Never enough time!

I started blogging as a way to motivate myself and to reassure myself that I do get things finished. Sometimes it feels like I am just standing still and everyone else is zipping by at lightning speed. This past month has been one of those times. It's not that I'm not doing anything, but what I'm doing is pretty mundane and doesn't really excite me let alone anyone who would want to read my blog.

I'm trying to minimize so that I have fewer times when I have to do those mundane chores. Paring down and getting rid of things and storing what I have more efficiently so it is easier to utilize. It all sounds good when I put it in writing but not as easy when it comes time to follow through. My scrapbook stuff is next on my list. I have many scrapbooks in my head right now and hope to one day make them real and not just virtual.

In between I have been working on my Pick a Peck of Posies Quilt top by Susan Perry. I am almost finished with month 8. I have the flowers for the basket finished I just need to trim it up to the correct size. It will be 36" x 52" when I cut off the excess. I think I will go on and make the basket and than trim them both at the same time. I think my folding cutting table will be just big enough for this project.

I also have two of the corner squares finished. I bought this quite a few years ago as a quilt of the month project. I mentioned in a previous post that I had completed the first square and it was at least a full inch smaller than it should have been. This is part of my paring down process. Finishing old projects if they still appeal to me, or giving them to someone else if they don't. This one became a challenge and I wanted to see if I could do it now that I know a little more about quilting. I'm enjoying the satisfaction when they turn out the way they are supposed to and finding I really like this. I admire anyone who can create a pattern like this AND explain it so that people like me can actually make it too.

My catalog is now ready to try some of Maggie Grey's techniques. It will be something new for me. I really admire her work. You can learn more about catalogue killing on her blog called Magstitch. I have a link to her blog on my sidebar, just look for the posts titled catalogue killing. I'm ready for disinfectant and a wire brush.

I've been trying to spread my yard work out since it is so hard on my knee but I do love the summer flowers. I try to add a new bit of whimsy to my garden each year. One thing I added this year is a book with a quote by Emerson.

And here is one of my favorite flowers. (The photo at the top of the blog was taking while geocaching with my family when they came to visit.)Have a creative day! janet

This, that and the other thing

I've been bouncing around from one project to another lately.  You know what.  That's when I'm happiest.  I love variety, especially when it comes to sewing and quilting.  

I've also been working on my yard.  The front is weeded and the flowers are in the pots.  The back, well that's another weeks work.  I love my daisies but if I don't catch them early enough and pull a few they take over everywhere and than I don't have the heart to pull them until they stop blooming.  This is a photo of my smallest flower bed after I pulled out half the daisies.   They really will take over all the other flowers if I let them and it almost happened this year.  The other flowers are there, they are just short still. I was late to start my yard work.  There is a second flower bed in the front yard with bird feeders and a little arbor.  It's weeded but has too many daisies also.  This week I need to work on the backyard but cautiously.  I ended up with weed pullers syndrome from the front yard.  

I've been making lot's of sampler blocks.  The learningfa yahoo group has been giving out instructions for making them a few at a time.  I decided they would make excellent small quilts for me to practice quilting with my longarm.  I almost have two sets of nine for two small lap quilts.  I've just been using scraps that I have.  I may change the one that doesn't have any blue, since all the rest in that set ended up with blues.  I'm looking forward to quilting the block in the middle with the big open area.  

The second set is more browns and tans.  

I've also pulled out something I started years ago before I really knew much about quilting.  You can probably see the squares aren't square.  I've decided I'm ready to let it be imprecise and I will square it up and put it together so we can use it.  I don't really see any benefit for myself trying to rip a bunch of it apart to fix it.  It's just intended for myself and I can enjoy it just the way it is.  This is called Rachel's Flower Garden.  It was a block of the month.

I've also been finishing up some landscape postcards for the Valerie Hearder landscape group.  I pushed myself a little with these ones.  But can't show them yet.  They should be in the mail tomorrow or Tuesday and once they arrive I'll post photos.  I've been receiving postcards lately that I haven't had a chance to add to my photos yet.  Hopefully later this week I will get that done as well. Have a creative day. Janet