Flowers, Bees & Baltimore

What may be done at any time will be done at no time.
~Scottish Proverb

I'm getting that feeling again.  The feeling of wanting to start something new.  This is a bad feeling.  I currently have 5 projects I'm working on.  To start another would most certainly send one of my current projects into that deep pit known as the UFO pile.  I just remembered - I have another project that needs to be sandwiched, quilted and bound.  Not a big project - it is a PIF project.  I keep putting it off knowing that I have until October to finish it.  So, I definitely should not start a new project.  I have to quit looking at other's projects but that is rather difficult when I'm reading blogs.  The temptation to start something new is sometimes hard to ignore.  Okay.  I will promise myself not to start a new project until I have completed at least one of the 5 I'm currently working on - swaps and bees not included.  There.  It has been said out in public.  Ahhhhhh!  I feel better.  Well, at least for today I do - lol!

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Here are some fun animal facts that you may, or may not, know:

* Hippo milk is pink.

* The oldest known animal in the world was 'Ming' the 405 year old clam, discovered in 2007.

* Sharks, like other fish, have their reproductive organs in their chests.

* Sheep can survive for up to two weeks buried in snow drifts

* Flies are deaf.

* Honeybees never sleep.

* Cockroaches can live for 9 days after their head has been cut off.

* The katydid bug hears through holes in its hind legs!

* The ant, when intoxicated, will always fall over to its right side.

* If NASA sent birds into space they would soon die; they need gravity to swallow.

* A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.

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ONE FLOWER WEDNESDAY

Yesterday when I made my goal for the day, I had forgotten it would be One Flower Wednesday today.  But have no fear, I did get a hexie flower made.....

This bright and cheery flower will be a great addition to my GFG.  To see more wonderful hexagon flowers, go to Karen's blog, Journey of a Quilter.  Karen is the one that keeps all of us flower makers in line and provides the linky site.  Thanks, Karen!

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BEE BLOCK

Even though I had to get my hexie flower done, I still me my goal of making a Bee block....

This block, much like the last block, was a challenge to make.  Our hostess for Let's Bee Together Group B, Jorie, sent out beautiful fabrics to work with, but all of the pieces were rather small.  Every pattern I looked at needed more fabric of certain a certain color than I had.  I must have spent an hour looking at block patterns.  I finally just ended up cutting 2.5" squares.  I think I arranged them in a rather pleasant pattern.  Now I just hope that Jorie will like the block, too.

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BALTIMORE CONTINUES

Over the last couple evenings I have been able to make a little progress on block 4 of the Baltimore Basics....

So far this block has given me two new things to try.  First the little stems were only 1/8" when finished.  Instead of creating a bias tube, you folded the fabric wrong sides together and stitched down the length just shy of center.  Then you centered the the stems on the placement marks and folded the finished edge over the unfinished edge and stitched it in place that way (did that make sense?).  The other new method to me was needle turn applique.  The gold center piece is all done with the needle turn technique.  You can almost tell where I first started working (top right corner) and where I finished (bottom right corner).  My technique improved as I went.  Now to make flower buds.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I need to cut and assemble the background pieces for my quilt class at Quilt University.

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GIVEAWAYS

Sew 4 Home is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of Crazy Quilting by Allie Aller.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, May 31, at midnight PT.

Sew I Quilt is having a giveaway.  You could win an I Top Tool and accessories.  This giveaway ends Thursday, May 19.

FabricWorm is having their weekly giveaway.  This week you could win  Laurie Wisbrun Pooches and Pickups in Fat Quarters.  This giveaway ends Monday, May 23, at 8:30 am PST.

Grosgrain is having a giveaway.  You could win a Silhouette SD Machine.  The winner will be announced Tuesday, May 24.

Ditzy and Dotty is having a giveaway.  Sally is giving away a pdf file of her lunch bag pattern PLUS a copy of the ‘Red Riding Hood Basket’ pattern plus, if that wasn’t enough, Lisanne at Sewcity has donated a bundle of 4 gorgeous Fat Quarters.  This giveaway ends Thursday, May 19.

Rsisland Crafts is having a giveaway.  Robin is giving away two Simplicity patterns - one is for bags and the other is for skirts.  This giveaway ends Friday, May 20.

The Intrepid Thread is having a giveaway.  You could win a darling little kit for a pillow that was only available at Market.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, May 24, at midnight.

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FINAL THOUGHT

Thank you all for your encouragement to attend the local quilt guild meeting.  I think I have convinced myself to give it a go (don't you like the decisiveness there - lol!).  If I don't go, I will never know and will always wonder what it is like and what the people are like.  I've been thinking about dragging my DH along for the first meeting but that might be considered cruel and unusual punishment.  He likes (or at least pretends) to learn about what I'm working on and enjoys going to quilt shows with me, but I don't think listening to 2 hours of quilt talk would be very interesting for him.  I just need to suck it up and be brave.  I need to push myself out of my secure little nest - to spread my wings, so to speak.  I think I could handle this for one evening a month.  I will do it!!

A year from now you may wish you had started today.

~Karen Lamb

Make your Wednesday wonderful!!