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Sunday, August 30, 2020

Saturday Business!


Some days there is only time for cutting!

My plan was to spend as much time with my son as I could – but while he and his dad went off to run some errands, I quickly made time to cut out about a dozen more Nearly Lemoyne block kits.

I actually thought I’d get more than that stacked by my machine – but hey – any progress is progress.

The other night while talking to my dad, and needing to do “quiet multitasking” (his hearing aids pick up everything and even the sound of a sewing machine in the background is too much) I turned to pressing a newer batch of neutral fat quarters that I hadn’t cut into yet.  I wanted new neutrals to work into the Scrap User’s System, and their first job was these block kits.

When I am cutting from fat quarters with the intention of stashing strips, I’ll look at the size of strip I’m working with and determine how many is “just enough” of that size from this piece.

I didn’t want to cut up the entire fat quarter because sometimes I need other sizes of pieces.  I wanted “just enough” so I took the fat quarter, cut it in half, put one half back into the neutrals box (it is now a fat 1/8) and cut the remaining piece to what I need.

Some to use now, some to add to the other neutrals so I’ll have more variety later.  It’s a win/win.



What was the guys' project?

A kennel for Zoey Jo!

She has a crate inside the house. And we can leave her for a couple of hours.

But what if we wanted or needed to be gone for more than a couple of hours?

We had hemmed and hawed about where to put a dog run or kennel, but my main concerns were – SHE DIGS.  (She could dig to China in 10 seconds flat.) I wanted somewhere that she wouldn’t get muddy or have other weather issues, not to mention my OWN not wanting to traipse across snow or mud covered ground or possibly in the rain to retrieve her when we got home from wherever.

I suggested the walkway beneath the front porch.  The windows are into the garage.  My sliding glass door to my basement studio is just a bit out of the photo.


Now she has weather proofing, wind protection, she can see down the driveway to watch for us coming.  There is no mud, rain or snow problem.  And there is a hose and faucet for hosing down any necessary messes she happens to make while waiting for us.


She also has a dog house for napping and keeping warm. Sometimes the best place for a kennel is in the middle of everything where you live.

Kennel and dog house are from Tractor Supply.

We will be testing it out this afternoon (I’ve already done short runs – she is in there while I write this morning’s blog – she has her bone, her chew toy and her purple snake. She is good!) when we are going to bike the Virginia Creeper Trail.

We’ve decided it’s a 2 car experience.  Two cars to Damascus – and then one taking us back up to the top of White Top to start our ride.  Ride back down to Damascus, pick up the other car, drive back up to White Top to retrieve the second car.

It’s the only way to avoid a packed shuttle full of stranger-people in the time of Covid.  I refuse to cram myself with 14 others in a 15 passenger van up a winding mountain road wearing masks.  Just not doing it.


Late August along the New River!


Peeking in on folks fishing!


Where there is goldenrod, there is ragweed!

Keep the Zyrtec coming!


I love peaceful walks down a country road -

Being towed by Zoey!

So that’s the plan today – Biking late this afternoon when most people are LEAVING the trail on a late Sunday afternoon.  We have our own vehicles and aren’t tethered to any shuttle schedule.  Perfect.

And for some more quilty eye candy:


Absolutely loving Ellen Reilly's Emerald City quilt displayed over the porch rail! How lovely! Beautiful job, Ellen!

Pattern from my book String Frenzy available in the Quiltville Store. Have you started this one yet?


Quiltville Quote of the Day -

I know we are surrounding ourselves with people virtually right now, but it still counts!

Look for the good in others, and in yourself. You'll find it!

Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone!



16 comments:

  1. That seems like the ideal place for your kennel all right. Just wondering how strong is that wire on your kennel? We had a dog that literally chewed and scraped his way out of a chain link fence with concrete under it. He wanted a rabbit so bad!! Have a great bike ride, here in the midwest it is cooler and less humid. Yey!!

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  2. I love that you think out loud about your process. Thank you for being thoughtful and thought provoking. Great solution for Zoey!

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  3. Thank you for a lovely Sunday morning read. You have the most uplifting writing style, thanks for sharing.

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  4. We set up a similar pen for our dog, Tiger, named for trying to bit his way out of a wire carrier when we brought him home. The pen from Tractor Supply was perfect for him when we were gone for a few days. I love the quilts you display. I had allergies and taking Benadryl made me sleepy and unfocused. I shall try something else so I can get back to piecing quilts. I 'd love to do the machine quilting but can't seem to get on face book. YouTube works better for me. Thank you for the pictures of your area which is so green and lovely. June

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  5. So sorry I don’t live next door so you could just drop and then pick up that cute dog of yours but you have figured out what works for you your dog and your family.....family enjoy them as much as you can every time you can
    ❤️👵🏻

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  6. Hope you have a wonderful bike ride on the Creeper Trail. We live about 1/2 hour from it and often take friends or visiting family there. We prefer not to ride on the weekends, so your late afternoon ride is the perfect solution to the crowds.

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  7. Do bears come up to your property? I would be scared that they might be a problem! But otherwise, it is a great idea, and I've even thought about something like that for my cat, but My patio is too small and the condo office might object. Too Bad, I think my girl would really like it, except if other cats come around, then I might have a cat fight on my hands!!!!!!

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  8. I am spending my Sunday house and pet sitting for my daughter. Easy listening music is playing and I am sewing rows together on my Frolic quilt top. It is bliss!

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  9. I've admired your blog for years from afar. I love everything about it. I also love your quilts but being in Australia shipping patterns etc seems too hard sometimes. I'd love to know if your patterns are handpiecing friendly?
    Keep up the great work you do.

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    1. I have quilted Bonnie's quilts both ways with no problem. I suppose it depends on your hand quilting style, the fabrics you have used and whether the neutrals are "quiet" enough to show stitches on the top the way you like. It took a full month of 8-9 hour days to hand quilt mine and did a large with a sit-down free motion in three days. I let my quilts determine what they want. Sorry I cannot remember the names of the quilts--my memory has a hole in it for names...and I am stuck in the US since March and all my quilts and information are in my Colombian studio. I did travel with Bonnie's triangle ruler (I hate to be separated from it!) and am using it to get years worth of sewing remnants from my late mother into usable elements while I wait out the quarantine so I can go back home. The beauty of Bonnie's style is that it solves so many scrap issues with beauty and logical sewing construction. Have made 5 so far, Emerald city among them. Now I've made myself homesick... So, I say just go for it Susie, and make your quilts your own. Have fun!

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  10. That Emerald City Quilt is just gorgeous. I can tell it was a lot of work, but it most definitely worth it.

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  11. Love your pics—makes me jealous of your lovely walks��

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  12. What a great solution to keep ZoeyJo safe when you have to leave her at home. She is such a busy girl I loved how you had to think of everything including her digging out. But that seems just perfect, plenty of protection from the elements an d a surface easily cleaned when necessary.
    That emerald city quilt looks amazing, I e admired that pattern for a while but love so many of your quilts. I really must finish my wild and goosey I’ve bought cheddar fabric twice to use for it but used it somewhere else. Love your blog, enjoy your son time.
    Stay safe
    Love and quilty hugs
    Anne xxx

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  13. I was kind of thinking about the bears possibility too as well as cougars, climbing up the side and dropping down into the enclosure from the top to get to Zoey. Could you get a strong wire-type top, like the sides, to fasten over the top, so no other animal could climb the fence part and drop down into the enclosure? And too, Zoey is smart, she might get the idea of climbing out too, as one of my Lhasa Apsos tried with a portable (folding) tall wire enclosure we took with us when camping. Luckily we only used it for short periods of time while we were on site, and actually caught her before she got out. We then bought a strong wire top that fastened on after it was set up, and of course you would want materials for the top that would be as strong as the sides if you were to leave Zoey in it while you were gone, to protect her.

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  14. Sunday was a beautiful day!! I hope your adventure was stupendous!
    I enjoyed reading this today. You could make a book with all of your uplifting blog posts. You are loved, Bonnie
    ❤️ Rosemary

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  15. You're cutting new neutrals! Should we take that as a HINT for this year's mystery???

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