Flower Update

Here's some pics of some things I proudly have growing this year:

I filled in empty spots between the strawberries with petunias.  Cucumbers are growing on the pool ladder.

The surprise poppies are gorgeous on the topsoil pile.  I seriously have to gather some of the seed pods.

Tomatoes are doing fine in the raised beds.  I threw in the leftover, discount petunias and. some basil.  Just in case you are wondering, the tomato stakes I use are from two old antenna that I cut up with the cutting torch.  I did that about 15 years ago when our son was at pre-school.  They will stand the test of time.  I'm concerned that there are not many blossoms on my tomatoes.

Lucifer Crocosmia is starting to bloom.  Hummingbirds love this stuff.  Each year I dig some up and spread it to another area of the property.  To the right of it is lemon mint.  That stuff takes over like crazy.

Bee balm--currently this is the only color I have.  I bought a variety seed pack this year.  I'm trying to get some starts of other colors since the bees love it.

Hydrangea -- I tried pouring the stuff over it to make them blue.  No luck...  Oh well.  I had to move these from where they were this spring because they were starting to flow onto the neighbor's property.  I didn't want them to get caught in his mower.  I successfully moved two bushes this size.

Cactus -- a friend gave me just one little piece about four years ago.  I'll probably move it from the tile soon.  Even though it is super sharp (I use gloves and tongs when I mess with it) something continues to bite chunks off of it.  By the size of the bites I think it's a deer.  But there is a groundhog family that lives very close to it.  I never see anything near them.  This would bloom yellow if it ever got the chance.  I'm going to sacrifice a piece this fall and try growing it in the protected area with the dog fence.

Lamb's ear needs some more nutrient-dense dirt around it.

I cut up the lily tubes and spread them out.  They are doing much better this year.  Can't wait to see what color the cosmos are that I planted by seed (to the left of them).  I love the sedum to the right of them.

The Cora bells got thinned out last week and I tried to plant them around a tree in the orchard.  I probably shouldn't have done it on those super hot, dry days.  These are still fine, but we'll see what becomes of those next season.  I didn't get a chance to water them in...

Catnip is growing under the milk crate.  I forget what this flower is called...  I know my friend convinced me to get some of it at a garage sale for $1.  She makes tinctures from several of the plants that she has.  I bought a book to do it, but never did it.  I didn't realize at the time that tinctures were basically plants soaked in alcohol to help with different ailments.  I need to look at that book again to see what would help poison ivy.

The two plants in the center are new to me this year.  They are called pumpkin on a stick.  They are a form of edible eggplant that is small and orange.  The spiky looking plants are called red hot poker.  They bloomed with a yellow/orange flower that kinda looks like candy corn on top.  They already bloomed.

 

Bitcoin Progress -- Long Strips are finally cut

Yesterday I got all of the short pieces cut AND sewn for the BitCoin quilt.  BitCoin is a Bonnie Hunter digital pattern available on her site here.  

Today the long pieces have been cut.  Now I can do mindless sewing and more mindless sewing.  Simple for a summer vacation project.  I'm not getting any big projects done.  But I am enjoying using these scraps that will definitely look much better cut into small pieces.  

I realized these posts are probably boring to you.  But it motivates me and that's why I do a post like this.

BitCoin Progress

 The plan today is to cut all these odds and ends into strips so that I can keep working on my BitCoin quilt.  BitCoin is a Bonnie Hunter digital pattern available on her site here.

Yesterday was spent ironing and sorting scraps that were this size.  Most of these were pulled out of the "multiple color" bin or were thrown in my to-be-sorted bin.  Carry on...

Slow Sunday Stitching

 I found myself stitching in a waiting room this week on my random blue blocks crib quilt.

I realized that I didn't have blocks marked out in advance and that I did not have my erasable gel pen.  That didn't stop me.  I just tried to stay the same distance from the seam.  It looks okay to me, but I prefer to stitch on a line.  My sew-to-go bag now has a spare ruler and a few erasable pens in it.  Lesson learned.

I got to some of the berries before the birds did.  Yummy!  I'm dealing with the aftermath of poison ivy.  I showered with Dawn dish soap right away when I came into the house.  I still ended up with it.  

I didn't think anything came up when I threw a bunch of seeds on the topsoil pile the first time I planted things.  I was so excited to find these poppies blooming.  There are a bunch more pods on them that will bloom later this week.  The leaves on them are different than my other poppies.  Such a beautiful surprise.  

The deer have been getting dangerously close to my raised beds.  I forgot to post this pic a few weeks ago.  I'll try to get an updated pic of how well the plants are doing for next week.  The tomato plants look great, but I don't see many blossoms on them.

Candy the cat keeps a watchful eye out for birds on the berries.

She usually poses for the camera.

I caught our son out watering "daddy's" peppers on the porch.  It's easier for him to take care of these plants.   He can pull the weeds from these because he can distinguish the weed from the plants.  He almost always gives me a pepper count when he is finished.  We had four scorching days this week (temps in the 90's and heat index over 100).  We made sure the plants got watered.  We finally had good rain on the 4th.

I'm linking up with Kathy's Quilts for Slow Sunday Stitching here.

 

Ravelry Summer 2026 UFO List

Last quarter was pretty productive with 8 finishes.  A few new things were added to the list so that I can have a productive quarter of finishing UFOs.  Some of these projects have been on the list for a bit.  I honestly say that I have been motivated to finish project with a UFO group on Ravelry.  Joy that blogs at The Joyful Quilter, updates the finish board beautifully.  You need to have five UFO projects have been started that need finished.

You can find the group on Ravelry here.

1. Bitcoin (Bonnie Hunter pattern) Double Sized Quilt-- I have 1/3 of the columns sewn.  I will continue working on this project.  Fabric scraps are in a bag awaiting to be run through the Accuquilt strip die.

2. Rail Fence 3.5" blocks-- need 900 blocks for this quilt.  I was a little overwhelmed with the layout area I needed to make this quilt.  I decided to do four sections of 15 x 15 and then sew them together.  This is the first set.  All of the blocks are sewn. 

3. Piccadilly Circle -- Very stale project due to lack of interest. I started making this quilt in 2014 for the RSC.  In 2021 I made only three of the border pieces (yellow, light green, and dark green).  I made one yellow and one dark green Piccadilly Circle blocks in 2022.  I still need to make circle blocks in dark purple and lime green.  I also need the other border parts.

4.  Folk Art Birds -- very stale project due to lack of interest.  This was a 2016 RSC project start.

5.  Maroon Sampler -- Stale project due to lack of interest right now now. This quilt is a combination of different sampler quilts.  I want to say this was around 2013ish for some of the first blocks.  I need to count to see how many I have and go from there.

6.   Dicey--I made these blocks so that I could do a few things -- learn how to applique circles using my Applipops, use miscellaneous neutrals, use the Accuquilt chisel die that I seldom use.  Mission accomplished.  The next step is to iron out all of the Frixion pen applique placement marks, cut 1.5" sashing strips.  This will be a 6x8 layout.  I'm waiting for longarm season to be done due to cold weather in the room so that I can settle down to my winter piecing.

7.  Fireflys wall hanging -- I started this 9/22/25.  It is a simple applique project that will be in my sew-to-go kit for school.  Background fabrics have been selected and cut to size.  Other fabrics have been selected.  Stem pieces have been cut and sewn into long strips but not sewn onto the background yet.  Scrappy blues have been selected for the rail fence blocks but not cut yet.  HST's will be a constant gold that matches the flower center and flower bud.

Prepped these pieces for my sew-to-go bag. 

8.  HST Quilt, Three Six Nine RSC22 -- (needs more HST made and rows completed)  -- This project is a hot mess because I sewed some of the colors together as leader/enders and now I'mlosing interest due to the fact that some of the rows are together and I don't know where I am exactly on the pattern.  

9.  Fish -- only two blocks are sewn -- need 12 fish total

10.  Scarborough Fair -- more blocks need to be made.  Hope to continue as an RSC26 project.

11.  Random Blue Blocks -- in the hoop, but a long ways to go.  Three blocks quilted.  It's in a duffle bag ready to grab and go on a road trip if one happens.

12.  Acorn Harvest -- Stalled because I'm afraid to cut the pieces apart.  Embroidery is done.

Photo from the front of the package:

13.  Horsen Around scraps from Linda -- some snowball blocks have been made.

 

I have this little pile of scraps from Linda to work with:

14.  Using my Accuquilt BOB schoolhouse die, I hope to work on pink schoolhouse blocks during the pink RSC month.  I need another girly quilt.  I made a blue one of these a while back.  It turned out cute.  I need 12 blocks for a 35" x 42" quilt.

15.  Lupine and Laughter -- blocks still need to be made.

16.  Christmas Memories

The plan is to make this in red/green, but the color arrangement will be reversed and the blocks will be much smaller.

some of the four patches are made:

17.  Dinner Party Crib Quilt in novelty school fabric-- big pieces are cut.

18.  Layer Cake Lattice in pink -- This is a new project.  I started it this week 4/4/26.  I wanted to use some pink scraps to play along with the Rainbow Scrap Challenge at SoScrappy.  Eight blocks are made.  This quilt will be as big as the white dot fabric runs out.

I purchased this pattern for the unlimited scrappy combinations and possibilities.  The blocks are supposed to be cut from 10" pieces.  My fabrics are just "chunks of stuff".  I altered the block size just a smidge to make it more Accuquilt friendly.  In the future I might cut some of my scraps into 10" pieces so that I can use the actual pattern measurements.  Once cut, the blocks go tother lickety split because there are no seams to match on the blocks!  Woohoo.  I'm not used to working with pieces this large.

19.  True Blue -- all base blocks are sewn.  I'm adding the strip-pieced corners to them.  Three rows are sewn together.  I will also be adding borders to this quilt.

20.  Classic Meets Modern QA from 2014.  This quilt along was at https://www.sewathomemummy.com/

21, 22, & 23. Kathleen Tracy Sampler Block Minis (Table Toppers 1, 2, & 3)  The blocks are made.  I don't think I like them all in one little quilt.  These blocks will make three little table toppers.

24. Cheddar Jack -- cat blocks are sewn, some of the 2.5" scrappy squares are sewn together but not in rows.  I need more 2.5" scrappy blocks cut.

25.  Tulip Table Topper -- binding needs sewn by hand

26.  Hamilton Gardens (Bonnie Hunter pattern) Every summer I buy a Bonnie Hunter pattern to add to my collection.  Squares are cut.  Some are sewn in twosies and threesies.  I'm planning a crib quilt at this time 40" wide by ?.  I need to figure out which background fabric I will be using.  Most likely it will be plain, scrappy whites or white on whites.

27.  Blue Baskets -- A Block Lotto win

When I was getting out my 3.5 rail fence blocks I realized that this set of 40 blocks won at The Block Lotto were in the same hat box.  I need to figure out a sashing for it and make it a quilt.  I was thinking one of my reds in the scrap bins would work for the sashing.  We shall see.

Here's my Summer 2026 Ravelry UFO Club Projects:

1.  Bit Con quilt -- Needs more rows of strips sewn together -- size yet to be determined

2.  Rail Fence 3.5" RSC block -- 900 blocks needed/need arranged

3.  Piccadilly Circle -- Need a few more circle blocks

4.  Folk Art Birds -- Need more birds and alternate blocks

5.  Maroon Sampler -- Needs two more blocks

6.  Dicey -- Blocks need sewn together with sashing and cornerstones

7.  Fireflies Wall Hanging -- Blocks need appliqued

8.  HST -- Needs more blocks made and sewn into rows

9.  Fish -- a 12-block RSC26 project

10. Scarborough Fair -- Needs more blocks made

11.  Random Blue Blocks -- Hand Quilting -- In the hoop

12.  Acorn Harvest -- Quilt top needs assembled

13.  Horsen Around Scrap Quilt -- needs blocks cut and sewn

14.  Pink Houses crib quilt -- Needs blocks made

15.  Lupine and Laughter (Bonnie Hunter 2025 mystery quilt) -- in the piecing process

16.  Christmas Memories 4-patches sewn, need more

17.  Dinner Party (school print blocks) blocks cut, needs blocks sewn

18.   Layer Cake Lattice -- pink blocks cut -- needs blocks sewn

19.  True Blue Sew Along (started 1/15/26) -- needs corners sewn to blocks

20.  Classic Meets Modern QA from 2014 -- block complete, need sashing

21.  Kathleen Tracy Mini #1 (pinwheels)

22.  Kathleen Tracy Mini #2 (squares)

23.  Kathleen Tracy Mini #2 (HST and a Square)

24.  Cheddar Jack crib quilt -- cat blocks are sewn, some 2.5" squares are sewn

25.  Tulip Table Topper -- binding needs finished by hand

26.  Hamilton Gardens (Bonnie Hunter pattern started 2026)

27.  Blue Baskets (Block Lotto win)