The College Quilt Continues

Quick update on the quilt.

The blocks are all done and sewn into rows.

I used every single bit of royal blue fabric and

I've used up all of my scraps of light grays.

With the design as it is, I really couldn't go much bigger

as I would need to add two rows and two columns so it turns out

that I bought just the right amount of additional fabrics.

The size of an XL twin quilt 81x101;

I only have about half of the rows sewn together but I'm

estimating the size of the inner part this quilt should be about

56x71 so I have a lot of border to add to this to bring it up to size.

The goal for the week:

I have HSTs left over that could be worked into the corners,

or I could make more 4-squares, or both--just something

to keep the large amount of borders from being a little boring.

In yardage, I have several gray and several dark blue fabrics

to work with for the borders, binding and the back so I'll just see

where that gets me.  I'm always happy when every single bit

of fabric gets used up--love a scrappy quilt but like any

quilter, I have all the scraps I need!

Just Around the Corner

Yes, I'm now allowing myself to think ahead to fall.

I'm a long way away from putting up a nice colorful display,

but it's kind of fun looking back over some of my old ones.

Every summer I put off thoughts of my favorite season

as long as possible to make the summer tolerable.

The pool helps make the summers more enjoyable but

I've now had enough of the heat and especially the humidity.

Gardening loses a lot of its attraction in those conditions

 so I've started it down its path toward fall;

the pumpkins and gourds are coming up nicely

and that definitely makes me smile.

The bittersweet thing about this upcoming fall is that

I'll have another one moving out--off to college.

Which brings me around to that quilt.

So many little pieces to the Jacob's Ladder makes for slow-going.

I didn't take the time to do the math so I started

out cutting up a random amount and sewing up pieces.

What can I say--quilting in the summer has just

never been part of the rhythm for me.

Turns out, that wasn't even half of what I'll be needing.

After cutting up every bit of my remaining 1/4-yd fabrics,

I finally forced a major sewing session to get ALL of the

HSTs sewn up, cut and trimmed along with all the 4-patches.

(A side-note:  I'm getting a lot of audiobook time in!)

With such smooth sailing, I also completed more blocks.

I may be cutting it close but I think I'll be okay.

It's running out of the royal blues that would send me

back to the quilt shop...and believe it or not, I'd really

rather not do that till the shop hop in October.

Ok, unless it's another trip up to Missouri Star...

Garden, Swim, Quilt, Repeat.

 It has basically been "garden, swim, quilt and repeat" around here.

That doesn't make for a rough summer

but there just aren't enough hours in my days to get

anything else done.  And now we're on that half of the year when

the days are getting shorter.

I often feel like this place requires a full-time groundskeeper.

At least for 3 seasons out of the year.

And I wouldn't mind being that person but one, I can no longer

do some of the bigger chores and two, I have

so many other things I want and need to do.

I've gotten very few herbs dried but I do tend to do

more of that in the fall, though they need trimming now.

However I am working them into my cooking as much as possible.

While everything tastes better home grown,

I've found cabbage to be one of those that's "above and beyond"

and have made a mental note to grow more next year, especially

as we're finding more and more recipes we enjoy it in.

Broccoli is another one.  I don't think you've truly tasted these

vegetables till you've had them straight from the garden.

All of the squash have produced amazingly well except for,

oddly enough, the zucchini--the one that is usually out of control.

I snicker a little when I walk past the produce department

at the grocery store.  Like the acorn squash...

about half the size of ours.

Produce snobbery at its finest.

The eggplant is out of control so I've finally found a ratatouille recipe

that I'm fully in love with.  Playing French music also heightens

the cooking experience--just a suggestion.

Along with parmesan, we've discovered goat cheese is great on it.

Still digging potatoes, picking cucumbers and tons of peppers

and so on and so on.

Blessed.

And finally--saving the sewing till last--I have made a little progress

 in the sewing room.  There is a lot of marking, strip piecing and cutting

before making the blocks so this is not a quick project.

But there it is so far.  I have  till mid-August to finish it so

I should be okay just squeezing it in between freezing 

carrots and onions, and before the tomatoes kick in for canning.

August.  Then September...and Fall.  Yessss.