Picture-less Sunday

It was an absolutely beautiful day here--sunny, pleasantly warm, and dry.  Spent most of the day raking, trimming brambles and branches, and planting a redbud tree and a climbing rosebush.

I'm just finishing prep for two classes this week and then it's off to the land of nod.    It's started raining now, so mowing the lawn will be next on the list of outside stuff.

Gosh this was an exciting post!  You've probably already nodded off yourself!  Better stuff soon.

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

It Was Close...

But I am alive.  There should have been lots of sighting reports--I was in public more than usual!  Just super busy and sometimes too tired to deal with dial-up.  

I've been to two guilds:  Lake to Lake Quilt Guild in Gorham, NY, and Snow Country Quilt Guild near Utica, NY.  I had a wonderful time with members from both guilds; thank you, Ladies, for the great hospitality! 

 High winds resulted in white caps on this lake during one of those trips.

I've also done lots of classes locally and spent a little lot of time fondling fabrics at an LQS.  Great fun to see the new stuff when it's coming out of the shipping boxes!  Self-control, you ask?  Highly overrated!

Spent some quality time horsing around and even got my Level II Reiki certificate.  And today?  I had a red fox circle the house this morning--it looked like it had been hurt and was a bit dazed.  I did not run out into the yard, but was so stunned that I didn't get a picture!  It was NOT rabid--it was close enough to the windows to see that; just a hind leg injury.  And he/she was red!  Not an everyday sight to be sure.

In my travels I've seen five albino deer, lots of turkeys, hawks, the first Great Blue Heron of the year, families of flickers in my yard, swallows and lots of robins, sparrows and finches.  And I swear I can see the grass growing!

Hope everyone is well.  Did you remember how special you all are?

More...sooner!  I promise.

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

P.S.  I just finished Zoo by James Patterson; strangely compelling but creepy too.  Now I'm doing Low Pressure by Sandra Brown.  And I've been finishing some stuff in the quilting line.

P.P.S.  Janet:  Thanks for checking!

Just Cute

These pictures were taken not that long ago and I just love the "poses".  Especially check out the face on the last one!

I heard peepers tonight!  First time this spring.  Rumor has it that they have to be frozen off three times before it's officially spring.

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

P.S.  I've just finished reading The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin, and am listening to Frozen Heat by Richard Castle.  Both are excellent.

A Finish for Me--No Kidding!

On March 16, I bought fabric.  On March 24, I started.  On April 1, I finished!  That fabric hardly had time to age!

The blocks were cut with the Creative Grids Whirligig Template that I had used for a table runner before.  I cut all the blocks to same--no mirror imaging for this one, and machine pieced them.  Then I laid them out.

Layout 1:  Green to the center

Layout 2:  Yellow to the center

 I chose layout 2 so that my Reiki bowl would have green surrounding it.  Finished the top, basted and started hand quilting.  Here's the quilting started.  I used a variegated green thread and different sized circles randomly placed.

I finished the quilting this morning and auditioned for binding.  I like the stripe, but would make straight seams, not diagonal, to join the strips if I did this again.  Wavy stripes are hard to match :-(

Here's the finished front.

And the finished back--surprise, right?  I just loved this print and used it here.  The backing is Painted Ponies by Studio E; the top fabrics and binding are Twirl by Moda.

My divine (no pun intended) Reiki bowl, given to me by a close friend (you know who you are!).  (To be clear, it was not a Reiki bowl until I dedicated it as such.)  It fits perfectly on the new runner and makes a pleasing presentation.  And it makes me smile whenever I see it--so happy and cheerful-looking.

And Dickens had to get in the middle of things.  He declined to comment.

I also finished quilting a small piece that was started numerous years ago and have been prepping for classes this week.  

Blissful hugs,
Sharon

P.S.  Remember those great pins I showed a few posts back?  Clover 2520?  O'Susannah's Quilts in Watkins Glen, NY,  has them in stock and is willing to mail them out to anyone interested.  Give them a call at 607-535-6550 to find out more or stop in to see the pins and the shop in person.  

P.P.S.  I'm listening to Private Berlin by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan.  Definitely not for the squeamish.