BLACKBERRY JAM

  We went early to Sunset Park in SeaTac , just north of the airport and in the path of incoming flights.  It was a pleasant morning, Jelly went too.  We picked two small buckets of blackberries and were home by 9:30am, a bit scratched up although I wore long sleeves.

Jelly got to sniff around a bit, but wouldn't help with the picking.

Lots and lots of blackberry bushes in this big park that used to be a housing development.  The county bought them all and tore down the houses because they are in the flight path to SeaTac Airport.  There is somewhat of a grid of asphalt roads left.  There is a  Community Center and a nice arboretum in one corner of the park with parking.

After lunch, I processed the berries.  They are now 8 half pint jars of Blackberry Jam.  

FINISH #16

I trimmed the excess from the newly quilted "Seven Plus" quilt and sewed it's binding on today.

It is done!  This is Finish #16 for the year.

The quilt is 54" x 72".

And it took 7 years and 6 days from start to finish. 

SEVEN PLUS QUILTED

 The Black and White quilt I've been working on has been named "Seven Plus" because it took a few days more than seven years from start to finish.  I used some red and black fabrics from my stash of old fabrics and made the backing yesterday.

Then this morning I loaded it onto the longarm, programmed a pantograph and got busy quilting it.

I finished up by the end of the day.  It's off the machine.  And while it was quilting, I made some binding.  Maybe I can do that tomorrow.

FINISH #15

 Here's another little quilt made from a Charm pack and white squares.  This is Enchanted.  It is 36" by 45".  And it's the 15th finish of the year.

RHUBARB STRAWBERRY JAM

I cut up some rhubarb and cored and chopped some strawberries in the morning.  Then, after lunch I turned them into jam.  I did it that way in an attempt to not overtax my arm/shoulder by breaking up the activities.

 

 

BLACK AND WHITE AND A LITTLE RED

 I started making this quilt on August 11, 2019.  I made six blocks and decided it was done.  I put it away and a few years later got it out and thought it should be bigger.  I made one more block, got bored with all those precious seams needing matching and put it away.

I ran across it again a few days ago and went back to work on it.  I made more blocks and now I think it really is done.  It's a quilt top, 54" x 72", and it only took one day short of seven years.  Maybe that should be it's name.  The Seven Year Quilt.  But then, really, it's still not a quilt.  It may be an Eight Year Quilt before I get it quilted.  We'll have to wait and see.

TOMATO JAM

 Darrell gives a lot of his sawdust to a gardener friend who sometimes brings us eggs from his hens.  Today he gave us some beautiful tomatoes, ripe and lucious.  I wanted to make some Tomato Jam, but needed a few more Romas to make a batch.  So, this morning we went to the West Seattle Farmers Market.  I bought some Romas, some Dill flower heads (for pickles later)  and some Rhubarb.

When we got home I started making the jam.  I peeled, chopped and cooked the tomatoes,  Then, along with some garlic and herbs, sugar and balsamic vinegar, cooked everything into jam. 

Then processed the half pint jars in a water bath.  Yield: 5