Book Club

 

The first middle block of book club is quilted. It has been a while since I have quilted so the stitches are pretty big. I had not pinned the quilt...hey, it was 35x35 that's small enough right? Well, that was a mistake so about halfway through this block I popped it on the floor last night. Grabbed the purple bucket of open pins and after smoothing it out 3 times (the cats decided to play with a ball and kept rolling it over the quilt and chasing it!), I added a few pins around the blocks, then folded the excess backing fabric up and over to the front edge of the sashing. Much better now. I'm not sure if I'll quilt all the blocks and then do the sashing? We will see where the hoop moves to tonight.

Slow Sunday

 Saturday was the day to finally piece some batting for hand piecing the Book Club quilt.  I cut the strip in half to meet the size I needed and then had a skinny long strip that I added to each size to make sure I had enough for at least one inch on each side. It works! 

I had a little of the backing left from the last 2 quilts to back this little one (35x35) as well. All set with a hoop on. Ready for some hand quilting.

Joining up on Sunday with the other Slow Stitchers. 

We were gifted with egg #2 from the chickens on Saturday. We had egg# 1 in scrambled eggs Saturday morning. I also completely forgot to pick up my girl scout nut and candy first thing Saturday.... so I arrived a couple hours late. They were still there and had my troops stuff. Thank goodness. Greg took Emily to horses for me. The boy and I were watching the chickens when I got home...and had left the coop door open... a black snake slithered in! We noticed when we were going to put them back in the coop. Since neither of us like snakes.... it was an interesting 25 minutes before it managed to slither it's way out. As he left, G and Em arrived home. There might have been some texts and photo's sent of the snake and my dislike of them! Emily got shuffled off to a friends house for a sleepover. I know. We are rising slightly in our area above the 5%.  She has not seen Seri since March. Both families have been being 'safe' and sometimes you just have to take a calculated chance. Seri's reaction when she saw Em - You got taller! . It has been a long 8 months! These 2 girls met in pre-k at age 4. With her gone, we had homemade shrimp scampi with linguini for dinner. She dislikes shrimp so it was a good night to have it. Aidan got to help me make it. I have had a lot of boy time today. As he is putting away my halloween candles, it is time for me to pick up a needle and get some stitching in.  

Friday the 13th! in 2020!

 Now normally I have great Friday the 13th days.... but then again, this is 2020 so who knows what will happen!

The kids are off to school... thinking they are doing an 'A' day again rather than a 'B' day. Emily is looking forward to it since theirs is the only in person Ag class today so they get to do prep work with the animals for the weekend. I have my 5 hour work day today to finish off the week.

Greg is having back pain again and is back to finding those 'good' pills and has called off work for the next few days to rest it. From getting up normally on Monday to doing the roll to get up today is not a good sign. At least he has VA doctor appointments lined up in the next 10 days.

He just came in from checking on the chickens and moving a roost to be in front of the window (the big girls love to look out the window and one decided to try and be there despite there not being enough room last night so we are humoring them!) and look what he found in the nesting boxes he made and attached yesterday to the new coop! The one he found is the brown one... the white is a large from the store for comparison! 

I finished adding the last hexagon last night... and would you believe I managed to turn it one too many? Oh well, it is staying.

From doing the little hand quilting on these guys I realized I really missed it so I pulled out the Book Club little quilt (35x35) and went searching for hand quilting batting. I found this leftover piece rolled up in it's bag... and I think if I piece it together it will be just big enough to work for this quilt.

Hope you all have a great Friday the 13th!

Hexagon quilt as you go progress

While waiting on TS Eta last night I started stitching these hexagons together. I opted for simple quilting to just outline the edge. I have one last hexagon to add to the little candle mat. I can tell with my 'sample' piece I need to work on the turning the edges to get them matched up better. It will be time to pull out the FQ's and start prepping some more of these.

 Eta has moved through farther north than projected which was good for us. Just a little wind and rain right now but nothing major here where I live. Traffic is moving along outside while there is a light drizzle. The county had cancelled school today in anticipation of the winds - can't run the busses with winds >40 mph. So while the kids and Greg enjoy a day off, I get to log into work! My office was off yesterday for the holiday and I have a co-worker off today so I'll be logged on to cover the computer systems in case of anything popping up. Let's hope Thursday is a lot quieter than my Tuesday was at work.

Cobblestone is finished.

 It will get a quick wash in the morning and then will be shipped off to Vermont with the kids school photo's. 

Emily held it up for me... she is just a wee bit short on arm span! 

So she tried this way.... She did not want to be seen!

So she laid it out on the floor for me.

Linking up to the November OMG finish link.

Last night the ladies were out after being cooped up with 2 days of rain. Their first coop will get secured a bit today before Eta blows her way through overnight. I also get to do some yard pick up and will bring the trimmings from the weekend to the recycle center so they are not blowing around the yard. We are inland so should just be 35-45 with gusts up to 60 mph. 

Happy Veterans Day to all those who have served or are currently serving to protect our country and our freedoms. Special thanks to hubby and my father in law Tom for their service in the US Air Force, and my Dad for his service in the Vermont National Guard.

Slow stitching binding.....

 Today will be slowly stitching the 252 inches of binding onto the Cobblestone quilt. I got this starry sky backing at Joann's and used it for this quilt and the stars and nines. It might even be used as the backing for the Book Club quilt which is next in line for hand quilting.

Emily and I will be popping over to the fairgrounds this afternoon to verify the chicken form for the fair is filled out correctly and to pick up the leg bands. It looks like it is on the other side of town about 30 minutes away. The boy will head to Grandma's like normal..... so he will need a pick up tonight. I do hope to hack... I mean trim the bushes around the back part of the house later this morning too. Aidan and I worked on the front and side yesterday... he does the trimming and I do the lugging. Today, I'll do the trimming and have Emily do the lugging! Too windy for a fire to burn it so it will go into the pile and hopefully things are calmer next weekend.... unless Eta decides to take a right turn and come back to Florida.

We have been doing a lot of watching tv this week to see the turnout for the elections in the USA. Aidan's civics class has been following it during class as well - a great history lesson they are living through! Lots of learning about the process and procedures in the government. Let's just hope there is a peaceful transition of power as the people have spoken and let's hope their wishes are followed through. I am so happy there is a well educated woman in the second highest seat - truly showing that women can do anything! 

Linking up with the other Slow stitches at Kathy's Quilts. 

Hexagon quilt along....

 I really meant to do this post earlier this week but life happens!

I had mentioned back in September that I was thinking of starting a hexagon quilt as you go project in November and a bunch of you decided to join in. I admit... I really have not planned this one through too much other than I purchased a set of rulers that would allow me to make the blocks. (You can find the youtube video from Missouri Quilt Company under the HQAYG tab.) I figured I'd do a practice little one of 7. I got them all prepped at the end of October and I guess I am leaving to get the kids a little late this year as I really only have 10 minutes of time when I could stitch and I am out on the main road so don't feel comfy doing that there for some reason. Hmmmm. I guess I better start leaving 5 minutes earlier and then I am in 'the car loop on school property' and I can settle in and stitch?  Might this be a RSC for 2021? I do wonder....

I have 6 of my hexagons stitched down. I think I will 'quilt' them as I go and before I attach them. For this little one, since I have a light color backing to connect them I think I will pull a coordinating maroon thread and just stitch through the folded part. It is a multiple layer of fabric so who know's how that stitch will look! Since I have stars in my fabrics for this set... I think my middle one in cream will have a maroon stitched star in the middle. On the others I am thinking to outline the hexagon along the edge and maybe one more inside a bit.... or more than one? We will see I guess.

Do you want a link up type party? I'll look into it. I know I did one before I just have to remember how to do it. I'm thinking maybe link up the first Monday of the month? Weekly? Thoughts?

Linking up with The Sunday Slow Stitchers.

For the RSC - I got the machine quilting done on the Cobblestone quilt. Would you believe I ran out of the bobbin with less than 10 inches to go on the binding? 

That was minutes before leaving yesterday to get the kids. I need to wind a bobbin today and finish that up so it can get hand stitched this weekend.  I do wonder which of my RSC block collections will get stitched up next? So far - I have 1 completed and one nearly done. Much better already than all the other years I have been participating in this challenge!

Linking up with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge. A big Thank you to Angela for hosting this year after year..... I just wonder why I have more buckets of scraps at the end of each year? Hehehe.....