Another Finished Quilt, and a Nature Walk

Today I finished the last of the four quilts that Teresa brought for me to quilt.  This one was fun, a patchwork quilt of richly-colored squares. 

The quilting does not show up too well on the top, but it does on the pieced flannel back.

It was so nice outside today that I walked for about forty-five minutes around the neighborhood.  There were some nice azaleas, like this mailbox display with clematis in front...

and a big "snowball" bush beside the driveway.

This Paulownia, also known as the Empress tree, was in bloom.  It is only a few years old, probably grown from a seed carried in a bird dropping, as it just "volunteered."  They say this tree might be the original "Tree of Life."  This tree grows incredibly fast.

The roundabout on my street looks nice with all the pansies in bloom.

When I got to Hidden Pond, I noticed there was a brood of baby goslings swimming among the flock of Canada geese. 

 That made me check my bluebird box when I got home.  Surprise!  Five newborn bluebirds in the nest.  I did not take a picture because the parents were very anxious, swooping down on me.  One of them stays nearby in this pecan tree to keep watch.  Do you see it ?

My own yard looks pretty good.  All of my azaleas are in the back along the edge of the woods.

and the pink weigela bush is coming into bloom.  It is huge, maybe ten feet in diameter.  Here are some of the blossoms.

The Ugliest Quilt in the World? NOT

As you may know, I have offered to do the quilting on charity quilts that my bee and guild are making for the Quilts on Wheels program. These are donated to rest home residents who are confined to wheelchairs. Often the elderly have poor circulation in their legs, and here in the south, most places are air-conditioned. When my friend gave me this quilt top, she swore it was the Ugliest Quilt in the World. It is made from scraps of flannel left over from other quilts she has made. There are nine-patches alternating with plaid blocks.

The colors are cheerful and bright. The texture is soft as a cloud.

The back is a soft blue and green plaid.

Some elderly person is going to be warmed and cheered by this gift of love every day.

I think it is beautiful!

Baby Quilt Again

It's almost "Deja Vu all over again"...but this time, I quilted Teresa's pinwheel quilt for a baby girl. I decided to add an informal feather border, although this was supposed to be all-over. The back is very plain lavender, and I thought it would look cute to enclose the hearts and flowers like a frame.

Now I remember why I charge extra for custom quilts- this little feather practice required a lot of starts and stops and burying threads. But I am really pleased with the result.

So, the continuing saga of our technical troubles...Tech Guy came out, turns out I was the computer skills coordinator when he was in 8th grade, he is happy he has computer skills. Tech Guy installs new modem, Internet works on desktop and laptop. Tech Guy leaves, a little while later it stops working upstairs on the desktop. But at least the laptop is connecting okay for now.

But what's next??? Maybe we will confer with our old friend Jack Daniels.