Sunday, February 17, 2019

Lucy, the Attic & More Flowers

Lots to tell you about this week so this is a long post with varying subjects.


I finally got the last of the boring sections stitched for the Lucy project. Now I'm starting to sew the sections together. She's looking so nice, I'm excited about her again, but I am very glad I decided not to make the whole quilt. 

I have had several people email or comment saying they'll never finish their Patchwork of the Crosses because of the other sections that need to be made. Everyone seems to enjoy piecing the larger fussy cut sections, it's the more mundane, tedious sections that bog everyone down.

Update - When I was sewing with Lucy last evening, I realized I need some hexies for the outside, 40 of them. I'll baste those when the already prepared sections are sewn together.

Even though I've been EPP'ing on Lucy, I haven't stopped hand quilting. 

The pictures of the quilting this week are a little dark. If I turned on the over head light or used the flash on the camera, the quilting wouldn't show which is the whole point of showing you the progress.


I've quilted to the center of row 4. I'm reaching in to about the center of the blocks. 

Left side border.
Block 1. This block quilted fast, just needed to stitch in the ditch around the outside of the applique. 

Added a little extra quilting into the center circle.


Block 2, this block and the center block took awhile. It takes time to quilt around all the little ovals.

The ovals are supposed to be wild strawberries and have embroidered french knots on them. I french knotted 2 ovals then decided I didn't like the french knots and removed them.


Block 3, the center of the row. This one really took awhile. I could only stitch one stitch at a time around the little circles. And then there was that lattice in the vase to be quilted.

More Amaryllis are blooming. I've had 2 salmon colored plants and a true red open this week. The plant in front is just starting to open it's bud. So far I can see darker red, I won't know until it's open more exactly what color it will be. Part of the fun of having Amaryllis plants is seeing what the color of the blooms are.


I also have the large 'Christmas' cactus blooming again. The first blooming started at the very end of October. It kept blooming through all of November and most of December. Now it's blooming for the second time this winter. I'm very happy to have the flowers, a touch of summer in winter.

I know it looks like bright sunlight in the background of the cactus but trust me, it's not. See the sky in the tree photo below, that's what it really looks like outside except the ice and snow have melted.


Several weeks ago on Sarah Lizzie's blog, she showed several beautiful projects she's working on. 

One of them was a basket quilt and she showed the older book it was from, A Bouquet of Quilts edited by Jennifer Rounds & Cyndy Lyle Rymer. I wanted that book. My local DIL checked around and found a used copy for me from Better World Books. I received the book in Friday's mail. I love it! 


Last Monday evening, we had freezing rain. Everything was coated with ice. The electric went off once during milking Tuesday morning. When that happens you just kind of freeze, is it off? Or will it go back on? Fortunately the power switched at the  sub-station and we were able to finish chores without anymore drama. 

(These gray skies are what we see most of the time this winter.)


When I was washing the breakfast dishes around 8:30, the power went off again but stayed off this time. 

This means it's time to hook up the generator. The  milkman was coming, he needs electricity to pump the milk into the tanker, then we need the electric so the automatic washer will wash the bulk tank. And of course the cattle need to be able to drink water. It's also nice to have the furnace running in the house and I did have soup in the crockpot. And, I need my OTT light so I can see to quilt! The electric came back on at noon and the generator was put away until the next time we need it.

Happy stitching this week everybody! 

Linking to Peacock Party, Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching, Oh Scrap, Show & Tell Monday, Monday MakingDesign Wall Monday, BOM's AwayMoving It Forward

17 comments:

Created by Kathi said...

What a fun post you had today Gretchen! I have always enjoyed seeing POTC but haven't dabbled in it myself yet... I like you small project you are making. I LOVE your progress on Pastor's Attic you are sharing too :)
I love hearing about a day in the life of a dairy farm for sure! It is fun to do all sorts of things and share them on blogland I think... glad you have a big generator to run all that stuff AND that you know how to use it!!! I love the photos of your farm you shared. Your flowering plants are lovely and your icy photo is cold for sure!!! Have a good week I hope and enjoy your slow stitching and your new book and planning a new project too !!! Kathi

The Cozy Quilter said...

We had ice this week too...so pretty but so treacherous! Beautiful stitching, as usual! I’m glad you have a generator to keep things going when the power is out!

Little Penpen said...

What beautiful work you do!!! I am longing to do more hand work and be able to get away from the machine. Your quilting is gorgeous.

Quilter Kathy said...

Your Lucy blocks are sooo pretty... and they look like they are so much work!
Enjoy your quilting today and thanks for linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching!

Karla (ThreadBndr) said...

I decided to downsize my PotC to table topper size - 9 blocks plus all the center bits. I still have two more blocks to do. I'll get back to it once my hexi applique is at the 'top' stage. Still a ways to go on that.

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

glad you had a generator large enough for the whole operation! I had heard the weather was pretty nasty over there. Love all your quilting and the quilts. I wasn't really bored when I made my Lucy Boston - I hand pieced that one not EPP and found it went quickly when putting the whole thing together after I made the made blocks.

Carla A Few Of My Favorite Things said...

Oh so much pretty eye candy today! It's the little things in life that are so special! I like the choice of making a smaller project we sure don't want to work on something that doesn't make us happy. That book looks awesome. I am inspired by the lily of the valley done in trapunto! Wow!

Birthe Marie said...

Your Lucy projects look amazing! ...and your hand quilting impresses me more and more. So sad to hear that you lost electricity several times. That's when it disappears we see how addicted we are to electricity. With farm and cows that will be milked, it will probably be extra difficult. So get we hope spring comes early. Here in Norway where I live is ours in the air, but it can get more snow. We're only in February.

Angie in SoCal said...

Gretchen, hope the power stays on. That's what I fear most for you in the East. I don't know I could cope without power. The quilting is lovely.

CathieJ said...

I love this post. Dark pictures or not, your quilting is beautiful. Your Lucy project is so pretty. Your Amaryllis bloomed. They are beautiful. I have to repot my two Christmas cactii. I haven't had blooms in years. I think they are root-bound and I haven't really taken care of them correctly. Your picture makes me want to try to do that again.

Wendy @ Wendysquiltsandmore said...

Your Lucy Boston is looking lovely. My mum is making it too, and she is on to the boring bits now. I think she will finish because she watches TV at the same time, and gets round a whole block before she even realises. Thank you for linking up to the Peacock Party.

Judy Hansen said...

So much fun that we both have the same book now! I love every quilt and project in it. Which one will you make? I will be bringing this one to the next Stickle retreat, and also my book. Looking forward to talking with you then. Great post, so much going on at the farm....you amaze me.

Chopin - A Passionate Quilter said...

Love your Lucy Boston. Takes a lot of dedicated time to make those blocks. EPP is great, but it can be slow going. I am sure you were happy to realize you needed 40 more white! I have been there before! PA is coming along so nice!
The book is a good book for easy and yet pretty quilts! It is difficult to purchase now. We were lucky when we found them!
Hugs. Maybe the snow will quit soon!

Bonnie said...

As a suburban dweller all my life I have little idea what it takes to keep a farm running. And, yep electricity makes plenty of sense to me. I feel your pain re: electricity going -- we've had 3 outages in the last few weeks. Hopefully yesterday's was the last one for a while. You are making great progress on your projects. And, love your big Christmas Cactus. I have a very little one that definitely needs to be repotted but .... Hope you get some more quilting done this week.

Lynette said...

Thank goodness for a working generator! You're having great luck with your winter plants this year. Your Lucy Boston is gorgeous.

K Reeves said...

Love seeing your quilts and amaryllis! No electric is a dairyman's nightmare! I don't remember having to use the generator growing up in south central Colorado, but I'm sure we had one. We milked 130 3x a day and the milk truck came every morning.

Ellen said...

Your quilting is gorgeous - you obviously have great patience!