Today is the Day.................

I am going to write a post!  Have been telling myself that each day a week or so and other things seem to get in the way!  Been diligently working away on my Potholder Quilt for the Maine Quilt Show the last weekend in July.........This Old Italian (Snowflake, album, whatever name you want to call it!) was one of the easy ones as I already had made a quilt with 3" blocks from a paper-piecing pattern that I had drawn.

These are the Colors used in the original.....turkey red and orange......can't call it "cheddar"!  Whoops....I see this block is not really finished......8 triangles have been appliqued  on the points of N-S-E-W!

This was a funny little design.....purely someone's original fantasy!

This should have been easy but I made units that turned out to be slightly too small......made new ones and then picked up the wrong ones when I put it together the second time.....third time was right!!

Love this little 4.5" sawtooth star which is the center of a block surrounded with half-square triangles.

When I was at my friend, Judy's, home in Belfast last week for our monthly antique quilt study, she laid the blocks I had in various stages of completion on her rug so I took the opportunity to take a photo.  You can see the bright red/orange star that now has the red triangles in place.  These are actually enjoyable to draft and make .....just don't like feeling pressured.....no one's fault but my own.....should have been piecing more last winter!!

First row is sewn together!  Takes me 20-3- minutes to whipstitch one seam........need to get sewing faster!!!

 Have you heard of Linda Collins' Sew-Along making these Pyramid blocks?  She has developed templates for both Hand-Piecing and Machine-Piecing (rotary cutting) and I have them in my shop.  This is a photo of the antique quilt in her collection.  Her Facebook page about the quilt can be found here.

My first practice block......just Had to take the Time to make One, but I will refrain until the Potholder is DONE!

Had not planned to use yellow for the alternating triangles, but when I ran across this old Smithsonian fabric "The Rising Sun" in the shop attic, I think I may try it......long way off tho!

Now a mish-mash of photos I took just because............

Love Canadian Geese and several pairs have visited as they always do during the migrations north/south but none ever stay for more than a day or two!    Love seeing them paddling gracefully around in the farm pond and I would LOVE for them to have babies to watch!  Next best thing is webcams!

The cows are very happy to be out in the pastures eating green grass and laying around all day!

Sally, our Maine coon who was dropped off here in the fall of 2001,  spends her days laying in the sun, tho she is still a good hunter......but I've thoroughly discouraged her from stalking my birdies!!  Plenty of rodents around here to keep her happy!

My Mother's and now mine, favorite flower............lilacs that fade too soon!!  Enjoy them while I can!