Another Rainbow Finish

The rain held off long enough yesterday for me to get out and deadhead the hydrangeas. It sprinkled a little while I was out, but with my hat and a thick sweatshirt, I only heard it, and barely felt it. That was another job I’ve been itching to get at. Next up will be to clean up the herb garden, which is still full of weeds and dead flowers from last year. It won’t be today though. This morning I’m going to the farmer’s market with Erik and Mae, which is always a good time. It’ll be our first time this season, and I’m looking forward to it. It will also be the first time we’ve been able to go maskless, and I’m very happy about that. Like most people, I’ve complied with mask mandates, but I’m overjoyed to be done with them. Let’s just hope it stays that way.

Back inside, I finished up this section of my slow-stitching piece. The next section will be all leaves and tree branches. I enjoy stitching the leaves.

From there, I went to work on my quilt binding. Sadie was my excellent helper cat, companion, and foot warmer.

After about an hour, I’d turned all four corners…

 And that puppy is finished. This was my 2021 Rainbow Scrap quilt, and it was also a free BOM from Jenny of Elefantz.

After lunch, I headed into the sewing room to make the next Vintage Linen quilt block. Smitty was unhappy that Sadie had usurped his role on the quilt binding. Generally, he likes to have input on all quilt bindings, and she was sitting in his seat.  

Once I’d smoothed his ruffled feathers, he helped me choose fabrics for the many rounds around the center embroidery piece. I think I said yesterday there would be 20 blocks for this quilt. Actually, there will be 12. As I made this one, I realized I didn’t have a real plan for how I was making the center piece, and that contributed to cutting the last one off center. This one is centered, and I like how it turned out. As I was choosing the center piece though, I realized that most of these are stitched very close to the edge of whatever piece they were made for: dresser scarves, arm chair covers, chair back covers, tablecloths…and other things I can’t identify. In any case, I’m going to have to cut them off center to make them work, and some of them will be cut through the design, as this one was.

It still works out, and it opens up more possibilities for the items I have from the thousands she made. 

Here are the four blocks I have so far. I have in mind to use a yellow sashing when I sew these together eventually. I’ll cut some of the smaller embroidery motifs to be used as cornerstones. And it makes me excited to move this along and sew it together as my vision for it comes into focus.

Okay, so next up will be to make the next Shop Hop block. This fabric is from a quilt shop in Cottonwood, Arizona. 

I always forget I have to embroider the name and location of the quilt shop before I can even begin to sew anything. I have the template printed out, and I’ll work on that this afternoon. It’s a long name for the quilt shop and the place, but I still think I can get started sewing this block together today.

On today’s visit to the farmer’s market, I’m on the hunt for a certain kind of carrot I use to make dilled carrots, and I’m hoping I can find some rhubarb. I’m not a big rhubarb fan, but I have a couple of new recipes I’d like to try. So far, I haven’t seen any at our grocery store, but I’m crossing my fingers the farmers market won’t let me down. And, either way, a morning spent with Erik and Mae is a good morning.