Design Wall Monday and a day of putterings

The design wall was hung in its new location Sunday afternoon, along the full wall of the newly tidied guest bedroom.  A pile of blocks had been waiting for this moment and were organized straight away this morning.  No pattern is being followed for these, but they are a pairing that seem to play nicely together.
HOWEVER, I'm not sold on those large 3.5" plain white units.  I feel like I've cheated! 
So.... perhaps change them out....????? 

 --->>???

I suppose some fancy quilting could spice up all that white space down the line...?  It'll percolate for a bit yet before I completely decide since the neutral string blocks for Dawn's Early Light are flowing nicely through the machine, for now anyway.

Was already piecing away shortly after 7:00 this morning before I thought to document the time.  Just how long do fifteen 3.5" strings blocks take to piece?...

... 'bout 45 minutes.

At that point, the day of un-scheduled puttering took off.

I needed to shower.  #1.  
Then I needed to run to town to pick up some chick food for our newest hatchlings. #2.

And instead of using shredded paper, I contemplated using straw, but knew I needed some down in the garden yet, so.... off to the garden I went to putter.  #3.

Which evolved into a full-blown tilling endeavor after walking the paths for any final tomato and bean 'volunteers.'  #4.

Grow Baby, Grow!

It's not much to look at right now, BUT... having checked the garden's unplanned items off my list today, I'll be freed up completely for piecing and sewing and more piecing tomorrow!

After a quick late-lunch sandwich, I headed back to the sewing loft for another hour (or so) of piecing (#5) with one of my favorite background-noise shows: Grey's Anatomy, until Paul arrived home at 4:00.  The Log Cabin blocks (UFO #2) have been turned into the current leader-ender project.

We strolled the garden together and both 'grrr'd' at the potato bugs we spied.  So, he started picking the bugs off while I began weeding some of the corn rows (#6).

By 5:00, we broke for a quick bite before heading to town to catch some youth softball games (#7).  

Daughter's of the BB coach, 6th and 4th grade.

And rolled back home in time to catch the 400M Men's final race.  

I love these days that 'just happen,' and are productively full.  And while waiting for these photos to upload, I had a hankering for something SWEET!  Being one who has never tried a cookie-in-a-cup recipe before, I gave it a whirl.  I don't even know what (or how) I thought of it.

Cookie in a cup recipe

Not amazing, but hit the spot all the same.

Tomorrow -- quilting!  Yup.  That's the ticket, I think.
Happy Monday :)

Head over to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts to link up to Design Wall Mondays.

Slow Stitch Sunday - de-papering string blocks

The first of the neutral strings were tamed this afternoon for the beginning stages of Bonnie's Dawn's Early Light quilt.

And then the papers were removed while watching the Fever vs Sky BB game this afternoon, and then again during the Track & Field Olympic trials this evening.

Where's my String Frenzy?

My string bin should have its own zip code, and I have a plump full bag of just neutrals! 

I have a hankering to mindlessly piece some string blocks for Dawn's Early Light, but... I can't find my copy of String Frenzy anywhere to know the sizes of papers! (see Bonnie's String Frenzy Trunk show from 2018).  I have allll of her other books neatly organized on my shelf, but String Frenzy...???!!  I made Emerald City a couple years ago (will post that eventually as a Flimsy ready for quilting), but... where oh where did I lay that blasted book?...  I suppose part of my day today needs to be reserved for tidying the basement area still set up with my Q'nique 15Pro.  Maaaaaybe that's where she's hiding!

Carry on, and happy Sunday.

UPDATE:  Found it!!!  Yippee!

Rainbow Scraps in blue -- Star Struck, Pineapple Blossom, 36-patch Diamonds

T'was a full day, and I'm a wee bit pooped. 

The day began with the steam vac carpet cleaner again.  Knowing how absolutely filthy the loft carpet was, another cleaning was performed and then the stairs were tackled.  I was truly baffled at how DIRTY they were once I stood back and observed this photo.  And by 1:30, all was completed and the machine cleaned.  Using the word of the lady I borrowed the machine from -- "satisfying," specially after the loft was put back together, fully organized and ready for sewing.

I was excited to get back to some piecing, so I sifted through some orphan blocks I have and plans were devised.  I had some Star Struck blocks, Pineapple Blossom blocks, and a 36-patch diamond block of sorts that were set aside on a shelf, therefore MANY Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts have been plotted.

Four star struck blocks were pieced to join the few others...

and I tell ya, piecing blocks and remembering the tricks of trade is like riding a bike!  I wasn't about to toss and waste those corners, so bonus HSTs were sewn, pressed...

trimmed to 2", and then pieced into a blue 36-patch 'diamond' block.  

I don't know if this block has an official name; I'm gonna simply call it a Diamond block, and it'll join a scrappy one I dabbled with way back in the day.

and to wrap up the day, some 2" blue strips were organized into 3 Pineapple Blossom blocks, followed naturally by 3 bonus pinwheels that'll be used in the border down the line.  This is one of my most favorite blocks of Bonnie's, having made a couple scrappy quilts in the past.

Finally, I insisted on purchasing a new tape measure since my red one sprouted legs and obviously found a new location to hang out.  This one's been labeled this time! 

Rain, rain, go away... my tomato garden & clean carpets

Every day this past week has given us rain.  I'm not really complaining; I'm confident the weather will shift into warm/hot/dry soon enough, but lately--- it's been wet and cold.  Last Saturday, however, was nice and HOT.  I'm glad I used that day to get the straw around the tomato plants, because now... I just sit back and watch the garden grow!

In NW Wisconsin, we follow a rule -- "wait until Memorial weekend to plant."  Some cold tolerant plants can see the ground a week or so prior (ie: beans, peas, corn...), but tomatoes & peppers -- you wait!  

The tomatoes had adjusted nicely due to decently moderate temperatures, but we really have not had many warm days lately.  We have other crops in the garden, but I'm known for my tomatoes.  I love growing them!  I dare say I've pretty much mastered growing them too, without sounding too ego-ridden.   So last Saturday, they were weeded and the soil was built up to bury the stems before laying straw along the cattle panel trellis.

We rotate the patch around every year, so before tilling the rest of the garden, the previous patch location was strolled, all the while looking down for one reason -- VOLUNTEERS!

I think we have some cutworms in the garden, because I had lost half a dozen transplants.  Enter our volunteer rescues to help fill in the empty spots.  I also only plant heirloom varieties now.

And speaking of volunteers -- ha!  Next to our driveway, I spied this garlic chive plant!  I remember planting them in the old upper garden years ago, so... shrug... I don't know when or where this baby actually came from, but she's on my list to transplant into the lower garden.

With another rainy, gloomy day in today's forecast, quilting endeavors are certainly planned.  A design wall will be set in place in the guest bedroom (formerly known as Caitlyn's room) now that it's been cleaned.  ........ and OH!  Clean, it is.  The borrowed carpet cleaner got a workout in yesterday.  

Can you see the difference?  This is the center of the loft;  left side having been completed.  The loft area isn't excessively large, but three full 'loads' were used to clean up the carpet.

I didn't need to show this, but... ugh!  ick!  It's been TWENTY years that we've been here, with girls (and dogs for the past six) that have walked that carpet.  Annnnd, since we had the cleaner, I figured cleaning Caitlyn's carpet right next door to the loft would be smart.  I'd attempt Candace's, but she's still home (our recent graduate), and her room is occupied and fully lived in.  Caitlyn, however, has shifted into young-adult mode and is doing 'adult thiings' in her college-town.  

Off to putz to see where the days leads my quilting tasks...

Finished Friday - OMIGOSH is a flimsy!

Wednesday AM status - 221 4.5" blocks ready for assembly

Friday AM status - borders prepped and attached

OMIGOSH - 73" x 92" officially a flimsy

Accomplished!  Some dreary, gloomy, rainy days between Wednesday and today certainly helped to allow me to piece, assemble and sew guilt-free. 

Before organizing a new Leader-Ender project, there are little piles of partial units that have collected over the years that are attracting my attention.  I don't even know if I ever had plans for some 3.5" (finished) 9-patches, and it's not pink-month for SoScrappy's Rainbow Scrap challenge, but there is something about cleaning up and organizing little scraps into workable piles for some future project.  And clearing away the clutter!

Once in a sewing-motivational mood hits, it's quite difficult to pull away for other duties requiring my attention.  (You too???). However, I practiced discipline!  With the ONLY dry, partially sunny few hours in the forecast for the week, I broke for a few hours Wednesday afternoon to take care of the mowing before it quite literally would require the neighbor farmer's hay-baling equipment.

And next up -- this beast!  Omigosh (this time as a expletive)!  While laying assembled units out in the newly transformed loft area..... ugh!  The carpet is a weeee bit on the icky-yucky-STICKY-gross side of the tracks.  I don't even know what may all be in that carpet over decades of the girls traipsing through.  Facebook to the rescue.  A quick ISO plea to local friends resulted in an early afternoon delivery of their "ancient cleaner."   I'm still in the quilting mood and HOPE to continue with the quilting prep for OMIGOSH, but first... carpet cleaning.

Bailee girl simply needs to be patient; besides it's still dreary and rainy outside.

 

UFOs #1 & #2 - OMIGosh & Scrappy Log Cabin

"Welcome back, Amy.  So, any lingering UFOs?"
 -- to which she laughed, and laughed!
Oh goodness golly, I'm not even SURE what I have hiding away in UFO status.  So, as a start...

OMIGOSH!  This project has lingered... and lingered... and lingered.  Generally speaking, it's been the ongoing on-and-off leader-ender project next to the machine for years (assuming units have been prepped), with my earliest mention of it back in an October, 2012 post.  It recently has been given the forefront of my attention whenever I actually happened to have found time in the previous year in my sewing space.  Today, the final units were trimmed...

... and some of the piecing began.

No down-sizing of this bad boy, either.  I've officially labeled with as UFO #1 with solid plans on making it my next finish!  #ChallengeAccepted

Additionally, amidst my sewing-room transition, I blew the dust off of this hidden bin of scraps (literally!).  I actually recall loosely when these were collected and cut; YEARS ago ... maybe 2008-ish?  I'm thinking that when the OMIGosh quilt sees a finish, these'll be next up.  There were a bunch of completed blocks in the bucket with some scribbled love-notes and prepped units; officially identified as UFO #2 for now.

 #BabySteps

Back in the saddle - new sewing spot along with some Rainbow Scrap Challenge

Four years since the last entry, which can certainly be considered a long time despite how quickly the passing of that time now seems.  "Life happens" is an old adage and perhaps too overused as a simple excuse of one's absence, however... life has certainly been happening.  All three girls have become young adults with the baby having just graduated last month. What I've missed most about blogging is having everything documented, and there'll be time for catching up, but let's first focus on the most recent changes and updates.

The girls' bedrooms haven't been taken over, BUT the loft area was cleared of most items and transformed into my sewing/crafting space.  Standing atop the staircase, the panoramic showcases most of the setup.  

In the process of clamoring two sets of staircases repeatedly these past few days, much of my focus has been the complete overhaul of purging of old fabrics and other items that simply haven't been touched or used quite honestly in over a decade (or two!) and organizing much of what remains.

 

I mean, some of these fabrics were inherited from my Aunt and Gma back in the 2000s when I began quilting.  Both of these fabrics were kept for certain, but there were definitely some I was finally ready to say see-ya to.  Shelf after shelf of partly organized and mostly scattered fabrics were unfolded, pressed, refolded and organized.  Then, this morning, these two completely-forgotten-about totes of gifted fabrics were dragged from their hiding spot underneath my quilting frame.  

Much of the day was yet again spent sifting, unfolding, pressing, unfolding, pressing, unfolding, refolding, and although I don't have shelves and shelves of fabric, I'm pretty tickled at how satisfying it is to have much of what I own now neatly tidied in one location.  The folding of the fabrics was like a riding a bike!  Bonnie K. Hunter's method is engrained forever!

After three full days of working on this new space, a little break was deserved.  I ventured into my blog land to see who all is still around going strong, and was not disappointed.  Angela (soscrappy) continues to be active with her Rainbow Scrap Challenge!  Nicely done!  This month's color:  blue, which I clearly have an abundance of, and even though today isn't Saturday, a few moments were enjoyed with some rather mindless piecing.

Tomorrow, I'll be back to work on the transition as there are still items that need attention in the basement area where my sewing room used to be, and I think another box of fabric is tucked away, hiding somewhere.  Eventually, catching up will occur.  Until then, little manageable chunks will suffice.