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Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Tuesday in the String Bucket.


I spent yesterday digging in the strings and making blocks.

It didn’t maker much of a dent – but then it never does, and isn’t that the point?

my scraps are the gift that keeps on giving – and the endless variety found in this mixed up string bin just sets my soul on fire for all the many things that can be made with them.


They are all so colorful!

And yes,, you will find Christmas, Patriotic, Halloween, and other themed things in here.  It’s what it’s all about – these are the fabrics that have seen me through the past 30 years or so.  Some older, some much newer, some gifted, some thrifted, some traded. This is me!  I’m a riotous mess, but I sure have a great time with it!


Four base blocks done – sew much fun!


Nine with hexie stars pinned in place -

Ready for evenings of handwork ahead.

in fact, there is only one hexie star that doesn’t have a base block yet – I may get to that today.  That brings me to 55 blocks, and I think I need 56 to do the layout I am wanting, so there may be a bit of hexie star making in the process to even things out as well.


A bit too much light in this photo -

But you can see how the blocks are taking over my design wall space – I can’t wait to really lay them out and start sewing them together.

I can say that the applique has been extremely easy since the English paper piecing of the hexie stars has the edges all basted under – it’s no more difficult than stitching down a binding.  And I do a lot of that!

These stars are directly from my Rishi wall hanging quilt, just used individually instead of sewn together in a group of seven.  You’ll find it (including the print out for your own diamond shapes) in the digital pattern section of the Quiltville Store.

I love how the diamonds are 60 degree – overlaid on top of the blocks which are 45 degree.  it adds something fun.


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I don’t like talking about medical type things, really – but there are so many messages and emails asking me about the arm, telling me your wasp/bee/hornet stories – I am alive and kicking.  I started antibiotics and steroids on Sunday evening – so now that it is Wednesday, I think this will be the best day yet.

The redness and swelling is still visible, but getting better every day, and other than simple sewing of string blocks (and naps!) I am mending.  It was a scary thing. I didn’t know that a wasp bite could be so deadly. I’ve been stung by bees before – that never did anything, but this. Wow.

And yes I know the second shingles shot can throw me for a loop – but that is a few months down the road, and is much better than dealing with Shingles as I watched the hubster suffer through them a few years ago. I’m not going that route.  This is better.

All in all, life is good. I have no complaints. I have more than I will ever need right here.  And I am so grateful!

Anything fun ahead for your Wednesday?


Quiltville Quote of the Day -

t's been a couple of days of crazy inconveniences!

But we are still laughing and stitching and wondering what will happen next!

It's all in how you look at it!

Have a good one, folks!































34 comments:

  1. Your blocks are absolutely gorgeous Bonnie. You are a treasure to read every morning. As for today, my first grandchild is supposed to be born after induced labor. Contrary already lol.

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  2. Glad you are doing well! Your string blocks keep inspiring me!

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  3. Looking at those string blocks gives insight into your fabrics choices. I think I need to train my eye to look for smaller patterns when buying fabric.

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  4. Seeing all the blocks together- it's beautiful!! Glad you are on the mend.

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  5. Glad you are doing better. My husband always had a vicious reaction (like you) to hornet stings and they always seemed to get him every summer. The doctor even has him use an epipen because of the severity of his reaction. A couple of summers ago I started giving him Brewers Yeast every day and he's now gone 2 summers with out getting stung! We were pleasantly surprised and it's great that he hasn't had to use his epipen!

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  6. Those stars and strings blocks are just so colorfully beautiful!

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  7. I so enjoy your "scrappiness"! You are the best at it. I didn't react to either of the shingles vaccines so worry less? We are experiencing some perfect non- humid weather in Iowa which is even more of a blessing because after 8 days many, many people are still without electricity after the category 2 hurricane. How bazaar, a hurricane in Iowa!

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  8. Love your strings. Of course you put millenium fabric in there too? Get well, stay healthy.

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  9. Love the quote for today. It made me smile and it does depend on attitude. LOL Your blocks are so fun and turning out so cool. Sewing sashings and borders on a BOM I am finally finishing is my plan for today. Take care!

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  10. Glad to hear you are feeling better. What size is each quadrant of your string block? They are so colorful and just the thing to use up some of my scraps.

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  11. Love the blocks, I made a spider block quilt with you when you came to Huntsville, AL and I have a tumbler quilt made in a swap with four people and I love looking at them I find the different fabrics every time I make the bed. So glad you are feeling better.

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  12. The second shingles did not throw me for a loop. It was a blessing for me and I will wish the same for you! So glad you are feeling better and listened to the advice of your nurse friends. Keep on stitching.

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    1. Stitchinpenny, I also had no reaction to the second shingles shot as well, just the first one. Glad to be up to date on my shots as well.

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  13. Bonnie, glad you’re doing better...
    I know you’re a busy lady. However, because of Zoey & her kelpie personality, I think you’d get a big kick out of watching today’s video of a couple of kelpies at the Doggy Daycare Farm in Jillyby, Au outside of Sidney. Tried to copy link on FB. Not successful. You can type in Doggy Daycare Farm in FB Search bar if you’d like to watch...

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  14. I love your blocks Bonnie. I am sitting here after a wasp sting on under my knee on Monday. I was diagnosed with cellulitis last night in ER. Antibiotics, Benadryl and something for pain. They drew lines on my leg but it is still developing a bit. I have been stung before but nothing like this has happened. A little gold and black wasp..not near a nest either. Weird? Get better soon. I am going to take a Benadryl nap. I left the hospital at midnight but didn't get to sleep till after 4.

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  15. People talk about wanting to use up all their scraps. That would be a tragedy for me! :) I love them.

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  16. Not sure everyone has problems with the second shingle shot. I don’t remember having an issue myself, but your right it is much better then getting the shingles and lingering affects from it. Glad your on the mend!

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  17. Happy to hear you are on the mend. I did not know a wasp sting could cause cellulitis either. Loving your string and star blocks! Thank you always for your inspiration!

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  18. Love today’s quote!

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  19. What is a string bucket? Did you try to match/coordinate or just do random?

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    1. A string bucket is a lot like a mulch pile. Read Bonnie's Scrap User's System under Tips and Techniques.

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    2. A riotous mess! Perfect! I lived in the South for 4 years and learned that when "a mess" is a term of endearment. So glad that you are doing well after the wasp attack. Thank you for your lovely words: "All in all, life is good. I have no complaints. I have more than I will ever need right here. And I am so grateful!"

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  20. I never miss your daily posts. You are always inspiring and often have things that I learn about first from you, even non-quilt related. I do use your mask pattern and since I didn't have t-shirts to make into ties I used 1/4" double fold binding. When I ran out of that I ordered the binding tool and used the 1/2" size, which I then folded. it worked slick even though I didn't use bias strips, just straight of grain cuts. One thing I did do was add toggles(ordered in bulk from Amazon) and shorten the ties just a bit since mine are not tied anymore. I don't comment very often but I am so glad you are mending from the bee sting. Thank you again for my daily inspiration and just being you!

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  21. I am going ro be working on neutral string for Good Fortune while at work with no juveniles, knock on wood. After I get done or tired of those I will be piecing Strip to Shore by GE Designs.

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  22. When you appliqué the star blocks down, how do you deal with the tails? Do you just shove them under with your needle?

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  23. I found three pieces of millennium fabric yesterday. Who was the quilter who always put a bit of that in a quilt? Happy to send--

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  24. I found 3 pieces of millennium 2000 fabric yesterday. Who was the quilter the quilter who uses some in all scrap quilts? I would be happy to send--

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  25. I love the riot of color in your hexie quilt! I had no idea a wasp sting could be so dangerous. Thank you for sharing that medical with us so I will try to keep it in mind should it happen to me or anyone I know. I had the shingles shots. As I recall my arm was sore and I felt like I was coming down with something for a day or two but it didn't slow me down. Everyone reacts differently.

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  26. Your quote reminded me of an event years ago, in 1977. My friend and her husband were about to leave on a long-planned trip, flying to the Canary Islands to take a cruise. The day before the trip, they were walking on the beach near their home, and he slipped on a rock and broke his leg. Their dream trip had to be canceled. The plane they would have been on was one of the planes that collided on the runway at Tenerife; the worst air disaster ever.

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  27. String blocks and your diamond stars Im loving these your quilt is going to be really beautiful.
    Thank you for sharing the fun with us.
    Stay safe
    Love and quilty hugs
    Anne xxx

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  28. Try not to worry about the shingles shot. I had the original one and then the series of two that were considered more effective. I might have been more tired after the second one and had a sore arm, but after a nap I was my old self pretty quickly. Everyone reacts differently. My late husband had an episode of the shingles and I would trade a little discomfort for what he went through. I love your string blocks.

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  29. Glad you’re doing better. Enjoy reading your daily posts and learning more about your life in the mountains. I saw your post about sharing your tulip layout and patterns. Sorry you actually had to address that. That’s too bad. I am one who is very grateful for your contribution to the quilting world and am thankful for all that you share with us for free. Thank you

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  30. The quilt is looking really gorgeous! Maybe some inspiration will come my way. The wasp sting if pretty awful. I am allergic to bee stings and end up in hospital in anaphylactic shock. Really scary. Even with two shots of an Epipen I still need to spend 16 hours under observation. My allergist tried to desensitize me with 5 years of bee venom injections but it didn't work on me. Apparently there are some insects that have similar venom and that as I react so badly to bees I probably will only have a mild reaction to wasps. Great news, huh! Call an ambulance for bee stings but wasps just put on some ice. The biggest problem with my allergy is that the MOTH and I are amateur bee keepers. Glad I quilt. Keep making my day with your posts.

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