Earlier in the year, I read an article that predicted another hot summer here in the Northwest. Last summer was the hottest we've ever experienced since moving to Oregon from Phoenix, Arizona, in 1978, and so you know we aren't wimps when it comes to heat. When I read that we could expect a repeat performance, I found myself hoping this wasn't going to be the new normal for our area. As it turns out my fears were overblown because, if anything, our summer has been cooler and wetter than normal. It makes for good walking weather.
Erik and I had breakfast together yesterday, and then we took an impromptu walk to a market nearby. It's one of those markets that carries unusual and high end items not usually found in a grocery store for people who are trying to save money on food. Whenever I'm nearby, I usually have at least one item to pick up. Along the way I took pictures of every blooming thing...although the blooming things were a little scarce.
There were these pretty daylilies.
These little pretties were growing in a planter box at the sign introducing a residential area.
The walk back took us through Barrows Park, where these little wildflowers were blooming. I didn't use my app, and so I don't know what this is. It's about the size of a quarter.
That little walk got me 2/3 of the way to my 10k step goal...always a good thing early in the day. Back on the home front, two more sunflowers are blooming. These are terrible pictures taken against a gray sky, but I still think you can get the idea on the sunflowers. This first one is called "Red Sun".
I'm not sure which variety this yellow one is, but it's one of the taller ones...about five feet.
This butterfly bush has been blooming for a while, and it has attracted the Shasta Swallowtail butterflies to our yard.
The yellow butterfly bush is just starting to bloom.
Smitty was out for the first time that day while we walked around. Here, he's doing his tiger-in-the-weeds impression.
I harvested two more zucchinis while we were out, and there are more coming. Today is a CSA pick-up day, and I expect there will be more zucchini in our share. I've been hoarding the zucchini in preparation for making zucchini relish. I expect I'll have enough after today. We're on our last jar, and so it's not a minute too soon.
After taking that little walk around the garden, I made a potato salad for dinner, and then got back to work taking out the quilting I did over the weekend. It took quite a while to remove all of the stitching and stray thread, but then I was ready to give it another try.
In the blue areas, I was attempting this "Swirl Hook" design from Angela Walters.
I'm posting the video there, but if you can't see the video, click right here.
The quilting I'd done earlier wasn't bad, but I wasn't happy with the thread color I'd chosen. I'd switched to a turquoise thread, thinking the blue fabric was too bush for this design. I wasn't happy with the look, and so I went back to yellow thread. Now all the blue areas are quilted, using this same design.
It's hard to see the stitching in this image, but there you go.
Sadie is taking serious her role as snuggle-ability judge.
Now all that's left are the two borders at the bottom and left side. After spending some time measuring and thinking about it yesterday, I've decided on a variation of the sunrise/sunset sketch I made.
I think it's going to work out just fine.
Blook #10 is out on the Bee-utiful Quilt-A-Long. This one is called Bee Kind.
I traced out mine yesterday, and I'll start stitching on it this morning. This one could take a few days.
The next block, Bee Industrious, is also out, and so I'll have some stitching to do on both of these before I can finish off the Gingerbread square block.
In the meantime, I'm hoping I'll have Seating for Two finished off so that I can start the binding.
Today is going to be a busy day. I'm having brunch with Matthew on the other side of town, and I need to stop off at the post office. Later on this afternoon, I'll be picking up our CSA vegetables. There's a little bit of housework to do as well. I'm hoping to get back to my quilting, but it's not a sure thing.
13 comments:
The sunflowers are gorgeous, I really need to get my sunflower mojo on next year. Could the blue flower be chicory? Can't tell without the leaves. Your quilting is amazing!
Your flowers are so beautiful, would love to see them as a whole. I like to see gardens and how the flowers look together as I plan mine. Lots of beautiful work and I do love how those chairs came out.
Debbie
The blue flowers are chicory. You often mention when you have a bit of housework to do. Do you have a daily/weekly/monthly housekeeping schedule? Or do you follow Fly Lady etc? Or is it just as you feel something needs doing? I've always been interested in how other people who stay at home alone schedule their housekeeping needs. Thanks ahead if you feel like sharing information.
Sorry, I think I've figured out why my comments where printing twice. I'm not very computer saavy!
Robin, you are no-reply, and so I can't answer you personally. In answer to your question, another reader actually put me onto the idea of scheduling the main housekeeping tasks. Some are weekly, some bi-weekly, and some monthly. Some even less often. But it works for me. Took me a while to work out a schedule that kept things looking good most of the time, and sometimes things get shifted around. I like it because most tasks take less than 30 minutes, and so it means I don't spent a lot of time on housework, but I usually have at least one task each day.
No problem...you aren't the only one. The ways of computers and the internet (not to mention Blogger) are very mysterious.
I always love the look and feel of that wavy quilting, it looks perfect on the chairs. I may need to figure out that housework scheduling, I usually just grab the vacuum when the dog hair reaches my knees.
Those sunflowers are so pretty!!! Smitty certainly loves being outdoors, doesn't he? It has been rainy here too, but the temps have been upper 90's lately. And Maggie is coming along marvelously in her Quilter's Assistant position 😻
Love seeing every blooming thing. We lost our butterfly bush last year - so love it. Glad Smitty got a good 'tiger' hunt in for the day.
Thanks. I try to have one major-ish half hour job every day, but it's so easy to "not have enough time"!
Well, I know you saw the temperature my car said yesterday...110. When I got to work in Claremont about 1/2 hour ago, it was 102 - but it's nice & cool down here in the basement. In fact, my coworker has her space heater on! lol
Cool flowers today too. And great job on the quilting & stitching too!
We have had a cooler July. We have only had 4 100 degree days and none over that! Cooler is not a relevant term here! Good to see Smitty our with you and Sadie Makes a wonderful quilt tester
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