This and that...

The kids were here yesterday...oldest daughter came early so we could sew or pin-baste a quilt sandwich.  We chose to sew blocks together:  she did the pinning and ironing, and I did the sewing.

It still needs borders.  She has got to find the fabric for that.  Neither her phone or mine will capture the true colors of this quilt top.  It has more blue to it than shows.  It was a fun day.  Later in the day Sarah and Lorelei came...Roger's birthday is today so we had his birthday meal yesterday when we could be together...minus Lorelei's dad...he had to work.  Older daughter fixed steaks on the grill, as well as zucchini and onions and mushrooms chopped up.  And she bought a cheese cake.  It was all so good...and then my Sarah cleaned up the kitchen before she left...so it was like a birthday present for me, too!
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This and the fabric below I bought at The Sewing Botique in Hoopeston, Illinois...it is north of Danville a few miles.

I first thought daughter would love the above, then I got afraid that she wouldn't.   If I had had a pattern that I liked for a top that I knew would fit, I would have loved it for that and would have got enough.  But I don't, so I didn't...so I only got a half-yard of it.  It went home with older daughter.  She LOVED it.  Can you see why?
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However I did not make out too badly...she brought me the above 6 inch strips of batiks...they are cut the width of the fabric which is 42-43 inches.  When she texted me about the 6 inch strips, that was the first time encountering that size cuts.  And she also bought me a bunch of 2 1/2 inch batik strips...they, too, are cut the width of the fabric.  They are shown below.  Click each photo to expand the view.

In case you don't quilt,  this is something fabric companies do, and also some quilt shops will make their own sets of pre-cuts.  Pre-cuts come in 10 inch squares, often called a Layer Cake in that size.   A Charm Pack is 5-inch squares.  Mini-charm is 2 1/2 inch squares.  And the 2 1/2 inch strips of the width of fabric is called a jelly roll.  And they are rolled up.  Rachel had opened  mine when she got them to send pics to me.  Usually each precut pack has 40-42 pieces of fabric, and almost always have repeats.  But sometimes they come in like half a jelly roll, also think the Layer Cakes sometimes come with only 20 pieces of fabric, but I have only seen the Jelly Rolls come in half the number.

Oh, I about forgot there are 1 1/2 inch strips in some fabrics, but not as often.  And I think there are one or two other precuts that I have never seen and that are not all that common.

Also there are Fat Quarter bundles...they are pieces of fabric 18 x 21 inches.  The number of fabrics in a FQ bundle varies.

Usually pre-cuts  are a line of fabric, maybe by a certain designer, and it will come in different color ways.  It is an easy way of having a wide variety of fabrics without trying to go through and pick out things that go together.  Plus it is quicker than standing and waiting to get them cut.

I know this is boring to some of you, but some will find it informative maybe.

That is about it for this post....I hope you have a good day tomorrow.

Do you see what I see

The past couple of days have been great eagle days...not for great photos as the following photos will show.

Can you see it...

Click to expand the view to see better.

If you cannot see....it is an eagle on its nest.  And that nest is not 10 minutes from here.  I just could hardly believe my eyes.  It is a good distance across a field.  I was so excited to find it and could barely wait to get home and see if an eagle was on it. 

Day before yesterday we went by the swamp area that is about 20-25 miles from here.  It is one of my favorite places to visit.  It is where we saw our first eagle of the day.

It is a juvenile Bald Eagle.    We went on from there,  and just up the road and across the field we seen the following...

I have messed with these photos to try to get them presentable, but they are still not the greatest.  He was way across another field.

From there we went on to Danville, Illinois and on to the Heron Viewing Park...there we saw 3 eagles in flight but no photos. 

From Georgia

A few years ago we traveled through Georgia...we were not there to visit, but we did detour off the interstate and went down some local roads, both going and coming.  I had always wanted to see cotton growing since I love cotton cloth....for everything.  The above is one of a few blossoms we saw.

This is not the greatest of pics...but still, imagine the backbreaking work it would be to pick this field by hand.

So there you have it...the beginning of all my quilts.....

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I have seriously wanted a few cotton seeds to see if I could grow it here.  I know I would have to start them in the house under a grow light because our season is not long enough.  Still I would like to try it someday.
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Lorelei went home yesterday...nothing much happened while she was here...we did paint a shirt but I did not take a good photo of it.   She was wishing we could go to the creek, but it is flooded too much to go.  I am hoping that we get to go at some point this year because she enjoys it so much....

 These were taken 2 or 3 years ago....She will probably be like her mom, or grandma, and still enjoy doing this when she is an old lady!