Thursday, September 14, 2017

Mid September

Gosh...here it is - almost mid September.  Fall décor is everywhere.  It won't be long before Christmas decorations start appearing.

I had a dear friend come up for a much too short visit, but she brought some treasured quilts along with her to share.  One that particularly grabbed my attention was a stunning yo yo quilt.  It was made by her Aunt Tillie.  I think that the yellow background drew me to it instantly.  It was BIG and so heavy.  It was also in fabulous condition.



Look at the great fabrics that were used .... if they could only talk..... and the wonderful arrangement of the yo yos.  Oh...those tiny stitches.  I wonder how long it took her to make it.





That scalloped border.....SWOON!


Leisa (no blog), our Gridster Bee recipient for October, sent us some African fabrics that her parents had collected for her.   We were to make the African Queen blocks by Anne Batiste using the fabrics.  The fabrics really called to be used with fussy cutting and these are my blocks for her.




Our September started off super hot, but has mellowed out a bit as seen in my Temperature Quilt.  We had two days about 105* so I actually had to find a new color for it.


I'm also continuing to finish off the Confetti Star blocks from my Gridster Bee choice.  I needed a few more blocks to bring it to the size that I want it.   I am looking forward to having this quilt finished as I love the blocks that I received.



These cooler days will slow down the wonderful summer garden that we have enjoyed.  Our son is growing some of the giant pumpkins this year in his garden and they are HUGE.  I have no idea how he is going to move them from the location where they are growing, but it should be interesting.




The late laid eggs of the tortoises are now hatching.  I forget how quickly they grow, but seeing the new one next to August's hatchlings really makes me realize how fast they grow.



We had an exciting weekend as a guest of Stanislaus Foods in California's Central Valley and were able to tour their tomato processing plant and their Corto Olive Oil Co.  It was fun to follow the tomatoes from field to canned in under five hours.  The olive oil production will start in October.  The tours were just fascinating.  I would have loved to share some photos, but no photographing was allowed.  I am always amazed at the machinery that is created for each job along the line.  Machines play such a huge role in our lives and I am in awe of the people who develop machines to do the various tasks.

We have another busy weekend coming up as we are keeping five grandchildren and one dog while their parents are away. There won't be much computer time.  ;-)

23 comments:

  1. Amazing quilt! I agree, if we could only know the history behind them. The conversation that went on during the sewing. The thoughts and lives of the woman who made it. Were the fabrics new or from flour / feed sacks?

    The African fabric blocks are amazing.

    Growing HUGE pumpkins are so fun...Everyone loves them. Have a wonderful weekend with your grandkids..That is such a special time of making memories.

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  2. Oh my gosh - that yoyo quilt is amazing! sounds like you're keeping super busy! How many pies can you make with one of those giant pumpkins?

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  3. That yo-yo quilt is so sweet, I just love a yellow background on vintage quilts. Your African themed fabrics in those blocks are simply spectacular, I'd love to see the entire quilt once your friend completes it. So nice to see those huge white pumpkins your son is growing. We had only a few small pumpkins this year, too much cool weather and too much rain I guess. The winter squash totally bombed out too.

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  4. I too am amazed to see how fast the tortoise have grown. I had tortoises when I was young, but never cared for little babies. What fun. Fun to see the mega-pumpkins too!

    QuiltShopGal
    www.quiltshopgal.com

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  5. What an amazing YoYo quilt.. Sew much work...
    Lovely colourful Bee Blocks...
    You've had some very hot days, it's warming up here now..
    Love your Star Swap blocks...
    Yes the first batch of turtles have grown heaps..
    BOY! thats a huge pumpkin your son's grown...

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  6. Always lovely,Mary.....I get the biggest kick out of the little turtles

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  7. This is the prettiest yo-yo quilt I've seen....just gorgeous. I love how all of your guild blocks are so different. They show how different we all are. Have fun with your grands this weekend.

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  8. Your Bee blocks are wonderful. What a great use for that special fabric. Also wonderful pumpkins! and Turtles :-)

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  9. That yo yo quilt! What a treasure....so nice she brought it along to share with you.
    Have fun with the grandkids! We're off next week to visit the ones of ours that live six hours away.

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  10. Oh I totally agree that yoyo quilt is swoon worthy. ROFL when Jeff and I grew the giant pumpkins we needed the big tractor to more them. Have fun visiting with the grands, and love your tortoises.

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  11. Wow! How exciting to have giant pumpkins. I really like that yo-yo quilt and agree that it's amazing. Your other projects are so pretty. You've been busy! Enjoy the grandkids and turtles!

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  12. You've really been busy and it sounds like your weekend is no exception. Enjoy the grands!

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  13. Lots of wonderful eye candy today , love seeing your work .

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  14. The yo-yo quilt is truly a treasure. Beautiful stitches and colours. The African fabrics are wonderful. Such fun blocks! Those pumpkins are BIG!! I have never seen such big pumpkins in real life. Look at the size differences in your tortoises. They have to grow fast in the wild to survive, don’t they?! Have fun with the grandkids and the dog!

    -Soma

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  15. You are having lots of fun in September and I always enjoy touring plants where things are processed or made. Such a lovely Yo-Yo quilt and the Labor of Love to make it is obvious in every little hand sewn stitch. WOW! Your quilts are coming along nicely and I love those stars. Huge pumpkins and moving them will be interesting. Sweet baby tortoises. Enjoy your Littles...they grow up all too quickly. <3

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  16. Your African blocks are perfect !!! I love the fabrics and color choices.

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  17. I just posted a yoyo quilt that was gifted to me years ago. I the one you have shown and I see that she has a backing on it. The one I have has nothing but still just as gorgeous.

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  18. That yo-yo quilt is amazing with all the tiny stitches. Nothing I'd take on for sure, but beautiful to look at. I've never grown pumpkins but if I did I doubt they'd end up that big. Wow! I hope you survived your busy babysitting week!

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  19. (Catching up on my reading...)
    Loved this post, and everything in it. You are such a creative energy, and I love that you connect all the parts of your life in your posts: from grandchildren to children to gardening to quilts, to your busy life. The yo-yo quilt is certainly something to admire, so thank you for sharing that. We arrived home late Friday night and to our relief, the temperatures were vastly cooler than when we left two weeks ago (happy for this!). We'll warm up again into the 90s, but if the nights stay cool, we can manage this. My tomato plants even started some new sprouts, but who know if we'll get a tomato out of them!

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  20. How precious that yo-yo quilt! I love the blocks with African fabrics, the HUGE pumpkins, and the star blocks. Funny you mentioned about machines - I feel the same way as I pass by construction sites and watch the tractors...

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