Slow Sunday Stitching.....

Today... I will actually finally slow down and relax! Hard to believe I know. We are having a houseguest arrive later today with the children when Grandma returns them. We are dog sitting Grandma's boxer Buddy for a week. The cats have not been informed... they will not be happy!

There just happens to be Harry Potter Movies on this weekend and I have a few hand stitching things to select from.

Will there be some stitching of purple binding on the Grandmothers Choice quilt?

Will some stitches be hand quilted into the trip around the world quilt on the frame?

Will some final stitches be added to the center of the leftover peels doll quilt before I move onto the border?

I think a couple or maybe a little stitching on all three might just happen today... along with some floating in the pool.

Head on over and see what others are slow stitching today.

RSC Saturday....

This week I found the stack of blocks from the 2015 RSC Challenge quilt that Angela designed. It is still accessible on her blog under the 2015 tab if you are interested in making your own!

I modified the borders for mine to extend the chains. This week is the week to sew the blocks into sections. I have one side of 2 blocks and the border sewn together and hope to finish the other side later today..... after I fix two things... the top part I guess I cut the white border a little too long as it is off and then by the yellow block - need to turn that connector block so the orange is on the bottom! Good thing I laid it out this morning!

The middle section is sewn into rows that just need to get sewn together. 

The thought process is that in smaller sections I should be able to machine quilt this on my small sewing machine. It is too big for my hand quilting frame.... so hopefully this will work as a quilt as you go. I am still trying to figure out quilting designs..... feel free to throw out ideas! I could use them. I am thinking an X through the connector and then making a petal around each section of the X..... Quilting design decisions is my least favorite part of quilting.


Linking up with the RSC Challenge for Multi colors today.

Wednesday Moda Blockhead day...

Block number 8 was released today. So far.... I have made three of the blocks. Week 1 - Whirligig is the blue and brown one. Week 6 is Sunflower - pink with blue and then week 4 is the Bee skeep.

The bees skeep  was done yesterday at the orthodontist office while waiting as Emily got her braces on. She is not happy now... her mouth hurts. Hopefully the tylenol is helping while she is at school today. This photo was yesterday afternoon relaxing on the couch with a movie.

I think the garden needs a good weeding again - and this afternoon is the designated time since the humidity should be arriving back in Florida in the next few days. Time to do it before that hits.... I can't deal well with the humidity. I did have my dinner from the garden yesterday - peas and swiss chard =) Looks like the next 4 rows of beans should be ready to pick this weekend too.

Sunday.....

Kathy reminds us each week to slow down, breathe and relax. So far today I have felt like a sloth as I have been on the computer in the morning just browsing. The kids found a recipe for donut holes and they made the batter with little help from us adults. I did step in and turn on the fryer and did that part but they did everything else. The donut holes came out great! Recipe found here.

Then they actually went outside to play! I cleaned up the kitchen and then as they went into the pool I cut the batting and started pinning the grandmothers choice quilt that I rolled onto the boards yesterday with Emily.

Just one last section to pin and then some machine squiggle stitching later will have me stitching the binding later this evening... maybe while watching Zootopia since Kathy kindly put that movie into my head!

Next was heading out to pick blueberries. I have taken my kids to pick blueberries down here for the last few years and didn't realize how much they liked it. They are so excited it is berry picking time again =)

4-5 pounds of fresh blueberries later we headed home.

We used 4 cups of them to make a yummy blueberry pie. I made up my family's chicken sauce and Greg fired up the Big Green Egg to cook the chicken. So yummy. While that was happening I was able to finish quilting the quilt,

trim it then attach the binding to the front. After dinner the kids decided it was game night. We played a game of Sorry - which Daddy won just barely... Aidan was going to win on his next turn! Then a game of SkipBo.. which I got lucky and won. Bath time is done (reading Charlottes Web to Emily) and kids will be settled into bed for the night. I think it might be time for me to put in the Zootopia video and stitch the binding down on the Grandmothers Choice quilt.

Linking up very late to the Sunday Slow Stitchers.

RSC Saturday in multi colors....

I figured I'd better find something this month to join in on the RSC Challenge. I made the mistake  was checking out blogs and stumbled upon the free patterns at quiltville.com a la Bonnie Hunter. I found this crayon box quilt... and just had to make a few blocks on Friday afternoon .....

While digging in the box for 2.5 inch strips I found these 6.5 inch crumb blocks and decided to sew sets of 4 together. I seem to have no green or orange crumbs.... I might need to remedy that. I certainly have the scraps hanging around to make some!

Then.. my quiet time in the sewing room was over as the girl decided she wanted to work on her quilt.  Something about banging her head on a board where Dad is expanding the deck off the pool. She is fine.  

A few of her hst blocks got sewn together and then I had to supervise the start of dinner. The kids picked the meal - kielbasa, mashed potato, corn, cucumber salad and pears... but seems I am out of pears so they are going with the jar of mixed fruit. I'll just have a few bites before I head out for my cooking club tonight. 

Linking up Saturday morning with the RSC Challenge.  Oh, if you are interested I finally got the cat and mouse quilt to a top stage this week. You can see that here.

Moda Blockheads....

My reward for getting the cats and mice into a top from the last post..... was to make another block from the Moda Blockheads. There have been 7 blocks released - they release one each Wednesday from 6 different designers. I made block 6 this week to go with the 1st one I had made. This is the completed block. I just drew a circle onto the top of the fabric in the middle and hand appliqued it down before the soccer game last night.

It would have been done sooner in the day.... but this happened when I was quickly sewing it together before picking up the kids from school. The seam ripper was called to duty to help fix the mistake. At least it measures the correct 6.5 inches! 

Cat and Mouse is a top!

I finished the last mice details last night and was able to sew them into rows and attach them this afternoon while the quiche is cooking for an early dinner (spinach, onion, Easter ham, sharp cheddar). I also have some rosemary roasted potato and onions in the oven too - since it was on!

Kids have soccer practice tonight so I figured this would be a lighter meal for them before they have 1.5 hours or running around in the 86 degree temps. I think it is my turn to take them... so I'd better find and prep some hand work... or maybe I'll take my kindle and read?