Back from Mediterranean

Here are a few highlights from our trip.

The front of the Duomo [cathedral] in Florence, decorated with many shades of marble.

The Bridge of Angels, statues by Bernini across the Tiber River in Rome.

View of Greek theater from the Acropolis in Athens.

Lion Gate to the ancient city of Mycenae [lions are carved in the triangle over the opening].

Wine tasting on the edge of the volcanic caldera of the Island of Santorini.


I came down with throat crud on the third day, sore throat and coughing, and still have it.  Slowed me down some on the excursions.  But what a lot of fabulous sites we saw!

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Now I am catching up on the mail, etc.

Today I finished two Scrap Bee blocks for Melinda.  She asked for any style of STAR made of scraps in a particular color. So here's a wonky 8 pointed yellow star and an orange wonky Friendship Star.







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Taking my sore throat to Women's Chorus rehearsal tonight to LISTEN, not sing or breathe on anyone.


Sara

Gratitudes:

All the travel connections went smoothly
Lost a half a pound!!!
Wonderful memories

SCRAP Bee for October

Got to work and finished the October blocks for an internet Bee today, a little early, but wanted to get them off my list of things to do.  This is a fun way to make a Liberated Fan half-block.  I don't know if the recipient is going to add a background for the other half-triangle or sew two of these together.

I also sent three baby quilts to the Guild meeting for our hospital's Neonatal Unit.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Charlie left me to sleep in late this morning
Detroit Tigers are on a fantastic hitting streak
Kindle books can now be downloaded from the public library

SCRAP Bee for September

Green block for Victoria's collection in September of green BOM blocks for a quilt for a homeless family.

Dark block is another for Victoria.  She sent out scraps from camouflage uniforms to be used with our own "made from scraps" fabric.  Now that they are both finished, I can send them to her in one envelope.

Sara

Gratitudes:
Managed to walk continuously for 43 minutes today!
Trekking poles help.
Roasting butternut squash pieces with chicken and onions

SCRAP Bee for August

I got to work yesterday and cut out hearts for the SCRAP Bee. In this Bee we must start with "made" fabric.  So the hearts are cut out from the "made" fabric.

 I zig-zagged them down onto the pieces of red and pink fabric that were provided for the background.  I then put them in an envelope and addressed it.  I set the envelope on the kitchen counter to mail the next day or two.

Then I went to my computer and read the post by Victoria and looked at HER hearts in the photo.

Hmm, she only used red and pink fabrics for  HER hearts. . . . .  Was that what I was supposed to do too?  Maybe I had better go and read the original instructions which came out a while  ago.  Oh, no!  She did say "Use your red and pink fabrics"!  Guess that didn't stick in my memory.

So how do I preserve the background fabrics ?  Think, think, think.....

Oh, yes.... REVERSE applique.

I cut CAREFULLY around the "wrong" hearts.  I made a bigger piece of made red & pink fabric and put it UNDER the hole.  Then I did the zig-zag thing again.

All fixed.  Even made a couple small ones.

Back in the envelope.

Ready to mail tomorrow.

Whew!  Glad I caught that error before I mailed them out!

Sara

Gratitudes:

Beautiful summer day, only up to about 80 degrees.

Dinner was fish Marti caught in our own lake

The four of us went to performance of HONK 

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

Lakes and Islands

I am asking my fellow member of the 15 Minute SCRAP Bee to make these blocks for me.  First they construct the green blocks form scraps and then they use the "water" fabric I sent them to make them into "Lake" and "Island" blocks.  I'm imagining this to be an airplane's view of the vacation lands of Minnesota, where I grew up,  and Michigan where I am now living.  I plan to put the Island blocks together into a great big lake in the middle of farm/forest lands.  Sort of like Lake Michigan.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Again survived the eye injection
Nap afterwards means I can get up early for THE Wedding
Great purchased lasagna for dinner [dear Charlie heated it up]

Red blocks with a white slash

Made these for the April SCRAP Bee collection.  A requirement of this Bee is that you start with "made" fabric.
And I get to design and receive the blocks for May -- so I am trying out some ideas, starting with these:

Tomorrow I'm going to cut into them. . . . wait and see!

Sara

Gratitudes:

Snow on Monday melted the same day
Baked sweet potato part of dinner
Afternoon nap

Shades of White

I am part of the "15 Minute Play" blog and the SCRAP Bee that is a sub-group there.  Our instruction for March is to make 5.5" blocks of fabric in "shades of white".  We are allowed muslin tones as well, and there can be tiny drops of color.

I found that I don't have very much white-white any more, other than solid.  Maybe I'll cut and add more white to these.

Sara

Gratitudes:

Three IBOL boxes on their way to Iraq
Tree trimmers came and cleared the view of the lake
Devon's quilt is boxed, ready to mail March 1