Sunday

Sunday and a migraine. Sigh. I went back to bed after about 30 minutes and slept until after noon. A bit better. No, I am stubborn and have not taken the meds for it. I will though, as I'd like it gone and I normally have multiple days once I get one. Mine tends to be behind the right eye, but thankfully light and sound don't bother me too much. 

I did get a new to me car yesterday! We got it through Carvana and traded in the 2016 Kia. I now have a 2018 Honda CRV EX-L. It's got about 45K miles on it and drives well. I'm happy to be back in a CRV. They delivered it to our door and everything!

 Aidan is driving my 2014 Crv. Emily has Greg's 2013 Tacoma truck. It got stripped down and painted over the summer and looks like a brand new vehicle for her. She has been driving it to horses on Saturdays and will be driving to school this week for marching band practice. They are doing one week instead of 2 this year, so it is a long day for them. 8-6. The teacher is pregnant and due the end of November, so she is very organized this year! 

I did a little hand stitching in between things yesterday. I just need to sew the rows together on the shoo fly block. Then move onto the curvy parts of the flowering snowball. I had just a wee bit of thread left, so added that yellow square with it yesterday. I think it is around a one inch square, so just a few stitches and it was attached. This is my current hand piecing project. 

I'll also work on crocheting the grey around the last 6 granny blocks this week before I figure out how to assemble the box of them into an afghan. 

I'd also like to get these last two teal blocks finished this month. I have 14 of the 16 string of beads blocks completed.  These are needle turned applique. They need a press, as the travel bag got them a bit wrinkled. I drew on the peel placement with pencil. My two teal colors and the outer dark green peels are marked and ready to go.

 This is the first 12 of them. The orange ones did not make it into that photo, but they are completed.

Plenty to keep me busy and out of trouble this week! Linking up with Kathy and the other slow Sunday Stitchers. 

Seeing the results of Kathy's unpicking on that pretty bird cross stitch, I might have to revisit the January cross stitch design that has been at a standstill for too many years due to a counting mistake. It might be time to figure out where I went wrong and unpick so I can get that one moving along again. 

Mid week

 I started the light pink block on Wednesday.  These middles will have a round over it, I have not decided the colors.  Might be all yellow or each blocks color. I'll decide when they are all done.

I had a girl pick up at school, so I grabbed the bag. I added a grey round to a granny square. I have had finishing ideas running through my head on these. We will see what happens! 

A visit to my FIL today after a dog walk. I'm sure he will need a grocery shop. He is still very weak, so we will see. I've been calling him each morning, since greg won't, and his meal delivery was not starting until today. 

I do hope to play with red more. I've got alternate blocks to make and a table scrap challenge.  I had an idea for it, then mentioned the prompt of red and rain to Emily last night.  She had an interesting idea. We will see which wins!

I had bought a ham last week ($1.98 a pound) but since we went out Sunday I cooked part of it on Monday night with the Boars Head brown sugar sauce on it. I got a 5 pounder and cut it into chunks and cooked about a pound of it and seal a mealed chunks for the fridge. I did save off the bone part and cut parts to add to salads for a couple of days. I still had that and had pinto beans in a can of dry beans. I looked up recipes for the instapot and made this one yesterday. Emily had something else, but Aidan was game to try it. His response, a little less salt (I added some at the end and should not have) and some savory herbs next time. I made cornbread to go with it. 

I get a whole day Saturday to myself! I plan to get the Arkansas Traveller quilt pinned and quilted this weekend.  Emily has test review at school and will drive herself! Aidan has skills usa next week, so will drive to school Monday, hand keys to Emily and return Thursday evening after a competition in Jacksonville. Emily gets to drive herself to school and back! Her comment, darn, I need to get up 5 minutes earlier to eat breakfast. I guess she eats in the car while Aidan drives. It is quite early - they leave for school at 6:55.

Someone is ready for a walk before it gets too hot. 

Progress

 I have a stack of these granny squares in a box and I have slowly been adding the grey border around some. Another one into the grey round added pile.

The brown hexagons got stitched and into sets of two. I just need to get these stitched together and then I'll start assembling my row of them for the next column. This is the second column of 4 that I am adding to the existing quilt.

I have the yellows and 2 of the green peels added to this bead block. I am using needle turned applique for them. There is something soothing about needle turned applique. I'm using my silk blender threads for the colors and a matching green Gutterman on the green peels.

These are the 3 that I did last year. I see I need to select a red and prep another red block so I have 2 of them, I'll also select another yellow while I am cutting so I have 2 of yellow as well. I envision 16 of these blocks to make a wall hanging - so I need 2 each of 8 colors.
Note to self, pink, purple, blue, teal, bright green, yellow, orange, red. Light and dark of each color if I can or brights. Mix up in the 4x4 quilt. Maybe a green peel border? 

I hope to get a little red play time in this evening. 

****Edited for a Saturday RSC link up.

It turned out after work (a little before 3PM) we got a phone call from the first alert company that has the wrist band on my FIL. He tried to get up and could not from his recliner (too weak) so he pressed the button. They sent the paramedics and called us. We waited an hour for the kids to get home from school and for the ambulance to get him to the hospital ER. Then headed over to the ER. UTI and very weak. We just saw him Wednesday when we took him to his eye appointment. They admitted him and started asking him about assisted living and we also gave the option of moving in with us. He was in the ER in January for the same issue. Sigh. He lives alone about 45 minutes from us. I see lots of driving to the hospital/reab in the next few weeks. Greg's medicine is making his head fuzzy, so I've been tapped to drive him the last two times. Thank goodness for a very flexible workplace for me! 

April fools stitching

 It appears I was in a hand work mode yesterday. Unfortunately, the special elections were not my district in Florida.

I added the grey surround on these two while waiting on my 20 minutes to stretch the sourdough bread. I let it double overnight and then formed it into my loaf pan this morning. It took another few hours to rise and I have it in the oven now baking. I logged off work as I was tapped to drive my FIL to his Dr appointment today. (Standard eye doctor appt as he has missed a year from being in rehab) Greg's head is feeling wonky. I had offered and he took me up on it this time. I'll work tomorrow morning at work to make up the hours. 

I had time at my lunch to stitch a few of these purple hexagons and then finished them off after work and got them into a twosie. I also got one of the 3 browns done. 

Then I opened the baggie with the string of bead blocks and the yellow had one peel attached. I added the other two and have the third one pinned, before I needed to make dinner and then pick up Emily from flag practice. It appears they are now prepping for a fun show the end of the month, so instead of 7:15 they only practice until 6 and then fold the floors for a 6:15 pick up. I have more of these bead blocks prepped - light and dark blue, light and dark pink and this yellow. I have one red completed and a light and dark purple. I believe I was planning 2 of each color and the outer 4 peels will be a consistent green. The four middle petals change to the color of the month. I saw this pattern back in the 1990's and loved it in purple and green. It only took me 30 years to finally give it a try! 

Dinners so far this week. Monday was eggroll in a bowl using some hot italian sausage and the leftover cabbage I had in the crisper. Tuesday was Crispy Parmesean baked Chicken and veggies. Aidan mentioned the shrimp in the freezer, so tonight I'll grill those up with various veggies and maybe some sweet potato fries. 

Slow Sunday prep

 Darn, I had this all written and then added a photo from my phone and lost it all! Bummer.

I had pulled out and stitched 8 of the hexagon QAYG blocks that were prepped on Friday night. That means I needed to pull things to prep some more. I use the batting cut offs for these.

Then cut 4 sets of the backing fabrics and 4 of colored fabrics.

Time to get them ready for folding the binding on and clip it. 

I am using the clips I got on sale from Missouri Quilt Company in December for $5. One down, 19 to go. These will be added to the original quilt to make it a little bigger on my bed. 

I have also been adding crochet granny squares. I started adding the grey border around them. I am still not sure how I will lay them out. I'm thinking I might find a paw print pattern and add a few of those in. We do have some cats and a dog in the household after all.

I started a sourdough starter back in January and it finally behaved a couple of weeks ago. I made a sourdough bread which was yummy. I then found the website amybakesbread. I made a batch of chocolate chip scones, and Aidan requested I make them again! I did this morning. I also have a dough for focaccia in process. Aidan requested a garlic one, I might add some grape tomato's to a small section and some herbs over all of it. We will see how it turns out.

Linking up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

Wacky Wednesday crochet?

 Ok, I'll work on a title for that one. 

I added 4 granny squares last week and I did the same since Sunday's post. It was a crochet type of week I guess. I did one in country blue, which is my medium and 3 lights. 

I was very excited this morning when I woke up and saw the sourdough starter finally behaved and rose last night and fell a bit this morning. I decided to try making a bread. It is in the oven right now. I'm just so excited it finally rose. Not sure if it was the warmer temps (it's been in the 80's all week) or that I switched to a bottle of water a few days ago when feeding it, or the new flour from Sams's club I just got into. Anyway... baking bread smells yummy.

I just need to find a recipe where the Dutch oven is not in the oven at 500 degrees for an hour. I pulled it out when the smell bugged me with 20 minutes to go. It was still plenty hot when I added the bread on the parchment paper to bake. I think the next batch will be in my Stonewear bread pans. 

We will see how it tastes for breakfast with some eggs.

Slow Sunday Stitching.

 I'll be doing a little applique today on 2 projects. This dresden plate circle, needs a little repair to secure it to the top. I'm hoping once Aidan is home from his ACT testing this morning, I can finally get my quilt holder up on the wall so I can hang this quilt in the kitchen/living room area. I need a tall person to help me!

My other applique is to get this body of the butterfly stitched down and then I'll add some embroidery for the antenna. I've got 8 more of these blocks to get onto their background and get finished off. 

Four more granny squares were crocheted this week to add to the pile. 

Yesterday, Emily's riding partner called out sick so our trainer asked if I wanted to ride with her. I've been sick all last month so no riding since early December. I just did a little walking and a trot a few times around the arena, then I was content to sit on my recliner... I mean Goody the horse and watch Emily deal with an ornery Doc who was not understanding to pick up the canter.

After our lesson, there was an estate sale about a mile from the riding place that I wanted to check on a Singer sewing machine. Alas, it was gone but Emily wanted to walk through the house. Everything was marked as they were going to gut and remodel it. In a punchbowl box of cut glass there was a cut glass platter. Ours dropped and shattered a year ago, so I pulled the platter out of the box and asked the price. It got washed last night and is all clear and shiny now and very heavy!

 It came home with us along with this pretty quilt rack. I was thinking I would paint it, but I wiped it down and polished it and now I am not sure. I'll think on it.

Linking up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

Tuesday

 I used to have a Tiny Tuesday post which forced... I mean nudged me to make the block so I could post about it. I think I need to go back to that so that I will get off my phone and do something productive.

Since I have only done some crochet, I guess Tuesday will be the crochet update on the granny squares.

I have added a couple to the mix and started another one with the dark blue last night. I am changing the colors up to keep things interesting for me. 

I am really not sure how I will be 'finishing' these off. I know I read a blog where she did 16 patches, like a quilt to get hers combined. I like the concept, but I was thinking making different nine patches might be fun with the 3 colors I am playing with. I am leaning towards using the grey to crochet them together with. This is 5 country blue and 4 light blue. I have more of the country blue so will plan to use 5 of those in the blocks and alternate with the light and dark blue. 

Other news... the ear infection is still bothering me one week after drops and antibiotics, so I guess it is time to contact the doctor again. I'd really like to go back in time to 2024. 2025 has been filled with feeling poorly and I am ready to turn the page on it!

Thursday...

 I had made 2 of the granny squares before I went and compared them to the rest of the pile. Slightly bigger. Hmmm. I used the wrong crochet hook! Oops. I searched and found the correct one, one size lower and made one up last night. Much better. I also watched the video of the making of them from the original mystery. The video of making the granny square is step 1. I changed it so that mine are 6 rounds and a little bigger. I am remembering something about turning it each row, but have not done that yet. I'll try it with the next one.

I have 19 of the country blue, 12 of the light blue and now 16 of the dark blue. 

I am happy to say I am feeling so much better today. I messaged my doctor on Monday and got in Tuesday. Ear infection and some drops and antibiotics I started taking Tuesday evening are working nicely. So much better when you have energy and feel good!

I have the car dropped to a garage - as the ABS light came on and a sensor needs replacing. I had Greg pick me up, and after making some sourdough discard crackers, I'm ready to head into the sewing room and find some pink to play with. It will get me out of the kitchen so I stop eating those crackers. I used my rosemary herb mix on top before baking. Yum.

Slow Sunday stitching

I finally picked up something for slow stitching this evening. The embroidery was not calling my name, but the crochet was. 

I found the pattern for the granny square from the Yarnspirations mystery 2015. Grabbed some yarn and my crochet hook and started.

This pattern has 4 rounds. I double checked the box of squares I had done and counted a few twice. 6 rounds. 

Six rounds for a granny square. I'll make a few more and add them to the box. I have 3 different blue colors - light, country and this dark blue. 

I just pulled this crazy cake (silly cake) out of the oven. I'm letting it cool a bit before I make the sugar topping. I had to grab the old church cookbook for the recipe. 

Linking up to the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

Slow Stitching Sunday

I decided to bring some crochet with me to horses while Emily was riding yesterday. It was pleasant in the 80's and sunny. I'm missing the covered arena from the last place, but she built a nice seating area for the parents that is under cover. 

This week has mostly been adding granny squares to the pile. 

I do hope to add some stitches today during the F1 race to either the Bear Paw quilt 

or EPP on Brimfield Awakening. I really want to get this one started this month.

Linking up with Kathy and the other Slow Stitchers.

I need to get dressed and pop to get groceries before the race starts. The garden will get tilled after the race. Emily is letting me have a little bit of the garden and I'll plant green beans and peas, which I know will grow for me. We will see what she decides on. I can't get the turkey yet, since the frozen cheesecake and cookie dough is arriving sometime this week and I need room to house the goodies until I can get them distributed. 

 

Sunday....

Well, I was planning on driving all day today, but we pushed off the leave date to Monday. There will be lots of driving time for me this week as we make our way north up the east coast to visit Vermont and family. We will be making some stops along the way to break things up.  The kids have only done this drive once when we moved here when they were 3 and 2.

Am I packed? Well, technically no but I do have all the clothes pulled in a pile, the drinks are ready for the cooler - waters and Gatorade and some snacks for the car. The first thing I did pack on Friday was my hand work bag from Thirty-One. You know the important things get packed first! I love my bags - I have 2 like this, a lunch cooler that is great for the car in Florida and a few of the Utility totes for shopping. I knew someone who was a consultant and got invited to a few parties' years ago. Anyway... what's in the bag you ask? There are 6 pockets on the outside and one on each end - great for water bottles and little things. I remember having 8 labeled water bottles at a parade with the girl scouts in there at one time!

Let's take a look! On the left we have the EPP for the Brimfield Awakening block with all the papers, templates and things needed to work on those. In the middle is 2 Harmony blocks that are in process for hand piecing from last year. I do have one 28 inch block completed but was planning to make 4. Hopefully I make progress on this the next few weeks. I threw in a sewing kit I got at Aldi's last year - just in case I need something there is a good variety of things in there. I'll also tuck my Vera Bradley coin purse where I have thread, scissors, pins and my needles but that is by the recliner still.

Inside we have yarns! I grabbed a skein of each of the 3 blues for the granny squares and the hook, some scrubby yarn and some dish cloth yarn. I know I have knitting needles in the car as well.

I have 6 dark blue and 8 medium blue granny squares so far.

I'll also bring the RSC Squares quilt to finish off hand stitching the binding if it doesn't get finished tonight watching the hockey game. I have one 64 inch side hand stitched. 

Last night I finished hand stitching the binding on the Baby Masala Box quilt. This will travel up to VT with us so I can show my Mom and then I'll ship it to Cece in Wisconsin.

I'll probably bring the Endless Diamond quilt that I am hand quilting. I have 4.25 blocks left to quilt. I think I might make and attach a binding today in case I finish quilting it then it will be nearly done. 

I think that should keep me busy for the 2.5 weeks we will be gone! Linking up with Kathy and the Slow Sunday Stitchers.

Hubby is staying home to care for the animals (chickens, dog and 2 cats) and continue with his college classes. He starts 2 new ones tomorrow as he finishes up 2 today. Every 8 weeks he gets a new set of classes toward his degree.

I'd better finish breakfast (I just pulled blueberry muffins out of the oven) and grab a shower before I take the car through the car wash and give it a good cleaning inside and top off the gas tank for tomorrow. It got a check and lots of fixes at the dealer earlier this month and a new battery last Saturday so we should be good to go with my 2014 Honda CRV. 

Thursday...

Well, for my day off not a whole heck of a lot got accomplished. The morning was spent doing a little research after walking the dog. Then it was my annual Mammogram which went smoothly. I have my bloodwork next week and my followup with my doctor the following week. Doggie play time in the afternoon and somehow it was dinnertime! I pulled some carnita meat from the freezer for dinner and tried a package of mexican rice I picked up on sale a few weeks ago and some refried beans for dinner. I pulled out the briscuit we made a few weeks ago for tonights meal. Not sure what will go with it... but I'm thinking a salad of some sort and maybe some fries from the freezer?

While waiting on the Mammogram I added one more granny square to the pile and then did another one last night while listening to an audio book. I was curious how big they are and it turns out about 6 inches square!  I finished off Sue Graftons U is for Undertow. I have V is for Vengance borrowed as well as Killer Pancake by Diane Mott Davidson. I guess I like mysteries! I think I'll listen to Killer Pancake first since I just did 3 of the Sue Grafton books in a row (U,T and S ).

I started hand quilting block #12 of 20 last night as well.

A shot of the back of the quilt. A white backing and a thin hand quilting batting is showing the fabrics colors through on the back. It is easy to needle though.

Saturday - I get to get up really early for a Saturday and drive a couple of hours to pick up the girl from camp. I know a 4 legged dog that is going to be oh so happy to have his girl home again.

The boy is busy watching the F1 test racing today... despite the very early start times! Seems he is on teenager summer time where you stay up late and sleep in until 10 or 11 AM! We will see if he is up early on Saturday or just for the race on Sunday morning.