The week in stitches

 

Yesterday afternoon and evening there was another ZOOM chat with Chookyblue and friends!

At the last one we were talking about how old some of our UFO's are 

and I said I had this one from 1993.

Chooky said I had to have it finished by the next chat!

I thought it'd be a month or so 

BUT 

she had a birthday!

When she set it up I thought

"I can get that finished by Saturday."

So, I took off the borders that needed hand quilting and that was never going to be done,

And bound it!

Then during the chat I sewed the binding down.

It is finished!

I can't ever write Missouri Puzzle on my list of quilts to finish!

Unfortunately,

none of my other UFO'S

are as close to being finished as this one!

In other stitching-

    I finished the purple Hashtags.

And the big block for RSC.

Purple isn't one of my favorite colors,

and a couple of years ago I made two pink and purple quilts

and used up most of what I had in my stash.

It's a very popular color with the Grands though,

so I have purchased some more.

The colors don't show up here,

it's too dark in the studio.

Only the flip flop blocks left and those will finish up in a day or two.

I've also made more progress on Izzie's stocking,

I'm only going to take photos of it once a month,

you would get very tired of seeing the slow progress made!

Otherwise, It's been hot and humid.

I've been down in the studio more,

tidying up a bit

(Need to do a Great deal more of that)

THE VIRUS continues to affect more people, 

it seems that nothing can be done.

I am still practicing being a hermit,

I've found a peacefulness to it.

My mind has calmed down

and my life rhythm has settled into something I quite like.

Still wish I could see the family,

the Rocky Mountains,

and anyplace that isn't here!

Sunday Check in

Wow, this is weird! 

I thought I'd already switched over to the new Blogger but this is way different.

On to my life.

This past week there was a lovely break in the heat.

In fact, 

there were two mornings where I wore a sweatshirt 

when I went out for coffee in the morning!

It was so nice that I spent one afternoon sitting on my patio reading.

I knew the hot was coming back 

so I just enjoyed the cool.

I didn't feel guilty at all!

The heat is back now,

I only had one cup of coffee outside this morning before the sun got me, sigh

There have been heat advisories for the past two days

so,

I've spent most of the time in the studio.

I wish I could say that I accomplished amazing things 

but

I didn't

I worked on the blue flipflop blocks (above) 

got them to the four patch stage

and the trimming up.

I hate that part but it does make things go together 

SO

much better.

I also got the purple hash tags worked on.

This is step two.

It would go so much faster if I just NOTICED when I was out of bobbin!

BEFORE I stitched so many.

Well, I thought I was stitching.

I also took the first stitches in Izzie's stocking.

They don't show up too well, white.

I have done a bit more since then.

I quit tonight when I realized I had a bit

to pick out.

Tomorrow, 

some housekeeping

and then I'll head down to the studio again.

I'd really like to get all the leftover blue finished.

Really, I'd like to have all the RSC finished so

I could work on something else.

Only two more months

Red and Yellow.

I'm thinking of working ahead there.

I'm quite bored with these blocks and would like to do something else.

Finished "Big Blocks" for July

I really did not do well on the "I plan to do list" in July.

So bad that I only finished THREE things!

I have to say that the first two weeks I was very low,

feeling depressed by THE VIRUS, 

and the political scene in the US.

I finally came out of it when I just said enough-

it is what it is and you just have to deal.

So now I'm not stressing about much of anything.

The three finishes -

the blue Hashtag blocks-34 I think

what can I say, I have a LOT of blue.

then the big blocks above

and 

I finished Ryan's stocking completely

Friday evening while chatting with Chookyblue and 

Company via Zoom.

(These chats are so much fun!)

I also had this "tea" meal explained 

and

What a bacon sandwich is.

We are definitely people separated by the same language sometimes.

I did organize the refrigerator 

and make new ironing board covers 

but

they were not on the list!

We've had a week of RAIN-much needed-

and

much cooler weather 

67F/19C this morning when I drank my coffee on the patio.

It won't last,

in fact it's to hit 90F/32C by next weekend.

Another 6-8 weeks of heat, sigh.

I have a very ambitious "I want to do" list for August,

we'll see how well I do.

Another week gone!

I've been keeping busy.

It's horrid HOT and HUMID

 so Quinn and I are staying in.

We are to get a break in the heat next week.

We'll be quite grateful!

I've been trying to find ONE thing that needed doing

and could be completed in no more than a week.

Last week it was the frig,

this week it was these

New ironing board covers.

The little one's cover came off and would NOT stay on!

The big one,

Well,

It never fit properly, 

was filthy 

and could have stood on it's own it was so stiff from starch!

So, both are clean.

It will take a bit for them to "Meld"  without wrinkling.

It's surprising how long it takes to make one of these,

I understand now why they've been on the list for so long.

Then there's this:

Ryan's stocking is stitched!

All the back stitching, 

all the beads!

All that's left is the red braid around the outside

and the hanging loop.

For this week I have a few more things in mind.

For today,

I simply MUST tidy and organize

my Studio.

It's a disaster, again.

Cherry Memories

It's cherry time!

Well, it has been for a few weeks.

I love cherries and they aren't grown commercially here so I have to wait on them to be shipped in.  Sigh.

When I was a teenager my parents built a second home in Estes Park, Colorado.

Man, I miss that place.

Anyway,

The summer between my Freshman and Sophomore years in college

-Baylor University then-

we spent the summer up there.

Cherries are grown in the foothills of the Rockies.

They must like the cooler weather cause they grown in Montana too.

(Not to mention, Washington State and Michigan and who knows where else.)

One day my Mother dropped my youngest brother, Bobby, and I

off at the trailhead for Twin Sisters.

So, this was back in the late 1960's 

and we didn't carry around refillable water bottles

 or those horrid plastic disposable ones 

and we began our trek with only a bag of bing cherries.

It's not a long hike but we got really thirsty!

Cherries gave us some liquid and we ate them with gusto.

We didn't make it to the fire lookout that day

and I've never tried it again.

I did lots of other hikes, just not that one.

I can never see a bowl of bing cherries without thinking of that day.

Memories.

Often go hand in hand with food.

Saturday's update

Lots of photos this time.

Guess I must be up to something!

It's very hot here so Quinn and I are spending much time in the basement.

First up-some stitching.

The first four Hash Tags at the halfway point.

They need framed by white.

The Hash Tag units left to do!

All 30 of them!

I have a lot of blue.

I decided I needed a leader and ender project and the 1 1/2" square bin was quite full so--

I dumped the lot into a larger bin!

I am currently making random 2 patches

 to eventually make a very scrappy postage stamp Quilt.

When I dumped the bin I found a lot of this:

Lots of already assembled 9 patches, 4 patches 

and 2 patches left from a mystery I began and didn't finish.

I really didn't get the whole thing.

Anyway, I also have these

So, I'm combining them in a "I think I like it this way" manner.

Izzie needs a quilt for her baby dolls I think.

In other things,

Yesterday, I did this.

The best loaves I've made in a long while.

This from my Grandmother's recipe using yeast.

Yeast is still difficult to obtain here so I ordered some online.

(I'd have done that sooner but the prices were out of line.)

I now have a good supply of both Active and Instant Yeast

in the refrigerator.

Speaking of the refrigerator--

(It you aren't the least bit interested in my organized frig you can just stop here!)

Everything neat, contained and labeled.

Chalk markers are amazing!

After tossing all the expired stuff.

This is one of those french door frigs with the freezer on the bottom.

It's really a bit big for the kitchen but I couldn't find anything smaller

without being tiny.

The Freezer is on the bottom

which I hate cause when you come in from the store you just toss everything in,

then you can't find anything.

The freezer is in two parts

the top

and the bottom

At the moment it's tidy-ish

And, Very full!

I intended to make Chicken Riggi's for freezing but there's no place to put it!

I'm considering a small upright freezer.

In the meantime I'll just have to use up what in there!

July So Far

IZZIE

 I went camping at Arrowrock State Park over the Fourth of July weekend mostly to get away from all the fireworks.  Quinn really hates them and since Greenwood allows them for two weeks before the 4th we get really tired of it. It wasn't the best weather- HOT and HUMID and I haven't been out since last year on the 4th (knee surgery and recovery) so all the hook up etc took twice as long.  I took all my tools and worked on the remodel that's been ongoing for the past couple of years.  Happily, I am nearing the end of it.  Taking all the tools along with everything else I might need means that I have to pack the truck like a jigsaw puzzle and that takes a sweaty long time!.  On Saturday, my youngest son, Scott, came up from Columbia with his two little ones.  Miss Izzie REALLY likes watermelon! We had a nice visit,  walked to the playground and stayed out in my new screen room-I hate flies.  After they went home I worked a bit on the trailer and then I actually did some sewing!

I had a couple of Hoodies that the zipper had broken on and decided I would turn them into little pillows (cushions for you down under folks) as they were purchased on my trips.

 It was a bit tricky but I like the way they came out.

I also made one window topper but I didn't like the way it came out as it was too boring!  I need to work on those some more.

This is all the stitching I've done in July.  Really have to get to work.

It has been very HOT and HUMID for many days now so I

only go out in the early mornings with my coffee and my journal..  The flowers are taking a beating but they'll make a comeback here soon.

I have hit a second low point over isolation and feeling trapped-well, the heat does that too.  I took TWO naps on Saturday!  That made me a bit angry so I think I might be coming out of it again.  The fact is they are not expecting a vaccine until the first of the year, earliest.  So when I said I could be a hermit at Christmas that's very possible.  I need more short term projects so I decided to organize my refrigerator!  This is desperation talking, I ordered a bunch of storage containers and organizing bins that will arrive tomorrow.  When I'm finished I'll show you a photo.  I have moved my laptop, printer and all that back down to the great room (that makes three times I've moved it.)  I just wasn't even going up to the office to work and I like having it down here.

My boys are all working from home-Scott always does,  Rob and Lucas won't go back before 2021, Steve can't go back until the Doctors clear him.  Tanya is a bit sad as she substitute teaches and Nashville is doing distance learning to begin the year.  Candice is trying to keep Nora sane, My California Girl is going crazy with staying home, she's a little extrovert and not socializing is very hard for her, she missed Girl Scout camp and now adding more angst for her they announced that her school would be distance learning for the first part of the year.  She probably booed and hissed. Beth went back to work but it's a small office I think.  Bri is Boone County Clerk and as such handles the elections and works with the public daily-both she and Scott got tested before the 4th so they could visit their parents and not worry about killing them!  I haven't heard what Beth's  boys school is doing or if they've decided how they intend to handle it, I don't have any idea how the transport of children will work here.  Ryan is starting Kindergarten and they have decided to leave him at the Montessori school where he attends now as it is less likely to just shut down.  He was happy with that!

This is 2020-a year we are not likely to forget.