Day 213 of 2020

Puzzle update.

I've decided to concentrate on individual colors. 

First I used my design boards again and made a green board. 

This seemed to work pretty well so I have now made a yellow board. 

Soon I will place the resulting pencils on the table in their approximate locations.

Day 212 of 2020

Father and son. 

Fireball and Grandpa H (90 years old).

Day 211 of 2020

We are just about to enter the last full month of summer. 

I thought it was time to change the dishes to something very summery. 

Colors used:  Daffodil, Lemongrass, Ivory, Sunflower, White, Marigold, Flamingo

Day 210 of 2020

Out and about. 

The sunflowers are getting very large and very tall.

Day 209 of 2020

Village update. 

It has taken me way longer than I expected to choose and then cut 

the rest of the fabric for the remaining fifty-two house blocks. 

It currently stands like this. 

The rest are chosen. 

All but those in the bottom right corner are cut. 

I just took those fabrics out of the dryer 

and hope to get them finished tomorrow. 

Something did occur to me tonight as I was thinking about the progress. 

On the first round of blocks I made certain weeks represent certain holidays. 

I had forgotten that there were a couple more special days 

I had hoped to represent so I may still have to make a few more. 

I may end up with a whole row of extras across the back of this quilt...

or maybe I'll have to make a table runner.

Day 208 of 2020

I took a poll. 

This was the winner for the next puzzle to work. 

I'm not sure what my strategy will be. 

There are no defined areas of concentrated color which is where I normally start. 

I'll keep you updated.

Day 207 of 2020

I'm still picking combinations for the remaining house blocks. 

I was down to twenty-three left to pick 

and thought I was going to have a hard time finding enough.

 I ended up with close to thirty. 

I've started eliminating some combinations but it's not easy. 

I have a feeling I will end up with a few extras like I did with the mugs. 

Some blocks may have to go on the back of the quilt.

Day 206 of 2020

I have three pans going at once. 

This rarely happens. 

I have a hard enough time keeping track of two at a time

 without ruining at least one of them. 

This turned out well tonight

 - sloppy joe, green beans with caramelized onions and toasted, sliced almonds.

Day 205 of 2020

Do you see him? 

Tiny praying mantis, shown here hanging out on my mailbox, was about one inch long.

Day 204 of 2020

Next UFO is up on the wall. 

This was a sew along with Stitch Supply Co. in 2018. 

I participated for the first ten weeks 

and then had to stop due to family matters. 

I have 80 blocks done with 52 left to go. 

I learned a lot from the Mugs quilt sew along I just finished. 

I know that I get overwhelmed by making decisions. 

Trying to pick fabrics every week for the current blocks 

and then making them is too much for me. 

Once I figured this out, 

I decided to pick all the fabric for the remaining blocks. 

What a difference that made. 

Each week all I had to do was cut and sew. 

To finish this quilt, called Village, 

I am not only picking all the rest of the fabrics, 

but I am also cutting all the pieces. 

I have selected 38 more and have begun the cutting. 

I will select the rest tomorrow. 

This method lets me sit down to sew a little with whatever time I have 

without having to first make major decisions.

Day 203 of 2020

I've finished the Chicken Star quilt top. 

I'm thinking about bindings, left and top, 

even though it will be a while before this gets quilted. 

I also feel like this border may be a bit wide so that might get cut down.

I'll be taking this off the wall tomorrow

 so I can put up a couple more UFOs.

Day 202 of 2020

Today's picture is for my bunny loving GB#4.

Day 201 of 2020

GB#4 and I played this balancing moon game

 and actually got all the pieces placed

 without the whole thing crashing down...twice.

Day 200 of 2020

The goldfinches have found the feeders.

Day 199 of 2020

After the raccoon incident and many others

 involving other raccoons and squirrels, 

I made the decision to move my feeders to a new location. 

I am sad that they are not right out my window anymore, 

but I am very pleased that I can see all the feeders at once, 

the birds have already figured out where it is 

and so far the raccoons and squirrels have not been able to gain access.

Day 198 of 2020

Five smiles and a frown.

Day 197 of 2020

I finished the latest puzzle a couple days ago. 

I have left it out to enjoy the picture but it will go back in the box soon 

so Fireball and I can play dominoes again.

Day 196 of 2020

I have worked on at least four different projects today. 

Here I've started auditioning fabric and design ideas 

for the UFO chicken star blocks. 

I think I am very close to finalizing decisions on this one.

Day 195 of 2020

It was another gorgeous day so I went on the walk with Fireball. 

Instead of the clouds, which were just a beautiful as yesterday, 

I share with you a bee and its daily activity.

Day 194 of 2020

It's a great big beautiful sky day so I had to share.

Day 193 of 2020

There are bandits in the back yard.

His operation: 

Crawl up the post to shade structure. 

Crawl upside down to the chain that holds the hummingbird feeder. 

Reach down the best you can

 and tip the feeder enough to spill out as much sugar water as you can. 

Crawl upside down back to the post. 

Shimmy back down the post

 and scamper across the deck to the spilled sweetness. 

Lick all the goodness you can from the deck and chair which are covered. 

Growl at accomplice if he gets close to chair or deck spill. 

He doesn't need it. 

He was waiting directly under feeder 

and is covered from head to tail with sticky liquid.

Repeat until feeder is empty.

Day 192 of 2020

Back in March I pulled these UFO blocks out to figure out how to finish them. 

They came off the wall when I started the Mugs Quilt Sew Along.  

I put it back up after the sew along and completed the top today. 

I've selected a potential fabric from my stash for the back

 and put them together in the queue for quilting. 

I am calling this the rocket quilt.

Day 191 of 2020

Another Sew Along prize arrived today. 

I can't wait to try it.

Day 190 of 2020

I've made some knotted headbands in various sizes.

Day 189 of 2020

Yesterday happy mail arrived. 

Here is the majority of my winning prize package. 

There are so many wonderful things here. 

It includes patterns, tools, fabric, a book, a wool pressing mat 

and a big project bag. 

I am so excited I want to use it all and make it all right now. 

A huge thanks goes out to all who donated these prizes. 

I will tag them all on my Instagram account when I get that all figured out.

Day 188 of 2020

We started a new puzzle yesterday. 

I had to pause my contribution to the effort as co-host of the gathering 

but I did get the sky finished today after another eye injection. 

I couldn't see very well and my eye was uncomfortable, 

but it wasn't too difficult for me to work upside down 

and just concentrate on color and shape. 

I did wear down after a little bit 

and curled up on the window seat and took a little nap.

 I'm hoping tomorrow I can get back to exercising and sewing.

Day 187 of 2020

We had a small gathering of all the family that lives nearby

 for the first time since lockdown started. 

This is GB#4. 

I think she and all the other GBs have each grown a foot since we last saw them. 

I'm exaggerating, of course, but am I really?

Day 186 of 2020

Happy 4th of July! 

Our get together is tomorrow so I changed the dishes today.

Day 185 of 2020

We heard the loud booms and went outside. 

We were able to catch the end of the finale of a neighbor's fireworks show 

just over the trees across the street.

Day 184 of 2020

Through the windshield.

Wasp feasting.

Day 183 of 2020

In all the time I have owned my longarm machine, 

I have never loaded the quilt top on the top roller, 

so today, with help from Fireball, 

I removed that roller and installed this little bar instead.  

It is necessary for the roller brake to still work. 

I'm so excited to have the more unobstructed view this will provide.