Rollin' Along

Activities that are keep me rollin' along... healthy eating; regular exercise of one sort or another (line dancing, power-walking, and tomorrow I'm trying Zumba); a ukulele playing and singing; reading (an audiobook and an ebook going simultaneous), and sewing room each day.

If I may recommend another very good book, read "Magic Hour" by Kristin Hannah.

In my sewing room, I'm FMQing.

Maybe you remember that I finished this 68" X 68"  "Spin Art" quilt top in May. Wedges were pieced according to Christina Cameli's book, "Wedge Quilt Workshop."

I had attempted quilting before, wasn't pleased with it, and unpicked it. However, with the passage of time, and fresh eyes, I've started again. I'm happy with the center - a little ruler work, and some FMQ.

Because I want to keep the "spin" effect going in the quilting, I've been intentional about choosing designs that appear to be rotating. I used my clear acrylic sheet and dry erase markers to try possibilities.

I wasn't particularly happy with any of them, but settled on the half-feather.

When quilting it, I went so far as to change thread colors for each wedge. I don't like it. Not one bit.

Instead, this is the design I'm going with. I like it better. I'm still changing thread colors.

I was involved with three quilt-alongs this year. This Year of Scrappy Triangles, being led by Leila, is one that hasn't been "going." After falling way behind, last evening I made a big step toward catching up. After printing foundation paper-piecing papers for blocks 31 to 46, I selected and cut fabrics for each. Except for three pieces of fabric that I cut into from my stash cupboard, the many remaining pieces came from my canvas scrap bins. 

This 52-block project doesn't even make a dent in my scraps! I swear, I could make a thousand blocks! It might be time to make another Scrap Vortex quilt. 

At today's Big Cypress Quilters, my friend Sarah (who helped make wall kites for the Early Learning Center), showed a quilt that she started two years ago. It's one that was trigger by me, when I gave her a couple dozen 4-1/2" X 4-1/2" leaders and enders blocks. She made a whole lot more of them that became this quilt. It's it great?! I really like her diagonal layout, though she admitted that the quilt pulled toward the bias, and she had to do some fiddling to get it square. 

Sarah plans to donate it Project Linus.

As I'm still into smoothie bowls, eating one about every other day, I'm sharing another tasty combo. The smoothie part, made in a food processor (but a blender works too) is:

• fresh, steamed, then frozen yellow crookneck squash
• fresh, frozen blueberries
• banana (not frozen)
• carton of coconut-flavored Greek yogurt
• hemp seeds (these add protein)

Didn't the blueberries make it a lovely color? 

Toppings were (from left to right):

• banana
• walnuts
• shredded coconut
• homemade granola
• wheat germ
• chia seeds

Low calorie, nutritious, and filling. What more could you ask?

Must mention that after my last post, showing my lighting issues when photographing a quilt, I believe I've found an inexpensive work-around. (Though a business on Instagram suggested to me that I use their quilt photography services for $175... for two pictures of one quilt!) I'm hoping the $45 I spent for bulbs and lamps will be a better long-term investment. Linda