More Spools in the Mail

Here are 25 spool blocks I got in the mail today. They are from Debbie. I love the assortment. Every one is unique. I have one more set coming. It will be all the self-control I can muster to not do anything with these until then!! But I must be patient, right??

This one is my favorite. I love the little shapes in the red fabric that look like hearts. It's beautiful. Check out the snazzy background fabric, too. Cool!

Bull's Eye - The Center is Finished!!

This quilt has so many hideous blocks in it. But it is beautiful in its own way. This would be a great group project because nothing has to match. I want to put on a thin and then a wider border. The problem is finding something that looks good with it!! I'll be auditioning fabrics soon. It measures 56" x 72" right now.

I think it will look so neat after it's washed and the seam allowances are curled up a bit. If you didn't know, this is done raw edge applique. The seam allowances are on the top of the quilt!

~Joan

Good AM From Gatlinburg

This is the last row on my "row quilt". I finished the quilting on it last night, after playing Boggle (which I won, only because Emily was under the influence of Benadryl) and rummy (which I lost, only because Benjamin takes big chances and had lots of luck!).

Remember that the bright yellow stitches are my basting and will be removed.

Here is all that remains to be quilted in the quilt center...the cream sashing rows and inner border. I'll probably be working on that in the van on the way home this AM. Wish me luck...on the way here our 3-hour trip ended up being over ten hours because of closed interstates and SNOW in the mountains.



I have the top-most row finished and most of one long side. Still a-plenty to do, but a fun kind of design. I am toying with the idea of hand-quilting the wide outer green border, but still entertaining the idea of machine quilting it since it won't show that much. I marked the stencil with a Mark-B-Gone marker. Moving along rathery quickly.

This was all that remained of the binding that needed to be hand-sewn to the back. I would have finished it while I lounged in the hotel room alone yesterday afternoon, but I left my box of quilting supplies in the van. I still got some much-needed rest, but no more sewing for me. At least then!!

Notice the seam running somewhat diagonally vertically? That was because of a mistake I made on the backing (and the batting, but you can't see that). Evidently when I was basting the quilt, it was not on square as much as it should have been. Since I am so miserly with materials, I didn't have enough batting or backing to reach the edges of the quilt in all directions. So that created additional work of adding a small strip of batting and backing along two edges of the quilt before it could be finished. Note to self: having an extra couple of inches of batting and backing just might save me an extra hour or two of work.

Bye!

~Joan

Hello From The Aquarium

Our family is taking a short vacation in Gatlinburg, TN. We're off to the Dixie Stampede for supper tonight.

This AM five of us went to Ripley's Aquarium while the rest browsed the downtown shops.

As I looked around the aquarium, all I could think of was God's amazing plan for this ole world. So many fascinating displays. Unfortunately, they don't give God the glory.

Did you know a shark can smell ONE drop of blood from 1/4 mile away? 70% of its brain is devoted to the sense of smell.

Here are Wes and Isaac in the tunnel (under the sharks and fish).

Here are Emily, Wes, and Isaac with the tank behind them that the tunnel runs through. The picture looks very "blue"!

I took this in the underwater tunnel with a sawfish going overhead. Looks like a smiling face on the bottom side. The "saw" snout is used for offense, but mostly for digging up and dislodging food from the sandy ocean bottom.

Here is a lion fish...extremely venemous.


This next picture has the most vivid colors. I wondered...would the jellyfish look as stunning with a different color background wall? These are opposite colors on the color wheel, you know? Amazing!!


Good day.

~Joan