Playing Hooky

I hope I don't offend any of my international readers, but here "playing hooky" means doing anything to get out of doing what you are supposed to be doing. I'm blogging, I'm at a cross roads in the filling of boxes. I've got the books and magazines packed... how do I do the rest.
Anyway here are a couple of pictures

Some leaves from my little oak - starting to turn color. Most years it goes from green to brown. Guess it is mature enough to be colored in the fall.... I'm so proud. (It's gotten little acorns for the past few years, too.)

And this is the new set of buds on an orchid I've had for 10 years or so... Now that I'm moving it decides to bloom! Isn't that the way things go? I have no idea what color or shape it will be. It's not like any of the other ones. (Window behind shows the trees we call tangerine - on the right is a Clementine (Mandarin Orange, we think) the one on the left is delicious little orbs of tangy citrus goodness.

On the window sill are some Halloween plants for the Trick or Treaters in yogurt cups. Some of those little plants are so darling, so beautiful... it's going to be hard to give them away. One near the right edge is an orchid, too. (The kind that gets little blue flowers that have a lovely spicy scent.) Much nicer than the mother plant...

 

Well, back to the grind. Hope you enjoyed your little (plant) visit here.

 

Hugs,

Terri

One block for therapy and charity

You know I've been cleaning and packing... Well, my doctor, Cheryl of Cheryl's Teapots 2 Quilts, told me to keep on quilting - for my health!  She's a wise doctor! or is that wise acre? Anyway, this little block for Margaret's Hope Chest was just what the doctor ordered. Make some and you see if you don't feel better fast.

This time it's log cabin squares - monochromatic and for a woman - no kid stuff. Make them like Crazy Mom Quilts made hers here. 

 

 

Use these directions and address listed at Margaret's Hope Chest.

 

Hugs,

Terri

 

P.S. This is what happens to the cutting mat when you make a quick block.

 

 

Some Hope from Cheryl

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2002862/Why-quilting-uniquely-good-us.html#ixzz2ey01uCNn

Croton Flowers (Who knew?)

They are already starting to dry up before I noticed they were even there.

 

Sorry not much quilting going on... cleaning (yuck) and packing.

 

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

Hugs,

 

Terri

California Scenes and a Gift from my Hubby

We're getting ready to move.... it's more of a mental process at this point. I have cleaned up some piles, but no actual housework has been done. (Please, I have a reputation to uphold.)

Today we went out to Costco to have lunch and do a little retail therapy, and I remembered the camera. I wanted to remember (photograph) a few scenes.

I've loved this little oak tree on a hill (better seen from the other side) in a vast sea of grass. It won't be there for long. The area  is ripe for development, and in my opinion, that will ruin this place. I'm glad I won't be here to see the demolition.

Anybody else remember these kind of wire carriers? (Stuck to a fence post)

More of the vast grassland.

I love how the fence posts are leaning.

Now, you might think this is a picture of the prairie, like the others, but it is a picture of a dragon fly on a barbed wire fence.  You can see him better in the picture below. Each top segment of wire between fence posts had one or two dragon flies on it. When we came along they would fly out, and then come back to claim their little segment.

We've taken this "ride" many times hoping to find some wild life. These horses (and lots of others) we watch whenever we drive through. We have seen a horse trying to deliver her baby and lots of horses come to watch or encourage her. We've seen the new babies. We've seen a coyote in this field. On the other side of the road runs a train track - not used - and the drains under the tracks are still made of wood in a couple of spaces. We saw a burrowing owl near one once. One time we saw a raccoon rolled up in one of the cement drains... a space to sleep during the day, or a place to rest out of the relentless sunshine. The bulls live on the corner, in a watered and green grass spot. It's been a wonderful spot to see meadow larks, and hear their beautiful springtime serenades. Hawks and killdeer live here, too. I've really loved this part of CA.

And this arrived in the mail today... a lighted seam ripper with a magnifying glass! A little gift from my hubby. (I have to be really careful not to tell him about something I want...)  Thank you Honey. I'll get lots of use out of it.

 

So no sewing... I did spend a lot  of time in the sewing room yesterday, cutting and a bit of sewing, but nothing worthy of sharing. The computer was down - needed a new modem - so I couldn't read blogs until this morning. (Another Thank you to the Hubby. He worked all day to get that fixed.)

 

Hugs,

Terri

 

Placerville CA Quilt Show and Hubby's New Robe Done!

Here are some of the quilts from the Gold Bugs Quilt Guild's Annual Show...

Love this one... sort of like a pattern designed by my daughter when she was 8 or 9.

So feminine... pinks and light greens - see a close up below.

It's all little strips of color - sort of log cabin - feathers are quilted over the green and flowers over the pink areas. Love the outside border - you can see it better on the first picture.

As a paper piecer, I love the cute little flowers, and the colors are so yummy!

Some applique.

Love the colors and arrangement of this one - it was huge and on the wall high above us, so no close-up.

This one was my favorite. Photo does not do it justice... there's a close-up below.

I wanted to remember how this one went together.

 

In person the colors were so rich... I think the flash drains a lot of that.

All these circles are pieced and appliqued to the black, but then you knew that.

Even the light yellow is pieced. Love the quilting, too.

These larger doggies were paper pieced, and then there were snapshots of real dogs, too.

I've been wanting to make a Storm At Sea - love that straight seams look like they are curved. Loved the coloring on this one - it was one of the smaller quilts there.

 

 

 Now here's a shock for you.... I took a picture of a brown quilt..... I know. I must be mellowing in my old age. (Here again the colors in person were sooooo rich, and the flash just drained all the color out.

 

Last but not least, my hubby is modeling my latest finish, his new robe. (If you saw the previous post he was wearing (for the last time) his previous robe. He's standing next to the picture of the bear he French Kissed at his cousin's wild life park in Minnesota a few years ago. (He fed the bear a marshmallow from his mouth through the fence to the bear... Icky bear germs!!!!

 

Full view... I even made the pockets!

 

So we are up to date. I'm back to packing and cleaning - YUCK!

 

Hugs,

Terri

 

Woodpecker, Inlaws, and New Robe

We know they are woodpeckers but what kind is anybody's guess. This is Mister. Mrs. comes around, too, but she does not have the red spot on the back of the neck. They could be Downy, Nuttall's or Ladder-backed... They like the suet block we put at the end. (Beyond you can see my Japanese Maple we bought it at about 3" tall for $1.49 at a plant sale. It must be about 12' now... and it's the third year it's getting seeds... I haven't figured out when to harvest and plant, so no babies to give at Halloween.

 We had lunch with Hubby's Sister and her Hubby yesterday at In N Out. It just amazes me that we were there for almost 4 hours...seems like 30 minutes. Love you guys!

And this is the latest sewing project... You will see why.

That's a shirt below the hole, so please, don't be offended.  There are other holes, too. See the "new" tie I made from quilting fabric several years ago.

Here is where I already mended it with quilting fabric.... The fabric is just falling apart, and really a waste of time to mend anymore. I don't know how long he's had this thing, but it's a goner soon.

 

Sew I must get back to the pattern cutting.  The pattern is from the 70s, when I made him a striped corduroy robe kind of like the picture. Oh, I forgot to take a picture of the pattern....

 

Here it is...(that was quick, huh).

Isn't this the 70s, for sure?

 

He'll model it for you when I get it done... he's a big ham and loves that his image will be there for all posterity or is that posterior? LOL Anyway, sew and tell soon.

 

Hugs,

Terri

 

 

 

Newly Purchased, Washed and Ironed

 

backing for the grey white and black quilts

and a close-up below

 

 

a little more red for the stash

(I will sew with some red one of these days - as soon as I can part with some of it,)

 Below is the auxiliary pink I bought for the next grandbaby quilt - they tell me it's a grandgirl!!!!!!

 

I also bought 2 pieces of grey for the b,w &g quilt, but it isn't washed or ironed yet.

 

No sewing, but I did make a bunch of new little plants for Halloween,.

 

Spearmint

Lavender

Rosemary

See my little Elm tree? Out of 11 planted this is the only one to survive 3 years. I'm keeping this one.

 

So we come to the bottom of this post.

Have a wonderful week.

Hugs,

Terri