A FINISH AND A FLOP

Sleeping is no mean art: for its sake one must stay awake all day.
~Friedrich Nietzsche

Have you ever had one of those days when you suddenly feel like you've hit that proverbial wall?  That happened to me yesterday right after lunch.  I came home from a great lunch with two of my friends and just felt exhausted.  I wanted to curl up and take a nap.  The problem with my taking a nap is that I know I won't sleep when I'm supposed to, you know, at NIGHT.  So I trudged through the rest of the day with heavy eyes and no desire to do a darn thing.  I did some blog reading and little sewing which I should haven't done as you will see below.  I fixed a simple dinner and even worked on some stitchery after dinner.  If I hadn't stitched I would have been asleep immediately in front of the television.  But today is another day and I'm ready to go, go, go!!!

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Buck Moon

Tonight there is a full moon.  This moon is called the Buck Moon.  According the Farmer's Almanac full moon names date back to Native Americans. The tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full moon. Their names were applied to the entire month in which each occurred. There was some variation in the moon names, but in general, the same ones were current throughout the Algonquin tribes from New England to Lake Superior.

European settlers followed that custom and created some of their own names. Since the lunar month is only 29 days long on the average, the full Moon dates shift from year to year.

Since July is normally the month when the new antlers of buck deer push out of their foreheads in coatings of velvety fur, the full moon of this moon is called the full Buck Moon.
Sometimes this moon was also often called the Full Thunder Moon, because thunderstorms are most frequent during this time. Another name for this month’s Moon was the Full Hay Moon.

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QUILT TOP FINISHED

Yesterday morning I finished the quilt top.

As I said before, this is a variation of the quilt pattern, Dora, from the book, 3 Times the Charm!  Their pattern called for 1 charm pack - I used 2.  They did not have the inner border nor did their outer border match their sashing.  Theirs measured 30 1/2" square and mine ends up measuring 59" square.  So I'm changing the name of my quilt to Colors Thru The Window.  Now I'm debating about the binding.  I can't decide whether to stay with solid black or do a scrappy binding in the bright colors.  I have set up a poll on the left hand sidebar for you to make your voices heard on which binding I should use.  What do you think?

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FMQ - DAY 3

Yesterday was rather a flop in my fmq lesson......

I was to practice making Sashiko Shells.  Leah said they stack like bricks and should be even in size.  I just couldn't get the hang of it.  I tried to make the shells in all four corners of the block.  I gave up and wrote "Shashiko Shells not my thing" - I misspelled Sashiko but you get what I meant.  I also had a cross out of shells just to the right there - lol!  So, I decided to practice something else.....

I did some meandering.  This seemed to flow fairly smoothly and most of my stitches were fairly uniform in length.  I only made one or two sharp turns and had just a couple of cross overs.  Maybe this is something I could actually do on a small quilt :)  Now on to day 4!

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AMERICANA

Yesterday afternoon I finally made another block for my UFO/WIP, Americana Sampler quilt.

This is why you should never sew when you are tired!  When I was pressing this block, I kept looking at it and thinking "I really am not fond of this block".  Still pressing away for what I thought was the final press it suddenly dawned on me - You sewed it together WRONG, dummy!!!!  So once again Mr. Ripper and I became well acquainted as I ripped out three seams.  It couldn't have been the outside edge block - oh no - it had to be one of the inside block assemblies.......

This looks much better!  All angles heading in the right direction.  This block is called Next Door Neighbor.  I might as well confess this little tidbit too......I miscut the red squares for the corner triangles and had to search through my scrap stash for a similar color red to use.  3/8" off of a square is a big mistake and, of course, I didn't have enough from the kit to use the same fabric.  Oh well, in the end I don't think it will be noticed.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I am going to play with a new toy/tool I received a little while back :D

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GIVEAWAYS

Amy's Creative Side is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win a bundle of Wild Garden Collection, by Dan Bennett for Westminster.  This giveaway ends Monday, July 18.

Frugal Ideas from the Parsonage is having a giveaway.  Sophia is giving away a vintage fat quarter.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, July 20, at midnight.

Pink Chalk Studio is having their weekly giveaway.  This week you could win a Paris Apartment Fat Quarter set in the winner’s choice of colorway.  This giveaway ends Monday, July 18.

Jolly Jabber is having their weekly giveaway, too.  This week you could win one of Julie Herman's Blogger’s Choice Fat Quarter Bundles.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, July 19.

Sew Take A Hike is having a giveaway.  You could win  a tea towel (your choice of color), and a tea kettle pattern Amy designed herself.  This giveaway ends Sunday, July 17.

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FINAL THOUGHT
The desktop computer has been repaired and DH will pick it up today!!  I'm so glad.  Working on the laptop is better than not having a computer at all but it is a struggle for me.  The keyboard does not always work as I think it should - the keys are quite stiff.  I really give the delete and backup buttons a workout.  I'm not sure where all of the different keys are and have to stop to hunt and peck.  I sometimes hit the CAPS LOCK key by miSTake and suddenly everything is capitalized.  Then I go to hit that key to unlock the caps and hit another key that sends me back to the top of the page - I still haven't figured out what key that is and how it sends me to the top.  One day I'm afraid it will send me over the top and down the hill - lol!  All will be well and back to normal this evening when I start up the desktop computer and hear its whir and then put my fingers on my favorite keyboard.  Back to something I understand. 
Have a wonderful weekend!

Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open.
~John Barrymore

All Sorts Of Color

Where you find quality, you will find a craftsman, not a quality-control expert. 
~Robert Brault

It happened to me again yesterday.  I was reading some of my favorite blogs after lunch and found another pattern I just had to have.  And it's all Sunny's fault!  Not really :)   But it was on her blog where I saw the pattern.  Then I realized that the pattern is in a magazine - one that I don't subscribe to.  As a result, I was off to Google doing a search for said magazine.  Fifteen minutes later I found two sites offering the desired magazine and decided to order it.  It's a little more than I would normally pay for a magazine but then that's what happens when you buy a single issue.  Because of the search, I also found a new online company.  Service seems to be great as they already sent me a notice that the magazine was shipped!  I'll let you know the Who and the What when it arrives.

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Cork Board

Today is cork board day.  Cork has been around for millennia. Cork bottle stoppers have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. In ancient Greece, many items such as fishing net floats, sandals and bottle stoppers were made with cork. It was not until the end of the 19th century, however, that cork board was invented.

Throughout the ages, cork was produced same as it ever was, with much of the cork going to waste. In 1890, a German company began collecting the waste cork particles and using a clay binder to create an agglomerate cork sheet. The next year an American by the name of John T. Smith improved upon the process. Instead of using a clay binder, Smith's process used heat and pressure to combine the waste cork together, created a pure agglomerated cork board.
Initially, cork board was used primarily as insulation. This all changed in 1924 when George Brooks, a resident of Topeka, Kansas, patented a new use for cork board: as a bulletin board you could stick tacks into. A simple yet brilliant idea which has impacted the way we post messages to this day. Also known as pin boards, bulletin boards and of course cork boards, George Brooks' invention is a mainstay in homes and offices around the world.

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SWAP BLOCK RECEIVED

The mailman brought a squishy to my door the other day.....

This wonderful block came to me from Helen who lives in Australia.  Helen was my June swap partner in Quilting Block Swaps Australia.  The block is called Blazing Arrow.  She also included a note telling me all about the cute little bird on the front.  It is a blue wren.  I do wish our wrens were so colorful.  Thank you so very much, Helen, for the great block and all of the info on the little wren!!

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BLOCKS TOGETHER

Yesterday I started sewing rows of blocks.  That lead to sewing rows together.

Here's a peek at what I've been working on.  I have added one border and need to add one more border before I will let you see the whole thing.  Tomorrow I will be able to share with you the completed top :)

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FMQ PRACTICE - DAY 2

Yesterday I did the next practice block from Leah Day in the beginner category.  Leah called this Cursive F's.

I would get about half way across the row and all of a sudden couldn't remember how to make a 'Cursive F'.  And after thinking about it all day I finally figured out why I ran into trouble.  That is not how I make a cursive F - lol!  I think my brain tried to take over part way through and the hand didn't want to follow.  Oh well.  Can you tell I tried something else new?  I brought out a stencil I have had for a couple of years and traced it onto the fabric.  I used a red pen but I think I should have used a yellow chalk marker - it would have been easier to see.  I don't think I did too awfully bad with those.

I even signed this one.  Who knows, maybe someday down in history someone will think this was a real work of art.  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will finish putting the border on my Dora's variation quilt and maybe make a block or two for the UFO (or WIP) from last month.

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GIVEAWAYS

Quilty Habit is having a giveaway.  You could win 3 wonderful fat quarters.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, July 19, at 11:00 pm EST.

Happy Quilting is having a giveaway.  You could win an entire fat quarter bundle of Kate Spain's Flurry.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, July 19.

Cat Patches is celebrating her one year blogiversary with a giveaway.  You could win three 1 yard cuts of some wonderful fabric.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, July 27.

Lily's Quilts is having a giveaway.  You could win a GO! Baby Cutter and your choice of 3 dies.  The winner will be selected on Wednesday, July 20.

Me? A Mom? is having a giveaway.  You could win a GO! Baby Cutter and your choice of 3 dies.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, July 20.

Creative Confessions is having a celebration giveaway.  Heather's giveaway is centered around Jo Morton and includes one of her books, some beautiful fat quarters and a BH&;G magazine that has a lot of Jo Morton information.  This giveaway ends Sunday, July 24, at midnight.

Our Busy Little Bunch is having a giveaway.  You could win Ann Kelle's Designer Select Fat Quarter Bundle
Urban Zoologie Collection.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, July 19.

Mariliz's Musings is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of the book, A Place Called Blessing, by John Trent with Annette Smith.  A winner will be drawn on Monday, July 18.

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FINAL THOUGHT
 I think I've figured out my time dilemma.  Next week I'm going to start blogging only on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays.  I think this will work well for me.  Of course I will still be reading blogs daily and collecting giveaways as I go to pass on to you.  And, I can always throw a blog out there on a Tuesday or Thursday if I should feel the need.  This schedule will give me at least 3 more hours a week to dedicate to sewing.  I can get a lot done in three hours.  And, who knows.....maybe I will find I don't like that schedule and go back to 5 days a week.  This was a BIG decision for me as I really do enjoying writing my posts.  Like I said before - too bad I have to eat and sleep - sewing is much more fun than either of those two things - lol!

A peacefulness follows any decision, even the wrong one.
~Rita Mae Brown

Lots Of Blocks

A day patched with quilting seldom unravels.
~author unknown

Yesterday was quiet except for the whir of my sewing machine.  There was a bunch of repetitive sewing of blocks and it was a little mind numbing.  However, I did get most of the way through another audio book.  Both pups slept the day away while Mom sewed.  I had to stop a couple of times to give the requested hugs and kisses during the day - but I don't mind those kind of interruptions.  The weather did cool down just the tiniest little bit and we were able to have the windows open for a couple of hours before the heat started seeping in.  All in all, until the main computer crashed.  I was prepping today's post and all of a sudden I was getting 'Critical System' notifications.  Why does this happen to me?  So today the main computer goes into the shop and I have to work from the laptop.  I guess I shouldn't complain, at least I have a backup device to work on.  How about you?  Did your week start out the way you had hoped? 

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Pecan Pie

Today, July 12, is National Pecan Pie Day.  Tradition holds that the French created pecan pie soon after settling in New Orleans, after being introduced to the nut by Native Americans. But attempts to trace the origin of this dessert have not found any recipes earlier than 1925, and well-known cookbooks such as Fannie Farmer and The Joy of Cooking did not include it before 1940.

Pecans have their origins in prehistory. The discovery of fossil remains along with millions of native pecan trees found along most major streams and irrigation canals in Texas and the northern part of Mexico showing that this is the original home of the pecan, and that it spread north and east from this area. This also indicates that the pecan was here and producing long before Native Americans came there.

Pecan pie is considered a southern dish, and while it is still more popular in the south, it is also commonly eaten throughout the United States. The southern states produce over 250 million pounds of pecans each year, with Texas and Georgia pecan groves comprising the majority of that amount. Since pecan trees are native to the south and fresh pecans are readily available throughout the region, pecan pie and other pecan desserts have always been more prevalent, and thus more popular, in the southern United States.

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BLOCKS, BLOCKS AND MORE BLOCKS

Yesterday I sat at my sewing machine making blocks.........

82 blocks to be exact.  I'm making a variation of a quilt called Dora from the book, 3 Times the Charm!  I am using 2 charm packs of Hoopla by moda.  Today comes the laying out of the blocks into some soft of random prettiness.  Wish me luck.

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BREAD BASKET SWAP

Last week we found out who our swap partners were in the Bread Basket Swap.  This swap was organized by Cheryll over at Gone Stitchin'.  Yesterday the mailman brought me a squishy....

This wonderful bread basket was made by my friend, Sharon.  She is the author of the fun and interesting blog known as Vrooman's Quilts.  If you haven't checked out her blog, then please take the time to see all of the beautiful work that Sharon creates.  Anyway......Sharon also included some great extras.....

Along with the darling little note card, Sharon included two great fat quarters and lots of little teapot and teacup embellishments.  I can see a mug rug decorated with those darling little blue creations.  Thank you so very much, Sharon for the beautiful bread basket and all of the little extras!!

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FMQ PRACTICE

Yesterday I cut out and sandwiched four 12" squares to begin free motion quilting practice.

I am going to use the website The Free Motion Quilting Project by Leah Day.  I plan on trying a different block each day starting with her Beginner Filler Designs.  I hope starting off easy with one block a day will help me get started in the right direction.  I will also be checking out a couple of other recommendations for learning to fmq by some of my blogger friends.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will start my day with a fmq block as I plan to do each day (well, five days a week) and then layout and hopefully start sewing together the blocks for the Dora quilt.

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GIVEAWAYS

Fort Worth Fabric Studio is having a giveaway.  You could win a banner kit featuring Darlene Zimmerman's 2011 Clothesline Club Prints or two back-issues of Australian Patchwork & Quilting.  This giveaway ends Friday, July 15, at 9:00 pm CST.

The Noble Wife is having a giveaway.  Jacquelynne is giving away an autographed copy of her new book, Fruitful Hands.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, July 13, at noon EDT.

Lily's Quilts is having a giveaway.  You could win a five spool pack of Auriful thread.  Lynne will announce 10 winners on Monday, July 18.

Spotted Stone is having a giveaway. You have a chance to win a GO! Baby Cutter and your choice of 3 dies. This giveaway ends Wednesday, July 13, Alaska time.
Annie's Ruby Slipperz is having her Mystery Monday fun and giveaway.  You could win 5 fat quarters in your favorite colors.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, July 13, at midnight mountain time.

Ellison Lane Quilts is having a giveaway.  You could win a GO! Baby Cutter and your choice of 3 dies.  This giveaway ends Thursday, July 14.
Happy Quilting is celebrating their one year anniversary with a giveaway.  You could win a stunning Fat Quarter Pack of Wrenly.  This giveaway ends Sunday, July 17.

Scraps A Plenty is ready to send the Traveling Stash on it's way.  The box includes a quilt kit, patterns galore, and cute fabrics and so much more.  This giveaway ends Friday, July 15, at midnight.

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FINAL THOUGHT

My fingers are on the keys but there's nothing going from my brain to the keyboard.  I guess I didn't have enough brain stimulation today.  Lots of randomness but nothing worthwhile to write amount.  Let's see......I wonder how long the main computer will be in the shop........DH got a Wii Fit - we'll see how long before he injures himself......nothing, nothing, nothing.......hmmmm, I hear the police helicopter going in circles nearby - probably won't ever hear what that's about.......nothing more.  Guess that means it's time for me to get going on my day.  Hopefully tomorrow I will have some thoughts for you :)

The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.
~ Abraham Lincoln