This block is lighter colored than I intended but that's OK.
Here are the last five blocks. The top three are all rather light, but they're not going to be next to each other in the final layout. I jumped around appliqueing these blocks. Normally I start with the first block and do each block in consecutive order, but not the last month. I just did whatever block I had prepped. The bottom 2 blocks will be next to each other.
And a picture of the fifteen blocks completed to date. I'm over halfway finished with the center blocks! Like I've said before, this won't be the exact layout of the blocks.
This is all I have quilty to show you this week. The rest of my time this week has been spent finishing up the canning and I've also fall cleaned the house!
I haven't posted about the garden or farm lately, so here is an update.
The garden is basically finished for this year. There are a few sweet pepper plants still growing, that aren't pictured. The butternut squashes are still growing at the west end where the field radishes have gone to seed.
In the field on the side of the garden, you can the newly sprouted alfalfa. She's coming along good, lush and green. Hopefully the roots will grow deep enough this fall to prevent heaving during the winter freeze.
The hayfield has grown. We will be cutting this hay soon for a 5th cutting. It will be big baled.
You can see corn in the background. It is still slightly green and it will be several weeks to a month before it has dried enough to be harvested.
We are planning on starting soybean harvest Monday afternoon. You can't run beans in the morning, too much moisture. They need sunshine to evaporate the dew. I'm always surprised how fast the beans turn brown and loose their leaves. They were still green a month ago.
Here is a close up of the beans. I didn't pull any of the pods to see how many beans are in them. They should be full, we sure had plenty of rain in August.
We filled silo the middle of September. The chopper cuts the stalks and just leaves the root stems. Here is a post dated October 6, 2014. I wrote about filling silo on my WordPress blog.
The rest of the corn will be shelled. The combine will pull the ears off the stalks, shells the corn, then spits the stalks and corncobs out the back.
You all have a good week and I hope you get plenty of quilty time.
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, A Quilting Reader's Garden, Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Show Off Saturday
Your quilt blocks are beautiful!! I remember when I did my Green and Red traditional I had more than a hundred (or close) little cirlces in the middle big block - told DH I learn something new about farming every week or so in the summer/fall months from quilting blogs :) makes for an interesting read to learn more about you all then quilting
ReplyDeleteI'm going to check out this quilt on your blog. One hundred is a LOT of circles.
DeleteBefore reading the number, I thought "Wow, that is a lot of tiny circles!" A block to be proud of. Thanks for sharing it with Oh Scrap!
ReplyDeleteThank you for having the linky party. I enjoy visiting all the different blogs.
DeleteYour blocks are wonderful! Thats a lot of circles. I did the samw red and green that Karen mentioned and know how long it takes to stitch them all on.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Is this the quilt you just finished hand quilting? I need to go check it out. Blessings.
DeleteWow Gretchen-the cherry wreath block is so exquisite. You are a good appliquer and chooser of fabric. I just wish you were not a non-reply blogger so i could respond to your comments! I hate house cleaning-it seems like such a waste of time-if it would stay clean that would be another story but it does not!
ReplyDeleteI'm really liking the fabric for this quilt. The Pastor's Attic Quilt is different colored fabrics than I've used before. I'm not the world's greatest house cleaner and in the summer I really let it go. Since it has cooled off, the windows are shut (and washed!) now. Since they are shut, I could safely clean thoroughly. I wish too a clean house would last longer but that's the way it is. Sorry I'm a no-reply blogger, I'll have to get my children to work on that one. Blessings, Gretchen
DeleteYou do such wonderful work, it is always a pleasure to see your finished blocks as you show them. Great job!!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'm enjoying this project. It will soon be a year since I've started. Sometimes I wish the blocks would applique faster but then I think, I'm not going to get a prize or anything. I'll get the quilt finished when she is done. I'm just trying to relax and take my time. By working on the blocks every night, they slowly get completed. Blessings!
DeleteOh wow, I really love that Cherry Wreath block. Even with all those little circles, this is a block that I would love to make. The fabrics are perfect.
ReplyDeleteThis block would be very easy to replicate without using the original pattern. Try it and show us what you've made. Blessings!
DeleteGretchen, your applique is just stunning! Even if you didn't intend for those blocks to be so light, I think that the subtlety will be striking in the finished quilt. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I think too the lighter blocks will look good in between darker blocks. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteI love your latest block, the cherry wreath, you have such patience to applique on 42 little cherries.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the trip round your farm too, you seem to pack your days full to the brim.
ukcitycrafter@live.co.uk
It took more time and patience to make the cherries using Karen Buckley's perfect circles than it did to applique them.
DeleteIt took more time and patience to make the cherries using Karen Buckley's perfect circles than it did to applique them.
DeleteYou Blicks are so pretty! Love those 42😍
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the farm update. How many acres do you have planted in alfalfa hay?
Relaxing doing some genealogy and winning at Casino!!! Some applique.
Have a good day.
Fabulous Baltimore style blocks! Really lovely.
ReplyDeleteNice to have an update on the farm too - you do stay busy!
I wouldn't get anything done if I didn't stay busy. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteYour cherry block is gorgeous! Well, all your blocks are gorgeous. They will make a stunning quilt.
ReplyDeletePinned
Thank you. I'm enjoying appliqueing these blocks.
DeleteWow! Love all those cherries! Your blocks are beautiful and the quilt will be stunning. The beans are being harvested around here too.
ReplyDeleteThe beans were harvested on Monday and Tuesday. Yesterday and today the corn is coming off. I guess summer really has come to an end.
DeleteThe cherries look really yummy! I love the color way of your blocks and how it works with the delicate background pattern. All people who make Baltimore-style appliqué deserve a medal, IMHO.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. I appreciate them.
DeleteIt's beautiful and inspiring
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteGorgeous hand sewing Gretchen. Love the cherry block and all the others too. Congrats on getting to the half way point. ;^)
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen this quilt pattern before, and I LOVE it! You've done a beautiful job.
ReplyDeleteThose applique blocks are marvelous!
ReplyDelete