Be sure to notice the condition of our shaggy field...full of downed leaves, weeds, and dandelions. The gardener hasn't been here since before we left on our trip. Oh wait...we don't have a gardener.
So I guess that leaves just me to plant the peony roots ordered when I visited Adelman's Peony Gardens last spring. It's the first time I've ever seen how they look below ground. They're weird looking things. On the left in the photo below, you can see the white "eyes" and those were planted to the "up" side of things. The "roots" (or whatever the things on the right are) were fairly long, making it hard to dig a hole deep enough...that, and the more I dug, the more the dirt fell back into the hole. Good thing nobody ever hired me to dig ditches.
Anyway...we got 'er done, and now the waiting for next spring begins. The planting instructions tell me to expect just a couple of stalks the first year, and more in coming years.
Of course, my kitty friends were there to help. Sadie was on the hunt for a vole, which she caught. Then she played with it until there was nothing left but a furry bag of mush.
Smitty stands by during this "tenderizing" process, and then he devours them. Dee-lish. Sorry if that ruins your breakfast. Kitties consider this gourmet vittles. He was on the hunt too, but she makes it easy for him.
Changing the subject (you're welcome), remember this photo of the maple tree I took before we left on our trip? I wanted to see how much the tree would change in a month.
Apparently, we had record-setting rainfall here in Portland during the month we were gone. So sad we missed it. (Not.) So the tree hasn't changed a whole lot, but here's how it looked yesterday. There's a little more red, but it still has along way to go.
With my pedicure, grocery shopping, gardening, and then housework finished, there wasn't a whole lot of time for sewing yesterday. Still, I made my way into the sewing room late afternoon and made the blades for the first Dresden. I laid them all out. These could be made randomly, but mine will all be made the same unless I mess up somewhere along the way.
When I had the mix of colors the way I wanted it, I sewed them together, and ta-da! My first Dresden.
But this was kind of disappointing. All those yo-yo's I made while we were traveling are not going to work to cover the center hole. I'm not sure what's wrong here because the blades are made to the size of the template provided (I checked), and the yo-yo's were similarly made to the size of the template provided. (I checked that too.) So...not sure why this didn't work, but oh well.
After drying my nonexistent tears (no use crying over spilled milk or too-small yo-yo's), I decided not to make more yo-yo's, but instead, I'll just applique a circle over the top of the centers. No one will know the difference. I'm just sorry I went to the trouble of making those yo-yo's. Maybe I'll find another use for them down the road. So I still need to sew the Dresden to the background piece, and then I'll figure out something round I can use as a template for the centers...maybe a glass or the top of a medicine bottle...and I'll try to get this one finished off today.
Today is another busy day, however. I'm getting the "big squash." It's only a coincidence of timing that I ended up doing this during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. If you follow social media, then you might have seen some of the photos encouraging you to "get those puppies checked."
The dog in the middle looks particularly excited about this. The other two...not so much. Male dogs, I presume.
So after that, I'm getting a flu shot. Do I know how to have a good time or what? And if I'm still alive when I get home, I'll do some canning. That probably doesn't leave much time for sewing, but we'll give it a go anyway.
15 comments:
I enjoy your simple snowbuddy blocks. Do you know of any simple bunny blocks? For some reason, I'm in bunny mode.
Your Dresdens are lovely! Why not add the yo-yos over any center circle that you appliqué on? I’ve done that before where the “appliqué circle” was actually an old doily or small, round piece of lace. It’ll give you some 3-D interest while putting your yo-yos to good use! The kitties make quite a hunting team. Yuk!
The only time I've seen the underground part of a peony was after my parents tied a huge bush to the car and pulled it out of the ground. They had it half-dug and were ready to give up. It was huge. Like make a circle with your arms - bigger around than that. I have the half that gave way. The other half may still be living in the ground at the house my grandparents lived in until they passed away. So, really, I saw a giant, messy ball fo dirt! But it is interesting to see what we were fighting against - and the struggle makes more sense now. Good job Sadie amd very nice of you to share. Also, very nice to leave it outside instead of bringing it inside and letting it go *ahem, Gabby*... As for the yo-yos, perhaps the circle template was meant to be an applique template? Designers do make mistakes, but I'm sure you'll figure out something to do with the yo-yos. (My first thought was to unsew them and try them as applique centers, but then I thought about all the work involved to make them and went "nope"!)
I was going to make the same suggestion as Cathy did! Would look really cute! Great minds...
The unhappy dogs may or may not be male, but just for the record Men should also have mammory exams. Men can get breast cancer.
I wonder if your yoyo template was really a circle template that you were only supposed to turn under 1/4"?
Happy regards!
I agree with Cathy above. Using a circle ⭕️ with the yo yo on top.
The dogs LMAO!
I still think set-in circles are the way to go because the dresden wedges are pre-clipped. Meanwhile, Molly is very confused because when she kills squirrels, mice and birds, she first swipes down and then to the left.
I've never made a Dresden, although yours is lovely. My mother made a Dresden quilt, I think. I wonder who got it? I am not a fan of tenderizing live meat, but it does seem to work for cats. As for the dogs, the male is the happy one, he's glad to get equal time on this important issue but has no idea what's ahead. The other two, female, know exactly what goes on since they go every year and will continue to do so.
The furkids look like they are so happy to be able and get out into the 'wild'. Your Dresden is pretty - too bad the yo-yo's didn't work out, but I prefer
the circle (set in or applique'd). Our 100+ yr old peonies have gotten thinner and thinner to the point I doubt they will be back next year.
Your cats definitely make use of their time outside. Letting cats outside make me nervous, afraid something will attack them. Hubby is just the opposite, afraid the cats will kill critters, which they certainly will. So we compromise and keep cats inside. We have no cats at this point in time. Our cat died last spring and we just haven't been ready to get another. However, we are thinking of getting one, or two, soon. I always like to get two litter mates and they seem to settle in faster.
Last Thursday I got a booster tetanus shot as suggested by my doctor. Since I get 2 Allergy Shots every week, down from 4 per week, I mistakingly thought this would be a minor discomfort. They have to inject it into the muscle at the top of your arm. It was uncomfortable for 2 days, but on the third day, I couldn't move my arm or turn my head! My husband put some muscle relaxing medicine on it. It smelled so bad that I could taste it. When I checked with the advice nurse, she suggested ice and Tylenol, which worked much better and didn't smell so bad. My daughter, who is an Occupational Therapist said it would feel like a "dead arm." I would prefer a "dead arm," to sore arm and muscles. So be forewarned about the tetanus shot.
Rosemary
I've never seen peony roots; they are strange looking indeed. I'd like to get some and replace the ones we had here. I'm sad that I lost them. We had a white one that was so pretty and aromatic. I love the smell of peonies. When yours are in full swing, they will be pretty in that space. Fun to see the kitties out and about and enjoying themselves.
Dresden plates are a bit weird as I said in my previous post. Sorry the yo-yos didn't fit. I've gotten my flu shot (they give them to us free at work), but the SIT missed the free clinic at college. Sounds like you are getting all caught up on the necessary stuff, so hopefully that means you are close to a NBS day.
Our indoor/outdoor cats loved to catch the gophers who populated our property, but they would get worms from them. Imagine the delight of kitty turning their rear end to you and out would crawl a worm! Had to de-worm them! Gophers are a delicacy to them as well. Tender, juicy... oh, sorry! I'll quit now! Love your Dresden's in spite of the problems!
I know that I have sewn a Dresden Plate block at one time. I think it was in my first quilt class & we hand-sewed everything. I don't remember any more of it, so I must not have had any trouble with it. I'm sure your's will be great, even without the yo-yos.
The Mighty Hunters strike again. I'm with Katie, above - at least the victim stayed outside the house!
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