The Boogie Beast

June 16, 201828 Comments

I didn’t talk about it, but last month almost to the day, we lost Neville. He was our little kitty from the Mountain Farmlet.

Neville was aloof

This morning almost a month to the day Lil’Bit has vanished. If she does not come home we will not be getting another kitty.

Lil’Bit required much attention

Some sort of Boogie Beast is making the circuit in its nightly hunts and none of us on our little street can keep kitties anymore. I am guessing fox or coyote as there is never any evidence left behind. This will be the fourth kitty to have vanished and as you may recall Smoky and Clause just disappeared overnight too.

RIP kitties

Scrap Happy: needful things

June 14, 201828 Comments

Posted a day early for June 15, 2015

It is that time of the month for using up scraps and making something fun and/or usable!

It is Scrap Happy Time

These fabric scraps were strip pieced and the resulting new cloth was then cut on the diagonal. Next I used it to practice my free motion machine quilting… I have no skill so there will be many more small items made in my future (pot holders, mug rugs, coasters and more). I want to get this talent mastered! However, I was frustrated when I got my mini quilt assembled, and then had to let it sit for two months til I could find my sewing machine. It actually wasn’t lost, but it definitely was not set up for me to use and I surely didn’t have the time. Today I made the time to turn the little mini quilt into a case…

Not a glasses case but the contents certainly help me to see!

This case holds a magnifying lens so I can read the fine print when shopping without blowing my vision out. Close work and fine print cause my eyes to go fuzzy and as time goes by it happens more quickly and lasts much longer.

So, the case holds the lens in my purse and prevents it from getting scratched. My magnifier is at the ready for price tags, product contents and instructions, etc.

That strange reflection is only one light, but oddly it is triplicated on the lens surface.

Now I don’t have to be embarrassed by asking other shoppers to read for me. 😉

At home I have two very powerful magnifying ring lights, one stationed at the machine and the other on my cutting table. For reading my Kindle tablet enlarges the text quite nicely to avoid eye strain. My eye Doctor doesn’t seem to find anything to worry about in this situation, but I truly do worry about it. What if it becomes permanent?

Please do visit these other lovely quilters and see what fun items they have made!

Kate, Gun, Titti, Heléne, Eva, Sue, Nanette, Lynn, Lynda (me), Birthe, Turid, Susan, Cathy, Debbierose, Tracy, Jill, Claire, Jan, Karen, Moira, Sandra, Linda, Chris and Nancy

Caution Woman at Work

June 10, 201823 Comments

I’ve barely made a peep about what I have been up to, but in as few words as possible, I have been building, designing, painting, and in general making quite a mess!

Holy Cow this looks dangerous!

This bit is representative of the construction phase going on in here. And I am relieved to tell you that the view is not this bad today. I have some touching up to do on the shelving, and a really fun surprise for the finish… I’m calling the finish Chinese modern meets Mid Century modern. If you remember Chinese Modern (straight lines and black lacquer) you will get it when I post my finish. 😉

I am excited for the project to be done

I want to get back to quilting again.

**~*~**

FULL DISCLOSURE: Bob helped with the drafting of the shelving brackets and the lifting of heavy things. He also did the framing of my quilting table/desk to my specifications last year while I was away visiting my Auntie and the Missouri Star Quilt Co in Hamilton, MO.

Serene

June 9, 2018June 9, 201814 Comments

A mother’s work is never done, but a bird mother’s work is truly to be admired.

(Photos are clickable for a better view)

Meet the Triplets

Rather photogenic for baby Blue birds; don’t you think?

We have been surrounded by many nesting birds this spring: Carolina Wrens; Blue birds; Cardinals; and these Blue Jays. Some I have not identified as yet, but I am working on it. I have enjoyed seeing their different nesting habits and watching them feeding their nestlings.

**~~~*~**

We had a nest of a different sort this year, a rabbit’s warren! I haven’t located it but it appears to be under the junk pile behind the barn. I don’t think the little guy is a cotton tail either. It looks domestic to me. I would let you be the judge, but the little critter is very wary and far to fast for my camera skills.