Wedding Quilt Progress

Grandmother's Flower Garden Progress

Here is what my view looks like most of the time.  A big bulk of hexi strips and a TV on in the background.
Don't you wish you were here to sew with me?  

Holy Moly....at this point, I'm wondering why I am doing this.  Oh yes, now I remember.  I'm crazy in love with my daughter and I'm a quilter.  How can a quilter NOT make her only daughter a wedding quilt?  Never one to shy away from punishment, as I'm a glutton, I am still working on my daughter's wedding quilt which is queen sized, hand pieced, English Paper Pieced, hexi quilt....pant, pant, pant.  That was a mouth full.   Grandmother's Flower Garden... Oy Vey ~ Face Palm...yada, yada yada....what was I thinking?

Can you tell I'm watching Malcom in the Middle?  LOL  I loved that show.  I LOVE Dewey.  What a sweet boy he was.

Don't let my whining fool you.  I AM enjoying the process.  Hand work and hand stitching of any kind is my favorite thing to do.  Although, I have noticed I'm going blind.  I don't know if it's because of my age now 40+ or from paper piecing a queen sized quilt.  Hmmmm....probably both.  

You are getting sleepy.  And more sleepy.  And more sleepy.  Slump..... Honestly, I think these fabrics are boring me.

Anyway, here is a reminder for the audience of why I'm doing this.

• Grandma died.  
• My kids are the babies of the family and never got their handmade wedding quilt from her. :(
• Determined to carry on the tradition of each grandchild receiving a hand pieced, hand quilted wedding quilt for their wedding from their grandmother, I take this challenge on.  How hard can it be to hand piece a quilt???
• I decided English Paper Piecing would be the easiest way for me to hand piece something.
• Spiritually and emotionally, this quilt would be "from grandma".  I only allowed myself to choose fabrics she would have chosen.  She loved 30's reproductions.  Voila! 
• I also used a lot of her stash in this quilt, which I inherited.  
• I'm using 1 1/2 inch Hexagons from Paper Pieces.  I am not an affiliate.  I just like their products.  

Annnnnnnndddd....here we are.  I'm getting close to being done.  I think this is my last row.  And let me just tell you.......my photos are horrible.  I know it.  The lighting in my living room is terrible.  I don't think I EVER got a good photo of this quilt.  *sigh*  I can blame it on the camera and the lighting but let's face it...it's probably me.  On well.  Onward.......

It takes up the whole living room floor.  I'm exhausted just looking at it.  100% hand pieced.  Doh!

I always liked 30's reproductions until I worked on this quilt for 2 years.  I hate them now.  Sorry.  

It took me awhile to figure out it would go faster if I stitched in rows.  Hello????  Why did no one tell me that trick?

Well.  There you have it.  My progress thus far.  I'm getting so close to finishing.  I only allowed myself to quilt something grandma would have approved and stitched herself.  I think she would have LOVED this.  Just wish she was here.  I miss quilting with her.

You can see the finished quilt here.

Have you made anything large with English Paper Piecing yet?  Or Hexies?  

Have you challenged yourself with rules similar to the ones I've made for myself, above?  

• Share with me in the comments below. Link me up to your work.  I would love to see it.  

• Sweet Woodruff Fans gather here on Facebook.  Come visit with us.  

1931 Environment Science Text Book

If I say I love books with pictures, does that make me "positively prime evil", like Gaston?  LOL 

 

 Gaston: How can you read this? There's no pictures!
Belle: Well, some people use their imagination.

 

I love this science book for the pictures.  It's fascinating to see how much things have changed with time.  And how much things have stayed the same. 

 

It's for sale here in my Etsy Store, Sweet Woodruffs

 

 

Sun Tea in the South

Good morning from Florida.

My son's chore everday is to make the sun tea. When he forgets, we really miss it at dinner and he gets a good brow beating.

This gallon pitcher with the strawberries belonged to my mother-in-law.  I love seeing it out in the garden working for us now.  It was a cookie jar.  Cookies don't last long enough around here to be put in a jar, so it's perfect for our sun tea.

Make sure your jar is sterile. I prefer a glass container like this Bormioli Rocco Frigoverre Jug pitcher without a spigot.  Bacteria can be an issue if your pitcher is dirty or your tea gets old. Don't make more than you can drink in a day. We drink so much tea, leftovers aren't a problem. When we do have leftover tea, I just throw it in the garden as soil loves the sugar.  Acid from the tea is good for acid loving plants as well.  

We live in the south, so naturally there's gobs of sugar in my Mother-In-Law's tea.  When I make my tea with fruit or spice flavored herbal teas, I feel less need for sweetener and enjoy drinking really cold unsweetened tea.  Make what you prefer.  

Here is how I make mine:

• Use a very, very clean, sterile, glass gallon jar (I don't like plastic).  You can buy a new one, or use recycled pickle jars from Sams or Cosco.  They are easier to find in the summer.  
• You can use tap water, or distilled.  I'm fine using my tap water, but if you feel more comfortable, bottled is fine.  
• I use 5 family sized black tea bags (use 4 for weaker or 6 for stronger tea).
• On occasion, I additionally will use 1 or 2 Fruity Herbal or Spice Teas. Experiment and use what you like.  I love peach or raspberry.  My grandmother always put mint in hers.
• Cover with a lid or plastic wrap.
• Let it sit for at least 5 hours in full sun.  If it sits all day, it can get bitter.  5 hours is sufficient on a sunny day.  
• When you feel it's done, I add 1 cup of sugar.  My mother-in-law added 1 1/2 cups of sugar (basically making tea flavored syrup...LOL).  Everyone, especially the kids, love it this sweet.  I like mine just a pinch less sweet or unsweetened.  
• Put it in the ice box immediately.  Keep chilled.
• I think most people would say it will keep at least 2 days, but I just throw mine out.  Fresh tea just taste better every day and there is less risk of bacteria growth.  

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.  

I'm happy to answer. 

Pick some of your green tomatoes and make a favorite family recipe, Chow Chow.

Do you have a favorite brand of tea?  
Do you put baking soda in your tea?  
Comment below and share your tea memories with me. 

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"Ecstacy is a glass full of tea and a piece of sugar in the mouth."

~ Alexander Puskin~

"Talk and tea is his specialty," said Giles. "He has come along inside....We'll see if tea and buns can make the world a better place."
~ The Wind in the Willows

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Be blessed and Be a blessing!

May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, 
for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains."

2 Timothy 1:16

**Yes it's true, I am an Amazon affiliate. I make only pennies (um, not even that yet) with every purchase you make. Thank you so, so much for supporting my little blog here. I'm trying to help my darling boy attend an expensive private college as debt free as possible. Thanks again. (((hugs)))**

Be My Valentine Charlie Brown, 1976 Book

Be My Valentine Charlie Brown,

Vintage 1976 pink hardback book

 

Hey Sweet Peoples! 

I'm selling this book on Etsy and am posting extra pics here.  :) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking.