July 2020 One Monthly Goal

We have been picking strawberries. Lots of strawberries. Okay, many more than lots. Our son planted 500 plants last year and for the past 2 weeks, we have been picking anywhere from 100 - 200 quarts of luscious, juicy red berries every single day. Okay, so I am not actually doing the picking. We have 3 girls out there along with our son and, of course, the little girls.

We have one small freezer completely filled with berries and I am trying to buy a new freezer. This is not an easy thing to do. Buying a new freezer during a pandemic. They are back-ordered until Oct. The really big ones that is. I will keep trying. I wanted an upright freezer since I have limited space in the house. We already have a 25 cu foot chest freezer in the back kitchen, but it is full. 

The girls completed their school year and each of them advanced to the next grade. That means no more home learning for now. At least not academics. They are learning to bake. and we can now change gears here and get them back to sewing on their I-Spy blocks. The lego is in time-out and so is the giant dollhouse and all its accessories. They need to be outside more. Not the dolls. The girls. There is now a trampoline and pool in the back yard. We will be making jam soon. Lots of jam. I have 250 jars and sugar ready to begin. 

I sort of did my June OMG but I cannot with a clear conscience say I completed it. It was to organize and bring order to the many small containers of quilting stuff. I did go through some of them. Then a couple of times I was looking for things for my newest project and sort of ransacked everything in the process. So it seems an almost impossible task. 

I started a new quilt. The 3030 Quilt. So far, I have 2 blocks complete and 2 in process. These are fun, colourful blocks. I paper pieced both of these. I have one applique block on the go. The new blocks are emailed to us every Friday. You can find the information here sentimentalstitches-3030-quilt.

So, I have had several ideas for a July goal parade through my head when I am working on other things. I cannot remember any of them right now. The RSC colour for July is dark blue. I have 5 blue blocks left to make for Bright Jane. I did not make any pink ones for June. Actually, I did not do a lot of any kind of sewing. What I did do was complete one more course for my doctorate. It only took me 5 1/2 years. I hope to get the next ones done a bit quicker. And poor Gaston the giant ladybug needs some major surgery. Devan brought it and the thread and a needle to my desk last night while I was making jam and she offered to help do the stitching. I guess that better get done. 

I think I will try to keep current with the 3030 Quilt blocks. I will aim to have the first 8 complete ready to show off for my July OMG

Blessings,

Chris

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May 2020 OMG Goal

I have taken the easy way for the past couple of months so for this month's one-monthly-goal I am challenging myself to really get some work done. The plan is to complete 31 blocks. Sort of like a: 

Block-A-Day

for the Month of May. 

I have quite a few blocks started that I can complete. 

The Rainbow Scrap Challenge colour for May has not been posted yet, but I will be working on DJ2 aka Bright Jane.

I completed 7 blue for April and have 2 started. I lost one of the tiny blue triangles for another block and eventually found it in my sweater pocket.

There is the Corn and Beans. 

I have only 20 blocks to go to complete the 100 planned.

I have a few Ella applique blocks started.

And some of the Hand Piecing QAL. I stopped working on them because it hurt my hands.  

I don't think I will have a problem finding 31 blocks to work on. 

My sister is visiting from Pakistan while we self isolate. She is still teaching her students in Pakistan on Zoom at midnight. She is making a quilt while here.  

. 

Which brings me to the next project the girls are working on. The I-Spy quilts they started 2 years ago. They are both so much more proficient at the sewing machine now. Problem is, they both want to sew at the same time. But I only let them use the Bernina with the seam guide

When I became a Gramma I had not signed on to homeschool little girls, but that is sort of what I am doing these days. Two use laptops and the youngest one uses my desktop. It has a 23-inch touch screen. Some days we print off math sheets and I get to review how to count coins and add by 5s and 10s. Other days, we learn about dinosaurs and water or the difference between living and non-living things. There is a science experiment going on in the kitchen. Beans are sprouting in styrofoam cups and are being observed and measured daily. Must spend time in the Animal Shelter and Stuffy Daycare. And, the girls delight in making lunch for Grampa and take it to him in the field on the golf cart.

Good thing Auntie is here so they have their special 30 minutes of alone time with her each day. Among other things, eight-year-old Ellyse is learning to colour hair and goes on walks with her so they both track their steps with their Fitbits. Devan, who turns 7 next week, is working on an engineering project. Not only is she the engineer, but she is the architect. There are cardboard boxes and glue guns and nature scavenger hunts to collect supplies. 

And what does Gramma do at this time? 

Nap of course. 

Blessings,

Gramma Chris

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Newest and Youngest Quilting Students

This past summer has been a joyful, if exhausting, time of all five of the little grandchildren here for sleepovers and adventures on the farm. My youngest granddaughter had been asking me so often to teach her to sew on the real machine. I have two toy machines that all the kids have played with. One of them has a secret compartment in which are an assortment of fun buttons.  I found not one but two packs of pre-cut  I-Spy blocks in the massive quilt cupboard and finally got them started.

 Five year old Devan started first.  Looks like she had her hand placement guiding that block perfect. Look at that right finger. We used the Bernina since it has a quarter inch seam guide and it can be set for half speed. 

Why do the girls all want to trim the threads off the sides before they can start? 

Gramma's hands were close by until six year old Elly  got the hang of it. Then she chain pieced a whole bunch of blocks and told me she could do it all herself now without my help. Okay. 

Putting them onto the design wall is exciting.

So far the blocks are  sewn together in twos. Eventually we will sew four together  then more. 







We did put a large book under the foot pedal so their short legs could reach. And a regular chair. The chair on wheels just rolled them away when they tried to use the foot pedal.

Devan created a "Book" with a whole stack of her blocks so Grampa could read the story. 

Blessings, 
Gramma Chris 

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