Slow Stitching Sunday...

It has been no post since Tuesday! Yikes. I rented a big tiller last Sunday and had Greg till a big garden for me. Third try hopefully will work. I have spent most mornings raking, tilling and prepping the soil of one of the  old ones for transfer to the new garden and prepping some of the new one. After a 2 mile walk.... I get an hour to 90 minutes in before it is too darn hot to work out there. I have one little corner done - and planted corn and the zucchini and cucumbers I had started a couple of weeks ago. We'll see if I can control the weeds on this one.

First till of the garden - don't mind the two overgrown ones in the shade by the trees.

three rows of corn and two big mounds - zucchini and cucumber

 I seem to do really well at growing weeds! The beans and peas (two things I know I can grow down here) have to wait until I get the fence up or the wild bunnies will eat them all on me.

Alas  - not much sewing time for me this week other than in the car line at school and at bowling. We had our first week of bowling Thursday morning and I was surprised at how many people came over to see what I was working on or asking about it after I had put it away! I guess the ladies like seeing the progress I make each week. I took my green TATW block with me this week.

Yes, those are bits of snowmen on this round - I thought it was funny since temps are in the feels like 100+ range last week. I have a couple more rows of green and then white to add before I can add back the edges to this green trip around the world block. Angela chose orange for the color of September in the RSC Challenge so I need to prep my squares for that project. I figure I'll bring that one with me to VT next weekend along with some midget appliqué blocks. Yes Mom, I'll make some towels and scrubbies while I am up there - must pack the crocket hook.

I have been too tired at night to stitch (I know - terrible right?) so I still have a little binding to finish off on the wedding quilt. After a nice and busy day at work yesterday - heavy rainfalls on the way home so Greg went to get Ms. Emily early (Aidan's sleepover at Grandma's). I had a couple of hours last night to myself so after pulling some pork  I had cooking in the crock pot, cutting up some cabbage and making a dressing for that and a quick dinner - I pulled out the quilt and got 3/4 of the binding on it. I had to stop as Max (the black and white cat in the header) decided she wanted lap time and I do believe my nephew is allergic. I shooed her off and put it away and grabbed my springtime quilt to put on my lap for her. I know, spoiled cat =). Hopefully I can finish it off tonight - a quick wash for it and then it will get wrapped up to be sent to the new owners tomorrow. Ok - the wavy walking foot stitching lines have grown on me and I do really like how they look and feel on this quilt. Just that little bit on the right hand side to stitch down. The black binding looks great on it I think.

I think I'll make a couple of fall place mats and a few coasters to tuck in with it as well. The kids wanted to try making some coasters so I'll show them how tonight on the machine. It is forecasting 3-4 inches of rain over the next few days so that will keep them busy for a little bit.

I'm linking up with Slow Stitching Sunday over at Kathy's quilts and Oh Scrap. Head on over and take a peek at the link parties going on. As for me.... I'm heading into work for a few hours. Emily really wanted chocolate donut muffins for breakfast today so Greg pushed back his requested sausage gravy with buttermilk biscuits until dinner tonight. Breakfast for dinner is always a fun night.

RSC Mid year wrap up - and some recipes.

It is July already and time to evaluate how the RSC Challenge is coming along. I am doing pretty good this year - I have dropped some of my planned monthly projects (Hexie surround by black and the scrappy strips) and added others. Oh well, there will always be scraps to use up in something!

The RSC Sampler is coming along. I need to finish cutting my alternate blocks for light blue and sew up the red blocks. It looks like two rows can be sewn together at this point...not sure if I will do that this month or wait until the kids are back in school next month and I have more time =).

I have the dresden plates and the added 16 patch blocks. I have done the 16 patch the last two years and made them into stars 1 and stars 2 but this year I think I'll make a colorful 'Goodnight Irene' quilt with X blocks adding some interest to look like a cube in a cube. I think I need at least 18 of the patch blocks and then the alternate so I'll make a bunch more this year for that project or maybe it will go into next year's challenge! I need to grab some paper and colored pencils to plan that one out before making the alternate blocks.

The hand pieced Trip around the world blocks are finishing at 30 inches each. That should make a great twin size with 6..... or queen size with 9. Still debating if I attempt one with red or not.... I frogged (unstitched Mom) a bunch of the green and replaced the outer edge and I am much happier with it. That leaves those previous corners... which could be done up in forest deep greens at some point if I attempt red, orange and then another color - maybe an aqua? Thinking on that one. These will be hand quilted as blocks eventually and set together once I decide on 6 or 9!

After watching the twinkle stars over the last few years I decided to take the plunge and have been making them this year. They will finish at 10 inches.

I did head to the doctors this week and my summer cold is so lovely that the cough will last for another month! At least my energy level is coming back to normal this week as you can tell by all the cooking I did yesterday! I made homemade hamburger buns, pulled pork in the crock pot which was loved by all and then I put the bread maker to work last night making up some cinnamon rolls! They were oh so yummy for breakfast this morning. I just used the recipe from the break maker instructions. 

Head on over to the link party and see a recap of the other RSC Projects!

Ok - one more picture - I need to vacuum the sewing area so I can start laying these birds in the air blocks out to make a wedding quilt for September. I made these blocks with the RSC Challenge a couple of years ago. Very fun to make in a 6 inch size.