Monday, May 14, 2012

Iris Table Runner


Life is like a coin.  You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.  
~Lillian Dickson


Saturday was a long day of running errands and attending an ALS support group meeting.  We left the house just before 9:00 and didn't get back home until almost 5:00.  Add in the heat of the day and I was exhausted.  We did visit the SPCA book sale once again and ended up buying several more books.  It's hard to pass up $1.00 each for paperbacks and $3.00 for hardbacks.  My bookshelf is full once again so I don't have to worry about having nothing to read.  Mother's Day was much more restful.  I was able to get in some stitching and enjoyed talking to both of my daughters by phone.  I'm ready for a new week - ready to start a new project.  Are you starting anything new this week?

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LITTLE FACT OF THE DAY


Bat (and, no, the picture is not upside down)

Bats.  Those silent fliers in the night sky.  I try to avoid these creatures but am amazed at how quickly they maneuver in the dark.  Here are some interesting facts I found out about bats:
*  With over 1,000 species, bats comprise one fifth of all the mammals in existence.
Bats are omnivores, but the diet of one kind may differ from the other; like, the British bats only eat insects, but the bats found in tropical countries consume many other edibles; such as, fruits, flowers, frogs, fishes, and at times bats of different species.
A bat species is the world’s smallest mammal – the tiny bumblebee bat that weighs less than a penny.
On the other hand, the Malayan fruit bat has a wing span of up to five feet!
Bats are the only mammals that fly.
At least a few tropical bat species are monogamous, sharing hunting and family duties. Vampire bats even adopt orphans, unusual for any wild animal.
Using sound alone through their ability to echolocate and in total darkness, many bats can detect obstacles as fine as a human hair.
When exposed to the hot sun during the day, bats cool themselves by flapping their wings, licking their chest and wings, and panting. In cool weather or during heavy rain, they almost completely wrap themselves with their wings.
Bats give birth to the largest babies in mammals as at the time of birth a bat baby can weigh around one fourth of the total size of the mother bat. But this is with an exception that a bat can give birth to only one baby per year.
* A bat on an average consumes anything from 2,000 to 6,000 insects each night.
As compared to their size, these creatures live a long life. Their age span can be anything from ten to twenty years depending upon their species. Some species can live as long as thirty years too. The oldest known bat was recently recaptured in Europe at 41 years old.

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MOTHER'S DAY GIFT FOR MY MOTHER


I finished the gift for my Mom on Friday, just in time for Mother's Day.  

Both my mother and I love iris so I knew this table runner would be perfect for her.  The pattern comes from   Nature's Beauty in Applique by Susan Taylor Propst.  The pattern is made for hand applique but I made it up in raw edge applique.

Here is a close-up of one of the iris.  Maybe you can see the tiny zigzag stitch I used for the applique. Now I need to make one for myself.

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TODAY'S GOAL


I am going to start a new project

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FINAL THOUGHT





26 comments:

Vroomans' Quilts said...

Love the Iris runner, nicely done. I am working a new and an old project.

Anonymous said...

wow Linda that is one lovely table runner,well done.xx

beaquilter said...

such a cute runner!

Unknown said...

I love your table runner, along with tulips iris's are up there as one of my favourites

Wendy said...

Beautiful Iris runner, Linda. I want to start a new project this week but don't want to neglect the one that's all over my sewing room right now. So it'll probably have to wait.

P.S. Love the C.S. Lewis quote

Debbie said...

Very beautiful runner. i love your fabric choices. The iris look so real....wow.

Needled Mom said...

That runner is just gorgeous! I love the colors and iris are some of my favorite flowers too.

Many years ago we rented a houseboat on Lake Powell and we had so many bats that would get inside and cause terror in the children. Your post reminded me of that incident.

I hope you have a fun week ahead.

Needled Mom said...

That runner is just gorgeous! I love the colors and iris are some of my favorite flowers too.

Many years ago we rented a houseboat on Lake Powell and we had so many bats that would get inside and cause terror in the children. Your post reminded me of that incident.

I hope you have a fun week ahead.

Flo @ Butterfly Quilting said...

I love your blog! I was scanning through blogs in a hurry this morning..but had to stop and see what the bat was about LOL!
I absolutely love that table runner! Such rich colours! Great job!

doodlebugmom said...

beautiful runner. I grabbed a handful of pink scraps this morning (I keep a rotary cutter, mat, and ruler at work...shhhh), I am going to make myself a mug rug for my desk. Will sew it up when I get home.

Dresden Quilter said...

The table runner is so beautiful!

Apple Avenue Quilts said...

Your table runner is wonderful! I'll bet your mother loves it.

Impera Magna said...

Beautiful table runner... I know your mother must have been thrilled!

Love the CS Lewis quote... how true!

✾Jamie Lee Cooley✾ said...

Great quote! My mom is reading all the classics she missed out on in high school and college for just that reason.

Raewyn said...

Your runner is beautiful - I can see why you are making one for yourself too. Love the saying at the end of the post. Pleased you had a restful Mothers' Day.

Christine M said...

The table runner is beautiful Linda. You must be so pleased with it.

laurawilson25 said...

I love the purple iris table runner. New project - I'm going into the hospital tomorrow to be induced. Super excited and long-term. :)

Barbara said...

That table runner is gorgeous. I often wish my mother had lived long enough for me to make her a quilt.

Anthea said...

Linda, the runner is just beautiful. No doubt your Mum will display it with pride. I love that floral border fabric... Well Done! ... x

Joanne Lendaro said...

LOVE the tablerunner!! BATS-UGH!! We had them too frequently in our house in Indiana...they are harmless, but get one flying around the inside of your house and you just want it out!!

Cheryl's Teapots2Quilting said...

The Iris's are lovely! Bats are great. They eat all those insects. Love to watch them swoop in for a drink of water out of my inlaws pool, late at night.

Catskill Quilter said...

Linda, LOVE the table runner -- it is beautiful! Your Mom will be thrilled!

Dirt Road Quilter said...

Nothing like having a bookshelf filled with new adventures! Your tablerunner is stunning! Such rich colors and I love how you used different greens for the foliage. I'm sure your mother was absolutely delighted!

Gene Black said...

Your tablerunner came out just lovely. Good job!

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