What Possibilites did I choose?

 First off Stitching Possibilities-

1.  Get the Paper Doll Blocks done.

Here they are! All 56 of them.

I have only  to add sashing and corner stones  on the left side and bottom.

This is the last time you'll see them until the quilt is finished.

2.  Next was to get the borders on the Trail Mix quilt fixed.

Done-I used Carole's method plus basted all around the edge.  It's still not perfect but it will quilt out now.  Also I began quilting it which is a bonus.

3.  Make some string tumblers!  I added 124 tumblers to the tin for a total fo 477!  All of the new ones are blue.

4.  Continue making hexie flower-well I made one.

5.  Continue with 1 1/2" leader and enders.  I did get some made while I was doing the tumblers.  I don't know how many--didn't count those.  Apparently I can only count one thing at a time!

6.  Make the Trailer curtains--NOPE

7.  Do the mending-Yes, I think there might be one thing left but some of that stuff had been aging in the bin for a good long while.

8.  Begin a cross-stitch piece--Sort of, I have the pattern and the fabric ready.  Does that count?

9.  Do a Christmas piece-NOPE

10.  Something not on the list but that happened:  I added blocks to the Civil War Sampler!

It's a WISP!

Non-Stitching:

Nothing finished towards the move, sigh.  Things are closer.

I didn't get out in the trailer - just too hot.

I think I made one trip to the farm but it was a day trip - again too hot.

Family History:

While I didn't finish the Newspaper project, I did finish with the Virginia Hickam's and moved on to the Tennessee ones.  I'm making good progress there.

I did not work on my direct line at all though.

Still I had fun.

All in all I'm pretty satisfied with the month's possibilities completed or worked on.

September is another month.

And now for a little whine. . .

Between Covid (I am coming to hate that word!  hence my "THE VIRUS"), Afghanistan (so sad in so many ways) and the heat

I feel like my petunias.

Heat wilted and half dead.

We've been under a heat advisory all week.

As an example-when I got up this morning at 6:30am it was 77F (25C) with 87% humidity 

Think sauna.

The heat index hit 106F(41C).

Even Quinn refuses to stay out longer than absolutely necessary!

The advisory has expired but the next few days don't look any less unbearable.

(The formula for a heat advisory is complicated, has to do with daytime temperatures, humidity and how low the temp goes at night.  I looked it up and it is Mathematically beyond me!)

I am tremendously thankful to have air conditioning!

Also thankful that my studio is in the basement-even though normally I hate that!

The heat is just exhausting so all I want to do is sleep.

That recliner of mine is getting a workout!

Now, that the whine is over. . . 

Wait, I'm drinking whiskey!

There was good stuff this week.

First, Scott brought Ryan and Izzy up for a visit.

They were driving him bonkers,

so a change of scenery was in order.

We had a ball!

Playing games, with the Granna toys and legos.

Scott and I got to visit as they were otherwise entertained!

Izzy was heard to say 

"I like this place!"

They took the Legos home with them!

Well, they were Scott's we were just waiting for Ryan to enjoy them.

In other family news,

Bonus daughter received a "No Change" Mamogram!

We are all massively relieved and grateful.

Monday's tomato harvest.  

I haven't begun eating them for breakfast yet but that's coming!

In the stitching realm;

I've added 70 (I think) more tumblers to the tin (I'm keeping a running total now  so 446) and  made some leader and ender twos along the way.

I've been sewing a little on my Civil War Sampler each day. 

It's hand pieced so slow but getting faster.

AND

I finally began quilting Trail Mix

My first attempt at "Big Stitch" hand quilting.

My stitches aren't perfect and it's slow going 

BUT

I am getting better!

Plus, I LOVE IT.

My Trail Mix is flannel and the rustic look of the Big stitch Baptist fans suits it completely.

I'm working on it a bit each evening.

Whining done.

 

Thimbles and the final "doll" report

 The are the final three blocks for Izzy's "Paper Dolls" quilt.

I confess I made the tree design myself as I did not really like the one that came with the patterns-I did make it, then I threw it away.  Artistic license.

Now I'm waiting until the sashing fabric arrives-probably sometime next week- before I can work on it more.

I even took them down off the design wall.

Yesterday, was another wonderful  ZOOM chat with the Chookshed Stitchers!  Thank you Chooky-such fun as always.  It's really too bad that I can't stay up all night and party.

I should have stayed longer last night as a severe thunderstorm blew in and there was no sleep to be had.  This morning I had the thought that I should just have gotten up and gone back to the party.

I stitched together another row for my Civil War Sampler, made a hexie flower and worked on tumblers.

I don't think I explained the whole crazy tumbler idea well so I'm gonna give it a try here.

These are photos of the inspiration quilt.

I saw it at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum in Golden, Colorado.

I was a bad visitor-I didn't photograph the maker information-although there might not have been any.

A close up. You'll notice there is no quilting!

And the full quilt-

this reminds me of confetti!

I stood and looked at this for a LONG time. 

 I just couldn't figure out the design.  

I came to the conclusion that it was totally random.

There is no way I could duplicate this on even a small scale so I came up with the tumblers.

This at least recreates the 1/4" fabric pieces showing.

I cut many 3/4 inch strips of fabric.

This box is what I have left,

I sew the strips together and wind them on toilet paper rolls.

I did that to the blue yesterday.

Then I took 4 strips of old phone book paper cut as wide as the tumbler ruler and began sewing the strips with 1/4" seams.  Leaves 1/4" showing, well sometimes a bit more sometimes less.  

This is the first time I've done four papers at once, I just butted the ends together and kept going.  When the paper was covered

 I turned the strip over and used the ruler and a marker to make the tumblers and cut them apart so I had these.

They were added to the tin with all of these-

Just for you Janet-there are 376 tumblers!

I'll be making more tomorrow.

At some point I'm going to have to think about sewing them together!

Also for Janet-the quilt museum in Lincoln is the International Quilt Museum-they have a fun email every month with a quilt from their collection.

Here's another insane Idea quilt I say at Golden.  These half square triangles were TINY!

Anyone want to try it?

Not me.

 

Only three left!

After I made these seven I have only three left!

I continue to enjoy them but truly will be happy to get going towards a finished quilt!

This week will see those final three done and then sashing and cornerstones cut.

I've been busy doing other things.

Cleaning and sorting.

Got the garage tidied up, it will look even better when I have all the trailer things IN Ceili.

The studio is chaos.

I want to measure all the big pieces, store them in a tidy and easy to retrieve manner.

As I do that I'm going to make up an inventory.

If I'm to sew in Ceili I have to be organized about it.

(No more paper dolls!  They are SO messy!)

Pulled up a great many weeds in the gardens.

They got away from me, sigh.

I've worked diligently on the Hickam's of Virginia.

Now I have piles of stuff to put into sleeves and binders.

I've printed so much that I've now run out of ink for the second time.

I've managed to stretch most days and meditate a few.

I have a bit of trouble with meditating as I often fall asleep!

I'm rather pleased with myself this week.

 

More "Dolls"

Six More!  Only 10 left-I think.

That green MD rests on a background that I apparently didn't know how to read a ruler the day I cut it.  I'll be adding a bit to the top.  Luckily, I have another piece of that fabric!  When the quilt goes together he'll be deep on the right side and not so noticeable!

I had to break down this week and get behind the lawnmower and the weed whip!  Tied up the tomatoes  and began pulling weeds.  Getting the outside all nice and tidy!

It's late and I'm sleepy so I'm off to bed!

 

August possibilities

 Janice calls them goals.  I don't think that word-goals-works for me!

So,  Stitching possibilities

• Get the Paper Doll blocks done, including sashing and cornerstones--I should be able to do this.  I only have 15 actual dolls to do then I need to add some extras like balloons, flowers etc. and faces.  All the dolls are traced and the pieces ironed onto the fabric-and put into plastic sleeves so I don't loose them or get them mixed up!  I plan to do a modified Quilt As You Go while assembling the top.  I won't get to that this month unless a miracle happens.
• Fix the borders on Trail Mix.  I want those ocean waves fixed before I start with the hand quilting.  I'm planning to try Carole's solution.
• Work on the String Tumblers.  A project begun years ago!  I have no idea what I will do with them in the end but I need to make more!
• Continue making hexi flowers.   Also begun years ago. The never ending project.
• Continue with the leader and ender 1 1/2 inch squares-currently into pairs.
• Make the window headers, door and bench pieces for Ceili as well as a table cloth.  
• Get caught up on the mending!
• Begin a cross-stitch Christmas piece or two
• Whatever Squirrels take over!

Non-Stitching possibilies

Family History--A few weeks ago I did a crazy thing!  I got on Newspapers.com remotely through the library and printed out a large pile of articles on Hickam's (This requires deleting all the references to Hickam Field - Air Force Base - Hawaii of which there are many!)  I've been working through them trying to find which group they belong to, that part is mostly finished.  So this month I want to deep dive into each family group and get them entered into my computer and then filed in the Hickam binders.  While that's underway I'll work at filling the blanks and sourcing the stuff I already have.

Get the house on the market.  I thought this one was close until I pulled off the tape from around the new door only to find it lifted the wall paint as well, sigh.  I'll have to see if the former owners left the paint to do a touch up or if I'll need to paint the entire wall.  Then there's cleaning and beginning the paring down and packing up.

For my own pleasure, I'd like to go out in Ceili at least once and spend several days at the Farm.  Both of those depend on air quality, which is bad at the moment. (Wildfires.)

All the possibilities.

On that note, I'm heading into the Virginia Hickam's

Connections!

Two "Make a Connection" quilts ready for Ryan and Izzie.

They have two homes, they need more quilts.

Especially since some of the ones I make for the Farm never leave the house in Columbia!

Notice that Quinn managed to get into the photo.

The funny things was that she sat there while I hung the quilts,

took photos with the camera,

walked into the house for my phone,

walked back out to take a photo with it to send to Bri.

Then and only then did she move!

Silly dog!