Circus Parade Top

It's a top!

Circus Parade

40 x 45

I previously mentioned that Jenny B. sent me a box of small blocks. For this top I used some of the 3 inch finished Pinwheels. 

Someone else had previously sent me some different strip widths of the circus parade fabric. 

I added a few polka dots to the mix. When finished a wee one will be able to sleep under the small Big Top. 

And sew on...

Monday Musings at Brenda's Songbird Designs

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Yesterday I stopped to smell a few roses in my garden. I also pulled some nasty weeds. 

And sow on...

 

Orphan Kieran Finish

 

It's a finish!

Orphan Kieran

56 x 72

This month the theme in my sewing space to move UFOs forward is "orphans".  I made this orphan block top back when "orphans" was the theme in November 2025. 

This orphan block quilt consists of 8 inch finished orphan blocks. Most orphan blocks were given to me by others. I used some smaller parts and orphan blocks to make enough 8 inch finished blocks. Then from brown scraps I made Uneven Nine Patch blocks for the alternate block. 

I quilted it on my sewing machine with diagonal lines through the blocks. 

The back and binding.

And sew on...

Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

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I recently harvested enough garlic scapes from my garden to make garlic scape pesto. 

I waited a bit longer than usual to harvest so tops were almost in flower. Stems weren't as plump as usual because of such hot dry weather but I do like garlic scape pesto so went ahead and made it. 

I don't add nuts. I just use the scapes, parmesan, a little lemon juice and olive oil. 

I make my pesto thick and thin with olive oil later if needed. I just stored it in the empty parmesan container and refrigerated. 

I like it as a "sauce" on pizza. 

I added some chopped oregano and basil from my herb garden and then added mozarella and cojack cheeses as well as a blend of asiago, parmesan and romano cheeses.  Yummy (if you like garlic and if you like cheese pizza). 

I also used the pesto to make a sauce for my chicken breast. To go with I boiled some Yukon Gold potatoes I dug from the garden. AND I didn't take a photo but another "go with" was my first ripe tomato from the garden sprinkled with chopped fresh basil from the garden. Yummy!

I was only able to eat half the chicken breast so cut up leftovers the next day to sprinkle over a spinach and mixed lettuce salad also sprinkled with feta cheese, dried cranberries and candied pecans and lightly dressed with basalmic salad dressing. Yummy!

NOT Disappearing Four Patches

NOT Disappearing Four Patch (ND4P)

From 3.5 inch width scraps - Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of month plus tone on tone (TOT)

9 inch finished

I like the look of the Disappearing Four Patch (D4P) block but I don't like the method used to make it. Rather than make a Four Patch and cut apart, rearrange and sew back together I just cut the pieces and sew them together. 

 Because aqua is the RSC color of the month and because I'm trying to empty a box of 3.5 inch width strips and squares I dug into that box for scraps to make my blocks. 

I'm making two sets of ND4P. This one is made of plaids, stripes, shirtings plus a solid. 

And sew on...

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

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Today is my daughter's 50th birthday! How can that be? 

"I don't remember growing older. When did they?"

 

More Bow Ties

Two Bow Tie Tops

40 x 40

Recently Jenny B. sent me a box of small blocks. I blogged previously about the first Bow Tie top in a different layout made with Jenny's blocks. 

Blues and greens with alternate squares went into this top.

This one has red and orange Bow Ties with alternate yellow squares.

There's no need to tell me I have a rogue block. I already know that!

And sew on...

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

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Finished a book! - The Forget-Me-Not Library by Heather Webber. It's not my usual type of reading. It was kind of like a Hallmark movie in print - perfect for when you need some easy reading, a little magic and a happy ending.  I learned a new word I guess is used by bibliophiles but does not yet appear in most dictionaries: bibliosomia - the enchanting smell of old books. I read on my Kindle and when the word popped up I highlighted it to look up the meaning (although I knew from the context). The dictionaries the Kindle uses (Oxford English Dictionary, I think) did not find the word so I later googled it. Interesting reading about the science behind bibliosomia,  Hmmm, now I want to go sniff all the books on my bookshelf! 😊📔

 

HSTeria and Wednesday Wandering

I recently received a large bag of 2.5 inch unfinished HSTs and HST parts. Some were pressed but needed trimming. Some were sewn together on Thangles and other paper foundations. And some were just triangles that needed another half. 

So, with some of the dark/neutral HSTs I made some Depression Blocks. It's one of my favorites. These will finish at 8 inches and I think will go into a larger comfort quilt. 

I also made some 4 inch finished Broken Dishes blocks.  I have a box of all different sizes of Broken Dishes blocks. One of these days I will make a few quilts and empty that box. 

There were some dark/light HSTs that were two colors.  I decided to make them into columns of 40 HSTs for a finished length of 80 inches. When sewing them together like so the columns will form some diagonal light and dark stripes.  I think I need 30 columns of 40 HSTs. 

I decided to iron some blocks with HSTs too. I have several baskets and small boxes full of parts and small blocks that need ironing. If I need leader/enders I sew up bits and pieces given to me but since I know I am not going to use them right away I never get around to ironing them. I need to start ironing because the baskets and shoeboxes are getting in my way. 

Awhile ago someone gave me a gallon bag of batik 2 inch finished HSTS that needed ironing and dog ears trimmed.  I made 3 inch finished Broken Dishes blocks and some strips of 5 HSTs to add to a long term WIP.   Oh, and I did empty that bag!

And sew on...

***

A quick walk through the gardens. 

Money plant  (Lunaria, Honesty) reseeds itself everywhere. Soon I will harvest and remove the brown outside part of the seed pods to reveal silvery disks. I remember my maternal great grandmother had vases of Lunaria all over her house. I was fascinated by them. 

Lilies. I forget which kind these are. 

Asiatic Lilies

Oh so fragrant Orienpet or Tree Lilies. They grow taller each year and are a cross between an Oriental and Trumpet Lily.

Roses

Daylilies

More Roses.

More Roses being strangled by bindweed.

Daylily

Daylilies

Rose of Sharon

Milkweed. It has popped up everywhere this year!

And sow on...

***

We live in a very old and falling apart but paid for farmhouse. We don't have air conditioning and John's oxygen concentrator also puts out some heat. Since John has been sick so much the last couple of years I don't think he needs to also suffer from the heat too. I started researching portable room air conditioners and found one that would suit our needs and our house layout (it needs to vent to the outside via window) and square footage to cover. It was delivered while John was in the hospital and my son helped me get it set up. So now we do have a little heat relief (around 76 degrees) inside, thank goodness, in the living room/dining room area where John spends most of his time. Now I might have to set up my sewing machine on the dining room table. 

 

A Little Bow Tie Top

It's a top!

Bow Ties

40 x 40

A few weeks ago Jenny sent me a box of small 3 and 4 inch finished blocks in all colors of the rainbow. Instead of putting them away for later I decided to use them. This is the first of several tops. I happened to finish this top on July 9 before I took my husband to the ER but didn't take photos until this morning. 

When finished it will make a nice comfort quilt for a wee one. 

And sew it goes...

Oh Scrap! at Quilting Is More Fun Than Housework

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Good News! He's home. He was discharged yesterday around 4pm.  Diagnoses from that visit: Acute hypoxic respiratory failure, Bronchiectasis, Left lower lobe pneumonia, Medical problem-major (whatever that means) and Sepsis, unspecified organism. I can't believe he is out of the hospital after only two days. Oh, thank goodness! Now he just has to stay well enough to pass a stress test on July 24 and if he does then he gets the mandibulectomy, etc. on August 5. 

***

Oh joy! Recently Sandi sent me a box of HSTs and Barbara sent me a box of all sorts of different goodies. I am blessed with so many bits and pieces as fodder for comfort quilts. Sewing (and gardening and reading) keeps my mind healthy and able to deal with all the health issues with hubby. 

***

I finished two books! Dead Canyon by Jeff Carson. It is book #16 in the David Wolf Mystery Thriller Series.    

I Know an Old Lady by Margaret Standafer. It is a coming of age novel. I think it was longer than it needed to be; however, it was a nice story. 

Reading (and sewing and gardening) keeps my mind healthy and able to deal with all the health issues with hubby. 

***

While I was out taking pics of the quilt this morning a songbird I've never heard before decided to serenade me. After I got inside hubby asked if I saw what bird that was that was singing. No, I didn't. 

Also while I was out taking pics I walked over to the fragrant garden I made by an old swing set for hubby. It is not far from the house so it is good exercise for him to get out for a bit. I added a couple of Adirondak chairs so he could sit for a bit. Well, anyway, as I said...I walked over to the fragrant garden and saw Orienpet (Tree) Lilies in bloom so snapped a couple of photos. Orienpet Lilies grow taller with each year. 

Gardening (and sewing and reading) keeps my mind healthy and able to deal with all the health issues with hubby. 

.

And sow on...