I'm Still Here!!

Life is busy and my computer is on its last legs.  Not a virus, looks like a hardware issue, so I will have to shop for a replacement.  Drat--I LOVE my computer.  Took me 1.5 HOURS to open my email program today.  I will quickly post while I can.  

Lots of rain here in Yankton the last week.  4+ inches.  Last night it poured but the rain was short only .30".  Everything is washed clean and a nice breeze and sunshine.  Not hot enough I have to turn on the air--the windows are open and I'm am DISGUSTINGLY CHEERFUL!!!  Very little sewing done--I have been working on my YoYos in between other tasks.  

Over the weekend was "Honey Do" things.  Poor Ken--he had the weekend off and instead helped me.  We fixed a leaky water hose, sprayed my camper for bugs (the spray that lasts 12 months as I HATE spiders and this keeps them out), checked mouse traps and reset them, put the gas grill together again. Tulle cover over the air conditioner to keep it clean.   Organized and then the final vacuum.  DONE for now!!  Oh, there are things I've forgotten but I'm making my list.  A bucket--how could I forget a bucket?  

Pictures--the rangers are good about sending me pictures.  First I have Jeff catching his FIRST Paddlefish--

Jeff with 60# Paddlefish he released

Jeff and David had to go upriver a long ways (200) miles to another lake on the Missouri--not Paddlefish season here.  You apply for a Paddlefish tag just like you do a deer tag.  Jeff was really excited and having David to be his guide was great.  David loves the outdoors and knows all about hunting and fishing.  Jeff caught another one but it was the size you have to release.  It was getting late in the evening and they were about ready to quit for the day when WHAM--he snagged one!!  He said it was just like on TV when you can see the fish in the water as it got closer to the surface.  

See the big grin??  This one was 65# and when he got it in the boat he said "I'm done!!"  When Paddlefish snagging you can catch and release until you fill your tag.  They did some more regular fishing for Walleye.  

Paddlefish fillet vrs Walleye fillet!

David sent me a picture of a 30# carp he shot down below the Visitor Center--carp are an invasive species so you can fish or bow hunt them with no limit.   David recycles them in his garden as fertilizer.

We have four new seasonal rangers at the Visitor Center.  The Visitor Center has huge glass windows--birds often fly into them.  Here is Sarah with one she found--he was knocked silly but but recovered and flew away--probably with a very bad headache!

Tuesday was a special day--a blogging friend stopped while on vacation with her family.  

Katie and family from Zana's Ninis.  The day was extra special because it was Katie and James anniversary.  Happy Anniversary Katie and James!!  

Saturday Pat (she and her husband Randy are roving gate attendants) and I checked out a small quilt show downtown.  Not a large show--but some beautiful quilts in a lovely restored building.  GAR Hall (Grand Army of the Republic) built in 1887 and now used as a local art gallery. 

I can't remember his name--but he had some good looking legs!  He told me he lives down the block from this building and remembers pushing their baby stroller past it innumerable times.  He's now retired and volunteers.  He was knowledgeable and friendly and we very much enjoyed our visit.  Hopefully I can edit some of my photos (if my computer cooperates) and post pictures of the quilts (and Pat). 

I'm behind on my blog reading, a new computer will fix that.  Sometimes I can "read" blogs with no problems but the commenting is like pulling hen's teeth.   

I hope you're having a great start to your summer.  There are no flowers planted yet and no garden either.  Ken has suggested that I not plant a garden this year.  Maybe I will just try a few tomatoes in pots here at the camper.

Sunday Stash Report

Time to update my numbers.  This week I finished binding the Pink Beauty (sounds better than Pink Monster).  I also bought two yards of fabric.  So my new numbers are--

Stash In This Week--2 yards
Stash Out This Week--16 yards
Stash In YTD--67.5 yards
Stash Out YTD--83 yards

I'm Ahead--15.5 yards!!

Please see everyone's Stash Reports at Patchwork Times blog.

Its been windy and rainy/drizzly--the rain gauge here at the camper had 1.80" a few days ago.   Just enough rain to keep the grass wet until yesterday--the last few days have been lovely.  Cool enough at night to turn the heat on but warm and sunshine on Saturday.  Perfect camping weather, I hope it lasts all weekend--every campsite is rented in this area--and that's a LOT of campsites!  I will have to count--I know there are over 1600 campsites the last time I counted, and I think a few more might have been added.  That's Corps of Engineers, South Dakota State, Nebraska State, and Private campgrounds.  I am counting only the ones here in the Yankton area.  

Not a lot of sewing, I have worked on yoyos, and trimmed up some blocks.  I would like my yoyo quilt finished by the end of summer.  I have 22 blocks completely done, and 11 yoyo centers done.  When I have the outside row on the centers they will be done too.  Then its just setting the blocks together---I'm going with a diagonal setting--I found an antique quilts on the internet and I'm following that pattern--

A YoYo quilt is not a traditional type quilt.  There is no batting or backing.  Only the joined yoyos.  But--those yoyos use a lot of fabric--compacted into a small circle.  When mine is done--it will be king size and have used over 40 YARDS of fabric!   I love how I can pick it up and work on it--no directions to remember.  And it used a lot of my "unloved" 5" charms.  Unloved means butt ugly.  Once they are pulled up in a yoyo--you don't remember how ugly they had been!  I decided I would buy a yard of fabric to make the yoyo edge on a block (one block uses 20" of fabric for its edge).  The rest will be cut into 5" charms or whatever fits best.  A few noodle strips.  I saw a wonderful quilt to use charms and noodles  at Park Hill Farm Blog.  Vic changed the placement of lights and darks and a simple 9 patch and snowball quilt has such a new look!  I HAVE to try that! 

I've been working on cutting up small pieces of fabric that's been laying in the stash.  That's an on-going project--keeps the stash neat and the precut boxes get new life.  Rule of thumb for me is if there is less than 9" WOF it gets cut up.  I leave FQ's unless they have cuts out of them.  I only cut a few sizes--5" charms, 3.5 X 6.5" bricks (a Quiltville pattern) and 2.5" noodle strips.   There are so many patterns I can make using these sizes.  All my odd size bits get throw into my Double Wedding Ring basket.  I have about 75% of the arcs made, I'm just waiting for a new infusion of bits. 

When I'm done making Double Wedding Ring arcs I'm not sure what I'll do with the bits.  I know Liz makes MAM blocks.  I could try that.  They might end up MAM potholders!  Liz also sent me a wonderful picture taken from a plane---

A very peaceful picture.  

Here's wishing you a quiet weekend.  Maybe you're sewing or gardening or vacationing, or maybe your going to rest and soak up the sunshine.  I'm hoping for clean skies and 70F weather.  A light breeze.   And if it rains instead--I'm hoping for a steady rain--the kind to nap by! 

Weekly Goals

Its been busy here.   Over the weekend Asher was baptized.  He didn't LIKE the water on his head and glared at the minister when it was over. 

I wish I had taken a video of Asher's indignant screams and flailing feet--note Laura Beth has a good grip on him!

I don't know why my pictures of Asher are all so solemn--he laughs and giggles and is lots of fun.

 During one of the pictures Asher did manage to sneak a taste of the cake--

Big brother Mason had lots of fun playing with his many cousins.  A photo of something that rarely happens--Mason sitting quietly!

Great grand parents Marvin and Syrolla were here, a shot of them with Mason.  Ken and I gave them a quilt I'd made--"Ode to Vincent" (Swoon by Camille Roskelley).  Syrolla has the quilt folded on her lap. 

There was no special occasion for gifting the quilt.   Sometimes quilts are just for giving. 

I'm back at the VC---yesterday visitors brought a snake in--

A Plains Hognose Snake.  Its very young--they are 6-9" when they hatch.  A non-venomous snake.  It was released after photos.

Weekly Goals

1. Trim Super Star pieces
2. YoYos

That's all I brought with me in the camper.  Sandi (next door neighbor) and I need to make air conditioner covers (tulle to fit over our air conditioners) to keep the cottonwood tree fuzz and other "stuff" from plugging our roof air conditioner units.  

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

I saw these blocks on Wedding Dress Blue blog.  They were easy and fun and I made them using 5" charms from my charm box.  I found a large piece of white background in my basement so maybe it was meant to happen.  

These finish to 16"--a generous size block, simple but striking.  I will make several at a time and swap out each quarter section to have more random color placement.  Please see everyone's Design Walls at Patchwork Times.

Weekly Goals--

1. Finish binding a quilt
2. More 16" stars
3. Sew scrappy trips rows together

Its going to be a busy week.   Ken is doing the farmer thing, we've had a few drips of rain, not any real rain but enough to keep the top of the ground sticky.  This weekend is Asher's baptism.  And--our neighbor's house burned down Tuesday night and she died.  She lived on the corner, next was her daughter with her two small children, and then our house.   She was only 64yo, had taken early retirement from teaching.   Its a "bad things happen to good people" moment.  My heart aches for her daughter and grandchildren.

More volunteering this week, I do love volunteering!  School groups on field trips--sometimes a bit loud but so much fun!  Toni and Eddie are back, and we have new neighbors--I'll have to get pictures and introduce them.  

I need to plan some flowers and the garden, not much but if Mason is here later this week maybe we can plant something.  After last year's drought there are patches of dead grass that maybe should be reseeded.  Maybe some flowers.  

What plans do you have this week?  

Design Wall Monday and Weekly Goals

Its a beautiful day--I took my design wall picture outside on the clothesline--

One half the Scrappy Trips Around the World blocks are sewn together.  I finished binding Henrietta's Brown 4 patches and took a picture of that too--

The clothesline wasn't quite high enough--but that's okay--the quilt isn't hanging in SNOW!!   The grass looks pretty tough---lots of dead areas from the drought last year.   See everyone's Design Wall posts at Patchwork Times.

Goals for the week--

1. Finish binding a quilt
2. Finish quilting DeeDee's Star
3. Sew more Scrappy Trip blocks together
4. Pick a project to play with

That's enough, its a busy week, I volunteer W-Th-Fri.  I might pack a quilt to bind--that's always an easy pick up/put down project.  Maybe later today I will be able to finish quilting DeeDee's Star.  

Are you sewing this week?  The beautiful weather has me thinking about flowers and planting a garden.  

Sunday Stash Report Week 18 and Weekly Progress

First let's check my numbers--

Stash In This Week--0 yards
Stash Out This Week--15.5 yards
Stash In YTD--65.6 yards
Correction from last week--5 yards 
Stash Out YTD--67 yards

I'm ahead--1.5 yards!!

I mistook a 4 for a 9 last week--so I had to deduct 5 yards from my finishes.  But I'm still ahead--bet you never thought I'd get there!!   See how everyone did this week at Patchwork Times.

I had a finish this week for 15.5 yards--

Little Boxes

Bright sun faded my picture a bit.  

How did my goals do??

1. Quilt DeeDee's Star--almost done
2. Bind one quilt--yes
3. Finish green cake stand blocks--no
4. Make green 30's blocks--no
5. Sew more Trip Around the World blocks together--yes

I've been under the weather this week so not as much sewing done as I wanted to.  Its been easier to sit in the recliner and work on binding.   The weather is supposed to be warming up although we might see some rain.  That's OK--I'll take some rain!!

 

PS--Thank you Henrietta for the Daffodils!