Alternate Blocks

Alternate 8 inch finished blocks for Civil War Sampler. 

I now have 31 of them and am ready to assemble the top; however, I may wait until later in the month to do so.

 In 2011 quilt historian Barbara Brackman released a free 8" block pattern each week to celebrate the sesquicentennial year on her blog Civil War Quilts. Also each week she told a true story about persons who lived during that time. It was so interesting.

I ended up making 32 of the 53 blocks and have just left them stored in a baggie since then. Now they have some friends to alternate with in a top and I have moved this old UFO forward!

Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilts 

Start of the 2011 sampler blocks  - last 2011 sampler block

This month the theme in my sewing space is "reproductions". That means I'll work to move some UFOs forward that contain civil war repro fabrics or 30s repro fabrics or I might even work on my reproduction of a vintage quilt. 

And sew on...

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

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Garden News

I'm still planting bulbs. 

I planted crocus along a few pathways in my Perky Goth/Moonlight (aka Kayla Memorial) Garden. 

50 Crocus Chrysanthus Panda

They are dark purple (almost black) and white.

25 Crocus Whale Shark

Also purple/white

Down around the bench and birdbath area 

10 Crocus Prince Claus

25 Allium Ostrowskianum

On the other side of the bench near the rose and clematis trellis I planted 

25 White Petticoat Narcissus

25 Allium Art 

That branch across the pathway is part of a tree that fell in this area in the spring. It is barely lodged in a branch of the upright tree. The fallen branch is directly over a rose bush, darn it. I was thinking I should wait until now and cut back the rose a bit and find something heavy to put over it. Then I can have my son help me remove the branch hoping for minimal damage. 

I also pulled the label for the petunias I started last year so I can start some of the same in the Spring - Petunia Tidal Wave Silver from Swallowtail Garden Seeds.  As seeds go they are rather expensive but they gave me the look I was after. This is a mound near one of the entrances to this garden area and I wanted it covered in black sweet potato vine and those petunias. Early on deer or rabbits or something ate everything I planted here down to nubs. After I sprayed with Bobbex a few times they kept away and some plants recovered. Since these are annuals I am going to try again next year to get the effect I wanted. 

I still have more bulbs to plant. Am going to move on to a little meadow area as well as the cottage garden; however, there is rain today so I think today's garden chore will be to ready the area in the house for the plants I need to bring inside for the winter. 

 

HST Four Patch Block Set Complete

HST Four Patch

8 inch finished

Black multicolor scraps and solid scraps

I now have a complete 63 block set. 

Dark (or light or both) neutrals is the October Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month. 

I made 32 blocks last October 2025 when the RSC color was neutrals.  

A few days ago I had 50 blocks and now I have met my goal. I think I will set them aside for now and maybe assemble later in the month or put in my SAR (Some Assembly Required) bin.

And sew on...

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Gosh it sure seems to have been a busy week. On September 30 I had to take hubby an hour away to appts. in IA City at the Univ. of IA hospital and clinics.   He had an appt. with another doctor in IA City on October 5.  I hate that I drive an hour, have an appt. that lasts 15 minutes and then turn around and drive one hour back home.   Then I've been having PT on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And I have gone into town several times for prescriptions and for groceries.   One of John's prescriptions is Ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic for his bone infection. He was on tablets at a cost of $25.  When Infectious Disease renewed the prescription after we visited them on the 30th they prescribed oral suspension Cipro. When I went to pick it up I had to refuse it. The oral suspension version was over $400 !!!!!!!  So I had to get that straightened out so he could continue with the tablets.   

Well, in between all that I did do a little sewing a few mornings and a lot of gardening in the afternoons. The weather had been BEAUTIFUL! 

I received a couple of different bulb orders yesterday; I ordered them all with sales or coupons in July. 

These are the ones I am planting in my Perky Goth/Moonlight Garden (aka Kayla memorial garden). I am planting mostly black, white and pink flowers in the garden. 

This is the area I planted today with bulbs. I just mixed a lot of bulbs together and threw them out and planted where they landed. Most of the green ground cover in that area is wild violets. 

I planted:

3 Camassia Leichtlinii Pink Stars

5 Allium Nigrum Silver Spring

10 Daffodil Pink Charm

10 Tulip Danique

5 Allium Starlight

10 Daffodil Blushing Belle

25 Narcissus White Petticoats

There's a climbing rose on that trellis to the left of the bench. Near there I planted two Fritillaria Persica (Persian Lily).  

I still have more bulbs to plant in other areas in my Kayla Memorial garden. But that was enough for today. I am very thankful I was able to get out and do that much.

And sow on...

 

Starry Paths - Now A Complete Block Set

Starry Paths

12 inch finished blocks

Now there are 24 blocks for a complete block set. I will set them aside for now and maybe assemble the top later on in the month. 

I blogged about this old UFO a few days ago. It is one that falls under my "reproductions" theme of the month to move UFOs forward. 

And sew on...

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Garden News

Mulberry trees grow wild around here. LOTS of them. I try to get to them before they get out of hand but some grow up along the fence line between my cottage garden and a field.  Over six years ago a massive one fell over the top of my fairy garden area which is right in the middle of my cottage garden area. Although I do use a little chain saw the limbs were too big for me to cut. John wasn't able to help and so it has been sitting over the top of my fairy garden until recently when my son helped me cut away most of the fallen limbs. The tree had also gotten covered and tangled up with green brier, dutchman's pipe, virginia creeper, trumpet vine and wild raspberries and currents. I think now I'm ready to see what still pops up in that area in the spring so I can restore my fairy garden. It had a lot of miniature flowers. 

Some of the branches left on the fence line after the tree was cut back. 

Now uncovered!

The fairy garden is actually a big circle surrounded by a stone path.  In the center was a heart shaped trellis with a Seven Sisters rose.  Here is the area as it looks now.  The heart trellis was bent down to the ground but I was able to pull it up and now need to reshape my rose around it.  There is a miniature rose next to the little obelisk.  I still have more cleaning up to do in that area; however, I will probably wait until Spring to get to it since I have so many other gardening tasks I want to complete before the snow flies. 

The little creatures who inhabit the fairy garden.   Up in the right hand corner I spy a mini hosta. 

Also near the fence line this shady area was covered with mulberry branches. It had a lot of hostas and a few hellebores. 

The fairy garden has a lot of good memories for me. The grandkids and nieces and nephews used to visit the area. Sometimes I would put little gems and treasures there for them to find that I told them the fairies left for them. Other times I might put out a little clothesline to make it look like laundry day. You never knew what the little creatures in the fairy garden would be up to.  I had a lot of fun finding little plants. 

Here's some photos of the old fairy garden.

And sow on...

Civil War Sampler

In 2011 quilt historian Barbara Brackman released a free 8" block pattern each week to celebrate the sesquicentennial year on her blog Civil War Quilts. Also each week she told a true story about persons who lived during that time. It was so interesting.

I ended up making 32 of the 53 blocks and have just left them stored in a baggie since then. 

Barbara Brackman's Civil War Quilts 

Start of the 2011 sampler blocks  - last 2011 sampler block

This month the theme in my sewing space is "reproductions". That means I'll work to move some UFOs forward that contain civil war repro fabrics or 30s repro fabrics or I might even work on my reproduction of a vintage quilt. 

So I have decided this month I will make an alternate chain block from some of my civil war reproduction scraps and get those 32 sampler blocks out of that baggie and into a quilt top.  So far I've made 9 chain blocks so only 22 more to go!

And sew on...

Monday Musings at Brenda's Songbird Designs

This Week's Hats

Gray - Crochet Ombre Free Hat Pattern

Multicolor - Everyday Ease Caps Free Crochet Pattern

Brown - Everyday Crochet Beanie Free Pattern

For Christmas bags for Rosebud school children on the Rosebud reservation.

I think I will continue to crochet hats through October, but not all will necessarily be for Rosebud. 

And sew on...

Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts

Dark Neutrals

HST Four Patch

8 inch finished

Dark (or light or both) neutrals is the October Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) color of the month. 

I made 32 blocks last October when the RSC color was neutrals.  My goal is 63 blocks. I now have 50.

Whenever I receive scraps from others one of my sorts of scrap chunks (greater than 6.5 inch strip and less than a FQ) is solids and another sort is multicolor blacks. I have accumulated quite a few scraps since last year so it looks like after I finish my HST Four Patch blocks I have more than enough multicolor black for a couple more quilts. Maybe for one I will use black multicolor for Happy Block centers.  Time will tell.

New Start with browns

Overlapped Stars

Inspired by Lynn's (Klein Meisje Quilts blog) Overlapped Stars 

Lynn generously shares her construction methods.

A few months ago I sorted boxes of charm squares/5 inch squares received from others over the years by color. I counted the squares in the brown pile and I have more than enough to make the Overlapped Stars. 

I have other dark neutral projects to work on the month but for now this is my focus. 

And sew on...

RSC ScrapHappy Saturday

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Health Updates

I mentioned a few blog posts ago that I visited the doc for pain that started in the neck and after a few weeks progressed to most of my body. High ESR results (inflammation marker) led to Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) diagnosis, prednisone and physical therapy. Prednisone immediately relieved the pain; however, in the meantime other lab tests (positive ANA and high ANA Titer - more markers for inflammation) led to a referral to the rheumatologist for further testing. The rheumatologist appointments are 4-8 weeks out so not sure when I will be seen. In the meantime I will stay on prednisone and continue with PT. I'm just glad I don't have much pain at all anymore and can still take care of John, garden and quilt. I was at the point where I could hardly make it out of bed in the morning but now once again life is pretty wonderful.

As far as my husband John's health...he had appointments at Univ. of IA clinics on Wednesday (thank goodness I could drive an hour away and push him around in a wheelchair). He met with infectious disease doctor about the latest culture results that came back on the necrotic and infected jaw bone (effects of past radiation for cancer) he had removed in September. He has been on one antibiotic since April and that will end mid October. They added a different antibiotic after results came back on bone removed during surgery. Now the latest culture results reveal yeast infection (Candida) in the bone and so they have prescribed an antifungal for a year. Evidently it takes a long time to get rid of infections in bone. 

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Garden Updates

I'm delighted that I still have some roses in bloom! It is about time to put them to bed for the winter. After a couple of days of heavy rain I hope it is dry enough to work outside for a bit today.

Oh gosh! I was really surprised to see a big bloom on a Dinner Plate Hibiscus I started from seed this year. I didn't think I would see blooms until next year!

Starry Paths

Starry Path

12 inch blocks

Made with 30s reproductions and shirtings/plaids.

This month the theme in my sewing space is "reproductions". That means I'll work to move some UFOs forward that contain civil war repro fabrics or 30s repro fabrics or I might even work on my reproduction of a vintage quilt. 

This block has both 30s reproduction fabrics in it and it is my version of a vintage quilt. Hopefully by month end I'll have a complete block set.  I just made these two blocks to see if I could remember how to make them. 

I first saw the vintage quilt above at Pinterest in 2023 in a search for "vintage quilt". That lead me to the website Heirloomed Collection where I could see more pictures of the quilt. I think the blocks in the vintage quilt are larger than the ones I made and I think I switched the positioning of the darks and lights in my blocks.  

After I made a few blocks in October 2023 I asked blog readers if anyone knew the name of the block.  Several folks knew the answer right away and told me the name of the block was Starry Path. 

I now have a dozen blocks. I wrote down my goal as 35 for a 5 x 7 layout of 60 x 84. But now I'm thinking that the layout should have an even number of blocks across and down because of that secondary big pinwheel pattern formed with four blocks.   So I'm trying to decide if I am still in love with this UFO and should make 24 blocks (4 x 6/48x72) OR make 48 blocks (6 x 8/72 x 96). I'm leaning toward 24 blocks. Then I am halfway to my goal! 

And sew on...

Finished Or Not Finished Friday at Alycia Quilts

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The Garden News.

I love Zinnias. I save my seed from year to year and add a couple of packets of new seeds to the mix each year too. In the spring I sprinkle seeds here there and everywhere so have several patches of them. Deer don't seem to bother them and butterflies love them.   This year it seems like they aren't going to form many seed heads. I'm not sure of the reason for that. Usually by this time of year I have at least a brown lunch bag at least half full of seed heads. Right now I have nothing. I took these photos on Tuesday, Sep. 29 and as you can see they are still blooming and attracting some butterflies (or maybe those gray things are moths. I'm not sure but they sure are prolific this year. )

More garden news later.

And sow on...