Nothing New~ More Yo - Yo's And 16 Patches

 Well I finished all the blue Yo - Yo's.  It wasn't planned, it just happened.

107 of them in one week is pretty good progress.  I'm not sure how the yellow and green ones snuck into the mix.  I don't remember cutting them, but obviously I did.

This week the plan is to start making more yellow Yo - Yo's.   I also need to start digging around for a new storage container.  I'm pretty sure I have a larger clear tote hiding the spare bedroom closet.

Late Sunday evening I finally found the time to press the 16 patch blocks.  24 blocks total, 12 from last week and 12 from this week.

I'm thinking it might be time to start putting these blocks on the design wall.  Maybe that will be the push I need to get them finished.

This quilt was started in March of last year.  It's taking much longer than planned.

Only 48 more blocks to go and then I can start on the set-in blocks.

This last picture is what I saw Sunday morning on my way out to the garden.  Funny thing is didn't rain at our house until 12 hours later when I was mowing the grass...and it poured!

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Canning And Quilting Update

 About every three days our small garden will produce enough ripe vegetables for a day of canning.  Twice in the last week I've spent nearly the whole day processing yellow squash, zucchini and salsa.  You may be wondering why I'm canning squash and zukes, it's for making dog food.

I've also made two half gallon jars of refrigerator bread and butter pickles for my son and a friend. The pickles are good for 3-6 months in the fridge.  I also canned 7 pints of these pickles to see how well they hold up.  I'm not holding my breath on having nice crunchy pickles because I've not had much luck in the past.  Preserving a shelf stable crunchy pickles is not easy, well, I've not found a recipe that will stay crunchy for more than 3 or 4 months.

Of course summer wouldn't be summer without making zucchini bread.   It makes for a quick and easy breakfast for Mr. Podunk.  Later in the season I'll make a few more and freeze them. 

Quilting has taken a backseat to gardening, yardwork and canning.  With Mr. Podunk unable to do much since his foot surgery I'm doing a little extra work and running a lot of errands.  In between all chaos (12) 16 patch blocks were made.  Maybe later today I will find the time to press them.

In the early mornings and evenings I've been making Yo-yo's.

Thirty-one more added to the bin.  I need to start looking for a new storage container.  By the time I finish the all the blue Yo-yo's this bin will be overflowing.

I haven't forgotten about the tiny scraps needing processed.  I think this is bag number three.

It took 3 days of working on them a little at a time.

As a general rule I don't like fussy cutting fabric.  But with these one inch squares I'm taking the time to do a little.  It makes me happy to see that little flower in the center. 

Today big project ....  making 30 days worth of dog food .... about 4-6 hours in the kitchen.

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An Old Friend Makes Local Shop Hop News!

 Coffee Cup Quilting was once a beloved local quilt shop here in Central Indiana, well known for offering the best fabric prices in the area.

While Claranna didn't stock all the latest fabric lines, she consistently offered quilt shop quality fabrics at remarkably affordable prices. As for how she managed it, I’m afraid her methods remain a trade secret. ... even if I am privy to them!

Sadly, Claranna had to pack up and move across the country to Las Vegas a year or two before the 2020 nonsense. Ultimately the nonsense forced her business to close. However, she refused to let that end her dream. She eventually decided to relocate again and landed in Greenville Alabama, where she is now thriving.

I still talk with her from time to time and follow her on social media. While she doesn’t have an online shop, I can always give her a call when local stores don't have exactly what I need. She is more than happy to text me photos of her current stock that might work for my project and ship it to me right away .... of course, I have to pay her for it! LOL.

I am so happy to see her living her dream and making new quilting friends. She is dearly missed by many of us here in Central Indiana. 

Remember the title of this post was basically an old friend makes local news?  She made the local news in Alabama!  How exciting is that?!!  Watch Claranna's video from the local news, WSFA12, by clicking here.  And hop over to the Coffee Cup Quilting Facebook page to give her a little quilty love and see how the shop hop is going.  

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Cake Stand Quilt Blocks Finished ~ Starting 16 Patch Quilt Blocks

 Hello, quilty friends! Come on in and join me in a happy dance because I’ve officially finished all 169 Cake Stand blocks! Yippee!

Of course, there were a few mishaps along the way.

If I caught the mistakes before the block was sewn together, I fixed them immediately. I might go back and repair the ones I missed later, I think there was only two from last week.

During my downtime, I also managed to make a few more yo-yos for my coverlet.

In a recent post, a reader asked about my layout plans for the yo-yos. I’ve shared my current design below, which will finish at 101 inches. However, this is still subject to change because I keep finding new inspiration on Pinterest.

This week, my focus is on finishing the remaining alternate blocks for the Cake Stand Quilt. Since these are simple 16-patch blocks, they should come together much faster.

Only 72 more blocks to go!

Since this quilt is set on point, I still need to piece together the setting and corner triangles. I have already cut the squares for these blocks, but I still need to finish cutting the triangles.

I’ve included my EQ8 design for the quilt below. At approximately 91 inches, it’s a generous size, but I’m still debating whether to add an outer solid border to help frame the design and stabilize the edges. For now, I’m keeping my options open and will see how I feel about it the closer it gets to being a quilt top.

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...More Cake Stand Blocks

A few more blocks, not as many as I hoped, but some is better than none. Each one of these little blocks made me smile as I stitched them together ... so many memories in each fabric.

 

The ones with piecing errors gave me a much needed chuckle.  I may fix them and I many not.  This quilt when finished is going to be busy.  A couple mistakes scattered about are like Easter Eggs, hard to find.  They would add a little character and whimsy. 

44 more blocks to go.  It would be nice to get them finished this week and then be able to move onto the easier alternating blocks next week.  

Now that Mr. Podunk’s foot is feeling better and he’s back on his feet/foot, I should have more time to focus on my sewing. 

Wish me luck!

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Progress....Cake Stand Blocks ~ Yo - Yo"s ~ Scraps

Hi Quilty Friends! I’m popping in with a short and sweet update. As you can see below, I’ve officially finished the Cake Stand blocks I was working on last week. 

To complete this quilt, I need a total of 169 Cake Stand blocks.

I have only 54 blocks left to complete, and once those are finished, I’ll be ready to move on to the alternate blocks.

Yesterday afternoon, I finished turning under the edges of all the circles for my Yo-Yo coverlet.

I’ve also finished processing the leftover scraps and have them neatly tucked away in my scrap saver system. Thanks for following along, and I’ll see you all next week!

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Jumping From This to That

 Last week's goal was to finish 34 Cake Stand quilt blocks by Monday, two days ago.  I'm two days late posting and still have not finished them.  I knew when setting the goal that it was going to be a tough one to accomplish but challenges are fun, right?  I also had a veggie garden to weed, harvest and preserve.  Along with the normal summer chores, housework, errands and Mr. Podunk was having an out patient surgery on his foot.  We'll talk more about his foot later.  To prepare for his surgery I needed something to do while in the surgery waiting room.  The Yo-Yo Coverlet I started last year was perfect. So it was time to dig through the scrap bin and cut some circles.

Instead of cutting only what I thought was needed for surgery day I cut all that was needed for this color.  

I might as well go ahead and turn all the edges under so they will all be exactly the same size.  After about 100 I was ready to move on, my neck was sore and I had other things needing to be done before surgery day.  The mess you see below is still there today.

The week continued, I sewed a few Cake Stand blocks at the end of each day.  When I tired of setting I would jump over to the cutting table to work on the bag of scraps I had also wanted to get finished by Monday.

And I'm happy to report, they were all trimmed!  Yippee!  The pile on the right was added to the trash can.  Letting go of these itty bitty scraps feels so good.

And TADA! sorted and stored neatly ...  YIPPEE!  Yes, I really was quite pleased with myself.

Don't forget about the scraps I made from cutting Yo - Yo's.  I need to deal with those.  My rules states "deal with any new scraps as they are made,  no letting them pile up".

And the cutting table today .....  I deal with them when time permits.  They will stay just like this, no putting them away until they are cut!

My sewing room is a bit messy right now. The green arrow is pointing to the Cake Stand blocks that I finished but didn't press.  The sewing table has become a catch all in the last 4 or 5 days.  Like the spray bottle of water. I sprayed my fern on the front porch and then dropped it on the sewing table.  The red arrow is the Yo -Yo's I finished and dropped it on the table until I quit chasing my tail and taking care of hubby.

 I didn't make a lot of Yo - Yo's.  I knew this would be the case, I'm slow at making them.  It's meant to be relaxing not a race.  Plus the estimated 3 1/2 hour surgery only took 2 hours.  So I think that is pretty good for 2 hours of work.

In the last week I also processed 20 lbs of squash for freezer storage.  Then it was onto canning squash for adding to my homemade dog food that I make monthly.  16 jars of canned squash on Monday.  1 lb. of squash per quart jar, .5 lbs for pints, I only had one pint jar.

Then yesterday I canned a small batch of 3 jars.  I don't normally like to run the pressure canner for 3 jars but since I'm dealing with EVERYTHING, it's easier to process the squash as they ripen instead of holding off until I have a full canner.

The rest of this blog post is about hubby and his surgery. So if you're leaving now....

!!!WARNING!!!

!!!A YUKKY FOOT PHOTO COMING!!!  STOP SCROLLING IF YOU DON'T LIKE WOUND PHOTOS WITH STAPLES AND A LITTLE BLOOD!!!!

My husband has been suffering from severe arthritis in his foot, which resulted in cartilage loss and bone on bone friction, as well as a painful bunion caused by the arthritis in the rest of the foot. 

For the first 4 days after surgery he was laid up in bed and could only get up to go to the bathroom.  He could put no weight on this foot.  There's pins and all sorts of metal holding his bones together now.

Yesterday we went back to the doctor to have the bandages removed and replaced with a fiberglass cast.

He will go back in two weeks to have this cast removed and replaced with a new one.  He might get a black boot after 2-4  more weeks. Depending on how well he heals it could take 3 - 6 months before he's back to normal. He's a good patient and we are making the best of the situation.  The house is a little messier and the yard isn't 100% either.  I'm just doing what I can when I can.

Alright here's your last warning!

Ugly foot photo is coming!

you were warned!

It's not pretty!

I have nothing to say about this other than UGG...  Frankenstein's foot!

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