We Have Cover

We have real cover!!  35’ of roof over our heads.  This was just our deck but now it is our real front porch.



And we are enjoying it already.  We need to clean up the building debris and put some order out here but that will have to wait until we have enjoyed this respite from the sun for just a little while.








We will be removing the little blue thingy to the back yard, but again, will have to wait.







No sewing or quilting this weekend.  However, I have packed up the hexies, some blocks that need embroidery, and the dragon and the thread I am using to applique him so that I have something to work on while on vacation. 


And I do have a finish to show.  Yesterday was my mother’s 90th birthday and, of course, I had to make something special for her. 
  She collects all things chicken and Fat Cat Designs’ Funky Chicken just seemed perfect.  And she was so much fun to create.  Mother says her eyes follow her around and seem to remind her that the dishes need washing.    So, again,
                 HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOTHER!

Stuff Is Happening

We have construction worker #1. 









And we have construction worker #2









And from that we now have the bones of the new deck roof.  Tomorrow we are supposed to have the tin on and then we will have shade and shelter from the rain.  To say I am excited would be an understatement.

Now, do you see a problem?  No, not the cat eating her dinner.  Look at the closed umbrella.  We didn’t move it before they started building but it is slightly taller than the roof will be there.  I am thinking we will need to pull it out of there before the guys get back tomorrow.




And see, Ms. Murphy is already checking this new thing out.  She went back and forth up there for about an hour before deciding it was time to come in for dinner.






And lest one thinks that I just spent my day watching construction workers (), I have decided to do the Funky Chicken BOM from FatCatPatterns.  My mother collects chicken things and for that reason I am drawn to them.  And these are so funny and the best part are that they are free.




I even drew and cut out all the pattern pieces for the first three chickens.  I was going to begin picking fabrics but then I remembered that Tuesday I will be at Mary Jo’s in Gastonia, NC where I will have the opportunity to increase my stash, especially batiks. 




And, I am thinking about this…….


I was looking for some handwork to take on vacation with me and thought I could probably work with these while visiting with our son and daughter-in-law.






So I prepped a few more.  I cut the hexies out with my GO but I had to cut the cardstock hexies by hand (ouch).  I think I will do a bunch more to take with me but if I don’t enjoy stitching them together they will be machine sewn together and will become a mug rug!!

It’s Monday

Guess what!  It is Design Wall Monday, again.  And although I feel very accomplished this week, all I did was get the top for a table topper done.


As I am sure everyone who reads Judy’s blog, this is the color pallet for June’s challenge.













This was my plan…..


And this was my finished block.





Next came the project plan.


This was the plan and ….


This was the block with the corner triangles.  I hadn’t intended for the block to float but I couldn’t remember the formula for cutting the triangles, decided to err on the side of being too big and then liked the floating effect and left it that way.







And lastly came the completed top: two borders with on point square in a square blocks in the corners.  The top really is square but I was taking this picture this morning in the bright sunshine (couldn’t really see the image) and while I was talking to my daughter on the same phone.  Anyway, I am really excited with how this has come out and hope to begin quilting it later this week.

I am not a pink fan and am always surprised when I run across this fabric in my stash.  I plan to use it again for the binding but that will not even come close to using it up.  The backing will be the same as the striped background fabric in the block.  The topper measures 32” square and will sit on point on our table.

One of the reasons I didn’t spend as much time in the studio this week is that we had a repair (handy) man out to fix the leak we had around the microwave vent.  He found that the shingles are stapled down and the wind and heat had encouraged some staples to pop up and the wind had torn the shingle and allowed rain water to FLOOD in.  He also said that although our roof looks to be in really good condition, several other shingles/staples are popping up.  We had him pound them back down and today he is coming to add a nail or two to all the shingles on the roof to help with this problem.

Then, while he was here we talked to him about putting a roof over our deck (read front porch).  I have always wanted a fiberglass corrugated translucent roof to allow light while still giving shade and respite from rain.  Well, they don’t seem to make that anymore and the “plastic” stuff is awful (read very poor reviews).  So after searching the internet we spent Saturday afternoon at Lowes and Home Depot looking at what they had and have pretty much decided on a heavy gauge tin roof.  I will be talking to the handyman tomorrow as well as checking out what the local builder’s supply places have and the prices.  Then I think we will start the process of building a cover for 33’ of decking.  How neat to walk out the door and not get wet or hit by the sun.