Day 212 of 2022

A Sunday delivery revealed this book

 filled with adorable dolls for the zodiac.

That's me in the bottom left corner. 

Which one are you?

 

Day 211 of 2022

Since our last look at the longarm machine, 

I have loaded, basted and started quilting this quilt top I made a long time ago. 

I'm not sure of the exact year, but there is a copyright date of 2009 on the pattern. 

At any rate, I am working out the kinks that come with being away from the machine

 for a while and I am pleased with the progress so far.

 

Day 210 of 2022

It didn't rain today so, as promised, here is my finished Swoon quilt top.

 

Day 209 of 2022

I decided that I didn't want to leave the Swoon quilt 90% done

 and start working on the longarm. 

With only the borders left, it seemed like an easy task. 

That would have been the case if my regular machine 

weren't having tension issues. 

I tried everything I know to try to fix it 

but after ripping out a couple seams, 

I decided to pack that machine away for a trip to the repair shop

 and go a different route. 

Out came Little Lady, my featherweight machine. 

She did a fabulous job and the borders are done. 

If there is no rain tomorrow, 

I'll get a picture of the top out on the shed.

 

Day 208 of 2022

In the bundle that was the quilt top I am about to start quilting

 and the backing for that quilt, 

I also found the binding that I somehow had the forethought to select, 

make and include with the other items. 

What a wonderful gift I gave myself.

 

Day 207 of 2022

This can only mean one thing. 

Get ready for some longarm quilting pictures in the next several days.

 

Day 206 of 2022

The final four. 

There won't be enough room on my design wall

 until I shift a few things around

 so here they are stacked upon one another. 

 

Day 205 of 2022

The trimming is all done

 and the real construction of the last four Swoon blocks can begin.

 

Day 204 of 2022

Once upon a time T-bone cut his hand in such a way

 that two tendons were cut and surgery was needed. 

The bandaging that was done post surgery seems overkill, 

but I suppose everything has a purpose. 

The good news is that everything healed fine, 

he regained full range of motion 

and he has an awesome Harry Potter-like scar.

 

Day 203 of 2022

Swoon blocks one through five.

 

Day 202 of 2022

Swoon block number two is done as are numbers three, four and five. 

I'm going to have to find a large space to get a photo of all the blocks together. 

Four more will make the nine I need.

They should go faster now that I have a few of the kinks ironed out.

 

Day 201 of 2022

Fireball invited me downtown for lunch 

and a walk through the Wednesday farmer's market. 

I came home with fresh sweet corn, sunflowers 

and a few other goodies. 

Well, technically, Fireball brought the corn and flowers with him when he came home 

so I wouldn't have to carry them back to my car a few blocks away.

It was a good day. 

Don't let the beautiful looking day fool you though. 

It was wicked hot. 

Thank goodness for the steady breeze.

 

Day 200 of 2022

I've changed the dishes again, this time to reflect a summery feel. 

I took my cue this time from the Starbucks You are Here mug for Florida.

This should last me until fall.

(colors used: turquoise, daffodil, sunflower, flamingo, white, peacock and peony)

 

Day 199 of 2022

I forgot to check the mailbox today. 

When I remembered and went out at 9:40 this evening, 

I was amazed to see that the sky was still blue.

 

Day 198 of 2022

Happy National Ice Cream Day. 

This was our choice for participating.

 

Day 197 of 2022

It's the third day in a row to post a picture of this quilt progress, 

but today I used a new-to-me method for cutting half square triangles apart. 

Camille Roskelley (designer of this quilt) posted this tip 

so I had to give it a try because there are so many triangles. 

I have to say it worked really well.

 

Day 196 of 2022

All cut and ready to go. 

I look forward to getting lost in the rhythm of piecing.

 

Day 195 of 2022

My test Swoon block is finished and came out fine. 

It feels safe to cut out the rest of the pieces for the remaining blocks. 

I can tell you though that the directional fabrics I have picked

 and the seam pressing were nightmares.

 I will be working on solutions for those issues.

 

Day 194 of 2022

I picked up an order of Fireball's shirts at the dry cleaner today. 

Not long ago I suggested to him that I should put his shirts in color order for him. 

He said he would not object so when I unwrapped his shirts, 

I got to work organizing.

 

Day 193 of 2022

I started cutting fabric for my Swoon quilt, 

but not before I figured out that all of my fat quarters are too short

 to get the required pieces cut from them. 

I am not willing to switch gears and pick out all new fabrics for this project, 

so I did the math to slightly alter the size of the blocks

 in order to use my original fabric pull. 

Now I am cutting the pieces needed for just one block

 to verify that I have figured everything out properly.

 

Day 192 of 2022

Ok. I didn't finish the closet last week, 

but here's one last shot of the progress. 

I've moved a few things around since the last picture and

still need to label the bins on the shelves, 

but it is safe to say that I could get the doors shut now...

once we get and install them. 

 

Day 191 of 2022

We took GB#2 and GB#4 downtown 

to hear the ISO play the music live to the movie Mary Poppins. 

It was the first time for both girls to be in this theater

 and hear the symphony orchestra play. 

Of course, we had to stop for ice cream on the way home. 

 

Day 190 of 2022

Here's a game we can all play.

 

Day 189 of 2022

The trash truck and the recycling truck have made their rounds. 

It is pouring rain and will be raining all day. 

I'm not complaining. We need the rain, 

but I don't intend to go put them away until later when the rain stops.

The truck operators left both lids open. 

I know they know how to dump them and flip them back down with the lids closed. 

It usually happens that way. 

So, what do you think? 

Truck operator jokes or coincidence?

Day 188 of 2022

Well, this was bound to happen eventually. 

The knobs for the burners on my cooktop run vertically

 on the right side of the burners. 

The order of knobs for the corresponding burners doesn't make any sense to me. 

Every time I turn one on I have to be very deliberate to check

 and make sure I am turning on the correct one.

 Tonight I put a pan on the stove and was chatting with Fireball at the same time. 

I guess I didn't check the burner because after a little bit, 

Fireball noticed there was burning and smoking happening. 

This used to be a bag of tortilla chips for tonight's leftover taco meal. 

Luckily, I was able to get the smelly melted, burned plastic off the burner

 once it cooled down.

 

Day 187 of 2022

I've been working on my closet this week. 

It's been neglected for quite some time so it is quite a job. 

Like I do with my quilting, Christmas decorations, and pretty much everything else, 

I am labeling things and writing notes to myself. 

I hope to be done by the end of the week.

 

Day 186 of 2022

The girls borrowed this book a while ago

 from a little free library in the neighborhood. 

I borrowed the audio book from the library on my Libby app. 

Tonight we merged the two as we listened to the audio book 

while following along in the hard copy book. 

Delightful.

 

Day 185 of 2022

GB#2, GB#4, GB#5

See the difference from a year ago here.

 

Day 184 of 2022

Here is a full shot of this completed, repaired quilt top. 

I'm second guessing some of my fabric choices

 but will probably not change anything. 

I feel it is more important to move on

 than to spend any more time on the repair, 

so I'm calling this one done. 

It's going into the quilting queue.

 

Day 183 of 2022

After a very long and disappointing day, 

I made something positive happen by finishing a quilt repair

 and a companion dpn holder to the one I made a while ago.

 

Day 182 of 2022

This was my favorite board game as a child. 

I found this copy of it at an antique market today. 

It was in seriously sad shape. 

Not only was the box completely taped up 

but the playing board looked like it could split at any moment. 

I did not buy it. 

It was the wrong edition anyway.