Tons of bow ties...

 This is what I have been working on...

 It started a few years ago as my leader/ender project but then I ended up just working on it a little here and there.  These bow ties will finish at 3" 

 I need a total of 1080 of them to make a 90/108 quilt.  At this point I have 823 of them sewn and a few more cut out so I still need to cut 200+ more of them. 

 I know that sounds like I still need a lot of them but I am getting close considering in the end there will be 1080.  I'm getting anxious.  

I've been sewing some of the finished ones into 9 patches to make it easier to piece the rows.  I will do 10, 9-patches across and 12 down. 

 Now on to other news....I received a FITBIT on Wednesday.  So far I love it!  The first day, since I only had it half a day, I got in a little over 5,000 steps.  Thursday, Friday and today I have gotten in over my 10,000 steps.  It also tracks your sleep and I slept for over 8 hours last night but woke up 21 times!!!  Now I know why I stay tired!  LOL!  

My momma came home from work a few days early as she was in tears with back pain.  She has arthritis, narrowing of the spine and a few other issues and she was in great pain.  She refused to go to the ER but will be seeing her doctor first thing Monday morning.  Please say a little prayer for her, it breaks my heart to see her hurting the way that she is.  

Tomorrow is also our Homecoming Service at Church.  After the Church service we all gather outside at the big shelter for some good home cooking!  Lot's of people come other than the regular members, people that used to attend Church there but moved away or extended family members, it is so enjoyable.  

Sadly we lost a dear friend to cancer a couple of days ago.  His funeral was today and his viewing was yesterday.  So sad, he dear wife, kids and grandkids were having such a hard time, just breaks my heart.  

I think I'm heading to bed now....
Kristie

My day...

As I type this, I am sitting on the front porch watching it rain...it feels so nice out here with just a tiny breeze.   Giggle...here I am in all my glory!  LOL!  This is me most days...hair in a ponytail and no makeup.  :)

I spent the early part of the day painting trim for the upstairs bathroom.  I can't wait to get that thing finished. 

No sewing for me today.  I had planned on it but things just didn't work out.  I cleaned and just piddled around.  My SIL called and said that they would be stopping by sometime today so I decided to clean instead of sew.  :)

I'm still hoping to get the last 5 blocks pieced by the end of the weekend.  I'm not sure what fabric I will use for the borders or if I will even add a border.  I'll just have to wait until I get the center pieced to decide. 

Richard finished up at the church today!!!  The building was 106 years old and in really bad condition so they made the decision to tear it down and rebuild it. 

 

 So here she is....  Our first church service in it is planned for July 21.  I can't wait. 

 The inside...  The carpet layers will be there on Monday to install it. 

 This photo might be a little hard to see but Hunter, Leo, and if you look real close you will see Jazz, the yorkie all trying to squeeze in the recliner.  :)  Silly boys!!!

 Even though I haven't done any sewing today I have been pondering on what I will work on after I get my Star Gazing quilt finished.  Tumblers?  UFO's?  New Project?  I know I really need to work on some UFO's but sometimes they just are not any fun are they?  Do you plan your projects ahead while working on another or just do whatever hits you at the time?
Kristie

Star Gazing

 This morning I went upstairs before it got too hot.  I took my tumbler blocks off the design wall.  I brought them downstairs and I figure I will work on those a little at a time. 

I put up my Star Gazing blocks on the design wall.  The true colors really don't show well in these photos for some reason but I like them.  If I remember correctly I was hoping to make 30 blocks so that I can do a 5x6 setting.  I have several more blocks made than are showing on the wall here.

Here are a few more of the blocks that I just didn't take the time to put on the wall.  These blocks are big blocks!  So easy to assemble, I really enjoyed piecing them.

A few more of them that need pressed.  I didn't count them this morning but I'm pretty sure that I'm close to my 30 blocks. 

Here is a photo of the pattern front.  If you look close, you can see that there are narrow strips that are sewn between each block.  I like that, it makes them look like they are floating and not all hooked together.

I may run back up there and count them and get them all sorted so that I can see what all needs done on that quilt.  I guess I really should wait until I get the house cleaned before I start sewing...right?  Hunter has had a friend over for the past 2 nights and the house really doesn't look too hot.  LOL!

Here are a couple more odd and end photos to wrap up this post.  I posted these first two on facebook last week so some of you may have already seen them. 

I found myself at Hobby Lobby the other day because Hunter wanted to stop and look at some art supplies.  I found a vase/bowl/urn thing that I really liked.  The original price was $40 but it was on sale for $20.  They had 2 of them left and both had chips on them.  The one that I got had a small chip on the top, I took a black sharpie and now you can't even see it.  I asked if they would come down on the price because of the chip and they said, yes.  So in the end, I got it for $7.  The flowers are just odd and ends from this and that.  Some of them are just odd leaves wired on a stem, but in the end it all worked. 

So here is the arrangement that I made for my entry table, which is actually a treadle cabinet.  Just so that you can tell how big that arrangement is, that horse photo above it measures 33 x 45.  I was pleased with how it looked but more pleased with the price! 

Then I decided I wanted to see how it would look on my dining table.  I've been wanting a big centerpiece for the table, but this was just a little too big.  There is no way that you could see the person across from you.  So when I decide to make an arrangement for the table I will make it a lot shorter. Just to give you some size on this photo, that picture above the table measures 27 x 43. 

Last but not least...here is a photo that was taken this Spring at Church.  This is right beside the Church and I thought it was so pretty. 

Our new Church is almost finished.  I'll post photos of that and the story behind it real soon. 
Kristie

Off the frame...

 I finally got this quilt off of the frame!!!  This is the quilt that I was quilting for a friend of mine.  It is an older quilt top and I love the fabrics used in it.  

Lots of quilting on this one.  

Here is the back!  As I mentioned before, I wanted to use a "leaf" design but it's not my quilt and this is the design that she wanted.  As long as she is happy that is all that matters.  

I also got the binding ready to sew on for this morning.  Then I will spend the rest of the day doing the handwork.  She didn't need it until Christmas but I wanted to go ahead and get it finished.  

Between the quilting, I also got enough of these to make 3 more blocks.  I now have 18/30 of the blocks done.  

Oh and I got another basket finished while making some much needed phone calls.  

I received another shipment of pillowcases!  Lynn from PA sent 20!  I think these were made by a small group of ladies, if I remember correctly.  Thanks so much Lynn!  Oh and look how sweet, she sent some fabric along for me!!!!  I've already used some of it.  :)  I can't wait to deliver these pillowcases!  

 Last Saturday our Church had a Benefit Horse Ride out by the lake to help raise money for a new Church.  Our building is over 100 years old and is in bad condition underneath.  I didn't get any photos of the horses and we didn't take ours.  We just sat around and talked.  They had a wonderful dinner too.  Chuck had his tractor there and spent most of the day taking the kids for wagon rides around the lake.  I got a few photos of that.  

In this first one, you can see "part" of my nephew, Gabe.  He is the little guy in the black hat.  See the lake?  

 My "older" brother, John!  LOL!  He always tells everyone that I am the oldest.  He'll love me for this photo.  That is his wife beside him, sorry that I only got the back of her head but I couldn't get everyone to turn around at the same time.  

 My niece and other nephew were there too.  I have a million photos but I haven't had a chance to sort through them all.  

Here is Hunter and a few of his friends having a good time.  What is  nice is that Richard and I grew up with the parents of everyone of these boys!  

 We took a pitstop by the playground and let the kids off to play for a few minutes.  

 We had a wonderful time and really enjoyed spending the day with the Church!  

Today will be spent working on binding!
Kristie