End of September, Beginning of Blogtoberfest

I've decided to join in on Blogtoberfest this year.  I know it will be a lot of work, but I think I can handle it.  Maybe it will help me to keep on top of things, quiltwise that is.  And if I have trouble posting every day, maybe Mimi will help me out.  You will help me, won't you, Mimi?

"No way!  Meow!:  Can't you see I'm sleeping!  Meow!'

Oh, well, if Mimi won't help me, maybe Cartoon Mimi will.  You'll help me, right?  

Oh, dear!  Cartoon Mimi is sleeping too!

"Meow!  I nap, therefore I am.  Meow!"

I guess I'm on my own.  Well, wish me luck.  And if you want to join in too, just click on Kat's blog, I Saw You Dancing and that will take you right there.  Or click on the Blogtoberfest icon on my side bar.  See you tomorrow!

Free-For-All Blocks

Since my sewing machine is still not repaired, I have been doing a bit of sewing on my DD's machine.  I just can't stop sewing just because my machine is not working properly.  Here are some of the free-for-all blocks that Emily is making.

I know I have made more of these in the past, but I couldn't find them.  After I cleaned up last time they got put away in a very safe place.  Safe even from me!  So I decided to keep them in a dedicated bin.  That way I will be able to find them in the future - a nice small one with a pink lid.  Should be able to spot that quickly.

I have to go and dust off my computer and desk now.  A friend is coming over this afternoon to help me with the Excel  program that I need for keeping track of all the members of our quilting guild.  She is allergic to cats!!!  Yipes!  And Mimi's fur is all over the place since she loves to walk around on my keyboard and play with the cursor when I am on the computer.  She's cute, but........

Flowers on Wednesday and Other Things

On Monday I went over to my DD's school to help her out with some things she was doing with her class.  When I arrived at the school a whole gaggle of geese greeted me.  The playing field was covered in them.

I could only think of the droppings that would mess up the field.  I was happy when they left a few hours later.

I supervised the making of individual pizzas and then in the afternoon I helped DD with her art lesson.  I really enjoyed myself, but boy! was I tired by the end of the day.





I am proud to show you the centre of my latest hexie quilt.  I have been working on this all summer.  Hexies are a great handwork project for the summer.  They travel well and don't make things too hot.  See all those white hexies?  They were very boring.  I would much prefer making the flowers.

This week I finished one more flower unit.  These will go around the centre.  I have a few more to make, but I have a good start on them.

And last, but certainly not least, is a photo of Mimi.  She is feeling a lot better now that she is on the reduced protein diet and the kidney medication.  Her fur is healthier and doesn't come out in clumps any longer.  I am happy!

A Finished Flimsy of Sorts

Been working on UFOs this week.  I managed to sew the sashing on this quilt top even though my machine is not behaving.  I still want to put a border around it, but I think that will have to wait until I get my machine serviced.  I don't want to do more damage than has already been done.  So now I have an UUFO (an Unfinished Un Finished Object.)

Sorry about the bad picture.  I wanted to take the photo outside, but it is so windy that I am sure my quilt top would have ended up in my neighbour's yard.  So put it sideways on my back stairs.  I'll have a better photo to show you when it is all done.

Lucky for me I have my DD's sewing machine at my house.  She was having problems with it, so I said I would take a look at it.  I am hoping there is nothing wrong with it.  Maybe just some beginner issues that my DD may have had.  If it works I can continue to sew!  If not, I will do some handwork.  Still have lots of hexies to finish.  At any rate, I'll continue to sew.

A Little Late and a Few Blocks Short

I have one hexie block to show you.  But that is about all for this week.  I have been working like mad on the white background hexies, and I hope to have them finished soon so that I can show the centre of the quilt to you.

Mimi has not been feeling well the past few days.  I took her to the vet and he did blood and urine tests.  The good news is, she does not have a thyroid condition as I thought, but she does have the beginning symptoms of renal failure.  Tonight she will be starting on new meds and some protein reduced food.  The vet thinks she is only in the early stages and should do well from now on.  But she still has an infection in her gums which is now affecting her face. I think she will need to get her teeth pulled if I want this condition to get better. I found her sleeping on my Great Granny quilt blocks.  She looks very sleepy in this photo, but she had just woken up when I took her picture.  You can see how mangy she looks.  Poor Mimi.

I thought I would have my Great Granny squares all sewn together into a flimsy by today.  But that may not happen.  I tried to sew a strip of sashing onto the quilt, but I didn't know that my sewing machine had somehow set itself for one of the zigzag stitches.  The needle came down and I don't think I have to tell you what happened.  There was a horrible crunching noise and my needle broke into three pieces.  After I had put a new needle in, the machine was very noisy and did not stitch as it is supposed to.  I was very upset, so I turned it off and decided to come back to it later.

A Flower-Filled Wednesday

Lots of flowers to show you today.  These are my hexies.  I'm still working on the white background hexagons.  I will show them to you as soon as I have them done.

You may remember that I planted some autumn crocuses last year.  The squirrels got most of them, but one very large bulb grew into a big green leaf plant in the spring.  Then it died.  I didn't notice it at first, but it started turning brown and when I moved it, it seemed to have been chewed through at the base.  I planted a couple of small left-over annuals in that area and totally gave up on the fall crocuses.  But to my delight, I noticed a couple of flowers in that area a few days ago.  And low and behold, I present to you, my fall crocus!  

My (Angel's Trumpet)  Brugmansia 'Grand Mariner' has not bloomed in a couple of years.  I have to take this one inside each fall because it is not hardy in our zone.  It's a lot of work to care for it all winter indoors and I decided that this would be the last year for such nonsense for a plant that wouldn't bloom for me.  But it seems that it must have sensed my intentions because it is now in full bloom.  And it is stupendous!  I think I will drag it indoors as soon as the temperatures go down to 5C overnight.

The flowers hang down and are difficult to photograph.  I just held the camera under the flowers and hoped for the best.  I think the photo came out okay, but it was early this morning when I took these pictures and maybe the light could have been better.  I had to do this early because I have a full day ahead of me.  I may have spread myself a little thin.  This afternoon I have volunteered to go to my DD's school and work in their library.  I also have to do some laundry this morning so I will have something clean to wear.  I know that sounds awful, but it's true.

This is a photo of the Brugmansia, looking into the flower.  I love this plant - right now anyways!

One Flower this Wednesday

I managed to make one hexagon flower this week.  I only have a few more of these to do.  Then I have to sew them all together.  I love the colours in this one.

Back to School Mimi

Today is the first day back to school here in Toronto.  Mimi is ready.  (Don't worry, I won't let her get on the bus.)  Why do you want to go back to school Mimi?

Anyone who stops learning is old.  Whether at 20 or 80.  Anyone who keeps learning stays young.  Education is a process from darkness to light.

Mimi in the Garden

Meow!  Stop and smell the flowers!  Meow!
You've got to.  They smell really purrrdy.

September Scrappy Stars

Wow!  It's September already.  I was able to make three Scrappy Star Blocks for this month.  That's a total of 6!  And it's only the beginning of the month.  I may make a couple more since I had wanted to make 4 per month in order to have a bigger quilt..

The blocks in the top row are this month's blocks.  The ones in the bottom row are last month's blocks.  I am using different backgrounds because I don't have a big enough piece for all the blocks.  But these are supposed to be scrappy, right?