One more group of blocks............

 This group of Economy blocks are intended to make a baby quilt.  I had auditioned a narrower sashing strip than I used on the other quilt and using the black and white Sharks Teeth print.  There is black and white in 5 of the blocks.  I don't think this one will have a border.

I spent a lot of the day yesterday packaging items sold in my pop-up shop so I didn't make it to the sewing machine.  I have mailed 6 packages so far and hope to mail a big bunch today.

If you want to visit the pop-up shop, here is a link.  The shop closes at noon EDT on Monday Aug. 2.

A day with many events.............

I'll start with the evening and then go back to the morning events.  I got 2 more of the Lemoyne stars sewn.  I have 3 more cut out of the same fabrics so I could change which red goes with which yellow for the next 3 or make duplicates of each.

I got up yesterday morning excited that the pop-up show was going to be opening and at 8:45 the power went out.  I started checking how much battery I had left on my laptops and phone and 20 minutes later the power came back on.  Now I could fix breakfast.

But.......I looked out my kitchen window and saw that my neighbor's walnut tree was laying across my smallest and newest Redbud tree.  We had a storm the night before with wind and this tree was loaded with walnuts and the branches were heavy.  It is also a sucker that grew up along the stump where the original tree was cut down in 2011 so it wasn't a strong tree anyway.

This view is from near the lot line looking back into my yard.

My row of Brown Eyed Susans is right under the trunk so what do you think the odds are that they won't get trampled when someone comes to remove the tree?

My son was stopping by yesterday morning on his way out of town so he looked at the tree and took my big lopper out and cut off the branches that were leaning on my bird feeders.  Luckily the bird feeders weren't knocked down or broken.  This is in the area where I planted the 4 big Sedum plants too so I hope they survive the tree removal.

Everyone can get into the pop-up shop after 12 noon EDT today.  Here is the link.

A relaxation day...............

It was another hot, hot day so it was time to relax. Last night I sewed a few of the 16 patch strips into their group of 4.

I had strips ironed and stacked ready to cut 6 stars with my die cutter a couple weeks ago.  I decided yesterday was the day to cut them and I sewed the first one.

Today is the big day, the pop-up shop opens at noon to everyone on my email list.  You will be getting an email at 12 noon EDT with a password and link to get into the shop.  If you don't see it, check your junk/spam folder.  

One thing I wanted to mention is that we have a flat rate of $8 for USPS shipping so no matter how many items you purchase in one sale, the shipping is just $8.

Tomorrow at noon the shop will be open to everyone.

 

No decision on border yet...............

I have the Economy block quilt top on a design wall in the basement and I went down and looked at the border choices a few times and I like them both so the decision is hard.  I decided to go ahead and work on something else while I think about it.  Several months ago I went through all of the 2.5" Kaffe collective strips that I cut many years ago and pulled a lot of the low volume strips.  I was planning on making a 16 patch baby quilt with them so I paired the strips and started sewing last night.

Maybe you can see on this close up that the edges have a lot of raveling on them so it is time to get them sewn.  I think I have enough paired for 30 blocks which will make a 40" x 48" quilt.

If you are on my email list you should be getting an email sometime today about the 24 hour head start on viewing and purchasing at my POP-UP SHOP.  In it there will be some hints and photos of what will be included.  It also includes a link to a video that shows you how to navigate the shop using one of our previous shops as an example.  Some of our email providers are putting good emails in our junk/spam folders so if you don't see it, check that folder in your email program.

The shop will open tomorrow, Thursday July 29 at noon EDT (and will close on Monday August 2 at noon EDT).  Also tomorrow you will get an email at noon EDT with your password to get into the shop.  Again if you don't see the email, check your junk/spam folder.  

We will only ship to US addresses again this time.

The form to fill in for the email list is on the right side bar. If you have already signed up you don't need to sign up again.  If you have changed your email address since you signed up you will want to sign up again. If you are reading on your phone you don't see my sidebar so here is a link to the email sign up form. 

Auditioning some more.................

 I really don't have a large selection of 2+ yard pieces of Kaffe collective fabric that I thought might work as a border on this quilt.  I think these 2 are possibilities though.

It probably helps to just see one at a time.  This is Frilly in rusty orange and blue.

This one is Pencils in 2 shades of pink and lavender.  I hesitate to put pink on a quilt that wasn't specifically made for someone who likes pink but then on the other hand there are a lot of flowers in this quilt too and usually flower lovers like pink.  I'll think about it for a couple days.

It isn't too late to sign up on on my email list if you want a 24 hour head start on viewing and purchasing at my POP-UP SHOP which will open on Thursday July 29 at noon ET (and will close on Monday August 2 at noon ET).  The form to fill in for the email list is on the right side bar. If you have already signed up you don't need to sign up again.  If you have changed your email address since you signed up you will want to sign up again.  We will only ship to US addresses again this time.  If you are reading on your phone you don't see my sidebar so here is a link to the email sign up form. 

Sewn!...............

I finished the last seam at 10:20 last night.  It was too late to turn on the iron so I hope to get it pressed some time today.

Before I sewed it together I tried a couple fabrics for a border.  I was trying to get an idea of how dark or light and how busy the print should be.

It's hard to see the pattern in this dark one from a distance so.....

I took a close up shot of it.  I'm only looking at fabrics I have at least 2 yards of so I can cut the borders lengthwise. Actually I need 2 yards + 1".  I will look for some more candidates today.

Earlier in the summer I didn't see any signs of my Speedwell/Veronica plant but here it is and this year it is propped up by the Hosta which just about doubled in size since last year.

It isn't too late to sign up on on my email list if you want a 24 hour head start on viewing and purchasing at my POP-UP SHOP which will open later this week.  The form to fill in for the email list is on the right side bar. If you have already signed up you don't need to sign up again.  If you have changed your email address since you signed up you will want to sign up again.  We will only ship to US addresses again this time.  If you are reading on your phone you don't see my sidebar so here is a link to the email sign up form. 

Hot day, stay inside.............

At 3 p.m. yesterday it was 89 degrees with a feel like temperature of 103 with the tropical humidity.  I went out to check the tomatoes and then came right in.

The Zinnias I planted by the tomatoes are about 2 feet tall with really small blooms.

I thought I should do a collage of the before and after of the left front part of my house.  There were so many volunteer trees and a huge aster plant.  All the crew left was the Hydrangea bush after bringing in the big equipment.

My new grass in front of the planting area is such a vivid green compared to the old grass.

I saw a hummingbird first thing this morning by a blooming Hosta in the back garden.  There was no chance of it still being there if I went to get my camera.

I'm pretty sure I have the final layout for my Economy blocks so I hope to start sewing it today.
  

Final layout?...............

I thought this was the final layout when I took the photo and then I changed the first and third in the bottom row with each other.  I think I'm going to have to look at this for a couple days before I sew it together.

Here is an update on the back garden. The 2 black eyed Susans are blooming and the Tiger Lilies are just opening.

I should have remembered from last year's hot dry summer that I need to water the Tiger Lilies.  They are starting to dry from the bottom already and are leaning instead of standing up tall.  I did water them a couple times but they need more evidently.

The coneflowers are doing fine though.  They need very little care.

This group to the left of those is deeper colored.

And then there is this one.  Actually several of the flowers on this plant have this strange growth on their crown.

It was still hot and sticky at 8 p.m. but I went out and dug up this Hosta from the back garden and put it in a pot on this side of the porch.  Now I was done for the day.

20 blocks............

This is the group of 20 blocks that I will use in this quilt.  As soon as I get the rest of the strips and cornerstones cut I will do some rearranging. There are some duplicates in the large triangles that I need to separate in the layout.

I got the rest of the lawn mowed yesterday morning before it got too hot.  It's going to be tropical humidity and 90s for many days in the next week so I'll be spending more time inside. 

A few more sewn.......................

I got sashing and cornerstones sewn onto 3 more blocks and one sashing strip on another.  I had to turn on the iron to prepare some more sashing fabric for cutting so I pressed the blocks too.  4 x 5 layout will make a quilt top 58" x 72".  I have enough Economy blocks sewn for that size.  It would look good with a 3 or 4" border too.......

Yesterday was the only cool day we were going to have this week so I got out there and finished my planting.  The one on the left is another piece of the purple and green Coral Bell.  The 2 at the right are a perennial Dianthus and another piece of my hardy geranium with the fuchsia flower.  The Annabelle Hydrangea is so floppy I decided that was enough in front of it and to the left at the back is under a window so I don't want to plant there.  I might put another potted Hosta there.  I also mowed the front yard and the new grass areas.  Hopefully it won't be too hot this morning to finish mowing the side and back yards.

I'm still working on pop-up shop items for the shop that will open next week.  If you want a 24 hour head start on purchasing (or just to have fun looking at the offerings) you need to be on my email list - form to fill in is on the right side bar. If you have already signed up you don't need to sign up again.  If you have changed your email address since you signed up you will want to sign up again.  We will only ship to US addresses again this time.  If you are reading on your phone you don't see my sidebar so here is a link to the email sign up form. 

Cornerstone fabric..............

I decided on the 2 tone dark blue Aboriginal Dots fabric for the cornerstones and got the first 8 blocks sewn with left and top strips.  I tried overlapping them on the design wall by 1/4" so the strips would look closer to their finished size.  Now I need to count the dark squares in the stack and see how many more I need to sew.

Here are the little pink Begonias I planted on Monday afternoon.  I'm not sure where they are going to go yet so they are hanging out on the edge of the driveway.

This one must have had 2 plants in its little pot because there is both pink and white.

I'm still working on pop-up shop items for the shop that will open next week.  If you want a 24 hour head start on purchasing (or just to have fun looking at the offerings) you need to be on my email list - form to fill in is on the right side bar. If you have already signed up you don't need to sign up again.  If you have changed your email address since you signed up you will want to sign up again.  We will only ship to US addresses again this time.  If you are reading on your phone you don't see my sidebar so here is a link to the email sign up form. 

Beautiful summer day.............

Some cutting got done, staystitching around one quilt top, but no progress on a project.

I love this view out my dining room window.  The Hosta at lower left is the one I split into 2 pieces for my front garden and one piece for a friend.  Also I have a very small piece of it in a pot hoping it will fill out.  The piece I put back in the ground is looking good like it was never disturbed.  That is because I just pull the sections apart; I never cut the Hosta root.

This poor plant is so battered.  I don't know what comes through in the night and breaks off the leaves.  I have another one in a pot on my driveway and it is doing fine.

I'm still working on pop-up shop items for the shop that will open next week.  If you want a 24 hour head start on purchasing (or just to have fun looking at the offerings) you need to be on my email list - form to fill in is on the right side bar. If you have already signed up you don't need to sign up again.  If you have changed your email address since you signed up you will want to sign up again.  We will only ship to US addresses again this time.

 

Still searching............

I'm still searching for the cornerstone fabric for the dark/bright Economy block quilt.  These are both prints but will read as a solid from a distance.  Click on the photo to see them better.  This Sharks teeth sashing print is navy and white.

I'm still working on the descriptions, photos, and prices on things for my next pop-up shop later this month.  My coffee table and another little table are the inventory area for all of the fabric packs and scrap bags plus a little miscellaneous.

If you want a 24 hour head start on purchasing (or just to have fun looking at the offerings) you need to be on my email list - form to fill in is on the right side bar. If you have already signed up you don't need to sign up again.  If you have changed your email address since you signed up you will want to sign up again.  We will only ship to US addresses again this time.

Little flowers........................

3 Pentas, 2 pale pink, 1 deep pink.  I think I can take this one in over the winter as a houseplant.

Half price Vincas.  I thought they were striped but now I see they are just 2 toned, center and petals.

Mini-zinnias in small pots by the mailbox post.

I thought all of my black eyed Susans had disappeared but there are 2 plants that survived.  They have been in this spot for about 8 years.

And...the star of the back gardens, the first orange Tiger Lily.  The others are all in the shade so they have another week maybe before they will bloom.

Planting little pots...........

I forgot to take a photo of the little pots I planted and this photo of tomatoes was the only one left in my "photos to post" folder.  When I was at W*lm*rt last week I bought some annuals that were on sale to plant in little pots to place here and there for color.  I got the Zinnias planted and the pink and white striped Vinca.  I still have some little pink Begonias to plant today.  They were only 75 cents each so they had to come home with me.  The rain has missed us the last 2 days so maybe I can get the space on the other side of my porch planted. 

Playing around............

While my daughter and I were Zoom-ing yesterday morning she asked me what the light blocks would look like with the Sharks teeth fabric as sashing so I tried it and liked it.  I have it set up with about 1.25" showing here where yesterday with the dark blocks I have 2" showing.  My plan at this point is to use the navy and white print with the dark blocks and the black and white print with the light blocks.  I think maybe I will use the narrower sashing on the light blocks as shown.  I will think about the width options for a few days before I jump into it though.

I have been working in the background for over a month on items for another pop-up shop planned for the end of this month.  If you haven't previously signed up for my email list on the right sidebar you might want to consider it now.  Email subscribers get a 24 hour advance chance to purchase items before it is open to the public.

 

Sashing?.............

Somewhere on the internet I saw the Brandon Mably Sharks teeth print used as a sashing and thought it was quite attractive.  I think it might solve my dilemma on the current project.  This is the original one with navy blue teeth.  This year there is a new one with black and white.  I think the navy works fine with all of the bright colors.

I was getting ready to go out and dig a Hosta for my pots when it rained yesterday afternoon, less than a quarter inch.  I waited until 8 p.m. to do it instead.  I thought this hosta would break into 2 pieces, one for each pot but it had 3 small plants I could pull off of it and I ended up putting the big section in one pot.  I replanted the next biggest piece in the original location and planted the 2 smaller piece in pots.

I went back out to find a Hosta for the other pot.  I chose this tall one but I'm not sure if I like it.  I have plenty more in the back garden to choose from and this one could go back into the ground.  There is rain expected for 2 days so I have time to think on it.

 

Mowing day.................

After all of that hot and humid weather we have had a few cooler days.  It is starting to get hotter and more humid now so I had one last chance to mow the grass yesterday before it would be unbearable and rainy again.

The tomatoes are doing well and I expect a lot to turn color at once with the warmer weather again.

I planted several different kinds of tomatoes this year and even the ones in pots seem to be doing well.

This plant is pretty scrawny looking but it is loaded with tomatoes.

Here is the jungle of 4 tomato plants and the 2 in pots are on the other side of this raised bed.

The Tiger Lilies should be blooming soon.  This one is in the sun and the only one that has orange color showing.

I forgot my Blogiversary this year.  I started my blog on July 4, 2007.  On July 4 this year I was planting my first Hosta in the new gardens in front of my house.  I guess my mind was elsewhere.  So....it has been 14 wonderful years communicating with people all over the world.  Thank you to all of you who read my blog!!