Update

I have been busy trying to get a design business going without much money or success. I am putting all the info on another blog
http://suelynndesigns.blogspot.com/. If you are interested go there to see my quilts and tests on new patterns.

Around here the weather was very good, for fall, until this week. We had one out of season snowstorm in October, that caught us unprepaired. We hadn't taken the cover off the metal frame that shaded the patio, and the weight collapsed the frame and rippen the cover. We weren't expecting the snow so early. Two days later, it was gone, but so was the patio cover.

I think it will be winter for the next few months, now.

I Can't Believe It's September!!!

Where did the summer go!.

I spent some time remaking a set of small quilted wallhangings and sent them off to a publisher. I will post pictures when I know more.

I got a virus and spent a little more than a week in bed, fever, chills, the whole thing. But I survived without going to the hospital this time.

I also created a new quilt, Winter Geese, and sent the pattern to Quiltwoman.com. I hope it is published soon. I'll let you know.

The garden is not doing well. We did get a fair crop of peas. The tomatoes are slow and the corn is.... well, lets just say, it would be a joke if we showed it to you. Short, short, short, no ears. I haven't checked the potato plants for little ones yet. The greenhouse is not much better. It sort of piddled off about mid July and we sort of neglected it after that.

I was working on a new pattern last week, when my sewing machine stopped working. Had to take it in, but because the place I go to for repairs is a big vendor at the fair, I won't know the damage until at least next week.
I tried mom's old machine, but it wouldn't work. I may have to get Nyda's machine out to the workroom if I get sewing withdrawal too bad.

I am getting some other things done since I can't sew. Like vacuuming, sweeping, dusting, mopping the kitchen floor. Cleaning my room. I culled a lot of books and magazines out of my shelves. I was able to sell some to the used books store. Not much money: $25. and $12 credit at Hastings. I told Nyda she could use the credit towards more video games. She is working customer service for Sony Playstation now and gets a playstation to use at home.
I put some craft stuff and the magazines on freecycle, and they were picked up fast. I still have too much stuff.

New tote bag

I needed a new tote bag, the old one I have been using is just a simple canvas bag that I got in a craft store for a few dollars. I had some drapery fabric samples that would do. I pulled some muslin to go with it and made a new tote bag.

Here are pictures of the front and back. Two different samples, but the same colors.



Here it is with the old bag. Much better, I think. I added pockets on the inside and longer handles.

Cool Kats Quilt

I just finished this lap quilt. I received a remnant in a grab bag that had these 6 cool cats prints. I used some colorful remnants to add size to the cheater blocks and then a stripe for the border. Back is yellow. I had fun quilting around each cat and choosing a different quilting pattern for each block. I hope you like it.

An old Fower Garden Quilt UFO

I put these hexagons together in the 70's. I sewed them togeter by hand using a blanket stitch. I've had the gold for the edge for a long time. Yesterday I decided to work on it. If I get the borders basted on, I can work on it in the evenings.
It's made of heavy cottons and corderoy fabrics.




I also got the backing for my "Dear Jane" quilt. I plan on layering it tonight or tomorrow so I can start quilting it. That one will be by hand! I've spent too much time putting all those little squares together.

Greenhouse and Garden

We finally got the garden planted. We also harvested two cucumbers from the greenhouse.

This is melons in the front, and corn in the back. Nyda started corn in the greenhouse. When she planted it, she also put some seeds in a couple of small rows. We'll see which one is better.

The tomatoes and peppers were also started in the greenhouse. The tomatoes look terrible. The last two days the rain and almost hail have tried to kill them. There were some that said there was a small tornado south of us on Wednesday.

It's almost July and the peas are just getting started. There are onions and potatoes in the other side.

Nyda uses a vibrating tooth brush to polinate the tomatoes.

Here are the first cucumbers. There are cucumbers in the raised bed with the tomatoes, and in some hanging pots.

Just yesterday Nyda started to plant the pots and planters on the patio and around the front. We couldn't afford to plant so many flowers if she didn't start them from seed in the GH.


We also got the pond pump running in both the big pond and the one outside my studio.

Look at the gold fish!


These Alum were in full bloom just outside the door last week.


We had flowers all spring, despite the weeds! Dafodills, tulips. Then lilacs and the flowering trees. Now the poppies and iris. I just didn't get pictures. The BEES have been swarming around the flowers. It's been a slow spring for them, too.

Owl quilt finished

I have had 12 owl quilt blocks in my UFO pile since the 1980's. The pattern is from an old Quilters Newsletter Magazine, I don't know which one. I did a close button hole stitch around the pieces that looks like a satin stitch, by hand. I would pull one out and work on it from time to time, until I got them all embroidered.
Earlier this month, I pulled out a colorful leaf print on black and made up each block in a quilt as you go manner. It took a few days to quilt and then sew the blocks together. Each block is a different design. I was trying out some of Leah Day's designs and few of my own. The borders were quilted seperately and attached just like the blocks.

Here are closeups of two of the blocks.




Here is the quilt. It is 44 x 66 inches.



Here are closeups of the back of two blocks.




Her is a picture of the back joining between two blocks.