Friday Updates

A few updates here.  The clematis I think is a Niobe. 

The lighter stripe in the center of the petals matches that variety.  The Lays potato chip people have sent me a nice letter saying they are following up on the glove I found in my bag.  

Tracking it to the point of manufacture.  Profuse apology.  They also sent me oodles of coupons.  But the Reinhart Food Service--NADA!  No response like they promised.  I wonder if they followed up at all on this driver/incident?  Very disappointing. 

And Tuesday while at HyVee (local grocery store) a car drove through the pedestrian crossing in front of me.  I yelled "that's a stop sign *******"!!  I apologize to everyone who might have heard me.  He stopped at the first stop sign (there are two crossings, one for each door) did he think that meant he didn't have to stop at the second one?  

Last night I practiced using the convection oven.  I found a recipe for "Slab Apple Pie".

It turned out pretty good, except the bottom crust is a bit soggy.  I followed the recipe with no changes.  

No sewing so far this week.  Volunteering, laundry, and staying warm is all I've been doing.  A little heat is on in the camper, its a bit chilly.  I am not ready for cold weather!   I am buried under tomatoes, who knew five plants could produce so many fruits.  

I'm trying to look forward to being "home" and sewing.  Hard for me to do, I enjoy the summer so much!  But I am planning new starts and finishing others.  

Are you "into" fall?  Do you have some sewing planned?  What is your favorite part of fall?  

~Lori1R in Nebraska~

Design Wall Monday on Tuesday

Over the weekend I sewed with a group of Nebraska ladies at a retreat.  We stayed at Camp Moses Merrill in Linwood Nebraska.  Wonderful facilities, good food, and quilters--it was a perfect weekend.  I worked on Honeycomb--

First I made the triple 9 patch blocks-I needed 28 of them.  Next I worked on the alternate blocks--these used 4 patches--

I used brown, orange, green, blue and purple in the blocks.   All the 4 patches are made and I have the background pieces cut.  It just needs assembling now.  The pattern called for 1.5" strips but I used 2" strips, I liked the final quilt but wanted it a bit bigger.  These strips were pulled from my tote of 2" strips cut from scraps and stash.   My goal is to have it put together completely by January 15th.  I'm linking with Oh Scrap, Monday Making, and Small Quilts and Doll Quilts, and Free Motion by the River.  

This week is full of volunteering.  Soon we'll have to take the camper home--that's always a depressing job.  I MISS volunteering--going home ushers in cold weather and winter--not my favorite time of year!

~Lori1R in Nebraska~

What we found in the camper on Sunday night

There's lots of wildlife here.  Sunday night Ken was staring at the floor and said "Quick--come catch him"!!  It was a tree frog!  How he got in the camper I don't know but there he was.  I put him in an ice cream bucket and took him with me to the Visitor Center the next morning so I could take pictures.  Karla was ready with the camera, I was supposed to catch him.  Well I did, sorta!!

Common Gray Tree Frog

Yes, he jumped out of the bucket and and landed on my face.  He climbed up on my nose and he decided it was a good place to survey the neighborhood. After his photo session I took him outside to the flower pots--

He was very happy there and quickly disappeared in the thick foliage.

No sewing but I'm preparing for a retreat with Dee from Nebraska on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  I am really looking forward to it!

Over the weekend was our 40th wedding anniversary.  As Ken describes it "40 years of pure wedded bliss!"  And then he laughs!  How did we spend our anniversary?  Peeling apples!  We peeled 80 cups of apples and froze them, enough for 12 pies and I made two apple cobblers.  And there are still apples left over.  I'm committed to baking apple pie once a month for the next year.  

~Lori1R in Nebraska~

Nature Out Our Door

There is nature to be found right outside the door.  The mowerman brought me this to play with--

A small Racer snake.  They have a spotted color pattern that gradually fades to a dark color with a light belly as they get older.  He was cold and very lethargic,  sat for a couple hours on my keyboard.  

They are non-venemous and he was fun to show to visitors.  If I held him on my arm/hand where it was warm he perked up.  We've seen lots of small ones, a nest probably hatched nearby.

Karla found this fellow outside and brought him in--

A Cicada!  He was quite large--2 inches long--and sat on the edge of my laptop.  They are harmless, do not bite or sting, but will "rattle" if you hold him inside your hands and shake him.  I took him back outside and put him on a tree--

Can you find him?  He blends in quite well.  Look closer--

There he is!  While at the Campground booth this fellow sat on the windowsill--

A small moth, a Chickweed Geometer.  Maybe only an inch long.  But what I really admired was his antennae--

And yesterday this fellow was outside on the sidewalk--

A Ruby Throated Hummingbird.  He would fly up to the flower pot and check all the flowers for nectar.  But from his duller coloring we assumed he was a juvenile.  He better head south pretty soon!  

Nature can be found right outside the door!

~Lori1R in Nebraska~

Stash Report

No finishes this week but I added to the stash.  Lorri2Rs and I road tripped and stopped at Tuesday Morning in Sioux Falls.  A fellow Stashbuster led me down the path to Stash Enhancing when she posted about Tuesday Morning!  I purchased 60FQs and a jelly Roll.  I bought duplicates of stash bundles (5FQs in a bundle) so I could use them in a planned New Start.

The FQs bundles ranged in price from $4.49 to $5.99.   Benartex fabrics.  Overall cost was $1 per FQ.  The 40 strip jelly roll was $22.00, another good price.  I also bought 12 yards of a gray solid for background on a couple quilts for $2.39@yd.  Country solid was on sale at JoAnns for $2.99 plus an additional 20% off with a coupon.  Total yardage added was 30yds.  My new numbers are--

Stash Report

Added this week--30.00 yds

Add YTD 158.80 yds

Out this week--0yds

Out YTD 199.25

I'm ahead 40.45 yards! 

I'm still ahead which makes me happy.  15FQs are for a baby quilt, stash contains very little "baby/juvenile" fabric so these coordinating FQs are destined for a that project.  

Lorri2Rs also gave me a "care package"--

Assorted magazines, copies of patterns, some 2.5" strips, and a small Corelle tea kettle!  The small Corelle tea kettle was darling!  2Rs knows I collect Corelle and I didn't have this one.  Thank you 2Rs!!  I plan to use the pattern on the left for the baby quilt.  Otter Romp is a free pattern.  Its a Disappearing 9 Patch where the focus fabrics remain in +8" squares so its a good pattern to use large focus prints.  Sashing/cornerstones give it different look.

I love old quilt magazines.  In the care package was a December 2000 issue of Australian Patchwork & Quilting.  Inside was a pattern for Antique/Improved Four Patch like Ken inherited from his maternal grandparents!  

The circles are round and the blocks are made similar to a drunkard's path block.  It it karma that I finally found the pattern?  Will I make one using 30's fabrics/solids?  I've heard the pattern was called "Kites" from a 1936 Kansas City Star book.  

I've either caught a cold or the allergies are kicking up.  Lots of coughing and blowing my nose!  

~Lori in Nebraska~