No earth shattering news from the farm – just a quick update.
JB3 is winning us over big time with his good looks and his sweet personality.
This cat, Charlie, belongs to friends of ours – boxes are so inviting, aren’t they?
Corn is tasseling but we need rain!
Becky and I are providing music at Prairie View this afternoon.
Reader quilts:
Don’t forget A Walk Around the Block – $5 and a SASE.
Remember when JB was on top of Red and several of you were concerned about his scratching the paint?
Here is Red – the cover was included but the trouble is that now it’s such a hassle to get the cover off just to drive it town that I won’t bother. So what’s the answer?
Now I don’t even get the pleasure of seeing Red at all! I don’t think it’s worth it.
Here’s a peek at my pink project.
Going on the long arm next.
See all these plastic containers? Each one is a UFO or leftover “pieces” waiting for a plan.
Are YOU sewing in the AC while it’s so hot outside?
YES! To the AC! Our corn is tasseling also. We did get 3-4 tenths on Saturday afternoon which was awesome! It really got steamy after that. Today (Tuesday) it is windy. I’m getting a massage this morning 🥰. Then back home to try to stay cool. We thought the skunks left for lack of food……ha! One stinker came checking things out yesterday. Ugh!
Joy – I’m beginning to hate wildlife! How about you?
Skunks in the daylight scare me. I’m afraid they are sick. Haven’t seen any coons, possums for a long time. My daughter and son-in-law have a terrible problem with striped golfers in their lawn and landscaping, so far the exterminator has caught 28! Ugh! On the saga goes! How is the rat population? Finally coming to an end?
Striped golfers in the lawn!?!?!? The image of old-fashioned men golfing in short trousers and long stockings flew into my mind, then I realized you meant “gophers” and felt sad that there were no little white balls and clubs involved.
Not quilting, I’m at our camp on Lake Winnipesaukee enjoying a nice breeze but man, it’s hot in the sun. We had awesome rain yesterday and overnight. My husband reports that we got about a half inch at home, we really needed it. I’m so happy for jb3, he seems like a nice kitty. Oh! In my travels this morning I saw a twin to your truck Mary! That was fun. Made me think of you! I just finished a really good book, My Brilliant Friend. Book 1 in a series by Elena Ferrante. Highly recommend, can’t wait to start book two.. Jan in MA
No, I’m not sewing or doing much of anything in our 107, 108, 109+ degree heat! No rain in over 45 days so early in the morning and late in the evening I water the veggies but not sure it’s worth it. Can’t remember the last time I sewed as I’ve spent much of the last few months canning (most store bought, not from garden). Ugh
Sherrill, what are you canning? I have made some jam but nothing to store for long term.. hoping to do potatoes with the dry method when we harvest our potatoes. And soups, want to find recipes for beef and chicken soups that we like. Jan in MA
Oh GOSH!! Green beans, corn, potatoes, milk, butter, chicken, beef, spaghetti sauce, chicken soup, pinto beans, french fries, carrots, onions, chicken broth, chicken and dumplings, and on and on.
What is the dry method for potatoes?
You pack them raw (I dice mine) into the jars. Some folks add a little salt and bit of butter but I don’t. Then process them. About as easy as it gets.
Maybe you could just fold the cover and lay it over the top of Little Red. That would be easier to remove when you want to take it for a rid and protect the surfaces from you furry friends. I can see why JB3 is working his way into your heart. He looks so sweet. Stay cool.
Oh my word!!! The post today is just the prettiest thing I’ve seen so far.
Yes, I’m quilting in the AC.
Going to Laramie to get signed up with a cell phone😕. With a lot of help, I’m confident I can do it.
I remember when there were 2 mobile phone ports in Cheyenne. The user had to go through the operator to make a call. One night, I had a customer in an airplane making a call. That was very unusual.
Stay cool.✌️
Oh, yes. Definitely staying in the house and sewing while it’s boiling hot outside. Temps near 90’s all this week. I live way south of Chicago. Except for a few days in the 70’s now and then, it’s been relentlessly in the 80’s and 90’s for the last 2 months. Luckily, we’ve gotten a few nice all day rains.
I just mentioned to my husband… I need to get to JoAnne’s for some plastic containers to organize all this work in (slow) progress I’ve got going on! Yours is so nice and neat, this would be a good attempt at hiding the chaos that is in my mind and space.
Love all your Kitty photos. I feel like I can almost feel their silky fur coats. One of God’s many beautiful creations, the cat.
I priced containers at Joanns, WOW. Went to Dollar Tree and got similar container for a whole lot less.
I just mentioned to my husband… I need to get to JoAnne’s for some plastic containers to organize all this work in (slow) progress I’ve got going on! Yours is so nice and neat, this would be a good attempt at hiding the chaos that is in my mind and space.
Love all your Kitty photos. I feel like I can almost feel their silky fur coats. One of God’s many beautiful creations, the cat.
Carol, I am glad to see you commented as I wondered if you are still working at the quilt store near you. I found last summer some nice stackable 12” square containers at TArget for $3 each in the office supplies area. Couple months ago I saw they are still making them in other colors too. Joanns are pricey I noticed so glad I have enough of the ones with handles for now but I like the ones at Target for smaller projects and blocks that can be competed whenever.
Reader quilts inspire. I relate to your UFO stash, altho yours is more organized than mine will ever be! As they say: So many quilts, so little time! Thanks for your always uplifting blog. I savor it with my coffee.
I’ve been sewing. My sewing room is one of the coolest in the house even though it’s upstairs on the west side. We have shade outside and the AC is working good.
I’ve been getting quilt tops finished up and paired with backing and binding. Quilting will wait until it’s cooler.
We found out a couple of years back that I’m allergic to corn pollen! We visited our son in July and I couldn’t breathe due to allergies. It was very strange.
Pretty kitties and quilts today.
Yes doing some quilting in AC in the afternoons to be out of the heat It is 87 at 10:30 this morning Almost done with this month’s UFO yahoo!
Yes, Mary, I’ll be inside sewing with the AC on. It will hit 90 today in Northwest Indiana and is so humid already. I took my 10 month old Corgi pup out for an early walk, and now he’s sleeping on top of the floor vent where the AC blows. So funny. He doesn’t like the heat either and usually prefers to be outside but not today. I love your pink quilt and JB3 is so cute. I’m working on a patriotic quilt and also a little wool wall hanging that I’m appliquéing by hand.
Mary, how about a quilt on top of Little Red that would be easy to remove?
I was thinking about Red and her cover. Find a big old quilt and flap it over the top. It doesn’t seem like you need to cover every inch of her. You just want to keep JB3 from getting up there.
The cat in the box is hilarious!
I sympathize with all of you that are suffering the tremendous heat. Real hot weather just melts me. My sis lives in Desert Hot Springs and I don’t know how she does it.
I have my pink-tone table runner top finished. Now to quilt it. The quilting is the scariest part for me and it’s often the thing that stops me from the finish.
Glenda Fletcher…Your quilt is wonderful. Is there a pattern name for it? I would consider having that one professionally long armed if I made it.
Jeane…Your wild animal one is adorable and Lynn…your inspirational wall hanging is very cool.
Love today’s blog, Mary.
Thanks Sue. I made it at a friend’s request. She wants to give it to her daughter who has a job in education. The fabric has a bit of pink in it as well.
Very hot and dry here so we are grateful for our air conditioner. Lots of indoor activities which includes sewing are being done here.
So glad JB3 is fitting in at the farm. Doesn’t matter if his leg isn’t good. He’s got a perfect life there. Thanks for letting him stay. Love the quilts today. I did one of your patterns in pink. Send a picture when you show all the pink quilts.
Working on projects to be entered in our county fair on Labor Day weekend. It’s all for fun and gives me something to do with a target date. It also gives me something to look forward to. It is really hot and humid this week with more of the same next week, so inside sewing is where I’ll be. One entry is the Honor America pattern by Country Threads! Love the cat in the box picture! JB3 is adorable, and I’m not really a cat lover!
Hi Mary, I like your pink project and especially next to your hydrangeas. There aren’t too many around our areas that don’t need rain. Pits. I can see where JB3 would win you over. I am thinking you were referring to the quilt above mine in your email. It is wonderful, colorful, and full of different designs. The others have names attach to them. Great ideas, artistic, and cute. AC is great to have. I think we can all relate to the
stash build up. You are very organized with the plastic containers. Have fun playing this afternoon with
Becky.
mary, i once had a neighbor who called the cops on my cat because said cat scratched his car. i got my vet involved. he said the cats will only make minor scratches on the car which are easily buffed out. same cat sat on my car all the time and no problems. (later found out neighbor’s girlfriend had keyed his car) i would not take away my pleasure at looking at big red. how many times do we get to indulge ourselves as we get older and money gets tighter? thanks for all the photos. the quilts are marvelous and inspiring. i’m in the ‘do whatever it take to stay cool’ class. had a friend who used to put bowls of ice in front of her fan (while in brazil) to stay cool. thanks again for all you do for us. patti in florida
Mary – Thanks for the pictures, some really good quilts this time! Love the cat pictures as I am a life long cat person. Our sweet black cat Ella, age19, died a few months ago and I sure do miss her. We are traveling some now but are thinking of a new cat or kitten in the fall or winter. I would love to find a cat like JB3 here in NC.
Hi, those kitties win you over fast! We have neighbor cats we enjoy seeing when they come to visit. Your pink quilt is nice as well as the reader quilts. I don’t sew much in summer. Have picked cross stitch back up so when I sit down, I can get a few stitches in. Have several quilt projects lined up when gardening is over or should I say weeding the Harden. Have been fighting squash bugs on our zucchini. Have asked other people how to get rid of them and they tell me they don’t have them. Hoping to get a couple zucchini from the plant. Have a good day!
Margie, I had squash bugs on my zucchini so bad last year that I didn’t plant any this year. I would pick them off the plant and put them in a jar of water. I read that is the best way to kill them but they lay eggs faster than you can get rid of them. They are so gross! I did plant a yellow squash this year and so far haven’t seen any squash bugs. Maybe I’ll try zucchini next year!
The AC is working overtime. I hope the British people survive their heat wave. So many of them do not have air conditioning. No sewing today. I’m watching my one-year-old grandson sleeping on the cooch. I don’t want him to roll off the couch. Hopefully, we will finally be in the new house by mid-August. I gave bags of fabric to a church group who does quilting and sewing. I will still have a lot of fabric to move. My quilt guild meets tonight. A lady who knew our president asked if the guild would take her fabric collection. She recently died from cancer. Her collection is going to be for sale at the meeting. I guess she had quite a few Civil War fabrics. How much fabric does one need? I enjoyed the picture of the cat in the box. Stay cool.
The first quilt you pictured looks a lot like The Gypsy Wife quilt. I bought the pattern but we’ll see. Thanks for all the pictures.
First of all, the quilts today are wonderful. I especially liked the cute wildlife. I see your dilemma with covering the car all the time. My son has to keep the garage doors shut ALL the time because of his herd of cats but that’s the price he has to pay.
On another note, do you (or readers) know of a reputable group where I could donate a quilt for Ukraine? I just finished it and it dawned on me the colors are pretty much yellow and green so I think it would work. It is 64″ square. I REALLY DON’T want to send it to some site on the internet when I don’t know anything about them. Thanks in advance for any help.
Are The Quilted Twins still taking in quilts for the relief effort? Lovely quilts and photos today. I am inside much of the afternoon. It’s not as bad here as some places and I’m lucky to get breezes off the lake, but humidity is a beast! Trying to finish a quilt before July ends.
Janet – aren’t the Ukraine colors yellow and blue? Not green, I don’t think.
Why not go over to Jo Kramer’s blog–Jo’s Country Junction. She has many, many places where quilts can be donated. A really good network.
I SHOULD be sewing in the AC, but instead, I’m getting things ready for a road trip to Maryland. We will visit the step-daughter and her family, see some new things, and hopefully get a boat ride in Chesapeake Bay.
Love all the pictures of cats and quilts, two of my favorite things.
I have ac,but it just runs and runs. I will be glad for a cooldown. I bough my daughter a new sewing machine from Amazon and waiting for it’s arrival. She has been learning how to quilt and we are giddy about it. Can’t wait to see it in action. Love the pixs of the JB . Stay cool.
Deb, Are you near any fires? I just posted about the Moose Fire!
Typically I don’t saw that much in the summer. But I find myself finishing a lot of UFOs! I love that top quilt that would be a great stash buster. If anyone has any information on it I sure would be interested.
Stay cool everyone, the AC is working overtime
Love the critters in the corners! And your pink!
Here we go again…the Moose Fire is in Idaho….not too far from me! Last year we had the Trail Creek Fire! Haven’t packed anything yet, but we aren’t on evacuation notice yet! Praying we don’t get very strong winds like past two days. Forest Service n Fire personnel are working diligently…dropping water from helicopters 🚁 and working on ground as well! Air isn’t healthy to breathe in some areas.
THANKS FOR THE PICTURES, MARY.
Launa
Mary great post today. Love the pictures of the kitties. All the quilts and wallhanging are vey lovely. You all do great work.
Just finished ironing 550 4 patches. Need to make about 30 more. Then I will start putting the top together. Wish me luck as this is a scrap quilt.
Hi Mary! Your pink quilt looks so pretty! I did go into my basement lair yesterday to sew – I had shorts on because it was hot, but as soon as I brought my phone and drink down, I turned right around and came back upstairs to put pants on – too cool in the basement for shorts!! It’s always at least 5 degrees cooler down there!
Mary, I have a Little Red too (Red Mazda Miata convertible) that is garage kept. I’ve found that an old blanket thrown over its top works great. Seeing JB3 on top, this might be a solution for you too.
I went to a quilt store with a friend this morning as I needed some more whitish low volume background fabric for your Seaglass Stars pattern. I keep plugging along making the stars before I begin the log cabins around. I hadn’t been out shopping in awhile so I really enjoyed myself. It got to 87 today so went in our pool after lunch and then walked a bit along the Erie Canal this afternoon. A very large catamaran boat cruised slowly down the canal. It was almost as wide as the canal!! Should be in Buffalo area tonight as slow as it is allowed to go on the canal. Can’t imagine that fuel cost.
The kitty is gorgeous! “Little Red” is so beautiful, it is hard not to get to see it!!
How is Rick’s foot doing now?
Yes, sewing in my sewing room and enjoying every minute. Also, go out on the porch for a little bit each day. Paula in KY
Cat’s and their boxes. JB3 is definitely a cutie. I have been out in the heat taking Owen to swim lessons and clean up on the property. It is never ending. Still haven’t sewn anything. I need to figure out what I want to do for binding on the old quilt I am fixing up and start that project. It shouldn’t take long to do. I just need to do it.
JB3 reminds me of a cat that adopted us. One Christmas morning, we heard a Meow outside a window. When we investigated, there was an adorable black & white kitten, but he was limping. My kids were young at the time, & were convinced it had fallen out of Santa’s sleigh, & that some poor child somewhere was missing the kitten they were supposed to get for Christmas. We took him to the vet, who said it was an old injury (broken shoulder) but it had already healed as much as it could, & there wasn’t anything we could do now. So we kept the kitten, it turned out to be the best cat we ever had! Great personality, well behaved, got along great with our other cats, dogs, & kids!! I still miss that cat!!
We had 2 residence cats in the greenhouse where I worked. We always kept a box on the counter & they both slept in it even if the box was too small.
Thanks for the great post, Mary. I am glad ‘3 has won your heart; he is adorable!
I have been sewing downstairs in the AC. I keep thinking we should invest in a whole house generator. I worry the power will go down during these high temps. I have been making the binding for a scrap buster quilt I made for my bedroom. I did not add a pillow tuck, so I am also making a matching pillow quilt.
Stay Cool Everyone, 🥰
I remember my mother teaching me how to make my bed with a “pillow tuck.” People don’t fold sheets over the pillow and tuck them in a little at the front as they used to. Guess that’s why sheets are so short now that they come untucked at the foot of the bed.
Ruth – in the days of pillow tucking we used bedspreads – now we use smaller quilts and “comforters” – I was taught how to make that perfect bed with hospital corners when I was in 4-H
We’ve even started calling him “3” – haha!!
Enjoyed all the pictures today. I have been spending time cutting out for Bonnie Hunter’s next leader-ender project. Great timing. In January 2021 I made my own leader-ender project, 48 star blocks for Edyta Sitar’s Perfect Union quilt and I just got them all made. I really liked Bonnie’s project this year. All squares and rectangles and a chain design. I had the strips in my scrap saver system but needed to cut the rectangles and matching squares. Also more background squares for the four patches. Never seem to have enough background. I use them up as fast as I can cut them. I’m bagging them up and will keep me going for another year. Worth the time spent now to have them ready to go. It was 107 yesterday and will “cool down” to 100 from today through next Tuesday. Thankful for the air conditioning.
It’s been quite humid here in TN and other than swimming in the morning (local fitness class) we stay inside. I finally committed a few days to clean my quilting space and I started to iron the fabric for my next quilt project. Working on something with a modern flair for our quilt show in the fall.
My sewing room is in the basement, so that’s my haven when it’s hot. It’s cool and dry down there, perfect for daytime sewing.
Mary, I have those same containers, and use them for kits that are ready to sew. I label them with the contents and size. There’s a section with all my DD projects, and then…there’s the rest! So many projects, so little time!
Forgot to say that we’ve had a racoon using our doggie door into the garage. It’s been dining on suet cakes and washing up in the dog’s water bowl!
Yes I am hibernating in a/c sewing/embroidering away! Today and tomorrow will help my 11 year old granddaughter finish her 4-H projects (judging is Saturday)…pj shorts, a matching pj set for her doll using left overs from her shorts, using her award winning art picture and converting it to appliqué on a pillow. I’m guiding her, not sewing, and she’s doing very well. She has a great attitude about it all even tho it’s a little close to the deadline!!! I’ve been cutting out tedious embroidery wall hangings but I’ll be glad when I’m ready to embroider them! Keep cool !!
Greetings! It’s hot here in Wisconsin as well. I have central air that is not working, so I have to use the window unit…not very effective for the whole house. Ugh. Don’t need a repair bill right now. Cutting and sewing keeps your mind off that for awhile. Stay cool everyone!
I went to our post office this week and Red drive by! The vehicle sure looked like Red.
Dear Mary, yes I am sewing and reading inside.
Finished two books and thought of you and Connie
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus is popular out there
Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart is a memoir about two college girls from Iowa in 1945. Falling into a job at Tiffany’s. It is so cute and funny and 1945.
Enjoy. Maybe other girls have summer reads to write about.
Lee Bowers