Sept. OPAM

I know it's a little early, but I probably won't have any more finishes for the month.  I will, however, have more sewing, as I'm heading to Cape Cod on Sunday for a retreat!!  We're having a class, for which I've cut out all the fabric.  I just finished cutting two other small projects as well.  Wouldn't want to run out of things to do!  Rumor has it, there are quilt shops near our retreat site, too.

My primary project for September was to make purple baby quilts.  Three of them.  They're going to a project that sends purple quilts/blankets/afghans home with every newborn, along with info about shaken baby syndrome.  By the time I deliver them to South Dakota in a couple of weeks, I plan to have an afghan finished as well.

I also made an orange placemat, but failed to get a picture of it.

I made major progress on my Jelly Roll quilt, but it won't be finished until next month some time.  I started a checkered Dresden plate.  All the blades are made and ironed, but I ran out of time for sewing them together.  Only seven more to go,

I continue to spend a lot of time on the hunt for wildflowers.  In addition to the time spent hiking and photographing, I spend hours with my field guides, learning to identify them.  Here are a couple from my walks this week.

Spider Wasp?

Praying Mantis

Turkey Tail mushroom?

Aster

Crown Vetch

Wild Bergamot

Bittersweet

Bottle Gentian.  DH found another patch!

Fall is coming!

Keep on Stitching, and I'll be back in a couple of weeks.......Sunny

Perfectly Pleasing Pincushion Parade!

I've been lax in blogging again, but life has been busy.  I must take a minute to post my pincushion for the PPPP.  Pop over to Ida's  blog to see more of the parade.    This was made last spring for a guild challenge.  Every entrant won a ribbon, and my little chook received "Miss Congeniality"  She joins a growing chook collection in my sewing room!

Tomorrow is National Sew a Jelly Roll day, and I've got my project all ready to roll.  I hope to get up early and spend the entire day just sewing away.

I'm sure you're really here to see nature photos - LOL! - so here is a collection from today's hike,

bug is Ailanthus webworm moth, with tightly tucked wings!

Loved this collection of mushrooms

Fall is coming to the forest

Oxeye Daisy

Bottle Gentian - my prize for the day!!

more signs of Fall

hundreds of tiny little mushrooms

I had breakfast with Di earlier this week, as she was on the run from Irma with her daughter.  You can read about it here.

Keep on stitching! . . . . Sunny

August OPAM and Perfectly Pleasing Pincushion Parade!

Well, here it is Labor Day Weekend in the US, the unofficial end of summer.  We've had a couple of cool days, and now we're expecting the remnants of Harvey tonight and tomorrow.  I'm feeling very blessed that we will just get a little rain, and it might be a bit breezy.  I can't begin to imagine what those in  south Texas and parts of Louisiana are going through.  I certainly pray that the next hurricane that is heading towards the US stays out of the Gulf!

My sewing machine had to spend a week at the spa, so I've been doing a lot of cutting and hand sewing.  I did, however, finish my Prairie women quilt before the end of the month.  I attached the borders with my Featherweight!  This is much scrappier than it looks in the picture.

Other OPAM projects include my Baltimore Album, and my RSC16 quilt, along with three place mats.

I've also quilted a few small charity projects for a friend, but I can't really count them since I didn't make the tops.

Beginning on Monday, you can enter the Perfectly Pleasing Pincushion Parade over on Ida's blog.  She's got some great prizes lined up, and anyone is welcome to join in the fun.  It runs until September 16, so round up your pincushions, or make a few new ones.

I'll leave you with a few wildflower and sunflower pictures from the last couple of weeks.

This flower makes me so happy!!

And now, back to stitching....... Sunny

Quilts, Flowers, and Penny Farthings

It rained.  So I didn't get my quilts photographed.  Then it gets dark each night, so I didn't get my quilts photographed.  Then I just forgot.  No more excuses.  I just dragged DH outside to be my official quilt holder.  First up is my Baltimore Album quilt.  I challenged myself to make just 4 blocks to see if I liked making them.  And I loved it!  There will be another quilt in the future.

Next up is my second RSC16 quilt.  This has been sitting in the 'to-be-quilted' pile for awhile now, but it's finally ready to find a new home!  I didn't think I liked string piecing, but it turns out I enjoy that, too!

Last Saturday, we drove down to a nearby town to watch the Clustered Spires High Wheel Race.  It was another hot day, so we only stayed for the first heat, and took loads of photos.  Lots of fun to watch.  Some of the riders are very competitive, and others are just out to have a good time.  The eventual winner actually came all the way from Sweden!

Many wore period costumes

Female Winner!

Hometown favorite

Winner - from Sweden

This guy was just having fun riding, not racing.

I got up early this morning, and went for a nice long walk on the towpath.  Found some nice flowers, grasses, and mushrooms.

Cutleaf Coneflower

just a grass I liked

Pale Touch-me-not

C&O Canal Towpath

Butter and Eggs

Common Morning Glory and Queen Anne's Lace

In addition to these events, DH and I celebrated our 15th Anniversary, I went on a road trip with Guild members to visit 7 shops in the Lancaster Amish area, and I joined a gym.  I'm taking a water aerobics class, and hanging out at the outdoor pool as much as I can in the next two weeks!

Life is Good..............Sunny