It's Too Humid To Do Any More!

This morning, for some reason, I did my inside tasks while it was still cool outside and my outside things when it warmed up!!

I finished the last valance for the POA (Property Owners Association) this morning. Then I pulled my wagon into the shady area shown above and dug up some ferns. No easy task considering we only have garden trowels for digging. Note to self: Put a small spade on your shopping list.



They went in the shady ares under the porch. Sure hope they make it!!!

Then, it was time for doggy pedicures. Reggie has pretty much surrendered to my will and we only have to do minimal foot tugging. He still gives me his best "Put Out" look. Max is a newbie to the rotary nail trimmer and we did more of the paw tug of war. We got it done and she will be better with time.

Like I said, it's too hot and humid now to do any more, other than take a shower and get ready to go to a cook out later this afternoon.

More Hexagons And Other Things

This is the start of the hexagon block that I'm making for Country Stitches (Blue Ridge) Show and Tell.



Sweetie and I have been working in the game room this week. I am the paint crew. After the priming and painting was done, we finished the wainscoting. Yesterday we went to town on it... I cut wood to size on the chop saw and then applied adhesive. Sweetie used his air nailer to attach the wood. We knocked that out in about four hours! Hhmmmm...I think I need to say no to the chips and cookies!!!



This week, I also started my flower bed with some plants from Little G's in Cherry Log. This is a shot taken from a series of hour by hour changes in the sun pattern of the bed.



Last night or early morning we had visitors...hungry visitors...



They left the Summer Pastel Yarrow alone, nibbled the blossoms off the Firecracker Dianthus, and yanked the Bumble Bee African Daisy right out of the ground. The stems on the daisy are pretty sturdy so they only ate one blossom before they moved on to a Maple cluster for it's second trimming of the season.

The Hexagons Are Machine Sewn!!

I made four groupings as I experimented with machine sewing methods.



The first three were done using a tutorial by Lady Harvatine, where you form a row with the points at top and bottom.



This one was done using a tutorial provided by Free Spirit Fabrics. You make undulating rows with the angle edges sewn together and the flat edges on top and bottom. I'll probably use this method because the block just seems smoother and the seams are easier to manage.

Some Things Are Lost In Translation!

This,

如果成為一支火柴，也要點亮一個短暫的宇宙；如果是一隻烏鴉，也要叫疼閉塞的耳膜

,according to Google Translate, translates to this:

Chinese (Simplified) - English
If you become a match, but also light a short space; If it is a raven, but also Jiaoteng occlusion of the eardrum. .

Sometimes, you don't even have to translate to get the jest of the message. One comment that I have received couldn't be translated by Google, but four words were in English...SEX three times and KISS once.

On a quilty note...

At Apple Country Guild today, we had demonstrations on at least four different methods of doing applique. Each person had handy tips and I can see using a little bit of all of them.

After the demos some of us headed up to Blairsville for ribs and a stop off in Blue Ridge at Country Stitches, to pick up some more back ground material. Country Stitches has a monthly Show & Tell and each month they give you fabric to make a block. You bring your completed block to Show & Tell and you turn it in for more fabric. I didn't think to ask what's done with them...I assume charity quilts...I'll have to ask.

Blogger's Slump!

Sweetie and I have been back from WI & IL for over a week and I just couldn't seem to get my butt in gear and do a post.

We just got back from a ride (motorcycle) on the back roads to Jasper, GA....slightly overcast but otherwise a great day for a ride.

Max has her days where you love her and days where you question your decision to bring her home. I'm not sure who is really in training for house breaking...her or us! So good so far. Besides chewing up her squeaky toys, her dog bed, my Columbia black fleece jacket, and my Clark sandal are all history.

Let's see, what's up on the quilting scene:

I was able to find the yellow fabric that I was looking for while we were in Illinois. It seamed so much more intense in color in the store, but when you hold them side by side there is very little difference.

My new WIP is hexagons cut from 2.5 inch strips. They will be machine sewn.







The rock bed for the down spout drain is finished. I had to use the rocks from the rock flower bed, so the rock bed is on hold.



While at my LQS, I saw the cutest thing...Cloth Dolls...same concept as paper dolls. I'll make them for my GD to play with on my design wall.

Lucy is now Maxine...Max or Maxie

Sweetie changed his mind on the name and new dogie is now Maxine...Max or Maxie for short.

We are up in Illinois right now. Our travel trailer, which we were going to pick up Mother's day weekend, was vandalized at the storage facility (along with many others) and we had to come up to get it to the dealership for repair. We will have to come back up in 4 to 6 weeks to pick it up. The good news is that the thieving little bastards were caught red handed. They broke into a really expensive Class A motor home with a silent alarm and the police where waiting for them with guns drawn when they came out of the motor home!!!!

We will do Mother's Day tomorrow in Hartford, WI.