Look who was at the window

I had a little visitor this afternoon.  She was sitting on the brick ledge outside the window of my sewing room.  The blinds were open but it still made it difficult to get a good picture.  The whole time I took pictures, she sat frozen in one spot, crying.  Actually, I thought she was calling her babies, but after I took over 5 pictures, I realized she was scared because the moment I moved away from the window, up the brick she ran.  This was one of the better pictures.

My little squirrel visitor

Design Wall Monday-Surprise

Everything I have been working on the past month, has been a surprise for several different people.  Recently, I discovered some people I know have been reading my Blog, which means I need to be careful what I post, until after the presentation.

This is the only picture I can show today.  It is all the leftovers that were trimmed off the 5" blocks.  One lady told me not to worry about saving all those trimmings but there were just too many nicely trimmed triangles and why not?  I'm plan to find a neat use for them--maybe even in the quilt where the 5" blocks are.  The squares on the right just need to be trimmed.  The pile in front has been sewn and the 2 piles to the left and back, still need to be sewn.  When all is said and done, I should have about 160 HST.  Each square should finish one inch. 

160 HST units

Now, I had better get busy on all the unfinished items that I hope to finish prior to the end of 2015.
Check out what others have been working on finishing this month by stopping by Judy's Blog at:
Patchwork Times.com
 

Collecting Items for Fabric Journal

Looking forward to making a Fabric Journal.....
I would like to include items from the past.  The first item was found on Laguna Beach in California. My Great Grandfather, Judson Sanders included a note, stating:  "Picked up by J. Sanders on the Laguna beach in 1873".  Rolled up inside the bottle was a note.
First, I found a little history on the web, about the company that made the bottle.

History

The company was founded by Dr Thomas Cantrell who opened a shop in Belfast selling soft drinks in 1852; he went into partnership with Alderman Henry Cochrane, thereafter trading as Cantrell & Cochrane Limited.

Old Bottle from 1870's

Around the outside of the bottle, it reads:  MEDICATED
                                                                  AERATED
                                                                   WATERS
                                                  CANTRELL & COCHRANE
                                                       BELFAST & DUBLIN

The next picture is of the note rolled up in the bottle.  As best as I can interpret the writing, it says:
                                                              Montenn
                                                    Just been to Breakfast
                                                              All well
                                                        J.G. Devercaft
                                                        May 11, 1870

Note rolled up in bottle

Smaller note in bottle-cannot be unrolled without damage

If anyone can read the writing on the note shown above, please let me know what it might say.

Design Wall Monday

DWM  May 2014

As I was looking through my numerous piles of papers and fabric, I came upon these 6 blocks.  From a distance, they may looked pieced but the design is printed on the fabric.  They looked a little familiar and as I looked through my pictures,
I discovered that I had added sashing and borders to another
6 blocks back in May of 2014.  Now, to just find a nice fabric for sashing and borders for the top shown below.

 Check out Patchwork Times.com to see what our quilting friends have designed this week.....

 

DWM  11-09-2015

Mug Rugs and Flannel & Fleece Quilt are done

Flannel Quilt Top done

Top finished with binding

Color of Backing Fleece

Yesterday afternoon, I finished the Mug Rugs and hope to have them mailed out tomorrow.  This afternoon, I finished sewing the binding on a Flannel & Fleece Quilt.  I used a beautiful blue fleece for the back of the flannel quilt I designed from 42 squares for a man or teenage boy in need of a warm covering.  Since the flannel and fleece made for a rather thick edge, I chose to cut the backing fleece 1/2" wider than the quilt and just fold over to the front and sew it down by machine.  I'm not terribly excited about how it looks but it was very easy to complete the quilt using this method.  Before I began, I read on-line that when one folds over the cut edge, you do not need to worry about the fleece unraveling.  It just doesn't have a fine finish look that I'm used to seeing when I use a standard binding.

Promised Projects

This week I have been working on "Promised Projects".  In June of this year, I flew out to Northern California to visit family and friends.  I made quite a few Mug Rugs as little gifts but soon discovered I was short just a few gifts, so that is how the promised projects came to be.  I have just one more to make but thought I'd take pictures of what has been completed.  Most but not all have a selvage message just for fun.
These all need to be mailed.   

Mug Rugs 1

Mug Rugs 2

Close-up of Mug Rug with selvage quote

Design Wall Monday

An entire week has gone by and I only have (6) more blocks to show for it.  The last two blocks with the yellow and blue should be the same size but they are not, which means I may not be able to use them in this project.  I cut the inner strips narrower on one block and wider on the next one.  Obviously, I have not been paying attention to what I'm doing.  My deadline is looming.....

Design Wall Monday

Drop by Judy's at Patchwork Times.com  to see what others are creating this week.