Blue Stay Centered blocks

This week Stay Centered saw the first blocks pieced--

A few of the light blue blocks are pretty light but I think they will be fine when put in the entire quilt.  Stay Centered is a free pattern you can find here. 

  

The design wall still has these blocks on it--

2Rs made these blocks--she has the book.   Yesterday I sewed the blocks into rows and today I pressed the seams.  I'm not taking them OFF the design wall until they are sewn together.

And I completed the first week of Double Irish Stars--

Its a free QAL and I LOVE the pattern.  

That's how my week has gone.  The camper is home, unpacked and mostly put away.  I had to sort/organize a bit in the sewing room to get to the design wall but there is a narrow goat path now.   

Lori1R in South Dakota

 

Friday

More wildlife photos!  A small Bull Snake.  They are a very aggressive species, he definitely was NOT happy at visiting the Visitor Center.  See the "S" shape he's in, ready to strike at us.  And strike he did--but he was just a small snake, maybe 14" long.  We were careful to stay out of reach, although not poisonous, they DO bite and the small teeth can break off in a wound. 

We released him behind the Visitor Center in the Native Prairie plant beds--

See how well he blends in with the dirt?  Bull Snakes eat anything they can, from insects to lizards, frogs & toads, mice/moles, and will climb in trees and bushes to raid bird nests for eggs and hatchlings.

The tomato plants are still blooming--

I don't think they will make tomatoes this year!

I opened my bargain jelly rolls--

Very happy with the mix of colors and patterns!  Yellow/greens to blues to teals to grass greens and purples.   No plan for them yet.  

Its been a gamut of fall weather.   From 30-40F to 89F with bright sun on Wednesday, then a cold front blew in from the north--almost blew us off the top of the hill!  Thursday was rain rain and more rain.  Cold and soggy.  I stayed in the camper ALL DAY!!  Summer is over, fall is here and it will be time to pack up the camper and head home.  Sigh  I LOVE summer!  

~Lori1R in Soggy Nebraska~

OMG - October and Stash Report

Time to pick an October OMG.  I need to finish binding Jelly Roll Twist quilt.  Its been waiting for six months.   Time to "Git R Done"!

I'm linking up with Elm Street Quilts for my October OMG. 

A few pictures from the Nebraska retreat--

Dee thought her car had lots of stuff in it.  Hey, she could still see out the back, enough room for more projects!

She started working on her Wedge project.  Umm, something wrong with this picture!  She switched to her L/E project--Beaded Lanterns.  

Another Oops!  The two neutrals were supposed to be on either side of the purple square!   Beaded Lanterns is a free pattern, be sure to check it out.  I plan to make one, I'm undecided on the background color.  Liz used a dark pink--

And Dee used a neutral (and her shower rod!)

Teresa used a dark blue--

I like their colors better than the gray.   My strips look very "bleah" with gray.  I ordered some colored backgrounds for possible choices--

Country solids were on sale at JoAnns 70% off, that made them $1.80@yd.  I bought 10 yards of light yellow, 6 yards of teal, and 5 yards of a very light teal/green.  There were 20 strip jelly rolls not far from the checkout, and I used a 50% off and a 40% off coupon--which make 40 batik strips $14.29.  A good price.  They are blues/greens/purples/yellows, I'm not sure where I will use them.  My updated stash report is--

Stash Report

Added this week--23.70 yds

Add YTD 182.5 yds

Out this week--0yds

Out YTD 199.65

I'm ahead 17.15 yards!

My OTT light was used at retreat--

When I sew dark strips on the black featherweight I need the OTT light.  It has four settings and a port for a USB cord to charge my phone/tablet.  There is no way to change the light bulb(?) so I guess you just use it until it dies!  We'll see how long that is.  

Saturday I sewed on Honeycomb--I finished the last 28 alternate blocks.  

There's not enough room in the camper to lay them all out, so they're packed away to wait for the design wall at home.  Sorta like an Irish Chain but not quite.  I think I will have to make another one of these, perhaps all greens or oranges or browns.  I'm linking to Monday Making, Oh Scrap, Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, and Moving it Forward.

More volunteering this week.  My only sewing might be binding, but progress is progress!  

~Lori1R in Nebraska~