Quilters Thread

[busybee]

Hi CJ: Yesterday was very close to "unbearable," in our house, especially in the family/kitchen rooms - where I spend most of my time. It reached 96 degrees here in our area, and even hotter in South Seattle. (We're east of Seattle.) Every day a new heat record is reached. Our a/c units were at their max - especially here in the family room area. I couldn't cope and simply sat in front of many fans. 

DH and I talked about how to add more cooling - no other places to vent - but maybe a water-cooled unit might work.

We ordered takeout dinners from a nearby Greek Express restaurant, which our DS recommends. It was wonderful to have a complete cooked meal without my doing anything. And it included a crisp fresh salad and a complimentary dessert, baklava (which we didn't even have room for) and we still have enough leftover for another meal.

Today - finally - it is cooling down into the 80s - never thought I'd think that the 80's were a "cooldown."

And we're going to the U.W. Dental School today for our first diagnostic exams. I haven't been since way before Covid. DH last went right before Covid.

Hope all is well with you and you're staying cool.

[cj59]

Hi busybee - I'm sorry you all have been miserable out there with the heat. I remember all the stuff I had to deal with at my house with the portable AC and fans, and installing a window AC unit every year, so you have my sympathy and understanding. Hope it gets more bearable soon.

Hope your dental appointment goes well today and you have no problems.


I've some busy days this week dealing with "stuff", which hopefully should be worked out in a few days. It has been nice not to go out everyday to water those plants and I'm happy that I didn't kill any of them and my DB and DSIL were happy the plants survived the heat while they were away.

Unfortunately they both caught Covid on the cruise, so they've gotten some medication and are taking it easy at home. My niece (in another state) had Covid about a month ago, so it seems like it's really spreading again.

I hadn't done any quilting for a few days after getting the Temperature quilt put together correctly now, but today I cut fabrics to make two versions of this week's Moda Blockheads block. One version looks like the pattern, the other doesn't. So I'm going to make both and see which one I like better. The other block can be used for something else. There are only two more blocks left for this quilt along:

modafabrics.com/inspiration-resources/bh5-group-2-block-28-chelsi-stratton

I think I might have mentioned a few months ago about having silverfish in one of my bathrooms. I've been dealing with them there, using glue traps and sealing the baseboards and I only see one or two a week now. But today I opened a bottom kitchen cabinet where I keep my papergoods and I saw one there! No - stay out of my kitchen! I'm going to pick up some indoor bug spray (Ortho Home Defense Indoor Insect Spray) when I go out tomorrow since I can't have them in the kitchen. I'm going to pull everything out of that cabinet and I guess I could spray inside it, but I'd really rather just spray around the base of the cabinets. I guess if I sprayed inside the cabinet once it dried, I could line plastic in the cabinet before I put my paper goods back inside.

This is the worst thing about this rental - bugs and lizards - yuck! I've still been catching some of the lizards in the garage. Small, but yucky problems, so I'm not really complaining. It's just something to deal with.

Take care

[cj59]

Hi busybee - Hope you are doing well today and that it's starting to get cooler there. It was still hot today but we're supposed to get rain tonight and thunderstorms tomorrow and hopefully that will cool things off.

I had more errands and business to take care of today, but I got it all done. I do have all my fabrics cut for two Moda Blockheads blocks, so maybe I can work on them tomorrow since it will be raining and I'd like to stay home.

On my way back home today I stopped at a farm market and bought some tomatoes and peaches. I'm hoping the tomatoes will be good, I'd like to use a few of them to make some BLTs. I'll probably just eat the peaches. Years ago I would have made a pie with them but I don't need to eat that. I may try to make a small bit of peach jam/preserves. I used to make several jars of that each summer. But I'd be fine with just a cup or so now.

Hope you can get back to your quilt soon. Take care

[busybee]

Hi CJ: Well - yesterday did finally start a cooldown - into the mid to high 80s - out of the 90s. And today, it's in the low to mid 80s. Amazing what a difference it makes from the 90s to the 80s - and it cooled down faster last night - and we slept well enough. 

Today, I had a visit from a long-time younger colleague (68) who checks with me quite often, usually by phone. (He lives not far from us with his long-time wife - who, by the way, is a quilter too.) But this time, he was in the neighborhood and he stopped by. So we visited outside - he on the driveway, and me on my front covered porch. We visited for an hour and a half - and it got pretty warm outside - but we were both, thankfully, in the shade. And because we worked side-by-side for many years in the political arena, we spoke of the most egregious current trends politically - but we didn't dwell for too long - too upsetting for  both of us. (He's a long-time cancer sufferer - is on many medications - tires easily - but never gives up.) He is an inspiration! It was so good to actually "see" him as we usually just talk on the phone.

Yesterday's trip and visit to the UW Dental Center turned out pretty well, dentally speaking. DH got a "pass," no immediate problems, however, I was not so lucky - as the dentist found infection (where it's sore) and referred me to the periodontal clinic for "deep cleaning," and put me on an antibiotic. So, I'm waiting for an appointment with them. It was no surprise to me - as I well know that I am way overdue for cleaning! With a "deep" cleaning, though, they use anesthetic - thank goodness.

But getting to the clinic was a long drawn-out challenge, especially for me. DH picked a parking garage far from the section where the dentistry school is located - and the walk was quite challenging for me. We had to walk from the garage and across a bridge and then to the medical center - which precedes the dental clinic by "who knows how long!" I had to walk and walk and walk - with my rollator, of course. DH kept urging me on and suggested (halfway) that we should have got a wheelchair. But I soldiered on. Then, at the dental clinic and in the dentist's treatment room, the doctor showed me the parking area right in back of the building that we should have used. NOTED! And he also came out to the waiting room to talk to my DH to explain where we should park for our next visit. So, after my exam, I went down to the parking area behind the dental building - and DH walked back alone to the parking garage he used, and drove back to pick me up. Thank goodness, the heat was "only" in the 80s and I waited in the shade.

Sorry to hear about your DB and DSIL's Covid illness after their cruise. Again, no surprise that they became infected as cruise ships are notorious for being Petri dishes for infection. Hope they weather it well, got the meds right away, and won't have too many long term effects.

DD called to ask if I could alter some clothing for her - that she purchased to wear to a wedding. So, of course, I said bring it over and she'll drop by later this evening.

Fresh tomatoes and peaches from the farmer's market sound wonderful. What a wonderful summertime treat.

So, no quilting for me right now - but instead, alterations! And actually, the other day when I ventured into the sewing room, I made a new cover for a pillow that I use on my recliner. I have another one to make too.

Stay cool and enjoy your projects.

[cj59]

Hi busybee - Hope you are having a nice day. It's cooler here today, with some rain showers.

That was so nice that you could visit with your longtime friend, I'm glad you had that time together.

I hope that you'll get an appointment soon for your dental cleaning and it's good of that doctor to give you an antibiotic. Sorry about all the walking, but I'm glad you were saved the walk back after the appointment.

I like small projects like pillow covers and table runners, I hope you enjoy your new pillow on your recliner and that you get the other one made soon.

finished this week's Moda Blockheads blocks today. I made two versions, but one of them I really like and that's what I'll use. Unfortunately I made an error in one corner on the one I liked and I had to rip it apart and sew it back together. It still looks good enough for me. The picture with just one block is the block I'm using and that I liked better.

I'm hoping to work on my aqua Rainbow Scrap Challenge quilts this weekend and update the Temperature quilt.

Take care and have a good weekend

[busybee]

Hi CJ! It's in the low 80s today - with a slight breeze. The nighttime temps were so cool that I had to pull another blanket on my bed and turn off my fan last night. So, we expect this more normal pattern to continue into next week and we're more than happy with it - lots better than mid to high 90s!

I love the block you've chosen - the colors go together so beautifully! Good choice of fabrics and, of course, always meticulous piecing.

I've got my DD's alterations to worry about now - and I've got to find some notions to do another small request from DD to close up her blouse front so the cleavage is covered. The fabric is so lightweight that it will be hard to sew anything on it - I'm wishing I had some velcro tabs to use instead. So, I'll be looking. Maybe go over to Joann's for a quick look.

We had a technician here today to assess what is wrong with our fridge which keeps freezing veggies. After clearing out items, he told us that the vents were being blocked, so the air couldn't circulate properly. So, now it's supposed to work correctly after the fridge contents were re-apportioned - and lots thrown out too. But he was a really nice guy and charged us the bare minimum fee.

DD will be coming back again for another fitting - with wearing the bra she intends to use under the garment. (She's going to a wedding - a pretty fancy one - so she's worried about her outfit.)

Stay well and enjoy your projects. I need to finish the other pillow cover too - it's cut out - but I'll sew it together today.

[cj59]

Hi busybee - Hope you are doing well today. Is it cooler there? It's very hot here, with high heat indexes for the next several days.

Glad you were able to get your refrigerator checked out and I hope it works better now. Hope everything goes well with your DD's fitting and that she has a good time at the wedding. I've never been to a fancy wedding.

I've been working this weekend on my Rainbow Scrap Challenge monthly blocks. I decided to go ahead and do another color (orange) with the aqua. I think there is still pink to do too, I should have done that one too! Maybe I still will do it this month. I'm going to need to figure out what I'm doing with these blocks too. I was so focused on just using all the different scraps that I didn't have a plan for how to put them in a quilt

Take care

[busybee]

Hi CJ: It was in the high 80s yesterday - which is too hot for me. It will be as hot today as well. In some areas south of the city core yesterday, it reached 100. The a/c units were blasting away and all the fans. I managed to put in a load of laundry and also cooked a meal, using an oven. Then, the terrible news from the rally in PA broke and I was "finished" for the day. Tragic outcome for bystanders and the former POTUS, though he escaped with a light injury.

I couldn't sleep last night, tossing and turning - with my mind full of worry and fear about the future - but I got up today - and now I await my DD's visit later this afternoon. She's real good at calming me down though - when she's truly concerned for my well-being.

We'll finalize the first fitting of the sleeveless top she wants to wear. And the reason our DD is invited to this wedding is because she taught the bride when she was a grade school child, in the 5th and 6th grades in an exclusive Eastside neighborhood. DD became acquainted with the family because they lived so close to the school. And often, that home was a haven for her in difficult times. The mother of the bride has remained a firm friend ever since. The bride is marrying a "Nordstrom," of the retail store fame. The Nordstroms started their chain of stores with one store in the Seattle area long ago. And from time to time, ordinary people would meet some member of that family - through school, sports, or other endeavors. It's a well-known name around Seattle for obvious reasons. Evidently the wedding will be at a lake front estate - not owned by the bride's family though. So, our DD is a bit nervous at being dressed appropriately. She's a large buxom woman and not easy to fit or dress.

And actually, I had a pretty large wedding too - and so did our DD. It was the custom among my family's friends, when I married, to have large lavish weddings, especially among ethnic groups - like the Croatians. Our DD's wedding was not as large as mine was. I re-designed my designer wedding gown for her - adding an Alencon lace bodice and long sleeves. It took me 3 months to hand-apply the lace.

I'm thankful I have leftovers for dinner tonight. It's as hot today as yesterday!

Stay well and enjoy your projects.

[cj59]

Hi busybee - Sorry that you are still dealing with the heat out there, hope it cools down soon. It's very hot here with warning that feels like temperatures will be over 100 for a few days. I'm glad you are not having to cook that much.

The shooting was a terrible thing, no matter how anyone feels about him. And such a tragedy for the man that died and the other wounded. It's sad how much violence is in our country.

I think we have Nordstroms stores in the Washington, D.C. area, how interesting to hear your connection to the family. I bet your DD's wedding dress was beautiful with your redesign.

I didn't get back to my Rainbow Scrap blocks yesterday and probably won't today. I do have several blocks ready to sew together so I hope to get them done over the next few days.

I went out earlier to take care of some business and I bought some new lettuce and had my BLT this afternoon, it was good. I wished I could have had it on white bread, but I've been trying to eat 100% whole wheat bread now, and it was still good. But I miss my white bread

I haven't wanted to say anything about the house sale until things were settled from all the additional problems (had to do two settlements because of problems with one, had to get extra papers notarized and signed, had to install a new doorknob lock, etc.) I've been dealing with over the last month - but the house is finally sold!!!! I finished up everything last week, so I'm no longer a home owner. It's a relief to be done with dealing with the house buying company and the settlement companies but it is kind of strange not to own a home. I'm sure things will work out for the best, I knew it was past time to move out of my house.

It feels kind of anti-climatic to be done with everything since my anxiety level has been so high for about 8 months. I'm hoping in the next few weeks I can finally settle down from all of that and get to relax better. I've been waking up early for several weeks, but still going to bed late and sometimes not being able to fall asleep, so I hope that gets better.

Thanks for all your support along the way with my house selling woes, I really appreciate it

[busybee]

Dear CJ: What great news that you've finally sold your house. I'm so happy for you, and that at least, you don't have that hanging over your head anymore. No more worries about leaking roofs, cooling devices, property boundaries, constant upkeep and repairs, etc... I share your relief at having that over and done with. Enjoy the freedom - and look forward to the future. 

Weather is a bit cooler today in the high 70s and lowest 80s. Yesterday, it got into the high 80s and you know that's not comfortable for me - with all the cooling devices blasting away. But it got cooler earlier last night, so we could turn off the a/c and open the doors & windows. And I slept so well - just loved it. (And I blacked out any more news about the tragic event in PA and the responses. I'm continuing that policy until everything settles down.)

The heat wave that you and the East Coast and elsewhere is experiencing is troublesome and uncomfortable, especially if you have to drive anywhere. Hope you can stay at home during the duration.

I would absolutely love a BLT on white bread - Mmmmm - the best. But, I don't allow myself that luxury very often either. We eat mostly more fibrous bread too - I get so tired of it. I'm putting in a grocery order today, as I'm ordering more often and keeping the order more manageable - especially for storage.

The "fitting" for my DD went well yesterday. I was relieved that DD did NOT bring the little dog that she's currently dog-sitting. Her neighbor offered to dog sit so DD could come over here without stressing me out. She would have had to hold the dog in her lap - and trying to "fit" her would have been impossible. (Too dangerous for this tiny dog to be let "loose," in our home - as our housecleaners haven't been here for 3 weeks and I can't guarantee that the floors are free of dangerous things for the dog to possibly consume.)

Well, the "Nordstrom" connection is with the bride's family - NOT ours! LOL Though I did purchase my designer wedding gown in 1962 from Nordstrom! Anyway, DD is rightfully nervous about her wedding outfit! I found my pearl earrings for her to wear with her outfit, and she was grateful to have them. I loved seeing them on her.

Okay - on to my grocery order. And stay cool and inside!

[cj59]

Hi busybee - Hope you are doing well and the weather is getting a bit cooler. It was over 100 degrees here yesterday. There is only one more hot day today and then it's going into the 80s the rest of the week.

I'm glad the fitting with your DD went well and hopefully she will enjoy wearing her dress to the wedding. I agree with you on the white bread, I miss it. I "allow" myself to buy one loaf a year and then I use it to make all the things I like to have with it.

I made a small recipe of scones today - it just made 2 - and they turned out good. This was a recipe from a british baker, so I had to convert it to US measurements.

I've had my fabric pieces out by my sewing machine for a few days to finish up some hollow 9 patch blocks, I'm hoping I'll get to them today, but I need to do some house cleaning first. Yesterday I went out for more business errands like I did on Monday. Hopefully I have a break from them for a bit.

The new Moda Blockheads block came out today and it's another foundation paper pieced, so I won't be doing it. Next week is the last one and I just need one more block, so I hope that one is a pieced block. If not, I have one other block I didn't make since January and I can make it. Here's a link to the YouTube on this block, they haven't posted on their website yet:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=628zAxrCEQI

Take care

[busybee]

Hi CJ: It's another hot day out here "for us," in the high 80s. But I'm glad that you'll be rid of the 100s very soon. We wouldn't be able to stay in this house at those temps. Anything over 90 starts getting very hard to keep cool here.

I've been working on my household accounts AND on the phone with an Apple technician to help me figure out why I can't send text messages to my DS and DDIL from my laptop. I have no problem sending to them from my iPhone - just the laptop. We were on the phone for over an hour until I just got too tired.

That's where I am right now - tired, hot, and hungry. And tomorrow the cleaning ladies come - first time in a month! So, lots of clearing of table tops and removing clutter today.

And haven't even begun the alteration ripping and sewing.

Just wishing for cooler weather for everyone.

[cj59]

Hi busybee - I'm sorry you are still having that hot weather, I sure hope it cools down for you soon. I'm so thankful I'm not still in my old house this summer, it would have been miserable dealing with the lack of AC there.

I hope you can get the problem with your texting from the laptop worked out. I like technology, but it's so frustrating when it doesn't work right.

Hope the cleaners came to your house and you are enjoying a nice clean house

I finished up my cleaning yesterday and today, so it's nice to have that done until next week. Since I finished the cleaning I'm able to focus on my quilting today. I did get some quilting done. I finished making the Rainbow Scrap blocks and I cut the strips for the borders for my Moda Blockheads quilt and I'm going to get them sewn together today. There is only one block left to make for the quilt top to be put together, so I like to be ready with the borders.

I bought some new fabric that I want to use to make a quilt top with just hourglass blocks. I saw a picture of one like that and I really liked it so I'm going to make one that will look a bit like it - it only uses two fabrics. So maybe I'll start on that one next.

My Temperature quilt can be updated tomorrow with another week.

Hope you'll be able to get back to your quilt before too much longer. Take care

[cj59]

Hi busybee - Hope you are doing well. Is the weather any cooler there? We've had two days in the 80s which has been nice. Yesterday was very humid, but it's a lot drier today.

I went out earlier to run some errands and pick up some groceries. So I'm glad I won't have to go out this weekend and maybe no errands for next week either.

I had bought some fabric from Fat Quarter Shop and it arrived yesterday. I want to make this quilt (so I purchased all the same fabrics for the yellow/orange version:

www.robertkaufman.com/quilting/quilts_patterns/luminescent/

I also bought some other fabrics that I might use for the hour glass quilt, I'm not sure now. And I bought one kit that had all the fabrics in it:

www.fatquartershop.com/jelly-jam-afternoon-tea-quilt-kit

This looks like it will be an easy quilt to make and also the pattern would be easy for other leftover fabric collection fabrics. I might start on this one next.

And I bought a Christmas pattern book for 3 yard quilts:

www.fatquartershop.com/quick-christmas-3-yard-quilts-booklet-fabric-cafe

I bought all this with a gift card I had that was from a refund when I closed my internet/cable account when I moved out of my house, so this was a treat for myself.

Take care and have a good weekend!

[busybee]

Hi CJ: Yesterday was in the higher 80s - but with our a/c and fans, it was livable. Our cleaning ladies were surprised how cool it was when they arrived at 11am. But by the time they were finished, actually before, we had to turn on the a/c units. And by evening - always dinner time for us which is about 7:30 to 8 - it gets really hot - or at least, I do - because I've been cooking, etc... But nothing fancy - just simple stove top foods: sausage, beans, and corn on the cob. I had fixed myself a big crunchy fresh salad for lunch!

And this weekend is predicted to be our hottest days of all - into the 90s. So, not looking forward to that.

Your shopping spree sure sounds like "fun." Good for you! I've never bought any quilting kit of any kind - only some jelly rolls once and never will do that ever again. Anyway, I'm glad you treated yourself - sounds like lots of fun ahead for you.

Today, we take Molly to the Vet. She'll get a shot and an exam and some matted fur removed.

And I'll be picking up a rotisserie chicken for dinner and for the next 2 days.

Also must work on my DD's top for her wedding outfit.

Stay cool and enjoy all those new fabrics and projects.

[cj59]

Hi busybee - Hope you are hanging in there with the heat and staying as cool as possible in your house. I'm glad you have some food to make easy meals.

I hope Molly has recovered from her vet visit, or is she a good patient? Did your DH put up the catio this year, or does it stay up all the time?

I've spent some time today trying to figure out a fabric combination for the Meadow Mist Marble Mystery quilt along. I have a few selections that I like but when I've colored them out on the coloring sheet she provided, I'm just not that happy with them. I really like one version she provided that has deep orange/rust and lighter orange with a soft pink/peach background. I really don't want to spend more money on fabric, but I'm thinking about going to JoAnn's to see if I like any fabrics there.

I also pressed and starched some fabrics to make 49 hour glass blocks that will measure 5 inches unfinished. I'm going to lay them out in 7x7 rows and get that sewn together. I found a method on a blog that I really like and they go together really quickly. I hope I can finish that tomorrow maybe.

Take care

[busybee]

Hi CJ: Got up to 87 - or close to. A cooldown is expected to begin tomorrow and then continue in the 70s all through next week.

I attended a get-together today - sort of a last minute decision. It was a district picnic held not far from our home. It was the first public event I've attended since Covid began. DH drove me and set up my portable chair in a shaded spot, and my rollator. (He came back to pick me up too.)  And, though it was a hot afternoon, the picnic enclosure had a roof that provided shade, and a cooling breeze kept it more than bearable. And it was wonderful to see and visit with so many of my former colleagues. Picnic foods were served and many local electeds gave speeches. But I didn't have to do much walking around - my friends came over to me - with warm hugs and delight at seeing me "finally." I told them that I was "old," but not dead "yet."

So, I had to get up earlier than usual - to get ready to even leave by 12:30 - arriving just before 1pm. So glad that I went.

Otherwise, no progress made with the alteration or the quilt. But you're making good progress with your new projects. Isn't it always true that we seem to usually need another fabric to complete the color scheme. Hope you found what you needed.

We still have more rotisserie chicken for our dinner tonight and corn on the cob. I made Cole slaw last night so have enough for tonight. 

Stay cool and enjoy your projects.

[cj59]

Hi busybee - I'm glad to hear it's finally going to get cooler there for you. Hope your house will cool off too.

How nice that you were able to go to that get together and visit with your former colleagues, it sounds like it was a good time for you

I decided to put away the fabrics I'd pulled for the Marble Mystery quilt along. I can tell when I get to a point that I can't pick the fabrics that it's time to put those away. I just didn't like how they would fit into the pattern. So I'll see what I find at JoAnns when I go there and maybe I can find others that I'll like. If not, then I guess it means I need to pass on that quilt along.

I did get all my hourglass blocks finished today - pieced, pressed and trimmed. They are ready to be sewn together in my quilt top layout and I hope I can get that done by tomorrow. I started strong this morning and then got sidetracked with other things so I'm not sure I'll get back to them today.

Take care

[busybee]

Hi CJ: It is cooler today - getting up to 80, though, right now. It was cloudy all morning and still is sort of overcast. No a/c here in the FR but we have it turned on in the bedroom wing, and fans. At least, it's not the high 80s, pushing 90. The heat has moved into the Eastern part of the state (where it belongs) - into triple digits - and a huge fire danger - with some fires already underway. But so far, our air quality has not been affected because the winds are going eastward.

Well, today has been taken up with a lot of texting between family and friends re: the announcement by our president to step down. It was not "unexpected," though I, for one, feel very sad. So, on to a new candidacy and my being "re-energized" and hopeful for the future.

I've just finished the usual gathering of recycle and trash for pickup tomorrow. And I'm going to watch a baseball game right now.

Sorry to hear that you're still undecided about the fabrics you've chosen, but I agree that sometimes it's best to put it away for a while - and hope for success at Joann's.

Stay well and hope your heat is lessening too.

[cj59]

Hi busybee - I hope you'll get a cool down soon. It's back in the 80s here today but humid with scattered showers.

It is a strange time in our country as far as politics go, in my opinion. I just hope for the best for our country whatever happens.

I finished the hourglass quilt top today and it measures 32x32 and will be a nice table topper. I had fabric to go ahead and make the binding too, so I did that. I'll just have to figure out how to finish this one. I might just do the wave stitch and machine quilt it. I like that stitch.

I hope you'll be able to get back to your quilt soon. Take care

[busybee]

Hi CJ: I wrote a post last night and it disappeared into the nether world. I'll try again - it was much cooler yesterday, never even getting up to 70, with overcast skies. Evidently we are getting some high altitude smoke from fires in Oregon - but our air quality was not affected. Today, it's a bit warmer - into the 70s and the skies are bluer, and we have a nice breeze.

I worked on my DD's dressy sleeveless top yesterday - taking it apart and hand-basting in the dart. The top is very high quality - has 2 silky linings - one hangs free and the other is fitted. I had to take apart both of them at the armhole before I could take in the dart. It was tedious work and very hard to see - white on white is always difficult - and it reminded me of making her wedding gown and the Alencon lace I hand-stitched to the bodice - took 3 months and I went "*color-blind." Friends had to come help me finish the stitching. *I couldn't see one white stitch from another, or from the backing, which was silk.

I'm hoping that DD will come over soon for a fitting. But, I also have an appointment tomorrow at the UW Dental School Periodontal Clinic - so tomorrow won't work for getting together with her. She just got back from her vacation trip to Bend, Oregon with a friend.

And - because I'm really so concerned about our country - I am not afraid to state that any concerned citizen who values our Democracy must be aware and informed about the potential dangers ahead should the opposition gain power. All citizens must do the research and be aware of these dangers and not succumb to misinformation. "N'uf said!l"

As to my quilt project, I'm doing the research and looking for patterns to create a narrow border around the inner medallion-type quilt center. I'm thinking of flying geese, or multi-colored hourglass blocks (or half-square triangles) - maybe 3 or 4" wide. I'm doing this because I can't get those inner blocks to sync with the next row of blocks. So, a small border would interrupt the pattern and, at least, not be so annoying to me. I'm hoping I can use some of my 2-1/2" strips, especially to create some hour glass blocks, or half-square triangles. I'm going to try using those strips today and see how it looks. Do you have any suggestions - since you've just finished an hour glass quilt. Especially - to make a lot of them at once.

So glad you finished your hour glass block table topper quilt - and doing your own machine-quilting too. What a long way you've come from those days long ago when you couldn't imagine doing any machine-quilting. Bravo!

Stay well and enjoy your projects.

[cj59]

Hi busybee - I'm glad it's getting cooler for you there.

I hope you can get your DD's dress finished soon, I can imagine how difficult those types of alterations are.

This is the method I used to make the hourglass blocks for the top I just finished. I liked this method because it was half of the old way and half of the new way (using half square triangles). It looks like the smallest size she has instructions for uses a 4 inch piece of fabric so it might not work for you. Whatever size fabric you start with your hourglass blocks will be one inch smaller after trimming. I started with 6 inch squares of fabric and trimmed all my blocks to 5 inches (which is unfinished), so they'd be 4.5 inches finished.

cluckclucksew.com/2020/10/an-hourglass-pattern-and-an-hourglass-a-day.html

I thought this method went really quickly since it was a lot of chain piecing. But a know a lot of quilters use the method of making half square triangles and then placing two of them together and drawing a diagonal line on the back and sewing on both sides, and then cutting in half. Here's a tutorial on those and she has a table that makes smaller size blocks:

www.scrapish.com/hourglass-quilt-block.html

I went to JoAnn's today and to a quilt shop nearby. I did find some fabrics that I can use for the mystery quilt along, I just need to decide on one of them. The quilt shop had a lot of fabrics and I bought some there, but I still didn't find one theme fabric I've been looking for.

I was sad to see the fabric selection in JoAnns, there was almost no fabric and it was all in just one aisle. This is a different store than I used to go to, and I'd say the old store I went to had 3 or 4 times as much fabric. I do wonder if JoAnns are eventually going to close and just be online only. I'll miss them if they go, because I like a lot of their fabrics.

Take care

[cj59]

Hi busybee - Hope you are doing well today and the weather is staying cooler. It's in the 80s and humid here today, with some showers possible.

I did find the basic fabrics I want to use for the Marble Mystery, I'm just undecided on one fabric - I'll either use the one with the bright checkered boxes or the one with the mountain fabric. I've put some pictures below. I also put a picture of some pretty Winter bird fabric I found. I think it would be pretty to cut out a piece to look like a panel and then put a border around it. Finally I've put the picture of my hourglass quilt top that I finished. I've put it with my other quilt tops for right now and hope to finish it later.

The final Moda Blockheads 5 block came out today - block #30. I've figured out my colors, so I hope to get it made in a few days and maybe get the quilt top together by this weekend.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw_k_w49u6A&t=2s











Take care

[cj59]

Hi busybee - Hope you are doing well and the weather isn't bad. It was cloudy here today with showers.

I finished my Moda Blockheads 5 last block today and I went ahead and put the quilt top together. I had already had the first four rows joined, so I just had to put on the last row and the borders (which I'd already made). I'm happy with the quilt top and it was a fun quilt along. The only thing that bothers me a bit is that it's a square quilt, but I really didn't want to make 5 more blocks to make it a rectangle. And the top is already 78x78 and with another row it would have been 78x93 - really big! So it's done with just 25 blocks.

I'm not sure what I'll work on next. I found this bag of scraps from several quilt alongs I did late last year when I just didn't feel like cutting them all up. I might make that my project next so I can keep the scraps from getting out of control again. I did make a bunch of 9 patch blocks from the leftover scraps from the Moda quilt.

I also need to update my Temperature quilt. Hope to get that done this week.

Hope you get time to work on your quilt too. Take care

[busybee]

Hi CJ: Our weather continues to be mild this week - in the low to mid 70s - sometimes cloudy, sometimes clear - good air quality - and actually quite pleasant all around. Lots of fires and extremely high temperatures in Eastern WA state though, but the prevailing Westerly winds continue to keep the smoke away from our region "so far." However, that could change.

Your quilting tops are gorgeous - the last red, white, and blue one is simply stunning. Love your choice of fabrics. Bravo to you!

DD came over on Tuesday for a final fitting of the basted top - and it fit perfectly. But I haven't sewn it yet, which will be tricky and I need full concentration to do that.

Yesterday, was my dental appt. at UW Dental Clinics, and it was quite an ordeal. Though the parking and entry went much smoother - and I didn't have to walk and walk like I did the time before. It was the procedure used to identify the buildup of plaque on each and every tooth, front and back - with a sharp instrument - no novocaine! Hmmm - I hadn't had that procedure done since 2015 - and it was painful - but I endured. It took over an hour - and I was at the clinic from 2 to 4:30pm. So, I had soup when we returned & I made some creamed tuna for my dinner. And I'm rinsing my mouth with warm salt water. I'm better today.

Then, we had some legal work to attend to - and finalizing the documents is finished on our end, and we are waiting for signing at our attorney's offices when all is ready. 

I've also been toying around with sewing a narrow border around the middle of the Magic Quilt. First I though of HSTs, then, Sawtooth blocks - but now I'm thinking of Flying Geese blocks, finished size 2" x 4" and I can use my 2-1/2" strips. 

You're lucky to have some rain showers - we have had none for this whole month - but we may have a sprinkle or two by next week. Stay well.