Last Week in May 2021!

I know I said I would write another post last week but we all know how plans are! I think I spent most of my time in the kitchen-cooking chicken for the girls and also cooking chicken for chicken pot pie. It was on the menu for Thursday! I like to make my own broth by cooking a whole chicken with onion, celery and some saffron. Mom always used saffron when making pot pie! I got that done on Tuesday. Meat off the bones, broth through a strainer and everything in the fridge for Thursday. The girls chicken breasts simmered with no seasonings, shredded, vacuumed sealed in small quantities in the freezer. We always add a little to their meals. The rest of the week was some yard work when it wasn't raining!

My friend dropped off my Faded Charms quilt that she quilted for me.. I talked about it in January. It's a free pattern on Wedding Dress Blue blog

you can read about it here

I made the binding for it and it is now bound. The quilting pattern is Gingerbread. I love the swirls on the squares.

Lady joined us on the deck to survey her domain

Most of our plants are recovering nicely from this past winter. We have added some new perennials and of course some annuals for color.  But all in all plants are resilient!

Rainy Monday!

 Mother Nature has been helping out us out with the rain! Getting a little much right now but I am sure by this summer we will be wishing for rain! We had just under 2 inches yesterday and the storms are going though again today. Moved a few plant back as well as put down the deck umbrellas. They are calling for high wind gusts and hail. Hopefully none of that.

Here's my post on Wordpress

https://poodlesandquilts.com/2021/05/17/rainy-sunday-and-monday/

A Dreary Wednesday

 It's going to be  cloudy and cool day. High's in the 60's! We never got the rain that was forecasted. It was all around us but not at our home!!! Usually if we leave the irrigation system on when it is supposed to rain we will get some, but not this time!

To brighten things up a bit here are  few pictures of our little oasis on a more sunny day. We do enjoy our yard. So do the birds and critters!

If you look at the top and to the left you will see a hanging bird house for wrens. We get wrens in it every year. This year the Bewick's have taken up residency. It's fun watching them go in to feed their young.

The Black Chin Hummingbirds as well as some Ruby throats have been enjoying the feeders

Pine Siskins were here for a while but I think most have left

And we get 

Downy Woodpeckers in occasionally.

We have planted Cosmos seeds in several spots in the front that get lots of sun. Hopefully they will grow and give some color to the front as well as hide the plants that are having to start over.  Not replanting anything until we see what it looks like later this Fall. Besides the local nurseries were hit hard as well with the cold this past February and we try to stick to native plants if at all possible. 

Now it's time to get busy. Until next time, stay busy and enjoy your day!

Mix and Match Progress

 I was able to work on the Mix and Match blocks yesterday. It's a free pattern from Jordan Fabrics. The quilt top takes 30. I have 23 made. Would have had more but I cut several wrong! The block layout is a little tricky if you are not careful. So I have been making one at a time and using the design a block from Martelli Notions to keep them where they need to be.

Here's my 23 blocks. Still have not decided on background as of yet. They will also be on the diagonal.

Had an early morning Dentist appointment. Home now and hope to make the rest of the blocks today!

Over to small quilts Doll Quilts

 

A Finish!!!

Yes, I get excited when I can claim a finish! Especially when it is PHD or project half done. Not really old enough to claim it as a UFO! I think I may have started this the week before the ice storm and never got back to it. It was a quilt as you go (QAYG) set of Christmas placemats. A kit I had purchased from Shabby Fabrics a year or two ago. Yes one of the many kits I unearthed while sorting.

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  Front

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  Back

We are keeping these to use for everyday during the Christmas Holidays

I have not mentioned the clips from Martelli Notions. I absolutely love them and so does my friend. She got some for Christmas this past year. They are super strong and wider. I enjoy using them for binding as they don’t fall off while I am wrestling with a quilt. Here they are on one of the placemats. Even when I remove one from a corner, the  miter is still there. Rarely do I have to redo the corner. These are my go to clips

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Need to clip some threads on the backs then will put these away until December!