Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Increasing Lakes & Islands


18 blocks with Lakes



15 blocks with Islands



11 blocks of Fields

That's what have accumulated up to this last day of May.  I'm expecting a few more in the mail.  And then the arranging and rearranging will start in order to make a TOP out of them.  A good project for JUNE.

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Meanwhile the chives are blooming in the herb garden, and there are a few annuals to plant, alysium and impatiens.



The wild phlox are in full bloom on the hill down to the lake.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Vegetable garden bed being built
Picnic on our deck with new neighbors yesterday
Every where there is lush green, green, green

Saturday, May 21, 2011

LRR, Round 2 finished


Got this done very quickly because:
1) the Initial Block was sitting out where I could see it, and
2) the spikey triangles block was all done in my Orphan box. and
3) the red/white HSTs were bonuses from a Bonnie Hunter mystery last year.

Do you think the large paisley print helps tone it down?

Next Round will be assigned in June sometime.

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Womens' Chorus technical rehearsal last evening had us on our feet for two hours with a couple of short breaks.  My feet and knees were/are suffering arthritis pain.  I hope I will be able to sit down tonight while our visiting artists are performing, usually we stay standing on the risers.  I'm sure I will make it through the concert, but enjoying the reception may not be possible.

Sara

Gratitudes:

The music is challenging and fun
"End of the World" around here consists of the first mosquito hatch
Green, green, green all around us

Friday, May 20, 2011

Liberated Round Robin, Step 2

The instructions were out today to "add Triangles".  So I am trying out some "spikes" that were in my orphan box.


And I am trying different black, or gray, or white, or red strips before the spikes.  Lots to think about.

Sara

Gratitudes:

I mowed the labyrinth between rains
My feet survived the Chorus's tech rehearsal tonight, barely
Have my part of the reception food ready

Thursday, May 19, 2011

More Lakes and Islands


From Sandy, five blocks and three extra islands!


From Cindy five blocks, and WOW look at that eNORmous island!

And for Spoolspinners' Bee this evening, more Fireworks blocks:


Seemed like we should have some 3.5" to fit between/among the 6.5" blocks.

Sara

Gratitudes:

A plan has evolved for a vegetable garden
Survived exercise class today
Soup and strawberry shortcake for dinner

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Liberated Round Robin start

I've joined the Liberated Round Robin and we need to be choosing/preparing our beginning block.
Once I looked in my Orphan Block Box and decided to use up some red/white/black blocks in this project, this block jumped out as a starting point:


Lovely Hershey kisses fabric, isn't it? A perfectly fine Shoo-Fly block. But a little SIMPLE since it was 12.5 inches square.  You can barely see that I began slicing it up.  I inserted black strips as if making an "asterisk" or "fireworks" block.


I decided to cut a little off-center, and one of the strips was created by ripping off a wedge to straighten a piece of fabric.  Oh well, just used the wedge.  And all this somehow made the block 12.25 inches square.  Hmm, rather odd.

 There, I've got the start of the Round Robin.  Next instruction in a week.  [We are not going to pass this around, but do all the borders/additions ourselves.  No mailing.]


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And in the Progress of Spring department, we have three Redbuds on the left side of the hill down to the lake.


And we have some new anemones:



And the first iris:


Sara

Gratitudes:

Lots of Scouts came to pull garlic mustard at Peace Park
Labyrinth mowed before last night's rain
Roasted parsnips & new potatoes

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Lakes & Islands, coming in!

I have been getting some FUN fat envelopes in the mail - blocks for my Lakes & Islands quilt from the members of the SCRAP bee [15 Minutes of Play blog].


The three above from Glen, along with an extra Island.


These five from Beebee in Baton Rouge.



And these two from Victoria in NYC.


Meanwhile, spring is continuing to develop in western Michigan:
peonies sprouting next to the late daffodils,


Juneberry, also called serviceberry, blooming,



two kinds of trilium in the woods [the one in front has inconspicuous flowers],



and the saucer or tulip magnolia in full bloom.



Sara

Gratitudes:

Gardening helpers
UNeventful doctor visit
Re-reading favorite books

Wednesday, May 4, 2011