I Tried Something New

Weather is a great metaphor for life - sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad, and there's nothing much you can do about it but carry an umbrella. 
~Terri Guillemets

I hope all of my friends back east weathered Irene without any injuries or damages.  I spent some time on Saturday watching the news reports and was amazed at the speed of the winds.  Our Saturday was spent running errands in horribly hot and humid weather.  We made it to the Farmer's Market and were able to refill the produce bins in my refrigerator.  It has been a long time since they had been so barren.  We had to make our Walmart/Costco run and surprisingly, Walmart was a much better experience that Costco this time.  The poor pups thought we would never stay home with all of our quick visits to drop off cold/frozen products that had to be put away.  However, they were happy to see us home after our visit to Petsmart where we picked up their food supply and even brought them home a purple squeaky spider toy.  Sunday was the normal washday and catching up on some recorded TV programs.  I am ready to get back to the sewing machine and look forward to a great week.

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

Cherry Turnovers

Sunday, August 28, was National Cherry Turnover Day.  Yet another yummy dessert is celebrated.  Although there isn't much to learn about turnovers, how about some info on cherries.....

* Cherry blossom and the cuckoo appear at the same time. Apparently the cuckoo had to have three good meals of ripe cherries before it stops calling. Work that one out - it means you could hear the cuckoo right through to July.

* The bark and stems of wild cherries has an odour of almonds

* In the 17th century, cherries were preserved more or less in suspended animation by 'hanging them under bell jars standing in pans of water.'

* Hot cherry stones were used in bed pans to warm beds.

* The volatile oil of wild cherries contains a small quantity of cyanide.
* Apparently cherries are a symbol of fertility. The owner of a cherry tree was supposed to have a rich crop if the first cherry was eaten by a woman who had recently given birth to her first child.
* In an average crop year, a sweet cherry tree will produce 800 cherries.
*Broadway in New York shifts west at East 10th Street because a cherry tree once stood there.

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LITTLE SWAP BLOCKS

Friday I made two blocks for my swap partner in the 6 Inch Swaps Block Australia....

Boy my picture taking really needs to improve.  Every block I posted today doesn't look like it is square when really they are.  Anyway, Anna asked for autumn colored blocks in the 9 patch pattern.  This one is done in the darker tones of autumn with a yellow sun center.

This is the lighter tones of autumn.  These will be winging their way to the Netherlands in today's mail.

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A NEW TECHNIQUE TO ME

Friday I decided to finally try some foundation paper piecing.  Tonya, of Hillbilly Handiworks, was putting out a call for heart blocks for a charity quilt.  Well, she actually put the call out earlier but somehow I missed that post.

This is the very first foundation paper piecing that I have every done!  Wouldn't you know it, I had to rip out the very first seam I put in.  Oh well.  I guess that's why they call it learning.  After only one more seam error, I finished up this heart.  I was so happy with how it turned out that I made another one....

This one had no errors in it and went together much quicker.  Tonya has a great tutorial on foundation paper piecing that can be found HERE.   These two hearts started their journey across the country on Saturday.  Thanks for introducing me to foundation paper piecing, Tonya!

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FRIDAY'S FMQ

Friday I started the day with my FMQ practice.....

This is called Spiky Vine.  I forgot to dot my i's when I was stitching - lol!  I put too much curve in my 'leaves' and I was supposed to put the vines closer together but you get the general idea.  It was a good practice and I'm getting better at tracing over previous lines.

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will make another bee block and hopefully start the Designer Mystery Block

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GIVEAWAYS

Pigtales and Quilts is celebrating reaching 300 followers with a giveaway.  You could win a copy of Freehand Filler Patterns by Sue Patten.  This giveaway ends Thursday, September 1, at 2:00 pm EST.

Fort Worth Fabric Studio is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of Fabric Remix by Sandy Stone.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, August 31, at midnight CST.

Adventures of a Cross Stitch Drama Queen is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win a fat quarter bundle of Promenade in blue from Intrepid Thread.  This giveaway ends Friday, September 2.

Sunshine Yellow is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks vol. 2 magazine, a Schnibbles Short Story pattern, and a stack of magazine patterns.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, September 7.

Meemaw Love To Quilt is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of American Patchwork, true stories from quilters.  This giveaway ends Wednesday, August 31, at 11:00 pm.

Yankee Valley Stitcher is having a giveaway.  You could win 8 f 1/8's, embroidery scissors, tape measure, note book, post its, and marking pen.  This giveaway ends Thursday, September 1.

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FINAL THOUGHT



The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't. 
~Henry Ward Beecher

Flowers and Happiness

If a man had as many ideas during the day as he does when he has insomnia, he'd make a fortune.

~Griff Niblack

I think I have been practicing too many different FMQ designs.  Monday night I woke up thinking about FMQ.  I had had a devil of a time with the practice the previous day and it really must have been haunting me.  For over an hour, every time I shut my eyes I kept seeing the silly design.  My fingers kept trying to come up with the proper direction to go.  Over and over that design came up.  Maybe I should have gotten up and just tried it once again.  I know that you can sometimes solve problems with dreams but this was ridiculous.  I would love a dreamless night - or at least a night where I don't remember the dreams I'm having.  Maybe if the weather would ever cool down I could get a good night's sleep.

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PHOTO FACT OF THE DAY

S'mores

Today is S'mores day!!  Doesn't that picture just make your mouth water?  When you go camping there's a lot of things you need s'more of: s'more bug spray, s'more blankets for cold nights in the tent, and s'more batteries in the flashlight before you go trudging through the woods to the bathroom after one of your friends insisted on telling s'more ghost stories. But the fantastic sandwiches of graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallows are the one thing you will be happy to want s'more of.

The name of the treat comes from the two words "some more," clearly combined because people often wanted to have at least a second serving after having one s'more. The treat was developed by campers in the early part of the 20th century, making use of the fairly new mass-produced marshmallows. Marshmallows were easy to transport, as were candy bars and graham crackers, and the marshmallows could be warmed easily over a fire to make a delicious treat in a situation where other types of sweets would have been difficult to come by.

The true origin of the snack is unknown, as camping recipes tended to be passed from person to person and family to family - often over the campfire itself. The first recipe for s'mores was published in 1927 in the Girl Scout Handbook and the event marked the official introduction of the s'more into popular culture.

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LITTLE FLOWERS

Over the weekend I made two more hexagon flowers for my Aunt Sarah quilt.

This is one of the background flowers.  The dots you see are not on the fabric but are center holes in the hexagon templates.

Here is my second actual flower for the some-day-to-be quilt.  It seems so strange working in muted colors when making these flowers.

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FMQ - DAYS 20 and 21

This was the cause of my lack of sleep on Monday night.  I could go one direction with absolutely no problem.  But to go back the opposite way just caused me all sorts of trouble.  You can tell by just looking at my practice.  Jeesh.....who knew such a simple design could wreck havoc with my brain.  This pattern is called Curvy Key.

These don't really look too much like flames.  You would think with all of the Nascar stuff I watch with DH that flames would come naturally.  Mine look more like the Swiss Alps.  Oh well.  My stitches were more consistent at least.  This practice is called Flame Key.

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TWO FLOWERS FOR WEDNESDAY

Over the weekend I made two more flowers for my GFG and for One Flower Wednesday. 

This flower reminded me of camping.  Aren't the raccoon and opossum cute?  I remember watching the raccoons raid the trash cans outside the cabins we would rent up above Yosemite. 

This flower just said Summer to me.  I know it has hearts and should remind me of Valentine's day but it doesn't.  It made me think of shells at the beach.  Yes, I have a weird mind - lol!

To see more wonderful and creative hexagon flowers, Karen has provided a linky tool where you can pop in to see more.  And drop a thank you to Karen while  you are there for keeping us all motivated and organized!

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I AM SO LUCKY!!!

Yesterday I received a large squishy in the mail.  I saw where it was from and gave a little yelp of glee!

Look at this stack of fat quarters!  23 to be exact.

Our Busy Little Bunch had a giveaway last month that I won!!  A complete set of Hoo's in the Forest by Doohikey Designs for Riley Blake Designs.  Do you realize this is the first time I have ever had a complete set of any line of fabric?  I felt like it was my birthday or Christmas!  I'm having so much fun just looking at all of the gorgeous pieces but don't have the faintest idea what I will be making with it yet.  Thank you so very much, Rebecca!!

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TODAY'S GOAL

Today I will quilt and bind the table runner I am making for my swap partner.

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GIVEAWAYS

As Sweet As Cinnamon is having a Happy Day giveaway.  Dawn's giveaway is a surprise but she does let us know that it is a craft-y, fabric-y sort of Happy Surprise.  This giveaway ends Sunday, August 15, at 8:00 pm South Australia time.

A Quilting Life is having a sponsored giveaway.  You could win a $50 gift certificate or one of two $25 gift certificates to Shabby Fabrics.  This giveaway ends Friday night, August 12.

Pots and Pins is having a giveaway.  You could win a darling sewing machine clock.  This giveaway ends tonight, Wednesday, August 10, at 9:00 pm.

My and My Sister's Design is having a giveaway.  You could win a fat eighth bundle of “Amelia”.  This giveaway ends Thursday, August 11.

Jolly Jabber is having a giveaway.  You could win a Me & My Sister Designs’ Designer Select Fat Quarter Bundle.  This giveaway ends Monday, August 15.

Pigtales and Quilts is having a giveaway.  You could win a copy of Stupid Is As Stupid Does or a copy of Cooking With Character, both by Bill Griffin.  This giveaway ends Sunday, April 14, at 2:00 pm EST.

Fabric Worm is having their weekly giveaway.  This week you could win Diana Kappa Bonjour in 8 Fat Quarters.  The giveaway ends Monday, August 15, at 8:30 am PST.

Bitty Bits and Pieces is having a giveaway.  You could win a beautiful Quilt Lover's Heart necklace.  This giveaway ends Tuesday, August 16, at midnight.

Love Affair With My Brother is having a giveaway.  You could win a GO! Baby cutter and your choice of 3 dies.  This giveaway ends Thursday, August 18.

And then there's this Blogiversary Giveaway that you still have time to enter.  My giveaway will end Sunday, August 14, at 8:00 pm PST.

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FINAL THOUGHT

I did it again.  I bought another pattern to try out another type of quilt making.  I'm going to try some foundation paper piecing.  I blame this all on Tonya over at Hillbilly Handiworks.  She put the bug in my ear and it just kept buzzing around.  After a couple of days searching on the net, I finally found a pattern I just couldn't pass up.  It's a mountain landscape that just said "buy me!" - and, of course, I did.  It's not here yet but should arrive within the week.  Do any of you have a good source for landscape paper piecing patterns?  Can you recommend a book that might have good patterns?  I'm not talented enough to take a picture of my own and create a pattern from it.  And don't tell me it's easy, because I just don't have an artistic thread in my brain.  I follow patterns with no trouble but as you know from previous posts, I am unable to just wing it.  I can't wait to start something new :)

Optimist: someone who figures that taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it's a cha-cha. 
~Robert Brault