Yesterday afternoon, I made my final call-in for jury duty. All trials were either postponed or settled, and so no jurors had to report today. And that, my friends, is the end of my month-long commitment. I'm free without ever having to report once. It's a good thing because today is the day we planned to pick cherries. Just as I walked into my office this morning, I raised the curtain to see if there were actually still cherries on the tree. In many a year we went to bed with a big crop of cherries on our trees only to awake the next morning to find both trees cleaned of every single one. So, holding my breath, I raised the curtain and...
Still there!!! Can you see them? The Black Tartarian tree was very productive this year, while its neighbor outside the frame on the right, the Bing, was much less so. I can't really account for the difference except to say the bees must prefer the Black Tartarian. So we'll be picking them today and then canning will take up most of my time for the next several days. This year's wish list includes two new recipes for Cherry Salsa and Sweet Cherry Pie Filling, and two tried and true recipes for Sweet Cherry BBQ Sauce and Cherries in Simple Syrup. There will also be a grocery shopping trip to pick up anything I need for my recipes.
During yesterday's sewing activities, I made a little more progress on the Sonora Desert quilt. This might actually work out okay, but it's still too soon to say for sure. When I try something like this, I'm always reminded of that old David Letterman bit where he brought out something unusual and then asked, "Is it anything?" Yeah, and that's the question I'm asking: Is it anything?
Just looking at the sections that are sewn together, I can see the mountains emerging.
I'm going to switch out the piece I've shown below. I probably missed drawing a line, and there should be a paler blue piece halfway down. It shouldn't be hard to change it. I'm hoping to get at least three more sections sewn together today, and then I'll be about halfway across. I believe the next sections will add another layer of mountains along with a new deeper blue color to the mix.
It was a much cooler day yesterday, although it was still into the 90's. It's amazing what a string of 100°-plus days will do to recalibrate one's ideas about what constitutes a hot day. Smitty has discovered the best of both worlds for hot days. If he lies on the dining room table, he can be on a quilt, while simultaneously cooling his tummy furs on the cool table. Yeah...get down, Buddy. The table is out of bounds for you. He's thinking this might be a good cover photo for his Fourth of July spread in the Sexiest Mancat Alive issue of Cosmeowpolitan magazine.
Also on the "making progress" list is my latest short embroidery project. I'm working on the center panel verse for the "Never Enough Cats" quilt. The font is big and bold on this, and so I'm working with three strands of floss as I stitch these letters.
It shouldn't take long to finish this. Sadie is snuggled up downstairs waiting for today's slow stitching session. It's her favorite job in her position as Queen Tortie of the Three Cats Ranch.
So life is going to get very busy with tons of cherries about to descend on the refrigerators. And let's not forget we're leaving on a camping trip Sunday, so my time is limited. Between now and Sunday afternoon, I need to go to the grocery store, can cherries, pack, and make up a new slow-stitching take-along project. Next up is the final block for Dancing Chickens and Flying Pigs, but I need to do the applique before I can do any stitching. That usually takes at least a whole sewing day. I might decide to finish up the 4th block on the large Calendula Patterdrip panel. That one is already made up. Yeah...as I'm telling you this, I'm thinking that makes the most sense. Thanks for your input. Also, I need to keep up with watering and weeding, and probably, I might need to squeeze in a few loads of laundry. So you can see there's hardly anything to do. And I still want to make more progress on the Sonora Desert piece.
Okay, so time's a'wastin'. Stop talking and get going.
13 comments:
If ants are such busy workers, how come they find time to go to all the picnics? ~ Marie Dressler
We hit 94 yesterday and I did nothing but scroll through blogs, online news sites and IG. No rain again, even though there were storms and warnings all around us. So no rain in 10 days and everything is wilted again. Supposed to be 10 degrees cooler today, so I might try to rouse myself enough to cut out a block or two for my grandsons Minecraft quilt.
Pat
So fun to watch your progress on the desert quilt. It is a technique I don't know at all, and I am intrigued.
You made me laugh out loud at the sexiest mancat alive photo!
I am really enjoying (and looking forward to seeing the next part of)
watching your desert quilt emerge... I think it will be wonderful...such a different piecing project for you. I love landscape quilts--have only made one a long while ago to commemorate my friend's trip to S. Africa from a postcard view of Table MT. It was a very simple one and mostly appliqued...but a fun project...
Still really hot here--"feels like" 103 right now and 77 dewpoint--ugh!!
Hoping we get that cold front soon...miss sitting out on our deck or patio--just way too hot..
I sorted strings and bits and pieces and chunks this morning--PHEW!! All bagged by color now...that was quite a job--but Done for now,,hugs, Julierose
As I'm reading, I'm also giggling at Smitty. You stop and take a photo of him being naughty and THEN tell him to get down. I have done this myself, too, but it makes me laugh anyways. My kitties are allowed on the dining room table, as we don't use it and sometimes you have to pick your battles! Kitchen counters? Nope. But my youngest, Toby, who looks a LOT like Smitty, has decided he needs to be up there when in the kitchen. He tends to stay down when put there, but forgets by the time he comes back in a few hours later. A human's job is never done. And thankfully the other three aren't nearly as worried about whether I might be in there to feed them and need help ushering a can from the cupboards above the counters out to his plate! The new quilt project is looking great, but with all those little pieces at odd angles, I'm glad it's you making that, not me! Good luck with cherry-mania and have a safe trip!
The temperatures you are experiencing are too hot for me. I can appreciate why Smitty is being naughty and cooling himself on the table. The dessert quilt is very interesting. At some point in the future I must try making a landscape quilt. Until that time I'll enjoy yours.
That is one really big cherry tree. I have never picked cherries before. Have fun, but be careful climbing that super big tree! You are making great progress on your sewing and stitching projects. Happy travels. I look forward to hearing about this adventure when you have time to share. Enjoy!
I hope your heat wave subsides soon! Congrats on not having to do jury duty but they lost out on a good person to participate in a jury.
I'm really liking what I see of your Sonoran desert project. It's always difficult in the beginning stages to "see" the final outcome, and the layering and quilting that will make it come alive. I think your experience with the previous projects you've accomplished using this method were just practice for this one.
I can see that it's 2 lines missed on the section you have circles with the Sonora Desert piece. It is coming along and looking good. I think you are wonderful with all the creativity you do. I love reading and viewing about the gardening and cats but especially the sewing.
Thank you .
It's amazing how each new column added to the Sonora Desert brings out the design. Hope you were able to check off all your chores from your long list.
Well, this is exciting - those cherries on your tree, and just in time for you to process them before your weekend trip! Yippee! I hope it all goes well!
You'll need a get away after doing everything on your list. My girls think Smitty is the sexiest mancat.
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