A Little Rain Today!

 poodlegirls  cooking, Daily Happenings, Donation Quilting, Gardening, General Sewing, Life at home, Nature, Our Girls, Quilting, Travels, Uncategorized  November 18, 2024 2 Minutes

We were supposed to have rain yesterday but it went way East of Round Rock. We got a little this morning, not a lot but any is welcomed.

Late last week after Galen got through his 300 plus pictures he took while on the trip to the valley more plants were pulled out of the beds. It’s time. Now to get the support cages disassembled and put away until next Spring. We also need to transplant some Iris and get the new bulbs in the ground. Galen did spend the weekend trimming our one big bush out front. Needed too before the net lights go up. He will probably start on that later today and finish up tomorrow. We won’t turn them on yet but they will be done!

We met Osie last Thursday. She had one quilt ready for me and I gave her the 3 I had here to be quilted. This is the one I got back. A very old 5 at the Hive block of the month from Honey Bee in Austin. Have black binding machine sewn on the front. Now I have something to work on in the evenings. Good thing I have good lighting by my chair-black binding on a very busy black backing! That’s Lady in the picture she turns 9 this Friday.

There are times when it seems I go out of my way to make a pattern difficult. They say read through a pattern several times. And Cozy quilt patterns aren’t normally that difficult unless you make it that way! After a lot of ripping, sewing again, and sometimes ripping once again I finally got an A block made. B blocks are easier. Have a lot more to make but now I will keep this one at the machine where I can see it! Yes a few threads to get rid of!!!! I am loving the Kaffe fabrics with the black background. Would make a good pattern for scraps.

The other day Galen and I were having coffee on the deck. We both had a chuckle at our Anole pole dancer.

Yesterday I was watching one through our clear roof extension. Reminded me of when we lived in Taiwan. Sometimes we had small wood carvings framed with a plexiglass mat and then the wood frame. The geckos would run and hide behind the clear plexi!!! They thought they were hiding!

Spent a little time in the kitchen yesterday cooking a whole chicken so I could make Mom’s recipe for PA. Dutch Chicken Pot Pie. Chicken is cooked and boned, broth is strained and saved. Sometime later this week we will have it for dinner. I don’t think Mom would mind since she has shared this recipe many times. Mom always made hers with chicken and she did use saffron. My one aunt sometimes made it with beef and rarely used saffron. When ever the Kleinfelters got together for a reunion a lot of Pot Pie was made and eaten. Comfort food! and memories of home.

Rain is over, sun is coming out. The rain was nice while it lasted.

tagging up with Small Quilts

https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/2024/11/design-wall-monday-november-18-2024.html

Until next time——

 

Veterans Day 2024

I am late in getting this written.  Busy last week into today. We worked more in the yard  pulling some plants that were finished for the year. Cleaned out a raised bed.  Will work up the soil with some compost.  May plant a few cold weather plants- who knows?

In honor of Veterans Day I am posting a picture of the 4 Marines in our family.  Somewhere is a picture of our 2 Army.  Need to find it.  Uncle Bob- WWII and cousin Bob- Vietnam.

Uncle Ted, Aunt Dottie, cousin Irv and my Dad LeRoy.  Ted, Potties and Dad WWII. Irv- Vietnam.

Galen has been in the valley yesterday and today, back home tomorrow.  My play time is over!!! Not really but have been spending more time sewing since I didn’t have to fix meals!

I decided it was time to get the top Plot Twist done.  Wasn’t happy with the directions. Couldn’t see cutting and wasting all those pieces of fabric to even up the sides.  Have enough fabric scraps to use!

I decided to add setting triangles to even up the sides.  I didn’t get a picture of it on the design wall so this will have to do until it’s quilted. But you get the idea.

Had hoped to have a block or two done for Buds and Blooms top.  A lot of units are done but no blocks put together.  Next week.

We did have rain last week.  Close to 2 inches, need more but happy with what we got.

Our evenings have been nice.  Now that we are back on standard time our evenings cool off.  74° is comfortable for a cup  of coffee after dinner on the deck.

Table top Tiki torch and solar lights

Hopefully I will have pictures of some blocks next week.  I will be meeting Osie this week to give her 3 tops to quilt and pick up 2.

Have a great week.

 poodlegirls  Daily Happenings, Gardening, Life at home, Nature, Quilting Leave a comment  November 11, 2024 1 MinuteEdit"Veterans Day 2024"

 

Design Wall Monday and Other Musings

 poodlegirls  cooking, Daily Happenings, Life at home, Quilting, Uncategorized  November 4, 2024 2 Minutes

I mentioned last week about having a consultation for a Root Canal.  That was Tuesday afternoon.  After looking at X-rays and 3D Imaging.  Yes and he had an opening Wednesday morning so I grabbed it.  In at 9 and out shortly after 10. Finished and the old crown back on.  Back in 6 months to see how things look.  Great job and very little discomfort.

We also voted early.  We know what the lines will be like tomorrow even with the number of voters who did vote early.

As promised here is a picture of my Pulsar quilt top.  It was a fun quilt along.  And fabric all from the Stewart shop. I do have to confess though to buying wide backing for it.  Didn’t like what I had hand . This was from a QAL by the Bear Creek quilt shop. Did learn a few new things, which is always a good.

Since I started taking inventory of my “store” I have been going through kits I either purchased or put together myself.   Some have gone elsewhere ( donated) and some kept  stacked near my machine to make.  Went through some of the bins on Saturday and made my decision.

I bought this kit probably from Jordan Fabrics several years ago.  My background is black. In the kit is a jelly roll (40—2 1/2 inch) strips Kaffe fabrics. The rest of the yardage is also Kaffe. Sunday afternoon I started cutting the fabrics and did get a little sewing in.  Accomplished 20 tubes.

You are looking at the wrong side in this picture.   It is 1 Kaffe and 1  background strip sewn into a tube. Next step is to find my strip tube ruler so I can get my half square triangles cut!

Kitchen time last week was spent making applesauce for the freezer.  Had planned on canning it but Galen wasn’t home to get my jars down from a higher shelf in the garage.  Put 5 containers in the freezer.  Got more apples yesterday so right now apples are simmering for another batch for the freezer. My pie pumpkins will get taken care of this week. And yes Lady is a little spoiled-  cooked up ground beef for her. I cook up a batch, put it in small containers and freeze. She gets a little taste in her meals.  Week before we dehydrated chicken for her bedtime snack.  Need I say more?!!!!!

Our big rain event last week- most went around us.  We had less than a tenth of an inch.  More is in the forecast so hopefully we will get more.

Over to Small Quilts to see what others are doing

https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/

 

A Productive Week

Managed to get a couple of things off my to do list during the week. Dentist appointment, not a good one but a needed one. Another one this week-consultation and set appointment for a root canal.

Did finish the Pulsar quilt top for that quilt along. Love it and will keep the idea in mind for maybe another top in the future. Can’t post the picture yet-not until the end of the month per the rules. Next post. And I have the backing ready for my Texas quilt. Should see what I have for backing for Pulsar.

I did cook up my pumpkins. Lost a couple, wasn’t thinking about this Fall being so much warmer than the last time I did this. The garage was too warm to keep them. Did get enough for 2 – 1 1/2 cups of puree. My Mom’s recipe that I always use uses 1 1/2 cups for 2 pies. Our neighbor enjoys them too! Have several more sugar pie pumpkins on order from HEB. Tomorrows grocery pick up. Will get those cooked, pureed and in the freezer.

Before going in the oven. And yes, my counters are not always clear of stuff!

We went out to Granger yesterday hoping to see dragonflies etc. We were happy to find the road over the dam open. It had been closed since last December. The fishermen are happy too. Quite a few at the spillway. Very little dragonfly activity. Did see several flocks of Savannah Sparrows as well as 2 Red Tail Hawks performing sky acrobatics. I saw a flock of White Pelicans flying away from us. Galen couldn’t get his camera on the fast enough. A big old Opossum crossed the road in front of us going into Friendship Park. In the distance we did see some ducks so they are on their way back to Texas. We do need rain. They say is in the forecast for later this week. Hopefully we will get some. An inch would be nice, more even better. But that’s doubtful.

Now to go through my projects and see what I want to start on next. Yes I do have a few here to finish but I need to get another one going. I work better when I have more going at the same time. I have tried doing one for start to finish. Didn’t work. Even when I worked at the cross stitch shop in MN I would have several going at the same time-a shop model and one for me! Guess I need variety to keep it interesting!

All for now. Hope you have a good week.

 poodlegirls  cooking, Daily Happenings, General Sewing, Life at home, Nature, Quilting, Travels Leave a comment  October 28, 2024 2 Minutes

 

Design Wall Monday and other musings

I was able to make clue 5 this past week for the Pulsar QAL by Bear Creek. Hooray, I am all caught up! I love the way this is turning out.

Last week we were actually able to turn off the AC units for a few days. But so typical of Fall in Texas we have had to turn them back on, but not having to run them constantly. We have started some Fall cleaning in our flower beds. Galen pulled a couple of dead Mexican Sunflower plants. Still plenty of others blooming. Lots of butterfly activity along with the occasional Hummingbirds feeding on the flowers. We still have 2 feeders out for them s well. Will take them down in another week.

We had not gone out to Thrall in several months, so we took a drive this past Saturday. Nice drive on the back roads but not much flying. The Dragonflies wouldn’t sit or were flying East into the sun. Galen did get a few pictures. The Kestrals are back and we did see a Road Runner. Like I said nice drive but we see more in our backyard! It has been so dry and that doesn’t help. Not even many Grasshoppers and out there we always see a lot. We did wait for someone to get their calf off the road. Found an opening to get out but not back in to the pasture. She got him back in where he belonged.

Galen has been dealing with learning Windows 11. A lot of his old programs don’t work on 11 so he is figuring out what he needs etc. And there is a definite learning curve for the newer Adobe photoshop.

Me I am still going through things here at the house – sorting, pitching, donating or finding a better place here. A lot more is going out the door. And I did get the doggy bandanas mailed off last week. Good to get them out of here.

I am linking up once again with Small Quilts over on Design Wall Monday

 poodlegirls

 

Design Wall Monday

I took  last week off from posting so this is catch up time.  I realized I needed to concentrate on getting doggy bandanas made.  Finished up 62 holiday bandanas.  They will be split between Lisa’s grooming shop in CA. and the rest will go to our sister in law Donna for her church bazaar early November.   Made 3 sizes- medium, small and a few tiny ones.  This photo is a sampling. Lisa will be getting the Fall ones along with Christmas. Rest of the Christmas will go to Donna. They are fun to make and help get rid of my way to much fabric stash!

Now that they are ready to send off I got back to my Pulsar blocks.  I have had clue 1 done for a while.  The fabric was cut for #2 but I needed to learn how to use the speciality ruler- the half rectangle trim tool from Creative Grids.  Took watching the u- tube video by Deb Heatherly a few times.  Got out the Scrap fabric and got it figured out.

Clue 2

Since I knew what the next clues were I wanted to see a few done

Clue 3

And then I had to try a block from #4

Clue 4

Clue 5 is also out.  I think I should be totally caught up by the big reveal!!!! For me that would be a switch!  I tend to get the tops made after the fact!  I am going to like this one and all fabric is from home!  Guess it was a good thing I have been sorting my fabrics.  Would not have thought of using some of my Asian fabrics.

We are still having 90+ degree days.  Austin had 100 yesterday and Waco north of us broke an all time record 104.  If the daily forecast is right today and tomorrow are our last days in the 90’s. But I will believe that when it happens. Of course we need rain.  Burn bans are everywhere.

I did freshen up several of our planters last week as well as getting several hanging baskets.   I also picked quite a few cubanelle peppers. They are a sweet pepper with a little heat.   Also called Cuban Peppers.  I have been using them when I make the Mississpi Pot Roast or pork roast. They add good flavor to an omelet.  We have 2 plants but one has been very productive.

Still see an occasional hummingbird at our feeders so I will leave them up until the end of the month.  The Monarchs have been feeding on our Mexican Sunflowers along with a few other butterflies as they migrate south. Galen took this picture on 10/2 of this year.

I was surprised to see some Rain Lilies blooming by our one Live Oak. These came with the house 25 years

I am linking up with Design Wall Monday

https://smallquiltsanddollquilts.blogspot.com/2024/10/design-wall-monday-october-14-2024.html

 poodlegirls  Daily Happenings, Gardening, General Sewing, Life at home, Nature, Quilting, Uncategorized, Wildflowers Leave a comment  October 14, 2024 2 MinutesEdit"Design Wall Monday"

 

Almost October

Just 3 months left in 2024!! I need to get busy if I hope to get everything done I had hoped too do. I have been making a valiant effort though.

Had a very productive week working on quilts.  I was able to bind another one for Linus. Twirling at the Disco. 

Hard to telling the picture- very scrappy binding.

I was able to get all the blocks done for my Texas themed quilt.  A fun way to use a lot of preprinted 5 inch squares. I decided to add borders.  Found fabric with barb wire on it. Decided it needed to be the inner border. I used black grunge for the other border.  The top is ready to be quilted.

Love the way it turned out.

I have the next few days where I can spend time mostly sewing.  Sunday I finally was able to start Pulsar quilt along by Bear Creek.   I’m about 6 weeks behind!  Today I did clue 1. There are 80 here. And yes I went ahead and sewed the waste half square triangles that were cut offs.

I think #5 clue comes out this Thursday.  Pretty sure I won’t be caught up but maybe can get 2 & 3 done by then.

Need to cut out and start sewing bandanas/scarves for dogs too.

I have pie pumpkins here to bake and freeze pumpkin puree for pies.  And also need to start canning applesauce. I will be busy.

I am linking with Small Quilts Doll Quilts

Hope everyone has a safe and productive week.

 poodlegirls  cooking, Daily Happenings, Donation Quilting, General Sewing, Life at home, Quilting, Scrap Quilts, Uncategorized