Tell it to the Stars for July

This month we had to make 6 blocks. 

We have 12 other star blocks...so, 18 in all. i put them up on the design wall, but couldn't figure out how they are supposed to be set. everything i tried didn't look right. i'm wondering if we will have to make 6 more of these for next month. 

Guess i'll just have to wait and see. 

Work at the Duck

I spent 5 days at the Duck...and i felt good.....and got a lot accomplished.

First i pulled some weeds by the back door. see all those rocks?  you couldn't see them before for the weeds. still have a lot more to pull but at least now i can get from the truck to the door without wading through weeds. and cleaned in front of the garage doors, too. and that probably only got done because it was shady there when i came in. i filled 2 trash bags of weeds. 

Right around the corner from there is the oil pumper. bless their hearts....the pumper guys come out and 'trim' the grass around the pumper. i think they use a weed whacker and just scalp it all down to the bone. i don't know what my landscape guy thinks when he comes out. he did come out and cut the grass on monday. i can just see him shaking his head at that job. i hope he knows i didn't do it. hahaha

I did clean the fence line on my side, also. these little trees here grow like crazy and keep getting new shoots from the bottom. so, every couple months i am whacking them all out and trimming the trees so jeff can get through there and mow. i filled the whole back of my truck with branches. it was burning day so i took it to my sisters and she burned them all up for me.

I don't know what these flowers are...but they are all over the fence....intertwined in these trees. 

They are really pretty and i watch so i don't cut them when i trim and set them back up on the fence.

My sister came over and started the tape and bed job in the closet/dressing room. she got all of the bottom half finished...and sanded and smoothed out.  looks great.  i did manage to fill all the screw holes in most of the house....just have 2 more rooms to do. BUT....i, also, only did the part that i could reach without getting on a ladder.  the sucky ladder part will have to be done next time. hahaha

It's a slow process but she did an awesome job. 

Most of my days were spent finishing the installation of barn wood on the dining room walls. the first day i put the drill bit through my finger instead of the screw.....had to stop for a couple band aids.

The second day i ..... cut the first board wrong......cut the second board too short......had problems getting the screws in the third board.....and was thinking perhaps i needed to call it a day and try something else.

But, i persevered.....and, 3 days later......i finally attached the last damn piece of barn wood to my dining room walls. yep, all 4 walls are finished. and....painted!!   hot damn!!   i used 2 gallons of paint for the whole room and it sucked it up pretty good. i think eventually i will buy another gallon and go over the spots that the roller didn't get very well. or....maybe not. i do like the rustic look of it.

That hole above the door will have a stained glass window in it. it is being custom made.

After i got the painting done i pulled some furniture into the room and then had to do a bit of decorating. i did have this piece in the laundry room but decided it like it better in the dining room. it is made of barn wood, too. that is a little quilt behind the piece of glass. it just fit in there perfectly.

And this is my other barn wood hutch. i bought them both at the same place and at the same time. this one is constructed in 2 pieces. i' m thinking of painting them both a bright white. i have the paint and might do that the next time i am down there. i might paint over the purple, too. don't know yet. see how it looks after the white paint. is purple and orange too much?  hahaha   not in my book. 

This little dresser was saved for $25. it will get sanded and re-finished.....some day. it is in sad shape right now. i love the look of my walls. the way the dark shows in the holes and cracks. and the boards just look all weathered.

As i go to yard sales and such i've been picking up little country signs. there is room for lots more here.

Love the rooster sign

And the watermelon

I still need to paint the ceiling and fix the floor. and put some baseboards and trim up. i have 30 pieces of barn wood left and was thinking i might use it for baseboards on the floor and trim across the top. gotta measure and see if i can make it. 

It was a great few days of work and i enjoyed myself. i am so glad to get that wall project done. 

My sis and I think we can get 2 rooms done this summer....the dressing room and the office. that is the plan. so, if the tape and bed gets done....then i can move on to painting and decorations. woohoo!!   wanna come work for a while?  i have lots of things to do. hahaha

Library card catalog cabinet

I have been negotiating with the library in the next town for their card catalog cabinet.....for my sister's library. i learned they are going online with their books and will no longer need it. so i was trying to make a deal. one of the ladies who works in the library wanted it....so i didn't think i had much of a chance.

What changed their minds?  i made a wall hanging for the library...for the kids section. and once again expressed my desire to own their old cabinet. one of the library ladies called me the next day and told me it was mine for the taking. she called the director and told him about the wall hanging and that i wanted the cabinet and pleaded my case for me. she is a very nice lady. just had to pick it up as soon as possible so they could get it out of there....and i had to take the cards that were in the drawers. i told her not a problem....i was out of town but would be there tuesday afternoon to get it.

Thankfully it breaks down into pieces.....8 pieces....with 35 drawers full of cards....heavy drawers. i got it all in my truck. 

And then figured i better re-assemble the thing in the barn before i forget how it goes together. this is the bottom half.

There are 2 little shelves that pull out to use in writing

This is the top half

It is going to be an awesome addition to my sister's library. and we got it for the asking. 

But perhaps making the wall hanging pushed it in my favor...who knows. but it is one nice piece of furniture. and will be at the Beast in the library by the end of the month.

Parade at the Duck

I was at the Duck for the Fourth of July. i am right on a corner of the main street. i saw a fire truck out there raising it's huge crane and they had a flag hanging on the end of it. i thought .....  cool.....they are flying a flag for the 4th.  then i saw people coming and sitting on the sides of the street in chairs.....and it finally dawned on me.....there is going to be a parade.  cool!!  who doesn't love a parade.

I had the perfect spot.....i could see right out my window and didn't have to be out in the sun. so...i got my camera.

There were guys on motorcycles.

And the town firetrucks....and police cars

More emergency vehicles

This was the most exciting thing in the parade.

A cute little train pulling some kids.

I guess this was Abe Lincoln...reading the Bible

And, that, my friends was the highlights of the parade.  no marching bands.....no horses....no floats.

Oh, there were girl scout groups and some kids on bicycles. one pickup was decorated in red, white and blue. but overall, it was a disappointing parade. no music....no baton twirling girls....no clowns even.

I have no idea what those people in the background were doing. they had tables and chairs set up on a flat bed truck..even had an umbrella. they were taking pics. perhaps from the newspaper or something. 

I'm glad i wasn't standing out in the heat.....it was pretty disappointing. my sister says we need to be in charge next year to show them how to have a parade.

There were Fair goings on things at the park....rides and food and such. but we did not partake.

Selvages galore!

This morning i went to my friend mary's....in search of selvages. i needed more selvage dots to make 37 more blocks and mary is the only one i know who has a lot of fabric and is willing to share. hahaha

We spent 3 hours pulling out FQs with selvage dots on them....and cutting selvages off her yardage.

I came home with a huge bag full and am sure i have enough to finish my quilt now. we will know next week.

I am leaving town tomorrow morning or i would be working on those dot blocks tomorrow.

Thank you so much Mary.....i love you.

I am blessed to have you as my friend.

I love my friends.

Nancy's selvages

The other day in the mail i got a squishy package from my friend, Nancy.  filled with selvages.....oh, goody.

i sat right down and cut out the parts with dots. then trimmed them up and got to work.

I got 7 blocks out of Nancy's dots

Check out these super sized dots....love them!!  6 of the blocks got some fat dots.

They are about 3 times the size of a regular selvage dot

Check out this block....5 large dots fit....versus 13 to 17 of the regular size dots. very cool.

And this is all that was left over. they will got into another block...some day when i get more dots.

And all the other selvage parts got incorporated into my growing selvage stash. i need a couple of clones to use them all up.

I love selvages.

Thank you so much, Nancy.   i now need 37 more blocks and i'll have enough to make my quilt. 

Bookcase Quilt .... selvage style

I saw a quilt like this and had to have one. i spent days cutting up selvages. good thing i have lots of selvages.

It's not large....about 24 x 40.  good size to hang.

Have you looked at selvages lately?

They have the name of the fabric line and the designer name.

Reads just like the title of a book and the author....i love it.

Most are white....but some are different colors.

Some sound like gardening books.

A few even sound like cookbooks

And there are novels and mysteries. all a bookcase needs. hahaha

That was lots of fun.  there is going to be a lot of SID when i quilt this.