Monday, December 2, 2013

Stitches and Stuff

Exciting stuff going on around here for sure.   Yeah.  Right.   The most excitement we've had is finding raccoon poop on the garden house porch.  Isn't that wonderful?    At first I wasn't sure what it was, so I did take pictures.  I'll spare you that treat, though.   We knew we had one visiting because they keep stealing the suet cakes from the feeder.  Somehow I've got to remedy that, or just break down and get another feeder that completely encloses the suet.  

I've finally finished hubby's quilt that I've been working on sporadically all summer.  Didn't get it done before his birthday, but only a few days after. 
He's happy with it, but I can't say that I'm happy with it.  Oh, the blocks came out good and the blue plaid flannel backing is nice, but that's about it.  I used invisible thread for the first time and I have decided its not for me.  Now, I hate that I used it on this one, but I'm not about to pick out all that quilting!   I machine stitched the binding and I'm not happy with how it turned out.  

I don't know if its the combination of the flannel and the machine stitching, or what, but the edges are a bit wavy and I hate that.  I'm even considering cutting off that outer border and rebinding it like I usually do.  Its plenty big to do that.   We'll see. 

My friend Dana rooted a couple of cuttings of salvia for me last year and brought them to me this spring.  I put the two of them out and they took off like crazy!!   Here's what the two plants look like right now. 
I have no idea what kind it is.  He got his cuttings from someone else, so he doesn't know either.  It's a true "passalong" plant.    I love this blood red color.  
We've had a couple of nights with below freezing temperatures and its still looking pretty good.  I put it in that location in hopes that the house would block some of the winds from it, and the trees nearby would help keep frost from settling on it.  So far, so good.   It blooms all winter for my friend. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We all have things to be grateful for, and its good to remember that. 

Y'all take care.  









10 comments:

  1. That is a beautiful quilt. Not a lot going on here either, but I like it that way :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. The quilt is beautiful!! I'm sorry that you aren't happy with the quilting or the binding. I always hand-quilt and bind so I have nobody else to blame if it turns out wavy. :P

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sorry that thread didn't work out for you, but your quilt is absolutely beautiful!!!

    I can't imagine the time and work that must have went into making that. You are very talented.
    ~FringeGirl

    ReplyDelete
  4. Not being a quilter, I think your quilt is beautiful. Would that I were so talented!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yikes ... freezing temps! That's just plain wrong!

    ReplyDelete
  6. The quilt is fabulous! Well done.

    Also, I want to invite you to come check out my blog for why I'm so excited! Plus, perhaps I can entice you to enter my book giveaway. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. OK here's my two cents worth. Girl...you are being too picky about that quilt. It's beautiful! And if he loves it then who cares if it isn't perfect. I was finishing a blanket one day and the edges were a bit messed up. Well that blanket was in pieces far too long and I knew if I had to re-do it I'd never get it finished. So, I left it. It's my husband's favorite blanket. So let it go and enjoy it!
    I LOVE passalong plants.

    Cindy Bee

    ReplyDelete
  8. Your husband's quilt turned out great. I'm guessing the wavy borders won't bother you so much in a few weeks. Maybe you can wait awhile before deciding if/when to fix it. I wonder if the salvia would thrive this far north. It adds such a splash of color.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Racoon poop? At least it wasn't bear poo ....

    I know what you mean about finishing a quilt you're not happy with - been there, done that, many times. In a previous life I would have unpicked for hours and hours. Now I move on to the next pile of fabric which needs cutting up and sewing back together again and tell myself the next quilt will be better.

    But if that's how YOU feel then that is how you feel. I understand that :{

    ReplyDelete
  10. Haha! Raccoon poop

    Your quilt is gorgeous! Don't be too critical, just consider it a new bit of information :)

    ReplyDelete