After a Lot of Fussing
Sep 29, 2009 Quilting
I finished four paper-pieced blocks.
Now that they are done and a few days have passed, I think they’re kind of cute. However, four days ago, I could barely think a kind word about them. The blocks are part of a mystery project. In a couple of months, maybe I’ll have something more to share with you. Until then if you want to make your own, look for the March/April 2006 issue of Fons & Porter.
Best New Tool
Actually it isn’t even a new tool. Behold an old air compressor:
You may be asking what’s so wonderful about this old compressor. Well, let me tell you. I never have to pump up a bike tire with a hand pump. Of course if the power is out and if I’m out of air cartridges, I guess I’ll cave and use the hand pump. Until then, I’ll enjoy this modern invention.
And I can’t leave without mentioning the tool’s sponsor: my dad. He and one of my brothers decide I should have it since they both have nice air compressors. I want to know why I didn’t know about the air compressor when I was a kid. I would have used it to pump up my bike tires. I think my dad was holding out on me.
Lots of Binding
Sep 15, 2009 Quilting
After a summer of sewing, my Colored Bar Code quilt went from a pile scraps
to a quilt that needs binding.
I think the perimeter is about 330 inches. I’ve probably sewn about 30 inches. With a bit of luck, a few rainstorms, and lots of X-files, the binding will be firmly attached by the end of the month.
Blog Break is Over!
Sep 8, 2009 A House is a Home
Yep. That’s right. My unplanned blog hiatus is coming to an end. Somehow summer just took over and blogging fell to the way side. I missed it. So I’m back with lots of good stuff.
Up first: Labor Day Happenings
On Saturday, our neighbor FINALLY came through with her commitment and cut down her very dead blue spruce. This tree was my nemesis. It shed lots and lots of pine needles in our yard, and after every storm, we had to pick pine tree branches.
While I don’t have a picture of bare ground, you can trust me. It’s gone. Along with it, the neighbor removed a couple of elms trees that were a bit too close to her foundation. So there’s even more sun in our yard. Oh I love the sun. The snail population will need to find a nice new home.
The tree removal immediately led to us planning how to use the back portion of our lawn. In the Spring we cleaned up the area. Since I knew the tree was coming down some day, I really wanted to plant a vegetable garden back there. It all depended on getting adequate sun light. By Monday, we knew we’d have more than enough sun to grow nice big red tomatoes.
So on Monday afternoon, we set out to rid the yard of odd stretches of sidewalk. With a couple of blows of the sledge hammer, Ross broke up the concrete into nice big chunks. In less than an hour, we managed to break up the first stretch of sidewalk.
By the way, breaking up sidewalk was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Of course I wasn’t the one swinging the hammer. 
The sledge hammer was the perfect tool. It made nice big chunks that we could pick up. A jack hammer would have been over kill and would have created more work by making bit-sized pieces of concrete.
In the picture below, you’ll notice concrete next to the fence. No, I don’t know why there’s this bit of concrete next to the fence. I only know that next Saturday we’ll break it up and haul it to the dump.
Then it will be time to get the ground ready for it’s next life: a vegetable garden. There’s still some minor negotiations about how the land will be used. So far Ross is growing potatoes not in raised beds, and I’m growing everything else in raised beds. Regardless we need bring water to the area. Nobody is looking forward to digging that trench.
Oh, and it case anybody is wondering, there will be more blog posts in the very near future. I have a couple of quilting updates that need to shared.
