2016 BOM Quilt Doodle Designs -- February?

These little 1.5" squares have been sitting on my sewing machine for a long time.  Instead of packing them away to work on something else, I finished them.  I made one of these trees in February.  Here's the next two more than three months later.  Oh well... it just takes time.  Better late than never.

Linking up with Connie from Freemotion by the River for Linky Tuesday.  It's always fun to share and see what other projects others are creating.

RSC16 and Block Lotto

Here's two more sets of leaf blocks I made for the Block Lotto this month using my green scraps.  It's for the May Block Lotto.  Blocks this month are 6" finished, in pairs. Green Leaves of May:

I'm also linking up with the RSC16 at SoScrappy.

UPDATE:  And then I made two more sets!  Happy Memorial Day!

 

May Let's Book It 2016

I found something really fun from the local library for the Let's Book It Challenge.


The quilt is called 99 Bottles.  It is in the book by Joan Ford called Scraps Plus One.

Here's some pics so you get the idea.  My 1" Accuquilt strip cutter should come in really handy for this!  One of my favorite dies is the 2" square die.  I use that one a LOT for scraps!  Put the little pieces on the die, run them through, throw away the little pieces.  Shazam!  Ready to sew.

With school out for summer my little helper and I have been busy sorting scraps.  He just LOVES to sort things by color and size with me.  It's a fun bonding time.  I'm linking up with Sharon for the Let's Book It Challenge at Vroomans Quilts. 

H2H Time

I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time for blog posts.  But this is an important one.  It's the final linky party for the H2H charity quilt challenge. 




Every year Sarah Craig of Confessions of a Fabric Addict has a quilt drive on her blog.  It's called H2H (for Hands to Help).  I have participated several years.  I'm happy to participate again!


Because I like gender neutral quilts for a charity quilt I will be donating Giant Starburst QA at Canoe Ridge quilt to Happy Chemo.  I have sent quilts to Emily of Em's Scrapbag.  She tries to give a smile to someone going through chemo.  This quilt measures 60" x 60". 









Check out other quilters giving a helping hand at the final H2H linky party on Sarah's blog here.

Summer Sewing

Summer vacation starts NOW -- today, 5/27/16!  It's 9am and here is my first completed block set for summer.  It's for the May Block Lotto.  Blocks for the Block Lotto this month are 6" finished, in pairs.  Here is my first set of blocks for the Green Leaves of May:

I'm doing a happy dance that summer has begun.  I'm also linking up to Sarah's blog Confessions of a Fabric Addict for Can I Get A Whoop Whoop!

This Should BEE Interesting

Here's my new adventure -- BEES!  I found this honey bee cluster on my way to feed the chickens.  They are in the crab apple tree that I planted in memory of my dad.  I posted a picture on facebook.  A friend quickly messaged me saying that she has all of the stuff for a bee hive but doesn't have the funds or space to do the hobby (her husband is a bee keeper.)  She is going to bring the box to me at church today.  I'm going to offer that her husband can just come over and enjoy his hobby at our house.  It think it would be a great co-op venture.  They live just a few miles into town.  I think our son would LOVE to play with her sons and visit when them come.  Can't wait to see where this leads.

When I started quilting I was making a decision between quilting, chickens, or bees.  Hmmm.  Looks like another hobby is coming to light and I will be doing all three in my life.  Good things come to those who wait.  I waited for what seemed forever to find the man of my dreams (my husband who is also my best friend) and to have a family (our always entertaining son.)  What is my next thing I want to try -- living a healthier lifestyle and losing weight to fit into my old clothes.  I have a long way to go on this.  But with God, all things are possible.

Another Coop!

For Mother's Day my husband surprised me and started building another chicken coop for me.  I wasn't planning on all 21 chicks purchased at TSC to survive!  But they are thriving and I need more room for my flock.  Also, I think my husband wants to reclaim his antique berry barn that I am using for a shed.  Here's the new coop so far:

The Duck Box

Here's something I finished this week that doesn't have anything to do with quilting.  It's a new home for my ducklings.

I made the duck box for free (except for the hinges and one 2x4).  I got a bunch of free wood on Craigslist.  This wood was a bunch of billboards!  Great paint on the outside!  I'll eventually put a sheet of metal on the top to help slow down weathering to the roof.  The duck box sits on a "table" that is for training dogs in agility.  It is nailed to it but I drilled a hole in the bottom for water drainage for the ducks.  (Also in the background right is an a-frame that was a dog agility course item.  It will be the roof to my simple a-frame building that will be made this summer.  I will need help from my husband to get it into the fenced area.) (Dog agility items were free on Craigslist too.)

You can see the red in the background of the first picture of the other building that I made (also by myself) from other billboard pieces for the chickens.

The long electric cord is for a simple heat light.  The ducklings were two days old when I got them.  Today in Ohio it snowed!!!  Yes, SNOW in May!

You can see the sides are tapered so that the water runs off the roof.  I had to have my husband help me with this.  I wanted to have all my fingers after cutting the used 2x4 with a power saw.

It is sectioned off into two sides right now because Varigated (yes, I name some of my chickens by their color...) hatched three chicks.  Here's her half.  The board on the right is just fitted.  I can pick it up and move it without nails.  (Thanks to my careful measuring, cutting, and piecing skills I learned during quilting.)

On the left side is a hinged door.  I will build a wide ramp for the ducks after school is out.  Varigated and her chicks can already get in and out without the ramp, but they still need one to avoid injury.

Here's my four Ancona ducks.  They are at the awkward state right now.  The one on the left is mostly "blue" (meaning grey in the duck world.)  Two others are spotted.  One of the four is a male!!! Hopefully that will mean ducklings next year.

I wasn't going to get any more ducks this year.  I had two ducks until the day before I got these.  Sadly, one duck was eaten by the mama fox.  Ducks are social and could become sick or depressed if they don't have anybody to share their days.  They will be introduced to my other duck soon.