Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Not Sure What To Call It

It's a flimsy!
54 x 72

I was inspired by Alycia's quilt she called Pringles.  She was using pieces 2 x 3.5 and since I'm trying to empty a box of 3.5 inch strips and squares I figured it would be a good way to use up some of the smaller scraps in the box. I had a lot of blues and browns in the box as well as some 2 inch width blues and browns in the 2 inch width scrap bin so set to work cutting pieces. I didn't use all 2 x 3.5 rectangles. I did use some 3.5 inch squares instead of sewing 2 rectangles together. 

I decided to use gray, the only fabric not from the scrap bins, for the "pathway" that doesn't show up all that well but that's the way it goes...sometimes the path forward isn't all that clear.



So...a quilt by any other name...

The box of 3.5 inch width strip pieces and squares in June 2026. 

Most of the contents were given to me over the year by other folks. When I receive scraps I take my little six inch ruler and measure the width of them and put them in a box of scraps with others of that width. I usually have several RSC projects going for each box. 

This is the fifth top made from scraps in that box of 3.5 inch width strips and squares. 

From the scraps in that box so far...





5. This one - Gray Pathways

and actually I have a block set made for 

6.  Large Uneven Nine Patch

And sew on...

***
I think I've mentioned before that I made a Perky Goth Moonlight Garden as a memorial to my deceased granddaughter Kayla. I am using mostly pink (perky), black (goth) and white (moonlight) flowers. This is the second year and I'm still trying to get some perennials established and I've been battling with deer and rabbits and moles and trying to work around hubby's hospitalizations and the weather. 

I have had a lot of black tulips and white and black lilies in bloom. I have some shrubs off to a slow start. I have several hellebores that just seem to sit there and not grow at all; however, I think a mole might have tunnels in around that area. For mole control I've bought a big jug of cayenne pepper and sprinkle it around the holes. I also sometimes mix the cayenne with castor oil and spray into the tunnels. I try to be consistent about applying it but I have so many gardens and so many mole holes that by the time I spray one they just make another. Oh, I also spriinkle coffee grounds in their holes too. 

So anyway...I decided to take a few photos to show this garden area in year two. I cleared the area of weeds, brambles, wild grape vines, elderberry and honeysuckle. It is a wooded area on one end and sunny on the other. 

Entrance to the area. There are trellises with climbing roses - pink on one side and white on the other.  Straight ahead is a mound. It is the dirt scooped up to make even ground for an above ground pool we put in over 20 years ago. 

I started seeds for a few different types of white and pink trailing petunias and a few dark purple ones. I also started some black dragon coleus. I wanted to fill in the mound with mostly annuals this year. I purchased the black sweet potato vines.  I was devastated earlier in the year when most everything was eaten down to almost nothing by a rabbit or deer. I sprayed with Bobbex a couple of times and have been delighted to see quite a few of my flowers come back. 

I have labeled things I started from seed so I can tell if I should start seeds again next year of that variety. 


So I'll give this a try again next year until I can figure out what perennials I can plant here and stay with my color scheme. 


And going around one side of the mound here is the view looking down to the end of the garden where I put up a fence along that end to divide up this area from the wooded area that used to be our wood lot when our house was only heated by wood.   The white trellis has a white rose and clematis on it. 

Walking down the pathway to the pink birdbath with pink, black and white calla lilies planted under it. I have to dig up those corms in the Fall.  Between the trees is a trellis with Moonflowers that have not bloomed yet.  Near that trellis I have planted white candelabra verbascum I started from seeds. Hopefully that will bloom next year. 

Here is a patch of annual celosia I started from seeds. It is supposed to have darker foliage and pink flowers. I think I was supposed to pinch out the tips a few times for bigger flowers I could actually dry but I never got around to it. It was just something I was trying out until I can get some perennials established. 


Garden bench. It has a trellis near it with another rose and earlier in the year it had some black sweet peas. I had spread some poppy seeds here and there but nothing ever sprouted. 

Some black and pink dahlias are starting to bloom. 

Dahlia

Dahlia

Dahlia

Dahlia




I have quite a few black gladioli that are staked up; however, something like a deer keeps running through my patch and knocks all my stakes and gladioli over. 



Roselily

Well, that was about half of the Perky Goth Moonlight garden. I have an area with black hollyhocks, hellebores, more roses, shrubs, and dark sedums and grasses. And I have an archway with more roses and clematis. More later. 

I mentioned I cleared the Perky Goth Moonlight garden of elderberries. Well, I thought their long slender stems would make nice stakes for a trellis. I have a slab near my cutting garden that John used to keep his telescope on. I thought it would make a nice seating area with a trellis where I could maybe grow a sunflower house. I used the elderberry branches and old tubing from John's enteral feed bags and made a trellis. And who knew those old dead looking elderberry sticks would sprout and actually bear fruit this year? I had to trim them back! Now if I wanted that to happen it wouldn't have. When the kids were younger I did make elderberry syrup and John made elderberry wine but I just think of them as weeds now. 

And sow on...

We are supposed to have rain for the next couple of days so maybe I will catch up on replying to emails and a little housework.  And now that we have some a/c in the living room I'm itching to get a quilt in the hoop for some hand quilting. I need to dig through my yarn and make a few stocking caps for kids too. Last time I looked in the yarn box a mouse jumped out of it (eek! I was traumatized) so I figured I should use the yarn before the mice shred it. Hmmm...might crochet a few dishcloths and washcloth and soap bag sets. 

Friday, July 31, 2026

A Top Full of Snowballs


It's a top!
Snowball Nine Patch
54 x 72



I actually started making blocks as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) project back in 2023.  It was one of my projects to use 3.5 inch width strips and squares. Since I've been working on emptying a box of those scraps I decided to finish up blocks for this quilt and assemble the top. 

I made a similar quilt back in 2018. After I had finished it my daughter came by, saw it, loved it, and asked if she could have it. So I gave it to her. I think she still loves on it and a few other quilts. 


I'm glad I found that old post about my 2018 quilt because whenever I get around to it I think I will quilt this one the same way. 


The box of 3.5 inch width strip pieces and squares in June 2026. 

Most of the contents were given to me over the year by other folks. When I receive scraps I take my little six inch ruler and measure the width of them and put them in a box of scraps with others of that width. I usually have several RSC projects going for each box. 

This is the fourth top made from scraps in that box of 3.5 inch width strips and squares. 

From the scraps in that box so far...


And sew on...


***
I don't know what the Monarch found interesting on the Moonflower leaf. 

It finally found the Milkweed. Maybe some eggs will be laid? I think peak egg laying season here in zone 5 is May-July. 

Milkweed grows wild here and this year there has been a lot of it. I leave it here and there as long as it is not going to compete with my roses. Milkweed has a nasty habit of falling over on top of things when there is a storm.   

***

Finished a book! Mandarin Road by Ann Bennett. I've read a couple of her WWII historical fiction books and enjoyed them so decided to try this Vietnam War historical fiction. Not only was it historical fiction - it was a bit of a mystery and love story too.  


Thursday, July 30, 2026

Uneven Nine Patch Top



It's a top!
Uneven Nine Patch
42 x 49



I've been trying to empty a box of 3.5 inch strips and squares. I mentioned the other day that I had made enough Uneven Nine Patch blocks from scraps in that box for two quilts.  This is the smaller of the two quilts. I mostly used the blocks with novelty and geometric prints. 



This is the third top made from scraps in that box of 3.5 inch width strips and squares. 

From the scraps in that box so far...



3. This one - small Uneven Nine Patch top




And sew on...

***
With a little cooler temps and lower humidity the last couple of days I've been doing lots of weeding. There is still a lot of color in the gardens. 











And sow on...







 

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

Snowballs - A Complete Block Set


I've been trying to empty a box of 3.5 inch width scraps and squares. One of my old Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) projects has been Nine Patches of Snowballs I will alternate Nine Patch Snowballs with dark corners and Nine Path Snowballs with light corners in the final layout. My goal has been 24 blocks with light corners and 24 blocks with dark corners. I needed 11 more blocks with dark corners in order to meet my goal. So I made them and now I have a complete block set ready for assembly. 

And sew on...

***
John's mandibulectomy surgery was scheduled for August 5. Darn it all...they called today to reschedule to September 1 because Dr. is not available on August 5. Well then why did his surgery get scheduled months ago for August 5?  Now that sets everything back. After surgery he was supposed to get a heart monitor for 30 days because his echocardiogram showed moderate aortic valve stenosis.  If we had known his surgery was not until Sep. he could be wearing the heart monitor now for 30 days. Now I just have to help him stay well enough for surgery for another month.  Waiting...waiting...waiting...

I am also kind of upset because I put some gardening plans on hold. I wanted to start a lot of perennials last month so I would have them ready for planting out in September. With repotting and hardening off as part of the process I didn't figure his August surgery would allow me to sow all the perennials I wanted to and be successful. 

Well, I guess I will look on the bright side...at least he passed the presurgical evaluation and tests and is eligible for the surgery. 

 

Monday, July 27, 2026

Uneven Nine Patches - Two Complete Block Sets






I've been working on emptying a box of 3.5 inch width scraps. One of the projects I started as a Rainbow Scrap Challenge (RSC) project was Uneven Nine Patches with wild and crazy sashing.   I only needed 47 more blocks for my goal of 122 blocks for two quilts - one with 42 blocks (6x7 layout - 42 x 49 inches) and one with 80 blocks (8 x 10 layout - 56 x 70 inches) - so I spent a little time the last couple of days making those 47 blocks. 


Now I just need to divide up the blocks for two quilts and put together a couple of tops! 

And sew on...