MAY STRING REPORT

This month I started a new string project since I had finished a string quilt last month and donated it.  I had thought about making a spider quilt for quite a while and this seemed the perfect time to get one started.  I went to Bonnie Hunter's web site and scrolled down the free patterns page to Spider Quilt.  I followed her instructions and got started.  Below is my second batch of 20 triangles.  Each one is half a block and it takes 4 blocks to get a spider web.

Here is what I have done so far.  The first 6 blocks are sewn together on the top left and the 20 triangles are just placed on the design wall to see how it will look.  I have used up the solid brown fabric that I had and will next begin to use some other tans and brown pieces for the "kite" sections.

For Memorial Day, I hung up my E Pluribus Unum wall hanging that I made a couple years ago.  The center block is something that I picked up at a garage sale and I have 2 more of them.  I used bow tie blocks from a block exchange for the setting.  This is one of my favorite wall hangings.  The quilt rack was made by DS#3/DIL as a Christmas gift about 10 years ago and it is perfect for displaying quilts.  I like to have different wall hangings to display for different times of the year.  I want to make a fall quilt to hang on it next - one of these days!  It hangs just inside our front door and there is a vintage chair to the left with a doll quilt (from one of Lori's doll quilt exchanges) hanging on it.  Under the wall hanging you can see a little of some felted wool flowers (another garage sale purchase) sitting on a tea cart.

Thanks to those who made suggestions regarding the problem of my comments not posting.  I am still thinking about what to do about it - if there is anything that I can do.  I may try a couple suggestions to see if they will work.  

MEMORIAL DAY

We aren't doing anything special today except having DS#1 over for dinner.  He has a flight to catch this afternoon, so we're eating early.

I decided to do a post and let you know about the problems I'm having with Blogger.  I have been reading blogs and commenting, but the comments don't seem to go through.  I usually see a "sign in" notice at the top of any blog I am visiting, including my own, and when I click on it, it takes me directly to the page we go to when we want to start a new post or change something on our blog page, etc.  Even when I'm on someone else's blog!  And I don't have to sign in, I am already signed in.

But, when I want to comment on someone else's blog, and I type something in the comment field, it doesn't recognize me with my name in the bottom of the field - and that's when I don't think my comments are working.  Last week, there was one time when my name did appear in the comment field, but now I can't remember which blog it was, so if you did get a comment from me, please let me know.

I'm sorry that you haven't been receiving my comments and I don't know how to fix it.  Any advice will be appreciated.  I did leave some feedback to google, but I don't know if it will get to anyone,

Well, enough of that!  On so a few pictures.

This is a wall hanging that DH liked a lot.  I like it too.  I had made one to sell and decided to make another one for us.

A long time ago I shows pictures of some blocks that my Mom gave me.  The blocks were made by my Grandma sometime in the 30's, 40's or 50's.  I had planned to make them into a bed quilt, but I got to thinking about it and in talking to my sister, I decided to make a wall hanging or 2 out of them and offer to give the blocks, either as they are, or made into wall hangings, to any of my cousins who might want them.  I just finished one wall hanging using 2 of the blocks.  I plan to keep this one for myself.  It measures 22" x 40".  The next one I make will be a blue tulip and I'll put blue fabric on the corners to make a smaller wall hanging.

 
I recently realized that I don't have a patriotic, red-white-blue table runner of my own!  I have several other table runners, but I need one for the summer holidays.  So I started making some 6" sawtooth stars in civil war fabrics and I will probably alternate them with blue squares.  I might even make a r/w/b table topper for my dining table.  This is what I have so far and I plan to make some more red stars, but haven't decided how many.

Today is a day to remember the sacrifices made by so many so that we can have the life we have.  I am very thankful for our wonderful country and the many men and women who keep our country free (including my son and DIL).

AMISH DOLLS and A HAT

I finished the Amish doll family and was able to load the photo onto the computer.  I don't know why they quit going to the computer automatically.  

My DIL wanted a hat to wear to DGS's baseball games, so I told her I would make her one.  She had been looking for one when we were visiting them last month.  I got it done today and tried it on.  I'm wearing it outside on my patio and the sun is too bright for you to see the yellow side.  Here's a photo of both fabrics before I sewed them together.  Blue and yellow are her favorite colors.

It's reversible and I think the blue side will be the "main" side.  Both are batik fabrics.  It's such a beautiful day, so I sat outside on the patio drinking tea and reading a book on my tablet.

I hope your weekend is lovely too.  If it isn't, maybe you can stay inside and sew!

KEEPIN' BUSY

I've been keeping busy making items to sell such as the snowball and sunflower table runners below.

I couldn't resist taking  this picture by my clamatis plant.  The sunflower table runner has 4 squares of sunflowers and is about 48" long.

Last year my sister asked me to sell some items for her on Ebay.  Two of the items are crocheted tablecloths that one of my Mom's friends crocheted for her and my sister didn't have any need for them,  I don't have a need for them either.  I procrastinated for about a year before I decided I better get busy and wash them as they each had a few stains.

My friend "Love" from ijustlovequilts.blogspot.com has blogged about soaking vintage linens in her bath tub, so I got some advice from her (it's also on her blog I think) and put them in the tub to soak with BIZ (I didn't have the other kind).  I really was amazed at how much dirt came out of them and the stains really don't show any more.  You can see some staining in the one below, but after it hung in the sun most of the day I really couldn't see it any more.  Thanks, Love!

I'm also making a family of Amish dolls.  I had bought the panels for them years ago at a garage sale and thought I might have given them to a thrift shop, but lo and behold, I came across the panels while looking for some other fabrics!  So I decided I would try to get them made up and I am almost finished. The directions printed on the panel aren't the greatest, but I think they will be cute.

I'm having trouble getting pictures of the dolls to load on my computer, so I can't show them now.

I have a bag under my sewing table where I toss triangles from various projects.  Every once in a while I will take some time to match them up and square up into HSTs.

Bag full of triangles

These are the ones that I made last week with triangles from the bag.  These then go into bags marked with the various sizes.  If I ever need some HSTs, I always check the baggies of the size needed.  I used some of these for the quirky little quilt that I made and posted about here.

Yesterday we had a lovely rainy day - the first one since before Easter.

String Quilt Report, Etc.

My string quilt is all put together and quilted.  I'm stitching the binding to the back this morning.  This will be a donation quilt.  I have made a few quilts like this and from now on I am going to do something different.  I'm tired of this design.  The last row in the first picture is one of each color because I needed another row and didn't have enough of one color to finish it.

The other half hanging on the the shady side of the clothesline.  We have been having beautiful weather lately!

My quilting was mostly swirls and echo stitching around swirls randomly done all over.

Another finish is a patriotic round robin donation quilt.  This will be donated to a veteran in a hospital.  It's a project in my quilt guild for the season and last month we got the quilt we started back and I quilted it.  I'm always amazed at how good the round robins turn out.  I started it with the center panel - that part was easy!  I did a lot of straight line stitching around some of the borders, cross-hatched the flag block and quilted curvy lines and stars in the white outer border.

I pieced the backing as you can see.

My quirky little quilt is finished with the striped binding.  I stitched in the ditch for each pieced block and quilted the rest with navy blue thread, so it is hard to see.

The backing is a blue print.  It feels good to be getting some projects!

I'll end this post with some beautiful flower pictures.  The lilacs are blooming here and this is a bush that we walk past on our morning walk.  We had to stop for a sniff - just love lilacs!

The dogwood tree is right next door and is beautiful now.  Too bad it doesn't keep the flowers longer.

My clematis has it's first bloom - with lots of buds to follow!

I still need to get more done in the yard.  Yesterday I planted 4 rows of onions (short rows).  My neighbor had extra and gave them to me.  I have never grown onions before.  I still need to get a tomato plant.  Do you plant a garden?