Landscaping upgrade-Part 3 (Tuesday and Wednesday)

Our workers have been here by 8 the last 2 mornings and worked until 7. They take about an hour for lunch, a much needed break for them! They are hard workers. They started getting the chopped block laid out in the shape  for the new areas. They also got the areas prepped for either mulch or river rock.
They  got rid of a big chunk of limestone that has been in the front yard since me moved in. Always looked like a bare spot-it was right at the surface. They used the jack hammer and cut down about 8 inches. Now we can get grass to grow there.


                                             Prep work in the front on Tuesday

                                             Some of the work in the back

The new walk way in the back goes between two of the live oaks and then to the deck

By the end of today (Wednesday) most of the work in the front is done as far as the mulch area and river rock areas are definied by the chopped block and the ground smoothed out. You see where the walk will be.

View from the drive side-looking West

View from the street looking East-

The big area closer to the fence is pretty well finished. Different edging this time. This area will be all mulch. It now connects to the center bed. The bed against the house will be larger as well. 

  The walk through in the center back bed as be reconfigured.

Besides working on the beds they have been having to move sprinkler heads, capping off heads and dig through our heavy clay for the walkways!  Not sure but I think the cement guys will be sometime tomorrow to start that prep work.

Landscaping Upgrade-Part 2

On Monday our workers were here shortly after 8:30. We went over the plans again with Sean and his brother in law Josh.






                               The front walk was a challenge, at least right at the entryway

The contractor must have had left over concrete when he poured the walk. 

close to a foot of concrete they had to jack hammer out. Fortunately the rest of the walk was the more typical depth!

You can see where the old bed stopped.  

With the help of a few neighbors and friends the stack of old pavers and limestone slabs has been dwindling

Tiki thought the best place to be was on our bed! Just let me know when I can go out and chase squirrels!

By the end of day 1 all the demolition was done.

 The guys worked until shortly after 5, then we had a thunderstorm. Time to quit.

Landscaping upgrade-part 1

WE have never been in one place this many years. Trees have grown to the point there is too much shade for bermuda grass and some of the plants. Now is the do something about it time. Last three years have been the inside of the house, this year the yard!

When we moved in there was no walk from the driveway to the front door. We went with Limestone slabs which worked great for a while, but more shade and getting wet they got they became slippery. WE could get them clean but it never lasted long.

Another problem tree roots causing blocks to move. These were  3 inch diameter live oaks when we moved in!

And since our walkway to the street is starting to break up it is also getting a make over so all the walks will match.

Then to the back, more areas where grass does not grow.

These were also small live oaks!

As you see a lot of shade now and that is more important than grass! Especially in Texas!

The area in front of the deck also getting a make over

Design Wall Monday-June 5, 2017

The first of 2 Arkansas Crossroads quilt is off the wall and sewn together. Not a great picture but will work for now.

I am in a swap on another group where we are swapping Red/white HSTS that finish at 2 inches. Have a pretty good start but a long way to go. They are due later this summer.

Also have blocks for another swap due in August. A good start but more to sew!

On Saturday I had class 1 of 2 classes-Rocky Mountain Bear Claw Table runner pattern by Judy Niemeyer. Our class work before class was cutting the strips needed. Class one cutting out the patterns with fabric. We started sewing the claws. I left early so did not get as much done. Worked on it later on Sunday. 5 are done but need 16 for the table runner. So more to go plus other homework. Next class is the 24th. To see a picture of the finished product.......

                                              TABLE RUNNER

All for now  over to Design wall Monday on smallquiltsand dollquilts

Design Wall Monday-May 29, 2017 Memorial Day

In honor of Memorial Day where we pause and pay our resepcts to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country this is a short video from Ft. Indiantown Gap National Cemetary in Annville PA.  My Father and his 2 brothers and a sister were all in WWII. When visiting any of the National Cemetaries it is a sobering time. We were fortuante in that all of the family returned from WWII and the ones since then. My Father is now buried here as well as other family members. This was from their ceremony yesterday. Hopefully one day we will be in PA for the Memorial Day Ceremony

In Honor of Memorial Day





Now on to quilting!


We got back to Round Rock middle of last week. Took a few days but I finally got back to my Arkansas Crossroads blocks.

The X blocks are sewn

Here 2 blocks laid out to get an idea

On Saturday I put it on the design wall. And that is where it has been patiently waiting for the next step! I do need to move a few blocks around, although I am not sure it would really matter! There is a lot going on!

The outer border blocks are made (half an X) for the outer peaks.

Will play with those on the design wall today. And while I was at Honey Bee (LQS) saw the perfect wide backing. Bought enough for 2 as I have many more 2.5 inch squares to use. The quilt used 404!

This next one will be sewn as leaders and enders. Have a lot of other things to work on too. But it was the perfect projet to take along on our trip and work on in the room at night!

over to Small Quilts and Doll Quilts

Design Wall Monday-May 22, 2017

Once again I have not been posting much. Not sure why, just not doing it!  But I have been getting some sewing in.

We are once again at Rockport Texas for a few days. This time my machine made the trip as well. Also brought along a container of 2.5 inch squares and strips. Decided to work on Arkansas Crossroads. A great scrap quilt. My scraps range the gamut from batiks, kids, brights, you guessed it everything. The 16 patches are that-everything. This is th first five done.

Now all 19 are done. Ended up doing an extra! and the crossroad blocks are also done; 68 of those.Still need to do the border blocks. Glad I decided to toss in some fabric for background just in case I got the 16 patches done. That would have meant another trip to the quilt shop in town.Yes, another, we stopped there on Friday!

Jeanne, the owner of Golden Needles and Quilt Shop wanted a picture of the girls! It is a great little shop. Lots of coastal fabrics which we don't get at home.

We spend most of the days checking out the birding sites and back roads going through the flats. Galen gets lots of pictures. At night he is downloading his pictures from the day, getting them sorted, I'D and posted on the various groups. Good time for me to sew.

My stack of blocks. The ones with the clips are the 68. 4.5 background block with 2.5 sqs sewn on 2 opposite corners, They are not trimmed and pressed yet. Maybe tonight.

2 old quilts always travel with us for the bed so the girls can be on top

Tiki has a favorite toy-her buffalo. It also made the trip.

Over to a new site for design wall mondays

Small quilts and doll quilts

Design Wall Monday - May 1, 2017

Not much to report this week. I made 2 more blocks for the Canada lotto on QWC. So now I have 2 sets completed. Hope to get another one done but that depends on the usual-time and other commitments!

 I was  putting more fabric away and kept finding cute prints for the bow tie blocks for the Quilted with Love group. Started to lay them a side, then thought maybe I should go a head and cut the pieces. Of course, now they are cut they might get lost, guess I will go a head and sew the blocks. 52 on the wall right now! They are fun to make!

Galen was away all weekend on a birding get together near Anahuac, TX. Not the greatest of weekends weather wise but they did see birds and other wildlife. It was very windy and the elevation may be 5 ft above sea level. Strong winds coming in off the gulf closed a few roads to them-covered with water. But they had a good time. He leaves tomorrow for PA for the annual Let's spray the weeds on the farm up there. It is in a PA conservation program. 

Yes, I plan on sewing while he is away. I am so far behind on some of the BOM I have been saving that I need to get busy! Plus I still need to put for stuff away and reorganize.

Most of all I should get my car back tomorrow!

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