Busy Hands Are Happy Hands

LeeAnna gave us this conversation starter. I couldn’t possibly tell you about all my summers. I did work as a teenager, met Mr Busy when I got a job at the Piggly Wiggly the summer between my Junior and Senior year in HS.   I was head over heels for him!💖💓

Go to Not Afraid of Color, LeeAnna has a list of links to other blogger’s posts. 

 july 31

remember summer breaks when you were a kid? How did it feel to have so much free time or

did you help the family business when you were a kid, or take on summer jubs? As you got into high school and college did you have summer jobs or take special trips?  Did you take special courses in summer (example, typing, drivers ed, space camp, courses in crafts at the YWCA? )

 

I feel like I might have turned a corner and found my sewing stitching mojo!

I had a pile of purple scraps and needed a small Table Scraps Challenge (TSC) project. I’ve done mug rugs, coasters, table toppers and mini quilts. As I was thinking about it, my eyes landed on my water bottle koozie. Mr. Busy and I use them to keep track of whose water bottle is whose. I know we should use more eco-friendly containers.  But I can barely get that stubborn man to drink water at all, and a bottle is all he will use. Mine should be cuter than this. 

Using the commercial koozie as a pattern, I measured, drew a crude sketch and finished sewing a crumb block that was 4X9.5. I wish I had taken progress photos but I wasn’t convinced I would be successful. 

Then I layered it with a scrap of batting and quilted it with free motion flowers:

The bottom, the circle pieces did not go as “my vision” thought. It’s wonky but it works.

I hand stitched a 1.75” wide strip to the outside of the quilted tube. I had already pressed both long edges to the middle. Resembling bias tape, but not cut on the bias. Then I turned it to the back/inside as I might do a regular binding. 

Today I will big stitch the front binding, just to make sure everything holds and because I like the look. 

Then I will continue slow stitching on my Hello Summer cross stitch. 

I’m linking with  Table Scraps challenge @ The Joyful Quilter   and

Kathy @ Slow Sunday Stitching

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful. 

 

Joining Angela and other scrappy quilter for Rainbow Scrap Challenge.

I finished the four and final? Purple Potato Chip block and a final orange one from June. 

I got all the glowing hearts together in a grid and bordered them with purple of course!

 

 ⤴️    I found this while Doom Scrolling. I have intentions of journaling but I’m not consistent. Suppose this will help.?

Do you have favorite foods you like to have for summer dinners? Do you use a recipe or just “wing it”?

I like easy, simple.  We do salads, burgers or brats on the grill with lots of accompaniments. 

I usually don’t need a recipe, but I’ll try a new one if I see one that appeals to to “Us”.

This was last nights supper. An attempt at eating healthier. 

Lee Anna suggested this conversation starter, go check out other responses at Not Afraid of Color. 

Not much else to comment on today. There are these photos to share. 

A don’t know what this one is, but the gardener says it opens in the evening. Is it a moon flower?

I lost my last remaining uncle this week. That generation is gone now. He was 95.

This is Lloyd and my cousin Todd. At the QOV presentation in March of 2024. 

 

I had a new start this week. Diann at Little Penguin Quilts started this new stitch last week and I was smitten. 

It’s a free pattern from Primrose Cottage Stitches, designed by Lindsey Weight. Diann has hers on her blog today, and here’s mine. 

Don’t worry about the vertical stitch, it’ll be fine.

As I linked up to Kathy’s Quilts,I noticed Vicki @ Vicki’s Crafts and Quilting  is also stitching Hello Summer. 😊

I had a piece of pink 14 count Aida in my stash. There was enough left to do this fun Hello Summer stitch. The pattern calls for Weeks Dye Works floss, but LiAnd I had all the cross over DMC colors except one #3832.  Luckily Hobby Lobby had it. 🙂

Weeks Dye Works calls it Aztec Red, this conversion color looks pink to me. It looks fine however. 

I’m still working on the Octopus biscornu, but I’m to the place that I need to work on it at home. Here my only distraction is the ever present TV. And I’m learning to tune it out. 

I’m linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching this morning. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful.

 

I’m joining Angela at ScrapHappy Saturday  plus other more prolific scrap happy quilters  today. (I was gone and just realized I didn’t post this!)

I’ve been working at finishing this Glowing Hearts baby quilt. It almost qualifies as scrappy. And there is purple and orangeish fabrics there. 

In between stitching triangle corners and sashing I’ve been making potato chip blocks in this month’s color. The chips make great Leaders and Enders. 

I finished the outside three-fers  on last week’s purple chip block and added a 2nd purple block. 

 

I’m linking up with Alycia Quilts for Finished or Not Friday. I haven’t had a finish in forever. This isn’t one either. It’s a not finished. 

The first row of hearts is sashed and attached to the second row. The second sashing is attend to the last row. Now the 2 rows need to be attached to each other and small narrow borders added. Then I need to find some backing, maybe purple/lavender flannel.. The quilter will have her turn, then I’ll bind it. A label will be added as soon as I know the name of the new little miss. 

In  the event you are interested, this is the Glowing Hearts pattern by Sandra Walker of   mmmquilts. If you click on her tabs at the top of her blog, you will find a list of all her QALs. This is the 4th one I have participated in. 

I should have it done by next Friday or the following one. LOL. 

Stay Busy and Stay Happy and Healthy and Hopeful. 

 

Last week I promised pictures from our Garden Walk. 

Our walk started with stopping by the Master Gardener’s table in front of the County Extension Office. We picked up wristbands and bought raffle tickets. They also had this photo op board. We took advantage. Only places for three faces, so Colleen “volunteered” not to be silly. Joan in the pink flower, Connie in the purple , she’s the youngest and could get down on her knees, and me behind the turquoise petals. LOL