Wednesday Weather Report #10

So clearly, if I was on vacation last week and pre-posted to the blog, I had no idea what the weather would have been for last week's report. The weather was calling for orange (70s), hence last week's post said orange but that wasn't absolutely the case. I wish those weather peeps would get their act in gear...

Week #9
78-65-83-68-77-60-81

The following week had a lot of orange, plus a couple outliers. Yesterday topping out at 60 was a big surprise...that's mountain weather, not WNY in late July weather.

Week #10
78-77-81-76-77-76-60

I should be able to get caught up on appliqueing these to backgrounds on Friday.

These are the yellow/orange "cogs" that I stitched while on vacation.
I love how the different fabrics make the same pattern look so different.
I've got one more in progress and that gives me a total of 26 or 27 yellow/orange rosettes.
 I think that's about half what I need for the final quilt.
I've probably got another 10 rosettes kitted already!

And here are all the blue rosettes.
No idea how many of these I have completed...

That's probably all I'll do on the pieced hexies for a while since now I need to get back to working on something "new" for a pending trunk show this fall.

Uhhhh...Zorro....Love you, Monkey, but you're in the way....

Maybe you recognize this from the pieces I showed during the last HeLP?

This is probably about as tall as it will get (it's for the doll cat bed), but I need a lot more width.

And last but not least, my quilting purchases from vacation...

I already owned the half-nekkid woodsman fabric but it has "vintage" colors that are hard to match so I've been searching for fabrics for a year, picking up FQs here and there while trying to decide on a design. This year I first found the camping phrase fabric on the right - that will become part of the backing. Then I found the red check which perfectly matches one of the woodmen's jackets. The check will be the binding and part of the backing plus it finally gave me a design nudge for the front. I'll play with EQ7 some and then I think it's time to cut into the fabric I've been collecting! Woohoo!!!

And now it's your turn - how has the weather been in your neck of the woods?

An InLinkz Link-up

Wednesday Weather Report #9

Sorry - can't show you this week's rosette just yet. I promise I'll show it next week.
Just think more orange (70s) and rain. Boo.

Taken in front of the firehall.
To the right is the new Town Hall.
Across the street is the original Bank of Castile branch.

The above photo was taken a week ago but I could have just as easily taken it any day in the last few weeks... Mother Nature is not playing nice this year. Think flooding, hail, lightening hitting trees.

Above are the first 8 weeks of this project. You maybe recall from my first post on this project that I was only going to have 5 rosettes across the top row with blank corners. Are you be surprised to know that I changed that plan. I don't have enough to share with you yet on Design B but I think it's pretty awesome.

#1 priority is to finish the owl quilt for the county fair in August and then I'll get back to my idea for the temperature quilt.

Also, you may have noticed that I started on the left for row #1 but #2 is starting on the right. I think the colors will flow more when subsequent rosettes are near each other. Then again, I'm floating in a fog of too much to do and overthinking it...

An InLinkz Link-up

HeLP for Hexie-aholics - 7/17/17

Hello and welcome to our monthly Hexie Linky party!!!

For a change of pace, today I thought I would share the gifts I gave and received for our Hexie Club Brown Bag Challenge.

As you may recall, last December seven of us exchanged brown lunch bags with scraps of some of our favorite fabrics. They needed to be fav fabrics because the person who received your bag would be making a secret project to gift back to you at our Christmas in July party.

I received Linda's brown bag which included a number of blue and green fabrics plus a smaller white piece. I eventually came up with (ie, modified/stole from the evil website) an idea to use honeycomb shapes to make a blue/green panel for a vinyl mesh tote bag.

Of course, I had help from my Snoopervisor who has a very fluffy tail.

Eventually I completed the 2 honeycomb panels and then machine appliqued them to white fabric.

The panels were then added to the white mesh totebag. I modified a totebag pattern I've made many times to accommodate the size of the honeycombs which created some of it's own issues. "Next time" I make this pattern I'll put it together a little differently to make my life easier :)

Cheryl received my bag which had purples and B&W fabrics. What can I say? They were scraps on my cutting table and they spoke to me.

It was hard to get a great picture but basically she covered a stretched canvas with more of the purples and B&Ws surrounding the edge. I would love more of the cat fabric!

Now I just need to decide where to hang this little beauty!

And just to tease you with a little project I'm working on...

I'm very proud of my frugal use of these fabrics. It's so much more frugal than how I started the project. Could I, should I, be a little more vague on details to entice you? Bwahahahaha!! I'll show you in a few weeks when it actually looks like something.

Ok - now it's our favorite time to share projects. We are looking forward to seeing your project no matter if it's new or old or even just a project in the design stage. Any paper shape counts.

An InLinkz Link-up

Wednesday Weather Report #8

I finally got a photo of my new silly socks.
What can I say? I'm easily entertained!!

The weather in the past week was moderate, book-ended by not-so-moderate. I don't know about you but as soon as you put an 8 at the beginning of the temperature, I just start melting.

In fact, I just love fighting the lawn mower when it's hot and muggy and the sweat is dripping down my neck. If you believe that, I've got a bridge to sell you at a great price!

79-81-75-71-75-78-80F

And now for the fun part - today is the first Wednesday Weather Report Linky Party!!!

We're looking forward to seeing the weather in your neck of the woods...

An InLinkz Link-up

DWM & HeLP!!

Hello! Hello! Yes, it is Design Wall Monday but it is also HeLP for Hexieaholics or Hexie Linky Party time. Woot Woot.

First a little housekeeping - my blog was spammed 50+ times this weekend with some wonderful drug buying opportunities so I had to turn on word verification. Trust me, I want if off as fast as you but I don't know how else to deter the spammers and I don't think moderation will do it but I am open to all suggestions. I'll leave it on for a week and hope they have moved on. Sorry :(

Sew, as some of you know, I went camping for another 4 days in the Adirondacks this past weekend. I took a few photos while leaf peeping and I'll post them later this week. I also got to do a lot of hexies!!! I worked on larger projects around the camp site but I also carried a smaller project on day trips to the museum, craft show and mountain climbing. Yup - I need a HeLP. LOL!

The first project I worked on was another Rose Star block. The pieces were already basted so I was able to get this block together my first evening. It needs a good pressing.

Again these Star Blossom pieces were all basted before my trip and the center was already together, but I got all the side sections together and just need to attach the last 4 to the mothership. I should be able to finish this in another evening. When I will have such an evening available, I do not yet know...

And last but not least, I also assembled these pre-basted kites into 4 centers for more hexie puzzles. I do not have the triangles basted yet but this is a nice small project I need to get packed for carrying around with me.

Oh and before I forget - look at the book that arrived while I was gone! I cannot wait to have some time to look this over - there are about a zillion ideas for piecing hexies in here. Have any of you ordered a copy yet? Kansas City Star/Pickeldish is selling them but if you order from the author she will autograph it. Lemme know if you need the web address.

UPDATE: Mickey's blog is http://itsafiberlife.blogspot.com/ and you can buy the book at http://www.mdquilts.com/shop.html

Now then - lets get some HeLP for my fellow hexieaholics - share the projects you have been working on or even dreaming about! I don't care if you haven't picked up the project in a week or a year, lets see what your projects are. They can be any shape, as long as they are English Paper Piecing. The only rule is that you must link to a specific blog post and not to your blog as a whole. Let the HeLP-ing begin and don't forget the next party will be October 17th!
!

Feline Friday - 8/24/12

Ahh...the lazy days of summer with a breeze and a comfy chair...

Now it's your turn - what are your kitties up to? Have they entered the giveaways from last Friday yet? Check out Feline Friday and Hexie Linky Party. Only another week left...

Feline Friday - 8/17/12

Today is a big day at sarah did it!

This is post #499, our weekly Feline Friday. However, since today is also the 17th, later today will also be our first monthly Hexie linky party!!! Yes - that means post #500 will also be today!!! And there are prizes!!!! Wootwoot.

Since it's a big hexie day here I thought I would share some photos of my hexie quality control officers. Some are repeats and some are new...

This is a typical pose for Midgie - she loves to rub her head on just about anything but she also loves to be on any quilt that's on the floor.

All three cats were close by when I was stitching sections together and pulling out papers.

Somehow Squeaks and Pepper both took turns holding down the hexie quilt while I was quilting. As I recall, Pepper stayed longer and didn't mind me swinging him around as I rearranged the quilt - I just never got his picture because I was having fun swinging him...

So there are my felines for the day - now it's your turn. Any feline related post is eligible but any link to your blog as a whole will be deleated. Let me know if you need help linking to just a post...I am working on a tutorial but not sure if it will be finished this weekend or not. The party is open until midnight next Thursday.

Remember I said there were prizes? Well FF has a prize today too!! When one of my LQS, Creekside Fabrics, in Arcade, NY, found out that I was hosting a giveaway for my 500th post, Sandy immediately offered me anything I wanted from the store for a giveaway! I was floored! Anyways, I havn't gotten the fabric from Sandy yet but I did request an adorable cat panel. As soon as I get the fabrics and make sure it's the same panel I already have...I'll post a picture and tell you more about Creekside.

But wait, I guess you want to know how to win??!! Well, let me count the ways! For every step that you complete, leave a seperate comment and I will use a random generator to pick a winner on August 31. Good Luck!

1. Leave me a comment about today's post
2. Link up to this week's Feline Friday Linky Party
3. Be a Follower and or figure out how to prove you follow me in Google Reader
4. Post on your own blog about today's give away

Pressing Issues...

This here is my messy ironing board and you can see that it will be getting a work out soon. Last Friday (you know, no chores day) had to be slightly interrupted for fair prep but I felt the need to work on a machine piecing project and decided to work on my Orca Bay mystery quilt. I did not feel the need to create the remaining blue string blocks that are holding up the whole project but I did think I could start to assemble the quilt top with the blue blocks I already had. I divided the quilt top into quarters and completed one section (shown hanging on the design wall in yesterdays post). I then pieced as many more pairs as I could using all the pieces I have on hand. I continued sewing early Saturday morning but the ironing still needs doing. Maybe this friday will be the day to iron and continue assembly.

You can see a short stack of blue/white 16 patches - my current leader ender project.
You can also see I have attached the last 2 pieces of a rose star shown yesterday.



Sorry folks - I reloaded this pic 3 times and tried everything else in between that normally works.
Please tilt your head to the right for a more realistic view.

Yesterday I was able to cut out the pieces for another star. I think I have told y'all that this is a fussy cutting project and these particular pieces were cut with the templates I just received from paperpieces.com. I LOVE them and the cutting process was so quick and easy thanks to the clear templates. I think the only way to make them better would be a dead center dot and maybe lines marking quarters to line up a fussy cut design.

Make sure you come back on Friday - Not only is it our weekly Feline Friday Linky Party but it will also be the first monthly Hexie Linky Party. It will also be my 500th post and there will be prizes involved!!! Cya then!!!

Design Wall Monday - 8/6/12

I'm back!!! Didj'all miss me? I missed you guys...

Camping pictures will start tomorrow since, horror of all horrors, I left my mobile at home with a very important picture on it...

As usual I over packed my "entertainment box" but one can never have enough projects to work on and I took them everywhere. I worked on hexies after climbing to the top of Bald Mt and after hiking to Bug Lake. I also hexied (can we make that a new word?!) at the campground beach as well as the beach at Long Lake. I even hexied every evening in front of the campfire thanks to a headlamp and lots of AAA batteries :) What can I say? Y'all know I am obsessed!! But I will have actual machine sewing to show you later this week - I know that you are all waiting with baited breath, thinking I have forgotten how to use my machine. LOL.

I completed one rose star block while camping, started another that is now finished and then started another. Goodness, this project goes pretty quickly. The hardest part is picking which fabrics to fussy cut for which part of the layout...

I have pretty much decided to make the next block the center of the quilt because I will be using that stripe for the binding. You can see I have started on some of the background pieces. It matches the background of the owl fabric and it appeared to match a little better when I was buying it but I still think it's OK.

It shouldn't be long before I get this one done:

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On a related note...

15 of you were gracious enough to vote on my poll over the last 2 weeks and you all voted in favor of a monthly hexie linky party. Yay!!!!!!!!!! I just wish the poll thinger would tell me who you are. Let me know who you are and I can send reminders if you like. Otherwise, feel free to become a follower or add me to your blog reader.

I know there are already a lot of parties on the first or last of each month so I was thinking of going with the 17th of each month, which happens to be my birth date. I shouldn't forget that way but will you guys remember?

I still need to come up with a name for the party and I am open to suggestions.

So there you go, another party to join every month and I can't wait to see your projects on August 17th!

Feline Friday - 8/3/12

Really, do I need to say anything other than I have the bestest brother for letting me use his large tookus as a pillow for my little head?

Ok, now it's your turn...join in our linky party by sharing a post of your favorite feline...

Feline Friday Linky Party - 7/20/12

Momma almost forgot to get this post ready yesterday for her day off today. I guess that's like she kinda forgot my gotcha day until it was too late. I have several you know and it can be confusing for a human.

13 years ago I was dumped at the end of a gravel driveway just because the driveway was out in the country. The driveway owner's son's wife begged to take me home and named me Smokey. We also made a stop at the v.e.t. Yuck. The vet guessed I was just 8 months old given my size and thought I would get bigger as I got older. Fooled him as I haven't gained a pound since then. I might have lost a pound in the last year tho but that is just because I am aging gracefully.

2 years ago the driveway owner's son asked his sister if she would sit on me for 2 weeks while they went to a world called Disney. I was transported to the sister's house in a PTU on July 3, 2010. I wasn't happy about the trip cuz there was a much bigger brown kitty already in her house but he's a wimp and the sister let me sit on her lap anytime I wanted. I know my previous slaves must be back from Disney by now cuz they stop over once in a while so eventually I decided to call the sister 'Momma.' In turn, she changed my name to Midgie, short for Midget.

I think I'll stay...even tho she forgot...

Feline Friday Linky Party - 7/13/12

I am *not* an outside kitty. I used to be before Momma brought me home but I am quite happy to have a warm double sized bed mostly to myself, a full bowl of water (with ice on hot days!) and fresh kibbies twice a day.

I do, however, enjoy some porch time with Momma now and then and Sunday was the perfect lazy morning. Well, she was stitching those silly little pieces of fabric back together but I was being lazy!

Don't forget to join the Party! You can link up until midnight next Thursday but please link to a specific post about Felines...

Feline Friday - 7/6/12

Hi, My name is Pepper and even tho I am shy and like to sit under things (like Momma's chair), my sissies elected me to let you know that with a little kick in the toukus help from her friend Denise, Momma has finally set up a weekly linky party for Feline Friday!!!

The usual rules will apply - please ask you humans to only link to a particular blog post instead of the entire blog and as long as there are felines in the post...any topic goes!

Have at it my furrrrriends...can't wait to meet ya!

PS - Momma has tomorrow off so let's keep our toes crossed this thing actually works...