Reunion Quilts

Before the reunion guests arrived a few of the younger adults laid out the quilts on my sister's back lawn up near the meadow.

Then after lunch and before the hayride, the nieces and nephews went up to find which quilt had their name on it.

Peeking under the corners.

A few were labeled a little creatively so I had give a hint or two.

 Lots of Hugs -----

Now for the Hayride----

And a horse ride too!

Sewing on labels

I have been choosing and labeling quilts to take to some of my nieces and nephews when we have our family reunion this month at my sister's farm.  It took me a few days to decide which quilt would fit which recipient.  I wrote directly on the quilts that had fabrics that were conducive to it.  One was already labeled so I wrote additional information on it and the rest I added labels to the corners by opening the binding a little to insert it there.  I have 11 ready to put into tote bags.

I have a few more that I want to label and give.  These will go to John's side of the family. They will be a project for when I get back.

This is one I wrote directly on the quilt.

I used to label each quilt as I finished it.  I don't remember when I stopped doing that but perhaps I should at least sew on a blank label.

Split Strips

Cleaning up and cleaning out in the sewing room always leads to another quilt.  May of these pieces are from trimmings from backing fabrics that I had cut into strips.  

I'm sure someone some where has a name for this pattern but I don't know what it is.  I have seen it made here and there but I don't think something this simple needs a pattern.  It's kind of like making a nine patch block.

And it so easy  -  Pair up two fabrics and  cut four 8" x 2.5" pieces of each.

 Take one piece of each fabric and cut in in half lengthwise.  Use the narrow strips as the contrast in the block.  Sew them together and you have two blocks.  You could make a little larger block by using 10 x 3" strips.

I made 80 blocks and I think I have them the way I want them when I sew them together.

Back to Sewing

I wanted to start another patriotic quilt and my friend S had made one from a pattern on Quilters Cache called Indian Mats.  My patriotic fabrics are pretty busy!

Two  12" blocks done the day I cut out the fabric.

After a few weeks I finished sewing the blocks.  They they definitely need some sashing. 

I also made this table runner from a pattern called Tea Leaves.  It was easy and fast to make.

I quilted it and then added the binding by machine too.  I think I finished it in two days.

It was a sample for Ladybug quilt shop.

It is so hot here it is a good time to catch up on some reading and also to watch a couple of tv series that I have been wanting to see.  I watched  the first 2 seasons of Outlander which I loved.

I am now watching Endeavour which I also like very much.  Only with Endeavour, I have to pay attention so I don't miss anything (lots of possible suspects)!

Turning the Page

Last morning cup of coffee on the porch.

Locking the door

Leaving the keys for the new owners.  

Taking all the wonderful memories and wishing the new owners the same happiness here!

Bunkhouse Sixteen Patch II

Well here it is 8:45PM and I have finally finished sewing and pressing this top.  

I know the colors don't look like much by the lamplight but I feel like I have been sewing and pressing and picking off threads for hours.

Actually I started it early this morning but it was just too warm in the sewing room!

Our 10 year old AC has been acting a little strange theses past few days- of course it is when we are having our first 90 degree days - and yesterday evening when I got home it was 82 degrees inside. 

At 8 AM I called the Heating and Air Company that installed it and their technician, Eduardo, came  out about 10 AM. 

I guess he wanted to spare me the sticker shock as he commented that "it was probably low on Freon and that I probably knew that the price of Freon was currently about $100 a pound".

I wondered if  Eduardo knows that fabric sell for about $12 a yard. 

 Well Eduardo topped off my AC Unit with Freon and soon my sewing room was comfortable again.

Probably will have to consider a new unit in the future as they are phasing out the old type Freon which is harmful to the atmosphere (hence the high cost). And they added some Freon to the unit when they were out here a couple of years back.

Extra thankful for the creature comforts during these hot sticky days.

Partiotic Greek Cross & Backyard Roses

On the way out to my little house to load this quilt something caught my eye.

  

The sun was shining brightly and the grass was still really wet with dew.  I really didn't want to get my shoes all wet but oh well.....................

This is a Rugosa rose that I planted when we moved back here in 1997,  Over the years the other shrubs have gotten so large that the only way it can shine is to climb up and up and up.  I think it must be about 12 feet up on the shrubs.  

I see I missed getting all of what I call Virginia Creeper out of there a couple of weeks back when I had a rare gardening session. 

I love single roses.  The butterflies were pretty happy with them too.

I'm at the point in life where my flowers don't get the attention they deserve. 

They kind of  have to duke it out with the weeds.  

But I am thankful for all the enjoyment they give me.