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

WINNOWING THE SCRAPS

 My scrap buckets, but only 10 out of the 12, are overflowing.  So, I decided yesterday to do something about that.  I sorted them into pieces that are strips, pieces that are small and can be cut into 2-1/2" squares, 3-1/2" squares and 5" squares.  The strips will be sorted by width and joined together, someday.  Today I finished them up.  

Yesterday, after sorting most of it.  It still needs to be pressed and cut to size.

Trimmings

After everything was sorted and cut to size, this is what is left.

This bucket is now under control.  Success!