Chunks of Blue

 I usually start a new Rainbow Scrap Challenge month with scrap chunks in the designated color.  I make blocks that require different sized pieces of a fabric so cut up chunks. 

These Double X and Snowballs require 2.5 inch pieces and 1.5 inch pieces of blue. Blocks finish at four inches and were inspired by a vintage quilt.  I had a big piece of that minty green fabric so decided it would be the background. I guess when I run out of that mint green I'm finished making blocks for this quilt. 

These cats also require different sized pieces. They finish at 5 x 9 inches. I'm using a free pattern I found online. 

These blocks finish at 3.5 inches and are also inspired by a vintage quilt. Temecula Quilt Company started a quilt along and called the blocks Church Window Hexagon Variation.  I did not really quilt along or follow the cutting instructions posted at Temecula Quilt Company. I cut the center and corners from a 3.5 inch scrap and the frame pieces from 1.5 inch scraps.    I've seen other bloggers making them and have seen the little blocks called by a variety of different names such as Buttons, Doughnuts and Wishing Rings. I even saw Wishing Doughnuts.   I like Wishing Rings. 

The finished quilt will alternate light and dark corner blocks. I seemed to make more dark corners this month. 

Rainbow Scrap Challenge ScrapHappy Saturday

 A storm with straight-line winds came through a few days ago and toppled half of a mulberry tree (actually I think it is really a bush) on to part of my flower gardens and smashed quite a few flowers like delphiniums, foxglove, iris  and roses and new seedlings of annuals like four o'clocks, cosmos, poppies, calendula, zinnias and pinks.  The tree is on the fence line between my flower garden and our field we contract out to a neighboring farmer. Lots of trees grow up wild along that fence line.  We have the mulberry all cleaned up to this point but those pieces going into the ground are supporting the weight of the big tree pieces higher up so may have to remain there until autumn when we can more easily get to the tree to cut more down. 

This is what is left of a tree that toppled on to my rhubarb patch at the end of the veggie garden.  There's another mulberry on the other side of this one that keeps cracking but has not fallen yet.  I think it is going to fall the other direction and just barely miss the above ground pool. 

If it's not trees ruining the gardens it is deer, rabbits or raccoons. Every evening at about 7:45 I see two moms and their five little deers romping through the gardens.  They mostly eat my roses and lilies and tromp on the strawberries and lettuce.   A raccoon decided my asparagus patch would be a nice spot for a latrine.  I need Mr. McGregor to keep the rabbits out of the brassicas because the barn cats sure don't. 

I'm not complaining. Life is full of glitches. And so it goes...

In other news...yesterday I celebrated 46 years of marriage to a wonderful man. Well, there wasn't actually a celebration...we said Happy Anniversary to each other and went about our days as usual but it's the thought that counts, isn't it?