging. I got lots of 'steps' on my fitbit yesterday tugging this.

I might have spaced and cut this a wee bit short, but made it work. Oops.

Loops and lines.

Ready for hand stitching the binding down. That won't happen today or probably tomorrow. Looks like a Sunday job.

Mid Week Check in....

 I have the whole day today... to finish quilting the AT quilt. I'll get started on that in a bit.

The dog got a long walk on a new route. The 3 big barking dogs, were not in their back yard when we walked past their house. It appears they are prepping to move out, so maybe the dogs have moved out with their adult kids? The dog whined a bit, but walked past good. They are the reason we only walk a set route each day, him pulling past the barking dogs was horrible. He enjoyed all the new smells and was a happy camper after a longer walk this morning. We will try that route again on the weekend and see how it goes.

I started a 'bundle' shipping over at Missouri Star Quilts last week and added a bit to it over the week with their daily deals. It started with the Life of the Ridge Charm pack (2 at the lower price!). The colors remind me of Kim Diehl quilts. I also added a couple yards of Kona Eggshell, so I have enough to make more of the flowering snowball and shoo fly blocks. I grabbed the Colorworks Solid Medley of tiles - (42 - 10 inch squares). The Vintage Valor charm packs caught my eye, so I got 2 of those with the lower price. Normally they only allow one charm pack at the low price, but this time they allowed 2. Yesterday was my final day and I got in before the 9AM cut off... and picked up the 9 yard bundle of Kona - 3 yards each of white, black and snow. That should keep me busy and out of trouble for a little bit. No plans for them, but I'm sure something will call their name.

Meals this week - which people have turned up their noses at! We had a pork loin, that I separated into 2 and roasted with different herbs. I did one as rosemary and garlic and one as herbs de province, and cut some carrots and onion to go in the bottom of the pan with them. Mashed potato went with it. Tuesday was stuffed peppers - I use Rice a Roni Spanish rice and add a pound of cooked burger meat to it, then stuff the peppers and bake it with some tomato sauce on top. Wednesday was leftovers. Tonight is baked code with veggies and roasted potato I think. Friday, I'm going with the band to a pre-season game in Inverness, so the boys are on their own. Saturday, I'm taking Emily to Orlando for a flag and riffle training session for winter guard. She really has not been taught, so is hoping this will give her some pointers. We will see how it goes. 

A little hand stitching. I've got an aqua shoo fly in process. 

Off to weed a bit of the front beds before it gets atrocious out, then making an appointment to see the new doctor who just got my bloodwork from last week. We will see what she recommends to even things out. I will say the brain fog is gone, which is very nice. The itchy skin has also eased and general mood is better. Wish my normal dr would have asked more questions or mentioned any of this over the last 10 years. 

Slow Sunday

 Well, it is more of a 'nothing scheduled so I can play and do what I want' day! I do so love those.

I did a bit of machine quilting on the Arkansas Traveller quilt yesterday. Just the outline stitching of the blocks to tack things down. I think today I'll take time and do this little curved piecing on each block with all the pull and push through my little throat on the Viking. I am debating if I machine outline the white space next to it or do a hand quilting about 1/4 inch or so from the colored parts which make a star type shape? I'll think on it while tugging this through the machine. Either way, I do see hand stitching binding down on this later this week. Sitting in my recliner with the AC blowing down on me from the air vent =). 

When I cut out the Accuquilt bits for the Flowering Snowball and Shoo Fly blocks, I had cut offs. I finally went through them yesterday and cut out these bigger parts. What to do with them? I must have another pile somewhere from the first batch I cut out with more blues in the mix. I'll have to search for them.

I took some time on Friday and with my close up glasses, I figured out where I messed up on this cross stitch years ago (I'm guessing 20 or so!) The lower part of the hoop is off and some of the quilt above the hoop is off on 2-3 rows. Sigh. That is a lot of unstitching. I'm thinking I might just 'go with the flow and adjust a bit and continue on. After all.... it is a draped quilt and those are forgiving! I have noticed that my eyes have changed in 20 years and reading that pattern is TINY!. Must have great lighting when I work on this one.

 

I pulled these out to count them thinking I had all the grey surrounds attached. Alas, I found 3 more dark blues that need that grey added. At least I do have a count of them and know I have more of each color yarn if needed. Dark blue - 22, Medium blue - 26, Light blue - 21. I was thinking sets of 9, but maybe sets of 4 similar? We will see.

I'll work on getting those 3 dark blues finished off today for some slow stitching crochet. I'll also hand stitch a flowering snowball block as well. I do love hand stitching that gentle curve. 

Linking up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

I just need to do a quick grocery shop to make sure kids have things to grab for lunches at school this week. Tomorrow starts a new school year - for my Junior and Senior! Both are driving themselves to school, as they have very different before and after school schedules. 

RSC Saturday

 Well, I have not played much with teal/aqua yet but that will happen this weekend. I have nothing scheduled at all for the weekend.... well, I told Emily I'd help with a complete change out of the chicken coop. We picked up the bedding yesterday afternoon. That should just take an hour or less tonight when it gets cooler out.

I did make progress on an RSC top Arkansas Traveller, which is now pinned for machine quilting. That should begin today =)

Progress this week was marking all the parts for the 13 blocks of shoo fly and flowering snowball. I was testing a phone app at work and the load time let me mark one or two parts. There were lots of files to load and test. I did get a few stitched up the in evenings as well.

Linking up with the RSC on Saturday.

Aidan's rose is blooming out back. Such a pretty peachy pink color.

The girls got a little roaming time earlier this week. I've kept them in the last day or two as there has been a chicken hawk spotted nearby. They do have a good size run and coop in the shade to hang out in. Ignore the overgrown weedy garden. I need to start tackling that so I can plant it next month for the fall.

I am feeling more 'myself' the last couple of days. I made an appointment with a hormone therapy APRN, since I asked my current provider (another APRN covered by insurance) about hormone therapy. She said a referral to an obgyn or no referral needed for a hormone specialist. I had this persons name as a hormone specialist and contacted her for an appointment Thursday. No insurance taken there. We had a 45 minute no rush visit and chat. She prescribed a set of bloodwork and sent in a script for Progesterone. I took it Thursday night and slept through the night! No waking up to pee. Just a great nights sleep. My Fitbit gave me a 93 for sleep score... which was normally in the mid 80 range. Friday I had a positive attitude when I woke up (which I used to have!) and lots of 'pep'. No brain fog.  It is oh so nice to feel more like myself!  I did the bloodwork Thursday afternoon, so we will see when my next appointment is and what she sees and recommends for balancing things out for me. I'm kicking myself for waiting so long. I met her back in November but am so glad I made the phone call for an appointment. 

August Monthly Goal

 My goal this month is to actually get a quilt finish. I'd love to get my Arkansas Traveller quilt pinned, quilted and bound this month. Will I succeed? Time will tell.

I do have the top and the backing rolled onto the boards. I also have the batting for it cut. 

Linking up with the August One Monthly Goal.

Slow Stitching Sunday

 There was no horses yesterday, so no outside time needed in the high temp/humidity thank goodness. Emily will ride Tuesday morning early, before her trainer heads north for a couple of weeks.

I decided to prep more blocks through the Accuquilt cutter for the Flowering Snowball and Shoo Fly blocks. It took about 2 hours to get things selected, pressed and cut to be run thorough the Accuquilt cutter for the shapes needed.  So far, I have no duplicates other than the background! I did 7 more of one block and 6 more of another so I should have 36 blocks when they are done. 6x6 setting = 72x72. I had a lot of blue in the first batch so I added more purple and green this time.

 I might want it bigger, but I'll decide that later. I'm running out of the Kona Eggshell bolt so I might need to order another one if I decide to go bigger. I have not marked the stitching line on them yet, so I might do a little of that today.

I did get almost 2 more blocks stitched up yesterday. I just have one long stitching line to go on the flowering snowball. I have one more block marked for stitching, which will make 23 blocks completed. 

I did get a couple granny squares with their grey surround added. I find I can only do one or two of these at a time now or my hand hurts. Strange, the different muscles used for crochet vs. hand stitching. I have a few more of these to go.

I'll finish up the green flowering snowball and then do a granny square as I finish watching the F1 race this morning. 

Linking up with Kathy and the other slow Sunday stitchers.

Teal/Aqua in the RSC

Welcome to August! I got a little hand stitching in yesterday and got this purple and aqua flowering snowball completed. I have a couple of shoo fly bocks left and then I need to lay them all out and see how many more I need/want to cut out. I do love stitching these, especially the flowering snowball. I think I cut out 23 of the 25 the throw pattern calls for. I can easily just make more to make it bigger. The tricky part is finding scraps I have not used yet in the blocks!

 

I've had my 2 teal/aqua string of beads blocks ready to go for a couple of months. I guess this is the month to finish the last 2 of the 16 blocks. I see this needs a press after all the travel it did this summer.

Aidan mowed the lawn late last night (close to 8 when it got cooler to feels like 100 and the sun was going down) and put his hat on the dog when he came in. He tried this last week, and Bear knocked it off right away. Last night, he kept it on for a bit. He is not a dress up dog. We tried a kerchief once and he went nuts trying to get it off.

I think the girl has horses today, so I might go with her and see the horses. I'll probably be too wiped out from the heat and humidity to do much else after that! It is very draining.

Linking up with the RSC.