Pastor's Attic Applique Block

I've completed block 10 of the Pastor's Attic Quilt! I'm always amazed that adding just a little bit of black brightens up a quilt block.

Here is the layout for the first two rows I've completed so far. Sorry the right side is darker. 

I've rearranged some of the blocks in the layout. The top left block will be turned so the vase will be the outside point, but I turned it this way for now so it would be easier for you to see. There are more blocks with vases to applique with a straight set. I think I'll put one of them on point and switch out the top right block. The other corners have flowers with vases, that corner should too. 

The blocks look much more vibrant in real life. I'm excited all over again about this project. I had been wondering if I should just stop with the blocks I've completed but no, I'm going to keep going.

When I started appliqueing these blocks last winter, I had marked the first 10 blocks with the light box. Now I need to prep the next 15 blocks. This may take awhile!

I mentioned last post that I had prepped a sewing project. Pillowcases make such wonderful gifts and they're a lot faster than quilts too.

I made this pillowcase for me. The pillowcase body has tiny little snaps and the header is buttons. I made 2 of these; the other one will be gifted to a quilty friend.

Because the Farmer is a big basketball fan, I made his pillowcase with basketball fabric.

I normally assembly line sew pillowcases, but I made these special for us to use right away.

There are a lot more pillowcases to be sewn. These are the perfect summer sewing project, I can easily pick up and sew for whatever time is available, then they patiently wait until I'm able to get back to them. Sometimes it is several days between sewing sessions. 

Around the farm and garden . . .

We didn't receive much rain in July and August didn't have any rain for the first 12 days. In anticipation of the rain, I tilled the empty spaces in the garden and sowed field radishes. They will pop up and suppress the weeds. I try to keep the garden as weed free as possible, it saves more work in the long run.

The tomato plants are going crazy. There are a lot of green tomatoes so I should have plenty for canning when they ripen. 

The green beans are blooming again so there will be more beans later in the week.

We baled this alfalfa field 3 weeks ago. Fourth cutting will happen in maybe two weeks.

This heifer saw me taking pictures of the garden and came to see if I had a snack for her.

My chicks are checking out the nesting boxes even though they won't be laying eggs for several months.

When the chicks were smaller, I had this feeder sitting on the floor of their pen. They crawled into it to eat. Now they are much taller and can easily reach the feed while they stand on the floor, but they still like to crawl in the feeder to eat.

I snapped this photo of the young barn swallows perching on the electric wire that stretches from the west barn to a heifer shed. Sometimes the wire is completely full of birds. 

The lily hostas are in full bloom. They smell so good. They blend well with the pink impatience.

We don't have the creepy-crawlers around here like Glenda has at her home but these garden spiders are everywhere this time of year.

This spider's body is about 1" in length. I don't mind them; they catch insects.

I'm linking up to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Quilting is More Fun than Housework, Em's Scrapbag, Love Laugh Quilt, Quilt Story, Esther's Wednesday WOW!, Sew Fresh Quilts,  My Quilt Infatuation, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Show Off Saturday.