October Days

Blogger is still misbehaving even after I have reset it several times.  If I do not reply to you, it is because I am not seeing your comments.  I tried comment moderation, but no comments came through so I have reverted back.  We will see how it goes.

Some old business first....I have drawn two names for my Words to Live By blog hop giveaway and have not received a reply to e-mails that I have sent.  Today I drew again and it is Pat from Life in the Scrapatch blog.  I have sent her an e-mail and I hope I finally have a winner.

It has been rather chaotic around the house as we have had painters working on all of the baseboards.  Nothing like having a washer and dryer in the middle of your living room.  Every room has had all the furniture pulled to the middle of the room.  It's an interesting way to live!

But....it has allowed extra time in my creative space.  I needed to keep Toby confined in the room with me so we had some good bonding time.

Fort Worth Fabric Studios had a Boo to You QAL that I joined.  I made a few changes, but really like the way it finally came out.  Of course, Toby had to inspect it too.

The Seeing Stars QAL is also culminating this month.  I was hoping to get it quilted before the reveal day on October 16th, but I don't think that will happen.  I do have the top all pieced.

I was one of the lucky winners in the weekly giveaways during the QAL.  This beautiful Portsmouth layer cake was a donation from https://www.greenfairyquilts.com/.  

My sister is the queen in our Gridster Bee this month and I love her idea for her blocks - black and white NYBeauty blocks with a splash of color.  Won't a quilt of all these blocks look fabulous?

October means another monthly marker for my square in a square (SIS) Temperature quilt.  Our September did not see the exceptionally high temps that we can normally expect, but the nights are cooling off a bit.  Only two more months to go.

  

October is a busy birthday month in our family.  We have ten birthdays, including my own.  There's no time for stale birthday cake!!!

We had one of our sons and his family for dinner Sunday night and we were treated to this night sky display during dessert.  A rocket was launched from Vandenberg AFB.  It created two sonic booms before returning to Vandenberg and landing as planned - a great accomplishment.  

Just to end with some super cuteness, I'll share this picture.  Our daughter's family got a new puppy and their older pooch loves the new companion.  

Minis and More

First of all ... a question.  Is anyone else having problems with Blogger again?  None of my comments are coming through my e-mails AGAIN and every post lately has spam posted in the comment section.  Since I am not being notified by e-mail, I have no idea they are there unless I go back to all the past comments.  It is beyond frustrating.  I tried the changing e-mail fix that worked last time, but it did not work this time.

Anyway....it's the end of the month which means it is time to post my Minis and More project.  Thank you to Sherri and Michele for hosting the event each month and selecting our projects.

This month was Sherri's Endless Summer pattern.  It was a fun little pattern to make.

Be sure to check Michele and Sherri's blogs on the 1st of the month to see all the versions that have been made using the pattern.

It has been a cooler than normal September for us, but we decided to take Toby for a walk on the beach.  It was a beautiful day and not a soul on the beach.

I love seeing how people build little structures with the driftwood.  There has been a lot this year with the fires last winter.

The Island Princess was in port in Santa Barbara.  It left Alaska and was headed to Mexico.

Another bit of sewing that I did over the weekend was the Swoon Sixteen through FQS.  The little points really reminded me of houses so I added windows and doors.  I think I will make it into a cushion.

The fabrics were from my Seeing Stars QAL.  This week we were to add twenty eight 4.5" stars.  The design called for applique, but I decided to piece stars instead.  After several stupid math calculations, I finally managed to get 28 stars.

Photographing them was a bigger challenge than the math!  This guy thinks everything on the ground is meant to be a bed.

The winner of my Words to Live By giveaway (Sharon) has not replied to my e-mail yet.  If I still have no response, I will select a new name tomorrow and post it on Thursday.

This Week

It's so hard to imagine that it has been seventeen years since our country was attacked.  I am sure we can each remember where we were when we heard the news.  Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families of the victims in a special way today.

You know that you haven't blogged in awhile when you have to look at photos to see what you have done lately!  It has been a busy time, but I am trying to stay up to date on the Happy Quilting Seeing Stars QAL.  

Last week we completed these stars.

This week we were to create nine improv stars.  I don't do improv.  I am such a control freak about matching my points, etc. so my improv never looks "improv".  I did manage to muddle through the nine star blocks.

The blocks seem to be getting smaller each week.  I wonder what tomorrow's blocks will be.

Secretly, I have been working on a project from these great fabrics that I have shared before.

Here is a hint of what I have created with them.  Don't you love the keys?

You can see the entire project in the Words to Live By blog hop.  My day is Friday, but be sure to check out the other participants and enter to win a bundle of fat quarters of Words to Live By from Cherry Guidry and Benartex Fabrics.  

Words to Live By Hop Schedule

Tuesday: Alison @ Little Bunny Quilts

Wednesday: Benartex Design Team

Thursday: Carol @ Just Let Me Quilt

Friday:  Me @ Needled Mom

For all of you in the path of Florence, please stay safe.  

Minis and More

Coming September 3rd in Blogland and IG is the Minis and More Parade, hosted by Michele and Sherri.  This month was a block that I have wanted to make for sometime.  What better opportunity than to make it for the parade?  The pattern this month was Trip Around The World Mini Quilt from Samantha of Aqua Paisley Studio.

After making the mini, I am thinking that I may need to make the Scrappy Trip quilt that was going around Blogland several years ago.   Be sure to pop over to Michele and Sherri's blogs to see the other versions of this pattern.

This weeks blocks for the Seeing Stars QAL was called Curvy Star.  The curves were gentle curves so went together quickly.

August is quickly coming to a close so thought I'd post a photo of an up to date Temperature Quilt.  The August row is hanging to the right of the quilt as it is not quilt long enough to add to the bottom yet.  It's definitely been a warmer few months, but you can see that the nights are starting to cool down a bit.

While watering the pots this weekend, I noticed this cute little guy tucked into a plumeria plant.  He was well camouflaged. 

 While we are on plumerias, these are two more that are blooming.  The smell is so heavenly.

 We had a lovely evening out this week at the Hollywood Bowl for a Chopin concert.  The Bowl is such a magnificent place to visit.  We arrive early, enjoy dinner there and then hear great music. 

As the garden starts to slow down a bit, we have been harvesting peaches, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers daily.  Marjorie shared a recipe for mustard pickles with me so I put some up this week.  They are very good. 

The days are definitely shortening.  Fall is coming quickly.  There is a lot of talk about eliminating Daylight Savings Time.  What are your thoughts on it? 

Little Stitching

The week has been busy as we have been saying farewell to the college bound grandchildren with what has been endless parties as well as celebrating family birthdays.  I had to chuckle at my friend, Elizabeth, who was making meal plans for the week.  That would not be something that I would need to worry about.  We ate dinner at home just two nights this past week.  lol

The weekend allowed for a wee bit of sewing.  I decided to join Melissa in her Seeing Stars QAL.  The first block pattern was published this week so there is still plenty of time to join in if you are interested.  I love the Star in a Star pattern.

I also played a bit with my scrappy hearts that my Gridster Bee mates made for me.  I still need to add a border on it, but I really love the way this is turning out.  Setting the blocks on point with sashing was stimulating for the brain!!!

Our DIL adopted a pregnant cat and the little thing had three aby kittens this weekend.  She has already found homes for the kittens and will get the mom fixed as soon as possibly.  The little kittens are so cute - all three are different colors.

I have been working on my Minis and More project for this month.  It is a Trip Around the World mini this month - one that I have wanted to make for awhile.  The Parade is at the beginning of the month so I hope to have it finished for the parade at that time.  No preview here yet!!