June NewFO Update

Technically, I suppose I started two NewFOs in June, though neither were assigned specific project numbers.  Both are foundations with either strings or crumbs. The first, I wrote about before, right here.

String Quilt

 The status of the string quilt has not changed from what is shown in the photo above other than being removed from the design wall and placed in the stash closet.  I  like the strings, and it will eventually be finished once I decide how I want to actually set them, whether with sashing or something else.

The second, I also wrote briefly of here.  This is how they looked then:

And this is how they look now:

They are only laid out on some muslin on my ironing board to better distinguish the very busy blocks.  They're a mish-mash of whatever shape & size was grabbed.  They measure 4.5" raw cut, so not huge.  You can see that I used some very tiny pieces in them, perhaps too tiny.  I've not decided what I'll do with them, however, for me, I spent way too much time on something that just isn't that appealing to me, so they may sit in the closet for quite awhile.  Or, as I may have previously mentioned, they'll be sewn together for a couple of cat mats.

Cat Patches is showing us what other NewFos are popping up around town the globe, so make sure you check those out.  Barbara's giving away a needle nanny in a draw later in July - a cute little bird - for those who link up with their June NewFO.  

My July NewFOs (yes, plural) promise to be far more interesting as I'll be working on them while at quilt camp near Sisters, OR in less than two weeks :) and I'm really looking forward to it.  Hopefully I'll remember to take photos, lol!

Design Wall Monday

I may be getting to this late in the day but it is still Monday, at least here in the West :)

On my wall today is the string quilt I'm working on; the latest picture:

I'm liking what I'm seeing, and this is only 12 of the blocks. I have more but didn't have room for them on the wall with the spools still on there.  This may or may not be the final layout, and I haven't decided if I want to simply sew the blocks together or use a sashing in between, and if I go with the sashing, I haven't yet thought about whether to go scrappy in the same color family, or use a single fabric.  I have a dark blue 'ugly' floral fabric I could use, but haven't given it the road test yet.  If you haven't already checked in over at Patchwork Times, go spend some time there looking at the beauties others are posting.

In other news, we were all up at 4:00 a.m. this morning so that Nick could be out the door with Marty by 5:00 in order to be at the airport by 6:00 for the 8:00 a.m. flight time.  The group made it to D.C. without incident at the expected time and Nick called to let me know shortly after they landed.  He then called back later in the evening and chatted for awhile.  The got caught in a pretty good rain at the Washington Memorial and he said he got quite wet.  Their dinner was at a seafood buffet and he ate three plates of food: the first was crab legs, 2nd was popcorn shrimp and 3rd was mahi-mahi...he didn't mention a single vegetable, and he doesn't eat salad, but he did say he had ice cream.  They'll be awakened at 6:30 a.m. for another very full day of events, and I expect that by the time he gets home at 7:00 p.m. Saturday night, he's going to be quite the tired young man as every day is absolutely go-go-go!  What a time to remember though, and I hope he does remember in the future and look back at this special opportunity with great joy.  I continue to pray for him and the entire group.

Taken at 5:00 a.m. this morning just before they walked out the door!

I miss this boy <3 br="">

Wednesday (W)rambling

Do you have those times when you just don't feel settled enough to stick to any one thing for any length of time?  I do, and I don't like it, and wish I weren't that way.  But I am, so it is what it is. 

I see it's been several days since I last posted; just can't figure out how that happens.  Re-read first paragraph. 

I've been staying up late entering genealogy information into my Family Tree Maker software database.  It's time consuming, and I research at the same time over at Ancestry.com and several other sites depending on what information I'm trying to uncover.  I'm simultaneously adding to my tree at Ancestry.com.  The FTM software, I believe, has the ability to allow me to work in one and it's entered in both locations, though I could be mistaken, but there is some information on some folks that is best left to just my eyes and not to be seen by those out in the who-knows-where parts of Creation, so I enter the data separately.

And, because I've been staying up late, I've been sleeping in as Nick is now out of school for the summer.  Tomorrow however, I'm expecting the A/C man at 8:00 a.m. so I need to be up and ready for the day before he gets here, so that means to bed at a decent time tonight.  Our A/C is keeping us plenty cool, but the problem is that we have three zones controlled by three controllers and it seems a damper motor has stopped working as one of the two upstairs zone's controller, when activated, is cooling not only the rooms it's supposed to cool, but the entire downstairs as well, which is a single zone.  It gets way too cold downstairs when all one is trying to do is cool 1/2 the upstairs.

Raven decided this morning was a very good morning to play fetch again.  And she was a very good girl at it too.   She happily ran off chasing that green-striped stuffed mouse and trotted head held high to bring it back squarely to be dropped at my feet.  It's been awhile since she's been so obliging.  Oh, she's still played, but would only bring the mouse half-way so I'd have to go get it, or she just wouldn't bring it back at all, or she'd come in and mewl like she wanted to play, but not have the mouse, or the puff-puff, with which to play.  

What she's really saying is "please! let me down! I don't want to be held! ever!" She doesn't like to be held and always turns away from anyone trying to hold her

What do you do when you have this who-knows-how-old fabric, that looks, and feels like sheets from the 1960s?

A ruler added to show size of those blue roses.

This is what you do: you cut it into big squares and use it as foundations for a string quilt :)

The squares from each piece.

Leaving a strip of the original fabric showing in each block.  These blocks will be further cut and moved around before being rejoined.

Before sewing any strings onto the foundations, I sorted through my string bin and pulled what I thought would work for the look I was going for, both color-wise and print-wise.  The two different fabrics have different string fabrics for the most part.  And do you know, the bin seems to have no less in it now than when I started plus the fabrics I pulled from the bin seem to still fill the two containers I'd set aside for them.  How does that happen?  So, one of the things I've been trying to figure out is, how do I whittle that down even more?  Guess I'll be pulling some more ugly fabrics for foundation squares, and I may make the foundation strip not show at all or be skinnier at least.

I also have Nick's Washington DC trip on my mind.  He leaves early Monday morning.  He's never been away from us, nor we from him, for this long, nor this far before.  I guess this Mama is just a wee bit nervous about that long air flight even though there are about 27 adults going along with 35 or so students and one is the mom of Nick's best friend, and she's my friend as well so I know she'll watch over him like a hawk.