A grave marker at Arlington National Cemetery. A mourner has placed flowers on the grave to honor the fallen servicemember.  This image or file is a work of a U.S. Air Force Airman or employee, taken or made during the course of the person's official duties.

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

I've made two 36 patch yellow blocks.  The other piece is a curtain for my camper.  The sun peeks through the blind above my head.  Now, if I'm getting UP its no problem.  If I'm sleeping IN, it is!  I will pin it to the padded valance with upholstery pins.  

Sunday I broke my favorite ruler.  It's been cracked for a long time--but today it fell off the shelf and its now in two pieces.

I seldom need a long ruler in the camper--and I told Henrietta I will use it anyway.  She gave me an "ear beating"  (I love that term!) and pointed out there are five more rulers this size at home--and two that are exactly the same as the broken one.  I consider myself lucky she is not here as I know she would have driven to the dumpster to throw it away!

Weekly Goals--

1. Make binding for Brown Urban Cabin
2. Sew more TATW together

 Summer is here and I hope everyone is enjoying it!

Relaxing on Sunday

Today is for relaxing and recovering.   I've volunteered the last 3 days, and it tired me out.   Thunderstorms and intermittent showers (downpours that last a few minutes) and tonight there may be heavier rain.   Watching birds at the feeder is relaxing--

Yellow Finch

 

Purple Finch

Gray Catbird

The finches love the feeders.  Often there are 4 finches on the sock, a couple at the feeder, and one waiting at the top of the sock.  My sock has a knot in the bottom--last year I hung it too low and the raccoons tore the end.  I am waiting for the deer to find the feeders--I'm sure they will think they're a snack served at eye level just for them.  The catbird was shy--I took these pictures while sitting at my table inside--and he just wouldn't move any closer!   In the evenings when I turn on the sprinkler birds gather to bathe and run under the water drops like kids on a hot day.  That's what attracted the catbird.  


My goals last week--

1. Load the Brown Urban Cabin--QUILTED!
2. Finish sewing rows on the TATW quilt--sewed some of the rows
3. Rainbow Scrap Challenge yellow blocks--Yes, and more to play with today

Wednesday afternoon I started quilting the Brown Urban Cabin, and it was going so well I didn't stop until it was done.  I didn't do a stash report this week,  there were no finishes and no purchases. 

A little sewing, a little sitting in the recliner reading, its going to be a great afternoon!

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

The Brown Urban Cabin is ready to quilt.    I think Henrietta will help me load it later.  We are having a few pains (her back and my toe) so taking Tylenol first is a must!   

Henrietta and I made 3 of these quilts.   We were only going to make two--each using a different choice in colors--but I  missed the step on making 10 blocks reversed.  I had already made all my blocks (this is where Henrietta and I differ in construction--I make all my blocks first and she pieces each block individually) and instead of ripping and resewing--I just made MORE blocks and had two tops.  Maybe reading the pattern several times might have caught this mistake--I think the pattern needs a huge RED STAR at that step.  The pattern is easy to make and I think they will make great Quilts of Valor.  Henrietta and I have been taking turns picking a pattern and then we each make one to compare color choices and construction methods.   Its a good learning experience for me.   

Check out Judy's blog to see whatever else is doing!

Weekly goals--

1. Load the Brown Urban Cabin
2. Finish sewing rows on the TATW quilt
3. Rainbow Scrap Challenge yellow block

That's enough--I volunteer a lot this weekend and next week.  The weather has been beautiful here--the kind of weather where you want to recline in a lawn chair and read.  

Sunday Stash Report

No finishes and I added to the stash this week.  22.5 yards.  I was looking for pink solid--and found two large remnants.  One yard pieces of some prints.  I am very low on tans to creams, and I found a few nice shirtings.  

In This Week--22.5 yards

In Year to Date--112 yards
Used This Week--0
Used Year to Date--79.75 yards

Stash is ahead--32.25 yards

See how everyone else is doing at Judy's blog.

Hazardous Job

I didn't know being a domestic goddess was so hazardous.  Last night I was putting away frozen veggies in the big upright freezer downstairs.  A roast fell from the top shelf onto my toe.  If I'd had my cell phone I would have called Ken!  Not that he could have DONE anything--but at least I would have had company.  Today it looks like this---

I'm sure the nail will fall off, and I'm wondering how I will wear shoes.  I'm soaking it and will look for open toe sandals.  I am going to sew on the TATW quilt today--maybe it was fate that I bought "Evelyn" last week---she has a knee control!

Motivation Friday

I've done a little sewing on the TATW quilt, maybe by Monday I will have the center of the top sewn together.  

Volunteering is keeping me busy.  Last week Wednesday all water flow was stopped from 6am until almost 4:30pm.  The Corps was using ground penetrating sonar to look below the concrete apron in front of the spillway gates.  No water flow exposed a large section of riverbed about 1/4 mile below the day.  I thought the river bottom would have lots of mud---but its all rock in this area.  Katie and I walked out as far as we could----

You can see the spillway gates of the dam in the background.  Where Katie is standing usually is the middle of the river.  In 1997 an island in the river channel was washed away--Katie is standing where it used to be.  

There are unusual things seen when the water went down.  Wagon wheels. old machinery.  The Missouri river channel changed as much as 10 miles either way before the dams were built.   High floods would make an entirely different channel.  Not far from shore there was a buffalo skull--along with other bones from the carcass.  I wonder when/why this animal died?  When the dam was built---there weren't buffalo here--so this find is from the early 1800's or earlier.  There were many buffalo skulls/bones exposed--but you aren't allowed to remove them.  Natural artifacts etc on federal lands.    But we could take pictures--

And there were many large mussels exposed.  Katie felt safe holding this one--some were as big as her head.

The river is a stop for many migrating birds.  Right now lots of white pelicans.  The adults of breeding/nesting age develop bumps on their beak.  These bumps fall off after nesting is over.  But I have never seen one with multiple bumps. 

I'm not sure what TWO bumps means.   There were lots of suggestions.  Maybe a bird expert out there will tell me. 

I've done my laundry and will head home for a few days.  I have some "other" sewing to do.  The cottonwood trees here are dropping their seeds--like small puffs of cotton--and I need to make a cover for my roof air from fine tulle.  Like a shower hat for it--keeps the cotton out but will let the air in.  Easy to take off and shake the fluff off.  I thought about measuring it--but its hot and I need to make sure someone is around when I climb up there--just in case I fall off!