Busy Beaver in August.

 Isn't it funny when you can't seem to sit still, need to keep on finding things to do but then when you're 63 you also definitely need a nap.....  That's the funny part.

I've been busy in August with the paintings.  See below.

Black Cat 10 x 12"

A tree in one of our favorite parks.  It's huge.

It's a retirement gift for a friend of mine.  His dog.

My husband.  Exploring portraits.

Lesson from my painting class.

The one I was really working towards.  It was hard, took my three days, but it was a birthday gift for another artist so it had to be perfect and really, I loved the actual picture and just felt that I had to paint it.  I have it framed and it looks even better in the frame.  

So I wanted to see if I could also do a portrait in water color and I was dying to do something in value colors, and the results is the picture of the girl below from another lesson from my watercolor teacher.  I really love it.

Still practicing watercolors as well.

A gift for a friend who is raising cows for the beef.

I've been doing a lot of quilting as well, but nothing completed.  I started a log cabin quilt with strips that someone gave me 3 years ago and it was hanging in our extra closet that my husband has his sports stuff in.  He kept on pushing to the side and one day while going through my stash on the bottom of the closet I noticed that so I've been completing 8 1/2" blocks.  I don't want to do another queen size, just want to get through all those strips.  Have done 40 completed but I need 64 blocks, so it's on my list of things to do for the retreat I'm going to next month.  YES my first retreat and I'm very excited.  Have enough to do, so I feel good about it.

Another one that I've been working on is a Kaleidoscope pattern, which uses a jelly roll and is very complicated and it just takes time to put the pieces together.  You can't rush that one.  Another kit going with me for the retreat.  I really love the colors in this one so you'll have to wait to see it.  It's a large lap quilt.  

I did fix a couple of quilts.  I put out all my autumn stuff (and painting some autumn pictures as well) to make me happy.  This quilt I have always moved but it was too small for my bed, so I enlarged the sides, and it fits perfect now. The colors are so rich, the colors of fall and the forest, that's why we both love it.  It's not that thick either so my husband loves it with the window wide open.  He's getting hot flashes so now he understands what I was going through LOL>

I also took off a piece of an applique quilt I made as part of a mystery quilting book.  It's old (at least 6 years), I've never used it, never hung it up, but it is pretty.  And I want to give it away so I took this ladder that the pattern ask for off the house to make the house look more natural.  See the white line going up to the windows?  Yup, that's gone.   I then had to requilt that section to make it better.  And it turned out really pretty.  I still don't want it because I have too many quilts, but I can give it away.  I'm at the point that I just want to make the quilts, not keep them.  But it's my husband that keeps on saying no I want to keep that one, and that one and that one....  so.....  I'll sneak it out one day.

I also did placemats.  I want to contribute that to my guild so I'm practicing to make sure I have the right size.  They're turning out gorgeous, but not the right size for the Meals on Wheels contribution.  I'll have to come up with another idea.  But I've been following an old old book that I got with patterns for every month a new placemat.  It's called Kim Schaefer's Calendar Runners with 12 applique projects.  I showed my husband the two I've made for September and October and he loves them, so I guess every month you'll see something here for a placemat, and some for contribution.

Can you guess which ones are for September and October?  I'll give you a hint, it's right by that ugly turkey one.  LOL

I have also been working on my lady quilt that I've mentioned a couple of times.  I made over 32 blocks to put around a stitched lady carrying flowers.  I found the piece in a second hand store, and the person had made it to put a quilt inside it (like a duvet cover).  I hated the thought of all that work for something so ugly so in August I sandwiched it, quilts all around it until it was solid, and then started to put different blocks from Sewcialites #3from the Fat Quarter Shop.  They have so many free sew alongs, it's one of my favorites.  See the link above to take a look at all of their blocks in different sizes.  It's a great way to improve your sewing.  And if not all the blocks make you happy there is always #2 and #1 Sewcialites.  I've completed the left side of the quilt and the bottom of the quilt.  It's a large queen size again so that's why I'm saying NO MORE QUEEN SIZE QUI:TS!

yeah right, lets see how long that lasts.

My guild starts tomorrow and one of the things we're doing is making a list of our UFOs.  I need to pick 5 that I want to complete this quilting year.  Every one you enter you have a draw.  You have to pay $2 I think to enter each quilt to try and get an entry to the draw.  Last year I did it and didn't get one done.  I got a lot of quilts done, but none that were UFOs.  I keep starting quilts and not completing them so lets hope this helps.  OK.  I think this is enough.

Happy quilting.