Flower Centers

I didn't get much done yesterday but look at this new block and ponder leaf fabric selection and flower center selection. I did choose to use the brighter flowers, chose a different fabric for the large leaves, then looked at my choice for centers.

The gold fabric I thought I wanted just was too dull, needed something with a little more spark to it so cut out a brighter orange/yellow center and laid it on one of the flowers - much better. Look at the photo above - the flower on the left has the first choice and the one on the right has my final selection. Also changed the fabric for the larger leaves as I found a bit brighter fabric that also gives the basket block a little more life.

I really enjoy the fabric selection process so didn't mind cutting out all the leaves over again and removing the fused centers and replacing them with the better choice.

In case you might be curious this is how I place these small applique pieces for fusing.

I use the long tweezers that came with my serger and a stiletto to place the pieces and move them into the correct position. I do however cut them out holding onto the fabric. I like to use a micro serrated pair of scissors by Elan to cut the small shapes out. I can clip off areas that need smoothing with these scissors too as they grab the fabric as I am cutting so can cut just tiny bits if I need to.

Have the basket of flowers fused to the background now and have started doing the buttonhole stitch around the different parts this morning using the silk YLI thread. So far so good but have to run an errand this afternoon so won't get it all done until later.

We have 31 calves now - had 6 on Sunday and 5 yesterday and only one so far today. If they keep up this pace we will be done soon. Of course there are always some that are late every year.

The wind is really blowing hard again today only this time it is from the north west plus it is cold, cold cold! The corn shucks that blew out of my flower beds on Sunday are back again today. Will be glad when everything greens up and crops are planted to keep those pesky shucks out of my flower beds.

We are lucky though as some areas of Nebraska are getting a doosie of a snow storm. Just talked to my brother in central Nebraska and they had an inch plus lots of wind so it piled up in drifts. Think the north part of Nebraska was predicted to get 5 to 8" snow plus the high winds - YUCK!!! I want it to be spring.

Back to the sewing machine for a little more stitching before I have to leave.

Lynn

Not Glue

I want to clear up a misunderstanding a couple people have had about how I am attaching these tiny applique pieces to the background. I am not using the Elmer's School Glue on this project but using a fusible paper backed web. Since I am doing the buttonhole stitch by machine I don't worry about it being a little stiff.

Better get to town and get another gal. of milk and a few other groceries. Am making Chili Soup for supper tonight. Cold day today so it should taste pretty good.

Lynn

Bright or Dull?

I started working on another block yesterday - same basket of flowers but different fabrics. This one is going to be made into a quilt for me to keep. Figured while I was at it I should do it right away or I would never do one for myself. Cut all the pieces and arranged them then decided I needed to try a brighter fabric for the big flowers. The whole piece looked really dull with the first flowers so hope I sparked it up with a brighter pink.

Here are the two blocks, one with the dull flowers and one with the bright flowers. The colors are not exactly right on the computer but you get the idea. The basket is a dark purple batik. Even if I used the duller flowers I would re-make the upper flower as two of the petals are too dark - they don't even show up as part of the flower.

What do you think - bright or dull?

This piece of batik fabric was my inspiration for the fabric choices. May use a little of it in a border or just use it on the back. The print is small enough scale to use in the piecing so may do that...who knows will just have to see I guess.

Trying to get this block fused this morning as I want to do a little tidying up this afternoon. Daughter A is coming this evening with our two granddaughters - can't wait. They are so much fun and it has been a while since we have seen them.

It really got cold yesterday but we didn't get any of the predicted snow, however the wind blew all day and is still blowing so the cold temp. feel even colder. I almost laugh when I say the wind is blowing now after that horrible wind we had last Sunday and Monday. What we are having now seems a mere breeze!

Yesterday we had 5 calves born and there were two new ones this morning. That brings the total up to somewhere around 16 or 17. I was asked about our cows and for our area in the mid-west we have an average size cow herd with our near 100 cows. The cattle are beef cattle not milking cows so any milk the cows produce goes to feed her calf. We keep the calves with the cows until Dec. then wean them off the cows. Since the cows are pregnant again this gives the mother a time to build up some extra reserve before she has her new calf in March/April.

The weaned calves go into a lot by themselves and John feeds them until we sell them in January at the sale barn to a larger feedlot where they feed them to butchering size. The calves need to learn to eat out of a feed bunk. Most of them have been out in the cornstalks since we brought them home from the pasture and were eating grass as well as cow's milk all summer so they don't really know what a feed bunk is. Some catch on right away and some others it takes a while. We have hay for them in a feeder all the time too. The calves of course don't want to be away from their mothers and bawl and bawl for several days and nights, plus the cows are bawling too so it is quite noisy around here for about a week.

Guess that is enough about cows and calves for today.

Until later,
Lynn

Other Block Finished

I finished doing the machine buttonhole stitch on the second block this afternoon. Actually it was the first block I made and decided the value was not good so made another one. This block does look better with the stitching done but still like the other one better as it is not so "matchy, matchy". Think I will keep it and work it into one of the auction quilts I need to make though as it is still nice enough looking especially after the buttonhole stitching was done.

To remember what it looked like before the stitching I posted a photo of it below. I did add a few more leaves, flowers and buds after this photo was taken though.

Now I need to plan for sure how I will finish these blocks into quilts. I will probably be working with my EQ6 to get it all worked out before I sew. That is what I do for most quilts even if I make some changes as I am going since it helps me to start out with a general plan.

We did get some rain yesterday - pounding rain that came horizontal. It didn't last long though but settled the dust. This morning we had a few flakes of snow and it is windy again but nothing like yesterday. It is much colder today too with the high only in the low 40s.

Until Later,
Lynn