How Easy Can It Get!

Okay, I confess.  I am a quilt blog surfer (do they still use the word 'surfer' anymore?).  I am always out trolling for new ideas and just the other day I fell into this one.

Weeks ago I had my Connecting Thread order come in and I had ordered some very inexpensive charm packs.  I wasn't exactly thrilled with them when they arrived so they sat buried under other stuff in the quilt loft.  Then I saw this on a quilt blog.... and how easy and fast it turned out to be.

Stack 4-5 charms, mark a 2 inch spot on top and then a 3 inch spot on the bottom.

Cut, shuffle, and sew back together.

Are you getting the idea!

Sew them in chains....equal number in each section.  Doesn't matter how you place your colors.

Add white borders which don't even have to be the same width.  Now wasn't that easy and impressive!  This could have taken all of one morning.

But I have been distracted with this:

Happy Quilting!

A Walk on the Wild Side

If we stayed home we would have just worked.  And we do have a mission to walk as much of the North Umpqua Trail as we can. 

This morning was just too nice to stay home and do that dreaded four letter word so up river we went.  We knew that we wanted to head back to the Susan Creek Ped Bridge to get us on the trail side of the river.

When we arrived it took us a full 15 minutes to get across.  First there was the mother duck and her six little ducklings who were drifting with the current.  So having all the time in the world we watched them float under the bridge and then watched as they all huddled together on a dry rock.  Then we were side tracked by the salmon Bill saw in the river and we had to watch that.  Then there was the lady with the two dogs who wanted to share her life story with us.... 

So when we finally made it to the other side of the river we headed up river only because the lady with the dogs headed down river.

 

 

If you really want to take serious pictures you don't use your cell phone camera!  But this is not a fluke of the cell phone.  The tree really did appear to have a halo around it.

 

 



These were really pretty ferns and Bill is checking out what they were growing in.  There were too few of them to feel right about bring a couple home with us.

All in all it was a wonderful way to spend the morning.  After, we went further up river and stopped at Steamboat for breakfast before heading back home again.  We did stop at Baker Wayside and check a fishing spot or two. 

And yes, we were on or by the river all morning and not one river picture!  Maybe next time.

Happy Trails to You!

A Charming Trio

Always a new quilt in progress!

But there is another finished one....I call it Charming 2.  It is also made with the charm squares.

You can never have too many charm packs (my latest craze).  The colored hexagons came from a charm pack.  The white was cut from fabric.  The method used is called English paper piecing.  Every hex is hand sewed!

Some people use freezer paper, I use card stock.  I also found if you use spray starch and a paint brush you will iron fold overs that will stay through all the handling.

Charm pack - simple marks by moda.

Many, many weeks ago this is where the quilt top was.

And this is where it is now.  Lots of heavy top stitching - so far have gone through 2 bobbins of white thread.  and then.....

And then a "surprise" quilt got moved to the top of the priority list!

The hot days of summer are with us and the best place to sit in the morning hours is up in the loft and quilt...  No complaint with that!

Happy Hot Days of Summer!